THE IRISHMAN

"I, then, since it is my fortune to be counted in the number of knights errant, cannot help but attack all things that seem to me to fall within the jurisdiction of my endeavours; and so, it was my rightful place to attack the lions which I now attacked, although I knew it was exceedingly reckless, because I know very well what valour means; it is a virtue that occupies a place between two wicked extremes, which are cowardice and temerity, but it is better for the valiant man to touch on and climb to the heights of temerity than to touch on and fall to the depths of cowardice; and just as it is easier for the prodigal to be generous than the miser, it is easier for the reckless man to become truly brave than for the coward; and in the matter of undertaking adventures, your grace may believe me, Senor Don Diego, it is better to lose with too many cards than too few, because 'This knight is reckless and daring' sounds better to the ear of those who hear it than 'This knight is timid and cowardly'"--Don Quixote

"When someone says 'I'm a little concerned,' that means he's very concerned.  When he says 'I'm more than a little concerned,' that means he's desperate"--The Irishman

Monday night I saw Martin Scorsese's The Irishman at the Kingsway.  It was overlong but pretty effective.

The Crown in its third season is still pretty effective too, but it's getting a bit bleak.  I'm not sure I'll be able to bear a fourth season set in the Thatcher era! (I must say that Tony Blair makes me appreciate Harold Wilson, who was at least trying to change things.)

I'm now reading Gail Natrass' history of South Africa for my History Meetup.  I think Jimmy Carter doesn't get enough credit for introducing human rights as a foreign policy concern for the American government in places like South Africa.  It was a watershed, and Reagan couldn't turn the clock back, though to his great discredit he tried to.

Moira borrowed the PBS documentary series The Civil War from the library, which we love.  But we only had ten days to see it, and it soon emerged that we wouldn't have time, for reasons I'd rather not go into.

In the game Elvenar I'm now at the stage of building dwarven granite mines!  

The other night I was so angry I couldn't sleep.