yay leslie

Vae puto deus fio

Filippo Addarii is an Italian who lives in London; he works with Nigerians who live in Stockholm, he has Dutch friends who work in Hong Kong, he encounters Germans whose work has taken them to Jakarta and Bangladeshis who live in his native city of Bologna. He meets Danes from Cairo and telephones with Brazilians he met in Mumbai. There are thousands of addresses in his Blackberry -- and scores of them are globalization skeptics. They, though, are facing something of an existential crisis.


to read more...

love it. love it. love it.

unstoppable urge to bake

day 6 of the fast is wrapping up...

tongue: yellow
skin: 4 spots that takes me back to age 17
smell: hightened
sleep: early
mood: upbeat
ditziness: minimal
smoking: marginally less
craving for booze: non-existent

so everything as anticipated...
But for a
welcome side-effect: the unbearable lightness of baking

as i finish off my second cake (my personal favourite "torta di riso") i am plotting my third, and fourth. right now can think of nothing better than to be covered in flour.

..."after 100 years of India..."

...and i walk away, thinking of another place. of seemingly endless summers and the shades of different kinds of trees. and then of winter when the branches of the trees are bare. so bare that recalling them now it seems inconceivable that i looked at them and did not think of the summer gone. and the winters to come. as illusions. as dreams never fulfilled. never to be fulfilled...

hari kumar/harry coomer aka philoctetes

teen crud alert

these are hard times for the teen-cruds, i'm afraid. slim pickings. for a while they were coming thick and fast and good. "Clueless" gave the moribund genre a much-needed boot up the arse in 1995 and its literary-inspired premise gave birth to a spate of wee crackers...all taking their cue from the great bard..."She's All That" ... "Ten Things I Hate About You"..."Bring it On" alas, the brief revival went tits up far too soon.



and now i get excited by anything i can get my mittens on. i give to you errrr...
"stick it." at least it has my beloved jeff bridges in it.

R.I.P. teen crud. you saved my world (a lot)

Day 4 of Fasting

mmmmmmmm.........love my water and lemon.

not feeling quite myself. i know what i'll do...

plop on glenn gould's goldberg variations...

annnnnnnnnnnnnd BAKE A PIE
(Not for me, of course)

to be hunted down as a matter of state urgency

Taking different tangents, i've come across a film i've now become obsessed with seeing. touted as one of the finest (anti-) war movies ever made, it has so far eluded me. read more...
the inclusion of Górecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs is enough to guarantee a never-ending stream of tears.

Day two -- hang in there

In the body, the first stage of cleansing removes large quantities of waste matter and digestive residues. The first few days of a fast can be rough due to the quantity of waste passing into the blood stream. The tongue becomes coated and the breath foul as the body excretes waste through every opening.


*** lovely ***

you're welcome!

day 1 of detox extremis

starving/cranky

seek distraction. find it in THIS:




mini rant: shamefully overlooked for best foreign film. shame since italian (quasi)masterpieces come once a decade these days.

Pretty Baby

f: poop, are our tastes in films, well, a bit odd?
o: odd as a picnic basket.
f: meaning?
o: meaning yes, but in a good way
f: sometimes i feel we're a pair of pervs
o: sometimes i feel we have our own world and interests, that's all
f: mmm. yes. well put

'night mother

just my cup of tea. a too-rare trek to the theaaaaaaaaaatre is in order this weekend to see a revival of this cheery 1983 play that opens with Jessie calmly telling her mom that by morning she'll be dead.

kleenex all round.

CK CK CK CK CK CK CK CK CK CK CK CK CK

sigh. flutter.

shameless self-indulgence for my very own benefit

feed the obsession......

"This has been the most terrible as crime ever committed in the state of Indiana"

Pod Forever

Driing Driing Driiing

F: Bloomberg News. Jackson speaking.
Random male: Buongiorno. Cerco Alessandra. [Hello. Is Alessandra about?]
F: No. E' al telefono. Lei e' schizzato su di me. [No. She's on the phone. You squirted/spurted on me]
Random male: Oh. Chiamo piu' tardi [Oh. Let me call later then]


One....

