More weird child naming

After Elon Musk's presumably gender-neutral X Æ A-12 name for his baby, which I can relate to, I found plenty of other weird names which parents have given their children.

One of the things you have to consider is what the name could get abbreviated to. Musk's son could easily be referred as X or perhaps A-12 by his mates; I guess in California that wouldn't be considered odd.

Thanks to Caitlin Moran in yesterday's Times, I now know that someone called Jason Lee has a son called Pilot Inspektor, and Frank Zappa (of whom I had vaguely heard) has children called Moon and Dweezil.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, who I believe have "uncoupled", have a child called Apple which, given the above, seems almost mainstream.

For those of you who thought Coco is a cat's name, Courtney Cox and David Arquette have a daughter of that name.

Do you think all of these strangely named kids go to the same school in Hollywood? I can't see them risking bullying from the Jimmies, Wendys and the like at the neighbourhood school.

I should be supremely grateful that my grandchildren have almost normal names (almost? you mean everyone who isn't Nigel is somewhat suspect?). But a part of me wishes Simon (born in Ipswich) was named The Tractor Boy and Dan (Manchester) was The Red Devil. Wow, I like that thought!

Elon, your little guy isn't alone in the world. And he could one day be the first man on Mars, who knows?

Impossible quiche

Just made the so-called impossible quiche. Thanks to DiL (daughter in law) Nat and https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/impossible-quiche-2/8244d479-b108-4b9c-9727-25e7041d8fd2

I guess Nat thought it was impossible for even me to get it wrong!

I used bacon instead of ham, because that's what I had.

Wow, it actually looks like a proper quiche!

I'm always amazed if my cooking or baking turns out like it's supposed to. So Nat, it is impossible to mess up!

Just eaten a slice, with salad, for dinner (some call that supper, but I'm a commoner). Leaving two more meals for the weekend.

Tasted pretty good but is it fattening?

Spotify

I often wonder whether I'm getting good value from my £9.99 pm Spotify subscription. I listen to so little music but I do so, like everything else, in fits and starts.

Maybe I should have symphonic nights as well as my movie nights.

I am a fan of Mahler's symphonies and could easily binge listen to them in sequence. I am definitely interested in Bruckner's symphonies. I'm pretty sure I haven't heard them all but I couldn't say which I have.

I could list the tracks on my Spotify playlists but that would be very embarrassing. On the other hand....

OK, this is playlist Nigel1:

* I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables (film version) - Anne Hathaway

* Send in the Clowns from Stephen Sindheim's A Little Night Music - Judy Collins

* I Have A Dream from Mamma Mia - Amanda Seyfried

(Oh my goodness, this really IS embarrassing - but if you blog you probably have to be prepared to be embarrassed)

* Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
(that's more like it)

* A Whiter Shade Of Pale - Annie Lennox

* Baba Yetu - The Soweto Gospel Choir
(that will get you all Googling)

* Imagine  - John Lennon

* Pinball Wizard - The Who

* Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti

* We Are The Champions - Queen

* Dido's Lament "When I am Laid In Earth" (Purcell) - Sally Stapleton

* Adagietto from Mahler's 5th Symphony - Valery Gergiev, London Symphony Orchestra

* Adagio for Strings (Samuel Barber) - Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic

* All I Do Is Dream Of You - Faultline

* Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copland, London Symphony Orchestra

 * Lacrimosa from Requiem (Mozart) - Stephen Cleobury, Academy Of Ancient Music

* Summertime from Porgy and Bess - Miles Davis

That's quite eclectic, now I think about it. Pretty sure Trevor will chastise me for listening on my Amazon Alexa but that's what I am doing now as a I write this.

I also have more stuff in my Spotify library: Bach, Wagner, Wynton Marsalis, Ariana Grande, Prokofiev and of course more Mahler. So maybe a tenner a month is OK for value.

I enjoyed writing this, re-listening to previous choices and now thinking about new playlists. Thank you for reading!

Movie nights

Everyone has movie nights, right?

In the absence of footy on TV, I'm downloading classic films, maybe one a night.

I'm trying to find some I haven't seen but am happy to repeat some of the most enjoyable.

And they are mostly going to be classic/iconic films, so no James Bond, Star Wars or The Hunger Games.

I couldn't remember whether I'd seen The Shawshank Redemption but after just a few minutes on Sunday I realised I had. But it's such an excellent movie that I watched it again.

Monday was an all-time favourite, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Yesterday I revisited The Matrix; some time since I saw that. And maybe I'll re-watch the sequels.

Tonight it will be The Godfather.

My friend Tony recommended The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Doesn't sound like my kind if film but I'll give it a go.

A few days ago, I started Forrest Gump, having avoided it until now. I really struggled with it but I should persist, I think.

Here's a few I'm considering (not in any particular order). Suggestions are very welcome!

Citizen Kane
Dr Strangelove
Vertigo
The French Connection
Rosemary's Baby
The Dark Knight
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Amadeus
Parasite
No Country For Old Men
The Departed
Green Book

There are also plenty of TV series I haven't watched. But that's for another time.

Z♞♫Spitfire⛄CIV6

Getting my entry in early for the First Great Grandchild name competition.

Sometimes you are too dumbstruck to say anything more (that's me on Wednesday).

(with apologies and respect to Elon and Grimes)

Brief musings on Tuesday

I read in today's Times2 that "A lot can go wrong if you overdo your daily run".  I get that, so no more running for me.

How often do you have to use Mr Google when you have just watched a movie or TV show, especially a season finale, in order to figure out "what happened there?" For me, quite a lot. Last night I watched two such. Firstly, the season finale of Westworld. This was season 3 and I remember that I gave up watching season 2, although I can't remember why. Maybe the violence, maybe the sense of not knowing what's going on. Nevertheless I decided to give seaason 3 a go, because the basic premise of Westworld (artificial lifeforms and the degree to which, if at all, they develop sentience) is intriguing. But here we are again - after last night, on to Google to find out what just happened. In so doing, I discovered that, contrary to what I thought I had heard, this was not the final season so, in a year's time, I'll be in the same dilemma. Is it worth it?

Also I watched 2001. Again. For the umpteenth time. And still baffled by the ending. Onto Google ending to see what others think. Maybe I've done that before, it wouldn't surprise me. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great film, but there is still the nagging feeling that Kubrick and Clarke didn't really think the thing through to the end. I guess I should check the book, which I think was completed after the film.

Now sometimes I have no problem with a baffling ending, because it forces me to think through the central thesis of the film/TV series. I think 2001 is in this category, as was the last ever episode of The Sopranos. But if it makes you think "who cares?", not so much. Such as the ending of Lost (I can't believe I actually stayed up until 2am to catch it live from the US). Or Westworld.

Am I the only person afflicted by this? Does that make me dumb?

I also read and think about proposals to restart the football season. Now there is no-one more eager to watch it again live on TV than me but the whole idea, even behind closed doors, seems crazy. It's a contact sport, players run about very fast, puffing, panting, perspiring; what happens when one player, who has recently played in a match, is diagnosed with the virus? Re-suspend? Agree it was a ghastly mistake and cancel the season? Nonsense, just be patient and finish the season in a year's time, if necessary.

I fear I'm beginning to sound like Rod Liddle. Ugh.