JANUS IS DEAD

January is over. I have not smoked for a single month.
Its been a long cold, month. I have been burnt by Dragons.


``While we lack enemies, or cause for triumphs''

Children of Men.


There are spoilers

Its a well made film, It features good performances, by the prinicpal leads. It could simply be the subject matter. A world without children, and I have never been comfortable with Dystopias. But something about this film left me cold. I have btw heard a talk given by the Author


The plot is in a world, where women can no longer get pregnant, a man has to lead a woman with child to safety.



Its London, its London that has gone wrong. The Buses are still red, even though they have digital moving advertistments. Powered rickshaws. Dogtracks, and pubs, cheek by jowl by barbed wire holding pens, and maching gun toting bobbies

The Neo Flagallentes, in Traflagar square was a nice touch.

The non smoking buliding, is funny, also when Clive Owens character

I am confused about this. The world is collapsing, so people are heading for the UK. We see French flags, and hear Irish accents, in the fugee camp. So Europes collasped. But Baby Degio in Argentina, can still be filmed, and act as a celebrity. Why would there be a problem, with Illegal immigrants. The world is dying, what would be point? It is never better elsewhere. Why does Argentina hold on ?

Julianne Moore, I think was a bit redudnant. but nevermind. Not sure, why it needed a hollywood actress. Why is she a british citizen...

The Fishes are quite an inept, rebel-terrorist group. They break into a refugee camp, which has a garrison next to it. Its on the sea. So they are effectively, coraling themselves. They are also in a place, where the UK government really doesn't need to worry about bystanders.

The New ager Midwife, being shot, and screaming hail Mary, is a nice touch.

There are times, when the film, is not subtle. The Fugee, camp with people trussed up naked, and with hoods, ala Abu Grab. The Fishes, shouting its your choice. Oh yes, and Grass would be legalised.

Clive Owens charcter makes the point. That the lady is pregnant. Reveal it is simply bigger then everything else. The argument, that they will take baby, and dispose of the lady, is only slightly true. She can breed. Do not slay the golden egg

Michael Caine, does a good job, as always`` Pull my finger.''

The Quietus, the sucide pill, handed out with the rations. The worrying scene, with MC's character using as rat bait

The Government minister, trying to save, Michaelanglos David. A pity we did not see more of that.

Despite the fact it lays it on with a trowel, in places. This was a nicely realised dystopia

21st Birthday

Some of you may be surprised to learn. I was in a public house last night. 

This was due to the fact, that it was my brothers 21st birthday. It was alright actually. I ate a lot, I had a few beers, and an old friend. Tequila with Lemonade. I have a taste for things Latin. Why this picture. Well its not there anymore. If I remember correctly, this image was used several times in the series Star Trek Voyager. I may have posted it here before. Anyway, is a view of the past, in some sense the same as seeing the battlefield of Hastings, or the plains of Jurassic Montana. 

 It makes me think, I am having problems with my own past 

 A month smoke free

Biplane Dinosaur

Dino news


From CNN.

The intriguing possibility of a biplane dinosaur -- Microraptor gui -- is suggested by Sankar Chatterjee of Texas Tech University in this week's online issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Microraptor was described by Xing Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003 as having aerodynamic feathers on both its arms and legs. Xu suggested at the time that it glided, extending its legs backward so its wings were arranged one behind the other, like a dragonfly.
But that would be aerodynamically inefficient for a feathered creature, Chatterjee concluded, noting that the feathers on the legs would not face forward.
Instead, he suggested, the legs of the two-pound creature could have been held below the body in flight, creating two staggered wing sections, the upper one slightly ahead of the lower one.
One other flying dinosaur, Pedopenna, also had feathers on its legs, Chatterjee said, and modern raptors such as falcons have short feathers on their upper legs which reduce air resistance as they fly.
"Aircraft designers have mimicked many of nature's flight 'inventions,' usually inadvertently," Chatterjee wrote. "Now, it seems likely that Microraptor invented the biplane 125 million years before the Wright 1903 Flyer."

