Cemetery Junction Part 2

Well, my friend Richard went to this film and he said it was so boring and so predictable and not to see it.  I had to share that with you to give myself some credibility as a not that great film reviewer who obviously doesn't get out much.  So, it might not be as good as I sold it. 

Cemetery Junction

Exciting post title, eh?  Thanks to The Press' Jonty and I attended the preview screening of a Cemetery Junction last night.  It is written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and it is really sweet and funny. It is set in 1973 in a small town in reading and is about 3 guys on the verge of adulthood thinking about their futures.  There are a few cliches and some great 70's music and some really funny lines.  My favorite is 'there will be no jungle tits at the breakfast table'.  I did fall in love with Freddie, a little bit.  Not wanting to ruin things I wont tell you any more. 

It's all about stories

I have been a bit on the bored side lately.  Bored with myself really and in a spiral of boredom and not being able to find a way out of the bubble.  However, I, along with a big bunch of colleagues, have had the pleasure of spending time in the company of the Shanachie Tour Guys.  beside their three hour interactive presentation I also had the pleasure of sharing a few glasses of wine on Friday night and lunch today. This gave me time to think about the things they talked about and find some more questions.

Erik and Jaap are very relaxed and very cool.  They share stuff and ask questions and gather information about libraries and what people think about the future of libraries.  Then they show us what they are doing in Delft at the DOK library.  And that is what gets your heart racing.  For me it is not necessarily what they are doing but -describing libraries.  It is about the sustainability and relevance of libraries in the future and this is a question all self respecting libraries with a strong will to survive should be asking.  Now the real problem is bringing everyone else along for the ride.  Funders, elected members, teachers and leaders need to think about libraries in the context of the whole world and not just put us in a book box and leave us to die.  This is what I believe and have for a very long time and it is really nice to know there are others making this happen.

Now my brain is totally activated and there is no stopping me - well actually there is some stopping and that relates to the need to convince, consult and just wait and wait and wait for everyone to be on board.  I know I am not alone so perhaps some of our ideas in the holding pattern will come to life.

Last word.  The really cool thing about these guys is that they don't tell you what you should do but just what they do and then you can work out how that might happen in your environment.

And one more word....read this and then understand why we will always need libraries.  The Internet wont replace libraries.  We need democratic access to information, we need some order and we need a filter.  Who is going to do that?  Not Google, not the Chinese government, not your government.  Imagine all the worlds information being under the control of Google, advertisers and politicians.    Imagine...it is scary to do so.
p.s.  I love the Internet, don't get me wrong,  but it isn't the answer to every question.

A Single Man

Well, this was a treat on a cold Saturday evening.  Jonty and I dashed out for an early movie (home by 8.15) and drunk in the bloody gorgeousness of this film.  I am guessing it has not really been called gorgeous by many people but I thought it was.  Not gorgeous like a summer afternoon or a stunning rose bloom, more like a saturated intense visual delight.  I think I might be gushing.  What I love about films and life in general is that it really is a 'pick n mix'.  Whatever your soul requires is on the menu and you just need to pick the right thing for the right time.   You can read a synopsis anywhere so I wont bother.

Not wanting to lower the tone too much, but just wanted to say I think Colin is much more gorgeous the older he gets.  Turns out he is 19 days older than Jonty and he is pretty cute.  All the actors were fantastic and were perfectly cast.

  Thought Charley's bedroom was a visual symphony of style, gorgeous.

Had a few of these kinds of conversations myself over the years.  Julianne Moore is an enigma to me but she does share exactly the same colour hair as me and more freckles.

Just finished reading #32

Bruno chief of Police - Martin Walker

Lovely Bruno, what a sweetie, definitely the kind of chappie you would love to run into in a romantic French village.  Tennis player, kind, sweet, a little sexy and solving a murder crime on the side.  This is one of those 'nice' murder books.  Not Miss Marple but definitely not a 'hard boiled' affair.   However, some interesting French history and a bit of racial tension, some sexual tension and a little political tension.    It is a charming divergence on a wintery old weekend.  Not going to tell you any more.  Love that Bruno.

And to boot, a cute little blog to match.

Nic's SBS Mara-fun

Shame my photos bear little resemblance to a great effort and very exciting event this morning. Nic decided yesterday to take part in the kid's part of the SBS Christchurch Marathon and he did so well.  What a star.  My photos were really hard to take.  Soooo many people.  Anyway, you get the idea.

Preparation

lining up

Fuzzy boy on the right

Finish line, he is in there, really

Medal!!!

Banana stack

Scooter Safari

Here is what I did this weekend while my lovely husband languished in a hospital bed awaiting an angiogram.  I loved being part of the two woman support crew for our lovely friend Justy as he put putted his way from one coast to another in all kinds of weather.  230 scooters and $107,000 for cancer foundation.  What a fun way to help others and make a difference.  Read all about it at Scooter Safari

See the TV3 Campbell live video report on the day here