I've stocked more than enough Gl¸hwein herbs, all i need is some oranges and bottles of wine. Tonight we're going to host a Winter BBQ, probably in the drizzling rain, with Bratwurst, Gl¸hwein, Bratwurst and Gl¸hwein and Gl¸hwein. Then at the strike of twelve, we'll uncork the (cheap thus probably German) champagnette and acquire our first hangover of 2005. Catch a cold, and wake up around sunset, 1st of January. I really only posted this because my previous post was titled Next to last, and i hate to let you down.
The day after tomorrow starts the new year. It's called 2005. The year 2004 will go down with mixed feelings, not just because of the bad Japanese (please note first self-reference). Mostly because of the continuing polarisation of Western vs. Arabic society in the media, and the first hesitant discussions about freedom of press and speech after the murder on Theo van Gogh.
Well. Taking into account the natural course of history, things won't improve very much in 2005, but i'm human right? I'm entitled to some extent of naive positivity. Plus i'll be finally moving into one (1) household with Erik, in our own house, which we are buying at the moment, that adds a lot of advance points to next year's rating.
Meanwhile, at Popjustice, an improbably long post about Phixx.
This time, a year ago, i was ranting on about Susan Sontag. Today she died, aged 71. What a sad loss to the world that is. At CNN is a decent obituary (they write these things in advance with older celebs, you know) of her career and achievements, which makes me want to read her work even more.
"I know of no other intellectual who is so clear-minded with a capacity to link, to connect, to relate," Carlos Fuentes, the Mexican novelist, once said. "She is unique."
I looked up the term 'Liedewij Edelkoort' on Google, and this very blog came in first (of five). Double damned, it's a stigma i'll forever fight to get rid off. I'll prove the world i'm more than an insane riding the Edelkoort bandwagon, i'll post my own scientific law, from now on to be known as Roy's Law.
1. Rule Two is false
2. Rule One is false
3. Rule One and Two are false
Now that'll shut up the no-gooders! Pah!
Woe, earthquakes, power cuts, tsunamis, the endless number of end-of-year album lists, they all add to a general sense of Armageddon approaching. One quick search relieves me tremendously, there even are End Of The World predictions for the year 2280. This page is even better. Between South Beach Diet ads, it quotes Reverend Jerry 'Alpha Male' Falwell talking about the Antichrist:
"Is he alive and here today? Probably. Because when he appears during the Tribulation period he will be a full-grown counterfeit of Christ. Of course he'll be Jewish. Of course he'll pretend to be Christ. And if in fact the Lord is coming soon, and he'll be an adult at the presentation of himself, he must be alive somewhere today."
Marilyn Manson must be turning in his grave.
update: That's earthquakes, power cuts, tsunamis, the endless number of end-of-year album lists AND possible meteor impacts.
Gosh, i haven't posted in a week. The Faint concert was v v good. I went to a Japanese restaurant, finger down the throat. Oh it was nice, the food, they just overdosed on the garlic. It was messy, believe me.
Last night i watched The Godfather for the very first time. What a beautiful picture, a real actors movie. Seeing Al Pacino aging 10 years in 3 hours time.
Well, uhm, that's it. Since i bought a house (!) this week, things in my head and my life are upside down. So, posting will be frantic. Like this one. Bye!
...on plasticbag, has Tom lost his mind? Has The Devil lost his grip on him?
Tonight, The Faint.Tomorrow, i'll report.
Something i never talk about all too publicly, is the mass hysteria concerning global warming. It always angers people so easily... Now Michael Crichton has a new book called State Of Fear, which is about just that topic. I'm very curious what he has to say.
What's happening here? All these cars outside of my frontdoor. Like there's something grand opening somewhere near, and i'm not invited. Cars are coming to a screeching halt in the street, frantically driving in reverse, crashing into each other just for the sake of a bit of parkingspace. I couldn't even park my own car anywhere decent.
Next Saturday, The Faint are performing in the Melkweg in Amsterdam, and i'm dangerously developing a cold. I don't want to get sick! The first bloody gig i'll be seeing in more than six months, if it wasn't for I Am Kloot who i witnessed last Sunday at Tivoli, Utrecht.
