A Hard Day at 30-Something Labs

Inn the Park @ St. James's Park

I had the pleasure of dining at Inn the Park last night in the terrific company of Dom & Da Bomb. I received a wicked birthday present (thanks guys), the food was great, and I also picked up a copy of 'New & Collected Poems 1964-2006' by Ishmael Reed (look out for 'Conjure III' coming out on Blue Note).

I didn't realise that Inn the Park was part of the same group as Mash, which has sadly turned to shit. Oh well....

Listening to: 'Compared to What' by Les McCann & Eddie Harris at Montreux 1969. A song penned by Eugene McDaniels, taking a pot shot at Nixon. Totally relevant now, as then.

Looking for: 'Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse' by Eugene McDaniels

Subjective spurts

Thought #7,995,001
I have never caught my father watching a porno or having a w*nk. Maybe it isn't his thing. However, I strongly believe that it is an important rite of passage for my kids to catch me doing the same - at the right age, it will do their confidence the world of good to know that I am a wanker, and that anything I say should be scrutinised carefully for traces of parental bullshit, desperately masquerading as authority.

Question #67,273,262
Do any door-to-door Bible salesmen take the job in the hope of getting some illicit housewife/househusband/god botherer (PoliticallyCorrect™) action?

In a mellow way...

I watched 'The Producers' at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane today. I had to keep memories of the original film (one of my all-time faves) firmly out of mind and avoid comparisons; I failed.

Read: 'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway

Listened to: The Lafayette Afro-Rock Band and Oneness of Juju

I spent last night ripping CDs - mostly jazz CDs I purchased in my late teens, some of it stuff I hadn't listened to in the last few years. It was an amazing experience, all this music washing over me, cleansing the soul, as I laughed my way back into my past. Much better than acid (allegedly).

Women I love this week

• Keeley Hawes
• Naomie Harris
• Shirley Henderson
• Kelly Macdonald
• Roni Ancona

Watching: 'A Cock and Bull Story'

Resting: my head (sleep) and my legs, following a long walk at the 2,600 acre woodland site that is the Look Out with the Cistern Kid

Listening to: Eric Dolphy, Cannonball Adderley & Kenny Burrel (thanks to Jason & Stuart for the new Legato)

A tale of a weekend in Barcelona

His beauty was captivating.











Even the monuments were distracted by him.














His beauty was beyond compare.















































He freely shared his charms with me...











...and him











When it all came to a head, the air was thick with guilt, regret and accusation

Ghosts driving Nissans...

'A.M. at the roundabout at 6PM'

I had explained him out of my thoughts, presuming him dead - or at least, in some kind of drug-induced vegetative state, rocking and drooling within a sterile cocoon.

And I was almost right. It was a Nissan 200sx coupe, actually. He pulled up alongside me at the roundabout by Sainsbury's in Calcot - just off the M4 J12 at Reading. A face I could spot within a tide of humanity. Neanderthal man. Perpetually perplexed, whether battling the traffic, or discerning between left and right, arse and elbow.

We loved him, we lost him. He drove on, exiting roundabout right.

The Magic Bed, Reading, 18th August 2006

Back from Barça

A delicious, decadent weekend to celebrate the Cistern Kid's 36th and my 35th. I didn't get any time to see Gaudi's fabulous buildings (on my list for next time), and if I have to sum up the weekend, it's with the following:

• 'Humpty needs some lurrrrve' (said in a Burl Ives kinda voice)
• 'Where's the Chorizo? Show me the chorizo.'
• 'Never punch a dustbin. Even if it is leering at you, taunting you and calling you a c*nt, don't punch it. To do so merely confirms that you are one.'
• 'Q: I want a girlfriend. How do I get one? A: By staying sober awhile.'
• On drinking a bottle of Moet: 'My Sprite tastes funny.'

Not a lot of snappin' was done as we were busy getting twatted and becoming stonker-plonkers. I also broke my phone.

In lieu of having anything to say to excuse myself, I take a bow, and exit stage right.

Thanks for the cards, messages and presents. Birthday wishes to my twin, Fidel Castro.

Browsing: writers/tossers retreats, spa breaks (not the kind of holiday I would normally take, but I need the rest and time to write)

Watching: an old fave - 'Three Colours White'

A note on turning 35...

Today, when I see a beautiful young lady look at me, I don't believe she is thinking 'what lovely big brown eyes he has', but rather, 'he looks just like my uncle'.

But like many posts, it's not the whole story...

Aah Umm

I'm shutting down for a few days as I leg it to Barcelona for my 35th (I have even posted in the future - see above).

Thanks to Simon, Nick, TaffyDaddy, SuzySue & Kristof for their tlc while I recover from the relapse. My funk is getting stronger, and normal service should resume next week.

Still, it hasn't been a bad week. Nick now responds to me calling him 'darling' and Simon willingly whips his top off for me. What more can a man want - apart from females?

And you are?

Interesting story on ID cards in The Guardian that I read a few weeks back. Yes, the whole thing is a con (I spent a year or so looking into the technology and implications quite some time back).

