Passed part two!!!!

By a combination of nerdish hard work and dumb luck I have passed my second big post-grad exam. It was difficult.

One more to go!!!

If I'm lucky this could mean no more exams after I'm 30.

That would be funky

Poker night

I've just been playing poker with my mates. I haven't played poker for at least 12 years and I don't think I was ever any good at it. I did have some first time luck and I went home 9 pounds up.

We were playing texas holdem, a game that I think I'm totally unfamiliar with. One of my pals has a fancy poker set with chips, etc which really added to the experience. I probably had an unfair advantage because I wasn't drinking so I was betting carefully. Some of my mates just threw all their money away on the first few hands.

I feel a bit guilty about taking money off my mates. I did give them an extra half hour to try and win some of the money back but I was too tired to stay up playing all night. I'll buy them all a pint the next time I'm out with them. Dog racing is a bit better in a way because if you win your money comes from a faceless bookie as opposed to a good mate.

Gambling is evil man. Fun, but evil.

Funky

Arthur Lee - RIP

I was sorry to hear that Arthur Lee, the lead singer of '60s band Love, has died at the age of 61 from leukaemia.

Love were a great band and their third album Forever Changes is a true classic that has been an influence on many great bands including Belle and Sebastian. Their early single 7x7 is was an early blueprint for the punk sound.

Lee had a a checkered career. He produced several solo albums in the '70s that have been described as classics. I have not been lucky enough to hear these records as they are out of print. He also spent time in prison during the 1990s' for various crimes.

I was lucky enough to see Arthur Lee and a new version of Love playing a set based on the Forever Changes album in Leicester a few years ago. It was a great gig.

RIP Arthur Lee

How Superman defeated the KKK

I just heard a really cool story yesterday. The story is apparently true. I'm sure you could check the internet for more details but it sounds good.

The story was about a white American liberal activist in America in the 1940s. His name was Stetson Kennedy. He was an active anti-racism campaigner. In the '40s the Klu Klux Klan were becoming more active in the USA. Kennedy decided to infiltrate the organisation and try to sabotage them.

He managed to join up under a fake name. He paid his membership dues and started going to their meetings. He was quite surprised because their meetings were rather silly. It was all about secret handshakes, passwords, funny costumes, 'grand-dragons' and 'hydras'. The KKK made a fair bit of money from protection rackets and other borderline illegal activities.

Kennedy started to pass information to the police and other government organisations. They didn't care and no action was taken. Kennedy realised that much of the power of the KKK came from its secrets and he had a good idea. He phoned up the producers of the Adventures of Superman radio show and suggested that they write some episodes where Superman fought the KKK.

The radio show went ahead and the writers used all the secret details about the KKK in the show. Overnight the KKK became ridiculous. They were exposed as a group of sad weirdos. Membership plummeted.

I found this story in a book called Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. The book used the science of economics to answer questions like 'why do crack dealers live with their mothers?' and 'what do sumo wrestlers and school teachers have in common?'. It's an entertaining book, an easy read and it makes you think.

Check it out

phunky

Pirates of the Caribbean 2 - Dead mans chest.

I'd been looking forward to this film since I heard that it would be made. I loved the first pirates film. I saw it by accident with my Dad one weekend when he was visiting me in Coventry. I had no real expectations for the film. It could have been very bad, especially when you remember that it is based on a ride at Disney World. As everyone knows, the first film is great and Johnny Depp is brilliant as Jack Sparrow.

The follow-up could never be as good. Dead mans chest is part two of a trilogy. Even if you did not know this fact you could probably guess. The film doesn't really end (without spoiling too much). It has the feel of a TV series like Lost.

The film is too long. It lasts about two and a half hours and a significant proportion of that is padding. A review (in the Sunday Times, I think) was accurate when it described Depp as being 'more like Frankie Howard than Keith Richards' in this film. The electric presence of Captain Jack has been short-circuited.

The story is average. Some of the special effects are cool but the film might be too scary for young kids. It's funny at times but a good editor was needed.

I'll buy the DVD and I'm looking forward to part 3 but only an average effort.

6 outta 10

funky

football sux

Luckily I'm missing most of the world cup cos I'm studying for an exam at the end of the month. I'm not a big fan of football at the best of times but I have watched the occasional world cup game in the past. However, what I have seen of the games this year has been pretty rubbish with England in particular playing below their potential. Scotland, as ever, didn't even get a look in.

Not been to see any gigs recently. I was sorry to read that Sleater-Kinney (who I saw in Bristol a few weeks back) have broken up. It's a bit of a shame because I think they could have made some really cool music in the future.

I've been listening to some good records recently. Picked up a couple of CDs by the Bad Plus which are good. I just bought the new albums by TV on the Radio and Muse which sound OK as well as the final Johnny Cash album, the one that he was working on with Rick Rubin when he died. I might write more about them in due course.

I haven't really done much else of interest. I had worked 7 days in a row since getting back from Manchester so I was tired over the weekend. I watched a film called Rounders on DVD. It stars Matt Damon and Ed Norton as two poker addicts in New York. Basically Matt Damon is cool while Ed Norton is a twat. It was entertaining. Better than watching paint dry. Or reading this blog.....

manchester

Back at work this morning after a week on a study course in Manchester. I'd only ever spent one weekend in Manchester before so it was cool to spend some time in a new city although I didn't have much of an opportunity to be a tourist. The course was intense with long hours but generally enjoyable. I might even have learned something. The other people on the course were generally cool although a couple of idiots were in attendance (as always). Basically, I was just happy not to be at work.

I was staying in accommodation at the Manchester Business School which was a bit shit. It was overpriced and the shower in my room was reminicent of the ones in my local swimming pool. It looked like something that would be used as a torture venue in Silence of the lambs.

