At Home I'm A Tourist

Spent much of the weekend in a fearsomely bad mood, yelling at everyone. Better now. Probably.

Five random things:

1. Currently addicted to the absolutely splendid thing that is Radio Paradise, a US internet radio station, ad-free, with the most wonderfully eclectic style. They play everything, in a seamless mix which is just incredibly interesting and quirky. Every so often I have to leap and go check the singer/the song.

2. Song on replay One of those was someone I clearly overlooked in their heyday - the band James, playing Laid which also comes with a ...very strange (in a funny way) cross-dressed video. I defy you not to sing along. Or dance in a mid-90s way.

'this bed is on FIRE la lalalala la'

3. Joolery

I made this necklace yesterday - oxidised silver, jasper and cultured pearl. The pendant is by a local silversmith. Beads by me.


I now have a grand urge to make some more, but to do that I need to go and score buy some rocks. I rather fancy going on a precious metal clay course so I can make my own silver charms and then it's my Etsy shop and world domination.

Er. Yes.

4. Books Have been reading next to nothing recently, but I loved Sunshine, which is - wait for it - about a girl and a vampire. And a bakery. The Amazon summary is deeply inaccurate but the first review is a good summary of my reaction.

While it's not perfect (first 15 or so pages are execrable), the core story of Sunshine and the vampire is beautifully done and the description of magical practice is second to none. It's all set in an alternate-reality present day, where Dark creatures are everywhere. This has been out for a while so I dare say you all know it already, but at its best it gives a hint of what Twilight could have been. What I love, compared to Twilight, is that Sunshine can hardly describe the vampire, who is dark and formless and extremely frightening. He does not sparkle at all. Ever.

5.From the Department of I Don't Know Where to Start With This One, Exactly: In today's Guardian, Germaine Greer has an entire article devoted to criticising randomly bitching about Michelle Obama's dress sense.

You are welcome to send in your own suggestions for alternative critiques by persons well out of their zone of expertise. Gordon Brown on indie rock, perhaps.