Episode 1323: Happy Birthday, Robert Browning!

Had no idea that I share a birthday with Robert Browning. Not exactly one of my favourite poets, but I don't dislike his work either, and I do find his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, somewhat inspirational. Also, congratulations to François Hollande on being voted into office by the French people (well, slightly over 51% of those who voted anyway), giving the country its first Socialist president since another François, François Mitterrand, was elected in 1988. I am going to miss Nicolas Sarkozy's really crisp pronunciation though. My French tutor used to recommend that we listen to his presidential speeches as training for listening. No idea if she agreed with his politics though! On another birthday-related note, my order from YesYes Books arrived today, so that Thomas Patrick Levy's I Don't Mind If You're Feeling Alone, Gregory Sherl's Heavy Petting, and Nate Slawson's Panic Attack, USA that'll be keeping me company for the next couple of days, when I'm not writing my reviews. (Of course, I'm going to finish reading Smith Journal first!)