The FORTRESS of SOLITUDE

Stupid, trendy gits

The official title of the 22nd official James Bond film was announced yesterday...


The title is derived from one of Ian Fleming's short stories, which I think is great. I'm sure a lot of people are gonna be all, "Huh?" when they hear it, but I think it rules.


Article here.

Here is a short synopsis of Fleming's original short story from Wikipedia.

"Quantum of Solace"

"Quantum of Solace" is not a spy story and Bond appears only in the background. Told in the style of W Somerset Maugham, the tale has Bond attending a boring dinner party at the Government House in Nassau with a group of socialites he can't stand.

Bond makes a remark after dinner when the other guests have left in order to stimulate conversation, about always having thought it would be nice to marry an air hostess. This solicits a careful reply from the elderly Governor of The Bahamas who tells 007 a sad tale about a relationship between a former civil servant he calls Philip Masters, stationed in Bermuda, and air hostess Rhoda Llewellyn. After meeting aboard a flight to London the two eventually married but after a time Rhoda became unhappy with her life as a housewife. She then began a long open affair with the eldest son of a rich Bermudan family. As a result Masters' work deteriorated and he suffered a nervous breakdown. After recovering he was given a break from Bermuda by the governor and sent on an assignment to Washington to negotiate fishing rights with the US. At the same time the governor's wife had a talk with Rhoda just as her affair ended. Masters returned a few months later and decided to end his marriage, although he and Rhoda continued to appear as a happy couple in public. Masters returned alone to the UK, leaving a penniless Rhoda stranded in Bermuda, an act which he'd been incapable of carrying out merely months earlier. But Masters never recovered emotionally, his vital spark never relit. The governor goes on to tell Bond how after a time Rhoda married a rich Canadian and seems to be happy. When Bond remarks that she hardly deserved her good fortune, the governor says that Masters had always been rather weak, and that perhaps Fate chose Rhoda as its instrument to teach him a lesson. Bond deduces that the dinner companions whom he found so boring were Rhoda and her new husband, and he tells the governer she was much more interesting than he had thought.

While the story does not include action elements, as other Fleming tales do, it attempts to posit that Bond's adventures pale in comparison with real life drama. Bond reflects that the lives of the people he passes somewhat superficial judgments upon can in fact hide poignant episodes.

Categories: Miscellaneous

Appetizer
How many times per day do you usually laugh?
On a work day, not much. A weekend, depending on who I'm hanging with, could be quite a lot.

Soup
What do your sunglasses look like?
I used to have a great pair of mirrored aviators but have since lost them. I'm currently sunglass free and seeking...

Salad
You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?
Whistler, BC.

Main Course
Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.
The closeness of everything and the ability to get to the farther places relatively easily.

Dessert
If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?
A nice pale yellow...?

Categories: Friday_Feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?
Hmmmm...probably water.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.
My blackberry, my Stiletto and a pack of ginger drink mix.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?
Probably about an 8. Depends on the circumstance, though.

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?
I would officially change the name of Sudbury to Shitsville, USA...even though it's in Canada.

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?
Annoying people stress me out. Getting away from annoying people calms me down.

Categories: Friday_Feast

Came across this on Mark's Rants and Raves, who had previously come across this via This Boy Elroy to generate an Album, group name and song...

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2.http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Here's mine...


Categories: Miscellaneous

Appetizer
What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?
Cameron Arthur. I wouldn't ever, ever, ever change it. I's loves it, I's do!

Soup
If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?
Christ...another brilliant FF question...
Lots of silks and organza...fuck off.

Salad
What is your least favorite chore, and why?
Probably cleaning the bathroom, especially the bath because it's a total pain in the ass.

Main Course
What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?
Crowds freak me out, which I can trace back to a quite traumatic "I'm lost" moment I had in a mall as a child.

Dessert
Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.
I'm sitting in my chair at the office. I can see my Stiletto (love it), my Blackberry and my yogurt and wheat germ concoction.

Categories: Friday_Feast

Appetizer
When was the last time you received a surprise in the mail, and what was it?
Can't recall actually... :\

Soup
If you could have a summer and/or winter home, where would you want it to be?
A winter home in Killington, Vermont and a summer home in Inverness, Scotland.

Salad
Pick one: pineapple, orange, banana, apple, cherry.
Pineapple...heehee!

Main Course
Describe the nicest piece of clothing that you own.
Oh god...prolly my peacoat. It's official naval issue, made on a naval base in the US and shipped to good ol' Canuckistan. It's black, fits quite well (although it's a bit big now).

Dessert
If you could forget one whole day from your life, which day would you choose to wipe from your memory?
No day should be forgotten...cheesy.

Categories: Friday_Feast

Appetizer
Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008.
1) To complete a major piece of writing. Type undetermined.
2) Complete at least 4 courses for my degree.

Soup
With which cartoon character do you share personality traits?
Elmer Fudd

Salad
What time of day (or night) were you born?
Early morning.

Main Course
Tell us something special about your hometown.
Sweet. F. A.

Dessert
If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from?
Tim P.

Categories: Friday_Feast

Appetizer
Make up a word and give us its definition.
No.

Soup
What is currently your favorite song?
Love Me Till I Die from "Prom Night"

Salad
What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list this year?
Nothing in particular. Kind of hard to answer in hindsight, too...

Main Course
Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life.
I'll keep it to myself, actually. :P

Dessert
Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn’t be, and why?
Paris Hilton. The why is obvious"

Categories: Friday_Feast