My Occasional Thought For The Day

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Not that many years back, two rows of closely set Cypresses were planted between the residences and the railway lines, just to the Saint Leonard's side of the Russell Street underpass. They are now around four or five metres tall. They form a very effective visual barrier, and no doubt also muffle train sound. I know not the species.

[Font is ''Paris''.][--- Cypress & Delta And The Bannerman!!---][Font is ''Paris''.]

Vanessa M. told me at work today that she enjoyed "Delta And The Bannerman" very much. The Vincent Motorbike, plus the Fifties Rock 'n' Roll clothes, and the general ambience of the design, may have had much to do with forming this opinion.

"Delta And The Bannerman" - Doctor Who [McCoy Era] finished to day with Part Three. It is only the second time I have seen it. The first time was over 15 years ago. This original Australian broadcast was also on ABC TV.

My opinion then: I hated it! Now, I have mellowed to it somewhat. The story still confuses, but there are a lot of good design features in it, plus many good lines and strong acting.

Last night, rather late in the evening, I watch my DVD of "The Ipcress File". It is curious indeed, but despite the dozens of times I have seen this movie, I can always watch it again. It calms me, and never bores me. I have absoutely no idea, as to the reason why this is.

It was cool this morning, overcast, but not raining.
And it stayed that way very much all day. Wonderful!

Be that as it may, I just spent the day sitting around watching Doctor Who: Hartnell Era "The Ark" [purchased Video at the Whovention last year]; Hartnell Era "The Dalek Invasion Of Earth" [library borrowing]; Pertwee Era "The Carnival Of Monsters" [ibrary borrowing].

All are favourites of mine. All I have seen several times. All I will see again, no doubt.

The final two episodes of Doctor Who [McCoy Era] "Paradise Towers", screened today on ABC TV. The first two had screened yesterday. I am unusual amongst Doctor Who fans in liking this story. The main problems seem to be in the final episode. Up to that point, the story, despite the far flung nature of its highly entertaining synopsis, was tightly directed, and the actors all played it seriously. The result is that it works wonderfully. Good serious acting with the right script, often produces great comic effect.

However, in the final episode, some of the actors went a bit over the top. Perhaps, in the time honoured Doctor Who tradition, the production was running over time. Richard Briers, as The, now taken over by The Great Architect, is singled out in particular by many fans, and there is truth in this. However, ho as Tex continues to play it very straight, despite the greatest of temptations, and he deserves due credit.

A significant waste of time this evening, for I was deleting spam. I do wonder about the minority of idiots who are conned by these unsolicited missives. If no-one showed interest, no spam would be sent, it being not an end in itself.

Doctor Who [McCoy Era] "Time And The Rani". It finished today on ABC TV, with Parts 3 & 4, telecast from 6.00pm to 6.50pm. Yesterday saw Parts 1 & 2. It is not a very popular story with Doctor Who fans, as many have told me. While I did not mind it; neither was I thrilled to bits. The character of The Rani did not appeal to me that much in the earlier story, "Time And The Rani" [Colin Baker Era]. But there are good points in the synopsis & design: the Vampires with eyes in every direction; the captive natives of the planet, most of whom live in a kind of pleasure dome, whose glass disco balls can release myriads of deadly robotic insects. The acting is overall strong, while the special effects are above average for this programme.

I think the problem is due to incoherence in the story line; not the fault of the writers, nor the production; but because Doctor Who was very nearly cancelled. While the reprieve did come, the BBC heirarchy gave them the task of finding a new Doctor, plus altering the style & direction of the show, and all this in a very limited time frame.

To their credit, the Doctor Who Unit recovered well from this shaky start.

Today was excessively humid, and after work I suffered from moderate but persistent cramp until mid-evening. So I lay down for some hours & read, to the end, "Maigret And The Hundred Gibbets" by Georges Simenon. I only began it yesterday. It was first published in 1931 and is a psychologically compelling novel. This Penguin edition is translated by Tony White.

At 1/1 Tunks Street in Waverton, at 1.15pm: As I arrived down the hill, I saw both cats being let out of the front door, the mature Ginger Tabby Cat & the Mature grey-Balck Tabby Cat. The immediately headed in completely opposite directions. But neither travelled more than three metres before lying down on a mat; sphynx position, with legs tucked under.

At 10 Mckye Street in Waverton, at 1.20pm: There was a scattering of several Leaden Flycatchers, feeding in loops around 10 metres or so off the ground. Obviously the gnats or midges were rising in smallish numbers from the grassy area.

This species is now present all year round, in susbstantial numbers. But this is only the case in recent years.

Tonight I finished "Maigret Mystified" by Georges Simenon. I only began it yesterday, but it is a short novel, I had much time in which I must lie down, & this reading kept me from much boredom. Still, I read it quickly, for the plot. I plan to re-read this 1932 novel, at a lesser pace, concentrating on the language, in Jean Stewart's translation in this Penguin edition.

Danger Man - "Deadline" - Episode 15. Tight, taught and compelling is always. The dangers in being a crusading journalist are exposed very early in the story.

