'a scrupulous study of reality (in prose that speaks the language of poetry)'

so edmond described the work of the goncourt brothers. (25/01/1876 - repunctuated in a horsemouth style)

good morning! (greyish morning). oops no. there's a strong ray of golden sunshine. 

live from monday morning (again) in the seaside towns. spring is springing. horsemouth is looking at leaves on his lime tree (the catkins are long gone). 

it is electricity and gas money day. everybody in the house has their 100.pounds (from the government so far) banked. no one has yet thought to use it to skip a payment (which is good). as far as horsemouth understands it the government support scheme has not been extended for a couple of months (and hereafter it becomes more 'targeted' support through the  benefits system). 

yesterday went somewhat unremarked in the uk 

it was 25 years since the end of 'the troubles' in northern ireland by the good friday agreement. the troubles was ended in an extraordinary derridian move where the notion of sovereignty was stretched by cross border bodies and political programmes (on both sides) were effectively deferred to open up the possibility of peace. promises were made that were never expected to be fulfilled and everything was affirmed and then placed in suspension. 

and bingo peace arrived and democracy returned to the land (currently democracy is stalled once again but that may not be the major problem that people claim it is).  

ultimately this satisfies no-one . there must be a stage beyond it (and yet there cannot be). northern ireland cannot be fully re-integrated back into the uk (which it has never left) nor can it be fully re-integrated into the south (without seriously pissing off a large minority of the population). a center ground has grown, people who just want the 'benefits' of capitalism and democracy (as far as that can be allowed to occur without de-stabilising the whole magic spell). 

there's a lot to be said for just fucking off politics and letting the 'sting' come out of things.

from the side of the british estabishment there is an dislike of the  agreement (seeing it as a legacy from the EU and the blair years) and and a historical amnesia. the history of attempts to obtain 'home rule' a parliament for the whole of ireland (the island of ireland) is most instructive -  at one point (prior to world war I) the british were offering it. 

on this day in the paris commune the national guard march on versailles (it happens about 1hr 30 mins into peter watkins la commune). they are too late. that moment is gone. they will be defeated and the paris commune will fall. .

'I first met franz stragl on the morning of friday, april 2nd, 1971...' gitta sereny interviews nazi extermination camp commander franz stragel in jail. she wants to go deep. to find out who he was. who he is. how he could have done what he had done.