"I want to do nothing"

Not me, other people say that. I've never understood it. People wanting to quit their jobs to do "nothing".

When I ask, people will often say "I can spend my time doing what I want to do."

So what do you want to do?

"Travel."

Where?

"Everywhere."

And then?

It's a personal thing of course, but I can't imagine living without producing. I have to learn every day, and apply my new knowledge the next. I have to be building something I can point to.

Sure: reading, travelling, absorbing, it's all part of that process. But it's not an end in itself.

Then of course there are those who just want to sit on a beach all day. Can you imagine that conversation?

So, what did u do today?

"I sat on the beach."

Oh right, same as last week yeah?

"Yeah."

And how is it working out for you?

"Pretty good. There was a beach. And I sat. Good times."

Marital Lost in Translation

So it turns out that to say something is on sale, or in a special deal, most of Italy does not use the term "in azione".

Husband has spent years chortling every time I use this expression. I now find out he had never heard it.

Is it a Ticinese thing? Like Classeur, and Natel?

Of course, he also laughs when I use the word "cencio" for rag, and that IS proper Italian.

Our Country of Children

All the talk on the morning news was about government ideas about powers to shut down social media during our next round of riots. Or, I suppose, whenever they feel it necessary.

I'm going to go ahead and assume this is a "much ado about nothing" situation, even though both television and radio news were talking of little else. Just because I can't imagine this is at all a serious consideration, but rather some press making a big deal out of Cameron's throwaway comments. I hope...?

In any case that fact that anybody in government even considered the option of shutting down social media (or any form of media) during emergencies is a clear sign that these people have little or no understanding of, well, virtually anything. I mean, they might have wonderful stamp collections, or grow magnificent aubergines, but they know little about why and how people communicate.

You don't have to like Twitter to accept that other people DO like it, and use it. For me it worked wonders during the riots breaking news about areas that were starting to look dangerous, what was happening where, and most important of all: in organising the riot clean up.

Or as I would have said when I was in high school: "Duh!"

Or, once again, Westminster looks out of its windows and sees not a nation of citizens, but a playground of children, who must be treated and dealt with accordingly.

Giving artists the exposure they deserve

I bring to you the rhymes of one Bob Gebhardt, find him on twitter, if you dare:

Poor old dictator Qadaffi,
His big family’s now cut in half, he
Can’t find Seif
Or even his wife…
She left with his pet duck named Daffy.

"you're going to embarrass your mother"

The London Riots (so-called, also known as London shopping free for all) have had me thinking about Bill Cosby's "Pound Cake" speech.

I wanted a piece of pound cake just as bad as anybody else. And I looked at it and I had no money. And something called parenting said if get caught with it you're going to embarrass your mother. Not you're going to get your butt kicked. No. You're going to embarrass your mother. You're going to embarrass your family.

But the book stores are fine?

Lucky escape. The so-called London rioters must have just been on their way to raid the shelves of the nearest Waterstone's when the police stormed in. Don't you think so?

Like Senior Year, Only Funner

Because too much high art can be a bad thing, I tempered last week's ROH Swan Lake with this week's Savoy Theatre Legally Blonde - the musical.

Which was better?

It's a toss up.

The opening number is called "Oh my God, you guys!" which, let's face it: is funny.

The musical flows very well, with a good script, it's a pick-me-up-with-real-dogs-on-stage-knee-slapping-laugh-out-louder. I mean hey: Legally Blonde, with a Greek chorus? Brilliant.

The winning number - one of the best musical numbers I have seen in a long time: Is he gay or European.