The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

I was hoping that the Precincts would stage another, successful rebellion. Now I'm hoping they do that later in the series, and overthrow Donald Sutherland. He's had a bipolar acting career, the first half playing the maverick screwball good-guy, then the casting people discovering a sinister side as he's aged and now he's cornered the bad-guy market, along with some others in a small cartel.

Ben Kingsley's another. Started out as Ghandi. Now he's ditched the flip-flops, peace and love and properly gone over to the dark side.

United away

Watching the Reading game again, and the number of times we gave the ball away, there's little hope of a result at United tomorrow. At least the kick off is early so it'll all be out of the way by three o'clock.

Ferguson has decided to have his say about Chelsea and Clattenburg. I'm surprised his press conferences don't include statements about the Bank of England interest rate, the Chinese economy, the best way to cook pork belly and a rescue package for failing schools and hospitals.

Embarrassingly, and he's becoming increasingly embarrassing, Wenger's decided to open his mouth as well, possibly trying to deflect focus away from the failings that are again surfacing.

Thatcher's cabinet...

...seems to have included at least one senior figure involved in serious and hideous child abuse. Despite their outpourings (Clarke's diaries, Major's memoirs, Lawson's Lifestory, Heseltine's History, wasn't Archer and Currie in there somewhere, too?) there's nothing yet in print suggesting that any have had the honesty or guts to report what was going on. Looking at the rogue's gallery that they present, it's difficult to try to pick out the ante-post favourite.

For all I know the right Google already reveals all.

Cursed Mountain

I very seldom play computer games. I don't know why, because when I do I get fully involved and stop worrying about everything while I'm playing them. No-LPL and I got caught in a hail shower and ducked into one of those Replay shops full of second hand (second user they call it) stuff, including Wii games.

I now know who to climb mountains and fight ghosts with an enchanted ice-pick. All in a day.

The Garden of Evening Mists

The Guardian review described this as a bland but informative Booker shortlist novel. I'm towards halfway and while it isn't the fastest-paced book I've picked up, 'bland' is very harsh, and informative often equals interesting.