The past is truly alien. Pity they never produced a dinobot version :)

Iwatched the Children of Men, review sometime this week

I took this picture on the first of Janurary 1997. Its the view of Queens from the World trade centre. Something that you can't see anymore.

It was my first trip to New York, I have been going to New York, for St Particks day for the last 5 years. I can't go this year. I have the money, but I can't spend it. The stars are in our grasp, but our papers are not signed.

21 days without ciggerates.

Book buys

I bought books today

Monarchy by David Starkey part 1

The Great Hunger,

The Bruces Wars in Ireland

Big Brother Barney,

The UK's Channel 4's Big brother, has caused a spat between India, and the Uk. Over the treatment of an Indian actress Shilpa Shetty. ( Who is radiant)
By her other Female Housemates. Shilpa, is someone, I don't think anyone would ever ask to help lag their pipes, or roof their house. Yes Shilpa is probably more then a little highly strung. However the contrast between her and Jade Goody. Is lamentable.

The other sidelight is that Dirk Bennedict, the orginal Starbuck, the Face and Jermaine Jackson. (brother of Michael) Are the voices of sanity.

The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland


It is strong stuff.

I didn't know Doug McAvoy was Scottish. I'd seen him  in Shameless and assumed he was English Anyway. Here MacAvy plays a bored student, slightly smothered by the future. Realizing his life is all planned out. He will graduate, get a practice, marry and become a leading light of the rotary and golf clubs

 The film begins with a scene where McAvoy yells in frustration at the ennui at the whilst smoking in bed, and has his father ask if he's alright

Forrest Whitakers portrayal of Idi Amin is fearsome. Forrest is a huge guy. A bull of a man. Normally he plays quiet laid back types. This time, he exudes menace. It is odd, we don't see this sort of evil more on screen

Garrigan. (Macavoy) meets Amin, by chance. Amin is in a road accident, and McAvoy is the only doctor arround. Garrigan, doesn't register on Amin's radar. I think Garrigan might be the only white in his group He is a literal piece of the scenery 

Until McAvoy shoots the cow responsible in a fit of rage

Quite Scottish

Amin's (Forrest) Line about Red Hair. ``We Africans find it quite disgusting!'' Is amusing 

Well its a seduction. Garrigan planned to seduce Gillian Anderson, and sow his wild oats. Amin manages to seduce, corrupt the young Scottish doctor

Garrigan has an  affair with Idi's wife.  Who is played by a beautiful actress. It is here that Garrigan's intentions good and bad- pave his road to hell. He gets her pregnant. He of course did not use protection. She was an African. Its Arrogance. That is Garrigan's sin. Pride, he thought he could ride the Tiger. The Tiger almost mauled him

The expulsion of the Ugandan Asians, is shown. As well as Idi Amin's curious murderous buffoon relationship with the Anglo-American press.

The banality of evil gets depicted on screen. Instead of feasting on chocolate cakes, and walking in the mountains of Bavaria . Garrigan, must attend to Amin's trapped wind  Later as Amin watches Debbie does Dallas- or Deep Throat Garrigan is asked  for his medical opinion The Holiday Inn, is the where power games are played out.

A powerful work

Tobacco Yellows

I have been trying to give up smoking. I have gone 10 days without a ciggerate. I have been wearing patches. Chewing gum, and using a cream, and such like. However today, I had to wait in a place where someone had smoked. The smell gone on my clothes, and drove me mad. I know I'm going to be one of those holier then thou ex smokers.

Its me in NYC. I don't think I'll make it this year. I will miss the energy, the size and life. Of the City of dreams

Resolutions


I have not smoked, since the morning of the first January. I feel a little light headed often. Somewhat sluggish at times. On the plus side, it means I have another goal, so I don't feel overwhelmed at work.

I bought a new TV today. I put away my little Matsui, after cleaning it up. It did me good service.