words XXIV

It is completly unavoidable, we are coming up to the first year anniversary of September 11 2001. The (i) in the title is because I am sure this is the first of a few posts I will make on the subject. Its pretty hard to wander the web without seeing something about this on a regular basis. Metafilter has a lot of threads going on about it. One which caught my eye was a link to a Salon article called Forbidden thoughts about 9/11. Its a good piece and addresses a couple of interesting points.

Its about the only article I’ve seen in the mainstream press about the other possible thoughts to September 11th. In particular this thought which it quotes:

“Where is the acknowledgment that this was not a ‘cowardly’ attack on ‘civilization’ or ‘liberty’ or ‘humanity’ or ‘the free world’ but an attack on the world’s self-proclaimed superpower, undertaken as a consequence of specific American alliances and actions? How many citizens are aware of the ongoing American bombing of Iraq? And if the word ‘cowardly’ is to be used, it might be more aptly applied to those who kill from beyond the range of retaliation, high in the sky, than to those willing to die themselves in order to kill others.” — Susan Sontag, The New Yorker: Talk of the Town September 24th 2001

Diet Coke With Lemon is not nice. It may aswell have been called Lemon with a little Diet Coke. It just does not work.
Dropped the movies back to Blockbuster and picked up a couple more cause I’m bored and have nothing to do this evening, I got Vanilla Sky and Series 7: The Contenders

Holiday stuff looks like its gonna work out. I was talking to my sister earlier and it would appear that we can stay at her place in Tokyo. So some looking around the web gets return flights for £450. 14 nights in Tokyo would rock so much. She is gonna get me more info when she actually gets there in a couple of days and then I think I’m gonna book time off and flights.

This is a great idea but I suspect I would hate it.

Unsicht-Bar
The restaurant is in pitch black. All of the waiters are blind. You tell them whether you want meat, fish or vegetarian and you sit in pitch black and eat whatever they serve you. A wonderfully European idea.

And just a note on my last post, had the makers of Bring It On followed my rule of thumb it would have been the greatest movie of all time and the most sucessful movie of all time!

There is still time for the sequel tho, hopefully someone is paying attention.

Something strange happened to me a couple of nights ago. I was lying in bed not quite asleep but just at that point where I was going to be within seconds. I felt like I was dreaming but I wasn’t actually dreaming of anything, I was just in a dreamlike state. I had a sudden feeling of falling and then a thought of a concrete bollard, a small one the type along the side of streets. All I can tell you is that I ran into it and at fairly high speed. I was instantly awake and not only that but my knee pushed itself into the bed hard and bounced me back a foot or so, a noticeable distance. Just as if I had run into something. Suffice it to say I was very awake now and I was lying there with my eyes very wide open wondering what in the fuck had just happened.

I’m watching Mulholland Drive and I’m not sure what to make of it. It isn’t making all that much sense and I get the impression it isn’t suppose to. It seems like four or five movies all rolled into one with no connection between them. The two lead actresses have quite bizarrely got together for no reason at all. (Although a rule of thumb that in every movie the two cute lead actresses should get together on screen wouldn’t be all that bad a thing.) And now, not even ten minutes later in a scene that prompted the words “What the fuck?” they start at it again and it comes close to turning into a rape scene but now ends up being a solo scene. I officially now have no idea at all what this movie is about. Did I mention it was written and directed by David Lynch?

I am hoping the last 40 minutes make more sense but I am now reading Salon’s Everything you were afraid to ask about “Mulholland Drive” guide alongside and I’m still confused.

EDIT:
Ok, the movie is now over and I have read the entire guide to it. I have no clue what I spent the past 2 hours and 15 minutes watching. I I would like to note two things here. The movie hurt my head. The guide to the movie also hurt my head.

I can’t even tell if I liked or enjoyed the movie. I don’t understand anything, I am so very confused.

Great cast, shit movie.

