So much happening!!!!!

Life becomes pretty uneventful when you're doing nothing.

I finished "Gods and Monsters" last Thursday. Great read. Very interesting too to see the progress of a journalist from Left-wing activist to celebrity profiler. Even in Biskind's latter pieces though his true leanings come through. What really intrigued me though was the sheer pettiness of it all. I have read again and again of the decadence in Hollywood, not least in Biskind's other books, but his pieces on Charles Feldman, Don Simpson and Sue Mengers really put it all into perspective. We are dealing with truly limited individuals dictating the most widely seen visual product in the world, people with blinkered notions of success and value powering one of the most powerful propaganda machines the world has ever seen. No wonder we're all in such shit. Loved the book though.

One for the coincidences though; Thursday morning I read about Charles Feldman, uber-agent and producer, and the piece featured an anecdote about Kirk Douglas's movie, "Champion". Two hours later I turned on Channel 4 and there was the movie.

Given the self-generated obstacles Hollywood faces, it was good to see a movie like "Little Miss Sunshine". Yes, it lets the sentimentality seep in, but it features characters we recognise and genuinely care about, and it is frequently funny, even if the dead body in the back of the car has been done to death. The climactic dance number is the best since "Napoleon Dynamite". And it's always great to see Alan Arkin in action.

That was Monday. Tuesday I saw "The Night Listener". Basically an anecdote, there is very little to it, outside of Armistead Maupin telling the world what a lovely gay man he is. To its credit, for a movie that isn't a horror, thriller or anything but a very short story, it has one or two well realised moments. Still you have to wonder why.

More on the coincidence front; two movies in two days, both featuring Toni Colette in the lead female role and both featuring a gay man buying heterosexual porn. What the hell kind of cinema am I viewing anyway.

Then there was the surprise Ireland soccer draw (I almost said win) on Wednesday. Shame it wasn't a win, but far better than anyone could have hoped for after last Saturday's disaster against Cyprus.

Congratulations to Gordon and Sinead, by the way, on the birth of Ian on Tuesday 10th!

Friday was a big birthday party for Jules. Lots of drink had obviously. We even went to Spirit. Still didn't get anywhere with that student nurse (she looked liked Sylvia Sidney). Instead it was snack boxes in Supermac's and the last time I drink coke (I don't drink it usually, but it came with the meal). It's strange, but after large quantities of lager, a sugary drink makes my body go into cramps. Strange, but true. Lactic acid, I suspect.

And true to Irish form, not only has the Taoiseach got out of his scandal, his rating in the polls has gone up. Go figure!

On my way to a gig now in Pravda. Catch you later, Bill and Ted.