A very strange thing, to be laptopping, music blaring, eating peasoup. Then all the lights go out, and the music stops. My iBook is the only thing that's still emitting light. And my cell-phone. So with those two devices i'm stuck in Medieval Times. After cooking my dinner with the aid of three half empty (or half full) tealights, i'm thinking i should go to bed after finishing up. Since i can't see the dishes, i'm acquited of doing them. Quite an eye-opener. Then, while reminiscing the day, the lights flop on again, and in 5 minutes i'm back to doing what i would be doing on any ordinary night.
I notice that the term 'Liedewij Edelkoort' gets the most references on my site from Google. Since that's what my audience demands, i'll be focusing on her a bit more in the future.
This had me smirking in front of the computer for about 5 minutes. I wasn't rolling on the floor, laughing out loud, neither was it a bemused smirk, because i wanted to entertain myself while postponing the dishes, for instance. It was just right.
Oh that's such a cheeky title for a post... like all of the British press do. I'm so funny. Sometimes, the people on the streets are funny too. Like when you see people standing in their shorts and t-shirts in the freezing cold. Or reading their post in their underwear in the morning, but then in the middle of the road. People with tattoos on their legs.
A shock today, when i discovered the song 'Stay Together' by Suede on the iTunes server at the office. I completely, absolutely totally forgot about that song. It's not on any album, it was a one off single. And i remember it now from back when. I'm a Suede fan you could say. But i completely forgot that song. That's like a dream i sometimes have, where i discover complete albums from my favorite artists (always Duran Duran), that i've never heard of. Now that dream has come true. Oh god i start crying again.
Well, this post is all about a great piece of text i found lying around somewhere here from Gerrit Komrij, dutch author. I'll do my best to translate it in short for you.
Minorities are majorities cuddly toys or a pain in the ass. There's a need for minorities, people can abuse them or prance around with them, to show others how liberal they are. Where can one put their goodwill and understanding without minorities?
As soon as they operate in groups, minorities suffer from strange complaints, wether connected by beliefs or sexual orientation. They don't want to stand out because they think they're oh so "normal", and at the same time coquet with their being different: the everlasting struggle between assimilation and conserving their identity.
It's always the majority who draw the outlines of tolerance, and as in a natural cycle, groups within minorities won't put up with them. At such a moment, the majority show it's true face: when a gay man doesn't accord to their rules, they state he's a caricature of himself. Ofcourse, that's true.
But only when you make a fool of yourself, you hold a laughing mirror in front of the majority with all it's power and aplomb.
Finally saw it last Saturday. As i said here before, this is Oscar sure material. This movie can make it quite understandable to the world what it feels like to be German, to have 60 years of guilt pressing on your shoulders, and yet, it seems that this movie does a good job in finally relieving the Germans from this heavy duty.
Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler comes awfully close to the audience in portraying Hitler. There's only one scene in the movie where he actually speaks about the Holocaust, and showing no regret with his defeat only hours before him. The easy way to portray Hitler would, ofcourse, be as a Satan incarnate andinhuman. Ofcourse he wasn't. This is a very brave movie, and as soon as anyone has the chance to see it, they should. There's hasn't been a more essential movie than this since... i can't tell.
... i lie on the couch. I've just finished Frédéric Beigbeder's novel 'Windows on the world', what a let down. He managed to describe his characters so detached, i felt a vague emotion of sadness when they decided to jump out of the WTC (oops, warning: spoilers). But nothing more. Some half-decent thoughts on this era scattered amongst too much inflated bullshit about his sad life and rich-bitch problems in the New York of the 80's. Nice cover though.
Again, i'm defeated because the Daft Punk remix of Franz Ferdinand's 'Take Me Out' sounds not much more than the original plus one of the Daft's pressing a key on their keyboards. That 12" cost me 11 euros you freaks!
And, once more i'm destroyed by the thought that i won't make the 50k quota for NaNoWriMo... so far this month i've managed to put a bit more than 3000 words on paper. I really enjoyed typing, especially with some instrumental mood-enhancing music on the background, that really got me going. Well, there's comfort in the thought that i've made a start, and am always able to finish what i started. But then again, i know every time i have a sit and start to write, i'll probably refrain after 5 minutes to put on some better music.
