11 August 2009

Daily Chat 11/08/09

The Jardin du Luxembourg, where we hope it won't be 44° today
The constitution of the Weimar Republic was adopted on this day in 1919. Race riots began in the Watts neighbourhood of Los Angeles in 1965. The last US Army ground combat troops left Viet Nam in 1972 and a heatwave took temperatures in Paris to 44° in 2003. Celebrating birthdays today: Ian McDiarmid, Steve Wozniak, Joe Jackson (the English singer, not the father of the Jackson 5) and Richie Ramone. It is Independence Day in Chad.

36 comments:

  1. No one here? Part timers...

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  2. elementary_watson11 August, 2009 10:26

    I'm here, Jay, and am thinking about Ian McDiarmid in his greatest role ...

    The porter in Macbeth.

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  3. The porter's part is an odd one isn't it? It's been suggested that because of

    'I pray you, remember the porter.'

    Shakespeare himself might have played this part. It seems at first groundling jesting of the sort we have deplored since the 18th century but there is a lot of good stuff there.

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  4. Dan the Buddhist11 August, 2009 10:55

    Me too- I'm here but going back to Marrakech in a couple of weeks to start my new career as manager of our riad (courtyard house. See riadmaizie.eu) cos previous incumbents been ripping us off and we're totally borassic (borassic lint= skint)
    Slightly apprehensive at leaving Miranda and animals here in Umbria...

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  5. elementary_watson11 August, 2009 10:58

    It's also been suggested that the porter scene wasn't by Shakespeare (like the Hecate scenes). However, it is the counteriest counter-point to the surrounding bleakness imaginable, I think.

    And McDiarmid really did some great stuff with that scene; the porter in the BBC-Nicol Williamson production (I bought that version and the McKellen version in one fell swoop) was boring, so it really depends a lot upon the actor.

    I would rather think that Shakespeare could have played Duncan (it is also rumoured that he played Hamlet senior, so it would be in his line), but one does not exclude the other. Then again, Shakespeare's company always employed a clown, and there are no other roles for a clown there.

    Realize how no one named the subject we're talking about yet, in ANY way? ;-)

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  6. And what about Margaret Thatcher's 30th anniversary of her 1979 election as British PM?

    Perhaps much of the crisis we have gone through today could be attributed to her new capitalistic ways. Ways that have also been adopted even by the Left. It was unthinkable at the time.

    Which confirms my opinion that there no longer exists Right or Left in politics. Or Centre for that matter.

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  7. Hi el - think the 'Primrose Way' (so often misquoted) makes it Shakey for me. He was also (I think) suggested as acting one of the murderers as well.

    Share your admiration for MacDiarmid. He was superb in his wee bit in Gorky Park though Rikki Fulton dominated the screen when he was on - the director said that Fulton had the cruellest eyes he'd ever seen!

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  8. The only Macbeth I know is Orson Welles'. A great movie. We did 'Richard II' for 'O' level and it put me off the bard somewhat. Hamlet's pretty good, though.

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  9. elementary_watson11 August, 2009 14:16

    "Hamlet's pretty good, though." Now, I know the English are famous for their understatement, but that made me chuckle.

    I had the pleasure of never having read any Shakespeare in school, so no tests or heavy-handed analyses to put me off him. On the other hand, any mention of the names "Goethe" or "Schiller" sends me off to sleep ...

    Faust I is pretty good, though ;-)

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  10. You don't know this version, Dan?

    By the way, I've started reading your comic and I love it. A pretty accurate depiction of depression (in my experience). I'll comment on your page later...

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  11. Jo Macbeth: Wow- where did that come from? Never heard of it and don't recognise any characters- she's a cracker, though...
    Isn't youtube great? My faves are the Eddie Izzard monologues in lego men, "cake or death". Cracks me up. Thanks for that martillo.
    And thanks for the kind words about my never-ending strip. I've completed 500 frames and am probably two thirds of my way through...

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  12. elementary_watson11 August, 2009 14:52

    Until recently I was on a holiday and am slowly catching up with the going-ons at the Graun. The last 43 minutes I spent ogling (oh-gling) Montana's and kizbot's very sexually attractive posts. As well as AllyF's if I am to be completely honest.

    I hope none of them feels objectified to her (or, in Ally's case, his) wit. I'm sure all of them have, erm, aesthetically enormously pleasing body parts as well.

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  13. elementary_watson11 August, 2009 14:55

    PS: I meant the comments on the ogling thread - as if this wasn't obvious ...

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  14. Ogling thread? What ogling thread? Is this something to do with the Grauniad? Have Montana and Kisbot been exposing themselves?
    WHAT IS GOING ON, PLEASE?

