Jon McGregor interview

I belong to a book circle and we've just been reading Even the Dogs. A remarkable book.Technically it reminds me of The Waves. The subject matter is more Irvine Welsh. If Virginia Woolf had written Trainspotting (an interesting thought!) it might have been something like this.

Here's an interview with the author:


http://theexcerpt.com/2010/03/even-the-dogs-an-interview-with-jon-mcgregor/

Never in the field of parental endeavour.......

Sometimes being a parent feels like one prolongated combat zone.

Meal times. Bed times. Playtime. You name it. It's one constant struggle for power.

Just been to see Kai's teacher about Junior's difficulties with learning to read among other things and I felt like the British people being adressed by Winston Churchill. I have nothing to offer you but blood, sweat and tears.

And soon it's summer holidays: We will fight them on the beaches. We will fight them in Gröna Lund. We will fight them in MacDonalds.

You will be pleased to hear that Ulrika is made of sterner stuff than me when it comes to negotiating with the Axis of Infants.

Whereas I am prepared to offer a few ice creams or a slice of Sudetenland to ensure Peace in our Time, she is busy digging air raid shelters and training the Homeguard. I guess I need to join the Dads Army!

Never surrender!

Sounds ....and silence

A beautiful summer evening yesterday. We were over at Kai's pal Victor's for a BBQ supper. The soundtrack was provided by his dad, Per, strumming his geetar and the 15 CD collection of Beatles covers that I brought. Reggae, rumba and Brazil Beatles. And then the weird stuff!

Their street is a cul-de-sac and after supper was crowded with kids with bikes, scooters and water pistols dashing around. Just like streets used to be. Lots of carefree kids.No cars. Kai found a zarzuela and launched into some honky atonal free jazz. Nice!

Strangely quiet here this morning. Kai and Victor decided that Kai should have (his first ever Stockholm) sleepover. A peculiar feeling to wake and find that there is not a small boy who has crept into our bed during the night and is now taking up a large part of it.

Ildo Lobo

Amilza, one of Zoe's nursery ladies who is from Cap Verde, suddenly presented me a with CD by Ildo Lobo yesterday. (People often give me music in this way for some reason.) I'd never heard of him - a big oversight!.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjwV-aeaMBM

He died tragically at the age of 51 and during his early life he worked in the CV salt mines on the island of Sal.Later on, he never gave up his job as a customs officer at the airport despite his success as a singer. A real discovery! What a voice!

Three Robbers

Hats off to the Swedish distribution company, Folkets Bio, who make many cinematic gems available that otherwise would probably not reach a wider audience. Today Kai's been enjoying a German animated film, The Three Robbers. Atmospheric visuals and a sound track with more than a smidgeon of Tom Waits. Lots of fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL0QQV0kOXI

Tunnel Vision?

I forced Kai to watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5aeeSmkPwQ


Teach the young hooligan a little European history.

No silly haircuts! No glass cubes!No explosions! No ethnic dancers.

And yes, that's an orchestra playing!

He wouldn't know an orchestra if it bit him!

Disgruntled of Kärrtorp

White Russian or Wrong Russian?

A catchy pop song is a very dangerous thing!

Kai is in ESC XTC and currently going round the flat howling "I love Belarusse - Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!". He has no idea where Belarusse is but the harridan in the micro dress who looks like she eats small boys for breakfast clearly did it for him.

That and the flames! That boy is a total sucker for pyrotechnics!

Sounds of Sundsvall

No trip to Sundsvall would be complete without a visit to the wonderful Harvest Records. I popped in this afternoon and bought the Joni Shadows and Light concert DVD.Ms Mitchell with a backing band to die for featuring Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius.

A great favourite of my old pal Alastair who once spent a year working here for the Watson Empire. The proprietor of the shop was a bit shocked to see me. A customer!! Not every month he sees one of those! The poor man was in a state of shock! When I offered him money to buy something he didn't really know what to do.

Euromissionaries

Portugal's ESC entry is absolutely guaranteed to get nul points. An agit-prop song about Portuguese politics in the 1970s. Sure to get lots of votes from the kids, eh? Such a truly hopeless case that I can't help rather liking it!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDN53Rqh54

No Y fronts for Darth!

No undies in space shock!

SVT showed Carrie Fisher's hilarious Wishful Drinking show on Saturday evening followed by Postcards from the Abyssbased on ger novel.

She told a wonderful story about how George Lucas refused to let her wear a bra when filming Star Wars. According to the great man there is no underwear in space!

http://geektwins.blogspot.com/2010/08/why-princess-leia-went-commando-in-star.html

The fact that there are no Y fronts in space must a matter of great relief to the laundry workers in the Death Star! Returning Lord Vader's whites in a less than pristine condition would be no joke!

It's a bit gob-smacking just how big Star Wars still is. Kai has got SW jim jams, a wii game and a boxset of the new animated series which I must admit is very good.

Ms Fisher was very amusing on what it was like to become an international galactic icon.

Blue Monday in Sundsvall

A beautiful, deep blue summer evening here in Sundsvall but the only sign of human life is a man taking his dog for a walk. There must be times when this marvelous square is throbbing with life, but when I'm here it's always like Dawn of the Dead.

Watson has booked me into the bridal suite of an extraordinary hotel that looks like an Italian palazzo. Rumour has it that a local bigwig once rode a horse up the main staircase.