Has anyone noticed how low the planes are flying today? Coming home from work today, from the corners of my eyes i saw at least three flickering lights not too high above me in the nightsky. Flickering. Strange thing though, i didn't hear any noise. Normally i'm wearing my iPod headphones, usually some David Bowie or Radiohead blaring in my ears, so i don't even hear cars honking, or large busses maniacaly speeding t'wards me. But not tonight, no. But then again, i don't seem notice alot these days. How often have i heard the phrase '"Thanks for the blowjob, but i'm not gay" in the past three weeks?
I'm always asking myself:"What is wrong with this picture?", and most of the time i just don't see it.
Depeche Mode are planning to start recording their next album in 2005. New Order have almost finished their new album, due for release next February. My favourite emos ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead are releasing their new album in the beginning of 2005. Nine Inch Nails hopes to release their follow-up to The Fragile March 2005. Next year is going to start off rather well, as you can see...
In response to Theo van Gogh's assassination, belgian writer Tom Lanoye has written a very appropiate piece in Humo. For anyone able to read Dutch, i'm posting it right here... (thanks to rozebanaan for typing it...)
SCHULD EN DOETJES - KADDISJ VOOR VAN GOGH (Tom lanoye)
"De onschuld is vermoord!" Deze hartenkreet steeg uit boven het ketelkabaal van duizenden, aan de oevers van de grachtengordel. goddank bezitten we vrijheid van meningsuiting, en dragen de Amsterdamse rouwkoren die vrijheid zo te zien uitzonderlijk hoog in het vaandel. Zodoende kan ik zonder vrees voor afkeuring of represailles het volgende bekennen. Bij onschuld denk ik aan Sabine Dardenne, pas bevrijd uit de kelder van Dutroux. Niet aan een intellectuele en fysieke toxicomaan die zich onder zijn vrienden (zolang ze vrienden bleven) zich gedroeg als een geschikte en zelfs 'lieve' peer, maar daarbuiten als een fanatieke, naar alle kanten scheldende vetklep die zijn mening graag liet afhangen van wat het meest wonden sloeg, en die even graag (zij het liefst tijdelijk) een gesimplificeerd ideaal aanhing om zijn cynisme het aura te geven van heldhaftigheid.
Ik bedoel dit niet als kritiek, hoor. Integendeel. Ik heb, ondanks alles, een zwak voor dat slag klootzakken. IK wel. Op voorwaarde dat ze - ook na een dood die als een paukenslag bij hun branie hoort - een klootzak MOGEN blijven. en niet met de airbrush van krokodillentranen en gelijkhebberigheid worden geretoucheerd tot nobele teddybeer in smoking. Tot groot kind eigenlijk, zich van geen kwaad bewust en wonderbaarlijk vrijgepleit van elke smet. De dood is een onklopbaar witwasmiddel, zeker als ze ontijdig komt en in de vorm van moord. in verhitte discussies wordt zij zelfs een ultieme troefkaart. opeens lijken al je argumenten valabel, al je voorspellingen waar, al je methodes pardonneerbaar - een morele soloslim. (H�! als je dat vaak en snel achter elkaar zegt, 'morele soloslim', dan zeg je opeens moslim. gatver! dat is toch geen toeval? zie je wel! De Vijfde Colonne der Mammelukken is overal reeds doorgedrongen, ook in onze geesten! Oh Theo! Je had gelijk!)
Ik ging, de stijl van Van Gogh indachtig, vooral over mijn nek vanwege het hoge knuffelgehalte van de rouwbetuigingen. Anton Pieck meets disneyland. Als had prinses Diana voor de zoveelste keer haar mierzoete kaas gelaten. ik had niet de indruk dat dit het soort kaas was waar Van Gogh van placht te smullen.
