Mis y Mas

...in both message and medium.

20 minutes from comedian Armando Iannucci: On opera: including teeth, phlegm, mint...and eventually music. And ears. And a poem: "Papal Blues".

A must hear, from BBC Radio 7
Available until 2pm, Pacific time

2 days left to listen to this program. Requires Real Player or Real Alternative
15 minutes from 2002 of the work of the Poets Laureate of Britain. Sounds drab, I know--but try. The joy of people you think of as drab dead Englishman, read aloud.

Dryden--yum. The emotion rumbling in "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow". Very modern piece, considering the gap of 300 years.

Could have used less violin on one of the Wordsworth pieces. (I think I'm the only person who like and forgives Wordsworth for being a PL. I'm not swoony over W--but I appreciate his observations and and envy his language.)

And John Maysefield. "Sea Fever". Oh DAMN, that rolls you. This goes on the list. Quiz: where is this referenced in Star Trek?

Themes are love, pastorals, London--both W's "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" and "London 1802" ("Milton! Thou shouldst be living at this hour")

Was introduced to the slightly sardonic humor of John Betjeman, "poet and hack". Another on the list to explore.

They had a section on "Public or State Verse"--and noted this was often the theme where most PL's did some poor work.
But damn--they did Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade". Damn diddy damn, yeah.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lwxlc

90 minute dramatization of Putney debates, execution of Charles I. Derek Jacobi among the players. On BBC radio 7 for two more days. Requires Real Player or Real Alternative.

Dramatization, modern analysis and transcripts of the trials.

Quick posts of small light helpings


Those Baneful Articles--BBC radio article on the history--and corrupting evil--of two classic potables in Scotland.

Whiskey...and tea.

As with BBC radio 7, there is a limited time. 2 days left as I type this at 10pm Thursday night. Seriously, it involves tea and Scots. This is made for at least half the people of my acquaintance.

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And I noticed an article about picnic food at NPR today, but did not have time to read it (Kitchen Window is not usually an audio article). The Almond Plum Upside Down Cake offers possibilities.

And I learned that there are a load of good recipes at NPR if one searches for the word 'picnic'.

Oh, and that book I posted about, last month: The Urban Picnic. Didn't realize NPR had done a write up on it. Not strictly vegetarian, but does include veg alternatives to their picnic menus. Except the Shakespeare menu--Elizabethans were carnivores, no doubt about it.

Still available at Sweet Briar for $7.00. I'm thinking of a spare copy.

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Ideas for posts from last week, that I had no time to post.
Kayaks and kitchens--great food articles from Paddling.net. Because nothing demands a tighter, lighter camping kitchen than a skinny little boat.

Planning a Multi Day Meal, Part 1
and two

Oh yeah--and how a href="http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?430">you pack all that stuff. And no, I've only done this once, and the folks at OA packed a small overnight kitchen and firewood, and distributed it on to all our kayaks.

Then again, there are minimalists.

Emergency glasses?

...who have Real Player, sorry to say.

BBC Radio 4 presents an episode from "Old Harry's Game", with Andy Hamilton as Satan.

Premise: The Professor, a congenial academic, died and landed in Hell, for having been an atheist in life. Because God has no sense of humor about that sort of thing.

Also in Hell with him, is Thomas--the self-centered yuppie bastard who killed both the Professor and himself when he impatiently 'nudged' the Prof's car with his own. Prof's eternal optimism about mankind, and his fascination with historical 'greats' is tested every week.

This week: Satan decides to introduce the Professor to his heroes of poetry.
Because, frankly, every writer goes to hell. With good reason, and great punishments.

Availble until about 2.30pm Wed, PDST.

And no, Hazel, Janie is only briefly encountered in this week's episode. Janie gets a walk on about every other week as the most foul mouthed party girl in the netherworld. Vocabulary of a soccer yob.
"It's all that repression, y'know. Just has to come out somewhere."

