OK, here's the latest in no order whatsoever:-
Blowout
Inglourious Basterds
Pulp Fiction
Get Carter
The Third Man
Once Upon a Time in America
Once Upon in the West
All About my Mother
The French Connection
The Exorcist
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Aliens
American Splendor
..................................
23/05/2010
23/08/2009
Chasing Amy, By Kevin Smith
Banky Edwards: Alright, now see this? This is a four-way road, okay? And dead in the center is a crisp, new, hundred dollar bill. Now, at the end of each of these streets are four people, okay? You following?
Holden: Yeah.
Banky Edwards: Good. Over here, we have a male-affectionate, easy to get along with, non-political agenda lesbian. Down here, we have a man-hating, angry as fuck, agenda of rage, bitter dyke. Over here, we got Santa Claus, and up here the Easter Bunny. Which one is going to get to the hundred dollar bill first?
Holden: What is this supposed to prove?
Banky Edwards: No, I'm serious. This is a serious exercise. It's like an SAT question. Which one is going to get to the hundred dollar bill first? The male-friendly lesbian, the man-hating dyke, Santa Claus, or the Easter bunny?
Holden: The man-hating dyke.
Banky Edwards: Good. Why?
Holden: I don't know.
Banky Edwards: [shouting] Because the other three are figments of your fucking imagination!
Holden: Yeah.
Banky Edwards: Good. Over here, we have a male-affectionate, easy to get along with, non-political agenda lesbian. Down here, we have a man-hating, angry as fuck, agenda of rage, bitter dyke. Over here, we got Santa Claus, and up here the Easter Bunny. Which one is going to get to the hundred dollar bill first?
Holden: What is this supposed to prove?
Banky Edwards: No, I'm serious. This is a serious exercise. It's like an SAT question. Which one is going to get to the hundred dollar bill first? The male-friendly lesbian, the man-hating dyke, Santa Claus, or the Easter bunny?
Holden: The man-hating dyke.
Banky Edwards: Good. Why?
Holden: I don't know.
Banky Edwards: [shouting] Because the other three are figments of your fucking imagination!
18/08/2009
In the order in which they tumbled out of my head...
...the 100 greatest movies ever.
Once Upon a Time in America
Don’t Look Now
The Third Man
The Maltese Falcon
Casablanca
The Pawnbroker
All About My Mother
All About Eve
Central Station
2001: A Space Odyssey
Trainspotting
A Clockwork Orange
O Lucky Man!
Dr Strangelove
Paths of Glory
Life of Brian
This is Spinal Tap
Withnail and I
Zulu
The Odd Couple
Glengarry Glen Ross
Scarface
Platoon
Salvador
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Vertigo
Out of Sight
Best in Show
Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer
Pulp Fiction
Love and Death
Annie Hall
24 Hour Party People
From Russia With Love
There Will Be Blood
No Country for Old Men
Barton Fink
Fargo
The Big Lebowski
Miller’s Crossing
Blood Simple
Do the Right Thing
The Seventh Seal
Psycho
The Untouchables
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
National Lampoon’s Animal House
Dumb and Dumber
Jaws
Minority Report
Marathon Man
Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Run
The King of Comedy
Taxi Driver
Get Carter
Raging Bull
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Sideways
Election
About Schmidt
Angel Heart
The French Connection
The Exorcist
The Terminator
Some Like it Hot
The Apartment
Jackie Brown
The Hustler
Cool Hand Luke
Lawrence of Arabia
Brief Encounter
Planet of the Apes
Citizen Kane
The Searchers
The Long Goodbye
The Player
M*A*S*H
Gregory’s Girl
The Wicker Man
The Dark Knight
Following
The Matrix
Blazing Saddles
The Producers
Young Frankenstein
Reservoir Dogs
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Once Upon a Time in the West
A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
Dog Day Afternoon
A History of Violence
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Once Upon a Time in America
Don’t Look Now
The Third Man
The Maltese Falcon
Casablanca
The Pawnbroker
All About My Mother
All About Eve
Central Station
2001: A Space Odyssey
Trainspotting
A Clockwork Orange
O Lucky Man!
Dr Strangelove
Paths of Glory
Life of Brian
This is Spinal Tap
Withnail and I
Zulu
The Odd Couple
Glengarry Glen Ross
Scarface
Platoon
Salvador
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Vertigo
Out of Sight
Best in Show
Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer
Pulp Fiction
Love and Death
Annie Hall
24 Hour Party People
From Russia With Love
There Will Be Blood
No Country for Old Men
Barton Fink
Fargo
The Big Lebowski
Miller’s Crossing
Blood Simple
Do the Right Thing
The Seventh Seal
Psycho
The Untouchables
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
National Lampoon’s Animal House
Dumb and Dumber
Jaws
Minority Report
Marathon Man
Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Run
The King of Comedy
Taxi Driver
Get Carter
Raging Bull
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Sideways
Election
About Schmidt
Angel Heart
The French Connection
The Exorcist
The Terminator
Some Like it Hot
The Apartment
Jackie Brown
The Hustler
Cool Hand Luke
Lawrence of Arabia
Brief Encounter
Planet of the Apes
Citizen Kane
The Searchers
The Long Goodbye
The Player
M*A*S*H
Gregory’s Girl
The Wicker Man
The Dark Knight
Following
The Matrix
Blazing Saddles
The Producers
Young Frankenstein
Reservoir Dogs
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Once Upon a Time in the West
A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
Dog Day Afternoon
A History of Violence
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
09/08/2009
Yadda yadda yadda
Yeah, first entry in months, guess that's the end of my solipsistic phase. My bullshit is but a grain of sand in the wind, so gonna use this to write down useful and hopefully insightful ideas as they appear. Pretty slowly, judging by the current rate!
***************************************************************************************
SCIENTIFIC DESERT ISLAND DISCS
We in the UK have a popular radio programme called Desert Island Discs. The show has been running for around 50 years and involves a pretty universal format: which 8 records/tracks/discs would you take with you to a desert island?
Of course, the whole premise that you would voluntarily end up on such an island and have only packed that number of discs and a record player (no HI FIs or iPods here, nothing battery operated in fact) does somewhat stretch credibility.
So the set up gradually became more macabre, with the host (then matronly Sue Lawley, now sultry Kirsty Young) intimating that the guest had washed onto the island as the sole survivor of an horrific, Lost-style plane crash, and had only managed to retrieve the above items.
For me, how you would come to pack your entire record collection for a flight also raises a few questions, but best to suspend disbelief I suppose.
Anyway, the whole point of this high-faluting set up is for the host to gently get their guest to reveal all sorts of unutterably fascinating details about their life. Depending on the guest, this can be pretty dull (for example when you've never heard of them) to mildly interesting (Martin Shaw used to be a bit of a pisshead, we were told recently).
As you can probably tell, I'm a bit of a begrudging follower of this show. What can I say: when you have no money and always wake up alone on a Sunday, you tend to have a lot of time on your hands.
So, over time, I've found a warp in the show's fabric: what if you only chose records which upped your chances of being rescued, and helped you survive the island?
The done thing, you see, is to pick records that are meaningful to you in some way, which have a connection to a time and place. Maybe the first record you ever heard; first record you made love to; first dance at your wedding; kids' favourite record; and so on.
And that's all well and good, but I think I'd be more concerned about surviving the wilderness and trying to get off it instead of revisiting a record collection which is by this point pretty well worn. So, indulge me as you would a B-list celebrity at mid-morning on Sunday, as I rundown my Desert Island survival records:
1) Gallows, In the Belly Of a Shark - this British punk band claim to have produced the loudest studio session ever; how better to get the attention of passing planes, and scare away wildlife, than by playing one of their records?
2) Hydrophonic Space, Supernova Incense - at 78.5 minutes long, this jam is reputedly the world's longest song. For similar reasons, then; the longer it runs, the more chance you have of being rescued
3) Learn Polynesian In 5 Days (Linguaphone) - I figure this mythical island is in the South Seas somewhere. Probably best to learn the lingo of the native sailor who might just drift across the water to apprehend you, then.
4) William Shatner, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds - in the words of George Clooney when he appeared on the show, you are more likely to cut off your own leg and hollow it out for a canoe than stick around to listen to this record. Pick it as an incentive to get off the rock.
5) Groove Armada, At the River - as the realisation dawns on you that no, no-one is coming to rescue you, and yes, the hallucination that you are surrounded by beautiful Waikiki beach babes and an endless supply of Bacardi in cocunut halves is real, what better record to create the impression that this is just a lovely little sojourn at the beach?
