| On anti-racism UK style |
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| 02:46pm 11/07/2009 |
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Thursday evening saw me at a 'Representing You Better' event hosted by Sadiq Khan at the House of Commons. He's our local Labour MP who also happens to be the first Muslim to be elected onto the Cabinet. It was quite short but in an hour and half, they packed in four amazing speakers starting off with Dawn Butler the Labour representative for Brent, then Chuka Umunna, the Labour MP for Streatham, Simon Woolley from Operation Black Vote and finally the ever delectable Oona King.
( A few observations... )
At one point they mentioned Diane Abbott would be paying a visit, which would have been awesomeness incarnate. Unfortunately I never caught sight of her, though in retrospect, that's probably a good thing. I would have just embarrassed myself with my unhealthy knowledge of the 'This Week' programme.
EDIT: Doing my daily blog roll and I came upon this wonderful post on Gilroy's opinions concerning the state of black Britain. Funny how these things happen.
Also found this excellent article from the Left Luggage blog. Although it is focusing on class interests, I think it's relevant to all groups within the spectrum of the left, be they class based, racial, religious or other.
I ought to stop editing now because there are a couple of other posts I've been meaning to write but reading about the recent movements of the Nigerian Humanist Society made me want to stand up and dance. Once upon a time, this was the sort of thing that the churches would have also dug their teeth into but with the likes of Akinola running the show those days are long gone. I wonder if any of the traditional religious groups are also taking a stand as for too long, they either haven't spoken out or have been ignored when they do about the malpractices within various new cults. The myth of the 'satanic' cult simply fuels the crazy-eyed evangelicals and attracts the desperate to the congregations of these despicable 'witch-hunting' pastors and the like.
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| On the National Theatre and the blessed BBC4 |
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| 06:03pm 09/07/2009 |
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The NT is currently showing a theatrical adaptation of 'The Black Album' (non-Travelex) by Hanif Kureishi, 'Mother Courage and Her Children' by Brecht (Travelex, but from 9th September. Will definitely be going to see it), an adaptation of 'Nation' by Terry Pratchett and 'All's Well That Ends Well' by a mysterious new writer by the name of William Shakespeare. I am desperate to go to all four but, 'Nation' is non-Travelex (ie no cheap tickets) and starts from 11th November. 'The Black Album' will be expensive, but at least that starts on the 14th. Otoh, I am trying very hard not to spend the rest of my student loan before the start of term. Oh, first-world problems; they are so very tiresome.
Thinking of Brecht, it was interesting to see that there's a new play by David Hare (is he actually any good or are people just being mean to him as we always are to figures of cultural significance? Everything he's written always seems to get panned) called 'The Power of Yes', supposedly about the the 'crisis of capitalism', but I suspect is really an opportunity for the NT to show how off just how relevant it is. As far as I can tell, it's set in 2008, which doesn't seem at all appropriate, somehow (that's where Brehct comes in - I rather like his principles for political drama chief among them being that one shouldn't set the play in a contemprorary setting).
Still, it might be good. I'll be awaiting the opinions of the august Newsnight Review crew with baited breath.
( Read more... )
This is the stuff that should be on BBC1, particularly as news these days is more about snowmen than actual news (thanks Charlie Brooker!) and particularly seeing how there is an alarming trend for strident - divisive - political and idealogical views and opinions being waved about these days. Ignorance is the root of all suffering, as they say, and no form of ignorance is excused.
EDIT: Oh happy days! Robin Hobb was in Forbidden Planet today signing her new book. A new book! It's set in the Farseer-verse unfortunately - I'm sure it will be awesome, but I was hoping to read some of her utterly fantasmagoric world-building skillz put to a different fantasy universe. |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| 01:44am 08/07/2009 |
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I'm really not sure why I don't like Torchwood as much as I should and I've been feeling like this ever since the third episode, series one. It has everything I usually crave for in sci-fi*, but for some reason it never seems to get me.
( Read more... )
EDIT: Having just watched the third episode, I can safely say I enjoyed it a lot. There might be hope for me after all. |
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Read 7 - Post |
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| On films |
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| 07:44pm 17/06/2009 |
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Watched 'Omohide poro poro' (wonderfully summed up by a newly discovered blogger) yesterday and have found yet another favourite in the Studio Ghibli canon. Every time I watch one of their films for the first time, I always say it's my favourite one - it's a bit like Pixar, actually. I don't know how these people do it.
( Read more... ) |
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| Yes, I am relying on the infantile to jerk me out of this 'meh' I'm in right now, why? |
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| 09:30pm 12/06/2009 |
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Surprise, motherlikers!
( Read more... )
Re-reading 'Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell' (for the third time! It's amazing - usually I only read a book once and that's it, no matter how awesome it was. Only Robin Hobb and JKR have come anywhere succeeding and the latter was so that I could rip it to shreds) and it occurs to me that Childermass and Mr Norrell are like a 19th century fantasy equivalent to Smithers and Mr. Burns.
I'm hearing "OTP!" from my inner fangirl, currently heavily restrained in the back of my head...
*EDIT: And then I read this and I felt a bit better. |
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Read 12 - Post |
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| 02:53pm 09/06/2009 |
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Still feeling a bit... 'meh'. And angry, when I think about things that have happened of late. Then 'meh' again as I remember it's just life. This has only been heightened by the fact that two beautiful dresses that I'd been eyeing up have already gone and being the vain little mo-liker that I am, I take this very personally (no, the shop in question doesn't have a policy of saving items, which, tbh, I think is fair enough. I was just too slow).
