The Last King of Scotland is in word- fantastic. Forest Whitaker gives a mesmerizing performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. One of the most intelligent actors out there, he doesn’t fall into the easy trap of playing him like a crazy deranged bad guy. He comes at him by trying to understand what makes him tick, which makes Amin all the more terrifying.

James McAvoy as the young Scottish doctor goes toe to toe with Whitaker and I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot of him in the next few years.

The film is shot by Anthony Dod Mantle so that it almost looks like old colour photos from the 70’s and has a documentary style to the camera work, which makes sense since director Kevin Macdonald has made a number of documentaries.

There are moments of humour in the movie (admittedly all at the beginning) so it’s not all grim. One of the funniest lines is when McAvoy notices monkeys in the trees while they drive along in a bus, and the woman sitting next to him says, “You don’t have monkeys in Scotland?” McAvoy laughs, “No, we don’t have monkeys in Scotland. If we did we would deep fry them.”

I could go on and on but I really am not in the mood to write a proper review. I’ll just say this. . . The film is smart, scary and it makes you think about the responsibility we have to act when there is something terrible going on around us.

2 Comments »

Went to yoga last night- A beginners course I am doing for the next eight weeks. Figured I would start at the very beginning since I haven’t done yoga for two years and even then I was a novice at it. Sure I went 2-3 times a week but that was only for 6 months.

We did a few of the basics as an introduction- the most challenging thing was the tree pose and warrior poses.

I am so sore today I feel like I have been battered with oranges wrapped in a towel.

 

 

3 Comments »

The best part about working from home is that you can wake up at 7:30, close your eyes, go back to sleep until 8, lay there until 8:30, plod downstairs in your red robe and slippers, make a pot of half caff coffee, plug in your computer, settle onto to sofa and you are still on time. . . You don’t hear the phone ring, you aren’t interupted every 5 minutes.

The worst part is you can’t ask people to be your drink sherpa, you don’t laugh as much and if your computer freaks out you need to figure out how to fix it yourself.

Or, you call Stuart.

“My computer wasn’t reading my smart card so I popped it in and out. Nothing. So I figured I’d restart.”

“Ok.”

“And now I just have a blue screen. It won’t turn off. Is frozen.”

“Sky blue?”

“Yeah.”

“Blue screen of death blue?”

“. . .Yeah.”

Pinter Pause.

“You might be alright.”

No Comments »

Woke up this morning and through our bedroom window could see our neighbours tree being knocked one way to the next by the wind. I didn’t take my beautiful new James Smith red umbrella to work because I was afraid it would get ripped to bits.

Hiding away at my desk I had zero idea how bad the winds were- nine people dead across the UK, the tube and trains disrupted, flights cancelled, in Ireland the ferry to France and England cancelled, a container ship sunk off of Cornwall (the mariners were rescued), trees uprooted, Dorothy and Toto wisked to Oz. . .
Stu came home early today and it took him two hours to get home. I had a yoga class tonight and the tube at 7:45 was as packed as it is at 8:30.
Slightly nutty.

3 Comments »

One of my flaws is I get really impatient when people don’t get to the point, or when they say the same thing over and over and over. Circular thinking in general drives me mental. (Of course I am allowed to repeat myself. There’s nothing wrong when I do it. . . )

There is a particular gentleman that I liaise with (check out that biz speak) who says the same thing over and over and over. And over.

And over. . .

I don’t know if the problem is that English is his 2nd language or if this is just the way that he is.

He is a very nice man, but every single time I have had occasion to speak with him on the phone, I just want to jump out of my skin and scream, “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MAN! I GOT IT! THE RAIN IN SPAIN FALLS MAINLY ON THE PLAIN! I FUCKING GOT IT!”

Bloody French. They just don’t know how to get to the flippen point.

Then again a lot of Brits talk an issue to death.

Bloody English.

Then again, maybe the problem is my, What’s the problem, let’s solve the problem (or ignore the problem but we know what we are ignoring) straight to the point, ooo-rah mentality?

Bloody Americans.

No Comments »

Sitting in the living room watching bad TV (why am I watching Big Brother? I can feel my brain sloshing around in my skull when I watch this pap.)

Stu went to bed early since he was up beyond late working last night.

I’m avoiding cleaning the kitchen.

I decide to face it. I walk into the kichen to see–

that Stuart has done the dishes for me. . .

2 Comments »

I’m flipping through the alarms available on my mobile because Stu really hates the default one. I hate all alarms on principle.

One of my available choices is called ‘Diazinon’. Diazinon- as in the really nasty pesticide Diazinon.

I must say that the alarm matched the name perfectly.

I don’t have the guts to select this alarm just to wind Stu up. . . which is too bad because it is a beut.

No Comments »

Dude!

I’ve arranged to get some Cal-i-for-ni-a rays in April and May. Going to La La Land for the LA Times Festival of Books and I’m going to hang out for a week. It’ll be AWESOME.

Then I’m going to Vegas Baby for the weekend to catch up some of the peeps there and to see my nephew. . .

I know it’s three months away but I am already planning what I am going to eat.

Pancakes and French Press coffee at The Griddle.

Tuna Melt and onion rings at Fred 62.

A reuben and a black and white from Cantor’s.

Dim Sum from Ocean Seafood.

Pizza at Village Pizza.

If I can get friends to splurge with me, a steak at The Palm.

A burrito from Yucca’s.

A burrito from Burrito King.

Mexican Food and margaritas from a variety of locations: El Chavo, El Compadre, El Conquistador, El Coyote. . .

What am I forgetting? Oh yes! Noodles at Sanamluang and curry at Palms Thai.

Sushi at Sushi Afloat.

Chili cheese dogs at Pinks.

Chili Cheese fries from Tommy Burger.

Double-Double Animal Style from In and Out.

It is really sad but I could go on and on. . .

I can hardly wait.

10 Comments »

162.2 (73.6 kilograms)

In two weeks of no sugar, pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, alcohol and very little caffeine, I have lost 3.14 pounds (1.42 kilograms).

1 Comment »

We watched The Ring 1 & 2 last night. (First one is better)

Stu and I were cuddled up on the couch. He kept holding a pillow up in front of his face, grabbing my hand and jumping because he was scared.

He turned to me. “Are you scared?”

“I’m enjoying it.”

“But are you scared?”

“No, not scared.”

“What is WRONG with you?”

No Comments »