6) Katrina and the Waves, Walking on Sunshine - BUT before all that, best to have the most uplifting record of all time hidden away
7) Rex Harrison, Talk to the Animals - in order to quell the beasts queuing up to rip your head off, try and keep them at bay by attempting to persuade them of your powers of communication with them.
8) Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb - for when you've gone as bonkers as Syd Barrett.
Of course, if there's a record out there with the power to aerate soil or desalinate sea water and I've missed it out, then do feel free to tell me!
***************************************************************************************
SCIENTIFIC DESERT ISLAND DISCS
We in the UK have a popular radio programme called Desert Island Discs. The show has been running for around 50 years and involves a pretty universal format: which 8 records/tracks/discs would you take with you to a desert island?
Of course, the whole premise that you would voluntarily end up on such an island and have only packed that number of discs and a record player (no HI FIs or iPods here, nothing battery operated in fact) does somewhat stretch credibility.
So the set up gradually became more macabre, with the host (then matronly Sue Lawley, now sultry Kirsty Young) intimating that the guest had washed onto the island as the sole survivor of an horrific, Lost-style plane crash, and had only managed to retrieve the above items.
For me, how you would come to pack your entire record collection for a flight also raises a few questions, but best to suspend disbelief I suppose.
Anyway, the whole point of this high-faluting set up is for the host to gently get their guest to reveal all sorts of unutterably fascinating details about their life. Depending on the guest, this can be pretty dull (for example when you've never heard of them) to mildly interesting (Martin Shaw used to be a bit of a pisshead, we were told recently).
As you can probably tell, I'm a bit of a begrudging follower of this show. What can I say: when you have no money and always wake up alone on a Sunday, you tend to have a lot of time on your hands.
So, over time, I've found a warp in the show's fabric: what if you only chose records which upped your chances of being rescued, and helped you survive the island?
The done thing, you see, is to pick records that are meaningful to you in some way, which have a connection to a time and place. Maybe the first record you ever heard; first record you made love to; first dance at your wedding; kids' favourite record; and so on.
And that's all well and good, but I think I'd be more concerned about surviving the wilderness and trying to get off it instead of revisiting a record collection which is by this point pretty well worn. So, indulge me as you would a B-list celebrity at mid-morning on Sunday, as I rundown my Desert Island survival records:
1) Gallows, In the Belly Of a Shark - this British punk band claim to have produced the loudest studio session ever; how better to get the attention of passing planes, and scare away wildlife, than by playing one of their records?
2) Hydrophonic Space, Supernova Incense - at 78.5 minutes long, this jam is reputedly the world's longest song. For similar reasons, then; the longer it runs, the more chance you have of being rescued
3) Learn Polynesian In 5 Days (Linguaphone) - I figure this mythical island is in the South Seas somewhere. Probably best to learn the lingo of the native sailor who might just drift across the water to apprehend you, then.
4) William Shatner, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds - in the words of George Clooney when he appeared on the show, you are more likely to cut off your own leg and hollow it out for a canoe than stick around to listen to this record. Pick it as an incentive to get off the rock.
5) Groove Armada, At the River - as the realisation dawns on you that no, no-one is coming to rescue you, and yes, the hallucination that you are surrounded by beautiful Waikiki beach babes and an endless supply of Bacardi in cocunut halves is real, what better record to create the impression that this is just a lovely little sojourn at the beach?
6) Katrina and the Waves, Walking on Sunshine - BUT before all that, best to have the most uplifting record of all time hidden away
7) Rex Harrison, Talk to the Animals - in order to quell the beasts queuing up to rip your head off, try and keep them at bay by attempting to persuade them of your powers of communication with them.
8) Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb - for when you've gone as bonkers as Syd Barrett.
Of course, if there's a record out there with the power to aerate soil or desalinate sea water and I've missed it out, then do feel free to tell me!
23/03/2009
Endof the drought
OK, been a long old while since I entered anything, but not much been going on I'm afraid!
Economy keeps tumbling, jobs not out there, people I know taking time out, thinking I'll do the same. I'm putting less of a premium on jumping into a law firm with every passing day. As I was just saying to a friend, the idea that I'll have to put up with the kind of vacuous people I see every day in BPP fucking appalls me. And that's what you get when you shoot for the big firms, fucking robots. I know now for definite that's not for me.
No, I'm happy to wait this economic crisis out, not go hustling for this job or that job that may or may not be there. Never been suckered into all that cat and mouse of applications and playing the game before, unlikely to now. I just want to work with down to earth people who realise it's just a job, and if u help some people out on the way then no harm done!
So, what are my immediate plans? Travelling of course! I'm happy to secure a temporary job somewhere or other, get a few thousand together, tally that up with my saving, and spend as long as I can afford trekking around the globe. I've had this wheeze to start in Istanbul, pass thru some of the Middle East (not that that's easily done), work my way down to India, thru Asia, and fly home from Australia! Easier said than done, will start gettin travel guides together, getting logistics assessed, that kind of thing pretty soon.
My parents better be alright with it. I know they're concerned bout my welfare and I owe them a lot but I do wonder why my mother bothers to get involved sometimes. She just sent me an e-mail about a paralegal position in Bristol that starts in a few weeks! Pointless, ain't even qualified! but that does go to show that some work is still available, and that will be exactly the position when the recession breaks. my bro wants to get on the job treadmill as well, i can understand that but there's too much other stuff i wanna do.
so, what have i actually been doing? Had compulsory exams a few weeks back, not too worried bout them, couldn't give a shit by the end! hope I haven't failed any is all. get some results in a few days, spose that will be a good barometer. started elective modules couple of weeks back, fucking appalled by the denseness of the people i'm studying with. they've broken up my old tutor group, proper gutted! absoutely no banter these days, unbearable. reckon a bit a tactical dropping in to other ppl's sessions is in order, scope out the sound ppl. thin on the ground tho!
what else...easter soon, goin back home for that, lookin forward mucho mucho...went to a human rights law conference last week in nottingham, pretty interesting, rather annoyed that a bloke i know there didn't bother to come meet me...and getting over a cold by watching endless movies! see, not much! looking at Get Carter rite now, soooo good, never gets old!
How for now x
Economy keeps tumbling, jobs not out there, people I know taking time out, thinking I'll do the same. I'm putting less of a premium on jumping into a law firm with every passing day. As I was just saying to a friend, the idea that I'll have to put up with the kind of vacuous people I see every day in BPP fucking appalls me. And that's what you get when you shoot for the big firms, fucking robots. I know now for definite that's not for me.
No, I'm happy to wait this economic crisis out, not go hustling for this job or that job that may or may not be there. Never been suckered into all that cat and mouse of applications and playing the game before, unlikely to now. I just want to work with down to earth people who realise it's just a job, and if u help some people out on the way then no harm done!
So, what are my immediate plans? Travelling of course! I'm happy to secure a temporary job somewhere or other, get a few thousand together, tally that up with my saving, and spend as long as I can afford trekking around the globe. I've had this wheeze to start in Istanbul, pass thru some of the Middle East (not that that's easily done), work my way down to India, thru Asia, and fly home from Australia! Easier said than done, will start gettin travel guides together, getting logistics assessed, that kind of thing pretty soon.
My parents better be alright with it. I know they're concerned bout my welfare and I owe them a lot but I do wonder why my mother bothers to get involved sometimes. She just sent me an e-mail about a paralegal position in Bristol that starts in a few weeks! Pointless, ain't even qualified! but that does go to show that some work is still available, and that will be exactly the position when the recession breaks. my bro wants to get on the job treadmill as well, i can understand that but there's too much other stuff i wanna do.
so, what have i actually been doing? Had compulsory exams a few weeks back, not too worried bout them, couldn't give a shit by the end! hope I haven't failed any is all. get some results in a few days, spose that will be a good barometer. started elective modules couple of weeks back, fucking appalled by the denseness of the people i'm studying with. they've broken up my old tutor group, proper gutted! absoutely no banter these days, unbearable. reckon a bit a tactical dropping in to other ppl's sessions is in order, scope out the sound ppl. thin on the ground tho!
what else...easter soon, goin back home for that, lookin forward mucho mucho...went to a human rights law conference last week in nottingham, pretty interesting, rather annoyed that a bloke i know there didn't bother to come meet me...and getting over a cold by watching endless movies! see, not much! looking at Get Carter rite now, soooo good, never gets old!