Two.......

Three...........


ERrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Oscar Fever (not)

What we are EXCITED about:

Best actor: Ryan Gosling
Best actress: Kate Winslet

unthrilled about all the rest.

gray matters

CLICK CLICKETTTTY CLICK

about a brother, a sister and the girl of their dreams

toxics redux

alas, after an all-too-brief exile, TOXICS (otherwise known as my feet) have staged a return. with a vengeance.

emergency contingency measures are being taken. but this cruelly mild winter and contained spaces are taking their toll.

ps my feet are far prettier than the above stand-in. and not painted.

a bit of a go-er

while following each other's blog religiously (which means more than daily) is all good and well, nothing beats a good old-fashioned chat with a good mate in a land far far away. especially when the aformentioned land is australia and the pal is non other than gdday' michaaaaaaaael

while i'm not at liberty to say what he told me (backseat cocks. tanlines. a girl called denise. dreamgirls) ...oops it slipped... i CAN say michael, you were the highlight of my day for all of 5 minutes. then i forgot all about you. and now i remember. and yes. you were. the highlight that is.

now if that doesn't deserve an "ERRRRRRRRRRRRR" i don't know what does.

hopefully, sunday......here

``At home, in Stockholm, they are skiing and skating and throwing snowballs at one another....''

did i mention i was excited about sundance??!

The FULL PROGRAM

can't wait!!

"Surf's Up" is based on the groundbreaking revelation that surfing was actually invented by penguins. In the film, a documentary crew will take audiences behind the scenes and onto the waves during the most competitive, heartbreaking and dangerous display of surfing known to man, the Penguin World Surfing Championship.


Jeff B. Says: I ``Play a dreadlocked surfing penguin in this one. It's sort of a mockumentary (a la Spinal Tap). Hard to explain.''

Oh Jeff, Jeff My Jeff

rummaging through the DVD store, i stumbled into a film that caught my attention for the mere fact it had Jeff Bridges (apart from thinking he's startlingly attractive, i find him one of the most talented and understated actors today). Then i saw Kim Basinger and frowned. Then i thought, why haven't i ever heard of this. Anyway. what a pleasant discovery "The door in the Floor" turned out to be. It opened a few years ago to indifferent, smug, even dismissive reviews and i must say i'm surprised. It's far better than some of the standard fare that is up for oscars these days. The acting is beautiful throughout and while that is to be expected by my Jeff, Kim Basinger was a revelation (L.A. Confidential wasn't a freak accident). Funny business, film-making. i guess it really is all about how a film is promoted, seen, distributed, rather than the inherent qualities that make good entertainment: a solid plot and strong unshowy acting.

Mina Update

She Lives! She Rallied! She's a Trooper! Nothing will her bring down! No Ditch! No bouncing sausage dog! No Pod!

......... take me home..........country road.................to the placeeeeeeeeeee... i beloooooooooong. to the 3 pucci. in murci...take me home.

I WANT TO GO TO SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL!

someone please take me.

my heart skipped a beat

Source: New York Times

SHORTLY after last year's Academy Award nominations were announced, the filmmaker Tommy O'Haver and the actress Catherine Keener met at Venice Beach to discuss a project inspired by a dark and troubling event. Ms. Keener had already read and turned down the script but had continued to think about it. “So we sat on the beach and talked,” Mr. O’Haver recalled. “And at one point she said, ‘I’m really scared to do something like this.’ And I said, ‘I have to tell you, I’m scared too. In some ways I think that’s why we have to do it.”

To read more..about what promises to be a CRACKER, then,
CLICK HERE DAMMIT!

mina, please live a long life

come on, what's a little bump. and grind.

