Another trip to London beckons this weekend- and another stag do. I fly out from Belfast Friday morning and will return on Sunday. There is already plenty lined up.
There will be The Comedy Store on Friday night. This is a fantastic laugh and performances at this venue are shown on The Comedy Channel. That will set the mood right for the rest of the weekend. There will plenty of craziness, creativity and laughter! Some really big names in comedy have performed here, such as Robin Williams. Who knows, we might even see the next big thing.
Then on Saturday afternoon we will be making our way to Wembley Stadium to see the The Challenge Cup final. It is one of Rugby Leagues biggest events. I checked the attendance for last year- and there were 82,000 people there. Very impressive! It will be amazing being at such an iconic stadium for the first time.
The rest of the weekend will be up for grabs. There will be a nightclub on Saturday night and a lot of drinks consumed. As I am unattached, I will be looking forward to chatting to some random women. This is a fun activity and not to be taken too seriously. I love testing out my accent anyway! It always gives me an advantage when I am away anywhere!
Roll on Friday morning!
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Film Documentary: Eddie Vedder on Laird Hamilton
This documentary I happened to trip over last night. I was flicking over the television channels, having a few beers in the house. I have been a big Pearl Jam fan for years now. I was surprised that I had never heard of this film before. I didn't even have an idea who Laird Hamilton was.
It turns out Laird Hamilton is a massive surfer, famous for riding 100 feet waves. The images of him as a tiny dot, surfing these massive fields of water is astounding. There is so much wrapped up with this- courage, stupidity, spirituality, existential endeavor.
The film documents the bonding of these two friends. They are very different in lots of ways. Eddie is a world famous musician and songwriter. Laird is a surfer who has had his face on Time Magazine. The artist and the jock.
There are many similarities too. They have had issues with father figures in their lives. Laird talked about his step father, who was also a famous surfer. If he failed, it was okay as he wasn't the real deal. Eddie talked about his biological father, who he never knew as his father until he had past away. He too was a musician and in his earlier career, Eddie had his own sense of achievement diminished by others, who said that the musician in him came from his father. Eddies reaction was that he should be given individual credit for his individual efforts.
They both have their own families now. Eddie has a daughter and Laird seems to have many children. At one point in the film, while Laird is packing his jeep, his daughter calls down from their home, 'Daddy, do you like my hair?' He stops his conversation mid-sentence with Eddie, telling his daughter how beautiful she is.
It great seeing these individuals away from the normal narratives of celebrity. It adds weight to the film when they explore issues of spirituality and life choices.
The film is littered with Pearl Jam songs about surfing. I never focused on this aspect of Pearl jam before. Rather than release a greatest hits album, as all band do- they should have released a surfing album instead!
Both friends go out surfing. They talk about being aware of 'the outside' in this activity, of being part of their natural environment. The danger and vulnerability of these activities 'brings them closer to nature.' This is such a cliche but no less true for that. They have a sense of belonging when in the sea.
The film ends with Laird cycling 75 miles to see Pearl Jam perform. He gets a back stage pass. Eddie dedicates the song 'Big Wave' to him.
This was a pleasant surprise last night. Just goes to show that channel surfing can often pay off!
It turns out Laird Hamilton is a massive surfer, famous for riding 100 feet waves. The images of him as a tiny dot, surfing these massive fields of water is astounding. There is so much wrapped up with this- courage, stupidity, spirituality, existential endeavor.
The film documents the bonding of these two friends. They are very different in lots of ways. Eddie is a world famous musician and songwriter. Laird is a surfer who has had his face on Time Magazine. The artist and the jock.
There are many similarities too. They have had issues with father figures in their lives. Laird talked about his step father, who was also a famous surfer. If he failed, it was okay as he wasn't the real deal. Eddie talked about his biological father, who he never knew as his father until he had past away. He too was a musician and in his earlier career, Eddie had his own sense of achievement diminished by others, who said that the musician in him came from his father. Eddies reaction was that he should be given individual credit for his individual efforts.
They both have their own families now. Eddie has a daughter and Laird seems to have many children. At one point in the film, while Laird is packing his jeep, his daughter calls down from their home, 'Daddy, do you like my hair?' He stops his conversation mid-sentence with Eddie, telling his daughter how beautiful she is.
