My Favorite Books (in no particular order)

• Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson
• Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
• Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
• High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
• The Princess Bride, William Goldman

- posted by Annie Bergen @ Friday, September 08, 2006

 
Macro Minister
You know, the funniest thing happened on the way to the River tonight. I was watching Manhattan and Gershwin was getting louder and louder and louder and then my finger slipped and opened the blog folder of my favorites toolbar by complete accident and there I was in Easter Break again. Only this time it was much farther North. And I was much farther round the bend. And, to be honest, the non sequiturs were such as to leave me wondering where all the chocolate digestives had gone to. I meaN, THEY MUST BE HERE SOMEWHERE!! sorry, caplocks hit; though not entirely inappropriate. I still may never get over it; sometimes you just make the wrong move ---there's a reason that Knights have such strict geometrical perambulatory obligations!
You'll have to stay up very late, very late indeed to best me in the film quotes department. Well, this may be true, but I've got a four-year headstart and I know that the misery came first. ;)
But, if you give yourself a chapter a day (and do this in May -per se), you could probably supply yourself with enough Championship amo to blast my conclusions right outta the watah. But I love that Dirty Watah.
Bad Habits Die Hard.
Il faut que je sleep. I have to work now. I can't live off a single publication.
- posted by Annie Bergen @ Monday, March 14, 2005

 
Another chuckle at the expense of our 'leaders' and The Silent Gondoliers
This is actually quite amusing.  Thanks Shanny!  And I finished another William Goldman book today, The Silent Gondoliers.  He brought good 'ol Morgenstern back from the dead and this work was published in 1983, ten years after The Princess Bride.  It was cute.  Nothing to rave about.
PS:  Why would you ever name a clothing store Dress Barn?  Should the word 'barn' really be in the title of somewhere one goes to purchase items of vanity?  And a women's store no less?  Do these people know their audience at all?  Just something to chew on.  Or you could just go to sleep, I am.

- posted by Annie Bergen @ Friday, July 23, 2004

 
success!
I have finally found my future employer.  It's a perfect match, don't you think!  Finally someone who knows what they're talking about. (see my "AAB memorable quote" blog, 5 July, 7:02pm BST to see why I would make an excellent addition to this organization's workforce) . 

PS: In case any of you are keeping track of my waking hours, please note that the 12 July blog was the last recorded at BST and all subsequent blogs, beginning with 15 July have been recorded at the appropriate EST (ie, I remembered to update my blogger settings to keep up with my geographical capriciousness!  these are the kinds of things that will probably not---or at least should not--- happen once I am gainfully employed---so enjoy it while it lasts!).

PPS: You know, I would like it if the blogger people would include BST or EST or GMT or whatever the case may be in their time stamps.  Why?  I just find these things interesting.

- posted by Annie Bergen @ Wednesday, July 21, 2004

 
Property of the Mattress, Spiderman 2, and LJC
Yo yo yo! Am communicating from the new home.  Am loving it.  Am super busy.  Am master job-hunter (oh and I'm an actual Master as well! Oxford has just informed me that this is so).
Some things:
1) I walked by the furniture store down the street from my new home today.  It is better than your furniture store.  And do you know why?  Because it has mattresses who think for themselves!  Sign in window reads: "MATTRESS'S" (ie, property of the MATTRESS).  That just kills me.   That is why I want to read that Truss lady's book.  I will tell you when I've done so.  Have any of you read it?  I'm also just about done re-reading Mr. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, which must explain the "that just kills me" comment.
2) Spiderman 2: I really enjoyed this flick!  I do find Tobey Maguire most appealing.  But that is not the sole reason I enjoyed the film.  I will talk about the other reasons next time I see you.
3) Was not on the computer on his birthday, so here's a birthday shout out for LJC, my splendid nephew who turned ten on the 16th day of July in the year 2004.  Can't believe it!  (If you all remember, TMB, my other splendid nephew, turned 15 on the 8th day of July--also unbelievable)--or "inconceivable!"  "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means."

- posted by Annie Bergen @ Monday, July 19, 2004

 
"Goodbye Oxfahd!" and "Chillin Stateside."
Been home a few days now.  Won't write much now as have been emailing for a bit now and am ready for the sleep.  Miss you all on the other side.  Look forward to seeing you all on this side.
Some updates (non-important):
1) films watched since last blog: Around the World in 80 Days (there was nothing else playing---it was pretty bad---the Wilson bros. were amusing), Anything Else and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (saw these on the plane.  everyone knows good old woody has seen betta days.  should like to see Annie Hall again. v.v. good; Diego Luna is interesting to look at, shall we say), and Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring (again.  and again I still don't see what all the mega-fuss is about---I mean books are one thing.  and I suppose it's one of those movies that just is a whole lot better on the big screen, but I just got sick of seeing Frodo's hand opening and closing and opening and closing and everyone just generally convulsing about the g****am ring!)
2) books completed: Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods (his first big hit.  I love Bill. He's great.  His best effort, in my opinion is Notes From a Small Island, which I've read twice--possibly because I so closely identify with it and all.  Neither Here nor There was good.  And I'm a Stranger Here Myself was too.  None of them were as good as Notes From a Small Island.  I still haven't read all of Mother Tongue nor have I finished Troublesome Words--but this isn't really a 'reading' book per se)
 
Tomorrow I will see Spiderman 2 for my nephew's birthday.  He is ten!  This I cannot believe.  And now I must sleep.  Perhaps I will write something more coherent and interesting tomorrow, or perhaps the day after that.  And when I do, perhaps it will not be coherent and perhaps it will not be interesting.
Good night.