Escapism- Top Five Buffy Episodes of All Time

or What i Watched While Sewing Velcro Onto the Sofa
(This WILL be my last Buffy Posting)

In no order:

1. The Wish (S3E19)
Cordelia: ``I wish Buffy Summers had never come to Sunnydale.'' Has two of my favourite characters. Cordi and introduces Anya(nka). Creates a harrowing alternative universe where friends turn foes. Willow and Xander are evil vamps. Buffy arrives from Cleveland, dark and jaded and sporting a super sexy lip scar. Angel is a whimpering loser. In the words of the series' creator: "Very bleak, very fun. It went to a dark place.'' To be seen with 'Dopplegangland'



2. 'Once More With Feeling' (S6E09)

Tongue-and-cheek and moving at the same time, 'Once More With Feeling' is on the one hand one big in-joke, assuming that you have following the Scooby Gang over six years, and know them inside out. Their foibles, idiosyncrasies and history. If so, by the time you see it you can feel their pain and hurt as things come to a head and it all goes tits up. Some bits are laugh-out funny, but the sentiment is bitter-sweet. 'Where Do We Go From Here?' Where indeed.

3. Selfless (S7E05)

A love letter to Anya. This minor character, grows over the series. Her evolution from former vengeance demon with no tact ("You speak your mind, and are annoying"), to one of the show's most layered characters, is well, sublime. Here she we flits between hilarious flashbacks to Anya as a milk-churning, bunny-keeping 10th-century wench called Aud in Norway to her present-day slaughter of frat boys. And her show down with Buffy: ``Are there any of your friends you haven't tried to kill''

4. "The Puppet Show'' (S1E09)
Pure Nostalgia. Our heroes were young. so young. Willow SO dorky. Xander. FIT! Cordelia priceless. singing `Whitney Houston's ``The Greatest Love of All.'' FUN FUN FUN.


5. The Yoko Factor (S4E20)
A little gem. Spike has a wicked good time in planting the seed of doubt in the minds of Willow, Xander and Buffy and gets them to fall out with each other. Dropping a hint here. an innuendo there. All the fears. insecurities, recriminations that had been bottled in. come bursting out. Giles, feeling like a has-been watcher, gets very drunk.

tottitastic DJs

more random flashbacks to new year. (after this my klunkety klunk died)
demand to see on the www the new and improved, brunettes-have-less-fun totV.

not dune

well, after a very productive weekend in the country crammed with useful household tasks: sewing. stocking up on gas. wood. creating (my own very personal) order among the DVDs...
well something had to give....
the inner pod exploded and kick-started the year in style, with a post-holiday season disaster. this involved. driving mina into a ditch. being heaved up by 6 sturdy men. stopping at the first gas station. assessing damage. realizing i was stranded. getting a ride with giant lorry whose joint-rolling driver was as kind-hearted as he was tragic (he regaled me with stories about his gambling habit). witnessing a fatal car crash. getting taxi to come out at some random exit near airport. arriving home at 2am only to realize that i probably left my wallet in mina.

tots 2007

courtesy of the rather Fab Diana klein (aka DKNY). there is photographic evidence of the tots looking well, er..trashed. dazed. confused. all the aformentioned. an oddly pouty TotV.
and yes, the bread. (i made that one too)


on-the-sidelines conversations:
DKNY: "I miss Maud... :( does she miss me?
Helena bought for her pedigree doggyfood in a large yellow bag- it's
for 'small size dogs'- it's dry too, but various shapes and textures and she loved it! she didn't like the little pellets you left for her."
f: er. well she's back with mommie dearest and back on the PELLETS.

thirteen conversations about one thing

Jill Sprecher wrote the script for Thirteen Conversations About One Thing in collaboration with her sister Karen, as with her previous film and directorial debut, Clockwatchers (1997). The script was written over an eight week period and finished before Clockwatchers was released, but due to a lack of funding the film took over three years to make. The plot was inspired in part by autobiographical events in Jill Sprecher's life, including two muggings and a subway assault. The housekeeper Beatrice is based on Sprecher's personality when she first moved to Manhattan after graduating. Several planned scenes were cut due to budgetary constraints. (the people's encyclopedia)


* Guess the one thing?*

a first in cinema history

who is kissing who?

