World · Of · Twits

‘My fellow beings. If you were as clever as I am, you would not believe in god. I have told you time and time again that god does not exist but I am as one crying in the wilderness against the credulity of the intellectually challenged. This week, these know-nothings will actually take their children, with their gullible brains, to ‘crib services’, nativity plays and other manifestations of superstition. It is crashingly obvious that this is simply wrong. Far better to have taken them to Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People so that they can make up their own minds instead of being brainwashed into following the religion of their parents.
Merry Christmas!’
St Richard of Darwin

I remember the first time I ever heard of Brittany Murphy. She had been chosen to embody
Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven in a fashion spread for the New York Times Magazine. A nice way to remember her.

but it's Christmas in my world, as well.

Sayonara [1957]

1. Ricardo Montalban's fishy accent: Kobe by way of Mexico City.
2. A pamphlet falls out of her purse.
3. The two puppets lie down together and die as the curtain slowly descends.

The Machinist [2004]

1. As he bends over we can see the knobs of his spine.
2. He is confronted by a menacing hallway.
3. A pile of bloody fish heads.

Tried to watch Love, Actually. Got two minutes in, vommed a bit in my own mouth, and turned over to watch the exquisite Blade Runner.

It came out when I was in school and some bright spark (whom I had said "no" to when he asked me out, because he wasn't the same species as me, as is still my wont to this day), said "You're like that woman off Blade Runner," and I was like: "What, Rachel?" and he was all "No, Priss." So after that a bunch of people called me Priss and kept asking whether I could break a man's neck with my thighs, which was tedious as the whole point of that scene is that she couldn't.

Maaan, she could tumble, though.

Aren't you the "good" man?

I have the director's cut on DVD and have never watched it. What surprised me, seeing it again after well over a decade's break was how much of the dialogue had stuck in my mind. I don't think there's a scene that doesn't have a massively quotable line in it. Or isn't made entirely of massively quotable lines.

How does anyone watch pap like Love, Actually, when there's science fiction loose in the world?

Eventually, I dyed my hair black and they all started calling me Morticia. It was nice to have a change.

Two Happy People

They deserved it. I thought their Lindy Hop was the better of the two and amazingly the judges agreed. Query: why didn't the judges give straight tens for their Charleston last time?

I was out this morning, noseying about in the sun and returned to find that yesterday's Lebkuchen batch (now iced and put away, webofevil); had left my house smelling like a gingerbread cottage.

I have since compounded this by cooking "Day and Nights" - which is to say: one batch of ginger and very dark chocolate florentines, and one batch of cardamom, pistachio and white chocolate ones. The place smells so good I want to move in.

Oh. Wait.

i suppose it's that time again! it's really early in the morning and we're having a massive snow storm here. it freaking NEVER snows here so it's exciting...but also we're probably all snowed in. i hope someone went to get alcohol before the snow. so while i am sitting here freezing (and kinda wishing i had the zebra print Snuggie) i thought i would post my best of list.

Best Albums of 09 - not in any order

La Roux - La Roux (it was painfully obvious that she was going to be huge)
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster (she owned this whole year)
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (fantastic album. they finally made their big break in the US.)
Bat for Lashes - Two Suns (my most anticipated album)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! (Karen O is my hero)
Silversun Pickups - Swoon (adorable shoegaze)
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (i didn't think i'd like this, but i did)
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (probably going to be on a lot of "best of" lists)
MSTRKRFT - Fist of God (one of my favorites this past summer)
Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream (ok, i know the album technically came out in Oct. of 08 but i have been listening to this album on repeat all year)
Passion Pit - Manners (another i listen to on repeat)
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight (very dance-y and fun)
Imogen Heap - Ellipse(liked almost every song)

Best Tracks of 09 (still not really in any order)

Silversun Pickups - Substitution
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
Phoenix - Lisztomania
Bat for Lashes - Daniel
Passion Pit - The Reeling
Animal Collective - My Girls
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads will Roll
La Roux - Quicksand
Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses
Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others
Flaming Lips feat MGMT - Worm Mountain
Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream
Imogen Heap - Tidal


my Honorable Mention goes to Adam Lambert for For Your Entertainment (track and album). it's a guilty pleasure. besides, his album cover is epic.

Travis, Doves, and Air all had new albums this year only none of them were so great which makes me sad. their older stuff is better (this is in regards to all of these bands).

I'm far too frightened of being TRAPPED in the Chunnel like these poor people. Makes me feel panicky just thinking about it.

A Single Man [2009]

1. He parks the car. Janet Leigh's enormous eyes. A billboard for Psycho.
2. Fuzzy sweater. White jeans.
3. The hammer of the gun has left marks on his skin.

A year ago I’d just moved in, the kitchen was barely usable and we had Christmas dinner at the pub. Now I have a spiffy new kitchen but it’s very small. The faithful inherited Kenwood mixer (made c.1970 and still working perfectly), the bread maker (also inherited)



and blender all have to be stowed away in a cupboard and taken out for use. I’m ashamed to say this has put me off cooking but now I’m getting used to the idea that that’s what you have to do. I’ve made a Christmas cake


Ha ha, still sekrit

and yesterday made bread for the first time since moving. We have a wonderful organic bakery in town; absolutely delicious bread and I wish you could try the olive and rosemary. Trouble is, it costs £2.50 a loaf, which I would once have found incredible. If I were to make a new year’s resolution it might be to get back into the bread making habit.