- posted by Annie Bergen @ Thursday, July 15, 2004

 
The Princess Bride (the book) (1973), Mr. William Goldman
Well, you've all seen the film. I just re-watched it myself a few weeks ago, hence all the gratuitous quoting. But ah, the book. So wonderful. Go and read it if you haven't. Read it now.

Maybe more about this later, but I have to go ship some stuff to America and it's going to cost me more than my life.
- posted by Annie Bergen @ Monday, July 12, 2004

 
Fahrenheit 9/11, Dubyah, and "I Need Your Boogie"
You ever just stop and think, "hey, what the hell am I doing here?" or some similar such derivative such as "hey, what the hell is going on here?" Of course you have. Well this happened to me several times this evening.
Don't get me wrong, the company was great--my friends rock--it was more the circumstances, particular events, and emotional experiences of the evening that made me have to get to the kebab van quicker than usual tonight (chips, cheese, onion rings -with ketchup and bbq sauce for those who are curious, don't know me, or weren't around for my last blog where onion rings and ketchup were often discussed at length).

We'll start with Michael Moore. His work has always depressed me. But I do have to say that I think it's in a good way. I haven't read reviews and criticisms of Fahrenheit 9/11 (so I'm giving what might be seen as a fairly unresearched rebuttal), but I've heard the usual critiques of "he's too manipulative" and "he's got his own agenda," etc., etc. . . . well of course he does! And why shouldn't a man from Flint? Yes, Moore's work is manipulative and one-sided. But the deal is this: sometimes when a group has no voice at all, then that voice needs to be exaggerated to be heard at all and this is what Michael is doing for the people getting crapped on in America (and in the rest of the world for that matter).

I left America and came to England the first time Dubyah was elected and I'd like to say I'd do it again, but this time I'm going home and I'm sticking around for a bit, so America has to pull itself together. The whole Bush/Gore/Florida debacle killed me and a good part of the Democratic party too. It was just sort of like, "whah? errr...um, huh?" Gore's personal appearance after the tragedy was a good reflection of what I would say over half of America was feeling like in the aftermath of that election.
And I have to say, if Fahrenheit 9/11 can get Puppet Bush out of the theatre, then America might have a chance. But we will never get back all the people we've lost. And neither will Iraq or any others involved.

Michael Moore is an extremist. He does not present all sides fairly. But if he did, then who would care? Who would listen then? I watch documentaries critically and am well aware of Moore's "aggressive" documentary style, but SO IS HE. He never for a moment pretends that he's going to give both sides a chance and then sit them down for tea and a chat. In a nutshell, he's doing the talking for those who don't have the money to speak for themselves. The point is this: it's money that makes the world go round and if you haven't got it then you'll work for the people who have. If Moore's work can get people thinking and talking about this, then this is a good thing. There is some truth, in my opinion, to the "dumbing down of America" by what we're fed by our media. But this truth is made even sadder by the fact that it's the still hierarchical (and aristocratic) government --our leaders--who have fed us the more damaging of the dumbing-down material.
Come election time, we need a to elect a leader who can think for himself (first of all) and we need to work on educating America. As long as there is not enough time between now and the elections to gather a backlash, then I think Moore's effect will be good. And people need to be smart with their votes. You can "express yourself" and "make a statement" by voting for the Green party or whatever, but don't do it if it's going to put Bush back in the House! Be smart with your vote.

The Democratic convention will be in Boston when I get home---a playground and festival for the ruling class. They're telling people to just "stay home that week," and "don't go to work, take the kids to the beach." Because WE ALL HAVE THE LUXURY TO DO THAT, DON'T WE!" "Oh, it will bring money to the state." Nooooo, it will bring lobster to the politicians and 5-star hotels to their friends! Forget about the "Flint" people of metro-Boston. Who cares if they don't get paid if they can't get to work for a week because 'oops, Boston wasn't quite laid out for a national convention of this calibre.'

Sorry! The rant is done. For now. My blogging seldom gets this serious, but you have to understand how high my emotions are running at the moment with my imminent return State-side.

I think I'm ready for bed, so the "I need your boogie" explanation will have to be brief. That was some of the techno-crap (with "I need your boogie" being one of the oft-repeated lines) playing at BabyLove or LoveBaby or BarLove or whatever the Oxford club is called. (again, the company was great!) I just don't find that scene so appealing. And then when the only (there is, after all, usually just one) cute guy in the place leaves, well then it's just plain crap. And then it all gets as good as it's going to get when you're finally leaning in to tell your friends you gotta get out--and then SPIKE! Skinny b**ch hip-hops her stiletto right through your sneaker!

And then it's time for chips 'n cheese.

I'm going to go hang out with Bill Goldman a bit more before sleep, that always makes me feel better.
- posted by Annie Bergen @ Friday, July 09, 2004

 
Happy Birthday TB!
My nephew is FIFTEEN years old today! I can't believe it. Wow. And now it is time to watch the most excellent classic--When Harry Met Sally--with one most excellent friend--Row--yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!
- posted by Annie Bergen @ Thursday, July 08, 2004

 
Ahhhh justification . . .
"What no one can ever understand is that a writer is working when they’re
staring out of a window."

Spoken by U.S Critic and Journalist. Burton Rascoe - died 1957

(thanks Hamster!)

- posted by Annie Bergen @ Thursday, July 08, 2004