Het had wel iets lekker ouderwets amsterdams. Het "Magiese Sentrum" was effe terug. Massaal keteldeksels tegeneen slaan, gillen en tekeergaan in polka door de stegen..het rouwbeklag als ludieke "aksie". ik zag zelfs iemand een papieren zak bolblazen en met een klap tot ontploffing brengen. Dat had ik nooit gedurfd, nadat er net een dikkerdje was neergeschoten. Dat dekselse amsterdam toch!
Maar het was me allemaal niet ludiek genoeg en voor geen meter 'net als theo". De echte Van Gogh dan, en niet "onze Pietje Bell", zoals ik per etmaal een dozijn te horen kreeg - na de 2de keer zat ik al te braken. Pietje 'fokking' Bell? ik had scheldende spreekkoren verwacht, zoals in het door van Gogh zo geliefde 'the life of brian". met gepast gevoel voor slechte smaak en sick jokes zouden zij, terwijl het bloed van hun idool nog niet opgedroogd was, scanderen: "Hij kon niet filmen, hij kon niet tegen zijn verlies, hij was een gore klootzak, en we zijn blij dat we van hem af zijn". ongeveer dezelfde boodschap dus die je kon lezen in de ogen van de meeste politici. maar dan luidkeels onder woorden gebracht, door duizenden tegelijk, of toch nog goed getimed. Of juist niet, want dat waren zijn films ook niet altijd.
�Dit is een aanslag op de vrije meningsuiting� Die kreet hoorde je ook opstijgen. En terecht. Daar valt nu eens geen speld tussen te krijgen. Als dit geen aanslag is, dan weet ik het ook niet meer. Maar de kreet werd niet zelden geroepen door mensen die het er, als lezer of kijker, wel mee eens waren geweest dat van Gogh uit menig blad en programma was geweerd. En terecht. Die Van Gogh was nergens een blijvertje. En daar had zijn stijl veel mee te maken. Niet eens de literaire. Want die had-ie al helemaal niet.
Theo zelf was om elke wraking eerder trots dan triest. In zijn hoofd hield-ie er een kerfstok van bij � ieder zijn sport en palmares. De sport bestond er voor Van Gogh in om, meer geleid door het zoeken naar weerstand dan naar principes, te ontkennen dat er grenzen bestaan aan de vrije meningsuiting. Voor hemzelf dan toch. Want de paradox der vrije meningsuiting kwam sinds de moord op hem weer walmend naar boven gedreven: Theo�s digitale rouwregister werd stopgezet, of minstens gecensureerd, omdat tien procent van de reacties ronduit racistisch was.
Kijk, dat vind ik nu jammer. Dat we die reacties niet te lezen kregen bedoel ik. Het is toch een beetje wrang? Meningen censureren, terwijl op straat net wordt gescandeerd dat het vrije woord is vermoord? Laat de puist dan liever openknappen. Laat ons zien en horen wat de fijnzinnige analyses en de behoedzame methodes van Van Gogh hebben opgeleverd, aan volgelingen �n aan retoriek. Bloeddorstig, veralgemenend, van superioriteitsdrift balkend, volslagen tribaal gebral van mentale hooligans... Van Gogh distantieerde zich even onduidelijk en even zelden van hen als de gematigde moslims zich naar zijn smaak distantieerden van de religieuze fascisten.
Een spijtig gevolg van de laffe moord op Van Gogh is dat we nu zijn film �Submission�, naar een scenario van Ayaan Hirsi Ali niet alleen �belangwekkend�, maar ook ronduit goed zullen moeten vinden. Aan de relieken van een martelaar wordt niet getwijfeld.
Ik vond het een kutfilm. Ook letterlijk. Al die blote wijven? Ik had daar een doek over geslagen. Verder: slappe dialogen, potsierlijk overtrokken symbolen, alles drie, vier keer dubbelop� een meesterwerk kon je het niet noemen, eerder ge�ngageerde kunst uit de jaren 70.
Van ironie gesproken! Dat is nu juist de kunst waar de aanhangers van Van Gogh altijd zo op afgeven! Het is een beetje als met die vroegere bekampers van de �Maakbaarheid der Samenleving�. Die vonden zo�n Maakbaarheid altijd gevaarlijke lulkoek en baarlijke nonsens. Inmiddels hebben ze wel wettelijk besloten dat je genoeg geld moet verdienen om in het centrum van Rotterdam te mogen wonen. Want �er moet dringend iets gebeuren om de maatschappij leefbaar te maken�.