The Saint - "The Helpful Pirate" - Episode 75. This is the fourth colour episode, and much to my satisfaction for a change. A strong storyline is well acted & directed.

12.08pm - Depot box, in McHatton Street. This Crow was dismantling an orange coloured flower from a nearby tree. It just destroyed it; carefully dissected it, until there was nothing left. Then, a second flower; the purpose was now explained. This one had some nut or germ at the base of the flower which the Crow quickly consumed.

12.47pm - On the grass verge between the concrete footpath and the concrete kerb, near to 16 Crows Nest Road, I saw the solitary Magpie Currawong. He or she was strolling about looking for things to catch and eat in the grass. This Bird has had the run of the length of Crows Nest Road for many years. It is well advanced in age, and of a solid bulky build, rather than the slender elegance one associates with this species. Despite the difficulty of a solo Magpie Currawong holding territory, when so many Magpie Currawong pairs are desperate for territory, it has little trouble. Only once have I witnessed it challenged. This was about two years ago, and it drove out the challengers in quick order. There did appear to be two younger Birds, but only one seemed to be involved in direct fighting.

In some vague unspecified attempt to cheer myself up, I played, mid evening, the DVD "It's Marty". This is a comedy gem, but nothing really could have given me the sufficient lift.

The surprising thing, which I have noticed over the recent days, is the damage done to plants by that excessive heat on New Years Day. While few plants were killed outright, right across Sydney, nearly half the plants suffered significnt scorching. Even Palms were affected.

I watched "The Arsenal Stadium Mystery", which I had recorded on VCR from ABC TV, at some ungodly hour not long ago. It is an English movie from 1938 or thereabouts; a murder mystery starring the Arsenal Football Club, as themselves. The Brentford Football Club appear as talented giant killing amateurs, the Trojans, in a FA Cup tie at Arsenal's Highbury Stadium. The football is well created for the time. The crime itself is a good scenario. But the whole is rather spoilt by a perceived need for a "humorous" detective.

Andy M. tells me that the Highbury Stadium is all but unchanged, from its appearance nearly seventy years ago.

Currently, I am looking after the aquarium fish of one of my neighbours. It is a small white fish with orange trim. It is tricky for me not to overfeed this somnambulant ectotherm, a I am used to ravenous endotherms.

Fish seem not to be overwhelmed with imagination, or individual personality traits.

Potatoes: The one which came up weeks ago is sprawling everywhere, in a rather erratic manner. The one which came up around Christmas has a bundle of thick vertical thick stems. And, I noticed yesterday, there is a third pot with a Potato plant, which I had forgotten about, and which also has Coriander of a week or so old, which was another thing which escaped my memory. I am not a systematic gardener.

The Budgies had 2MBS-FM radio all day. They like Music in the Classical tradition. Tonight, in a similar vein, it is Beethoven's 3rd, 4th & 5th Piano Concertos, played by Gerard Willems on Piano, with Sinfonia Australia conducted by Antony Walker. The last is playing now, and I can understand why Beethoven may have felt he had nothing left to prove in this regard.

This was the day of Budgie panting. The temperature reached 45C, right across the City & Eastern Suburbs. Firstly, early in the afternoon, they had their wings still folded, but held out from their sides a little. Then their still folded wings they held quite some way from their bodies. Finally they were panting as well. I did what I could with an electric fan on them.

Much of the morning I had spent, sitting or lying down, and reading almost all of "Maigret And The Black Sheep" by Georges Simenon. Very good, as usual. The only irritation for me in this 1962 novel, was the the translator, Helen Thomson's habit of translating not just the language from French to English, but also the legal system from French to American. I think that anyone can work out what an "Examining Magistrate" does.

I spent much of today sitting or lying down at home, and reading almost the entirity of "Cover Her Face" by P.D.James. I had trouble earlier, reading it in little snatches, as the range of characters & their interaction is rather complex; such that if I took it up after a couple of days break, I would be trying to work out: Who is Catherine? Where does she fit in?. It was first published in 1962 & does have a standard format, in that the relationships & interactions are expounded, the murder then committed, Inspector Dalgleish enters, and after eliminating false leads, announces the murderer to the essembled suspects at the end of the book. Entertaining crime novel this is. It is the first of hers that I have read.

This was backgrounded by music: "Best Of The Baroque" Pachelbel; Albinoni; Purcell; Handel; Vivaldi; [J.C. Bach's Piano Concertos;, both CDS by the Capella Acdemica Wien, conducted by Eduard Melkus, with Ingrid Haebler on Fortepiano; "Once Upon A Time" Beethoven's 5th & 6th Symphonies - Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

Early in the morning, I watched The Avengers - "Something Nasty In The Nursery". I only have the 1967 series on DVD, and I have seen these stories so many times, as I also had recorded it on video from the television, last millenium, that I watch them infrequently, as I have seen them so many times. After all, excellent though they are, I have also other DVDs of that TV cult period which are equally excellent, and which I have not seen in full [The Prisoner; Danger Man; The Persuaders; Sapphire And Steel & Blake's Seven]; plus some which really are a touch ordinary [The Saint; The Professionals & Dragnet].

