Texture

Now that was a rough old week. The twin pressures of producing worked solutions and lectures and the performing of actual research do not happy bedfellows make. It seems as if it will always be a struggle, but what's life without a bit of a torment or two? Paradoxically only having one course to teach is much harder than having several. Variety is the spice of life but monotony is the key to a fevered obsession.

It's December, the month of shopping madness, endless dark nights and the spectre of things long left behind. Is it better to have Christmas as it is or as it used to be? Is its future an ever-evolving study of mercenary consumerism or is there still an underlying layer of the social family times that used to prevail? There's a way to shift from exclusive religious event to secular community-centred festival that doesn't have to be divisive or controversial, or involve unprincipled exploitation of the people at large.

I have a friend - I hope! - who has had trouble thinking of gifts as her family aren't appreciating books any more as they're preoccupied by their tablets. Isn't that sad? I had a Kindle for a while and was fascinated by it, but when it broke I felt no need to replace it. Paper books are just better, for undefined and vague reasons.

December is the month of 'pushing through the T', of doing things you're unsure of and trusting to the best. Is that a good gift? Is it too much or too little? You won't know until afterwards. Is the winter going to go on forever and is there any point in carrying on through the gloomy misery? Well, keep on going anyway until you reach the other side. Can we take yet another vaguely hypocritical Christmas party despite our own deeply felt agnosticism? The turkey will tell the tale in the end.

Rough weeks: Lectures while on the edge of sickness, eyes that can barely focus any more, a seeming eternity without anyone to play a good game of 'Thebes' or 'Fluxx' with, dehydrating and overly hot hotel rooms and dusty offices, and far too much uncertain Christmas shopping!

Oh, December, you'll try to break us down, but we go on anyway. Let's push through the 'T' to January, and make the 50th Film Bin Commentary to boot. At the moment it's looking like 'Bravestarr' or 'Murder By Decree'.

O.