Mag ik- op deze lijn voortbordurend, en voor ze zich iets gaan inbeelden- onze rechtse vrienden erop wijzen dat �Submission� werd uitgezonden door dat gedoodverfde bastion van politieke correctheid en wereldvreemde linksigheid, de VPRO? Waarschijnlijk was er op TV 5 en 6 voetbal, en op de Tros de postcodeloterij. Met moet zijn prioriteiten weten te stellen, natuurlijk.
Ik zie toch ��n lichtpunt aangaande submission, meteen een eerste adequate straf voor de moordenaar. Die heeft de meest effici�nte reclamecampagne gecre�erd voor een film die hij het liefst van de planeet had zien verdwijnen. �Submission� zal de wereld rondgaan en nu pas de impact krijgen die de makers ervan hadden gehoopt. Een Pyrrusoverwinning � dat heeft de moordenaar van Van Gogh alvast gemeen met de moordenaar van Fortuyn (tussen haakjes: Volkert Van der G. was geen moslim, zelfs geen radicale. Ik zeg het maar even voor wie de twee moorden naadloos aan elkaar rijgt. De helft van de Nederlandse pers, dus.) Ook Van der G. bereikte het tegenovergestelde van wat hij beoogde. Bij hem was dat het neerhalen van de mythe Fortuyn. Daarvoor had hij Pim juist niet moeten neerschieten. Fortuyn had mettertijd perfect zichzelf neergehaald, veel effectiever en voor altijd. In geen beroep is timing zo bepalend als in dat van held.
En als ik dan toch raad mag geven aan rechtse vrienden? Kijk een beetje uit voor je aan het lijkenpiken slaat met Van Gogh. De man was een totaalpakket. Je kunt zijn zwezerik niet loswrikken of er komt wel een stuk long mee. Ga � als je dan toch in Antwerpen woont en je wilt jezelf presenteren als de politieke erfgenaam van Van Gogh- eerst eens in de Pelikaanstraat (De jodenwijk in antwerpen, tw) de favoriete grap vertellen van de cineast die te boek stond als de Eeuwige Antisemiet: Waarom ruikt het hier naar karamel? Ze verbranden vandaag de suikerzieke joden.
Zelfs als je Ayaan hirsi Ali uitnodigt, is een try-out geen luxe. Zowel in de moskee hier om de hoek als in de synagoge aan de overkant van de boulevard. Vraag Hirsi Ali daar en plein public wat ze vindt van besnijdenis. Nee, niet alweer de vrouwenbesnijdenis! Wat heeft iedereen toch met die vrouwen? De besnijdenis van jongen en mannen. Hirsi Ali vindt dat een barbaars en achterlijk gebruik dat zo snel mogelijk moet worden uitgeroeid uit onze beschaving.
Nou! Eindelijk iemand die, bij wijze van spreken, de nagel op de kop slaat! Een besneden lul is al geen gezicht op zich, en qua blowjob kun je net zo goed een bezemsteel staan pijpen. Besnijden? Het is gewoon tegennatuurlijk! Het is als het jassen van een nieuw patatje: zoiets doe je niet � de schil is juist het lekkerst, om van de gemankeerde vitamines maar te zwijgen.
Genoeg tips voor rechtse rukkers, tijd voor een conclusie. Ik heb Theo Van Gogh een tiental keer ontmoet, ik beken dat ik soms hard om hem heb moeten lachen, ik moet toegeven dat het ��n van die weinigen was die mij � zelfs als was ik goed in vorm � geheel en al konden wegleuteren over om het even welk onderwerp. Ik heb als markantste herinnering aan hem onze gedeelde consternatie om de zenuwtranen van Hanneke Groentenman na afloop van haar eerste tv-interview. � hij en ik, twee kobolden, een halfuur samen? Een soort vuurdoop, ongewild.