Despite being busy I did get some time to socialize. I met up with an old school friend and his wife who live nearby. We went to the Trafford centre (which is fucking massive) and ate in an American theme restaurant. The food was actually quite nice. The last time that I had seen them was at their wedding reception so I was glad to have a chance to talk to them in a chilled out atmosphere.

I also met up with another pal who writes a pretty cool blog (www.goldfishnation.blogspot.com) and had a couple of drinks in the Dry Bar on Oldham Street. We chatted about old friends who we miss and she was telling me about a music festival thing she is trying to organise. She (and her mates) are trying to set up a two day event in the Dry Bar to showcase a lot of underground bands from around the country. It sounds really cool and I would urge anyone in the Manchester area to go along and check it out. I'll post more details as I get them.

I was a bit starstruck when I was drinking in the Dry Bar. I'm a music geek and the Dry Bar is integral to the madchester myth. One of the more dramatic scenes in the classic 24 hour party people film shows Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays and legendary drug intake fame waving a gun about in what I can only assume was a misguided tribute to the American gangsta rap theme. Obviously this is fictional but in real life Shaun Ryder and Liam Gallagher (cock) are both banned.

I've never met Shaun Ryder although I admire his music. I have met Bez and he was cool. I've met Tony Wilson and he was a cock. Liam Gallagher has called me (and some of my pals) 'cunts' but I know that does not make me special. it's just another mildly amusing anecdote that I won't bore you with here.

Anyway, that's where I've been all week. I like the place and I want to go back some time. Bristol is a bit nicer though.

funky

Nick Oliveri and his Mondo Generator - live at the Glasgow Barfly

I went to this gig with low expectations and I was plesantly surprised. Oliveri was the naked guy with the beard in the Queens of the Stoneage. He played bass for them. He was also a member of Kyuss and the Dwarves (aka 'the most offensive band on SUB POP'). Mondo Generator is his own band so no-one can kick him out. He has a reputation for wildness so this show could have been a shambolic mess. It was actually OK.

Before I talk about the headliners I'd like to talk about the support band Titus Gein. They were pretty good. Essentially an instrumental act, their music is a mix between early period Metallica and Air. They are a local band. My only reservation is that the drummer looks like a guy who went to school with me who is a cock. Except fatter. If the drummer is 28 and from East Kilbride please boycott this band. If not (as I am sure is the case) check out http://www.myspace.com/titusgein My mate thought they were ok but a bit Spinal Tap.

Mondo Generator. Generic hardcore punk. Well played. A few choice QOTSA and Kyuss tracks. Lots of fast bits and swearing. Slow, heavy bits. A rather spiffing version of the popular Black Flag hit 'Jealous Again'. Sweaty, heavy metal crowd jumping about punching each other is a mass act of homoerotic bonding. Mildly entertaining but I've seen it all before. I won't buy any of their records but I would go and see them again if I had nothing better to do.

Very metal crowd. Lots of piercings, facial hair and tattoos that may be job oppotunity restricting in years to come. Very hairy but not 100% male. Things have changed since I wur a lad.

all in all, a pleasant diversion

fnkstr

X-men 3 - film review

I went to see this film last wednesday. I had been looking forward to it but I was a bit disappointed. I was an x-men fan when I was a kid. I have a big crate of the old comics hidden somewhere in my parents house. I enjoyed the first two films. This one looked good.

Sadly the story is a bit duff and the dialogue is appalling. We do get to see some comic favourites in the flesh - the Beast, the Angel, Juggernaut and kitty pride. They all look good but they just seem like cardboard cutouts. Stiff and lifeless.

The classic 'dark phoenix' story from the comics has been used in a throw-away manner. Wolverine is used instead of Cyclops for key story points in a way that just sucks. Generally this film ain't great.

6 outta 10

funky

Film review - Paradise Now

I caught this film when I was in Bristol a couple of weeks ago. It's pretty emotionally intense.

This arabic language film is set in the Palestinian territories in Israel. At the start of the film we meet two friends who work in a car repair garage. They seem like regular guys. Likeable. They meet a pretty girl who seems to like the more intelligent of the two friends.

Then they are met by a terrorist co-ordinator who tells them that they have been picked for an operation in Israel. I won't spoil the end of the film but it is powerful.

I think it is important to remember that killing people is wrong. This film makes you empathize with two suicide bombers. It is a powerful film that is very well made. You see the grim reality of life in the occupied territories and you can almost understand why they would want to attack Israel. The film does try to make the case for non-violent action in the form of a few expositional monologues from the pretty girl. While what she says is sensible and rational the use of her character in the film is clumsy. She doesn't have much depth.

I don't think I really needed to see this film. I know that life is shit if you are a Palestinian in Israel. I read newspapers, listen to Radio 4 and watch documentaries. I don't think that the killing of one person by another person can ever be morally justified. Hell, I don't even think that violence can ever be morally justified (outside sport). Sadly, we don't live in disneyland and the world is a violent place. This film does make some important points but I did feel uncomfortable watching it.

I did feel that the religious element of suicide bombing was played down in this film although this might be my own cultural prejudices. I find it hard to believe that anyone would kill themselves in a suicide bombing without having strong religious beliefs (although I would underline the fact that these beliefs are very unconventional) and the young men in this film do not seem to be very devout. I don't know if the director is implying that these men are not religious and motivated mainly by politics and/or depression. I don't know if we are expected to believe that they have been manipulated into carrying out their actions.

I could have lived happily without seeing this film. I feel sorry for anyone who lives in the occupied areas of Palestine/Israel but I also feel that violence/terrorism/murder/rocket attacks/etc. can never be justified.

Thought-provoking