What I'm Reading
Finished Roy Jenkins biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Short, lucid book, with the last chapter completed by another author after Jenkins' death. Concentrates mostly on how Roosevelt managed the levers of power and his appointments. Sticks to the point, doesn't speculate much. Ending inevitably seems a little bit disjointed.

What I'm Reading 2
Borrowed American Splendor: Another Day from the library: more comic-book slices of life from Harvey Pekar. This one's very episodic and bitty, but still good. The section where he unblocks a toilet was a truly touching tale of courage through adversity.

What I'm Watching
Saw Breakfast at Tiffany's on DVD as part of my occasional classics-I've-never-got-around-to series.

Couldn't really get into it. The romantic stuff seemed too twee; and the physical comedy excruciatingly dull, especially Mickey Rooney walking into walls and speaking in a comedy-Japanese accent. I think the Hays code fatally undermined any real edge it tried to have. Even so, had some good set-pieces like the shoplifting scene.

Also found the happy ending, which apparently didn`t happen in the original novella, a bit annoying. Seemed to be summed up by the dialogue: ``Do you think you own me? / That's exactly what I think!`` Seems hard to believe Holly is going to be happy and fulfilled as a housewife.

Museums
Saw Dutch Portraits: The Age of Rembrandt and Frans Hals at the National Gallery. Pretty good, though some of the paintings just seem to have been shifted three floors down and a hundred yards to the left. Includes the famous The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholas Tulp which is well worth seeing. Has "The Osteology Lesson by Sebastian Egberts" as a contrast next to it. Also has some interesting family paintings. The one with the children who'd died in infancy swarming above as transparent cherubs seemed slightly creepy though.

Low child count, not too crowded. Tenner to get in though, and it's not a big exhibition.

Web
Eurostuff. English use grows in Brussels. "François Grin, a Swiss economist, argues that Britain enjoys hidden transfers from its neighbours worth billions of euros a year, thanks to the English language."

German prospers due to supply-side reforms.

Opus cartoon: Moral licence.