It great seeing these individuals away from the normal narratives of celebrity. It adds weight to the film when they explore issues of spirituality and life choices.
The film is littered with Pearl Jam songs about surfing. I never focused on this aspect of Pearl jam before. Rather than release a greatest hits album, as all band do- they should have released a surfing album instead!
Both friends go out surfing. They talk about being aware of 'the outside' in this activity, of being part of their natural environment. The danger and vulnerability of these activities 'brings them closer to nature.' This is such a cliche but no less true for that. They have a sense of belonging when in the sea.
The film ends with Laird cycling 75 miles to see Pearl Jam perform. He gets a back stage pass. Eddie dedicates the song 'Big Wave' to him.
This was a pleasant surprise last night. Just goes to show that channel surfing can often pay off!
Saturday, 15 August 2009
big egos
People with big egos have a persona like a Norman castle. The castle can look regal and impressive, befitting if not a king, at least a duke. A Norman castle is extremely difficult to penetrate and gives the master an air of invulnerability. If some local, unhappy with the taxes imposed by the Duke, wanted to take matters into their own hands, it would be near impossible for him to do anything.
People with massive egos act with similar confidence and appear invulnerable. The facade of their personalities can seem imposing and make the onlooker feel very small and insignificant.
Yet the very fact that the castle exists at all, just like the overbearing personality, is a mighty clue. Norman castles were built for a purpose. So, I would suggest, are massive egos. They are strategies of domination that are effective. Still, these strategies give away the fears of those they were designed for.
To notice that fear is the primary motivation, should be encouragement for people on the outside looking in.
People with massive egos act with similar confidence and appear invulnerable. The facade of their personalities can seem imposing and make the onlooker feel very small and insignificant.
Yet the very fact that the castle exists at all, just like the overbearing personality, is a mighty clue. Norman castles were built for a purpose. So, I would suggest, are massive egos. They are strategies of domination that are effective. Still, these strategies give away the fears of those they were designed for.
To notice that fear is the primary motivation, should be encouragement for people on the outside looking in.
Monday, 10 August 2009
I was never Arnold Schwarzenegger
On Sundays, I like to get out of the house and take in some fresh air. There is nothing like walking for a few hours to cure a hangover. This not only helps with the physical ailments but also gives me time to deal with the emotional aftermath.
I change my walk every Sunday. Sometimes, I like to go along the coastal path that runs from Bangor to Holywood. It offers great views, over looking Belfast Lough. On any given day, there might be tall ships, views of the Seacat that operates a service to Scotland and occassionally grey Royal Navy frigets. On other occasions, I will walk in the opposite direction and go through The National Trust site that leads to the small village of Groomsport.
There is normally very little human contact on such walks but I do sometimes pick up the odd sentence that can be very entertaining. Yesterday, there were a couple of lines that it would be fun to build a story around. The first one came from a taxi driver who was standing chatting with his chums. "I was never Arnold Schwarzenegger, you understand." Just what the taxi driver might have been talking about opens up a whole world of possibilities. The other line was about the Man U vrs Chelsea match for the Community Shield. One guy, wearing a Man U top, was conducting a conversation with his mate on the other side of the road, "Are you heading to the bar for the match?" The response was automatic and without much thought, "No, I will be watching it on the radio!"
Sometimes though, I become introspective. The night before I had been chatting with a girl from Ballymoney, her Ulster Scots accent strong and mean.
"Can you speak English?" she kept asking me.
She was trying to be offensive. It is true that I do speak quickly. I was probably slurring my words but the other girls from South London, who I had been chatting to a little earlier in the night, didn't seem to have any problems with this.
I have had many years experience working in a call centre, talking with people from around the UK. English people rarely express difficulty with how I speak. With Americans or people from other Anglophone countries, this is also rare. I do often have problems with people new to the UK, or with some Scottish people.
This state of affairs is counter intuitive. The Northern Ireland accent is closer to the Scottish accent in tone and speed. On the face of it, it doesn't make any sense that this difficulty should occur. To have someone from Ballymoney express difficulty doesn't make any sense either. She lives forty miles from my home town and they really should be used to the accent.