Wish I'd known this would be on---I was trying to describe this to S&B, and I think B.

1999 BBC version. You know the story:

Harry Potter is born to the young bride Georgiana Darcy. His Aunt, Minerva McGonagal, comes to visit, but refuses to be godmother because he is a boy. His father dies, and his mother remarries to a cruel man, with a cruel sister Madame Hooch....

...and as I type this, we are at the wonderful scene when Wicked Stepfather and Evil Step Aunt have come to Dover at Prof. McGonagal's home, and Hooch and McGonagal are getting into each others' faces....

..but before all this occurs, he is enrolled at school and beaten by headmaster Gandalf, and when he is sent to pack tins of blacking in London, he encounters the perpetually poor Eddie Valiant (who will be promoted to Mr. Fezziwig this year) and his devoted wife, Dolores Umbridge, who are the ones who urge him to go to Dover to his aunt.

Oh yes, and for sometime he lives near the sea with his mother's old servant, and part of the household is Queenie's Olde Nursie. And they might be living at Newcastle, for that's the song that's played when he arrives. No, no dancing, just the music. They are too busy being honest, hard working, poor and miserable. That takes a lot of time out of your schedule.

The first half is the best, although in part II, when he is an adult and no longer Harry Potter, he will rent a room from the Fat Lady in the Painting II aka Mrs. Forcible.

All this is narrated by Carmine Falcone of Gotham.

I love BBC and Brit movies...it's such a small neighborhood.

Old "game" show called "Sorry I haven't a Clue"---an excuse for witty old and young man to get together and respond to silly challenges.....

and just heard the response to the challenge: Sing the words of "Blame It On the Boogie" to the tune of "Scotland the Brave".

Oh. Dear. God. It fits.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007jsmx
Starts shortly after 11 minutes into "Comedy Controller".

I can listen to BBC7 today, for episode 2 of "Casino Royale".

(Was out sick yesterday; wish I had thought about lisening to episode 1. Ah well, can catch up on both Wed night. Or Friday. or Sunday morning.)

Frustration point: Since I can't have Real Player at work, I can only listen to live BBC7 streaming. At home, I can catch up on all my shows as archives, up to a week. And must remember--GMT has returned to Standard time. So must adjust my mystery hours for Paul Temple and Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is not that important. We're into the weaker, later stories. But the voice actors are still too good to be missed.)

fyi, if you want, you can listen here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio7/programmes/schedules
"Listen live" is on the top right, if you don't have access to Real Player. I think Casino Royale will start at 1.30pm, but check at 12.30 just to make sure.

You've got a few more days to listen to this show on BBC 7:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/listenagain/monday/

Click on "A Matter of Time". About 45 minutes.
If you don't have that much time, take at least a 5 minutes to listen to the opening. And see if you can stop.

Funny....into serious. Told with humor, some silly. A lot damned sharp.

Yes, fools_and_irish, this does take place in Wales, but I think you'll like the story, and the storytelling.

Hell, this is a lovely for any Dickens folk---takes place in mid 1800's, and the arrival of the railway in Wales. And watches.

BBC Radio 7 is a collection of past shows on the various BBC radio channels, all served up on the internet (go to BBC Radio to see all the channels).

Now, there is this link for BBC Radio 7 Program listings, down in the "F's".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/programmes/#f **

If you are a DCF performer, or know a Crummle, click on the link for "Footlight Fairies".
Yes, there WAS a Infant Phenomenon.

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Suggest you explore more of BBC radio, channel 7 and others. I explored a lot of their comedies and talk shows during December vacation. Got to listen to 1955 Goon Show, discovered Blake's 7 on radio theatre, and found a 4 part adaptation of Prachett's Mort. I'd suggest listening to these programs in the next few days---I don't know how long they are available.


**(yes, I know how to do a problem a href link with label, but I have this quirk about reading the actual link when I first encounter a site. Ah, my little moments of A.R.)