A Paul? Oh!

Welly welly welly well my young droogs. I, myself, have been compared to Apollo. Interesting comparison, in some ways. Both flattering and insulting (but it comes from one of the very few people who are allowed to insult me from time to time without me taking offense). I guess being compared to any ancient is far better than any comparison to one of those dark figures in the shadowy night of modernity, not to mention the fact that Apollo's son was pretty damned cool, being a proto-romantic and all. Speaking of Apollo, here's a fun game: NAME THIS PAINTER. If you're really an art history geek (or you know me really well) you can probably even identify what painting this head is from... First person to do so properly will get cookies at some point in the near future! Moving on, I've decided to give up 2 things for lent. I don't know if i'll be able to follow through on them, but i'm going to do my best. Even if I don't make it, it will be good proof to me of how far down I am and check my ego somewhat, which i sometimes desperately need. I'm almost finished bloody Orlando Furioso and wow. There's this amazing scene at the end with 8 statues of famous and wonderful women, under each are two figures singing their praises. However, the eighth woman, the most beautiful is NEVER named or hinted at who she is, also, she only has one figure underneath her and we're told that whoever will sing her praises will be filled with honour forever. It's this exact kind of thing that all GOOD fiction, screw fiction, all good WRITING should have. Doors that open up onto the life of the reader, allowing the reader space within the text to work in parts of his own life so the interplay becomes far more complicated. In that way, the text gets its own stamp on the reader's mind and the reader's mind becomes stamped on the text. Other than that, I had a fairly good today today. Good and semi-productive, all oxfordian paperwork is sent off, Gittes asked me to talk to him and let him know if oxford is panning out or not (secretely I think he may want to offer me summer work, which would be really nice whether i take the offer or not I'd be honoured). Had tea with a wonderous friend also, which, although short was the highlight of my day. Question though: What ever am I going to do for Talent night next week?! OOOH intersomething- COME AND SEE MANDRAGOLA ALL OF YOU (or die, or face my songs). Has it Ever happened that as you're getting to kNow someone, something just opens up? It's kind of like walking into a room and being like yeah this plaCe is nice, then yOu have someone open a window or a door and it feels like this beaUtiful cool draft of fragraNt air has entered and surrounded you and you see an entirely new and far deeper beauty in everything that room has to offer, both what was there initially and everything that's slowly being revealed to you mroe and more and more.... ? Yeah, it's neaT stuff, it's that kind of thing that really drives me, windows/doors/port-holes opened up from the human soul and from the external world, which all belie a sort of divine magic underlying everything :) Speaking of that, Ariosto's notion of beliEf and critique of certainty is DAMNED cool but no time for that now, sleep calls, must go. Up at 5 tomorRow, yay!