paul 7 July 2010
ok ok ok: I was WRONG and paul was right! I have been second-guessed by a 2 year old octopus – let that be not only a lesson to me but a salutory volley over the head of humankind in general = we’ve had our chance and we’ve messed the whole shebang up – henceforth, let the world be ruled by octopi and their multi-handed like…
octopus 7 July 2010
Paul, a 2 year old German octopus, has been predicting the result of the Germany World Cup games from the off of the tournament and has a 100% success rate…so far…Apparantly, his handlers put a tasty mussel in two identical clear boxes of water with the flags of the countries involved in the game on the outside. Each time he has chosen the mussel in the German glass and predicted the win for his home side BUT he has, controversially chosen Spain to win tonight. Now, I am not one to buck a trend like this but can I just say that this time I think Paul is wrong and Germany will indeed win and, also, to back me up I cite the old ‘exception that proves the rule’ theory.
losing it... 5 July 2010
ah here now, I’m losing the plot – there are the World Cup semi finals to look forward to during the week – and RELAX….
publication 4 July 2010
It’s publication week for THE TIME IS NOW and I am getting more than a tad excited about that. I went through Dublin airport tonight and saw the beauteous tome on the shelves looking very lovely indeed, if I’m allowed say so. I hear it is also in pride of place in Easons outlets in Ireland so I am delighted with that. For those of you in the UK it’ll be in hardback and that’s my favourite of the formats for it so far – it truly suits that and I dribble a little when I hold one of those in my hands. I really REALLY hope you all enjoy it – it’s quite different from anything else I have written – in a totally good way, fear not – and I am looking forward to your feedback.
In the meantime watching sport on tv has been keeping me sane – SO WHAT WILL I DO till the weekend and the finale of the World Cup??? now that Wimbledon is done…
laptop 3 July 2010
I attended the Irish Wedding of the Year yesterday in Co Leitrim where 2 really wonderful people married one another = Amy Huberman and Brian O’Driscoll – both are national treasures and it was a great day out entirely. I would have reported on proceedings earlier but for the teeny detail of not bringing the laptop with me although I was more certain than a very certain woman that I had packed it. This Old Dear is getting doddery…The papers are full of photos of the festivities today and I must say it was joyous and a privilege to have been there – the couple’s happiness shone for all to see and really set the tone of the whole day.
In other news, the ants are back with a vengeance – it’s like a scene for FATHER TED in the kitchen right now. They REALLY don’t like cinnamon, though, so that has been liberally sprinkled around and hopefully they’ll take the hint and feck off. Basically, indoors is for humans and outdoors is an acceptable place for insects to be. I have 3 spiders living on the ceiling of the main Manchester room too and they may have to be urged out…though they tend to hide and move about a lot more – I am not GREAT with spiders and will find it harder to see them off, but off they must go. If only I could leave them a strongly worded note…
doctor 1 July 2010
I met my friend Lynne Parker when we both fetched up at Trinity College in 1979. Although we detested one another on sight we soon became fast friends and colleagues and that abides to this day. So, imagine my pride that she is being awarded an Honorary Doctorate by our old Alma Mater. And I am also thrilled at the opportunity to torture her forevermore with the salutation of ‘Doctor Parker, I presume’ = a win-win all round!
tin 30 June 2010
I get to be a tin can tomorrow, basically. It kind of takes me back as an actor, tough only VERY vaguely, to the days when directors might get you to improvise a scene pretending to be a chair or a remould tyre or a Brussels sprout, perhaps – can’t remember why exactly though I guess it would have been something to do with freeing the mind etc. Anyhow, I get a proper costume at this job and some SPECTACULARLY high silver boots that I think I am expected to run around in as if that’s the most natural thing in the world. Whether it’s possible in the normal scheme of things (whatever that is now) I can’t tell you but I will say that after a whole day in Libby’s black shoes my feet are like stumps and rather sore…JOY oh JOY!
bumblers 29 June 2010
Saw a piece on tv a few nights ago about tests on bees to establish patterns of behaviour and therefore to help with the crisis currently ongoing which is that a lot of species are dying out and that will have a huge impact on human crops as bees are doing a lot of our pollinating for us. Today a study suggests that bees in Finland work long hours in the sun but clock off at night even if the weather is good. Irish bumble bees tend to just take advantage of the good weather and because it’s impossible to predict they have no regulated working times, like their Finnish brethren. Best of all, scientists are attaching tiny little backpacks with microchips to the bees now in some of the experiments – how cute and weeny must they be!!!
climb 27 June 2010
I went on a mini adventure with my mate Lou yesterday. We took a tram and bus to Ramsbottom and climbed the hill to the Peel Tower. Great view from up there – England was looking very fetching indeed in sunshine and birds sang and sheep bleated and we smelled some horse poo and the like, then had the great pleasure of the downhill stroll to a pub and a few pints. Quite the lovely day out. Today is all about the Germans and the English clashing on a soccer pitch…
meaning 25 June 2010
Dan (Birthday Boy) Nightingale tells me there’s a whole collection of words gathered now that have not made it into the dictionary but which (it seems to me) are most useful. For instance, myself and himself were trying to pass one another today in a narrow hallway on-set and both went the same way as each other a number of times before settling on a method of passage past ourselves – this is called a polkadodge and to me sounds just perfect…