Saturday, February 26, 2005

It's A Long And Dusty Road

Just got in from seeing the godlike genius of Tom Paxton. It's funny, I always thought that I came to Paxton as an adult via Nanci Griffith's version of Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound, but it didn't take more than picking up a cheap best of compilation to realise that Going To The Zoo was something I remembered from my early school days. Which means Paxton and I go back further than I thought. Sometimes the most telling reminders and inspirations come from unexpected directions. There's a couple of things that emerged - the question of what on earth would I have told that poor little seven year old if I could from this distance, and, yes, where exactly am I bound? That poor little sod turned himself out ok, as it happened, but he'd have benefited greatly from being told just to hold on and ride things out, and not to worry so hard about stuff. Now, while this adult knows exactly where that little kid went and what happened to him, this adult is also only too aware of a life spent gathering knowledge and wisdom in sure and certain hope that it would be put to good use by being passed on further down the line, and the dynamism of a song like Katy speaks too much to me of the parent-child relationship for me to discount how much I want that. And while physiology is in my favour, I hear that ticking ever louder.

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Thursday, February 24, 2005

Unfair Questions

I just asked this of someone without thinking too hard before I did, but once I had thought about it, I realised there was a bit more to it. Given certain assumptions, the question which I address primarily (but not exclusively) to my women readers is as follows. Assume you're single, you meet some guy, find the two of you get on well enough for it to be worth pursuing, and he makes a confession of sparkly tendencies. You say..? I'm asking for a number of reasons - it's always good to compare my own thinking with prevailing opinion if any exists - but it occurred to me that it's a question I've never encountered except from within the situation. For my part, I know what I'm comfortable with, and I know how slightly different approaches have had slightly different results in the past. Happy to go on to share my experiences, but it's a straightforward question out of academic interest - how would you react to such a revelation?

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

On The Other Hand

Comedy genius Paul Whitehouse as interviewed by Laura Barton, here: "After The Fast Show finished, I wanted to do a series called Men, actually, and focus on a different male character every week." But "a lot of them were inadequate men. I'm not afraid of exploring the inadequacies of men." And what are the inadequacies of men? In response, he tells me about a programme he watched the night before, about men who wear dresses. "They're not gay, a lot of them, far from it. It's about being able to express emotions other than 'Let's have a ruck' or 'How much can you drink'." He nods at me. "You lot are allowed to express emotions." http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,,1418896,00.html Meanwhile, last night I had several hours of driving under a bright, clear, fully moonlit sky, with a dusting of snow in places, and saw a mouse, a couple of rabbits, and a beautiful owl swooping within a couple of wingspans of my car, to say nothing of a great time wrapped up against the cold.

Monday, February 21, 2005

Laughing On Judgemental Day

Here's what someone else has had to say about that programme. "...it was clear there was something different about Grayson -with his elegant understated transvetism (sic), and the other males who flocked to the scarborough weekend. The latter came across almost as OTT piss-taking Lily Savages -all frocks/boobs/pouts/eyeliner in a way unnatural for any person, male or female. Their body language was uncertain exhibitionism and issues rather than the simple sincere preference Grayson Perry described." This probably says as much about the person saying it, if not more. To see nothing but the extreme examples as entirely representative of the whole, and then to describe Perry as "elegant [and] understated" is a good indicator how people see what their prejudice (in its most neutral sense of prior judgement made without looking at the evidence) predicts rather than what's in front of their eyes. To pass that harsh a judgement on people for whom the occasion may be the one time in a year that that part of them gets expressed is equivalent to seeing someone drunk at the office xmas party and proclaiming them to be an alcoholic waster who's lucky to make it through any night without doing a Bon Scott*, never mind a disgrace to themself, their profession and so forth. And no matter how open-minded and open-hearted one tries to be, being prepared for and expecting that reaction is exactly the sort of thing that keeps people feeling that remaining closeted to whatever degree they find appropriate is necessary. I'm lucky that I have a) a bone-headed inability to take other people's negative rubbish on board because I can tell those who don't know what they're talking about from a great distance and b) a pragmatic streak that combines well with an instinct for self-preservation. And still you find me responding to this particular canard here rather than confronting its source directly. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions there. * Bon Scott, original singer in AC/DC, died choking on his own vomit while asleep in a car on 19th feb 1980. Never let it be said this is not a blog of wide-ranging topicality! Ride on.

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Makeover Time!

