Peoples, prepare for some rejoicing, for I have wonderful news. That’s right. I am giving you reason to head out and party on this slightly chilly November morning. Are you ready for this spectacular event?
It really is great news. Because, you see, the word meh is all growed up and has taken its rightful place in the Collins English Dictionary.
I know, I know, you can barely contain your joy at this decision. I feel that we should have a natinal holiday. Or summat.
“Do not, I beg of you, my lord, say more!” uttered Miss Milbourse, in imploring accents, slightly averting her lovely countenance, and clasping both hands at her bosom.
This may be my favourite Heyer so far. It has all the usual ingredients, romance, melodrama, along with a great deal of humour. Most of her books do have some, but this had me laughing more than any other. Plus the characters were great. Hero, or Kitten really isn’t much of a hero at all but she is so good-humoured that no matter the scrapes she ends up in you can’t help but like her. And Sherry is just as bad. And as entertaining and likeable.
The collection of friends are great fun too.
And as usual the book is a page-turner, you won’t want to stop once you’ve started reading it.
I know, terrible terrible form to post two vidjos in a row, but you just must love D’unbelievables. You must[1]
Sheer genius!
But second of all, something more serious. I don’t know how many of you have heard about the murders in England. Five bodies have been found so far in Suffolk, and so far all the identified women have been prostitutes. But is that any reason for TV3 news to never use the word women in their report? Just constantly repeating the fact that they were prostitutes. As that was everything they were, and everything they could possibly be.
Crappy news
Thirdly, those two murders in Finglas today, well yer man, Mr. Big, is a fella at work’s neighbour. That’s me, connected to crime lords on all sides.
Fourthly, and back to the light-hearted side of life. We have a new cat at home in Sligo. The sister sent me a text message with its picture. A little tabby kitten that they have called Taz because they found it outside Veritas.
A-, I’m a little disappointed. But never mind, I’m sure I’ll get over the shock.
I don’t know if any of you have seen the trailer for The Holiday[1] ? The film itself looks quite crap, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz swap houses around Christmas and find romance in their foreign homes. Blah, whatever. The point I want to moan and complain about is the violence.
Not the fact that it occurs. Cause violence on screen is a good thing. Really, it is. I know that if you haven’t seen the trailer you may now be imagining blood and guts and gore, but don’t. This film is rom-com, there aint going to be no bloodbaths. At least I don’t think there will, it’d be a very unexpected ending if there were. No the violence is one scene of Diaz’s character punching her boyfriend[2] because he has revealed that he slept with someone else.
Now, imagine the roles are reversed and boyfriend punches Diaz for sleeping with someone else. Still a funny amusing scene is it? Course not, because men hitting women *fx: Faith as Buffy* is wrong. And naughty. But somehow it has become perfectly acceptable to have women beating up men.
Sexist pigs.
And if I was going to be all serious I’d point out that domestic/spousal abuse happens to both men and women and really isn’t a funny thing. Or I might mention the fact that this sort of scene is, in no way, something that shows men and women as being equal. Instead it points out that women are so weak and unequal that having them use violence is funny.
But I’m not going to go there cause that would require thought, logic and maybe even an argument of some sort. And lets face it, you don’t come here for sensible posts like that, do you?
Sometimes you find the bestest[1] things on the interweb.
You know when you correct[2] your younger siblings’ pronunciation or spelling or accent[3] And they moan about how “sure you knew what I totally meant like dude”[4] Well now you can feel totally justified, and you can go further and correct their punctuation. After all, one day it might save them thousands of euros/dollars/pounds/rands[5] Don’t belive me? Well, I was reading Neil Gaiman’s blog when[6] I spotted the story. Seems some Canadian company(Rogers) drew up a contract with another company(Aliant). A multi-millian dollar contract. Only they added an extra comma which meant that a crucial line didn’t mean what they thought it would mean:
[the agreement] shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.
Rogers thought that meant that the agreement would last five years, and only after that could it be terminated by the one year notice. But that isn’t what the sentence means. If I remember my rules of punctuation, two commas like that create a subordinate clause, which can be removed to read the main point of the sentence. So it’d read: “[the agreement] shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.” or basically that only one years notice is required to terminate the agreement, at any time.
Doesn’t that just make you smile, and wonder will all contracts now have to suffer the scrutiny of the punctuation police as well as the legal teams?
I’ve been memed, again. This time by Nome, and it is a music meme. Post your top ten[7] artists, the first song you heard by them, the one that made you fall in love with them, and your current favorite.
Ben Christophers[8] - Beautiful Demon which I got free with an issue of Uncut magazine. Back when I used to buy it. And I think that is still my favourite of his songs.
Declan O’Rourke - Sara (last night in a dream) which NM sent me. My fav by him now is probably Marrying the Sea
Dead Can Dance - I can’t remember what the first song I loved by them was. And I don’t know if I have a favourite either.
Sinead O’Connor - I don’t really like her personality, or at least the way she comes across in the media. But she has a fantastic voice. The first song by her that I can remember hearing and loving was, of course, Nothing Compare 2 You. That is still a great song, wonderful video too. But my favourite at the moment is her version of Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile
Martha Wainwright - Again, I’m not sure what my first fav was. And there are quite a few of hers that I love; Bring Back My Heart with Rufus Wainwright, Dis, quand reviendras-tu?, Wither Must I Wander, These Flowers and I’ll stop now otherwise I’ll end up listing all the tracks.
![[6]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0060515228.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V60942507_.jpg){kind=link}