2010 — 29 November: Monday
This time,1 there's plenty of ice on the car windscreen, but the house is glowing with an inner warmth. It's 09:39 and time to chase the initial cuppa with some breakfast. The chap for whom I was able to identify that Ry Cooder track was tickled pink. It's a pity Shazam doesn't seem to be available for a house-bound desktop Windows PC as it would be handy to help me classify the contents of many of my obscure music compilations tucked away on hundreds of minidiscs.
They would say that, wouldn't they?
In fact, it's a severe attack of déjà vu "all over again":
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and American ambassadors around the world have been contacting foreign officials in recent days to alert them to the expected disclosures. A statement from the White House on Sunday said: "We condemn in the strongest terms the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents and sensitive national security information."
The White House said the release of what it called "stolen cables" to several publications was a "reckless and dangerous action" and warned that some cables, if released in full, could disrupt American operations abroad and put the work and even lives of confidential sources of American diplomats at risk. The statement noted that reports often include "candid and often incomplete information" whose disclosure could "deeply impact not only U.S. foreign policy interests, but those of our allies and friends around the world."
That good old "sunshine test" — despised by the clay-footed powerful everywhere and at all times.
Having paid the penalty...
... and picked up the latest batch of snailmail for dear Mama, I mildly observe she's had more luck with Mr ERNIE than I did this month. Plus a £400 winter fuel payment, lucky girl. She also gets a free TV licence though her eyesight renders that moot, and Central TV is frightfully anxious to extort money from her for "digital switchover" in her region next year — a concept I'll not be bothering to explain to her :-)
The Orifice of the Pubic Grauniad also seems to delight in sending out multiple copies of Power of Attorney information to her. Since the only reason for registering this with them in the first place was for me to deal with everything in the light of her new and unpleasant lack of mental capacity, this seems a particularly futile exercise on their part. But I'm not a Civil Servant, so what do I know?
It's 12:12 and there's what looks awfully like a cloud full of impending snow out there in the sky to the north. Brrr. [Pause] Methinks an emergency set of stores wouldn't be a bad idea (the stuff of that nature in various kitchen cupboards is typically over three years old since I know it wasn't me that bought it). Also, some bottled water would be sensible as I no longer have any water tanks and I don't fancy draining radiators... Which SF writer remarked we're about three square meals away from the breakdown of civilisation?
This amused me in parts. "What are you not allowed to say", at least, aloud. What would Herman Kahn have said, I wonder?
Off I jolly...
... well go, once again, on my chocolate-laden mission of mercy to see dear Mama. Before the heavens unleash whatever it is they're holding up there — until I restore Flash to this system I can't animate the BBC weather map, and I dislike the way Flash is constantly coming under security attacks. I've always preferred the RISC philosophy; in this case, the less software I have on the system, the fewer the vulnerabilities. (Peter regards this as a species of parental insanity akin to cutting off my nose to spite my face. He's still quite young.2)
I've just learned that Big Bro is, once again, in Brunei. Bet it's warmer there than it is here!
Back in time to hear...
... an interesting interview (by Terry Gross) with Anne Hathaway. She tells an anecdote about her rôle in "Brokeback Mountain" that was new to me. [Pause] To my surprise this afternoon, dear Mama actually used my name — I was half convinced she no longer recalled it. Nor (it seems) have her memories of Christa totally vanished. And to cap it all, she came out with a story that I'd never heard before... going back 80 years. This lump of grey electrochemical jelly is very peculiar stuff. It's 18:09 and my hatches are now battened down for the evening.
Even better than the film (Dougal and the Blue Cat) were the two extra features on the DVD, one featuring Phyllida Law, the divine Emma T, and Fenella Fielding, and the other with Mark Kermode. And, best of all, the DVD also includes the original French version of the film featuring not "Dougal"3 but "Pollux".
Crikey! It's 23:49, "David Copperfield" is finished, a supper croissant consumed, dishes done. Time for sleep. G'night.