What I'm Watching
Saw the cheerfully anachronistic medieval sports movie A Knight's Tale. Fairly good: has some nicely cheeky touches like adding Geoffrey Chaucer as a fast-talking gambler, and a lot of earthy humour. Could have been better though: it's about half an hour too long; and the heroine's too unappealing for the romance to really work. She's astonishingly attractive for the first ninety seconds, but then she opens her mouth and a lugubrious monotone starts draining away the appeal.

Not bad entertainment overall though.

Reading
Having another crack at the audiobook of Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders by John Mortimer, Kind of a prequel to the other Rumpole books, with the older Rumpole writing his memoirs on the case that shaped his career: throughout the other books he refers to the Penge Bungalow Murders as his great triumph.

Changes the format a bit from the other books, which are basically linked short-story collections: this is a short but full novel. Also the younger, up-and-coming Rumpole doesn't have quite as much underdog appeal as the rumpled old hack. Still has an interesting depiction of life in the 1950s, though the mystery is pretty slow unfolding.

Watching and Listening
Went to see modern opera The Assassin Tree at the Royal Opera House; new opera based on a story from Frazer's "The Golden Bough. Opera's not usually my cup of tea, but I'm trying something at the moment which I'll possibly end up calling Operation Get Out More.

So, not being used to opera in person, found the quality of the voices interesting. One of the things that puts me off is that they usually seem to me to aim for a very pure tone which doesn't really allow for much emotion: the hoarsest croak of late Billie Holiday seems to carry a freightload more feeling. When you're in the same room though, the expression seems to work a lot better, so along with the professional power and range it's pretty damn impressive.

In terms of the opera itself though, I just don't have the knowledge to judge it properly; but didn't really enjoy it after the novelty wore off. Could get the general gist of what was going on, but found the actual words hard to follow. Was mystified by most of the symbolism: assumed that if you were properly encultured and had read "The Golden Bough" it would all fall into place: but I went with an English Lit grad who's read it, and who professed to be equally baffled.

Also even though it was only an hour long, found the unrelieved portentousness hard to take. Even with a Shakespearean tragedy you expect things to lighten up occasionally, if only to make the gloom even more depressing when you plunge back into it: this had nothing but angst. Maybe that's an opera thing.

So opera in general: thumbs up. This one in particular: thumbs down.

Operation Don't Get Fatter
Down a pound to a reasonable 11st 7. Pretty pleased since on Friday not only fell off the wagon but bounced halfway down the street: toast and ham for breakfast; bacon and sausage roll for brunch; cheese and ham sandwich for lunch; three course meal of steak tartare, mussels, chips and half my companion's main course for supper; followed by Belgian waffle with ice cream and normal cream for dessert. Plus beer.

Operation Get Political
So, the vote was overwhelming for me to join the Monster Raving Loony party as well as the big three, and who am I to stand in the way of democracy. There's no online signup but will send off the form when I get to a printer.

What I need from you are suggestions for my Loony Name and Shadow Ministry. "Theophile Escargot" is a bit dull on its own. Theophile The Gibbering Snail Escargot would be more the right length. Only something good would be preferred.

Relieved not to have to join UKIP. Had mixed feelings on Respect: not a big fan of George Galloway; but after the Trot entryism of the 1980s, I quite like the idea of a Moderate Tendency infiltrating their party to steer them towards a sensible combination of social justice with economic stability.

Web
Stolen from B3ta: How to drink like a Russian

Pictures: Little People in London.