Disregard.

It may seem juvenile to say that you enjoy solitude. To acknowledge some erroneous teenage trait of being considered a rebel. And finding solace in a knee jerk reaction to the daily expectations of polite society can and is, generally seen to be an antiquated character flaw that has no place in today’s world of open communication and social networking. At times however, you are seen by all to be nothing but this. The loner, the outcast, the depsperate youth – even if you happen to be the wrong side of 35.

I know this first hand and from the perspective of one who can appear to be one way or another, from one day to the next. Example; On a warm bright day I am walking to work having shaved and wearing an ironed shirt and sunglasses. I seem to most people (judging by their initial reactions at least) to be a normal/respectable – however you choose to define either of those – young man. Average. Standard. And they find comfort in that image. It's not an image I've ‘chosen’ but rather it so happens that a particular shirt seemed the right one to put on that morning and that my sunglasses say Rayban on them, which some of them find familiar, or it may even mirror what they themselves are wearing.

A few days later; I'm unshaven, have on an old t-shirt and jeans, and am riding my skateboard though the streets - not so busy as to require careful consideration of the pedestrians, but filled with enough office workers and civilians for me to have to slow down over most of my journey.

The looks now change. They range from bemusement (grown man on a skateboard) to irritation (skateboard too close to me) to a combination of confusion and contempt. Overall though there is one reaction that is more apparent than all else – disregard. Of the few talents I posses (and of those, the only really useful one in practical terms) is an excellent sense of character. I say sense rather than judgement, although I have that too, because as in cases such as this I’m going on instinct and appearance only – usually within a window of a few minutes with passers by on the street.

They quite literally, within a few moments consider you and decide you are not worth their time or attention any further. And I find this intriguing as it only seems to happen when I am skating from one place to another. In the environment of a skatepark or unofficial ‘designated’ area where there may be other skateboarders, there is no untoward reaction or consideration from members of the public. But they appear almost ‘put out’ at the idea of you encroaching on what they deem to be rightfully theirs; the pavement.

Not that it matters, it really doesn’t. When you have been doing something, anything, for 20 years, there isn’t much left to surprise you in relation to how you can be treated by less than understanding people. No one else I know lets it bother them, I mean, why should it. Still – I seem to notice it more and more and at times want to stop to question the individual. What is it that you find so confusing, or threatening? I don’t think they’d even know – but retreating into defensive mode and convincing yourself that someone doesn’t ‘matter’ due to the fact they are engaged in something you cannot comprehend, is far more juvenile and childish than feeling like a rebel could ever be.

STP

I've had this on repeat since yesterday morning, trying to soak up the vibe, as it were. It's interesting when bands 'come back' with a different sound from that which made their name. And I wasn't expecting 'Core part 2' but this is a side-step for STP and so far I'm liking it. it's a bit Beatles, a bit Bowie and a bit 'some band that was on Whistle Test in 1979'. There are a couple of overly flowery tracks but overall it's a good listen, and like Backspacer or REM's Accelerate - it's short and to the point enough to suggest the promise of another album in the near future.

Sprint

I am no longer myself.
Training my flesh to ignore
And deceive the ghost.
Making others believe in my abilities.
Ability.

A silent chuckle,
While no one listens.
A quick sprint while no one watches.

I am a wonder of nature and evolution,
Wrapped in a sweet white frosting.
And still I’m no further from bankruptcy
Or closer to any of the gods.



May 2010

Quote of the day

'I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men.' Marlene Dietrich

Clever...

See the gravity-defying illusion that has won the 2010 Best Illusion of the Year Contest. The "Impossible Motion" illusion, was created by Kokichi Sugihara of the Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences in Kawasaki, Japan.

Mr Fox

Watched this last night:. Surprisingly good. I won't spoil it, but among other things - there's an oddly moving scene at the end, involving a wolf.

Happy Birthday Stevie

American

Animating the real Bill Hicks

weareallgoingtoburninhell

Diamond Jacks

Popped in to Diamond Jacks on the way home yesterday - this was my view for an hour or so in the evening:

Cheers Darryl

empty

So... imagine yourself standing in the centre of St Pauls Cathedral. If a single atom was the size of St Pauls, then the nucleus - the centre of the atom containing most of its mass - would be about the size of a single grain of sand. All the space around the grain if sand, the entire interior of St Pauls, is essentially full of nothing. Empty. This is the stuff we’re made of remember, so if all the space inside us were removed, the planet’s entire population would apparently reduce down to the size of a apple.

That BLOWS my mind.

Quote of the day

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein

A severe lack of empathy

Is what I’m feeling this right now. Lots of little things getting to me before 8.30am is not a great start - but not the end of the world. The general public seem to be getting more stupid as the days and weeks and lifetimes pass. Suffice to say after last nights DVD viewing, when it comes to attitude this morning I am right there with this guy:

here's looking at you

(eyes - geddit...) Anyway, this is the big boy, 8.25. 

