I’ve been meaning to read this for ages (such a familiar refrain); it has been glaring at me from the bookcase for a year or so. I started it last night – hot nights always make me not want to sleep – and finished it this morning.

It’s be Sarah Turnbull, documenting her life and experiences in Paris after moving in with a French man she hardly knows. Paris is one of the places in Europe I am least gagging to see. I am sure it is beautiful, and if/when I go I hope to enjoy it, but there are more interesting (to my mind) places to see – ones that are less likely to be full of rude people (according to the stereotypes). Some of the interactions Turnbull describes just reinforce this idea, like feeling pressure to dress your best because Parisians expect it, and having people be rude to her in the street (not necessarily an exclusively French or Parisian thing, of course). But some of her descriptions – like the gardens, the cafes, and some of the people – really do make me want to go there and experience it. Preferably with someone who knows the city and the language.

It also makes me glad I married someone whose language and culture was at least vaguely familiar and understandable, this side of techno stuff anyway.

What a surprise; all the babies died. I think this was hastened by the hot weather recently – I’ve had the light off in the tank for most of the week, trying to keep the temperature down; it is currently at 32.7C. Hopefully this will not weaken all of the other fishies too much.

I think the angels are speeding up their breeding time. There were babies between Christmas and New Year – I think? – or was it after that? Anyway, not that long ago, certainly when one considers that new eggs were laid 4 days ago. It was rather bad timing for them, though, since we were at the start of three days of 40C or so. I turned the light off in the tank for a few days, because the temp got to around 32C, which I didn’t think was very healthy. So I haven’t had a really close look recently, but there don’t seem to be as many wriggly tails as one would have expected. Oh well.

The heat doesn’t seem to have affected the fish immediately. I think it may have weakened some of them, though… we’ll have to wait and see.

Rant, rant…

I just saw a thing on the news about Simone Warne. I don’t know the ostensible reason for her being there – something about a home renovation website – but since it was Channel Seven (oh, the shame… it was after the tennis), they then announced that she would be appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Please!! Big Brother people are barely worthy of celebritiy status, but at least they are the ones who have ‘earnt’ it. Simone W’s is more infamy than fame. The truly hilarious part was the reporter then reassuring the audience that she insists that the Dancing with the Stars isn’t the start of a media career… oh good. I guess Joanna Griggs has come from something of a similar position, albeit a less out-there divorce, but I am still a bit sus of her, too.

End rant.

I finally saw this movie. It was moderately enjoyable; there weren’t as many songs as I dreaded, which was a relief. Having the Muses as a gospel choir was pretty funny, and quite effective – and whether they knew it or not, following the tradition of the Greek chorus, too.

However.

Am I too much of a nit-picker? A pedant? Perhaps. I guess I understand about making Hera the mother – cheating on your wife is a bit hard to have in a Disney film, particularly if you want Zeus to come up smelling like roses – and we just won’t even mention the fact that he is Hercules with Zeus as a father, rather than Herakles… To be really nit-picky, I was a bit irked by their giving Pegasus to him (I could be wrong, always willing to be, but I hadn’t thought that was so – Pegasus was born when Perseus cut off Medusa’s head, was the child of Medusa and Poseidon, and was ridden by Belerephon… but hey). And then there was their putting the heroes out of order. I follow the school that there are essentially two ‘generations’ of Greek heroes, the wild and the polis-oriented. Herakles obviously is wild, as was Achilles and Jason, I think. Theseus is your ultimate political hero. And yet Philoctetes says he has taught all of them before Hercules… anyway. Very few are going to pick that up.

And I guess it was too much to expect that, in a Disney movie, Hercules would kill his wife. But there were no Labours!!

We went to see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on Boxing Day.

Sometimes, just by the way, it is very easy to forget what the title of the story actually says, because it is so recognisable.

It was a fantastic film. I believe there has been some sort of furore over its Christian content… well, duh. If you object to your children being exposed to that, then don’t let them see it. And if you didn’t know beforehand that it had Christian content… maybe you should have done your homework a little bit better.

Liam Neeson was perfect as Aslan. I have been meaning to look up what else Tilda Swinton has done – I thought she was glorious as Jadis. And Rupert Everett was the fox… I was very impressed with myself for picking it.

Apparently whoever made this one – Disney? – has the rights over the rest. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made Magician’s Nephew; despite its lack of fame, it is a fantastic story, and I think it would translate well to the screen. I think Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair would all do likewise. I am not so convinced, though, about A Horse and his Boy or The Last Battle. The first is a bit too odd, and the last a bit too disturbing. Still… we will see.

I have always meant to read books by David Gemmel, but have never seemed to get around to it. I think in part his sheer volume daunted me somewhat, because I didn’t know where to start. Visiting J’s cousin, I noticed some of Gemmel’s books on the shelf, including one called Lion of Macedon. I thought it looked like an interesting way of getting into his writing.

It was a really good read. The characters were slightly larger than life, but still engaging… I do love a part of history re-told, with a supernatural element or some reworking, if it is done well, and here it was. It was entertaining to read of Philip of Macedon – I presume that at least part of what Gemmel says of his earl life is true. The supernatural/fantastic elements were not forced, which is always an achievement. I have the sequel waiting to be read, and I am looking forward to it.

I am told his other books are quite different from this – not historical, for a start. That’s ok; I think I trust him enough now that I can take the plunge.

The babies have not been seen since they took flight.

I’m sure that last time, even after they flew, theyr remained in the nest for a little while.

Perhaps I am wrong about that.

I got this book about 2 years ago from the bro in law; I have only just got around to reading it, basically because I was expecting it to be a moderately tough read. How wrong I was… Stuart McIntyre is a remarkable writer, making this a very readable read. I don’t think I ever ran into him at Melbourne Uni; I rather wish I had – he comes across as quite personable.

I would bet that some people (like those he has a bit of a go at in the book) have accused McIntyre of being partisan to the left… he certainly doesn’t pull any punches, as far as I can tell, and I think he probably does lean left. However, he acknowledges the good on both sides, and some of the things people on the left need to improve or that they have done not so well. And besides – at least according to the book – it is the right that has tried to be revisionist and take Australian history and even culture back to some idealised ’50s idea.

A recommended book for people looking to understand the controversy over the use of history in the public domain (politics, museums, the Bicentennary, schools). Also interesting for how it talks about how Howard has used history and how he has used it – or at least his understanding of it – to portray himself.