Haymarket Branch of the Sydney City Library: I borrowed "The Lord OF The Rings", a BBC radio drama on 14 CDs, and on DVD, Doctor Who [Hartnell Era] "The Dalek Invasion Of Earth". In the evening I listening to the first CD of the former, which was very well produced; and the first episode of the latter, which I know very well.

It is this kind of morning, in which I have no real impetus to do anything much. I was up at 7.00am, which was too late to get into anything, as I wished to catch the libraries just before noon. Also, I was still fatigued from yesterday. So I simply sat or lay down in turns, and read to the finish: "Maigret And The Mad Woman" by Georges Simenon. It is a 1970 novel, which I began Tuesday night. What I wrote on that afternoon, about the previous Maigret novel, holds true once more. The following is a description of second rate trendy nightclub [page 121]:

"The place had been decorated with the minimum of expense.The walls were painted white, with a few meningless squiggles of colour splashed on here and there."

As with "Maigret Hesitates", this is a Duffy & Snellgrove publication. Copyright for the novel & translation are both for Georges Simenon in 1998, but this must mean the estate, for he died in 1989. This last datum was mentioned in one of the two novels of his, which I borrowed yesterday at Kings Cross Library. However the lack of mention of a translator suggests that he still may have translated them himself.

It was excesively humid today, if not that hot. I desired strongly to get into action tonight, but I had not the energy to lift so much as a finger. So I just sat or lay around reading, or half-heartedly watching television: "Inspector Rex" and "Midsommer Murders". The first was rather better than the second.

This afternoon I finished: "Maigret's Boyhood Friend" by Georges Simenon. This is a 1969 novel, very close in time to "Maigret Hesitates". The plots of the two novels run quite differently, although both have the requisite twists, both have the emphasis on the importance of questioning, and both are a splendid read. The translation in "Maigret's Boyhood Friend" is by Eileen Ellenbogen, and while it seems perfectly competent, it does not quite have the same finesse of flow as "Maigret Hesitates".

Whether I intended to buy anything in Town today is somewhat mysterious to me. Much to my surprise, it was in CDs in Mojo Music in Pitt Street, all re-releases of albums originally recorded in 1970: Blodwyn Pig - "Getting To This" for $32.00; and a double CD of Syd Barrett - "The Madcap Laughs" & "Barrett" for $22.00. All played today & all very good! The Blodwyn Pig is quite new to me, but I have the both by Syd Barrett on vinyl, which I no longer play. Vinyl is so easy to damage. I love CDs!

"The Prisoner" - "Schizoid Man", Episode 5. Once more are repeat from not so far back. And why not an entrance to the middle morning? It is, as always, excellent!!

"The Prisoner" - "The General", Episode 6. But my self control was unresisting, and I marched into the future, into new, for me, territory. You guessed it! It was excellent!!

I was in town. For some time I was avoiding in Pitt Street Mall, two young men singing harmonies in flat, to strumming of one on a guitar. The guitar was alright. The singing painfully bad; some of the worst I ever heard.

Then, once Helen H. & I made contact it was The Rocks, including lunch and then MOCA [Museum Of Comtemporary Art. We found that Kei* rather good, but * work did not impress, rather too much anally retentiv humour, apart from "The Fat Convertable".

"Doctor Who" - "The Complete First Series" Box Set. That is, the first series of the revival in 2005, The Eccleston Era. This was an unexpected gift from Helen H. The Box, when I opened it, was of confusion inside. The glue had not worked, so that the plastic holder for DVD 2 was attached back to front on DVD 1, while that of DVD 3 was coming free. With a little effort I fixed this. Also the white number on each DVD had fractured during the manufacturing process, but I decided this is merely cosmetic, and of no great sufferance.

Naturally I needed to check some of the DVDs on the afflicted hoders. DVD 2 fine - I watched the extras. DVD 1 fine - I watched "Rose" - Episode 1. Then, purely for entertainment I watched on DVD 5; BBC Doctor Who Confidentials for Episode 1, 2 & "The Chrismas Invasion". All very enjoyable. This 2005 series is still strongly stroy based, and very well written, but unlikethe old series, no expense has been spared on sets, locations, and above all, special effects.

Today I have not left the close vicinity of my home. However, achievement has been somewhat less than hoped. What is new?

It began with religious music: Beethoven - Missa Slemnis; excerpts from Johann Sebastian Bach's sacred works. Later were the secular Joseph Haydn arias.

But as the sun rose yet higher, I continued to work my way through Sydney City Library borrowings, which hang around the place unaccessed.

"Brain Story" - narrated by "Susan Greenfield, a BBC production of 2001. This is six episodes on two videos, totalling 294 minutes. Obviously something not to be attempted lightly; although I have consumed it over two days, paying attention to the words, if not always the pictures. Mind you, some of the pictures, like brain operations, I have trouble watching. Much of this was what I knew or building on it. Like the unique case of Gisela Leibold, who can not perciev motion visually, due to brain trauma. It is the sad cases of traffic accidents especially, which give the world insight into the curiousities of brain function. The variety of these astonish.