How for now x
09/02/2009
Brick wall
How I long for the days when I don't have to sit exams any more! hit a serious brick wall this morning in the university library, got a serious rush of The Fear, so here I am back home in comfort.
in comfort and staring in disbelief at the "Revision Chatroom" that's been set up by the law school. i assume the format is there to bounce questions off tutors. WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT! HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE THESE PEOPLE GOT! I DID NOT PAY £10,000 FOR THIS USELESS GADGET!
yeh, i'm in a bit of a strop if u hadn't guessed, reckon a mindless printing session will sort me out!
xXx
in comfort and staring in disbelief at the "Revision Chatroom" that's been set up by the law school. i assume the format is there to bounce questions off tutors. WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT! HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE THESE PEOPLE GOT! I DID NOT PAY £10,000 FOR THIS USELESS GADGET!
yeh, i'm in a bit of a strop if u hadn't guessed, reckon a mindless printing session will sort me out!
xXx
24/01/2009
Justice for Columbia
Had a very eye-opening and enjoyable afternoon yesterday. What started as a networking exercise ended up active participation in an enlightening political meeting, and a session in the pub with my potential future employers. Let me explain.
I've been applying like mad for training contracts and vac schemes recently, trying to get my foot in the door with any firm who will have me. One of these is Thompson's, the UK's official lawyers for the trade union movement. Anyone who knows me will know I'm no socialist, but having seen their excellent presentation at BPP in November, I decided I had to give them a go, which I have (sent off for them last week).
All of which brought me to the regional offices of Unison yesterday afternoon. The two solicitors I had met before were giving a presentation on behalf of Justice for Columbia, a pressure group which was having its inaugral meeting in the North West, its launch in effect. They'd spoken about it a bit at BPP, and I think it put a lot of students off, to be honest (seeing as I'm the only person I know from the school who's applied, that could well be the case!)
However, I was prepared to sit through it again if it gave me a chance to network and make a good impression on them. What I wasn't prepared for was such a great insight into the nature of the work the firm does, and who it represents.
I arrived at the meeting and got chatting to this big bloke wearing a Palestinian shawl. Those things put me off immediately, but I saw past it when he said that he'd recently been to the region, had done the whole tour of duty if you will, spent time with union officials over there, been tear-gassed by the Israeli army, all that. I had a lot of respect for that. What then really grabbed my attention was when he went on to talk about the movement he was organising/part of to stop Nick Griffin and the BNP from gaining a foothold in the next set of elections.
(FYI: The European Parliamentary elections are coming up in May, and the BNP are currently polling 8% in the North West, where Griffin is on the list. This means that he, being top of the list, will gain entry to Brussels, align with the far-righters already in there, and push their agenda of hate and intolerance to the detriment of all Europe. This issue is very close to my heart, Griffin is the scourge of this country's politics, you only have to look at his party's website to know this. I'll probs be disappearing part way thru April and May knocking on doors across the region to try and stop them.)
Anyway, it turns out that this incredibly sound guy is the regional boss for the Fire Brigades' Union (his office is in Ellesmere Port in a lighthouse!) I sat next to him during the meeting, which was dedicated entirely to generating support for J for C from Unison. It was chaired by the regional head of Unison, who freaked me out ever so slightly by opening the meeting with "Good afternoon comrades...". I immediately felt like an imposter! However, I settled down once things got going, and the two solicitors gave their powerful presentation.
Justice for Columbia really is the most worthwhile, cogent political pressure group I have ever come across. The reasons the solicitors were involved was because scores of progressive lawyers are being killed there every year simply for speaking out against the regime and defending the families of the 'disappeared'. Unison were becoming interested because many trade union leaders were experiencing the same. There were also a couple of guys my age who were the token left-wing studenty types, but they also said their piece with great insight and dignity, none of the firebrand shouting that Manchester Students' Union adopts. As the presentation ended, I felt thoroughly convinced that this was a just cause.
What really struck me, and I asked a question to this effect, was how little the Columbians I worked with in America seemed to care about any of this. They are living, to all intents and purposes, in a police state, where the military regime in charge views the written constitution as 'mere poetry' , political dissidents are locked up and there are 4 million dispossessed peoples, the second highest number in the world after Sudan. But no mention was made of this to me by any of them (to be fair, I never asked), and the only real indicaiton of any views they had that I picked up on was that they were anti-FARC. One of the speakers, Mairella, made a good point that this was probably a cultural thing, that my friends were probably from a more priveliged background which was doing well out of the regime or at least tolerated it, and didn't want the Marxis 'guerrillas' coming along and spoiling everything. I could sort of understand that, from a practical if not from a moral standpoint.
Anyway, other members asked some good questions about, amongst other things, the point of this campaign, which they felt was something of a PR exercise, and to what extent the movement could emulate its efforts in South Africa in the 80s by getting involved with this. My new friend also forced the Nick Griffin issue. All in all, good stuff, Unison North West is on board, and clandestine moves will continue to be made to suspend British military aid to Columbia.
The meeting lasted a good two hours, after which it was time to mingle. Got chatting with the solicitors a bit about my application and the firm, talked a bit more about Nick Griffin, and spoke with some teachers about the evils of City Academies, left thoroughly convinced they are a very bad thing!
It was then time to repair to the pub, where I was bought drinks all afternoon! One of the lawyers had to dash off to the office, but the other one and the Fire Brigades' guy sat with me in the Wellington Arms just off the Triangle all afternoon buying me Timothy Taylor! Class! All of which fuelled discussion of politics, trade union law issues (specifically employment - very hot topic with all the layoffs going on all over the place) and our repsective life stories. I'd always been fed the line by my parents that the unions were a pestilence on this country in the 70s (which FBU admitted) and that is still, when you think about it, the line that continues to be fed to us by the media. But when I got home that night, bit 'refreshed' and cooking my dinner, I felt that these were thoroughly decent men and women, standing up for what they believed in. It will be a pleasure to work for them (if I get in!)
Hasta luego!
16/01/2009
New York Stories
Had some pretty surreal encounters when I was out travelling, not least of which were in the Big Apple...
- First get to the city after travelling 5 hours by coach, thru ridiculous Friday night traffic. Arrive at Port Authority only to be bolked out of $40 by some guy who found me and my friend a cab. Still, was the only way of getting one! Stayed at a hostel in midtown in a room with, variously, a fat snoring Mexican and his mate; a very sweet young couple; and a couple of fun girls who'd just come in from camp like me. Kinda a weired experience, one of the girl's boyfriends was around and was al a bit incestuous. Played a drinking game using cheerleading sticks - u take the caps of the stick and pour ur drink in, then twist the other end off and let the drink just flow down ur gullet. Vacuum, see? We then went out in town but I lost them for some bizarre reason and had to bugger off home. Wasn't 21 at the time so probs a good thing!
- Met an old white South African at the same hostel who was in the city 'researching history' he said. I asked him tentatively if he identified himself as 'Afrikaans', knowing full well what a combustible term that is! He didn't seem too offended!
- Got chatting to a lovely, slightly doddery couple at the US Open. Very friendly, the woman asked me where I was from, I said Wales, she was delighted, couldn't wait to tell her husband, he racks his brains for Welsh knowledge, says..."Wales...I know Cardiff...and that's about it." To which I say "That'll do..."
- Went out to Coney Island, Brooklyn and rode the world's oldest rollercoaster, and ate fantastic junk food. Nuff said!
- Went to see the Conan O'brien show being taped. Was meant to be going with a really cool Texan girl I'd met the night b4 but they ran out of tkts! Oh well. Very very funny nonetheless, and got chatting with a really nice lad from Melbourne in the audience. Ran into him in the hostel a few days later, small world!
- Spent a glorious few hours in the Met and MoMa. Saw, again, what I consider to be the greatest painting of all time, a portrait by Jean-Louis David
- Was yelled at by some harassed woman for getting in her way going down the stairs in the Subway. wud hav been disappointed if hadn't been yelled at by at least one New Yorker!
- Stayed in Harlem one night. Hung with a couple of Puerto Ricans, couple of Dutch, couple of Kiwis. went to a hookah bar in Greenwich Village, some random Italian joined us and made us pick up his tab! ended the evening scouring Lexington for a fast food joint with an Ulsterman called Marty ('Mar-dee' as he said it), ended up eating some disgusting 'meat' in 'pastry'. Never again!
- Watched the Princess Bride by the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, in the company of some utterly chamring people who let me share their picnic. the friendly side of New York.
- Saw Superbad in Times Square. I LOVE american movie audiences! if they find something laugh out loud funny or cool, they clap and cheer and don't give a shit what people think! We r SO stuck up in this country by comparison!
That's it for now, I got a few more tho!
