How Now Christian Metz?
or: Giant Leaps Forward in Film Theory: “Similarly, running around a structure buried deep beneath Antarctica (it’s colder underground) without a hat for an extended period of time is ridiculous. And fighting an a[…]

Breakfast with the snoots — the Pacific Whey Cafe and Baking Company knows its audience and knows its locale. That’s the well-off and then some crew that lurks not merely in Newport Beach in my neck of the woods, but Corona del Mar and th[…]

My August albums — there are three records that I listen to only at one particular time per year, and that’s an LA summer, smack dab in August. I didn’t get any of them in August to my knowledge, I don’t even think I first hea[…]

It’s not the Space Needle, so what EEES it, man? — the BT Telecom Tower has always tripped me out a little whenever I’ve seen it around London. I’ll turn a corner or the taxi I’m in will change a lane or something and t[…]

Atrocity Exhibition as Primetime Drama: Actual Real Surgery on TV pt whatever [warning: long post]
The J. G. Ballard interview that I quote a bit of below took place in 1982, and a lot of the rest of it (unquoted) feels a bit dated now, even naive &[…]

Gah
As I may have mentioned before, I’m less than pleased at Morrison’s takeover of Safeway. This is not to praise the latter chain, it was a mediocre supermarket at best, and horrifically overpriced; and this is also not to say that I&#8[…]

“These Greek vases are classic – in every sense!”
A colleague lured me to the boozer so I missed the Real Actual Opening Fandango but arrived home in time to see the parade get going – British Virgin Islands and their only com[…]

In praise of Apollo Heights — who I’ll be sorta surprised if anyone reading this has heard of, but no matter, that’s why I’m posting it! This week I’ve been indulging in the past four (well, three and a half) albums by […]

RIP Julia Child — I’m not too sure what her reputation outside of America was in the food world, so if others could chime in, but in it, she was hands down the queen when it came to famous chefs. Like many my age, I think I first learned[…]

The Best Pub in London
C’mon, you know I’m right. Say the Mission are playing the Astoria, you’re dressed in black, wearing pointed boots and your arms are jangling with bangles. Need a pre-gig pint of Snakebite and black? Welcome.[…]