Also, I completed today: "Maigret Hesitates" by Georges Simenon. I recall very vaguely, having seen the television adaption when I was very young. Yet I never thought of his novels much, until I came across one this month, in Kings Cross Library. It was first published in 1969. My completion of it was only held up by mislaying it for a week. I adore the essence of the novel being in the psychology of the crime, rather than merely solving it. Indeed this one is easy to solve as to whom; while as to why is much more complex. It is well written, if I may trust the translation. It is dialogue based, as one would expect. The description is brief, but pertinent to establishing the mind of a character. For example, on page 170, about Bambi, the adult daughter of the Parendon couple, who is introduced in person for the first time:

"She was not beautiful, but she had a pleasant face and a well proportioned figure. She wore a simply cut suit and her hair was held back by a ribbon, although it was not the fashion."

"Her hostility was not directed towards Maigret in particular. It was more a state of mind."

Fleshing out of the character is through the dialogue, but we already know so much.

This book seems to have been translated into English from the French by the author. No translator is credited, by the copyright for translation is held by the Simenon.

Once more I dipped into my TARDIS tin: Doctor Who [Colin Baker Era plus Peri.] "The Terror Of The Vervoids" [four episodes] and "The Ultimate Foe" [two episodes]. These are both written by Pip & Jane Baker. No relations to Colin, nor to Tom. It is a common English name. The whole effect of the stories is well watchable, and certainly the budget was still there. Honor Blackman is good as Dr Lasky; while the special effects continue above average for the time & place. But the Vervoids, being walking talking plants, have therefore an incipient logical weakness. While "The Ultimate Foe" often tries just a little too hard to be clever, and at times it is overly confusing, despite some good visual & mental touches.

Thus ended the "The Trial Of A Time Lord", and almost Doctor Who. It did end Colin Baker Era. His character was never thought out well enough. While he needed to be more aggressive than Peter Davidson, the potrayal of The Doctor by Colin Baker was too abusive, too much given to gratuitous violence. It could have worked with a touch of toning down.

Of course, I am ahead of time, as these last ten episodes screen next week. But my reception is still poor, with no working digital; while I was curious to see what was in the tin! Only "The Mysterious Planet" had I played from the Tin, so the other stories were on a first time, although the videos had suffered a touch with small distortions - not a perfect medium! I had seen these stories, I recall at a Whovention in the late 1980s.

[Font is ''Paris''.][--- ''Doctor Who'' & ''Ladies of Letters''!!---][Font is ''Paris''.]

The morning continued with "Ladies Of Letters - Spring Clean". This is a BBC radio comedy, starring Prunella Scales & Patricia Routledge, which I borrowed, as a CD, from Custom's House Library. I rushed to listen to it, so I could return it. It was funny, increasingly so as life increasingly challenged these redoubtable ladies! But I cannot recall the authors.

[Font is ''Paris''.][--- ''Ladies of Letters'' & ''Sirens''!!---][Font is ''Paris''.]

And then "Sirens", which turned out to better film that I expected. It was based around Norman Lindsay, and the nudity was perfectly relevant to the story. This was a DVD borrowing from Haymarket Library.

Once more, in my TARDIS tin: Doctor Who [Colin Baker Era plus Peri.] - "Mindwarp" [four episodes]. This started so well, with some wonderful beach scenes of Corus Beta: blue sand & rocks, pink sea, plus a ringed planet setting in a green sky. Also I enjoyed seeing Brian Blessed as Barbarian King Yrcanos, although I know that some found his performance too much over the top. And it was good to see the revolting Sil, from "Vengence On Varos", on his home planet. But the story line, as it ended in Episode Four, was completely wrong for Doctor Who. Companions should not die in such an unpleasant way!! For Blake's Seven such an ending would be acceptable, but not for Doctor Who.

I was asleep through much of Doctor Who; tired after work. So at night, from my TARDIS tin, I played "The Mysterious Planet", epsisodes three & four. Well worth watching once more!

Afterwards I played a CD which I was given today. It was originally a free gift in a newspaper, which I had missed in 2002. This is the Australian Chamber Orchestra, directed by Richard Tognetti, playing the Overtures of Mozart's "The Marriage Of Figaro" and Beethoven's "Creatures Of Prometheus"; plus Joseph Haydn's 40th Symphony and a Finnish Folk Tune by the Violin of Pekka Kuusisto. Excellent!! I played it again, immediately it ended.

Between arriving in Kings Cross & getting home, I was briefly at the Library, surrendering Philip K. Dick's "Paycheck". Its allowed renewals are up. Before this I had completed three more short stories: "Small Town" from 1954; "The Father-Thing" from 1954; "The Cromium Fence" from 1953. The first two stories are very good; highly imaginative. Both are based on intelligent & complex psychological ideas, which are yet perfectly suited to their length. The last story is good, but a little less complete than the others.

The television reception being what it is, I went once more to the TARDIS tin: "The Mysterious Planet", episode four, then one and two reprised. Wonderful! Espcially after such a day.

