Friday 10 June 2011

2081 Sopranos update, computer problems and a Trip to watch Durham at Liverpool arranged

This Diary update began at 8.45 Friday 10th June 2011 with an account of the computer problems encountered and which prevented writing about the recent clarity of vision which has been occurring as I wake from what appears to be prolonged dreams of significance. I do not claim to understand or accurately interpret and the details are immediately forgotten but they have been leading to insights, decisions and determination which only added to the frustration of when I started to work at the desk top around 6 am this morning after a much needed cup of coffee. I need another now but will first report the frustrating but keep cool work out computer problems experienced

Over the past weeks, perhaps two to three, a guess as I did not keep any records, I first had problems with my Internet platforms of Internet Explorer and Mozella Firefox. I had upgraded Explorer from 8 to 9 and it kept raising issues about add-ons and was slow to launch, sometimes with multiply launchers when I only required one. With Firefox a script developed which slowed everything down unless I was quickly alerted and removed. It was frustrating at times but manageable. Then over the past week there were problems when playing games with delays in action and then with word process problems.

Norton protection had been fully operational and noted no attacks or problems. I therefore concluded that there was a problem with the main disk which had requested a repair check over recent months. Last night the situation became impossible but I went to bed, leaving for the morrow.

The problem appeared just as bad despite removing Explorer 9 and returning to Explorer 8 and at one point I turned the machine off by unplugging having managed with difficulty to transfer current work on Word to a mobile card reader. I had attempted to transfer all current data to disk but that was not working either so decided to put tackling the desk top into abeyance for the day and use a lap top but this only created further problems when attempting to use mouse, keyboard, printer, internet and data transfer to replicate the use of a desk top. I have no wish to go over all the problems and failures encountered over the next two hours and more, except to say it involved hardware recognitions (mouse, keyboard and printers as well as software issue with loading Word.

I abandoned this and decided to face the problem of the desk top deciding to limit the potential problems by disconnecting the Internet link with the TV for SKY anytime plus.

There was then a problem with start up where the machine recommended that it attempted a self repair by going to earlier start point which I readily agreed and since restarting I can work word processing work in progress files and as with this writing without any apparent delays or problems. I will complete this writing which will require an Internet link a little later but take everything step by step slowly and include a data transfer to DVD in the course of the day if this proves possible. There is still an attempt to install scan soft paper port 2 - whatever that is, which aborts itself after a time but delays start up by several minutes, I will not tempt the fates by testing other programmes, especially games until I have progressed the writing. I will make that cup of coffee having had a cereal fruit and nut mix and then remind of my start of yesterday.

Thursday morning started with frustration and failure and end with success and celebration. The cause of this swing between extremes was the latest Travel Lodge sale of £10 rooms and although I only managed to get one by choice the three others at £19 are more than half less that I would have had to pay to stay close the Liverpool Cricket ground at the end of this month for the game between Lancashire Club and Durham. I awoke for the third time of the night around 4.30am and feeling tired turned over rather than get up and get organised for the official sale commencing at six am although I know from previous experience it is usually possible to log on beforehand. I was successful and commenced to book a room for the period of the visit of Durham to Sussex at the Worthing Lodge until I realised is was for a single room and I remembered the difficult I had in the cubicle like room after transferring there over the weekend on my previous visit two years ago. By the time I switched to the Liverpool area the time reached 6 am and entered the period of the great rush and constant freezing of the site because of the volume of inquiries. It was an hour later that I worked out a technique for staying on line at the site and slowly obtained four nights covering the night before and three first days of the match giving the opportunity of going home or visiting elsewhere in the area on the fourth, staying at Widnes rather than close to the City Ground. I then contacted the County Ground and obtained a four day seniors ticket for £20 so that the accommodation and entrance comes to £70. Because of the computer problems and the site being busy I have not printed out routes or made a trip plan but hopefully will have the time for this later in the day.

I considered making the Liverpool Lancs and other cricket trips because of the up turn again in Durham fortunes with their excellent position at the top of the Championship at the half way stage. After a poor performance in the first game of the 20 20 competition and the second rained off to a 1 point each no result at Worcester it was important that Durham posted a win in the third game away to Northants who beat Durham in a 40 over game this season and who are now joint leaders with Surrey with 5 wins from 5 games and who are also way ahead of anyone in the second division of the championship. It was a great toss to win for Durham who asked Northants to bat first on what proved to be a lively pitch for pace rather than spin. The home side got off to the worst possible start with the loss of two wickets for 7 and five wickets for 43. The bowling was excellent with Onions 1 for 18, Collingwood 2 for 15; Rushworth 2 for 22, worth 0 for 22 was also economical with Rushworth, the most expensive, with 2 wickets for 37.

Durham approached the task of getting the 124 runs requires as if the pitch was playing normally and Mustard undefeated on 61, the man of the match and Blackwell, also undefeated on 41, saw the match won with the loss of only one wicket and 23 balls left Durham scored 4 sixes to Northants 1. The win could herald a new era and this evenings game at Derby, following by two games at the Riverside on Sunday and Tuesday and then two more at Notts and Leicestershire should confirm if this is so, or not!, This evening I will be torn between listening to the Durham game and watching that between Yorks and Lancs on the telly although there is an an hour and half difference in the start time between the two games.

Last night before bed time I also caught up with the second of two episodes of the Sopranos which I am yet to note. Last week in Commendatori, the 17th of the series in which Tony and his associates take a trip back to Naples to arrange a deal with a local crime family who are distantly related. One of the activities taken over from Junior is the stealing of expensive cars and selling abroad, mainly to the Russians. It was not clear to me how the Italians fitted into this, whether to take the cars at a better price to the syndicate or to have an involvement in someway at a better price than achieved when Junior was responsible.

