www.richardhagen.org

Unnovations was another Charlie Brooker creation. Much shorter lived than TV Go Home.

Until as recently as the 18th century, at least in France, an actor had to renounce his or her profession in order to receive the last rites.

I wonder if this attitude to acting is what causes the difference between the styles of the UK and US actors. US actors seem unable to inhabit a character fully, leaving a space or gap.

• Genre huggers
• Genre benders
• Genre mixers
• Genre agnostics

Any others?

Here is the pride of my Christmas light collection (actually, it is my Christmas light collection):

I think the only Christmas decoration with vaguer connections to Christmas would be an illuminated triptych of orphans being gelded.

A few days after I sent Sarah a card asking her to get in touch because I’d lost her phone number, I discovered that I had a copy of her number on my PC.

I didn’t mention this at the time.

I’m still pretty sure that it wouldn’t have helped if I’d used it.

I listen to the Dandy Warhols song Bohemian Like You on repeat play when I reallly want a boy and girl situation to work out ok.

I’m doing this right now.

My sister and I are dental floss snobs.

John Howard, The Man Who Killed Australia, is gone. This is probably a good thing. Nasty nasty stuff has been happening during the time the Liberals have been in office. The saboutage of the Republic process and other erosions of the notion of citizenship, particularly the patently unbalanced doctrine of mutual obligation, the politics of division and the terrifying allegiance to George W. Bush come to mind easily.

It would be comforting to think that the change of government had something to do with the electorate becoming disillusioned, but it’s probably due to something lazier and less thoughtful. I don’t know what exactly this might be, but people simply don’t notice or care about much at all.

One problem that Kevin Rudd faces is that we’re probably going to experience a global recession soon. The increasing price of oil and the long overdue weakening of the US dollar are the indicators I’m thinking of. We can expect the Liberal opposition PR machine getting a workout.

Why are vampires so rare these days?

I think it might be because of recent health and safety regulations requiring them to autoclave their mouths between meals.

If you have any other ideas, please let me know.

Before Charlie Brooker did Screen Burn or Screen Wipe he did TV Go Home.

This is where the character Nathan Barley originated. A compendium of the Nathan Barley listings from TV Go Home can be found (watch out, very very very NSFW) here. Brooker hasn’t quite hit his stride, but it gives an inkling of his powers.

Unexpected: The phrase “equally vile companion” is going to sing in my heart for the rest of this marvellous night.