And despite our best efforts, life continues

[hawkwing_lb]

Despite my best efforts to completely screw up my sleep patterns, a five-hour afternoon nap and eight solid hours' sleep last night mean I'm pretty much functional today, greatly to my surprise.

Books! arrived yesterday from Amazon. Thirteen of them. They were supposed to arrive a hell of a lot closer to my birthday, but I'm not complaining. I can read them when I've finished cataloguing this library (611 books as of yesterday, and still not done)...

...Well, actually, I've already started one. Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France during the German Occupation, by Robert Gildea. Gildea is very accessible, for a historian, and his chosen topics are pleasantly crunchy and thought-provoking. I've had a fascination for WWII France ever since reading Marcus Binney's The Women Who Lived For Danger: Women Agents of SOE in WWII when I was fifteen - exacerbated by getting M.R.D. Foote's A History of the SOE in France* out of the library the following year - so Gildea is helping me scratch my modern history itch.

It strikes me that I possibly tell Livejournal too much about my life and habits. What do you think?

---

*Foote is the historian when it comes to the Special Operations Executive. Measured, thoughtful, readable, comprehensive - and sadly, his 1962 book is horrendously expensive, otherwise I would have a copy as the most prized ornament of my own private library.

Comments

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

It strikes me that I possibly tell Livejournal too much about my life and habits. What do you think?

Hm. I think it's all up to you. I don't think you're really divulging and deep dark secrets to the world..and you mostly talk about books, which is extremely evilhelpful to me.

My rule of thumb is, if I wouldn't say it in person, I won't write it down. ;-)

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say it in person, I won't write it down.

The internet is my extrovert. :-)

Speaking of books, Black Powder War is on its way across the Atlantic to me. I believe you've already read it, no? /masochist :-)

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

I'm reading it slowly, just to prolong the agony. :-D Tonight, being Friday (at last!!), I will pour myself a decently large-ish glass of decent red wine, plop down on the reclining part of the sofa, and put my feet up for a goodly long time. Oh, yes, and pick up that book, which is right there on the end table.

And after that, I'll catch up on the World Cup. I must watch some of Argentina beating Serbia minus Montenegro, and Netherlands kicking Cote d'Ivoire. I can hardly wait for the Argentina vs Netherlands game.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I am assidously avoiding the World Cup. It's just too painful, you know.

We aren't in it this time, you know. And last time team politics fucked our chances so badly.

I can still get heated up over it :-).

But ooh, Argentina vs Holland. Maybe. Maybe.

I'm waiting for the green postie van to arrive with my copy of Black Powder War. I drop everything I'm doing and stare longingly out the window every time I notice it passing. :-)

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

I know Ireland isn't in it...and France is, for once. If only I could email my old friend who's back in France, just to emote over the Cup, as she's the one who got me hooked back in 1994. It's all her fault!

Anyways, there's a Scottish lass here doing her research, and she's not rooting for England either. ;-) And none of us can bring ourselves to root for USA. Blech.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Curiosity strikes: why can't you root for the USA?

France won it, not that long ago. Then they were insufferable, and - what's the word? ah yes - tanked.

'98 was a completely unexpected final. It was also the high point of my football fever. I still have the matches on tape, somewhere.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd root for the US of A if they'd bothered to be a decent team. What I saw against their first opponent was awful (alright, the Czech Republic are the number 2 team in the world; still, as the number 5 team....?). Today's match against Ghana was not much better. I was getting rather irritated by the American announcers whining about the refs* and spouting tripe about the US team's "hustle". I saw no hustle. They played a mainly defensive game when they needed a win, and clearly they couldn't get on -- I'm ranting, aren't I? So sorry.

No, I'd rather save my cheers for the Netherlands, Argentina, and the Czech Republic. That way I know I'll be rooting for someone with a chance to win. ;-) If I really wanted to back a winner, I'd root for Brazil, but everyone knows they've got the best chances.

*Although that red card against Eddie Pope seemed uncalled for. The Italian player flopped on the wrong leg. Still, our commentators were whining on and on about the ref, and they were retired players. I'd have expected better from them, but I think they're typical of American players -- expecting to be treated like one of the best, when they're not.

Yes, France won and then tanked. They beat Brazil back when Brazil was in a rare slump.

Oh, I'm mainly watching this because (1) it's about time the US joined the rest of the world, and I work with many people from outside the US. In fact, today, while I was suturing a patient, I was discussing the games with the technician who is from Nigeria. He is --of course-- rooting for any African team to do well. (2) I despise the NBA, particularly since they've taken to playing later and later in the year -- the NBA finals are going on now, I think, and I could not care any less. (3) I don't need to watch baseball all the time (4) I have nothing else to watch until the Tour de France begins.

World Cup is something everyone can watch and discuss, in a nearly universal language. It's nice to be part of a global village every once in a while. ;-)

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I caught some of Italy vs USA tonight. The USians seemed to be playing a very rough game - lots of shoving and hard tackles.

Not that the Italians were soft, of course, but the US seemed to be playing ever so slightly dirty.

Ah, well. Personally I'll cheer for any team that plays with style. Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Holland: this is supposed to be the beautiful game, after all.

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

A lot of today's games had shoving and hard tackles going -- maybe it was the weather?

And my personal opinion is, they play dirty when they can't win clean. ;-)

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Oh, and by "decent team", I mean one that can play with some meaning, not just run around (or walk, or flop) after the ball. As you said, with some style. Brazil has got style in tons, and the other teams you and I agree on as well. ;-)

US gots no style. Blech.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

It takes a good coach and a long tradition to develop style.

Ireland tried to develop style under Brian Kerr, and look where that got us. :-)

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. Neither of which is true for US either.

Yesterday's game is even sadder than I first thought: the US never scored a goal; the Italians scored an own goal and the only US attempt to get through was called back for offsides and goal-tending.

Now Brazil versus Australia was nice. The Aussies played it rough too, but I didn't see any red cards. ::peeks quickly at scores:: Nope, no reds. The Japan-Croatia game was interesting, as they seemed to be evenly matched. I missed France vs South Korea, having to attend my baseball game instead (we won, finally).

No really interesting games tomorrow. Netherlands vs Argentina is on Wed. ;-)