Free newspapers

I never take the free papers, but I do read them when they're lying on the train. I also like to intimidate the vendors when they shove them in my face saying "free! free!" by screaming back, "but what does it cost the EARTH?!"

Today the news has been about three shooting deaths in Peckham, the borough next to the one where I used to live. Used to go see movies there, it was about a 20 minute bus ride. It's one of the poorest areas of London, and police are thinking these deaths are all gang related. Now all the free papers have screaming headlines like "Gang Uses 12 Year Olds as Gun Couriers!" and "Gun Deaths on the Rise!" I'm concerned about the violence, naturally, but I compare it to the gun violence in NYC or, for that matter, the psychos with the closets full of rifles in Wisconsin, and I think the police are lucky that they are just now having to put together gang and gun taskforces. I can't believe how much the atmosphere has changed since I first came to London. Then I didn't see any armed police, now they are regularly patrolling around Trafalgar Square and Westminster. 'Course the first time I came I had stars in my eyes...and no one had yet attempted to blow up the Tube.

It's also Fashion Week! in London and the drama!!! is all about the Fashion Week! directors not! banning SIZE ZERO models!!! Which is disgusting and we are totally against super-skinny models! We support HEALTHY models! Not size ZERO! models--like this woman! And this woman!!! and here's a few more pictures of models that we totally find disgustingly skinny!! So I'm feeling fat. I ate a big bowl of (haha, almost typed "hate" there) of steamed vegetables for dinner tonight, but now my stomach is eyeing me up suspiciously going "what is this? Is this plant matter? Is this...broccoli?"

And I've realised that recently all my theatre-going choices have been based solely on star appeal and not actual artistic content. Wicked? Idina Menzel. Bent? Alan Cumming (a-- ---- -- ---e). Love Song? Cillian Murphy. I justify it by saying "well, hell, when am I going to get to see these people again? I could always read Bent, but when am I going to get it onstage? Pfff." Today I was smucked in the face by this image going down the Tube and I realised I was going to have to go to the theatre again. Yes, that's Daniel Radcliffe in Equus. And yes, yes, he gets naked. (and yes, there's more to that picture--bless google) I'm not sure how I feel about this. I can remember being 18 and living in Door County and carefully scrutinising the new Harry Potter and giving my grudging approval. Now that he's trying to make a legitimate theatrical name for himself, I am just all a tizzy. And not sure how to feel about an actor that up until very recently I thought of fondly as I might a young brother. Naturally, in all big sisterly concern, I must go see this show and make sure that he is capable of giving a good performance. I hope I will be able to give an unbiased opinion in face of any...distractions.