I am also hoping that the mainstream politicos/media don't start mythologising the BNP win. It had more to do with a lack of people voting full stop than an increased vote for the BNP. However, considering the trend when it comes to talking about extreme politics... ach, I don't know.
The weather is nice, though and I found a mysterious little place in the Northern Quarter that sells paniers and crinolines (the panier for under £50 which is better than pretty decent). |
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Read 2 - Post |
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| I'm feeling more than a bit morbid today |
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| 02:41pm 07/06/2009 |
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( Read more... )
Hey everyone! Guess what serial killers, priests, liberal academics, rabbis and environmentalists have in common? Find out the answer and more from Divided by Truth.org!
Sites like this mostly make me crack up (with laughter or rage alternatively, but mostly laughter), but also make me quite glad I long since lost most of my faith in humanity, especially in light of certain election results.
And here's one for the lols:( Read more... ) |
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Read 12 - Post |
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| 12:11am 03/06/2009 |
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mood:  angry
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It seems blogger.com has just erased all the blogs I'm following from my reading list. What on earth?
EDIT: No, it's just Internet Explorer being ridiculous. Keeps on giving me a black screen when I click on the comments link as well. Must be a problem with the widgets* or summat.
*See? I am techno. I said widgets.
EDIT II: Having just watched the latest episode of Question Time, I think I now know exactly what privilege is.
It's being able to consider the BNP as a fucking protest vote.
Dammit people. Stupid stupid people. |
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Read 18 - Post |
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| On learning |
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| 10:48pm 29/05/2009 |
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mood:  contemplative
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I love education. I love how many things you find yourself believing for no better reason than because someone you respected said it was true, then you read about it for yourself and go, "wrong!" Even though it was fun believing the myth, the reality always ends up more satisfying.
A discussion with an anthropology student meandered onto the topic of 'less civilised' peoples coming in contact with Western technology. We asked if there were any instances where they started worshipping the technology/westerners upon contact as is usually portrayed as the case.
The guy answered carefully - you can tell this isn't the Borat doofus, can't you? - firstly by saying he couldn't be sure as it wasn't something he'd researched yet, but he gave an example of the closest thing he had come across to that cliche thus far. It was the 'cargo cult' of a Papua New Guinea tribe.
Now, apparently what was happening was that members of the tribe would come into the anthropologist's camp and randomly take things that they happened to fancy. At first this was just taken as a sign of their greedy, uncultivated natures, until they were challenged about it. They reacted with surprise saying that, according to their myths, the white man is just a descendant of a Papua New Guinean who left the islands a long time ago (the myths goes that there were two brothers, stuck in a cave. One eventually left, but the other was afraid and stayed behind), but promised to return with goods for his brother/'s descendants. The Papua New Guineans had assumed the gramophones and radios were presents that the anthropologists had brought for them to take when they wanted them, being distant 'kin'.
Fascinating, no? And a bit sad too. |
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Read 7 - Post |
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| On the mundanity that is my life... |
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| 09:17pm 22/05/2009 |
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Damn you stupid exams that I'm just going to fail anyway. Look at what you're making me miss.
Honestly. Lucky I can make it to White Mischief... *grumbles*
On a lighter note, I have discovered that French vintage is amazing.
EDIT: I have also discovered that I am extra-mean. I read this article in today's Guardian and immediately went on some terrifying rant about first-world middle-class non-issues to no one in particular.
*sighs* I need help.
( Read more... ) |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| Historical aaht! |
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| 02:44pm 17/05/2009 |
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I have completely forgotten the link, but it was one of the link-of-a-links that came from a Racefail post, about historical P/CoCs that gave birth to this little nugget - The Queen of Morocco:
Apparently a real prostitute as mentioned in 'The Wandering Whore' (1660-1661). I decided not to make her actually Moroccan, as you can see, partly because I just wanted to draw afro hair in the fashionable do (and it goes really well. Actually tempted me to step away from the relaxer-which-never-works-anyway if only to grow it out and do it up like that. It'd be awesome for the steampunk parties) and also because it's totally an uber-exotic moniker.
Anyway, not to keep all the fun to myself, I envisioned her 'lady-in waiting' as a welsh country girl gone bad (for some reason I thought of ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) alagbon) but had no idea what to make of her apprentice. Probably just another London lass with too much time on her hands.
Not that it matters. I just read too much into things...! |
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Read 6 - Post |
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| On the nature of surprise |
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| 03:30pm 15/05/2009 |
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mood:  pissed off
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Radical feminists making stupid statements about transfolk
Am currently revising, so rant will come later.
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Later:
( Read more... )
Mind you, I could be wrong. Such wankery could be evidence that the Discworld idea of, say, quantised 'belief' is quite true in our world as well. There's only so liberal a human can be, and thus beyond that point, they're just a close-minded tool and a half.
EDIT: Still revising, but I've just learnt that the disparity in body strength between male and female humans wasn't always so, which is quite interesting. |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| Fame at last! |
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| 07:53pm 11/05/2009 |
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mood:  accomplished
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Oh yes. I got round to doing the comic for the last ever issue of the student newspaper!
( Read more... )
The editors liked it (and presumably the other stuff on my blog) and will be forwarding my name to next year's news-team so who knows? I may get to do more stuff for them (and it's fun doing sort-of topical comics). |
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Read 8 - Post |
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crushed![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
dorky