- First get to the city after travelling 5 hours by coach, thru ridiculous Friday night traffic. Arrive at Port Authority only to be bolked out of $40 by some guy who found me and my friend a cab. Still, was the only way of getting one! Stayed at a hostel in midtown in a room with, variously, a fat snoring Mexican and his mate; a very sweet young couple; and a couple of fun girls who'd just come in from camp like me. Kinda a weired experience, one of the girl's boyfriends was around and was al a bit incestuous. Played a drinking game using cheerleading sticks - u take the caps of the stick and pour ur drink in, then twist the other end off and let the drink just flow down ur gullet. Vacuum, see? We then went out in town but I lost them for some bizarre reason and had to bugger off home. Wasn't 21 at the time so probs a good thing!
- Met an old white South African at the same hostel who was in the city 'researching history' he said. I asked him tentatively if he identified himself as 'Afrikaans', knowing full well what a combustible term that is! He didn't seem too offended!
- Got chatting to a lovely, slightly doddery couple at the US Open. Very friendly, the woman asked me where I was from, I said Wales, she was delighted, couldn't wait to tell her husband, he racks his brains for Welsh knowledge, says..."Wales...I know Cardiff...and that's about it." To which I say "That'll do..."
- Went out to Coney Island, Brooklyn and rode the world's oldest rollercoaster, and ate fantastic junk food. Nuff said!
- Went to see the Conan O'brien show being taped. Was meant to be going with a really cool Texan girl I'd met the night b4 but they ran out of tkts! Oh well. Very very funny nonetheless, and got chatting with a really nice lad from Melbourne in the audience. Ran into him in the hostel a few days later, small world!
- Spent a glorious few hours in the Met and MoMa. Saw, again, what I consider to be the greatest painting of all time, a portrait by Jean-Louis David
- Was yelled at by some harassed woman for getting in her way going down the stairs in the Subway. wud hav been disappointed if hadn't been yelled at by at least one New Yorker!
- Stayed in Harlem one night. Hung with a couple of Puerto Ricans, couple of Dutch, couple of Kiwis. went to a hookah bar in Greenwich Village, some random Italian joined us and made us pick up his tab! ended the evening scouring Lexington for a fast food joint with an Ulsterman called Marty ('Mar-dee' as he said it), ended up eating some disgusting 'meat' in 'pastry'. Never again!
- Watched the Princess Bride by the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, in the company of some utterly chamring people who let me share their picnic. the friendly side of New York.
- Saw Superbad in Times Square. I LOVE american movie audiences! if they find something laugh out loud funny or cool, they clap and cheer and don't give a shit what people think! We r SO stuck up in this country by comparison!
That's it for now, I got a few more tho!
14/01/2009
A belated distillation of my Edinburgh festival...
Yeh, as mentioned before went to Edinboro festival, loved it, hav had these little reviews I jotted down on the way back home plastered to my bedroom for a while...
- 1000 Years of German Humour - 3.5/5 - two mad Krauts treading the careful line between embracing of and rebuttal of their national stereotypes. Particularly inspired section came when one of the guys' trousers fell down as he payed the flute part from Wagner. Won an award for that, so he did. We chose this show on a whim based on it was the first I saw up on the big board at the Smirnoff Underbelly. Glad I did!
Count Arthur Strong - 4/5 - possibly the funniest comedy character created in the last 10 years, Arthur has become most famous to listeners of Radio 4. Can't really explain his genius without u hearing him. the premise of the character is that he is a faded showbiz grandee coping with senility. sounds odd rite? it is, but brilliant!
the show didn't really add much in value for seeing the character in the flesh. quite upsetting to see him doddering around tbh! the real bonus was the ingenious doctoring of old TV footage to include Arthur in his glory days. hilarious!
Espionage free gigs - 3/5 - stumbled upon two of these. the club just up from our hostel ran shows which didn't charge entry, just a donation, every night, which was well convenient1
mixed bag really. don't really remember the first night, was well pissed, but there was definitely an ill looking Geordie telling nice little Vic n bob esque jokes and a classic Scotsman rattling off carefully rehearsed, brilliantly cutting one liners as fast as the audience could keep up with him.
the second night we went in relatively sober, and had a very surprising, and for me, wonderful, experience. the performer was a transsexual, which I only really clocked when she mentioned it. her act was very esoteric and consiered, taking in themes and identity politics...again, really difficult to descirbe but laugh out loud funny. made me come to some big realisations in my life as well.
Rhod gilbert - 5/5 - the funniest man in the UK today, hands down. the pride of Wales, Rhod was absolutely flawless. anyone who's seen this show will attest the man is verbally, physically and stylistically stunning. he tells the story of his mental breakdown at Knutsford service station and it is a joy to behold. takes in the demands of trying to sexually satisfy a much younger woman, the Taleban, bunch of other stuff. left the theatre wanting to be him. also was chuffed to see him milling round outsdie the theatre waiting to go in with the rest of us! wasn't a bit bothered by me staring at him! i think! also, even got a bit of banter in there with him, somehow! don't ask!
Oxford Imps - 2/5 - very boring family-friendly improv by oh so very clever oh so very smug Oxbridge scum. the only member worth a damn was a Yank, very gifted he was too. the far better improv effort was...
...The Shrimps - 4.5/5 - filthy geniuses. again ,was raging drunk when i saw them but was blown away by their skill. for every dud(dish) gag that came along they hit us back with another gem, mind-blowing! several future stars in the making there I think. how they didn't blanche at my drunken suggestion that they parody a 'Ukrainian abortion drama' I do not know! amazing
E4 Laughs At Edinburgh - 4/5 - nice little showcase at the ungodly hour of 10 in the morning. Rhod was compering, his rattattat style to the fore, made my friends insanely jealous of me that i'd got tkts for him and they hadn't! his pal Lloyd Langford was up first, very amusing South Walean, hilarious accent! then came a superb agitprop poet called Luke Young, hope he goes far, gave a dizzying demolition of MySpace, excellent. then some little bastards called the School of Comedy were up, just swore uncontrollably, not nice. i hate this trend in modern comedy of people thinking it's simply funny to swear and that's it. where's the craft. Sure, Bill Hicks, the best stand up of all time, swore, but it was with beauty, wit and passion.
last guy was some Oirish crooner/comic, very 'nice'.
Hamlet - 5/5 - I feel so priveliged to have seen this. a three-hander, it focussed on just the scenes involving the protagonist, still no mean feat! really honed in on the tragedy and passion of the piece. there was magic in that hotel bar, no denying it!
Tudur Owen - 3/5 - we'd done South, we had to do North. Tudur is from Anglesey like us, now a big TV star in Wales. this was his solo show in English, a very very amusing story about a 'zoo' his father opened on Anglesey. again, can't really explain, the whole thing was very...Anglesey!
Street Theatre - 4/5 - thoguht I'd mention this as we saw practically a whole show whilst standing in the sun one day. the guy's name was Pedro Tencho, and what that man can't fashion out of simple balloons and air isn't worth knowing! he roped my mate into playing an orge in his little show - as I say, just using 'balloon' props. magical.
Do's and Don'ts of Dating - 3.5/5 - nicely crafted little piece about, erm, dating. sassy three string cast go thru all the rituals of dating, stretching a different scenario to its most ridiculous conclusion. very funny, they all deserve to be stars. the two girls involved also had another show, kinda wish i'd seen it. they were excellent; my friend thoguht not; so i called him a comedy misogynist. but not one in general! haha, we're still friends.
P.S. -
Had meant to go see Jerry Sadowitz, whose videoed show from 1988 i hav and fucking love, but he was apparently ill so i spent £12 for nothing! arrrrgh!!!!!
THANKS FOR LISTENING ONCE AGAIN!
- 1000 Years of German Humour - 3.5/5 - two mad Krauts treading the careful line between embracing of and rebuttal of their national stereotypes. Particularly inspired section came when one of the guys' trousers fell down as he payed the flute part from Wagner. Won an award for that, so he did. We chose this show on a whim based on it was the first I saw up on the big board at the Smirnoff Underbelly. Glad I did!
Count Arthur Strong - 4/5 - possibly the funniest comedy character created in the last 10 years, Arthur has become most famous to listeners of Radio 4. Can't really explain his genius without u hearing him. the premise of the character is that he is a faded showbiz grandee coping with senility. sounds odd rite? it is, but brilliant!
the show didn't really add much in value for seeing the character in the flesh. quite upsetting to see him doddering around tbh! the real bonus was the ingenious doctoring of old TV footage to include Arthur in his glory days. hilarious!
Espionage free gigs - 3/5 - stumbled upon two of these. the club just up from our hostel ran shows which didn't charge entry, just a donation, every night, which was well convenient1
mixed bag really. don't really remember the first night, was well pissed, but there was definitely an ill looking Geordie telling nice little Vic n bob esque jokes and a classic Scotsman rattling off carefully rehearsed, brilliantly cutting one liners as fast as the audience could keep up with him.
the second night we went in relatively sober, and had a very surprising, and for me, wonderful, experience. the performer was a transsexual, which I only really clocked when she mentioned it. her act was very esoteric and consiered, taking in themes and identity politics...again, really difficult to descirbe but laugh out loud funny. made me come to some big realisations in my life as well.
