December 2007
33 posts
“Keep your idealism practical.”
– Dispiriting advice from tonight’s fortune cookie
“Asthma is often linked to psychosomatic symptoms and to exceptional talent.”
– Hermione Lee, Edith Wharton This quote reminds of an asthma-off I had with some writer friends a couple of months ago at a smoke-filled party. “I can’t smoke,” I said, refusing a proffered cigarette, “I have asthma.” “Me too,” said friend, puffing away...
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Merry Christmas from Baltimore, where I finally arrived after a woman waiting along with me and all of the other disgruntled Baltimore-bound travellers announced, ‘oh, for the love of God, I’m a United stewardess, I’ll work this flight’ and thus allowed us to depart. I don’t think they made her serve any drinks, however. By that time, the suffering had become so...
Hundreds to be stranded in hotels over Christmas... →
Erm, I’ll stop complaining now.
Christmas miracle remains elusive
And, now I am in O’Hare, where I apparently will be for the next six hours because my flight to BWI was cancelled due to ‘lack of crew’. They didn’t seem interested in my suggestion that I could push the drinks cart, therefore permitting take-off. Oh, Americans!
Hoping for a Christmas miracle
Greetings from Heathrow, where each successive anxious beat of my heart reminds me that one should never travel on Christmas Eve. There is no festive joy here - except, perhaps, when I finally emerged from the shoe scanner (that’s a new one) to find a young woman proffering shot glasses filled with free samples of some brown creme liquer. Of course, I’m simply not a hard enough woman...
Oceans apart | Review | The Observer →
Poll: 'The cultural year 2007' by | Prospect... →
Huckenfreude →
I do love a good neologism.
Baltimore
When my parents called me about a year ago, I knew it had to be a big deal: first of all, I almost always am the one who rings them, as their tolerance for not speaking to me is obviously ever so slightly longer than mine for not speaking to them. Second, they were both on the speakerphone, clear evidence of an impending, serious revelation. “I’m going to be a professor,” said my...
Redwood's date rape comments infuriate campaigners... →
This should infuriate EVERYONE.
Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog - books: The... →
“I had The Muppets on my lunchbox when I was a kid, but that didn’t make me...”
– On Irish radio, responding to the question of whether Playboy lunchboxes corrupt young girls.
I love working in the local cafe
Man: Ah! I see you are reading a book by Ian McEwan. He's such a good writer - really, the best of British. His writing is so spare and precise - unlike these 24-year-old journalists fresh out of university with all of their big words. I can't stand to read anything but hard news because of them. So! What do you do?
Jean: I'm a journalist.
Man: ....
Jean: I'm 26, though.
Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog - music: Classical... →
“In Paris explanations come in a predictable sequence, no matter what is being...”
– Adam Gopnik, qtd in an email I received today
On people snogging in the grocery store, blocking...
Authentic East End Vintage Lady: It's all right for some!
Jean: I wish my trips to Tesco were that exciting.
Snoggers: mmmmmmmmmf slurp.
Anniversary
Today is the anniversary of the day last year when, by a coincidence that I would have found hilarious if it hadn’t happened to me, my career and personal life temporarily went pear-shaped. Indeed, so awfully pear-shaped that for the first time in my life (I am generally very strong of stomach) I spent the entire night and the next day being violently sick for entirely psychological reasons....
How the Darwins evolved into 'canoe family' |... →
Overseas Vote Foundation § Home →
If, like me, you are an American ex-pat, click here to register to vote. It’s easy and fun! Okay, not particularly fun, but definitely easy.
The same secret | Review | The Observer →
Outcast Kasparov still squaring up to Putin |... →
Am definitely supporting Kazza in this instance.
Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog - books: If you're... →
Not by me…
London is a friendly place
Cab Queue Lady 1: Finsbury Park, please.
Cab Queue Lady 2: Oh, I'm going to Finsbury Park too! Do you mind if I get in the cab with you?
CQL1: No, I'm going to go on my own. *SLAM*
Everyone else in queue: WTF?!
Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog - books: Frank... →
Soothing Nasal Tones
Today was not a good day in the world of working-from-home; for various reasons I ended up not leaving the flat until five-ish when I was on the edge of madness, and went to the gym. But even though the exercise was somewhat stress-reducing, even when I headed home I was still cranky and lonely and disgruntled and pessimistic; so filled with rage about nothing that the sight of the local seafood...
“It was as if Puffin were part of the administration of the world. They were the...”
– Francis Spufford, The Child That Books Built
Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog - books: For whom... →
Alarming
Last night I witnessed an actual fight, between two actual adults. Aside from a couple of bouncer-related incidents from my days labouring as a waitress in a slightly rough pub, this was a first for me. I was using a crosswalk by Angel tube station and some rather ghastly driver had chosen to disregard her red light and drive on through; fortunately, she wasn’t going very fast so she...
Jean Hannah Edelstein reviews The Blind Side:... →