On today's bombing of the UN HQ in Iraq:

This is an attack against Iraq, its people and the whole international community.

Jack Straw

Rather like what the UK and US did a few months ago then.

Their evil only serves to reiterate the importance of our presence in the country.

Tony Blair

Or alternatively, demonstrates admirably that occupying powers face resistance.

It's awfully odd that when the US and UK bomb buildings and kills thousands it is a legitimate act, but when others do it it is an outrage. And after us giving them their own government as well. Vichy, anyone...?

excellent weekend! festival cavalcade with keith, cecile & assorted small people, then fringe-binging with fiona the fag hag (ach, i'm only kiddin'). sunday night to the underbelly to see trix doing back spin, which is thumping music and sweaty dancers doing really cool things - an unexpected gem. we took monday off and saw five shows, with lots of hanging around in the pleasance listening to radio 4 comedy in between. kevin tomlinson is very cute, and pretty funny too; emulator was incredible, with a fit blokey dancing with a projected image of himself, and then doing all sorts of other cool stuff; then there was a slightly crappy comedy thing about an adult learning centre, i forget its name. then we managed to pick up two return tickets for monty python's flying circus in french! absolutely fabulous, though the subtitles were very necessary. really talented group. final show was a slight anti-climax, rob rouse, a stand-up - not bad, but not really one i connected with.

i like days off more than i like days on. in fact, overall, work bad, no work good.

aah, the fringe is underway and it's cheapo time (sorry, preview week) so i'm hanging around the pleasance courtyard cadging free tickets. saw jimmy carr, who was very funny, and paul foot, who was quite odd. he spent rather more of the show than i would have liked trying to get me to give him my phone number. i kid you not. best not to sit too close to the front in some of these things...

i have stripped the bathroom of its hideous wallpaper. not quite sure what my next step is, but i think i'll be poking the ceiling with a stick this afternoon. david byrne was right - looking up is as scary as looking down.