Rhod gilbert - 5/5 - the funniest man in the UK today, hands down. the pride of Wales, Rhod was absolutely flawless. anyone who's seen this show will attest the man is verbally, physically and stylistically stunning. he tells the story of his mental breakdown at Knutsford service station and it is a joy to behold. takes in the demands of trying to sexually satisfy a much younger woman, the Taleban, bunch of other stuff. left the theatre wanting to be him. also was chuffed to see him milling round outsdie the theatre waiting to go in with the rest of us! wasn't a bit bothered by me staring at him! i think! also, even got a bit of banter in there with him, somehow! don't ask!
Oxford Imps - 2/5 - very boring family-friendly improv by oh so very clever oh so very smug Oxbridge scum. the only member worth a damn was a Yank, very gifted he was too. the far better improv effort was...
...The Shrimps - 4.5/5 - filthy geniuses. again ,was raging drunk when i saw them but was blown away by their skill. for every dud(dish) gag that came along they hit us back with another gem, mind-blowing! several future stars in the making there I think. how they didn't blanche at my drunken suggestion that they parody a 'Ukrainian abortion drama' I do not know! amazing
E4 Laughs At Edinburgh - 4/5 - nice little showcase at the ungodly hour of 10 in the morning. Rhod was compering, his rattattat style to the fore, made my friends insanely jealous of me that i'd got tkts for him and they hadn't! his pal Lloyd Langford was up first, very amusing South Walean, hilarious accent! then came a superb agitprop poet called Luke Young, hope he goes far, gave a dizzying demolition of MySpace, excellent. then some little bastards called the School of Comedy were up, just swore uncontrollably, not nice. i hate this trend in modern comedy of people thinking it's simply funny to swear and that's it. where's the craft. Sure, Bill Hicks, the best stand up of all time, swore, but it was with beauty, wit and passion.
last guy was some Oirish crooner/comic, very 'nice'.
Hamlet - 5/5 - I feel so priveliged to have seen this. a three-hander, it focussed on just the scenes involving the protagonist, still no mean feat! really honed in on the tragedy and passion of the piece. there was magic in that hotel bar, no denying it!
Tudur Owen - 3/5 - we'd done South, we had to do North. Tudur is from Anglesey like us, now a big TV star in Wales. this was his solo show in English, a very very amusing story about a 'zoo' his father opened on Anglesey. again, can't really explain, the whole thing was very...Anglesey!
Street Theatre - 4/5 - thoguht I'd mention this as we saw practically a whole show whilst standing in the sun one day. the guy's name was Pedro Tencho, and what that man can't fashion out of simple balloons and air isn't worth knowing! he roped my mate into playing an orge in his little show - as I say, just using 'balloon' props. magical.
Do's and Don'ts of Dating - 3.5/5 - nicely crafted little piece about, erm, dating. sassy three string cast go thru all the rituals of dating, stretching a different scenario to its most ridiculous conclusion. very funny, they all deserve to be stars. the two girls involved also had another show, kinda wish i'd seen it. they were excellent; my friend thoguht not; so i called him a comedy misogynist. but not one in general! haha, we're still friends.
P.S. -
Had meant to go see Jerry Sadowitz, whose videoed show from 1988 i hav and fucking love, but he was apparently ill so i spent £12 for nothing! arrrrgh!!!!!
THANKS FOR LISTENING ONCE AGAIN!
18/12/2008
The last pick 'n mix
Woolies is shutting down! Only just hit me today as I shambled in for one last pick n mix, and to pick up a bottle of sun tan lotion for £1! Currently munching on those slightly sexy cherry lips and crazy fried eggs as we speak. Might even freeze some of them for posterity! got a rush from choildhood as well lookin at the star wars figures and other toys!
Back home Saturday for Xmas, can't wait! This week of college is so pointless, just mock exams, finished yesterday 40 minutes early and buggered off! couldn't answer any more! of course, I hope it all comes good for the uber geeks who stalk the halls of BPP, they deserve some reward for their lack of a sense of perspective!
been an alright term overall, i'm holding up better than I thought, and it's all starting to come together, just like uni. Awena also tells me I'm down to the last 30 for DBF as well which is bloody brilliant news! finally some progress!
won my debate, found out yesterday, also good.
Ciao x
Back home Saturday for Xmas, can't wait! This week of college is so pointless, just mock exams, finished yesterday 40 minutes early and buggered off! couldn't answer any more! of course, I hope it all comes good for the uber geeks who stalk the halls of BPP, they deserve some reward for their lack of a sense of perspective!
been an alright term overall, i'm holding up better than I thought, and it's all starting to come together, just like uni. Awena also tells me I'm down to the last 30 for DBF as well which is bloody brilliant news! finally some progress!
won my debate, found out yesterday, also good.
Ciao x
14/12/2008
Something else...
Wrote this poem in the wee small hours as a house party blared downstairs...
THE SMITHS PLAY THE NATIONAL BALLROOM, KILBURN
The gladioli of doubt
Pinion round the crown
Of the King of Fools
He sways, beatific,
and sings you a lullaby,
an anthem for doomed youth
The question, What is it
I've got that you have not?,
is not his to answer.
He is what you want him to be.
Effete, charming. Gaunt, wiry.
Lanky, striking. Sinner, saint.
A Man for All Suspicions.
What about his mind?
Is that what sets him apart?
He transforms the turgid,
electrifies the ordinary,
screws up the rulebook of rock n roll
Sunny days for him are dreaded,
He'd hang the DJ to quell the panic,
He opens up freer to the girl miles away
Than the girl across the street he lusts after
He should be rocking out,
but instead he's fucking up,
singing so beautifully about the pain of manhood.
He isn't right, this isn't proper,
it shouldn't work but it does,
Oh how it does!
You want to be him
and girls want to be with him
And you want to be with those girls!
So you sway along with everyone else,
a sight in your specs and hearing aid.
You came on your own, but don't want to leave alone.
So you spend the night, trying to catch the eye
of a buck-toothed girl from Luxembourg.
THE SMITHS PLAY THE NATIONAL BALLROOM, KILBURN
The gladioli of doubt
Pinion round the crown
Of the King of Fools
He sways, beatific,
and sings you a lullaby,
an anthem for doomed youth
The question, What is it
I've got that you have not?,
is not his to answer.
He is what you want him to be.
Effete, charming. Gaunt, wiry.
Lanky, striking. Sinner, saint.
A Man for All Suspicions.
What about his mind?
Is that what sets him apart?
He transforms the turgid,
electrifies the ordinary,
screws up the rulebook of rock n roll
Sunny days for him are dreaded,
He'd hang the DJ to quell the panic,
He opens up freer to the girl miles away
Than the girl across the street he lusts after
He should be rocking out,
but instead he's fucking up,
singing so beautifully about the pain of manhood.
He isn't right, this isn't proper,
it shouldn't work but it does,
Oh how it does!
You want to be him
and girls want to be with him
And you want to be with those girls!
So you sway along with everyone else,
a sight in your specs and hearing aid.
You came on your own, but don't want to leave alone.
So you spend the night, trying to catch the eye
of a buck-toothed girl from Luxembourg.
11/12/2008
Love and Death
An occasional series where I give the rundown on my favourite movies...
Love and Death (1975), Dir: Woody Allen
Allen's last "early, funny one", this 75 minute souffle slips by in no time at all yet leaves the viewer completely satisfied. Often acknowledged as the greatest Marx brothers never made, this melding of inspired sight gags, sex comedy, philosophical musing, historical spoof, European stereotypes and, of course, Jewish nebbish one-liners, is easily Woody's funniest effort.
The film benefits greatly from its authentic European stylings, with much of the supporting cast assaulting the audience with their rich Russian accents and adopting the kind of exaggerated theatrics to which Allen's script is tailor-made.
The movie is heavily plotted but never burdensome. It concerns a young Russian noble, Boris (Allen), and his unrequited love for his cousin, Sonya (the luminous Diane Keaton, outclassing Allen in the comedy stakes). Their on-again, off-again relationship is tracked the length and breadth of Franco-Russian relations at the turn of the 17th century as Napoleon's forces threaten an idyllic family life. Culminating in a riotous infiltration of the Emperor's palace, the movie is a laugh riot on both a gut-busting and a mind-bending level.
