More Plastique

It's been one of those work-hard/play-hard type of weeks, well, work-hard anyway... but I'm pleased that we've held the first meeting of the Ministerial Home Access Taskforce that was reported by the BBC (not entirely accurately) back in January so that's a good thing. You wouldn't really expect me to pass on details here would you? Suffice to say the meeting went well and now it's full steam ahead.

Flashbacks The Shop

It was very odd this evening, going shopping for some treats for myself from the giant HMV on Oxford Street (more of that later) and not being able to pop down Poland Street to Silver Place and the refuge of Flashbacks to show off my wares and acquisitions. It's odd in a way, since I've seen the shop slowly disintegrate over recent weeks as it moved into an office but this evening sort of brought it home to me. I've been going there for years and it's not there anymore. Goodbye Flashbacks, ye olde shoppe, and welcome Flashbacks the online space.

Vietnamese Food

I've eaten food from all over the world, often in the country of origin, but I've never had Vietnamese food. Until last night. And I'm not sure about it. I've only been in the one Vietnamese restaurant so it might just have been the chef there, but I thought it was largely bland. Filling, but bland. They liked using ginger but that's the only spice I noticed. I will have to try it again in a different restaurant and, luckliy, there are loads in Old Street!

Pan's Labyrinth

'Pan's Labyrinth' seems to have been around for ages, winning awards all over the place, but not a film I knew much about other than it was set at the end of the Spanish civil war and had a fantasy element. I didn't know what to expect and I'm still not sure about my reaction to the film.

It was gorgeously filmed with some powerful characters and a complex and symbolic plot. Mercedes, the young housekeeper, was your archetypal submissive woman with a backbone of steel and claws to match when roused. Tha Captain (who doesn't seem to have a first name) is the classic unthinking and almost puritanical sadist who is only concerned with winning and with carrying on the family name. Ofelia is the heroine of the film who explores the labyrinth and becomes a fairytale princess in the end (there are other views of the end but I prefer this version).

There are some harrowing scenes of cruel murders of wounded men and torture and Mercedes using her claw. I had to look away several times. I'm a wimp, sue me. The fascists lose, at least for a time in that small corner of Spain. And the Captain's baby son will never know his father's name.

I'm sure that different people take away different things from the film, and it's right and proper that they do so. I take hope. I take hope that the world can be better than it is. That it is worth believing in things. That it's ok to be different.

Ofelia is a princess and becomes a beloved queen, loved by her subjects, and she rules for many centuries. She does, y'know.

Seth Lakeman

I don't know much about Seth Lakeman but he's come up several times in discussions about folk music recently (he's the saviour of nu-folk) so I thought I'd try out his latest CD when I saw it on sale in HMV. I'm pleased I did. It's a good selection of songs, he has a good voice and sound and he neatly avoids most of the stereotypes around folk music. His voice reminded me of Marc Bolan in a couple of songs, the pre-glam folk-roots Marc of the early records.

I need to explore Seth a bit more (I think he has another CD available) before I make up my mind, but I like what I hear so far.

Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff seems to be one of those lost heroes, overtaken by time and people more famous than him. But I *like* Jimmy Cliff. He was one of those late '60s/early '70s reggae singers that actually had hits, when the music was full of sun or full of message or both. There's something about that early '70s reaggae sound that is happy. It darkened in the mid to late '70s for many reasons, but I remember the sun.

Jimmy Cliff not only made some great records, but he wrote and produced them as well. I've had a great collection of his songs for years but I've wanted more for a while so I picked up another collection this evening that really shows his versatility and how ground-breaking he was.

Some songs will go down in history - 'The Harder They Come', 'Vietnam', 'You Can Get It If You Really Want It', 'Many Rivers To Cross' and 'Wonderful World, Beautiful People'. He was a musical pioneer and a half.