Odds and sods

[chrishansenhome]

I still have a hacking cough today, so I gave the free ticket to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to HWMBO, who is enjoying it right now as I type. I am just hoping that the cough improves enough by tomorrow (it's a bit better today) so that I'll be passed fit for my operation next week. Thanks to the Atlanta Circumciser, who is a dear friend and a great lunch companion, for the ticket. Maybe someday he'll let me buy lunch.

I am apprehensive about this preop assessment tomorrow. I always hate being in hospitals, and I'm apprehensive in particular about continuing infection and the possibility of picking something virulent up while I'm in there.

I think it's unlikely that Michael Ipgrave or Giles Fraser will be appointed as Dean of Southwark next week, for various mechanical reasons. If there is no announcement next Tuesday, Michael will be back in the picture.

I have been slothful today, and only ventured as far as the mailbox to pick up our post. This is bad, as I've been alone and brooding about the impending operation.

I am listening to Evening Prayer for the feast of St. Alfred the Great, by Fr. Jonathan Hagger. It's quite good, and if you appreciate eclectic worship, go on over there and have a listen.

I'm about to go to watch Sir David Attenborough's latest, Frozen Planetabout the poles. He didn't travel much for this one; he mostly narrates from the studio. But I'm told that everyone thinks it's first rate. And his voice is something else; I would listen to him read the phone book (do we still have them?) just to hear his voice. He reminds me of Alexander Scourby in that his voice is suited to his work. I kept thinking "Alexander Schreiner" but he was the organist for the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City and didn't have a "speaking" part. Does anyone remember either Alexander these days?

I enjoyed Frozen Planet—it was, of course, formulaic. We had the obligatory sex scene (between two polar bears) and the obligatory death scenes (wolves after a bison, and killer whales after a seal). But the photography is stunning. I do have a bone to pick, in that they don't use the whole hour. In order to tailor it for the US commercial market, they end it at 48 or 49 minutes and then have a "Making of" feature showing the photographers doing their thing. One presumes that the "Making of"s will be packaged as an additional hour (plus commercials) in places that show commercials.

I am tired; it is time for bed. Tomorrow will be stressful, being an entire day at the hospital. I do not look forward to it.

Comments

[merlinwon.livejournal.com]

In hopes you feels betters soon!

I must watch the desert queen again soon! Liked that flick!! :)

<3
XOX

[chrishansenhome.livejournal.com]

Thanks muchly <3 ... the play is supposed to be very good but it's going to be closing soon so unless I can scrape up £75 I don't think I'll ever see it.

[tim1965.livejournal.com]

Oohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! I so want to see that polar series! I was enthralled by Blue Planet. (He didn't travel for that one, either.)

[chrishansenhome.livejournal.com]

Oh, it'll be there pretty soon, I'm sure. These things take squillions of pounds to make, so they'll have to earn it back soonest.

He did travel to the North and South Poles this time (he'd never been to the North Pole but had been to the South Pole).

I don't know if you've seen any of Michael Palin's travelogues, but they are quite good. I like Pole to Pole (http://www.palinstravels.co.uk/static-12) quite a bit.

[tim1965.livejournal.com]

I've seen several of Palin's travel series. They run on PBS here. I think the first one I saw was "New Europe," which was pretty good. Then I saw "Around the World in 80 Days" and it was really quite interesting. I found it a decent hook to hang his hat on. I missed the first half hour of his "in the footsteps of Hemingway" one, but enjoyed very much the rest of it.

I also really liked his art show on Matisse, and his "Timewatch: Last Day of World War I" documentary.

You'd think BBC America would air these sorts of things, but no -- it's endless repeats of boring, boring, boring "Top Gear."

[chrishansenhome.livejournal.com]

I watch the morning news on BBC America to try to keep up with what's going on over here when I'm in the US. Otherwise, I avoid it like the plague. BBC America news is very different than BBC domestic news over here. Much glitzier and trying to emulate CNN but not quite making it.

PBS is beginning a service here in the UK this week. I'm looking forward to it. NOVA never airs here on the BBC and I kind of miss it. Won't be able to see it until I get back from the hospital.

[tim1965.livejournal.com]

I generally watch BBC news on PBS. It comes in unedited, unlike on BBC America. Some days, we get a totally wacky feed from BBC News! :)

Does the hospital have wi-fi? You should be able to see Nova episodes on the PBS Web site.

[chrishansenhome.livejournal.com]

The hospital does have wi-fi, but I think that the throughput is somewhat choked. I've never in the past tried serious streaming video.

The new channel has a huge backlog of NOVAs to get through; I'm sure that I'll have lots of opportunities to watch it in the future.