My flat-mates.

My two pussies - whom I love to bits.

Film 'Religulous' - what a hoot!

I was aware of the many criticisms of this film before finally catching up with it yesterday - "cheap pot-shots at easy targets"; "puerile subtitling of interviewees' unintentional mistakes"; "mischievous and misleading editing": "not as incisive as Michael Moore's best work" etc etc. - but, hell, I really enjoyed it - a lot! Even though Bill Maher isn't anywhere near as well-known in the U.K. as he is in the States and I only vaguely knew the name myself, I soon warmed to his sharply direct way of questioning and his evident prior research into the subject of religion, both generally and in particular. It was virtually always a case of "give the interviewee enough rope and he'll hang himself". ('She' in a few cases.) Particularly funny is the way in which 'believers' very soon become indignant that anyone could dare to challenge their faiths. I can identify with that, having been one myself for longer than I'm proud of. Of course its major audience will be religious sceptics like myself. That's a pity because it does deserve much wider play. The other members of the disappointingly small cinema audience seemed to find it every bit as hilarious as I did, though also, at turns, despairing at the fact that such high proportions of otherwise seemingly sensible people can hold as true such frankly batty ideas. All in all, a 'comfort' film for the likes of 'us' but also absolutely recommended.

Tightening the belt - figuratively this time

Had a fit of spending insanity over the last few days, buying things I really can't afford - 2 pairs 'quality' jeans; boxed CD sets of complete symphonies of Sibelius and Vaughan Williams + the Rachmaninov piano concertos; volumes of sheet piano music of Mancini, Bacharach, Frank Loesser, plus other bits and bobs. All in all, although I like everything purchased, this self-indulgence has been very unwise in terms of my limited financial means. Don't quite know what brought it about. Part of it must be my brooding on one's mortality. I can't have that many years left - one of my brothers died just 6 months ago and he was elder by only 2 years. So maybe this splurge was just to cram everything in while I still have the chance. Nevertheless this nonsense has to stop, otherwise I'll be advancing my own demise through worry.

Slender progress

Still happy at the way my waist is reducing, though the closer it gets to the desired goal the harder it is finally to get over the finishing line. But now when sneaking a look at my reflection in passing store windows (as one does) there is hardly any bulge at all to be seen. It's only when on getting back home I drop my jeans in front of a mirror (as one does) there is still a discernible bulge at the belt level. But the achievement so far is certainly satisfactory. There's one oddity worth mentioning - Having reduced food intake quite significantly, the consequent feeling of hunger (which is, of course, never particularly pleasant) is now accompanied by a positive mental 'buzz' at the state of being hungry. The latter never overrides the former, it's more a sort of parallel feeling which I don't recall having had before. Just wondering if this is the same emotion that anorexics experience - though I don't seriously think there's the slightest chance of my going in that direction, certainly not at my age.

Maybe life begins here - (again?)

Just joined a gay website which has the emphasis on older bears with the possibility of actually meeting up with one. It's the first time I've done this and must confess I'm a tad apprehensive about my details being up there 'in the ether' for the ostensible purpose of 'dating'. (There are already half-a-dozen gay sites I visit daily just to view, of course.) Bit early to think whether I ought to drop something into my back pocket for a 'just in case' scenario, but who knows what may happen? So watch this space.