ABSINTHE FESTIVAL

Searching for a few good men - even better, women - to join me on a weekend's pilgrimage to Athens

• Absinthe Festival
• Hosted by Dead Scarlet Records
• Venue: Kyttaro Club, junction of Ipeirou and Acharnon
• Music): Folk rockers Rome, Spiritual Front, Manu Deum, Glimmer Void.
• Free absinthe cocktails.
• 30 euros

THE GREEK WAY

The excellent Nikos Konstandaras to the point as ever in his AthensPlus 'Breaking Point' Opinion of the Siemens scandal.

What set me guffawing with delight and admiration was his succinct summary of how

" ... everything appeared to be going according to the Greek way of handling scandals:

1. Saturation coverage - enough to sow confusion so that no one knows what the story is all about.
2. The cultivation of a sense that "everyone does it" (meaning no one is accountable)
3. The judiciary lets the issue drag on for so long that the public - aided by the very fickle news media - forgets what it is all about
4. Time runs out, the case is filed away
5. Everyone goes back to business as usual

That is what I call good writing.

And which the discerning Sinbad borrows.

Tiananmen Square 1989

I was in Hong Kong when the massacre took place.

Beijing pals were phoning and faxing it in until the lines went dead.

We watched what TV coverage was getting across until ... blank.

My wife and I had a literary agency spotting local literary goodies and skilled translators to sell to our pals back in London and Boston.

Not one of our budding writers was heard of again.

Comment Pic: "Tank Man"

"We need to work on our relationship. Dad"

The rooms are too small

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED - OFFICIAL

When the swing chair goes up, that's it. Sumer has a cumen in, or however it goes.

I look so nervous and grumpy, not because of my crap haircut from Zoe because Nancy can't walk for a while, but because the chair is hanging from a very dodgy hook that is not quite curved enough to secure it if anyone swings too vigorously (believed to be a reference to a certain younger daughter and her bf, due to arrive June 20)

Dancing Backwards

~ Salley Vickers ~

I love the thrill when a new book's coming from a run-don't-walk, 1-click author that one snaps up 'sight unseen', as my old publishing boss had it.

Salley Vickers has a new novel out June 25 and mater will be in London to collect it, so whoo hoo.

Plug: This blog exists to plug favourites so,

1. You should get to know Ms Vickers if you don't already
2. Definitely read my favourite, Instances of the Number 3
3. Here is her page
4. Fantastic Fiction's page, including a short blurb, which is more than my old Alma Mater Amazon includes. (I'm sure Salley will be delighted to know that she delivers Fantastic Fiction, which we all know she does.)

If you're wondering about typo 'Salley', it ain't: it is spelled with an 'e' because it is the Irish for 'willow' (from the Latin: salix, salicis) as in the W.B.Yeats poem, 'Down by the salley gardens'.

Marry that Babe

Good news, chaps: That May-December match tacks years on.

I suspect it depends on how you pace yerself.

Comment: The Boss of Me sends "the story of someone who couldn't keep up with her older fella."

Common Solecisms

Corfucius runs a literate ship and he looks after his buds.

Voici a useful list from that last bastion of anglais how she is spoke, L'Economist.

Oh all right, you lot in the back row, here's what it means.

Aggravate: I grew up knowing it to mean 'make heavier'.

Both Sides Now

New cloud types.