The world today

It's a rainy sunday afternoon in the midlands and I'm sitting in the library playing on the internet. I'm moving to scotland next week which will be a big change in my life. I've been in the midlands for five years.

The world is a bit crazy just now. I was shocked by the story about the police shooting the brazillian guy on the london underground. Brutal. I understand that they would be nervous after all the bombings and attempted bombings but it still seems like something out of an american TV show.

I do hope that the police catch the people who are targeting london but they should be arrested and put on trial. Executing people in the street is not right.

Nine Inch Nails live in Glasgow

I've just been to see Nine Inch Nails in Glasgow at the Barrowlands. I've seen the band twice before, six years ago at the Brixton Academy in London and eleven years ago in Glasgow.

It was a sold-out show tonight. The crowd was hot, sweaty and loud. The support act was Saul Williams, a political rapper who was OK but nothing special. It was nice of him to apologise for george bush but I don't think I'll look for any of his CDs in the immediate future.

The headliners came on at 9PM and played for almost two hours. The older songs such as terrible lie, wish, head like a hole and hurt stood out from the more samey new material. The new album is good but the old songs had more passion. The band jumped around and smashed guitars as you would expect from nine inch nails. Trent Reznor looks as if he has spent some time in the gym recently. He used to be such a spindly youth.

All in all it was a good show. I enjoyed the 1999 show and the 1994 show more but it was still a good night out. I didn't buy a t-shirt because they were all expensive and very black but I would watch them again.

London attacks

I just woke up about an hour ago after catching up on some lost sleep. My mother called me from spain and told me about the terrorist attacks in London. It's really sad.

I know a few people who live in London and I just hope that none of them were in any way hurt in the explosions. I have the greatest sympathy for everyone who was touched by these attacks. I hope the culprits are found and brought to justice.

I guess nobody should really be surprised that these attacks have occured. They have obviously been timed to coincide with the G8 summit and George Bush visiting Scotland. We in the west know that terrorists want to hurt us and hold us responsible for the ways in which their people and countries have been suppressed, killed and destroyed over the past century.

It was obvious that London would be attacked at some point. Since 2001 the question has been 'When?' not 'If?'. I hope it does not happen again but I am sure that it will.

My thoughts are with the people of London.

War of the worlds - film review

When I first saw the trailers for this I thought I would hate it. I expected an americanised take on the classic book. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched this film last night.

Tom Cruise plays a divorced father who struggles to connect with his two children. He is looking after them for a weekend when America is invaded. Humanity meets a powerful enemy and it looks like everyone will die.

The aliens look good and people are killed in a scary way. Children are frightened of terrorists and there is no GI Joe element to the ending. It's a good film, better than Independence Day. I enjoyed it and I wanted to hate it.

Check it out and make up your own mind.

Phunky

Minor Threat versus Nike

When I was much younger the american punk band Minor Threat were among my heroes. They meant a lot to me. They meant that you should stand up for your own opinions and that you didn't have to be one of the crowd. They meant something.

So I am sad when I read that Nike have used an advertising campaign based on Minor Threat album artwork. I understand that nike want to sell their trainers to cool skateboarding kids but it is a bit shit to rip off a band who never really tried to sell-out. Minor Threat were about being a teenager not selling shoes.

The next shoes that I buy will not be nike.

Later

Phunk

Starting up

I'm playing about with this thing after I saw that one of my friends had one. I don't know If I'll use it much (or even at all) but it could be fun. I might use it to talk about music and books and stuff or about the world in general. I'm not sure.

I might put some biographical detail later on but I'll keep it minimal just now. I'm male, british and in my late 20s. I've got a busy job and I'm about to move half-way across the country. I like most sorts of music and I like books when I get a chance. When I was a kid I always wanted to be a writer and in some ways this is a chance to do that.

Normally I'm so busy at work I don't get time to piss about with stuff like this. I'm on holiday just now, so I'll give it a go and hopefully the habit will stick.

Anyway, seeya later

Phunk