Lebanon and Albania

Missed writing one day, again, I must prevail - a lot to write about - saw the Israeli Lebanon, Director Shmuel Maoz - very moving and to my mind, accurate portrayal of life in a tank on the first day of the war...No, have never been in a tank, but have served in the Israeli army and been in a war and been shot at. A long time ago. A local told me at a party in my house that he thought the film was propaganda...I said, No. I introduced him to two Israelis who were staying with me - passing through - a young couple in their mid twenties - she had been an officer. Both small, quiet and gentle.
I don't think it did any good.

A friend lent me a book entitled The Accident by Ismail Kadare, (translated from the Albanian by John Hodgson, 2008, Text Publishing Melbourne), Booker Man International Prize winner for 2005 -  the commendation says that he 'has had a truly global impact'. Not with this book, that's for sure. I thought it was dreadful, inane dialogue between two sex-obsessed people, probably a metaphor for something - Albania's past domination by a tyrant?  and Israel is mentioned randomly, never clear why - but the accumulation of words is so ghastly in its meaninglessness, it was all I could do not to throw the book across the room...True - some people live that way; I don't choose to associate with them. I couldn't finish the book.