While I thought about this, I realized that there might be something else going on. 'Put downs' often emerge from people who feel inferior. When they project feelings of inferiority onto others, this is a means of self over-coming.
The girl from Ballymoney was out with her mates- all of them single. The dynamic of that group seemed to be one of mutual aggrandisement. They supported each other morally, while angrily judging the outside world. Out on the town like a pack of wolves, they hunted down men with merciless ease. Yet, they would never be satisfied. They had already prescribed what a man should be like.
The girl told me that I should be funny. She thought that I should be good looking. She suggested that I be more articulate. On reflection, my supposed failings were actually spawned by her failure to be open. She was unable to get to know someone different. With this attitude, she will never find her man, for that man is an idealized figment, roaming about in her head. She was not prepared to be surprised.
After twenty minutes, I left her to it. There lingered bad feelings. It wasn't until my walk that I was able to exoricise these.
I change my walk every Sunday. Sometimes, I like to go along the coastal path that runs from Bangor to Holywood. It offers great views, over looking Belfast Lough. On any given day, there might be tall ships, views of the Seacat that operates a service to Scotland and occassionally grey Royal Navy frigets. On other occasions, I will walk in the opposite direction and go through The National Trust site that leads to the small village of Groomsport.
There is normally very little human contact on such walks but I do sometimes pick up the odd sentence that can be very entertaining. Yesterday, there were a couple of lines that it would be fun to build a story around. The first one came from a taxi driver who was standing chatting with his chums. "I was never Arnold Schwarzenegger, you understand." Just what the taxi driver might have been talking about opens up a whole world of possibilities. The other line was about the Man U vrs Chelsea match for the Community Shield. One guy, wearing a Man U top, was conducting a conversation with his mate on the other side of the road, "Are you heading to the bar for the match?" The response was automatic and without much thought, "No, I will be watching it on the radio!"
Sometimes though, I become introspective. The night before I had been chatting with a girl from Ballymoney, her Ulster Scots accent strong and mean.
"Can you speak English?" she kept asking me.
She was trying to be offensive. It is true that I do speak quickly. I was probably slurring my words but the other girls from South London, who I had been chatting to a little earlier in the night, didn't seem to have any problems with this.
I have had many years experience working in a call centre, talking with people from around the UK. English people rarely express difficulty with how I speak. With Americans or people from other Anglophone countries, this is also rare. I do often have problems with people new to the UK, or with some Scottish people.
This state of affairs is counter intuitive. The Northern Ireland accent is closer to the Scottish accent in tone and speed. On the face of it, it doesn't make any sense that this difficulty should occur. To have someone from Ballymoney express difficulty doesn't make any sense either. She lives forty miles from my home town and they really should be used to the accent.
While I thought about this, I realized that there might be something else going on. 'Put downs' often emerge from people who feel inferior. When they project feelings of inferiority onto others, this is a means of self over-coming.
The girl from Ballymoney was out with her mates- all of them single. The dynamic of that group seemed to be one of mutual aggrandisement. They supported each other morally, while angrily judging the outside world. Out on the town like a pack of wolves, they hunted down men with merciless ease. Yet, they would never be satisfied. They had already prescribed what a man should be like.
The girl told me that I should be funny. She thought that I should be good looking. She suggested that I be more articulate. On reflection, my supposed failings were actually spawned by her failure to be open. She was unable to get to know someone different. With this attitude, she will never find her man, for that man is an idealized figment, roaming about in her head. She was not prepared to be surprised.
After twenty minutes, I left her to it. There lingered bad feelings. It wasn't until my walk that I was able to exoricise these.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Fetishism
Human fetishes can often appear bizarre. They don't even have to be of a sexual complexion. Stamp collecting is just as good an example as those strange beings who are obsessed with women's feet.
There is an important thing going on in such behavior. This human endeavor is often motivated by individuals who seek out an area of control in their lives. Expertise can be developed, interests are refined constantly until an unique expression is formed.
To understand this manifestation of conduct one should always look beyond the object of concern. Stamp collecting is not just about stamps. Foot fetishes are not just about feet. Yet, It is easy to think so when one concedes to the bizarreness of any given fetish.
