What a dumbass

So I stumbled out of bed this morning in my usual stupor, spent the requisite 10 minutes dressing and collecting my lunch, walked to the train station, caught the unusually full train, got to work, walked into the atrium dazedly noticing the lights were off in my quad, looked at my wristwatch and discovered it was 8:25, not 9:25.

I could still be in bed. What can you say?

Well fuck, seems to cover it.

I obviously accidentally set my clock forward an hour when I changed the alarm time last night. [bangs head on desk]

Gakked from daegaer - oops, I saw the FNORD

Human Virus Scanner
The virus that have infected you will be show here along with thier cures, if known.

Viruses you suffer from:

Junkfood
Eat some real food. Something which you can identify the source of every ingredient, not the point of manufacture.
Sci-fi
Stop wearing the stick-on ears.
Goth
Grow up. Let your roots grow out. Listen to Britney.
BBCB
CTRL-Break, and get a real computer. Repeat: "Mode 7 was not a good thing."
British
No need for cure. Benign virus.
Industrial
Everyone likes folk. No, really. Maybe you should listen to the Incredible String Band.
Windows
Try MacOS X. It's based on UNIX, it has a smoother UI than Windows and it doesn't suck.
As an extra feature the boxes look nice.
Politics
Stop caring!
Brand Names
Having a well-known name doesn't make it good.
Conspiracy Theory
Face it, the elected government is in control. Actually that's quite scary.
Environmentalism
Consume more stuff! It's easier to buy new stuff than to recycle.

Viruses you might suffer from:

Pokemon (80%)
Pikachu! Use your hyper-electric-get-a-life move now!
USA (90%)
Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves! [repeat]
Religion (80%)
Read "God's Debris" by Scott Adams (yes, the Dilbert guy)
Discordia (90%)
Buy a suit. Invest your money. Eat hotdog buns on a friday.
Computer Games (80%)
Stop staring at the screen and get some fresh air. You should see a doctor about the RSI in your thumbs.
Hippyism (78%)
Free love is passe and potentially dangerous, and patchouli smells like cat piss.
Macintosh (80%)
Use a mouse with more than one button.
Prog Rock (60%)
Long hair looks dumb with a bald spot. Listen to CD's they don't crackle.
Southampton (69%)
Move to the Isle of Wight.

If the Jackboot fits...

Fuck, but America is getting scary.

The "Department of Homeland Security"? Anyone else hearing the strains of Deutschland Uber Alles here?

And this new Operations TIPS (Terrorism Information and Prevention System)?

The Washington Post reports the only public information about the program, in fact, is on a government Web site, which describes it as "a nationwide program giving millions of American truckers, letter carriers, train conductors, ship captains, utility employees, and others a formal way to report suspicious terrorist activity." Yep, Your mail carrier, your meter reader, the cable guy - all possible government informants.

And once targeted as a possible suspect, Government agents now have what amounts to unlimited warrant to spy on people, their family and associates, search their property and investigate them with the right to prosecute anyone (such as a local library) who informs them of the investigation. They can also arrest and detain anyone "suspected" of terrorist activities and hold them indefinitely, without charge and without an Attorney.

So much for the American Constitution.

You can sign up yourself up for the new Amercian Stasi at President Bush's Citizen Corps, who now have an official affiliation with the National Security Council.

The backlash has started already - you can inform on informants here Operation TIPS-TIPS: Report TIPS informants and it's suggested you mark their property with an appropriate Illuminati sign:

And just to scare the bejeezus out of you, here's what Herman Goering said at his war crimes trial, explaining how easily he and his fellow Nazis hijacked Germany's democratic government:

"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

And this is what John Ashcroft said, defending the Patriot Act:

"To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: 'Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve.'"

You can read the full article here.

George Orwell is spinning in his grave.

Opera review

Pagliacci
Royal Opera House, 20th July

Apparently The Times's music critic proclaimed this production to be 'vulgar', thought the performance nondescript and gave it 2 out of 5 stars. I entirely disagree with that review.

Set in 1970's-80's Naples, in one of the grimy crowded streets, the stage was split into two levels, with a ramp leading between them. The costumes reflected that era, ranging from conservative floral print dresses on the matrons and dowdy girls, to more upbeat fashionable and street clothes for the up-to-date girls to outright trashy for a couple of hookers. The men's were similar, with a lot of slick suits, leather clad bikers, some sailors and a couple of policemen.

The staging was a spectacle; the big entrance of the troupe being accompanied by acrobats, stiltwalkers, a real live donkey, a fire-breather and clowns juggling flaming brands - all a big hit with the audience. Unfortunately I was well up to the right of the stage so during the second act completely missed seeing the Commedia dell' Arte performance on the stage constructed on the stage itself.

The chorus was good, if a bit fuzzy around the edges in a couple of places, but the leads were all excellent. It was wonderful to hear Plácido Domingo in person for the first (and as he is giving up singing for conducting, probably only) time, and if Domingo's voice isn't as powerful as once it was (he is in his sixties!), he more than made up for it in technique, emotion and sheer beauty. His rendition of Canio's solo, Vesti la giubba was, not unexpectedly, the show-stealer. His Canio was charming clown and insensitive husband, heartbroken victim and enraged cuckold, all without losing integrity as the same person. In the end, although there is an inevitability to his actions, you cannot help seeing him as a human being, and not just as a stereotype such as the Commedia dell' Arte's Pagliacci.

Which is not to say Gheorghiu and Hvorostovsky, both top stars themselves, were overshadowed. I've heard Dmitri Hvorostovsky sing live before and am quite enamoured of both his voice and stage presence - although he isn't the sprightly young lover The Guardian would have prefered, he has a seriousness and sensuality that portrayed the role of Silvio quite believably. Angela Gheorghiu was also wonderful - her voice is even more lovely live than it is on CD and her Needa had a wild freedom and pathos to her that touched you - you wanted her to leave Canio and be happy with Silvio. I would love to see her playing Carmen.

In toto, an incredible experience, and one that sadly is unlikely to be repeated.