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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Help! I lurve watching stuff on the telly, I hate watching stuff on the computer. So far, so everyone. I can watch YouTubes on the telly, I can watch Netflix on the telly, I've just signed up to All4 (to get Adult Swim) but can't work out how to watch it on the telly. Who's gonna tell me in simple terms?
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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Have you freeview?
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Do I look like a cheapskate? ... er ... no, I haven't got Freeview..
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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The Times They Are A'Changing
| How Derek Jarman would have laughed at the idea of a blue plaque bearing his name..... What makes the gesture even more remarkable is that Derek, like everyone else who was HIV positive or living with AIDS in the 1990's, was as far away from being celebrated as it was possible to be, demonised and stigmatised by the virulent homophobia of that cruel decade. Neil Bartlett Guardian Review |
Well, Neil, I was there and it sounds as though you weren't. In the first place, Jarman was unknown save for the high concept art crowd who wouldn't be seen dead indulging in any form of homophobia. In the second place, his gayness just wasn't an issue. It wasn't a secret or anything, just not something that was particularly associated with him. And in the third place he was very, very celebrated at the time. Rather more than his talents might warrant in my view but I'm not very good when it comes to high concept art. Liked his garden though.
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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| Mick Harper wrote: | | Do I look like a cheapskate? ... er ... no, I haven't got Freeview.. |
Is there a Source on your remote.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Not on my Foehn & Hirsch elderly cheapo TV remote. My Virgin remote can no longer be read due to sweaty hands over-use. Are you sure you have the patience for this? I am incredibly stupid in these matters. Cancelling my All4 subscription (I'm on a 30-day freebie) is an option. In fact I'm desperate to do so because of media overload.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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| Mick Harper wrote: | | In fact I'm desperate to do so because of media overload |
My first duty in the morning is to check whether I've still got space left on my Virgin box-thingy. I used to be able to record two programmes at the same time and had a hundred hours of 'memory' to store them in. One doesn't need to watch them so long as they are safely stored so my life was relatively stress-free. Such conditions enjoin a degree of discipline that comes naturally to someone like me.
But then they offered me a new thingy that allows six simultaneous recordings and has a thousand hours of memory. Yeah, right, I'm not completely daft. "How much?" "Oh, it's entirely free, Mr Harper, you're a valued customer." Now my thousand hours are full up and I have to make constant radical decisions. Twenty-two Rumpoles of the Bailey for instance went yesterday, one press of a button, not so much as a backward glance. And they say I'm getting soft in my old age. No chance. I'm still number one in this household.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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I Knew About The Father But...
In 1941 John F Kennedy sent a cheque for $100 to the American First Committee which was advocating the USA switch its support from Britain to Germany. (Source: The Smithsonian, so it must be true.)
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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From Our Bread Correspondent
Lithuanian Skalded Rye. It's OK. Probably half a loaf is plenty.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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As I munch my way through it my brain started to consider the Rye Question (never to be confused with the Rye House Plot). So let's confuse 'em. Clearly Britain used to eat rye but no longer does. Why? Well, munching one's way through a rye loaf gives the first clue: it's really hard work whereas wheat loaves disappear (at least in this household) quicker than Tesco Scotch eggs on special offer. Which reminds us of Doctor Johnson's dictionary definition
| oats: a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people. |
Oat cakes are an occasional treat. Why are there no rye-cakes? Perhaps there are in Poland. (And maybe Golders Green.) Wheat cakes, on the other hand, are every cake. All this is normally explained by a combination of economics and climate but I'm not sure there aren't other factors lurking out there that require our identification and elucidation.
Rye bread, food for thought.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Books that are selling come out on the Amazon best-selling list as round about 20,000th. That represents one book sold; thereafter it drifts downwards, day by day, until it reaches 1,000,000th and one can safely say it isn't selling. I am pleased to announce that, for the first time in my life, all four of my books are 'selling'. It may also be the last time I will be able to say this, so I'm saying it.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Thought For The Day
"That’s just your opinion."
"Everything I say is my opinion."
"It would be helpful if you gave a citation."
"If there was a citation it wouldn’t be my opinion, it would be somebody else’s."
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Ishmael
In: Toronto
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| Mick Harper wrote: | | Books that are selling come out on the Amazon best-selling list as round about 20,000th. That represents one book sold; thereafter it drifts downwards, day by day, until it reaches 1,000,000th and one can safely say it isn't selling. I am pleased to announce that, for the first time in my life, all four of my books are 'selling'. It may also be the last time I will be able to say this, so I'm saying it. |
This is absolutely fantastic to hear.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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In the course of my researches into forgery rings I came across a mysterious figure with an unusual name. "I know that name," I said to myself. They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness so I thought to myself, someone with that surname was at university at the same time as me and there might be a family connection. Plus, I recalled, he was also a bit of a mystery figure. I decided it was worth finding out more, maybe even getting in touch.
But I didn't know his Christian name, only his nickname 'Lev' after Lev Bronstein (Leon Trostsky). I asked an old Trotskyite acquaintance from those days and sure enough he did vaguely remember this bloke but didn't know his Christian name either. He would, he told me, institute enquiries. These revolutionary groupings have their own clandestine networks. Success! It turned out me and this chap had been in hundreds of small classes and seminars together over three years, and had even ended up with the same degree, third class honours in Politics. Mystery man? More like one of those serial killers the neighbours describe as "You know, quiet. Kept himself to himself. We were all very shocked when he was arrested."
Unless it was me that was, as it were, the serial killer.
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Ishmael
In: Toronto
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I want to collect all these postings of yours into a calendar. Every day will get its own Mick Harper anecdote.
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