"We're to bring him all the muffins and bagels in the land."

[usuallyhats]

1) I've already mentioned this on Twitter, but apparently some Gloucestershire libraries have started to play background music. I'm trying to see the possible advantages of this, but failing. If you want to listen to music in the library, what's the chance that they're going to be playing music you actually want to hear? Given that it will probably have to be pretty anodyne so as not to offend anyone. And it will mean that anyone who wants to listen to their own music on their headphones will have to crank up the volume to drown out whatever's already playing. I admit I am biased because I really don't like listening to music while I'm reading, I only do it if I am on a train or something and needed to drown out other background noise (I am pretty sure that because of this the Master and Commander soundtrack is the most played thing on my notpod), but I do think this is a bad idea. I am disappointed in the county of my childhood. Luckily the library I used to visit is not included in this new scheme. *clings to Up Hatherley library and its loveliness*

2) Whilst I was on my travels on Saturday, I found the first season of The West Wing on video for £2 - I've been meaning to rent it for a while but since this was ACTUALLY cheap as chips I bought it instead. Four episodes in and I remember why I liked it, the characters are great, the dialogue is sparkling and the whole thing has a great pace and rhythm to it. I especially liked the way that, in the first episode, without you realising it until he actually appeared, it was all building up to first seeing the President. Goodness that was a clunky sentence. I also love that they're already skewering the walk 'n' talk thing in episode four, with the "I was following you."/"...I was following you!" bit, hee. Obligatory fashion note: v. late nineties, sadly, all shapeless jackets and such. But I remember that it gets better. (I have seen season 4 and most of season 3, I think, but then for convoluted reasons best summed up as "Channel 4 is staffed by MONKEYS" I went straight on to season 6 and got all annoyed because I didn't know what was going on.)

3) A scooter shop has opened near me, I went past it on my walk home last night and now I kind of want to buy one. I can't drive and am not safe to be let out on a bicycle, but zipping around on a scooter holds a certain appeal. Très chic! Though in reality it would be raining and I would be rubbish at it. Bah, reality is overrated, BRING ME A SCOOTER.

4) Listened to Broadcasting House on Sunday morning and David Starkey was going on again about how all these silly wimmin historians are ruining Proper History and how good it is that a new book of Man History by a Man Historian is coming out. No-one even questioned him, gah. Maybe I should email Feedback, though it's not on at the moment. In more positive Radio 4-ness, I really enjoyed listening to A Fine Defence of Enid Blyton on Sunday.

5) My arms are sore from gardening. This weekend I cut half the lawn (by hand, with shears, as neither of my lawnmowers work) and dug out loads of deep rooted weeds. Garden is still a mess but I am beginning to make a dent in it. The bit I can see from the window, anyway. It is very satisfying, but I have been slightly neurotic about being out there ever since a random massive dog ran in there a couple of times. (The owner chose to glare at me for the temerity of being in my own garden on a sunny day rather than try and summon his animal.) Since I am a bit scared of dogs* this was rather alarming. If it were truly my garden I would put a fence up at the back (there is a drop there at the moment), but it is the landlord's.

*I am only scared of loose dogs, I hasten to add. Dogs on leads, otherwise under their owners' control, or clearly minding their own business are fine, it's only ones that are rampaging about with their owners either nowhere in sight or uninterested in/incapable of controlling them that alarm me. I think this is quite reasonable. Dogs are big and strong and have sharp teeth whereas I am small and feeble, uterly wet and a weed, as they say.

Comments

[revolutionaren.livejournal.com]

The whole music in a library scheme is ridiculous. What about the people who go there to do actual work?


I'd love a scooter personally, but dramatically failed my Compulsory Basic Training... So that's been put on hold for now.

[usuallyhats]

Oh no! I nearly failed my cycling proficiency test when I was eleven, so I have a feeling I wouldn't do well at any sort of scooter training.

Exactly! Don't people go to libraries to have somewhere quiet to work?

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Yes I do - and while I prefer to work listening to music, I use headphones with my pocket radio and ensure the volume's down low enough that no one else can hear. It'd drive me to violence to have to listen to music being pumped into the library.

[usuallyhats]

Yeah - people who want to listen to music tend to want to listen to their own choice of music, not whatever's being pumped in that day!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Definitely!

[(Anonymous)]

Thing is, Bishop's Cleeve library (which featured on the front page of the echo!) is sort of the last place you'd want to go and work anyway. There are no desks, only a bank of computers and some armchairs... That said, people might want to read in peace, which I think is fair enough in a library!!

And I definitely think you should get a scooter! A pink one like this: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/24/60561847_3c03d75176.jpg or this: http://scrappingal.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/pink-vespa.jpg

See you Saturday - will text about plans...

Jess xx

[usuallyhats]

Oh, the Echo's going to have a field day, isn't it?

Pink scooters! :D

I shall switch my phone on... See you soon!