I've tried changing the blog-styling in response to feedback about the difficulties of reading white-text-on-dark-background. Lovely bright sunny day, if a touch on the chilly side and squeezed in between tidying the house, I'm using this peel-off mask to try and clean out my biggest pores, before I paint my fingernails. *** 8.40pm update Makeover complete; after briefly discussing the idea of nude colour this afternoon, tonight I've gone for a much more natural look. Pale pink lower eyelids toned with a gold (to match my fingernails, of course!) under the brow line. Brighter pink cheeks, and a barely there pale pink lipstick all focus attention on my lashes. I am still very happy with my No7 Lash Extensions for the effect it gives. The paler pinks on my face go with the pale pink bag and top, and black boots, and black diagonal pinstripe skirt to just over the knee complete the outfit.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Frocks On The Box

Well done Grayson Perry - even if that blue/white Alice-in-Wonderland outfit is most charitably described as doing nobody any favours. Excellent piece of television - giving an 'expert' the opportunity to comment from an inside perspective rather than some rentamouth muppet who knows nowt about what they're talking about is undoubtedly the way forward. On which note, if there are any more questions for experts that arise from that, or even me-specific questions, I'm all ears, and the anonymous posting option is still on.

Monday, February 14, 2005

Unhappy Anniversary...

...is a great Loudon Wainwright song. It's a neat reflection that having resolved major historical issues that have habitually jumped out on me, I just don't feel the curse of the calendar these days in any way near as strongly as I used to. And that's a good and healthy thing. Nevertheless, I'm momentarily struck that it's actually a whopping eighteen years ago today that I... well, I know. Which is quite something. In other time-related news, I'm hugely impressed that on saturday night I managed to get in, shower and wash my hair, get dressed, do my hair and make up (albeit not quite to my entire satisfaction) and get out in barely forty minutes. That's the benefit of mentally planning an outfit and sticking with the plan rather than changing my mind. And to be honest, the fact I was in a hurry meant I just got on and did it rather than vacillate, hesitate, procrastinate and agonise about whether I could manage it. But the fastest thing on two heels I am not.

Sunday, February 13, 2005

Saprkling Whine

Yeah, typo. And? I haven't drink-posted before, until now. Tonight I went to see the second Bridget Jones film, and while I'm used to going out, this is probably a first of going out, having bought the ticket in advance, turned up after the trailers had started and thus entered the cinemauditorium in the dark. Which was not intentional so much as taking too long doing my make up and making a passable attempt at doing my hair. But I had a nice time, enjoyed the film and have now finsihed the first bottle of wine. And I am vsparkly and v drubnk. And it feels ver nice.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Quiet Night In

Favourite charcoal shift dress, tights that probably need throwing away, lovely boots, peel off face mask leading to face marinading in moisturiser, ER on space telly and an early night. If I'd been paying more attention I'd have realised I'm free and could make saturday evening in the Big City, if I'd bothered to do something about it, so if it turns out there's a rash of drink-sparkle-posting on saturday, you'll know I didn't quite get it together!

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Awwww!

Four times in my life I've been given flowers, and yes, the circumstances were somewhat significant in one way or another in all four. Tonight I got given flowers for something altogether less spectacular, but by way of thanks for my assistance. And while I happily give what assistance I can in the same spirit I post in general - that is that if I have information or an informed view on something, I'm happy to share rather than keep it to myself for the sake of it - all the same it's something I find a very touching gesture. So that's five.

Monday, February 07, 2005

End Times Lurgy?

Hmmm, there's a bit of a bug going round, spots, becoming itchy spots, becoming pestilential boils, becoming gangrenous amputation candidates. Or something like that. Maybe it's the end of the world, or maybe it's just a winter low spot when nobody's seen the sun for a while and everybody's in need of a little hibernation and recuperation. Whatever it is that you've got, here's hoping you get rid of it and get well soon!

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Well Done Passport Office!

A few weeks ago, I was commenting on the pain-in-the-backsideness of getting a passport picture I was satisfied with. And complaining at the amount of time and money I was spending doing my hair and make up and going round the 24 hour supermarket to go to the machine. I posted off my old passport, the renewal form and everything else on saturday, and my new passport turned up today. I'm impressed with that level of speedy service, but I'm glad I didn't know they'd be that good, or I'd have wasted much more time, money and make up on repeating the photo ordeal over and over again!

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

When you look in the mirror, do you see yourself?

When you see yourself, does it make you scream? Identity, it's a funny old game. I look at the links to other sites, and people I come across in many different areas of cyberspace, and lots of people are known by variants on their first names, and different first names, which in some cases I know are not their actual first names as found on birth certificates and so forth. Some people go for descriptive names, some for names which resonate in their lives and some for punning variants on common clichés. What does it mean to you, your online identity? I'm just curious. Title and first question courtesy of X Ray Spex' 'Identity'

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

More Links!

I added sparkly ladies - let me know if I missed you out and you want adding. One of the good things about this as a project in its own right is that I'm learning bits and pieces of web-design along the way, and it's always good to have a new skill being developed - I think the brain is a muscle that needs working as much as any other sometimes. And on the back of a couple of days working that particular muscle for a living, I'm ready for an early night and little catching up on rest and recuperation. Most muscles need that too.
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