En jazeker: ik had steeds gemengdere sentimenten bij de Theo van Gogh van de laatste jaren. Ik vond dat hij zijn anarchistische humor had geruild voor tien procent Groot Gelijk en negentig procent gedram. Ik weet bijvoorbeeld niet of je fascistische moslims het best bestrijdt door ook alle gematigde moslims met steeds weer dezelfde vooroordelen en beledigingen om de oren te slaan. Een grap die je honderd keer vertelt, is geen grap meer, maar propaganda. Je riskeert ermee de uitsluiting van velen te legitimeren, en de hang te stimuleren van enkelen om zich dan maar te gaan gedragen naar hun zwartste clich�.
Ik betwijfel of dat maatschappelijke winst oplevert. Ook voor de vrije meningsuiting.
Dat is vanzelfsprekend geen reden om iemand af te slachten. Maar ook niet om hem, over de grenzen van het graf heen, tot onschuldig gouden kalf te dopen
Tom Lanoye
Behold, yet another design for pastedescape.com. However, this is pretty much what i had in mind all along, so you better get used to it, i'm gonna stick with it. Plus, i'm going to apply this new style to all the other chapters of this site, since i finally had the guts to start working with CSS in GoLive. So, there's still a lot of work to be done, and i hope that will refrain me from being so stupid to throw this thing overboard in about three weeks time.
Well, it looks bloody cool to me. Best thing i've ever done. Hehehe...
Some albums, you just forget about after awhile. Eventhough you've really enjoyed them for a long time. Japan's 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' is one of them, for the fact that i stumbled upon it in my record-collection, put it on, and am now practicing 'methods of dance', so to speak. For some reason, Japan's albums before this one, sound a bit unbalanced to me, and the one after is too contrived. The drumming here is fierce and energetic, the synth's are pulsating, the fretless bass is singing, and there's that one song... 'Nightporter'. It got played on the radio a couple of days ago (now i get it, i didn't accidentaly put it on, there's my subconsiousness working!), ah, goosebumps.
Time for a little more indepth update. It's hard to tell wether or not foreign television or other media really are paying attention to what's happening in the Netherlands, but it's been quite a comedown lately. After Theo van Gogh's assassination and the following events (mosques, churches and muslim schools being set fire to) this country feels off-balance. All of a sudden, it's very clear to me and i guess a lot of people, why the Dutch model of the Multicultural Society has failed. If people are allowed to withdraw themselves from our society and it's values, it's no surprise there's a chance they develop an aversion for our standards and values. A big catalist in all of this is the media in my opinion.
I wonder where their interests are... for instance, in an overview of burnt down or molested religious buildings in the Netherlands, all the islamitic buildings where colored green, the churches were colored red. How's that for selling the people a war.
Another excess in this direction is a page two article in my newspaper: On Elqalem.nl, an anti-homo manifest was posted, accompanied by a very tasteless and illegable photoshopped picture of Tinky-Winky. Tasteless also in it's message, although there's a elaborate explanation by the writer why he (i assume it's a male) comes to such an action. After reading the entire story, there's definitely no sympathy, but from a hatefull message it has become a more balanced story. In the end it's an absurd action, using your freedom of speech to try and restrict others in their freedom to be who they want to be.
In the newspaper, all subtlety is lost, and all it reads is there's a Dutch-Maroccan website that posted an anti-homo manifest. I just don't understand why behind all the unbelief and obvious compassion with the muslims in the press, there's such a vile smear campaign going on. Aren't we supposed to make clear that everyone in this country, who feels comfortable with our standards, should feel welcome. People who don't, should really ask themselves what they are looking for, and why they're here. If i can write this down in, i guess, less than 500 words, why isn't this idea printed in my newspaper. Aren't we supposed to get along and unite against this hate?
At woostercollective, there are some great pictures of how to make the best of road signs like zebra crossings. It's somewhere halfway the main page right now, but i've made some direct links here, here and here. Art lies in the streets man...
I just read it's tentative release will be May 2005. Gnarl!
A great way to get a nice close-up of Lucian Freud's technique is available at Artchive, at the bottom of the page.