The stamp collector might find herself further ingrained in the world by her collection and knowledge of stamps. The foot fetishist may feel himself to be closer to women, in his habit of treating women as goddesses. The interest always lies beyond the object of concern.
Probably all important human trends started off as fetishes. The first humans to create an alphabet and to write about their world were probably motivated in a similar way. Those paintings we find in caves of animals and warriors expresses a particular concern with the environment and societies involvement with it. Such activity would have only started off in small groups until it caught on more generally.
We should not then, be overly concerned with the strange behavior of human beings, when they become obsessive- as long as people are not being harmed by these activities. Strangeness should be celebrated. Once we have then understood the strangeness of human fetishes, we will find that they become part of normal realm of our experiences; that is until other manifestations morph our perceptions.
Art- what for?
There is an important thing going on in such behavior. This human endeavor is often motivated by individuals who seek out an area of control in their lives. Expertise can be developed, interests are refined constantly until an unique expression is formed.
To understand this manifestation of conduct one should always look beyond the object of concern. Stamp collecting is not just about stamps. Foot fetishes are not just about feet. Yet, It is easy to think so when one concedes to the bizarreness of any given fetish.
The stamp collector might find herself further ingrained in the world by her collection and knowledge of stamps. The foot fetishist may feel himself to be closer to women, in his habit of treating women as goddesses. The interest always lies beyond the object of concern.
Probably all important human trends started off as fetishes. The first humans to create an alphabet and to write about their world were probably motivated in a similar way. Those paintings we find in caves of animals and warriors expresses a particular concern with the environment and societies involvement with it. Such activity would have only started off in small groups until it caught on more generally.
We should not then, be overly concerned with the strange behavior of human beings, when they become obsessive- as long as people are not being harmed by these activities. Strangeness should be celebrated. Once we have then understood the strangeness of human fetishes, we will find that they become part of normal realm of our experiences; that is until other manifestations morph our perceptions.
Art- what for?
Thursday, 6 August 2009
Freedom
In the west, the concept of freedom is held up as an ultimate ideal. Moreover, as a population, we generally understand ourselves to be free. What duplicity!
Most of us are wage slaves. We work in jobs that are tedious, tiring and soul destroying. Such jobs take up most of our energies. This in part explains our love affair with the concept of freedom.
Freedom is a negative value. It deals with lack of constraint, lack of domination etc.
Of course, there are different types of freedom. We may have 'freedom of expression', 'economic freedom' or 'physical freedom'. When each kind of freedom plays out, there can be consequences that seem contrary to the very notion of freedom.
For instance, the freedom one acquires through great wealth can have untold consequences that is not always apparent. It is a fallacy to maintain that anyone can be rich because everyone can not be. If everyone was rich, this would mean that there would no service industry to speak off. Only volunteers would work in care homes, drain sewage systems and generally do the dirty jobs.
The idea of freedom of expression is normally contained with a specified sphere. Equal opportunity laws, while in general a good thing, curtail political expression within the work place. It is a nonsense to say that in the west we enjoy such a freedom, without noticing that political space is already well defined.
While we are said to have physical freedom, this too needs further consideration. It is true that with a passport, we can enjoy international travel etc. In most cases, however, due to economic necessity, most of our weeks are spent in jobs. Our ability to travel and explore the globe is constrained heavily by economic considerations.
As a negative value, freedom does not normally prescribe what one should do. We hanker after what we think we have already obtained.
Most of us are wage slaves. We work in jobs that are tedious, tiring and soul destroying. Such jobs take up most of our energies. This in part explains our love affair with the concept of freedom.
Freedom is a negative value. It deals with lack of constraint, lack of domination etc.
Of course, there are different types of freedom. We may have 'freedom of expression', 'economic freedom' or 'physical freedom'. When each kind of freedom plays out, there can be consequences that seem contrary to the very notion of freedom.
For instance, the freedom one acquires through great wealth can have untold consequences that is not always apparent. It is a fallacy to maintain that anyone can be rich because everyone can not be. If everyone was rich, this would mean that there would no service industry to speak off. Only volunteers would work in care homes, drain sewage systems and generally do the dirty jobs.