Out came, tonight, my TARDIS tin: Doctor Who [Colin Baker Era plus Peri.] - "The Trial Of A Time Lord". I played "The Mysterious Planet", episodes one to three. Thumbs up for this story!! The story is good; the acting is good; the locations are good; the special effects are good. It was good to see Joan Sims, no relation, as Queen of some Dark Ages villagers.

Timelash, Doctor Who [Colin Baker Era plus Peri.] began last week, ended tonight. But I preferred a passable old video, which I recorded in 1994, to the haze on the set. The story is alright; only a little foolish in parts. But it did end a season & perhaps the budget was tight.

Early this afternoon, I finished reading Philip K. Dick's "Jon's World". This is in a publisher's compilation of his short stories, entitled "Paycheck", following the name of the first story in the collection. I will return the book to Kings Cross Library today; although I may complete it at some time in the future. "Jon's World" was first published in 1954, and while it has interesting ideas, the whole has a truncated feel, as if he had not the room in this length of story to develop the ideas to their best potential. To my taste, the writing of Philip K. Dick is at its peak potential in his novels, so that the short stories, while by no means bad, are by comparison a disappointment.

Richard Harris "Fatherland" - A BBC Radio Drama on CDs; borrowed from Kings Cross Library. This was previously unknown to me. It proved to be a rivetting drama, set in an alternative future, just before the Fuehrer's 75th birthday.

I went mad on my DVDs whilst I tried to achieve things in the nature of home organisation. The latter was patchy, but at least I was entertained!

"The Persuaders" - "The Man In The Middle" on DVD 5. Excellent!! Good script, location & direction: very well paced. Roger Moore & Tony Curtis are very good actors who show an exceptional raport.

"The Professionals" - "Where The Jungle Ends", Episode 3. Again, disappointing, albeit not as disappointing as the first two episodes; perhaps as Brian Clemens wrote the screenplay. Gordon Jackson as George Cowley, is good. But the characters of Doyle [Martin Shaw] & Bodie [Lewis Collins] do not convince. Their byplay, whether intended to be serious or comic, is very lame. Otherwise the scripting is good, with the story having the expected motion, although the ending is all wrong, and suitable perhaps for a spoof, whereas this is supposedly realistic.

"The Prisoner" - "Free For All", Episode 4. Excellent!! I watched this not that long ago, but it was well worth watching once more. The "Village" itself is splendid, as are the residents with all those colourful umbrellas. The outside set is a real place, named Portmeirion, curious though this may seem. The production effort is put in, and the result is remarkble.

There was this single blue or blue-green winged Butterfly, which I saw north of the driveway at 22 McHatton Street in Waverton. There was a thick black border around the edge of the wings. The Butterfly itself was flitting from tree to tree, as they do. I have seen these Butterflies every so often on the North Shore during the Summer months. While they are hardly common, neither are they exactly rare.

Became weak I did tonight: The Saint - "The Latin Touch". This is the second ever episode. It has an erratic story. Warren Mitchell was disappointing as a Roman taxi driver, but Roger Moore saved show!

We are halfway through Doctor Who - "The Two Doctors", that is Colin Baker with companion Peri, and Patrick Troughton with companion Jamie [Frazer Hines - whom I talked to at the recent Whovention]. The script by Robert Holmes is generally strong, despite a few quite unnecessary deaths of characters. The carnivourous turns are also overdone at times! My main pleasure is seeing my favourite Doctor, Patrick Troughton, in his final appearance. Tonight was episodes 3 & 4 of this six parter.

The previous story, on monday & tuesday, was "The Mark Of The Rani". Fair enough, although there was a strange view of Luddites.

I watched this old movie "The Saint's Double Trouble", which I recorded on ABC TV recently. It was made in the 1940s, and it is not good by any means. Some of the acting is good, although the actor playing The Saint is very wooden. The more I am convinced that Roger Moore alone makes th television series of The Saint pleasant viewing. My reading of his work has not convinced me that Leslie Charteris deserves more than but a small credit.

There they were, at the front of their feeding range for a pleasant change. The two children were in a tree on the footpath, in different branches, fairly well separated. They seem not to be close siblings, probably due to their quite different personalities. Mum flew past at a low height, across the footpath, resting in a bush and eyeing me very cautiously. She continues to be "Mother of the Year".

[Previous observations on this family are on Occasional Thought Archive Page 18.]

It was further along the road, outside the lone mother's feeding range: but there was one fledgling, then a second, and soon after an adult. This adult looked suspiciously at me, and flew across the road. One young soon followed, and the sibling shortly later. A few minutes later, I was near the tree they were in. I was going that way anyway. There I witnessed the adult fly up to the electricity wire and perch on one. In quick succesion the young both flew up and perched nearby. To clinch my suspicions, a second adult flew in and perched on a wire. This is clearly the next family along from my favourite Pied Currawongs.

The two ranges are very close by, and rather small. It shows just how good the feeding is this year in this area. Much of the food seems to be "bush tucker" rather than human food scraps, although I can not give a systematic qualification on that.

