Don't Mockingjay me, Higson

Bloomin' love teen fiction.

I've been reading The Dead.  I read it in the wrong order; I read book 2 first, then 3 and 4.  Just finished 1 this morning - turns out it's not too bad an order to read them in.  Maybe 2,3,1,4 would have been better.  All I know is that I've bought wholesale into this universe that's been created, I can't think of a (series of) book(s) where I've cared as much about so many of the characters (Not Pure, It comes close, but I think I read the first two too far apart - although to say I'm not a bit excited about Burn would be a lie. Not HG, wildly addictive story but all the characters are idiots. Potter at a push? His Dark Materials maybe? Stuff I read decades ago like LotR and Narnia? Nope, I'm all out) and I'm itching to see what happens next.

Fortunately, The Fallen came out this week, I think it's going to follow from where Book 1 left off. I'd say I can't remember the last time I was this excited about a book, but I can, to the day, 24th August 2010. You better not be Mockingjaying me, Higson...

Tiananmen Squeg

Just seen Chimerica.  Now that was something that's been hyped to tipping point in just about any publication that can hype stuff. And you know what.  The hype was right. I won't write too many words, as there's a heap of people that actually know what they're talking about that have written informed bobbins about it.

I'll just say: you should probably go and see it.

Keep it Carbohydrate

The Doughnut Dash.  Five kilometres; five doughnuts.  I like running I like eating - I'm reasonably adept at both  Sounded like a hoot.

It wasn't.

They used iced doughnuts.  That wasn't in the small print: I was expecting sugary rings not jammy clown faces. I reckon I just about scraped the top ten - it was almost as though any actually good runners were worried about what that amount of carbohydrate would do to their fitness regime.  Turns out it will make you buzz for about three hours, then fall asleep.

In other news I saw Darth Vader in Much Ado About Nothing.  Didn't make the play less boring.  Yawn.

Lingonberry Jam

Who goes to Finland for a holiday?

I started in Tampere (pronounced as in 'What's she gonna look like with a chimney on her').  Now it's the second city and I'd heard that it was a bit industrial.  And yes, you could see three industrial chimneys whilst standing in the town square but if you walk for about ten minutes then this is the view.  Ridiculous.  That's not industrial, that's lakes and trees and sky and clouds and not a fat lot else.

I snuck down to Helsinki for a night. Now there's one of those cities that I had pretty clear visions in my head of how it was going to look / be before I got there. Obviously I was wrong, it wasn't the edgy cool that I had in my head, although there were a lot of soviet straight lines. The city itself varies wildly between being a proper buzzy metropolis and a tiny fishing village, sort of epitomised by the town square being on the harbourfront and used as a berry market.  For the record, all markets should be berry markets - normally I avoid them because they're chock full of idiots, this one I just wandered around salivating.

Talking of salivating, I didn't go to Finland expecting culinary delights but I did inadvertently stumble on two. The first, reindeer, was a whole new meat for my tickboxiness, the second, mustamakkara, was like an especially juicy blackpudding.  Both were made ace by lashings and lashings of lingonberry jam.

Four Star Review

Well that's one of the biggies ticked off my bucket list.  The Edinburgh Fringe, finally.  How's it taken thirty something years to get that one off the list?  How comes that's after Rio Carnival and New Orleans Mardi Gras?  It doesn't make sense. I've got mates that go regularly.  Mates that have performed there. It's on this island.

Anyway.  Done now. Let's move on.

I had been to Edinburgh before, but hadn't seen much of it.  My only real memory of it was that it smelt of corned beef (it still does); so I interspersed my fringing with a soupçon of exploration. Now, whilst I'm new to this Fringe malarkey something that I do know is that it doesn't need any more reviews, there's so many that it distorts everything and you have no idea whether or not something is good.  I'm going to try not to present any opinions and merely (selfindulgently) give you a rundown of my diary, so you can recreate it in the comfort of your own home using Youtube, irnbru, a treadmeal, a deep-fried pizza, and maybe a tramp urinating in front of you whilst you sunbathe, if you happen to have one.

Wednesday:
Limbo Sketch Comedy: Fisting for Biscuits
The Men Who Stare at Jokes

Thursday:
Barry at Arthur's Seat
We've Become Mango
Blam! - someone jumped an office chair over a table, did not know that that was possible.
I'm Sorry I Haven't Haiku - the western world's first haiku based panel show
Rubberbandits

Friday:
Candyfloss and Barbed Wire
Mitch Benn
David Mills
Sophia Blackwell - who, for the record, was amazing
Beard Envy - who very much weren't
Scroobius Pip
Bo Burnham

Saturday:
Short and Swede
[insert weeing tramp here, ideally on the roof of a shopping mall accompanied by a pooing dog]
Ross vs Violich
John Kearns - this was a free show - I'm guessing it won't be free next year.  Well zeitgeist.
Andrew Maxwell
The Boy With Tape on His Face

Standon Delivers

It's festival season.  Whoop. Just got back from Standon Calling, I'm pretty brand loyal to Standon even though they keep spurning us in the fancy dress competition.

One of my favourite things at a festival is seeing bands play ridiculous covers.  Top 3 Standon Calling 2013 covers:
3. Bastille: Corona - Rhythm of the Night
2. Alunageorge: Montell Jordan - This is How We Do It
1. Gideon Conn: Outkast - Ms Jackson

Best thing I saw this weekend tho was Erin K's song about a horse head, can't remember the last time a song  stuck with me so much on one listen.

The List Gets Longer...

A Field in England - yet another thing that's critically acclaimed that I just can't even pretend to get.  It was flashy and gory, which I liked but I'm not sure I can say much more. Hmmm.

Lately there seems to be a lot of things that I'm adding to the list. Am I dumbing down?  Maybe.  It just seemed to me to be the kind of film that's played in a dark room in the corner of an art gallery: if that's where I'd seen it I wouldn't've lasted two minutes.

Next time I hear of it it will be top of all the films of 2013 lists...