Which when you go to bed - looks like this:

Shave and a haircut - 2 biiiits

Not a shave in fact, but a risotto from the BEST pizza/pasta in Soho:

Quote of the day

"If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans"  Stephen Hawking.

Everyday underbelly.

Stealing food
Jumping trains
Keeping quiet
Sticking to the rule book
Writing songs never heard
Underground thoughts turned
Brown by the every day light
Unwelcome autumn leaves cracking
Underfoot
Months too soon.

Sleepless nights and awake in the daytime
But still always dreaming
While soft hatred remains
Underfoot
At the bottom of your heart.

Your mind singing songs unheard
Dragging the rule book
Like a weight around your neck
Jumping trains
Stealing food
Buying wine
Keeping quiet
Keeping your head above water.

Winter piano keys cover nihilism with
Their gentle snowflake song
And we run towards the moonlight
Resting just over the fairytale horizon.

The white electrical glow
From the corner of the room to
The corner of our minds
Is our only guide along the way.

Holding hands
A baby in
Arms
The black road left behind
Our long ago storybook tale.

And suddenly we hear voices
Swept in on the wind
Promising us the world we deserve.

Towards the moonlight we go
Towards the light
So close to our hands
The voices embrace us as we hold hands
Baby in arms.

Just over the horizon
The ground down metaphor of
Black steel sparks along
Night time white lines
It is the flint with which to begin
Living once again.

Quote of the day

The gravity of necessity, is balanced only by the weight of possibility.

Gentle comedy.

Yesterday I walked past a building, where I once worked for a photographic company. A very important role – but not one I asked for, or wanted to do. As they were all so far up their own asses they didn’t know or care what was happening to the lower mammals who worked there.

And on top of that – the management – bar one – my boss, were so clueless of life in general, that it became pretty unbearable when they reminded me just HOW important both they and the company were.

Among other things, I was expected to – Assist the Managing Directors in all aspects of promoting the business, and -

To manage the office efficiently and undertake any other tasks that may be required of you by senior staff...

That company is now a Starbucks.

Sunny

NASA has unveiled the first images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite, which is designed to predict the solar storms that disrupt telecommunications back on Earth.

Quote of the day

'I've been alive nearly 36yrs and I've just noticed that the word saturday has the word turd in it. '
Jamsie Porter III. Snowballer Extraordinaire

RIP Guru

The Elam family wishes to thank the fans of our son/brother/father uncle/nephew/cousin Keith aka GURU for the outpouring of love, concern and support.

Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much. GURU was devoted to his young son, who will most keenly feel his absence.

GURU suffered from multiple myeloma for over a year. Accrued complications from this illness led to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. As a result, GURU was in a coma from mid February until his death and never regained consciousness. Early on the morning of April 19th, he became hypertensive due to low blood pressure. He again went into cardiac arrest and slipped away from us.

GURU died far too young but he was, and we are, proud of all his many legendary musical contributions.

 

The last Re-up

Every time I read something about this show – I remember why I love it so much. Everything about it is huge and at the same time subtle. The story arcs, the depth of the narrative, everything just keeps on giving.

HERE you will find an excellent round up of the acting talent that forms the basis of The Wire. The Guardian re-up articles are always a great read – but this one is particularly good, dealing as it does with the cast rather than the plotlines.

''f.l.a.s.h.f.l.o.o.d...''

This made up my 'Monday morning travelling to work music experience'

Forgotten films pt3

''Lets have a bachelor party! With chicks and guns and firetrucks and hookers!'' Tom Hanks' finest hour. This film was quoted daily when we were teenagers.

Simple things

 There’s something so nice about skating through town early in the morning, before everyone is at out and at work. The streets are bare, no pedestrians – just you and the street sweepers and delivery trucks. I don’t know – feels like you’re rolling through the opening scene to a film or something. The smooth ground ahead of you and sun just coming out from behind the buildings, a bit of a chill in the air... and on top of that, it’s Friday.

Jap-eralus

I get a kick out of being an outsider constantly

“I get a kick out of being an outsider constantly. It allows me to be creative. I don't like anything in the mainstream and they don't like me.”

Seeing an ad on the side of a bus for the N-DUBZ edition Adidas made me remember I wanted to mention the current TV spot they’re running. With ‘everyone’ in it. Man – it’s so hot right now isn’t it. Honestly, nothing in recent memory has made me want to be less a part of something than that new Adidas Originals ad. It looks like hell. All those people - all that trend (I just threw up in my mouth a little bit).
They should go back to their old 90’s viral marketing campaigns if you ask me:

So to balance out the karma, be aware that this is being released on May 14th:

 

Quote of the day

'I've done a lot a' things I'm not proud of... and the stuff I am proud of - is disgusting.'  Moe Sizlak.

Malcolm Mclaren

RIP dude. NOW who's going to drop the '...then I saw a laaarge black maaan wearing a Sex Pistols T-Shirt - who turned out to be Afrika Bambaaaata...' story in every other interview?