Today I finished "Breakaway" by "Francis Durbridge. Whatever the reason, I find his writing compelling. In this case it seems that the television series came first, and then the novel.

[Font is ''Paris''.][--- Francis Durbridge - Breakaway!!---][Font is ''Paris''.]

As I read, I listened to some non-orchestral music, having rediscovered a box where I stored such things. I played: "The Best Of The Nice"; Bakery "Momento"; James Taylor "One Man Dog"; "The Best Of Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble".

Finally I watched the video which Michael at work lent me "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid". tSteve Martin is not my favourite comedian, but this movie is cleverly done, with the intercutting of old Hollywood Film Noir movies; while the attention to period authenticity in the new balck & white material is also impressive.

[Font is ''Paris''.][--- ''Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid'' & ''At Last The 1948 Show''!!---][Font is ''Paris''.]

Weakness prevails. For some while I have been eying the newly released DVD of "At Last The 1948 Show". Further, I watched the entire DVD, all five episodes, plus the trailers and two interviews, this afternoon & evening. Despite being very young when I saw it, I have always remembered many of the skits; and when I watched the shows, more came back to me, including some which were also later reprised on "Monty Python's Flying Circus". I still find this comedy very funny, apart from the nostalgic value. Thank you Marty Feldman, Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graham Chapman; with a special thanks to the Lovely Miss Aimi McDonald. The interview with Tim Brooke-Taylor was most illuminating.

Today I watched "Shrink", a video Vanessa lent me so long ago. As I always had expected, it was not really to my taste. But it is certainly well enough made for its genre, and by no means a bad nor boring movie.

Sydney Writers Workshop. Today. I arrived late, had to leave early, an apologised for both.

Christmas Party. This was for our work group. It was very pleasant. I left when the light faded, and walked to the bus stop. As I waited, I struck up a conversation with a young lady, which continued on the bus into Wynyard, and further, until our directions parted. A most enjoyable chat. We will probably not meet again, but the moment is what matters.

This DVD which I borrowed from Customs House Library: "The Carnival Of Monsters" - Pertwee Era with Jo Grant; I watched in passing as I tried to order things about me. I know the story so well, but it is good to see once more.

In my ordering I found where all my CDs were stashed. I could not resist playing Gong - "Radio Gnome Invisble, Part One - The Flying Teapot". This album may well be what most endures from my Uni days. Especially the final song: "The Witch - I Am Your Pussy".

Today the Library special was: P.D. James' "An Unsuitable Job For A Women". This is a BBC Radio Drama, and it is good. Excellent twists.

Francis Durbridge "Paul Temple Intervenes". An Isis Books recording on audio casette, read by Micheal Tudor Barnes, which I finishd listening to today. I have a powerful weakness for his work. This is a very early work of his, from the early 1930s. The style & content is already well formed, with all the twists. The only real difference from the later work is that Paul Temple explains all at the end, with all persons of interest present as he unmasks the murderer. Quite probably it was expected in those days; it being commonly done by many authors of that & earlier periods.

I do not often mention it, but most of the sound in my home is in the Classical-Baroque tradition, either on CD, or radios 2MBS-FM & ABC-FM. A Budgie's delight!!

Today it was a mega-attack on "The Trials Of Life". Much achieved in ordering the place, as I took in this excellent BBC series of some years back.

Strange, how that, despite being on holidays, I still have so little time free.

Later, same day, like tonight: "Danger Man" - "The Prisoner", Episode 13. Followed this with: "The Prisoner" - "Schizoid Man", Episode 5; a most enjoyable Patrick McGoohan double.

O.K. Perhaps it isn't strange I seem not to have time free to get things done!

Francis Durbridge - "Paul Temple and The Geneva Affair". This is a BBC Radio Drama on CD. I listened to it over several days. It is very good, as usual, but then I have a great weakness for the work of Francis Durbridge. I admit to a certain bias!

"Pictures At An Exhibition"

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra [SSO].

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8.00pm, at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House.

Conductor: Kiril Karabits.

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Robert Schumann: Manfred: Overture, Opus 115.

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This is probably the most famous of Schumann's overtures, and deservdly so. A well composed work, which was well performed.

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Robert Schumann: Cello Concerto in A Minor, Opus 129.

Soloist: Christophe Coin.

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Schumann, has I have said before, is a problematical composer for me. There are probably few who understood music more than him; he was a noted writer on musical theory & of musical reviews; but his compositions are prone to disappoint me, despite the enormous work he put ito them. This Cello Concerto, whilst a good composition, does have problems. He does not manage to get out of the instrument the same range of ideas that many others do; and the repetition in the work, rather than building it, at times sound merely repetitive.

The performance I can not fault as to the technical side, as far as I can perceive it. There was some small lacking of the full emotion of the work, which was, while small, still apparent to me; but hardly enough for me to think badly of the performance.

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Modst Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition.

Orchestrated by Maurice Ravel.

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After interval, it was the famed "Pictures". really had the Orchestra fired up, and this was an outstanding performance. The full crux of emotional understanding was there.