'Ma' and 'Pa'

possibly hollywood's hottest, zaniest couple ever

she: slim as a whip. screwball comedienne par excellence. foulest mouth this side of the atlantic.
he: rhett butler. 'nough said.


fab little sidenote: Carole Lombard had a little dachshund named Commissioner that ignored Clark Gable completely. After her death in 1942, the dog would not leave Gable's side.

R.I.P. Canova

the scene of many morning coffees, many an aperitivo, many a heart-to-heart, plenty of quick spremute followed by even swifter smokes. is no more.

following a simply barbaric makeover the likes of which have to be seen to be believed but should never be seen to continue believing. the likes of which would have fellini (who loved this place) turn in his grave and renege every single film he dedicated to rome. it's that awful. a true travesty of good taste, and common sense.

horrific blue bear

this seven-colours-of-the-rainbow luminous thing has been spreading terror to any visitor to the flat. it's been shagged to death by maude and still it lives. to all who have seen it. suggestions welcome. guy fawkes?

how bonny is bonnie

my first musical love of 2007

Sunday morning bliss

Music: the letting go, Bonnie Prince Billy
Beverage: Orange, Cinammon tea
Maude: sleeping
Me: writing
Weather: Misty
Clothes: Baggiest
Hair: Messy

Trouble, more trouble can you get anymore
Slow bubble boiling on the bedroom floor
Lonely ain't lonely, someone calling at the door
Someone lovely and she's bringing bad news

She clenches and she cries and she lays on the stairs
Pounding on the earth and yanking at her hairs
And showing such fear at being found unawares
To be here and be bringing bad news

(Track 5, Letting Go)

en guarde!

here is hoping it won't give me big thighs. all that crouching/bending of knees can't be good.

cous cous a la pod (an homage to nappy)

This is a super easy dish that's quite refreshing on the palate and takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and cook!

Ingredients (err)
well a glass of couscous from a box
some chickpeas from a can
some parsley handed out from the shop
some salt
some boiled water (glass of)

fennel. tomatoes from the tomato man.
Bung it in. all together.
a splash of goodwill. a sprinkle of faith.

yes. anyway my guest ate it and seemed to rather enjoy it. i await her glowing praise. that's ONE 2007 target out of the way.

the divine feud

yes, yes. these two old broads were at each other's throats for decades. did they really detest each other as much as they let us to believe? probably not. but they were consummate pros. and stars. the real kind. and they knew there is nothing the public likes more than a good, old-fashioned bitch brawl.

Bette on Joan:
"She has slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie."
"There may be a heaven, but if Joan Crawford is there, I'm not going."
"The best time I ever had with Joan Crawford was when I pushed her down the stairs in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"

Joan on Bette:
On the set of "Baby Jane" Joan was asked about the differences between herself and Bette Davis, Joan stated:
"Bette likes to rant and rave. I just sit and knit. She yelled and I knitted a scarf from Hollywood to Malibu."

In 1973, Joan talked about the makeup the two actresses used in Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? :
"I am aware of how Miss Davis felt about my makeup in Baby Jane, but my reasons for appearing somewhat glamorous were just as valid as hers, with all those layers of Rice powder she wore and that ghastly lipstick. But Miss Davis was always partial to covering up her face in motion pictures. She called it 'Art.' Others might call it camouflage- a cover-up for the absence of any real beauty"

note to self

NEVER listen to the smiths drunk.
no good can come of it

right moving on.....

best news of the year...so far

buffy season 8........

alas in comic book form. but hey, i'll take any scraps thrown my way.

Interviewer: Does she get comic-book superheroine breast implants?
Joss Whedon (creator of buffy, all-round genius): She really doesn't. I've been fortunate that I've never worked with a T&A artist. I'm very specific about that.

2007

maude is still on the rag