Allen would 'grow up' after this last guffaw, charming the Academy with the definitive relationship movie that is Annie Hall the next year. Whilst he certainly matured as a writer, he was never as good a filmmaker in the true sense of the word after this and Sleeper. The screen teems with often inspired images, particularly in the key battle scene between the French and the Russians. What a long way he has fallen in the last decade; the best thing for him to do would be to retire to his mansion and re-watch his magnificent life's work. I certainly recommend you do the same.
Love and Death (1975), Dir: Woody Allen
Allen's last "early, funny one", this 75 minute souffle slips by in no time at all yet leaves the viewer completely satisfied. Often acknowledged as the greatest Marx brothers never made, this melding of inspired sight gags, sex comedy, philosophical musing, historical spoof, European stereotypes and, of course, Jewish nebbish one-liners, is easily Woody's funniest effort.
The film benefits greatly from its authentic European stylings, with much of the supporting cast assaulting the audience with their rich Russian accents and adopting the kind of exaggerated theatrics to which Allen's script is tailor-made.
The movie is heavily plotted but never burdensome. It concerns a young Russian noble, Boris (Allen), and his unrequited love for his cousin, Sonya (the luminous Diane Keaton, outclassing Allen in the comedy stakes). Their on-again, off-again relationship is tracked the length and breadth of Franco-Russian relations at the turn of the 17th century as Napoleon's forces threaten an idyllic family life. Culminating in a riotous infiltration of the Emperor's palace, the movie is a laugh riot on both a gut-busting and a mind-bending level.
Allen would 'grow up' after this last guffaw, charming the Academy with the definitive relationship movie that is Annie Hall the next year. Whilst he certainly matured as a writer, he was never as good a filmmaker in the true sense of the word after this and Sleeper. The screen teems with often inspired images, particularly in the key battle scene between the French and the Russians. What a long way he has fallen in the last decade; the best thing for him to do would be to retire to his mansion and re-watch his magnificent life's work. I certainly recommend you do the same.
01/12/2008
For some reason, I haven't made an entry for about 6 weeks now, but I finally feel moved to. Look at the tumultuous events occurring on the world stage for a start. So much to talk about.
So it seems that Barack Obama is being more tentative about the change agenda than at first we thought. By filling his cabinet with a great number of former aides-de-camp of Bill Clinton, he is avquiring wise old heads but also charges of a lack of nerve to upset the status quo in Washington as he promised he would. This all adds up to moderate-leaning administration which may not have the inclination or cross-party appeal to carry through the radical overhaul of policy that the US badly needs.
What has to be borne in mind is that Barack comes in when the very cetainties of Western liberal capitalist democracy are under severe strain. The consensus that having a former Wall Street executive run the Fed, for example, is being challenged on all sides, especially when that exec may at the current rate be handed the job the afternoon of the day his bank collapses. But a kneejerk reaction on all sides is not the way to develop sustainable policy. We will always need experts in the field at the head of the financial sector, who have had vested interests in the money markets and are in a position to properly direct policy.
One more serious sticking point could be the foreign policy outlook of Obama's ensigns. Hillary Clinton is set for State, and I was involved in a debate this week that asserted this a risky move. Bearing in mind her soundings on the obliteration of Iran and less than clear approach to the Iraq exit, she could present a view to foreign powers that does not tally with those of her boss. Any gap between them is then open for Ahmadinajad and other geo-political rivals to drive through.
I suppose it's all far too early to condemn the Obama term before it even starts, just interesting how quickly doubts have been raised. What concerns me even more is that the race for Minnesota rumbles on. I looked into the background of it when I heard Al Franken was running, to my surprise, on the Democrat ticket. Never for one minute thinking a comedian could present a credible candidate for Senate, I am now convinced that Al is a good an alternative as anyone to the suit with a parachute who is Norm Coleman. What I don't understnad is why the intemrinable process of recounts is so engrained in the electoral system. It's been 27 days since most results were declared, and yet here we are still waiting for legal challenges over literally handfuls of votes to be decided. There's even talk of an appeal to the Supreme Court. Why not just re-run the contest? This murky scrapping in far-flung corners of the state undermines the mandate of the eventual winner, which can only be restored if the voters minds are made plain again by a re-casting. I just think it sullies a victory if it's dragged out this long.
The Damian Green affair has also left me confused. Sifting through the timeline yesterday, I realised he must have behaved out of the ordinary for the police intrusion to reach the stage it did. Leaks occur all the time but arrests never occur as a result. There is talk of him having induced these leaks, which is apparently not the same as plain old receiving them. This appears in some way to be linked to a Tory mole at the Treasury. If this is the same civil servant who is being investigates, surely they didn't need inducing in the first place? Are we talking about blackmail here, or simply bribery? Why does any of this even matter when the four instances of supposed breach were not even national security issues, just mildly controversial and embarassing admissions? It all seems pretty kneejerk to me, but we shall see.
As for me personally (!), got back from a weekend in Cardiff yesterday, had a super time at the match, that last five minutes was the longest of my life! Glad Gatland's nerve held in keeping Jones on the pitch depsite his usual erratic efforts with the boot. He was integral to the midfield play and dictated the pace of the match. It may not have been pretty but it got the job done. Onwards to the grand slam!
What else? Back to work this week really, currently wading through powers of directors, lovely solicitors accounts to crack this evening. Still, not long till Xmas, kinda occupying a big corner of my infantile mind right now. Can't help it when there's frost outside and I'm all warm indoors. Think I'll reach my peak of giddiness when the Radio Times comes out: then it's official for me! Been getting into the mood for a good week or so though, repeated visits to the German market yielding brandied drinking chocolate and delicious biscuits. Best part of Xmas in Manchester.
Well, best get back to work, deadline approaching!
So it seems that Barack Obama is being more tentative about the change agenda than at first we thought. By filling his cabinet with a great number of former aides-de-camp of Bill Clinton, he is avquiring wise old heads but also charges of a lack of nerve to upset the status quo in Washington as he promised he would. This all adds up to moderate-leaning administration which may not have the inclination or cross-party appeal to carry through the radical overhaul of policy that the US badly needs.
What has to be borne in mind is that Barack comes in when the very cetainties of Western liberal capitalist democracy are under severe strain. The consensus that having a former Wall Street executive run the Fed, for example, is being challenged on all sides, especially when that exec may at the current rate be handed the job the afternoon of the day his bank collapses. But a kneejerk reaction on all sides is not the way to develop sustainable policy. We will always need experts in the field at the head of the financial sector, who have had vested interests in the money markets and are in a position to properly direct policy.
One more serious sticking point could be the foreign policy outlook of Obama's ensigns. Hillary Clinton is set for State, and I was involved in a debate this week that asserted this a risky move. Bearing in mind her soundings on the obliteration of Iran and less than clear approach to the Iraq exit, she could present a view to foreign powers that does not tally with those of her boss. Any gap between them is then open for Ahmadinajad and other geo-political rivals to drive through.
I suppose it's all far too early to condemn the Obama term before it even starts, just interesting how quickly doubts have been raised. What concerns me even more is that the race for Minnesota rumbles on. I looked into the background of it when I heard Al Franken was running, to my surprise, on the Democrat ticket. Never for one minute thinking a comedian could present a credible candidate for Senate, I am now convinced that Al is a good an alternative as anyone to the suit with a parachute who is Norm Coleman. What I don't understnad is why the intemrinable process of recounts is so engrained in the electoral system. It's been 27 days since most results were declared, and yet here we are still waiting for legal challenges over literally handfuls of votes to be decided. There's even talk of an appeal to the Supreme Court. Why not just re-run the contest? This murky scrapping in far-flung corners of the state undermines the mandate of the eventual winner, which can only be restored if the voters minds are made plain again by a re-casting. I just think it sullies a victory if it's dragged out this long.
The Damian Green affair has also left me confused. Sifting through the timeline yesterday, I realised he must have behaved out of the ordinary for the police intrusion to reach the stage it did. Leaks occur all the time but arrests never occur as a result. There is talk of him having induced these leaks, which is apparently not the same as plain old receiving them. This appears in some way to be linked to a Tory mole at the Treasury. If this is the same civil servant who is being investigates, surely they didn't need inducing in the first place? Are we talking about blackmail here, or simply bribery? Why does any of this even matter when the four instances of supposed breach were not even national security issues, just mildly controversial and embarassing admissions? It all seems pretty kneejerk to me, but we shall see.
As for me personally (!), got back from a weekend in Cardiff yesterday, had a super time at the match, that last five minutes was the longest of my life! Glad Gatland's nerve held in keeping Jones on the pitch depsite his usual erratic efforts with the boot. He was integral to the midfield play and dictated the pace of the match. It may not have been pretty but it got the job done. Onwards to the grand slam!