Ryan Adam’s Gold is actually a pretty good album. It had a lot of talk behind it and I picked it up a couple of weeks ago. First listen was ok, nothing special to it but a solid album. A couple of more listens and I’m getting behind it a lot more. Still nothing special just a nice little album.

Got some movies to watch tonight (Royal Tenenbaums and Mullholand Drive), picked up my comics including ten back issues of Lucifer so I don’t have to wait for trades. Also bought the newly released Monsters Inc collectors edition DVD so I’ll watch that at some stage over the weekend.

I’m feeling bored despite all that. I don’t have an urge to watch any of the above or to read any of the above at the moment. I don’t have much of an urge to do anything so I’m fucking around online in that hope someone will sign on before I decided to bother to do something.

So I slept in late as planned today and now I have no idea what to do for the rest of the day. I’ve two options springing to mind right now: stay local and go food and comic shopping or head into town and do some comic shopping / other shopping.

I think the former is more likely and considering hitting blockbuster on the way back and having a quiet night in. Not sure if there is anything on in the cinema I want to see. Please hold while I quickly hit Keyword Film, hmm does not seem to be all that much. Checking the Prince Charles. Please hold again. Damn nothing much there either.

I guess I’m gonna stay local then. Grab some breakfast in the place across the road, head up into Clapham Junction, go to Avalon then onto ASDA and lastly Blockbuster. I’m not sure if there is anything out to rent that I really want to see but I can always browse I guess. Only thing with that is it means I have to go back tomorrow and return whatever I get. Still not that much hassle I guess.

Spent last night online talking with a friend after the movie and that was all good. Hoping to get an email from her later today, but could be Monday at this stage.

I’ve been using Waterstones “3 for 2” on books a lot recently. I’ve been buying stuff for a rainy day I guess. I have a stack of about 12 crime novels all by different writers which were in the recommended section for crime. Will start on them at some stage soon, just seemed to be a good opportunity. Monday night I’m gonna be spending some money on books. Raymond Fiest is signing in London and Dave and I are going along. I’m really hoping he has some advance copies of the Special Edition Anniversary edition of Magician, it’s one of my favourite books.
I also have to go and pick up the new book by Chuck Fight Club Palahniuk, Choke I wasn’t too sure on this other books but I’ve heard good things about this one, including from a guy in work who has very similar reading tastes to mine (we swop comics a lot).

Quietish Friday night. Went for a couple of drinks and dinner with some of the guys from work and then onto the cinema to see The Bourne Identity which was pretty good. Fairly solid spy thriller well executed. It was a good evening with some good laughs. More later maybe.

So I’m officially not going to be spending the extended period in the US which had been planned. I had a meeting earlier in the week and pulled out of the trip for personal reasons. Those being I’m going back to college in about 3 weeks time. I even get to study what I want to study and two nights a week (plus a week full work in a lab) will get me a decent Diploma in it in less than 18 months.

I’m annoyed I’ve gone and left The Rising in my cd-rom drive in work so I have to do without for the weekend.

Also, not going climbing tomorrow for various reasons. Looks like it will be Saturday week now.

I don’t remember how I felt
I never thought I’d live
To read about myself
In my hometown paper
How my brave young life
Was forever changed
I a misty cloud of pink vapor

Darlin’ give me your kiss
Only understand
I am, the nothing man

Around here, everybody acts the same
Around here, everybody acts like nothing’s changed
Friday night, the club meets at Al’s Barbecue
The sky’s still, the same unbelievable blue

Darlin’ give me your kiss
Come and take my hand
I am, the nothing man

You can call me Joe
Buy me a drink and shake my hand
You want courage
I’ll show you courage you can understand
The pearl and silver
Restin’ on my night table
It’s just me Lord, pray I’m able

Darlin, with this kiss
Say you understand
I am, the nothing man
I am, the nothing man

I should have been in at 9. Tickets are sold out 🙁