Musorgsky is a difficulty for me. He can hardly be a major composer, as some suggest, when the handful of works of his which are famous, all owe their fame to am orchestration done by some other composers. While there are many such orchestrations of "Pictures", it is tonight's by Ravel, which wins hands down. Strange for me to concede, that in this arrangement, Ravel actually does get it right. He does by often reinterpreting Musorgsky's ideas in regar to his late friend, Viktor Hartmann's paintings. He improves the emotional ideas. If that may seem suprising to many, it does not to me.

Earlier today, I went once more to the Sydney City Library sale. The books were now two for a dollar. I bought six; a novel, which I had somehow overlooked in early days: Philip K. Dick ""; an autoboigraphy: Joseph Heller "Now And Then - A memoir - From Coney Island To Here"; and reference works: Sidney Avner "Introduction To Physical Metallurgy"; Edwin H. Colbert "Wandering Lands And Animals"; Matthieu Ricard "The Mystery Of Animal Migration"; H. A. Monckton "A History Of English Ale And Beer";

Over the last few days I have watched a 2 DVD set of "The 4400", which I borrowed from the Customs House Branch of the Sydney City Library. This contains the first five episodes, of jow many I do not know, as I am quite ignorant about this American series.

The basic idea is sound & interesting, with lots of ideas from different fantasy & philsophical areas adroitly blended, although it is rather spoilt by too much sentimentality in the "human interest scenes". The filming is exquisite; beautiful to watch in itself. The acting, surprising for an American television show, is consistently good, and especially it is good to see Jacqueline McKenzie in action once more.

And to the Library sale: Ian Rowley "Bird Life" ; Calvin Clawson "The Mathematical Traveller - Exploring The Grand History Of Numbers"; Parks Grant "Handbook of Musical Terms"; and a Loeb addition of the fictional letters by Alciphron, Aelian & Philostratus.

[Font is ''Paris''.][--- War Seems To Be It's Own Justification!!---][Font is ''Paris''.]

I loathe gratuitous attacks on civilians, irrespective of whether they occur in New York or London or Baghdad. But if Bush really did want to bomb the headquarters of Al Jizirah, which are in Qatar, an American ally & hardly a combat zone, one really must question as to whether the current common definition of "terrorist" is sufficiently accurate.

This morning I turned up just before 10.00am for the Sydney City Library sale of "weeded" library books at Town Hall House. There were already a few dozen people waiting. The books were only a dollar each, or three for a dollar for small paperbacks. They were sold at a rapid rate. I bought six; five novels: "Fire Down Below" & "Close Quarters" by William Golding; "Madame Midas" by Fergus Hume; "Busman's Holiday" by Dorothy L. Sayers; "Breakaway" by Francis Durbridge; and one reference: "Atlas Of World History" by Rand McNally.

While I had planned two shelve any Chess games which had the bad taste to arrive today; there were only three, in which the moves were pretty much determined by the positions. So I made the moves & posted them this evening.

Eight Chess games on hand by lunchtime, having arrived yesterday & today. Eight games postedby evening. Yet this involved all but the entire day, as getting my chess mind ticking over comfortably was not easy. And if I am thniking about Chess all the time, when will atune myself to the far more difficult task of reorganising where I live.

Tonight I finished "Greenmantle" by John Buchan. As I mentioned on 24th November 2005, once past the early pages, the jingoism of Richard Hannay's spy adventure becomes sporadic & bearable, and the sheer story telling ability of Buchan overcomes all my resistence. His skill in having frequent co-incidental cliff-hangers, which he yet makes appear not contrived, is most impressive. Although it was first published in 1916, the threat of an Islamic uprising, instigated & controlled by special interests, has a timeless quality; as does war itself, with, despite the change in technology, the war of 1914-1918 having the same essential feel as more recent conflicts. There are some things in the novel which do date with social change. Nowadays, the Big Game Hunter is not laudable.

The special quality of Buchan is his humanity. He finds something good to say about each of the enemy characters he creates. A German lieutenant, who appears on a single page, early in the novel, is praised by Hannay as a man he can work with. Even his arch enemy, Colonel Stumm, who does come in for much criticism, is willingly conceded by Hannay as "no coward" and a "real man". The Kaiser, too, comes in for some praise! But, above all, is Hannay's comment that it would serve no purpose to inflict suffering on the German woman, who struggles with poverty, living in a forest cottage with her children, while her husband is at war on the eastern front. She helps Hannay as he convinces her he is a German agent, and he generously rewards the family, not because of their help, for which he is very grateful, but since they are in such poverty.

One interesting thing which I only noticed towards the end, when there is mention of the nine riders, is the effect of Greenmantle on J.R.R. Tolkein's epic: "The Lord Of The Rings". The nine riders in the latter case are the Ring Wraiths, a far less positive nonet. But that got me thinking as to how the travels the Fellowship of the Ring, mirrors rather closely that of Hannay's "missionaries"; the main difference being that Tolkein puts in more mountains. The real clincher is how Buchan's "little hill", Hanny's "castrol" with a "krantz" of rocks atop, is used by Tolkein early in the "The Lord Of The Rings" as the hill called "Weathertop", whose shape and proportions match the castrol, with the one small exception that the broken rocks on top have become the ruins of an ancient fort.