What else? Back to work this week really, currently wading through powers of directors, lovely solicitors accounts to crack this evening. Still, not long till Xmas, kinda occupying a big corner of my infantile mind right now. Can't help it when there's frost outside and I'm all warm indoors. Think I'll reach my peak of giddiness when the Radio Times comes out: then it's official for me! Been getting into the mood for a good week or so though, repeated visits to the German market yielding brandied drinking chocolate and delicious biscuits. Best part of Xmas in Manchester.
Well, best get back to work, deadline approaching!
18/10/2008
By the same token...
...any mental health expert will tell you its as healthy to unload those things that piss you off or just annoy you, so here goes:-
The apparent emotional sterility of far too many people I come across
The word 'no' and its connotations
Society's attitudes towards certain vices
The mainstream media, particularly the BBC
Political correctness gone mad
Rah's
The Manchester bus infrastructure
Flakes (people)
Identikit nightclubs, playing the same commercial R n B for the same assholes to pose to
The unpredictability of the winds in Manchester, re. positioning of one's umbrella
Being told I read too much
Intellectual bullies (I know I can be accused of this)
Paraochialism/Little England-ism/The Last Night of the Prom
Having said that, townies ignorant of the demands of country life, in particular vermin control
Racist, sexist, unfunny comedians
Rowan Atkinson and John Cleese since they sold out
Organised religion
The ending of Pearl Harbor, great movie until then
Rude, curt rejection letters
(Think that's it for now, probably think of some more later)
The apparent emotional sterility of far too many people I come across
The word 'no' and its connotations
Society's attitudes towards certain vices
The mainstream media, particularly the BBC
Political correctness gone mad
Rah's
The Manchester bus infrastructure
Flakes (people)
Identikit nightclubs, playing the same commercial R n B for the same assholes to pose to
The unpredictability of the winds in Manchester, re. positioning of one's umbrella
Being told I read too much
Intellectual bullies (I know I can be accused of this)
Paraochialism/Little England-ism/The Last Night of the Prom
Having said that, townies ignorant of the demands of country life, in particular vermin control
Racist, sexist, unfunny comedians
Rowan Atkinson and John Cleese since they sold out
Organised religion
The ending of Pearl Harbor, great movie until then
Rude, curt rejection letters
(Think that's it for now, probably think of some more later)
13/10/2008
10/10/2008
An exercise in positive thinking
Taking a cue from one of my friends, here is an alphabetical list of things and people I like and love to refer to when I'm feeling a bit down and frustrated:-
American democracy
Albert from Only Fools and Horses
Apple juice
Answering quesitons correctly
Beaches
Brian Eno
Beautiful girls
Bags of free stuff from conferences, etc
Charlie Higson's work
Camel cigarettes
Chanteurs/chanteuses
Civil disobedience
Dad
Dozier, Lamont
Dewdrops on leaves
Dogs, not all of them though
Eating good food, or cheap stuff that tastes fine
Entrepreneurial spirit
Entering a club/bar
Entertaining relatives
Finding stuff
Finding stuff out
Fresh clothes and bedding
Freedom of speech
Gareth
Gogol Bordello
Gordon Ramsey
Gates kept in good repair
Hyannis
Hope
High items that I can reach and others can't
Howlin Wolf
I.T. support staff who are human beings
Indigo Jones, and other classical architects
Inigo Montaya (The Princess Bride)
iPod culture
Jewish humour
Jeans
John Sparkes
Jon Culshaw
Kate Moss
Kewell, Harry, circa 1998
Kit Kats
Kicking stones/leaves on an autumn day
Lazy days
Leone, Sergio
Libraries
Late service in fast food restaurants, very civilised
Monty from Withnail and I
Maggie
Making it in on time
Mum
Neil Young
New-born babies
Neckties
New shoes
Order of the Phoenix, book and film
Octupus, surprisingly tasty
O'Neills pub, anywhere in the world
Opening presents
Philosophy
Politics
Physical fitness (in certain circumstances!)
Ploughed fields
Q.I.
Question Time when no politicians are on
Quoting obscure lyrics/books/comedians, etc
Quails' eggs (again surprisingly tasty)
Roger Moore
Rule-bending (not breaking)
Rhodedendrons
Right-wing people being shouted down
Stephen Fry
Simon Amstell
Sancerre chardonnay
Sir Robert Winston
Taking time to do a good job
Trust
Tenacious people, women especially
T'Street (Coronation)
UV rays
Unbelievable (that dance song)
Unimaginable genius of Daniel Day-Lewis, The
Umpires decisinos being verified by a TV screen
Very long walks
V for Vendetta
Verizon US
Vocal singing
Werner Herzog
Wily old people
Who, The
Waiting for Godot
Xabi Alonso (great player even if a Red)
Xavier, Professor Charles
Xylophones, the kind Santana sample
X-ray specs
Yootha Joye sparring with Brian Murphy
Young Ones, The (TV)
Yelling jokey abuse at mates
Y2K celebrations
OK, I'll stop at Z but you get the idea. I'd also add proportional representation, the rest of my family and friends, and Shami Chakrabati/Clive Stafford-Smith and Michael Mansfield, the Holy Trinity of Human Rights lawyers.
Thanks!
American democracy
Albert from Only Fools and Horses
Apple juice
Answering quesitons correctly
Beaches
Brian Eno
Beautiful girls
Bags of free stuff from conferences, etc
Charlie Higson's work
Camel cigarettes
Chanteurs/chanteuses
Civil disobedience
Dad
Dozier, Lamont
Dewdrops on leaves
Dogs, not all of them though
Eating good food, or cheap stuff that tastes fine
Entrepreneurial spirit
Entering a club/bar
Entertaining relatives
Finding stuff
Finding stuff out
Fresh clothes and bedding
Freedom of speech
Gareth
Gogol Bordello
Gordon Ramsey
Gates kept in good repair
Hyannis
Hope
High items that I can reach and others can't
Howlin Wolf
I.T. support staff who are human beings
Indigo Jones, and other classical architects
Inigo Montaya (The Princess Bride)
iPod culture
Jewish humour
Jeans
John Sparkes
Jon Culshaw
Kate Moss
Kewell, Harry, circa 1998
Kit Kats
Kicking stones/leaves on an autumn day
Lazy days
Leone, Sergio
Libraries
Late service in fast food restaurants, very civilised
Monty from Withnail and I
Maggie
Making it in on time
Mum
Neil Young
New-born babies
Neckties
New shoes
Order of the Phoenix, book and film
Octupus, surprisingly tasty
O'Neills pub, anywhere in the world
Opening presents
Philosophy
Politics
Physical fitness (in certain circumstances!)
Ploughed fields
Q.I.
Question Time when no politicians are on
Quoting obscure lyrics/books/comedians, etc
Quails' eggs (again surprisingly tasty)
Roger Moore
Rule-bending (not breaking)
Rhodedendrons
Right-wing people being shouted down
Stephen Fry
Simon Amstell
Sancerre chardonnay
Sir Robert Winston
Taking time to do a good job
Trust
Tenacious people, women especially
T'Street (Coronation)
UV rays
Unbelievable (that dance song)
Unimaginable genius of Daniel Day-Lewis, The
Umpires decisinos being verified by a TV screen
Very long walks
V for Vendetta
Verizon US
Vocal singing
Werner Herzog
Wily old people
Who, The
Waiting for Godot
Xabi Alonso (great player even if a Red)
Xavier, Professor Charles
Xylophones, the kind Santana sample
X-ray specs
Yootha Joye sparring with Brian Murphy
Young Ones, The (TV)
Yelling jokey abuse at mates
Y2K celebrations
OK, I'll stop at Z but you get the idea. I'd also add proportional representation, the rest of my family and friends, and Shami Chakrabati/Clive Stafford-Smith and Michael Mansfield, the Holy Trinity of Human Rights lawyers.
Thanks!
05/10/2008
Getting better all the time
Beginning from a position of complete smugness at the fact that I don't pay tax (who'd want to when so much government money is being lavished on irresponsible monsters in the city?), I can honestly say that I feel a whole lot better about life than I did a few weeks ago. Yes, much of the LPC is still a pain in the arse, but I am learning to take the rough with the smooth, and find things to do to keep me sane.
Yesterday, for example, I went out hiking in the Cheshire plain with a group based in Manchester. It's aimed at young professionals so I was pretty young to be there, but I held my own against a lot of "real people". There was a very nice girl who'd graduated from Man Uni Law school 10 years ago, and who now works for Brittania, in no way connected with the law! Funny old world. I couldn't believe it when she said she'd turned down interviews with firms, I would KILL for one of those right now! But she'd decided it wasn't for her and fair play to her. She seems happy enough.