The episodes covers the experience of Tony, Paulie and Christopher well as that of Tony’s wife Carmela, who feels abandoned back hone. She is resentful at being left and is confronted by the reality of their relationship when she meets up with the wife of Pussy, Angie Bonpensiero. She has reached an impasse in her relationship following his return home and indifferent to the fact that she has found a lump and is waiting for the results although this is just another straw after his disappearance for months and then reappearance. He is in a state because although accepted back into the crime family he was not invited to Italy and is being treated more as a foot soldier than a captain. When the tests prove negative she decides to commence divorce proceedings and tells Carmela. Carmela sees this as a mirror upon her own situation and draws on her Catholic faith and church teachings, telling Angie that her responsibility is to her family and not her own needs. The more she speaks of duty, Carmela sees the precariousness of her own position, and her ambivalence.

In Italy Tony is impressed by the family member appointed to acts as guide and interpreter, Furio Giunta, as he beats up a boy and then hits the boy’s mother when she tries to intervene after the boy has let off fire crackers which the gang immediately interprets as gunshots aimed at them. Tony strikes a deal to bring the man to the USA to act as a new hardman.

On the first evening in Italy Tony is taken to meet senior members of the Mafia in Naples and is surprised that the family head is not present. Later when the man is brought by his daughter Tony realises that the boss has become senile and because the official number two is in prison the de facto boss is the daughter. This affects Tony in several ways, the relationship with his ruthless and vindictive mother, his general attitude towards women as being inferior and divided between the Madonna’s as mothers and the strippers, whores and mistresses whose sole function is to give pleasure on demand to men who control them or who pay them for services. He has the added problem in being attracted to the woman who is also attracted to him although one suspects no more as a way of gaining greater power through him as well as over him. Tony turns down the opportunity of a sexual relationship preferring not to mix business with pleasure but more I suspect out of castration fear. He varies the price of the deal by taking Furio to the USA who is a cousin of Annalisa, the daughter, and also regarded by her as her best hardman. The deal is better than he anticipated so it can be said that he does take her.

It is not clear what role Christopher was expected to have on the trip as he is absent most of the time, in a drug stupor in his hotel room with associated women of the night, and day! This is the first trip of Paulie to his roots and after his initial anticipation he reacts negatively to the lifestyle, the food and above all to the plumbing and on return he is delighted to be home. Pussy has the assignment of collecting the party from the airport, upset at being left out he nevertheless buys flowers for his wife to make up of his apparent indifference to her condition. She hits him with the flowers signalling her rejection and intentions. Christopher also buys a gift at the airport store for his bed partner Adriana who appears a willing slave to need needs and moods. Tony still has Annalisa on his mind when he returns home and into the bedroom while Carmela is reminded of Angie’s words about the return of Pussy after his trip.

In Big Girls don’t cry Tony soon puts Furio the test after Christopher reports that the Manager of a massage parlour brothel continues to provide only half the required protection money because of a drug habit and a reluctant paying wife. Furio is told to teach both a lesson and shoots the man in the leg after beating him severely and her before and after. Pussy is annoyed when Furio man is given a welcome to the USA party at Tony’s house and then at a restaurant when a New York Boss arrives he is told to leave because of his reduced status, something which he complains to his FBI handler that he is being kept out of the loop with nothing new to report. In order to get Furio into the country he pressure the Vesuvio restaurant owner and family friend Artie Bucco to sponsor the man as an employee while paying his wages, much to the displeasure of Artie’s wife. Uncle Junior out on bail for medical treatment reasons turns up at the family party but is not allowed in by Carmela because of his involvement in the attempt on Tony’s life

Tony without the medication or his sessions with Dr Melfi is becoming more and more unpredictable and violent. Out for the day on his boat with his girl friend, her first yells at her for feeding cheese puffs to the ducks and a neighbouring boat owner overhearing the exchanges tells the girl in her native Russian to find herself a better man, and when she translates Tony goes over and hurts the man in his most tender of places. Realising this could lead to police involvement he makes a quick departure from the scene. When he learns that Janice is seeking a bank loan on his mother’s home he gets so angry that he rips off the telephone and has a go at his son AJ. Later he apologies. Tony goes to see a Jewish older friend who acts as a business advisor as he did to Tony’s father. Tony tries to replicate the relationship with Dr Melfi admitting that he being seen a psychiatrist and his panic attacks and passing out experiences. Hesh Rabkin reveals that Tony’s father suffered from a mental illness and to reassures him says that the attacks only happened a couple of times a year!.

Meanwhile Dr Melfi has been going over her dream about the death of Tony with her professional consultant which she interprets as guilt at having rejected a client. He suggests she gains vicarious pleasure from the involvement with the gangster and provides further insists which leads her walks out swearing in the manner which Tony has often left her office towards the end of a session where she has confronted him with truths about his behaviour. She rings Tony to say she has a vacant session if he wants to return. He plays hard to get but she says she will leave the session free if he changes his mind. He is seen sitting in the waiting room sitting down defiantly in front of her as usual waiting for her to initiate the session.

Janice is now established with the Aprile brother who placates Tony by saying is now taking responsibility for the sister. She explains the loan as raising money to have the house adapted so their mother can return.

Meanwhile Christopher has joined a writing acting class as his work on a play stalls. He gives a remarkable performance when acting a scene in Rebel without a Cause which impresses everyone but he cannot cope with his own emotions. Later his girlfriend suggests he was reminded of his own childhood growing up after his father was murdered as a child. His anger explodes during a third exercise when they are asked too each use only one sound and communicate in other ways and he beats his acting partner up. He then gets rid of the play he was working.

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