I woke up last night, and ofcourse, i couldn't resist my curiousity for the intermediate score. I don't remember the figures, but it was quite clear that Bush was leading. I bet that he always was.
Then, i went back to bed, and couldn't stop thinking about the, obviously, terrorist murder on Theo van Gogh yesterday. I now understand what was meant with 'the failure of the multi-cultural society'. This night, the world has gone a bit more bad to me. I'm now looking out the window, it's misty outside.
Finally, the majority of the Old World has access to the vaults of Apple's digital music store. And what better album for a first purchase than David Bowie's Low. I'll be dashing through the streets of Milan this weekend, so this is my last update for this week. Next week, it's November, NaNoWriMo... we'll see how much i'll be posting.
The Son-o-house was revealed about a year ago i reckon, and still i haven't found the time to take a little de-tour on the many occassions i've passed through Eindhoven. It ought to happen someday soon... i'll let you know. Still, a great piece of art, as architect Lars Spuybroek himself categorizes it, that deserves to be taken note of. The structure plays with sound and shape, and is a characteristic example of Spuybroek's way of building. Obviously, because i haven't seen the structure yet, i can't tell you what it's like, but hey, i feel like posting.
Another project of NOXARCH is the D-Tower, which is really out of this world, like a giant pulled tooth marching through town, displaying the nerves of the community. Through daily polls, the color for the object for the next evening is determined. I sound totally bonkers right? It's late, i'm sleepy, check out the links, you'll see.
Woe, the fickle world of Pop. On last night's live broadcast of -how appropiately named- Saturday Night Live, questionably talented Jessica Simpson's questionably talented sister Ashlee takes her first steps in the world of Rock 'N' Roll. As her TV-show already demonstrated, she looks like she was born and bred to be a celebrity... and not much more than that. The whole story is spilled out with all it's gore on Popjustice as always, the abridgement is that while the band, in spirit of the program, played live, Ashlee's vocals of another song started on playback, which left her with no other choice then to dash off-stage, blaming her band for the fuck-up.
What had been delicately nourished to come a full bloom, has been crushed prematurely; Ashlee Simpson's carreer. As we speak, teenage America is butchering her. One down, a million to go.
The Booker Prize was granted to Alan Hollinghurst this year. A bit of a surprise, as bookmakers offered odds of 5:4 for David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. I got curious after hearing those numbers, and leafed through a copy at a book store after work, getting even more surprised by it's old-fashioned language. That, however, also witheld me from taking it home. You have to read at least the first page of a book in the store, and if you like the taste of that first bite, it's a good one. Cloud Atlas' first page had me rereading the first paragraph a bit too often. I'll let it rest for awhile, so i'll probably forget about it altogether in a few weeks. So far the fate of the Booker Prize Losers.
Then there's Windows On The World by French writer Fr�d�ric Beigbeder, which is set in the Twin Towers during the attacks of 9-11. Haven't read the first page yet, as i couldn't remember his name in the store. But i will try to find it, read the first page, and from the interview that introduced me to him, i get the impression i'm going to like it.
In the Netherlands, that is. If you missed yesterdays broadcast of Buitenhof, at least check Ronald Plasterk's column. If you didn't already disagree with the Catholic church's stand on Aids, homosexuality, the use of condoms, abortion, euthanasia and so on, there's another reason.
So, did you know that if you are Catholic, you are registered by this organization called SILA? Well, you can unregister by filling in this form. If you didn't figure that out already. My form is signed.
Thanks to Kottke.org, as always, i've found my way to the NaNoWriMo. And as many earthlings with me, i've always said "One day i'll write a novel." True, it's something you intend to do for a long time, and when you finally get to it, you only last for one day. This is about a month of frantic writing, quantity counts, not quality. Fucking great idea. I've signed up!
Ever since i read Lynch on Lynch, i getting more and more captured by the logic of dreaming, and figuring out how to distil a visual style from it. Not only David Lynch, but also Michel Gondry, famous for his videos for Björk to name one, has ventured into this complex theme.