The idea of freedom of expression is normally contained with a specified sphere. Equal opportunity laws, while in general a good thing, curtail political expression within the work place. It is a nonsense to say that in the west we enjoy such a freedom, without noticing that political space is already well defined.
While we are said to have physical freedom, this too needs further consideration. It is true that with a passport, we can enjoy international travel etc. In most cases, however, due to economic necessity, most of our weeks are spent in jobs. Our ability to travel and explore the globe is constrained heavily by economic considerations.
As a negative value, freedom does not normally prescribe what one should do. We hanker after what we think we have already obtained.
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Breaking habits
When we talk about habits, we normally talk about them in a negative light. There are good habits too, such as showering every morning, brushing your teeth or wiping your arse.
Still, it is worth breaking habits sometimes, just to see what kind of possibilities open up. Habits can kill your sense of perspective. Making a conscious effort to change your way of doing things changes the world in new and interesting ways.
George Orwell did that all the time. He always changed the way he lived. He went tramping, fought in the Spanish Civil War, ran a small farm and lived on a remote Scottish Island at the end of his life. It is true to say that he did not always do these things as a sacrafice at the alter of literature- he did have political motives when fighting in the Spanish Civil War- but his way of looking at the world was always fresh as a result of these changes.
This is important if you want to be a vital artist. Try breaking some habits and see what happens. I will wager that your work will benefit as a result. Although, I would not recommend that you start by breaking the habits associated with personal hygiene! You might come to understand loneliness in a more disturbing way.
Still, it is worth breaking habits sometimes, just to see what kind of possibilities open up. Habits can kill your sense of perspective. Making a conscious effort to change your way of doing things changes the world in new and interesting ways.
George Orwell did that all the time. He always changed the way he lived. He went tramping, fought in the Spanish Civil War, ran a small farm and lived on a remote Scottish Island at the end of his life. It is true to say that he did not always do these things as a sacrafice at the alter of literature- he did have political motives when fighting in the Spanish Civil War- but his way of looking at the world was always fresh as a result of these changes.
This is important if you want to be a vital artist. Try breaking some habits and see what happens. I will wager that your work will benefit as a result. Although, I would not recommend that you start by breaking the habits associated with personal hygiene! You might come to understand loneliness in a more disturbing way.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
The Saturday morning tradition
I don't always believe in tradition but I do sometimes follow tradition. Every Saturday morning, my friends and I meet up at a cafe for an hour. There will be between three and eight of us on any given day. It's a great way to keep in touch despite the changes that occur in our lives.
This tradition has been ongoing now for about twelve years. We even meet up at the same time. 10:45. Why it should be this time rather than any other I have no idea. It has just become habit.
What has changed is the breakfast we consume. It used to be Ulster Fries all round. Now, we have diversified as we have became more health conscious.
Note: An Ulster fry differs significantly from a 'traditional English' or 'traditional Irish' breakfast. An English or Irish fry consist mainly of the same thing. Fried Eggs, sausage, black pudding and behold beans! An Ulster fry never has beans and rarely black pudding. It is more bread based. It is important to notice that it will always have soda bread and sometimes pancakes. Scottish fries differ again as you can get with them with sausage squares!
It is good to make a point in keeping in contact this way. Otherwise, without Saturday morning breakfast, we might have all drifted apart by now. Plus, it's a great excuse to get the hungry head on and pig out.
This tradition has been ongoing now for about twelve years. We even meet up at the same time. 10:45. Why it should be this time rather than any other I have no idea. It has just become habit.
What has changed is the breakfast we consume. It used to be Ulster Fries all round. Now, we have diversified as we have became more health conscious.
Note: An Ulster fry differs significantly from a 'traditional English' or 'traditional Irish' breakfast. An English or Irish fry consist mainly of the same thing. Fried Eggs, sausage, black pudding and behold beans! An Ulster fry never has beans and rarely black pudding. It is more bread based. It is important to notice that it will always have soda bread and sometimes pancakes. Scottish fries differ again as you can get with them with sausage squares!
It is good to make a point in keeping in contact this way. Otherwise, without Saturday morning breakfast, we might have all drifted apart by now. Plus, it's a great excuse to get the hungry head on and pig out.
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