h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think I might write a bit about 'Downton Abbey' here next, my favourite drama series. Series 2 just started.

I'm half way through watching it on ITV player. It had viewing figures of 9 million on Sunday night which is nearly unheard of in this day and age with so many media options.

I don't think anyone but me watches it on h2g2 though.

This one of the things I love about Britain that it can make stuff like this. This kind of drama that appeals so much to the emotions. The female characters are the strongest. Lots of stuff to do with relationships and twists and turns. Very strong cast..especially Maggie Smith.

The first series was set just before WW1 and now WW1 is happening. It revolves around a giant aristocratic house in the country and its about the aristocracy and the servants. But they all seem to have similar problems with their emotional lives..

But now the upstairs women are wanting to do jobs like nursing, driving etc for the war effort..and having to confront their privilege. And the downstairs people are thinking more ambitiously about their possible future..well the women. The men are having to confront whether to sign up or not for the front.

It's so excellent IMO..not stuffily sophisticated..but popularist..but it has a clever sense of slight parody about it..and lots of humour.

Oh and it just won 4 Emmys at the awards in L.A.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/sep/19/downton-abbey-emmys-kate-winslet

Oh god I just saw it clashed with the first of the last series of Spooks..which only got 4 million..I'll be on that later for sure on iPlayer..These 'players' are excellent

I was going to post something else but I came across this simply amazing version of Bach's Toccata and Fugue (in d minor) for the organ, at Sydney Town Hall.

It's filmed so superbly. Close ups of the organist, surrounded by the knob things that are occasionally pulled out, and the way the hands and feet are co-ordinated for playing, and sometimes just hands, and sometimes just feet.

Also the way the actual organ pipes are filmed, and what a spectacle they are. The architecture of all the vast array of sizes. The main filming is panning upwards over them.

What an instrument the big organ is..and way it will fill a large space with this incredible music. And to think Sydney Town Hall would have this gigantic instrument. And Sydney is one of my favourite cities in the world.

This is just so wonderful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FXoyr_FyFw

I realised one of the reasons I like Bach so much..as well as its amazing complexity made out of simplicity..is its intense optimism. I reckon its been really good for me to listen to a lot lately.

I'm going to carry on.

This thread feels so much more of a pleasure than the 'let rip thread' but I had to do that to get to this. And then I got to the 'Unhappiness' thread . But I think seeing that fox turned the corner for me.

Thank god I'll always have Art.

As Tracey Emin said in that interview. Without it I wouldn't be here.

In the face of so much bile I've seen directed here, (one particular post was simply incredible for its ignorant prejudice), against travellers/Irish gypsies, I thought it good to refer to the poem of Mathew Arnold, The Scholar Gypsy. Its a very long poem and tells the story of a poor Oxford student who leaves his studies and joins the gypsies.

They take to him and he learns many things. Until eventually he is recognised by two former fellow students. Wiki puts it quite well.

'..and recognised by two of his former Oxford associates, who learned from him that the gipsies "had a traditional kind of learning among them, and could do wonders by the power of imagination, their fancy binding that of others." When he had learned everything that the gipsies could teach him, he said, he would leave them and give an account of these secrets to the world.'

It isn't the greatest poem in the world for me..but that's because I have very high standards..but it certainly isn't half bad..and is in the tradition of English poetry that is Romantic about the English countryside..and the old ways of people living in it.

http://www.oxquarry.co.uk/arnold9.htm

(It just seemed appropriate to refer to it because of some of the stuff I have read here..actually I think I'll unsub from that thread.)

Oh forgot the Wiki reference to the above quote.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scholar_Gipsy

I defo prefer Denton Abbey to Spooks. In Denton Abbey the strongest characters are the women..and I care about nearly all of the characters.

In Spooks men are the main characters..and I only care about two characters.

After the hurtful thing said to me earlier by a certain engineer here known for his less than pleasant mode of interaction concerning his hopes of the way I might die, I thought to post something to do with death..but then I thought no..much better to post something to do with my real *life*.

So I'm posting a link to one of my closest friend's website. A woman artist from the Basque region of France. A sound artist who has done all kinds of work to do with radical and left wing issues..and spent sometime in South Africa working with people to do with music.

Not sure entirely what she did..but it was to do with their own music and putting on performances in various places.

Also she composes music for films.

This is her website.

http://www.isasuarez.com/

I've decided that Bach St. John's Passion I linked to earlier is my all time favourite YouTube film with the incredible visual quality of his original hand of the manuscript with the amazing music..but suddenly it keeps suddenly jamming in two places.

How do these things happen?

But I won't let it stop me keep watching it and listening to it...I'll never get bored with it.

Actually after today I'm posting this.

Johnny Ringo versus Doc Holliday, from 'Tombstone'

A better version used to be available.

I of course will identify with Doc Holliday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGpajGj07BU

You're done for Johnny Ringo...okay I'm allowed to be a bit emotional on this thread.

That was a bit of relief letting off steam. It'll be back to normal now.

From film, Battle of Britain, climax.

superb flying sequences...I think music is William Walton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43zVRey2XEs&feature=related

that really is so brilliant.

I'm going to post a bit more here that's to do with still quite traumatic state to do with what was said to me the other day..ie that incredible vicious horrible thing.

Can't think at presnt. Obviously the Battle of Britain film piece was.

I hope it helps me..nothing much else is. I am haunted by those words in my mind.

(Actually no kuzachi has been really good in talking to me..I want to really give him credit for that)