Then there was another chap who works for HBOS : o ! he's in IT and he reckons his job is safe. We had a very interesting talk about, amongst other things, grandparents and anthropology. He also told me about a pub crawl he'd devised in Somerset, so I immediately respected him!
The final characters were this crazy pair of guys from the South, one of whom is a lawyer with some niche fraud law firm in town. I'd never heard of them and they don't take trainees, but I listened anyway. He proceeded to rant unbroken for about half an hour about how I should abandon all hope of getting anywhere as a law student: he'd done his BVC, got nowhere, then cross-qualified onto the LPC, again got pretty much nowhere, and only has a job now because he re-located from the City to Manchester. That in itself gave me encouragement: I have on interest in leaving MCR and that is now pretty much a settled matter. Sure, I may end up bitter and twisted like him in a few years but goddamn it I'm willing to give it a try first!
The really interesting part of the conversation came when his friend got in on the act. I'm not entirely sure what he does, something to do with libraries in east London, but he originally qualified in neuroscience(?). Go figure. Anyway, he was obviously very clever and opinionated, and we had a ridiculously heated argument about Phillip Pullman (don't ask). He also regaled us with his stories about living out in America, and the pair's harassment by a local ropey old bird down the pub the other night. I could nod in shameful familiarity with the predicament.
So all in all a good day, nice to get back hiking and to get out of the city. the route wasn't too stressful, just a climb up a big hill before a descent into Macclesfield. i'll definitely be going out again.
As for this week, more of the same c.r.a.p ahead. BLP is the bane of my life, although it's more to do with our tutor than anything. The woman is incapable, utterly clueless. Reminds me of Mrs Goode, my old geography teacher: uttrely clueless if you asked a question outside the syllabus. none of the other staff are as unbearable, in any way. Property's alright, that guy justs whips through it and doesn't get hung on it, nothing wrong with that. Civil Lit is fun, pretty sure I want to be a litigator in the future. The girl teaching is an absolute doll as well.
Not long till reading week now, the thrilling prospect of business accounts and interviewing technique to work on. Gotta b done I suppose.
That's about it for now, must try and add to this more than once a month!
Oh, one thing. Was encouraged to get a letter from SAS Daniels of Stockport yesterday saying they'll consider me when their interviews start up. It may not sound much, but I really am just happy to have received a letter which doesn't start "thank you but unfortunately". I hope the reader can appreciate the distinction!
Bwi Bwi!!!
Yesterday, for example, I went out hiking in the Cheshire plain with a group based in Manchester. It's aimed at young professionals so I was pretty young to be there, but I held my own against a lot of "real people". There was a very nice girl who'd graduated from Man Uni Law school 10 years ago, and who now works for Brittania, in no way connected with the law! Funny old world. I couldn't believe it when she said she'd turned down interviews with firms, I would KILL for one of those right now! But she'd decided it wasn't for her and fair play to her. She seems happy enough.
Then there was another chap who works for HBOS : o ! he's in IT and he reckons his job is safe. We had a very interesting talk about, amongst other things, grandparents and anthropology. He also told me about a pub crawl he'd devised in Somerset, so I immediately respected him!
The final characters were this crazy pair of guys from the South, one of whom is a lawyer with some niche fraud law firm in town. I'd never heard of them and they don't take trainees, but I listened anyway. He proceeded to rant unbroken for about half an hour about how I should abandon all hope of getting anywhere as a law student: he'd done his BVC, got nowhere, then cross-qualified onto the LPC, again got pretty much nowhere, and only has a job now because he re-located from the City to Manchester. That in itself gave me encouragement: I have on interest in leaving MCR and that is now pretty much a settled matter. Sure, I may end up bitter and twisted like him in a few years but goddamn it I'm willing to give it a try first!
The really interesting part of the conversation came when his friend got in on the act. I'm not entirely sure what he does, something to do with libraries in east London, but he originally qualified in neuroscience(?). Go figure. Anyway, he was obviously very clever and opinionated, and we had a ridiculously heated argument about Phillip Pullman (don't ask). He also regaled us with his stories about living out in America, and the pair's harassment by a local ropey old bird down the pub the other night. I could nod in shameful familiarity with the predicament.
So all in all a good day, nice to get back hiking and to get out of the city. the route wasn't too stressful, just a climb up a big hill before a descent into Macclesfield. i'll definitely be going out again.
As for this week, more of the same c.r.a.p ahead. BLP is the bane of my life, although it's more to do with our tutor than anything. The woman is incapable, utterly clueless. Reminds me of Mrs Goode, my old geography teacher: uttrely clueless if you asked a question outside the syllabus. none of the other staff are as unbearable, in any way. Property's alright, that guy justs whips through it and doesn't get hung on it, nothing wrong with that. Civil Lit is fun, pretty sure I want to be a litigator in the future. The girl teaching is an absolute doll as well.
Not long till reading week now, the thrilling prospect of business accounts and interviewing technique to work on. Gotta b done I suppose.
That's about it for now, must try and add to this more than once a month!
Oh, one thing. Was encouraged to get a letter from SAS Daniels of Stockport yesterday saying they'll consider me when their interviews start up. It may not sound much, but I really am just happy to have received a letter which doesn't start "thank you but unfortunately". I hope the reader can appreciate the distinction!
Bwi Bwi!!!
16/09/2008
Sorry...
God this last two weeks has flown by! Really not had a mind to put down an entry in the meantime, been so hectic settlnig into this course. Which, by the way, is not going all that well. Lot of work, fairly easy, but often mind-numbing. The good thing is that once you know it, you know it, and it'll be a lot more interesting to apply in practice. Still kind of at the early stages with a lot of it. Litigation is probably quite interesting and sounds good, but the perks are difficult to see when ur falling asleep as a lecturer drones on about deadlines for delivery of pre-action protocols (zzzz). And how many demonstrations of how to use a library do they think we need? God!
Still, this will be the measure of the career I suppose, and it's all part of the learning curve. The trick is not to make work your life, in any profession. That's why I've decided to work full days in school as far as possible but holster it when I get home. Keeps you sane that way. Alright for me though, I don't have exams to work towards yet, unlike Phil, poor bugger. Looking to do community type stuff in Chorlton, tried in vain to find a drama group in Chorlton last week, thankfully heard properly from them today, give it a shot again this week. Also finding a lot of events groups in the area so plenty of opportunities. All be up and running when I settle in.
Feeling pig sick looking at friend's photos from China and Australia. Not raining quite as much in Manchester now though so stick that!
That's about it for now, sounds pretty boring eh? Try and get back to it soon, batten down the hatches for the impending global recession!
Still, this will be the measure of the career I suppose, and it's all part of the learning curve. The trick is not to make work your life, in any profession. That's why I've decided to work full days in school as far as possible but holster it when I get home. Keeps you sane that way. Alright for me though, I don't have exams to work towards yet, unlike Phil, poor bugger. Looking to do community type stuff in Chorlton, tried in vain to find a drama group in Chorlton last week, thankfully heard properly from them today, give it a shot again this week. Also finding a lot of events groups in the area so plenty of opportunities. All be up and running when I settle in.
Feeling pig sick looking at friend's photos from China and Australia. Not raining quite as much in Manchester now though so stick that!
That's about it for now, sounds pretty boring eh? Try and get back to it soon, batten down the hatches for the impending global recession!
02/09/2008
First day at school
So, how did it go? Came back with all the books and material for the term, was not fun carrying it on the bus and cycle path but hay-ho. Nearly there with all the admin, lectures start properly tomorrw which is a bit annoying but never mind. We're also tested on Tuesday on business law, gonna b a long weekend with only 160 pages of the handbook for company! Saturday will of course be a write-off! Hit 6 firms yesterday with applications/CVs, probably chase them up Thursday to see they've been looked at.
OK, back home, books to shelve, probably bed byn 10! Ciao x
OK, back home, books to shelve, probably bed byn 10! Ciao x
01/09/2008
The News
- That businessman and his family were probably murdered by creditors. Family murders don't happen in Shropshire.
- Russia will come out of this whole Georgia business far stronger than it came in.
- Brown will not be forced out at conference. No one has the stones to challenge him.
- I wish Manchester had a super-cool Mayor like New Orleans.
As for me, course starts tomorrow. Woo!
- Russia will come out of this whole Georgia business far stronger than it came in.
- Brown will not be forced out at conference. No one has the stones to challenge him.
- I wish Manchester had a super-cool Mayor like New Orleans.
As for me, course starts tomorrow. Woo!
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