Guilt
ummm...well, I'm still around, but feeling terribly guilty about the lack of updates. Normal service may possibly be resumed soon. Have been busy(ish), staring at screens and trying to compose thesis-worthy sentences. Very soon, I hope to be composing thesis-worthy paragraphs. Within a few months I should be capable of pages. Chapters are looking good for sometime this decade. At the current rate, my thesis should be mostly complete by 2024 (except for proper footnotes, obviously).
Since this isn't a proper update, I'm just gonna list out a whole bunch of things with no links. This is really just a glorified email.
Fahrenheit 911 is pretty good. I've watched a rough cut downloaded from the web (which Michael Moore sanctions apparently) and I fully intend going to see it in a cinema, so as it gets the ticket sale (apparently nefarious Republicans went to see it in the states, but bought a ticket for Garfield the Movie and snuck into the theater to deny Moore the sale). The movie focuses more on emotion than facts...but that's not neccessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of facts in there too, and they're not anything tremendously new. Moore understands that many people already know the facts in the abstract, but they've lost their capacity for outrage due to overexposure. F911 is very effective at getting the anger going again.
Turns out that Ross, one of the guys who moved in a few months ago, is something of a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. He believes that the US had foreknowledge of the attacks, but allowed them to happen for "geostrategic" reasons. The US needed a war in Afghanistan to secure the Unocal pipeline and to balance power in the region. He has a movie called "Truth and Lies of 911" which outlines the evidence for this thesis, and it's fairly persuasive. It didn't entirely convince me (the guy presenting the film is a bit of a nutcase), but there are a lot of interesting facts in it.
Oh, and I watched Matchstick Men last week. It's a good movie, despite featuring Nicholas Cage. I recommend it if you're looking for a DVD to rent.
Music-wise, I'm still rambling through Ross' enormous mp3 collection. The Avalanches, Mew, the Killers, Bic Runga, Tori Amos. "Lola Stars and Stripes" by the Stills is a kickass song. I'm still listening to DJ Shadow's first album and Sigur Ros.
Allmusic has gotten an updated interface. It looks pretty cool, but they're having some teething problems. Probably the only web resource as cool as Google.
I went to go see Rodrigo y Gabriela in Dolan's last week. Ok, this is the 3rd time I've seen them and I guess their stuff is a bit samey...but it's still amazing to watch them beat those guitars into submission. They have a new live album out which I'm thinking of getting.
The Frames are releasing a new single in August, to precede their album due in early September. Highly anticipated, I can tell you. Hansard ran through the single (called Finally) in Dolan's 2 weeks ago. I'd heard the song before, and thought it was pretty good, but they've gone and added 2 or 3 whole new sections to it - which fit perfectly. It's always interesting to hear how the songs develop as they go on.
They're playing in Marlay Pk. (where we saw REM last summer) at the end of August, along with Idlewild, Supergrass and Bell X1. It'll be the biggest gig they've ever headlined. Will I be there? Wild horses...
Preparations are gathering momentum for an enormous house party here on Friday night. It's Marius' 36th birthday, and judging from the amount of beer that's been bought...it may very well be his last. It's kind of a meta-party, with everyone inviting everyone they know, for no particularly good reason. In stark contrast to many student house parties I've attended, this one has been meticulously planned. The entire house has been cleaned, beer bought, an itinerary composed (the Mill Bar, the Lodge, the house) and finger-food was mentioned. I await the outcome with interest. It has all the makings of a complete disaster.
Oonagh is planning a paintballing session sometime in August and is trying to enlist everyone she knows who might be handy with a gun. She got first dibs on Finbar, Jeff and Marian G. I get Alex, who's a pacifist. As her ex, I'm considering investing in some groin protection.
What else? Well, my camera hasn't arrived yet. Apparently the shop is still ordering it in. Serves me right for buying so cheaply I guess.
Eventually I will come up with a proper update...
Since this isn't a proper update, I'm just gonna list out a whole bunch of things with no links. This is really just a glorified email.
Fahrenheit 911 is pretty good. I've watched a rough cut downloaded from the web (which Michael Moore sanctions apparently) and I fully intend going to see it in a cinema, so as it gets the ticket sale (apparently nefarious Republicans went to see it in the states, but bought a ticket for Garfield the Movie and snuck into the theater to deny Moore the sale). The movie focuses more on emotion than facts...but that's not neccessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of facts in there too, and they're not anything tremendously new. Moore understands that many people already know the facts in the abstract, but they've lost their capacity for outrage due to overexposure. F911 is very effective at getting the anger going again.
Turns out that Ross, one of the guys who moved in a few months ago, is something of a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. He believes that the US had foreknowledge of the attacks, but allowed them to happen for "geostrategic" reasons. The US needed a war in Afghanistan to secure the Unocal pipeline and to balance power in the region. He has a movie called "Truth and Lies of 911" which outlines the evidence for this thesis, and it's fairly persuasive. It didn't entirely convince me (the guy presenting the film is a bit of a nutcase), but there are a lot of interesting facts in it.
Oh, and I watched Matchstick Men last week. It's a good movie, despite featuring Nicholas Cage. I recommend it if you're looking for a DVD to rent.
Music-wise, I'm still rambling through Ross' enormous mp3 collection. The Avalanches, Mew, the Killers, Bic Runga, Tori Amos. "Lola Stars and Stripes" by the Stills is a kickass song. I'm still listening to DJ Shadow's first album and Sigur Ros.
Allmusic has gotten an updated interface. It looks pretty cool, but they're having some teething problems. Probably the only web resource as cool as Google.
I went to go see Rodrigo y Gabriela in Dolan's last week. Ok, this is the 3rd time I've seen them and I guess their stuff is a bit samey...but it's still amazing to watch them beat those guitars into submission. They have a new live album out which I'm thinking of getting.
The Frames are releasing a new single in August, to precede their album due in early September. Highly anticipated, I can tell you. Hansard ran through the single (called Finally) in Dolan's 2 weeks ago. I'd heard the song before, and thought it was pretty good, but they've gone and added 2 or 3 whole new sections to it - which fit perfectly. It's always interesting to hear how the songs develop as they go on.
They're playing in Marlay Pk. (where we saw REM last summer) at the end of August, along with Idlewild, Supergrass and Bell X1. It'll be the biggest gig they've ever headlined. Will I be there? Wild horses...
Preparations are gathering momentum for an enormous house party here on Friday night. It's Marius' 36th birthday, and judging from the amount of beer that's been bought...it may very well be his last. It's kind of a meta-party, with everyone inviting everyone they know, for no particularly good reason. In stark contrast to many student house parties I've attended, this one has been meticulously planned. The entire house has been cleaned, beer bought, an itinerary composed (the Mill Bar, the Lodge, the house) and finger-food was mentioned. I await the outcome with interest. It has all the makings of a complete disaster.
Oonagh is planning a paintballing session sometime in August and is trying to enlist everyone she knows who might be handy with a gun. She got first dibs on Finbar, Jeff and Marian G. I get Alex, who's a pacifist. As her ex, I'm considering investing in some groin protection.
What else? Well, my camera hasn't arrived yet. Apparently the shop is still ordering it in. Serves me right for buying so cheaply I guess.
Eventually I will come up with a proper update...
posted by batgimp | 1:43 a.m.
<< Home