political commentary

Things I liked in June…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves

Not So Gloomy

I stumbled upon this article about the discovery of octopus cities. The gloomy octopus was thought to be solitary until biologists discovered two octopus communities in Australian waters. I just love the description of their behaviour and the way they have built their homes. I especially love the names given to these underwater metropolises; Octopolis and Octantlis. Perfect!

Gloomy octopus on sea bed, with one arm curled up and the rest extended.

Prince of Thieves

During bad insomnia bouts I often seek middle of the night distraction. When exhausted & fed up I want very specific viewing, something that doesn’t require too much concentration & won’t give me bad feels. Last week Kevin Costner’s stint as Robin Hood fitted the criteria. I hadn’t seen it in decades & was pleasantly surprised by the happy memories it brought up. You see, I originally viewed this film at the cinema in 1991. I’m one of four kids and as such cinema trips were complicated. No one wanted to see this film. At 15 my oldest brother was mortified to be anywhere with the rest of us. My next brother was hyped for one of the naked gun sequels. I was absolutely desperate to see Don’t Tell Fred (still haven’t caught it), my wee sis craved a cartoon and I think my parents were sorry they brought us. Anyway, much bickering & ‘we’ll take you all home’ later we settled in for the Robin & gang. A miracle happened, we all loved it. As I watched I remembered how much fun we had that afternoon and felt all kinds of nostalgia.

Robin Hood Prince of Thieves movie poster. Kevin Costner holding bow and and aiming flaming arrow.

Bye Boris

Of course I would like more consequences for the over privileged fuckwit, but removal from parliament is a start. Resigning rather than face further scrutiny is cowardly, but at least he is removed from a position of power. I sincerely hope his political career is dead & buried.

Red glitter necklace that says Fuck Boris

Cooling Cola

It’s too damn hot! I know, I’m never happy. I can handle the cold and I can’t handle the sun either. Once the temp climbs over the early 20’s I am struggling. Thus I have been devouring ice lollies. It has made me very happy to find that calypo now have a cola lolly. My deepest love frozen. Yes please.

Close of ly eating an ice lolly. She is wearing blue cat eye glasses and a gold septum ring.

Good Day Sunshine

The sun has its hat on for a while now. If I think about it too much, I realise that is a terrifying sign of global warming. For the sake of not drifting into existential doom, I won’t. A bit of sunshine does feel nice. It makes everyone a little cheerier. I can pretend I’m on holiday. I can wear my sunnies all the time & fan myself dramatically. Mr Sun is beginning to push his luck; I don’t need 27°C daily. I do still enjoy seeing everyone else love it.

Towering Downfall

The indictments are piling up. Things are beginning look precarious for the ex president. I’m still scared he’ll somehow wriggle out of trouble. However, given he has repeatedly admitted, nah boasted that he has done everything he is accused of, it is difficult to see how he can escape punishment. I am desperately hoping one of these prosecutions at the very least puts a stop to him running for office.

Private Eye

The last few issues have been particularly good. It just brings a little joy to my life. Simple as that.

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Reading, listening, watching…

~ somethinginthewayshemoves

After a hopeful beginning we have been plunged back into bitter winter. I for one am not enjoying the snow. It is freezing and has made quite the dent in my galavanting plans. In the absence of exciting carry on I thought I would share what has been entertaining me through the cold dark nights.

I just finished The Keeper by Graham Norton, which was surprising. I actually bought it and read the first chapter on a bus years ago. I then put it in my handbag, put the handbag in one of my wardrobes and promptly forgot where the book was residing. Last week I stumbled across it whilst looking for something else and dived in. It’s an intriguing tale that kept me gripped. Norton has deft style that is very engaging. The perfect bus/bath read.

In my typically late to the party fashion I have only this month watched Misommer. It’s the kind of film that freaks me out, hence the delay. In the end it was nowhere near as horrifying as I feared. It is bizarre and disturbing, but overall I could handle it. That last scene nearly had me, though.

More amusing, but still disturbing was Ian Hislop & Jon Stewart’s conversation on the latter’s podcast. If you know me at all you are aware that I adore Hislop. As much as enjoy the sparkling wit and insight. It is always unnerving to examine the state of our world through such an expert lens.

I also found a very cool taping of Bernie Sanders and Frankie Boyle discussing the essentials of the moment. It‘s refreshing to hear an American politician talking in leftist terms. It’s available on YouTube(How to Academ) and I think you would enjoy it.

I was on a horror kick this month when I came across Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. Nothing groundbreaking, but a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. With a hurricane, a bunch of attractive young folk and a big pinch of toxic suspicion you’ve got yourself a movie.

Finally, I have this very morning started on Alan Bennet’s Pandemic Diaries. Alan Bennett is my literary comfort. His words soothe me no matter the topic. He has this incredible talent of tackling any topic with heart without blurring what’s real. This one will be read way more than once.

If you like what I do you can support me here or on Patreon.