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  15. martillo many thanks for that clip new to me also - Sid James as Banky!

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  16. elementary_watson11 August, 2009 15:31

    1) Now I can't wait to get home and watch that clip ... :-(

    2) Sorry, Dan, there Is nothing going on in the Graun, but there was: Here is the protocol of the party

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  17. I don't think it has many positive reviews, but I love all attempts at recreating classics. Especially if they have Sid James in them. Here's another favourite

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  18. Thanks, elementary, (or may I call you Elly? No, I thought not) for the ogling thread but all that Guardian highbrow stuff goes way over my head...

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  19. Gog Magogle !

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  20. 'Something else for so-called ''liberal left'' (what a misnoma) ..........to ignore.........'

    posed the cynic

    1. Are you in favour of a UK referendum on the Lisbon Treaty

    2. Are you in favour of the SECOND referendum to be held in October in Ireland?'


    'Not important really..... best ignored'

    posed the dysfunctional youth

    'the level of debate here is so high quality anyway'

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  21. Martillo - just listening to your link from last night now - love it! I am a complete sucker for Spanish / Latin music. Flamenco could possibly prove the existence of a god.

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  22. thaumaturge
    Indeed, it was a great link.

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  23. 'If you're a liberal, you can't be on the left, and if your on the left, your not really a liberal'

    said Packa Penus, the famous flamenco spoons player

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  24. And what if your not sure of you're grammar?

    Posited the pedant.

    Here! here!

    Applauded the siccofant.

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  25. BW/Martillo - the weirdest thing happened to me once.

    My ex was in the music biz (or had been) and a mate of his was coming into town with the Miama Sound Machine. We were offered tickets / VIP passes et al. As all I knew of MSM was the horrible pop stuff, I refused to go and we had a fairly good fight over it. In the end, he won and I said I'd go but I wouldn't like it.

    I did like it.

    They had a huge band and loads of great Cuban music. Even the horrid pop stuff was given a much more Cuban feel.

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  26. That would be "Miami Sound Machine", of course.

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  27. Miami Sound Machine's "Doctor Beat" is part of the soundtrack to my mis-spent youth, thaum. I bloody love that song.

    Mylo did a good job sampling it on his only really big choon "Drop the Pressure" a few summers back, too.

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  28. 'And regarding .......liberalism'

    posed the cynic

    'are we living in a period when economic liberalism of the so-called 'right' and social liberalism of the so-called 'left' are being fused, paradoxically, under political centralism ...as corporatism....of the New World order?'

    'Lots of familiar faces on this web site:

    freemasonrywatch.org

    'best just ignore it...... no spoons here'

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  29. Cuban music. Now that'll bring you close to the god of something. Unbbridled Passion probably. It's great...

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  30. Unbridled passion ... hmm, reminds me of the other night as I was playing some lovely Latin music.... :-))))

    And let's not forget tango! Too lazy to search out some links ... off to bed now ... zzz.

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  31. I should be in Toronto with a bunch of my friends tonight, watching this lot instead of stuck here. Pah.

    Juanita

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  32. What IS it with you and that bloody outfit BB ?

    They did one good tune in a movie about junkies sixteen years ago.

    Jesus.

    What's wrong with skiffle ?

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  33. LMFAO Bitterweed!

    Well... what is it with em.. I dunno really.

    I have never been to concerts like them - not only for the band themselves (Karl, the singer, is like a little kid on stage, at the age of 50. Leaps about the place like a nutter, full of energy, then every now and again he looks up and remembers he has an audience, and starts to laugh with such utter joy!)

    But the audiences. Something about a UW gig you just can't put your finger on. I don't mean the festival gigs where people just cram in to a tent to wait for the "Lager Lager Lager Song", but their own shows. Everybody is just so happy. There is an energy, a vibe in the place that is just so awesome. And it isn't drugs either - I don't do all that shit, haven't done for years. I don't even drink when I go to one of their gigs, apart from water. People are just friendly and respectful of each other and happy to be there - sometimes you end up talking to and dancing with complete strangers and just having a great time.

    The other thing, though, is that you can go to four of their gigs four nights in a row and every one is completely different, even if some of the tunes are the same. They write up their setlist on the back of an envelope backstage five mins before they go on, but they deviate, improvise, create new stuff on the hoof - more like a jazz approach to things than anything else.

    And they really, really love what they do, and love their fans.

    And, by the way, bollox to BS Nuxx being the "one good choon" you so-and-so! WhyIoughtta...!

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  34. Here's one you might like, BW.

    Not skiffle though :p

    It's got a line that says "Pig, pig, pig, pig"... Don't think we need to show them the pigs, though. They're good guys.

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