TFinally I saw the "Wallace And Gromit" movie, "Curse Of The Were-Rabbit". This was at Govinder's in Victoria Street, Darlinghurst. It was the last night they were showing this, and, as far as I am aware, it has ceased showing everywhere else. It was very entertaining, from the main story line, to the homages to other movies, to the small humourous details. The latter included, a jar on the breakfast table labelled: "Middle Age Spread"; and Gromit playing music to his prize marrow entitled: "The Plants Suite". My only problem was that during the last third of the movie I came over very tired, possibly due to suddenly lowered blood sugar, and as I kept on falling into microsleeps, I missed crucial segments. For example, I never knew how the final chase ended.

Govinder's is a usual concept. You do not just buy a cinema ticket. You buy a buffet meal, and then a movie surcharge.

Schubertiad 318.

Sydney Schubert Society

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Goethe Institute in Woollahra.

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Franz Schubert: Works for Four Hands:
Marches Militaires, Polonaises & other Viennese Dances.

Jeanell Corrigan & Marie Searles.

Schubert's extensive use of the four handed Piano format, that is one Piano with two Pianists, I realised during this concert, is a practical matter. As there was much dancing at his parties, which were well lubricated and no doubt very noisy affairs, the dance music had to be heard. Hence the two Pianists, and the way that at the critical point of the dance sequence, when the dancers had to be in time, the keys are rather pounded with insistence.

After the Dances, the pianist exchanged positions for the Marches. The first March, a Marche Militaire, I easily recognised, as it is played often. But all the pieces, both Dances & Marches were very enjoyable. I was impressed as to how much variety of melody Schubert was able to get into these works and between them. They are, after all, by need, a repitive form of musical composition.

There was this exchange I heard afterwards at the interval. One man said that he expected more chemistry between the Pianist; to which another man replied that they have to play the notes in front of them. The performance was, I thought, perfectly good, especially considering that this is a tacher and a student who have not long experience playing four hands together. The extra subtlies the first man wanted can only come when the two Pianists have played together for many years, such that it is an automatic & instinctive combination.

Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, Opus 163, D956 (1828).

Sydney Schubert Ensemble

Goetz Richter, Sun Roh [Violin]
Sandro Constantino [Viola]
Susan Blake, Mee Na Lojewski [Cello].

This one of the late Scubert Quintets, and having the characteristics of being very long & very good. There is an impressive range of emotions; as one would have expected of a man who knew that he was dying; an oscillation between between despair & desperate joy. Despite his being seriously ill with syphillus, which is in these final stages, a fatal infection of the brain, it is clear that he his musical ability was utterly unaffected.

There is this interesting use of two Cellos, rather than two Violas, which adds to the melancholy of the more introspective parts of the work, plus giving Schubert, who would have played the Viola, a pivotal position in the Quintet. In the quieter places, he has one Violin plus one Cello playing pizzicato, whilst the other instruments are bowing. This gives a feel to the music, both complex and subtle.

Before they played, Goetz Richter explained how that each time he played it the musicians in the Quintet brought a new intereptation to the work, which layered with previous performances with other musicians. Todays Quintet, being a mix of experienced musicians and students, was something he was very much looking forward too. The performance was very good, a far as I can tell, having no real musical training. perhaps I should just say that I enjoyed it.

He also commented on the influence of this Quintet on Max Bruch, whom of all the Romantic composers was most like Schubert. I was unfamiliar with Bruch's work, but tonight on 2MBS-FM, they played Bruch's Violin Concerto Number Two, I understood when Richter meant.

Jane Austen - "Sense And Sensibility". This is the DVD release of the BBC series of 1980. They do not have the production date on the outside: a strange coyness. But anyway, I watched the last two episodes, which I had heretore avoided, due to my unfinished reading of the novel. But I finished that on the 16th of this month. I have no concert tonight, so I watched the final two episodes of this DVD, with much enjoyment, although I enjoyed the novel more.

And I followed it with another neglected DVD of mine: "Faiport Convention Live".

It would perhaps be more wise to begin my holdays with a flurry of activity, but an overwhelming fatigue forestalls this.

So bloody tired! It would be wonderful, to celebrate the end of this last work day before my holidays with some kind of celebration. But my first three words precised it perfectly.

The last monday mentioned "Greenmantle" by John Buchan, has seen me make great progress in recent days, on transit on trains, and lying down in bed resting. But then, once one is past the jingoism of the first few pages, it proves to be a "rattling good story", and one which in its essence, treats the German people with an astonishingly humane brush, considering the time.

As celebration, I played my CD of Beethoven's 2nd & 3rd Piano Concertos - Australian Chamber Orchestra with Steven Kovacevic.

"our policy has three elements" -	Kill! Kill! Kill!
"Iraqis & Americans have a common enemy" -	George W. Bush.