Last wednesday, i finally saw 'Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind', and have to admit it wasn't exactly what i had hoped it would be. A good movie sure, but rather vague in its conclusion, which means i'm incapable of it putting into words. It was very interesting though to see Michel Gondry translate the machinery of the mind and the logic of dreaming to the screen. Quite dissimilar to David Lynch's way of working. Both Gondry in this movie, and Lynch in most of his movies, have created a dreamworld that rings true, and have gone well beyond the border of smearing vaseline on their lenses.
Interesting topic, not? More on it later.
Today, i had to work on a list of sales addresses of maternity wear in the UK, and in their quest of uniqueness, some shops have taken on a rather odd moniker. For the woman who sees her pregnancy as an illness, there's Swells and Bumps. The more streetwise girl shops at Mums The Word, the upperclass female who doesn't fancy the P-word, prefers Ladies In Waiting. In the category Plain Stupid, there's From Here To Maternity.
Still without a new record deal to my knowledge, Radiohead distribute their new release, a mish mash of videos/remixes/songs/other stuff, through their own w.a.s.te. shop. 110 Minutes long, it looks to be a strange experience, at least.
Wow, this movie looks like it's only funny for 5 minutes, but it's from the guys of Southpark, so it must be funny as f#ck! View the trailer here!
This little post is from about a year ago, unfortunately i can't seem to find a proper update to the story, so we have to assume that the lawsuit flunked. The story was that Pope John Paul II, not dead yet, claimed that using condoms is more dangerous to your health than not using them. Thanks to that, thousands of people will follow his advice, and catch venerial diseases or HIV, and die from it.
Karl-Friedrich Lentze, a German artist, apparently will be suing the pope for that. He's also the guy who got permission to be buried with an inflatable sex doll enclosed in his coffin. Don't you know him?
Since i'm 80% through The Da Vinci Code, you can imagine my dislike of the Catholic church is playing up again. Burrrrp!
Since there's so much good stuff hidden in the old 2013blog, which is now completely unavailable, i'm handpicking some interesting pieces of text from it for the readers. First one is from september 2003, about trend forecasters in general and Liedewij Edelkoort specifically.
Trend forecasters - they can easily be viewed upon as the present incarnation of Satan. Holding all controls in the fickle world of superficiality, they play the cleverest games by predicting what trends the massess are going to embrace in the future. Multinationals pay them exorbitant sums of money, and are mere marionettes in the trend forecasters cunning schemes. It seems that whatever the forecast is, industry follows and produces, and thus conditioning the crowds to want the products that are 'next season', playing on all the carnal uncertainties the Catholic Church did when it still could.
One reason for this rant was a program on Dutch television that aired somewhere in September 2003, and it mainly featured Liedewij Edelkoort AKA Satan. As much as i despise the whole trend of trend forcasting, it still fascinates me madly. She's had a few things to say about the near future, that globalisation is over, we are taking more notice of our local customs, foods and fashions. Europe is a big word for the future. We are also experiencing a revival of the 'underground', instead of everything in the last 10 years happening 'overground'.
There's always a hint of truth in her words. Of course, like astrologists, she makes so much claims, so indefinite, some of them are bound to come true. The latter prediction however seems to make the most sense as for now. Everyone wears the latest fashion or even the latest anti-fashion, so if you want to stand out from the crowd, what's left to do? Take your stuff some place where only the selected few can have access. However, it's bound to be a different underground from what it used to be before the 90's - that was an underground created out of creative need, with only a few people really interested. The new underground is likely to be an elite one, where the ones with enough money can get their hands on the rarest goods, to stand out from the rest. A bit like Neiman Marcus' gift catalogue (check the fantasy gifts). Pricey, but affordable for both Madonna and John Doe. She'd buy an American Airlines Lifetime Membership for one million bucks, he could get err... well something that matches the drapes.
All in all, i'm going to uncork the 1947 Beaujolais, and toast to Liedewij... burrrrp!
Worked my way through the manuals, and finally i can join the rest of the blogging western world. Got a bitch of a headache from it. Apologies for all the unnecessary stuff still floating around, but i'll have to dig a bit deeper to get rid of it. For now, just enjoy the work in progresssssss.