'What Muslims Want' on Channel 4 last night

I have to unburden myself. I watched this programme, as did my parents. All three of us were shocked by the views expressed. Here's my take on it:

• If you live in a country, you respect its laws and culture. If you don't like the Government or its policies, you use your vote. If you don't like it, you can leave. There is no excuse for killing people - Islam does NOT sanction such behaviour. We live in a secular democracy - enjoy it!
• I can handle Islamic people wearing headscarves, but the full hijab? I find it odd that they choose to hide behind the garb but are happy to coexist and interact with people who are unveiled. People are scared of what they can't see, so hijab wearers should not be totally surprised by the negative reaction
• Many of the programme participants expressed negative views wrt British culture, and clearly relished the right to voice them, so why are they so intolerant of criticism of the dress, culture or religion? Don't all the holy books exhort one to turn the other cheek?
• Many of these people are wishing for a system of governance that doesn't exist anywhere - it's not an Islamic state they seek, its more of a place where noone can disagree or challenge them - a place where tolerance and respect are not required (a society unchallenged doesn't develop). If they want that, they can go live within the theocracy of Iran, the benevolent dictatorship of Egypt or Saudi Arabia (nice rights for women)
• Many of them appeared intolerant to freedom of speech, homosexuality - what are they scared of? Homosexuality is alive and well in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and spans all religions - live and let live
• Sharia law hasn't worked well in any country using it, e.g. Saudi Arabia. In others, like Pakistan, Sharia coexists uneasily with a parallel legal system (jurisprudence), causing havoc
• The Muslims expressing extreme views took the Koran's text literally (death by stoning for adulterers), and didn't moderate to allow for the passage of time (all holy books sound insane if you take them literally)
• They weren't the brightest of people - when many of them expressed views, you could tell from the hesitation in their voice that they weren't entirely sure of the provenance of what they articulated. They certainly didn't understand the key teachings, philosophies and pillars of Islam. Perhaps they're insecure and seek refuge in religious dogma to avoid making the difficult decisions that characterise a live fully lived
• One key point: I am unsure as to whether these people can tell the difference between religious practise and community culture, e.g. aspects of Tribal culture on the Pak-Afghan border (like kissing a tribal elders feet) are counter to Islamic teaching

My beef with the programme:

• It did not cover the full spectrum of views from Muslims (like, errr, me) who are not in the ghettoes but integrated
• Neither I, or my Muslim relatives & acquaintances were contacted for the survey (not sure why that is - there may be a good reason for this)

Interesting comparisons that I would like to have been made:

• The rise in Islamic separatism (perhaps too strong a word) compared against the rise of the Christian right in the USA (are there parallels?)
• The attitudes of these participants compared with those of their UK-settled parents

A useful programme, but also a missed opportunity.

Balls

Find the dodgy pictogram

From the new set for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing:

Interesting newspaper headline (from China Daily)

'China increasingly attractive to others - China has been increasingly attractive to other countries in recent years and the idea of China's peaceful rise is impressive'

I can imagine other countries going up to China and checking out her porous borders and casting an eye over her assets, desiring to exploit her resources. Disgusting. Don't even get me started on the 'peaceful rise'.

A new definition of Pakistan

It's four provinces, where two of them (Balochistan & NWFP) don't want to be part of it and the other two (Sindh & Punjab) can't stand eachother.

Anger management

This is a joke. This, however, isn't.

Question: why do car makers obselete their new cars upon introduction with names like Legend (Honda) and Legacy (Subaru)?

Ring, ring, ring

I seem to have a telephone stalker. They have rung 3-4 times so far today. It doesn't appear to be an automated system timing out, but rather a real person who seems to be painfully shy.

Prescient tune of the day: Brotherhood's 'The Monkey that Became the President' from 1975

A Greek restaurant that doesn't serve hummus: As Greek As It Gets

Blog link for Orleans groovers - Dan Phillips Home of the Groove

The Wozzy Wobble

A week heavy with the threat of a relapse. Slurred speech, sleepless nights, nerves firing impulses, fingertip twitches floundering, etc, etc. Thankfully not the virus of old - just a revisit of old side effects. It appears that my body - aware that I did not have to travel during August - decided to let it all go. All (?) I have to do now is to ease off the gas pedal and coast awhile. I have another 4-5 weeks before I teararse v-longhaul again.

In this new phase of steadiness, I spent the day helping Jonathan construct a mini-adventure playground and slide for Taran, while eating him out of house and home. He gave me some interesting feedback from his Israeli colleagues on the current situation in the Middle East. Not positive.

Went to the CAMRA beer festival at Earls Court yesterday. It was bigger and busier than last years event at Olympia, but more impersonal. I think i'll stick to the CAMRA event in Reading, where people are more willing to break out of their cliques & comfort zones to engage with others.

Listening to: vinyl (DAB hi-fi still in the repair shop)

Working on: bugger all squared. Am clearing out lots of poetry mags - such a lot of total w*nk.

Bye bye's to: Annie, as she heads off to pastures new

Wot u thinkin' about Wozzy Boy?

Mostly, I am thinking about women - ones I haven't met yet...ok, ok, honestly? I am thinking about what goes through a pigeon's mind when it craps on someone. Let's call it the 'Pigeon's Punchline'. I am also thinking about serious stuff, but don't want to blog it.

Yes, I am still editing the old poetry.

Listening to: Jorge Ben, Crown Heights Affair, Mulatu Astatke & Funk Inc.

Looking forward to: GBBF, Barcelona, debauchery & gluttony