Later, mates.

I won't go into excruciating detail about my recent trips to Dublin and Aberystwyth.

I will say that walking around Dublin made me want to take another crack at James Joyce.

I will also say that I spent last night in West Wales cooking out on the beach by a bonfire to a soundtrack featuring several covers of popular tunes performed by Tom Jones.

Wales is a pretty awesome place. I will miss it.

But New England is pretty good, too.

See you on saturday.

SURFER NORTH

One for the books, dear readers.

Horrible exam this morning, but it's over, at least.

I got a tip off yesterday from the nice clerk at Spillers (who I think is OwnerNick's daugther) that there was a show happening at UWIC arts college. Following in the vicious cashburn of the morning's academic pursuits, I called up pal Benny, picked up some tickets and went on the merry way. After chomping delicious baguettes at an old people's joints with unnervingly low tables (where we tried to think of a viable alternative to fanatical Christian HellHouses - look them up if you're unfamiliar. Terrifying) we made out way over to the show. We were out on the patio for the first three acts. Alex Dingley and Fredrick Stanley Star had been recommended. The former was a shambolic acoustic / toy keyboard set of guy-yell / girl-sing tunes - enjoyed - while the latter was what would go down if Grizzly Bear were Welsh and had a lower budget for equitment. Good time, good time.

Once Benny disappeared, I stuck around for the next couple electric acts, but the poor acoustics and strange scene (I think everyone else was a UWIC art student. I felt underdressed and overgroomed.) drove me back to my place.

It's all cool. I've got Bleak House to enjoy (some dude exploded!) and I'm home in a week.

Also, I heard Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown in a store a few days back. I am listening to Insomniac right now and thinking of ways to restrict Billie Joe Armstrong's access to C-Span.

Love and...more love.

What does a scanner see?

Ah, what a nice agreeable week of Wales. One exam (the more difficult one) down. Apart from finally easing my way into the nuances of clubbing with Declan and the lads (hint: one of my "nuanes" is a loss of all shame! Yeah!) I've also had some extreme nighttime adventures with James, featuring medics, sexual harassment leprechauns, and the worst goddam Kate Bush karaoke in the history of Kate Bush.

This afternoon and evening was simialrly cool. Hung out by the Bay with Benny, Tish and friends on what may have been the nicest day I've seen since I've been here. Great weather, great people, and badass Indian eats.

Also been reading Bleak House by Charles Dickens. That dude flamed on the upper crust like Ian MacKaye. Totally badass.

Oh, and Jason Sprung is on Cracked.com.

http://www.cracked.com/video_17411_no-homo-get-out-gay-free-card.html

Weird.

clubs revisited

Since I've been over here in Wales, I've talked a whole lot of shit about clubs and how much I dislike them, their loudness, their dankness, and their general suckness.

I stand corrected. I have officially had a thoroughly enjoyable night of clubbing.

Let this be a glimmer of hope to cranky bastards everywhere.

Oh, and I've got an exam tomorrow. Oops.

clearly no formula

There are days.

And there are Days.

And there are days when semi-serious attempts to study for my fandom exam turn into repeated listenings to Wild Honey, organic lunches and the spontaneous writing of pop songs.

I'm okay with those days.

bangers, mash, and and weather related conversations

The gray skies have returned. This is normal.

Tailsliding into the final weeks of my UK like I never quite could on my neon-orange 10-speed back in the day (but damn, I loved those gear shifts). Exam time in Connworld has historically been a stressful, hair-pulling experience for me, with hours spent in the boxy Mac basement consuming only small portions of sustainence with my steady intake of caffeine and nicotine. Cardiff's a different tune, at least for this fortunate son. 3 assessments spread out evenly over a month leaves me with plenty of time to rest my laurels and enjoy the fleeting sunshine between small, manageable sprints of typing.

It not thrilling 24 hours a day. Mostly, it's just strange and new, with all the ups and downs.

Much love.

the hard-bop saxophone in last night's dream turned out to be a seagull outside my window

Projects to consider this week:

1) Thesis proposal. Going with the summer romantic comedy, but is there really a plot? Getting there. Of course the minute I start working on that synopsis I get great ideas for a completely unrelated project and write a summary for that instead. Anyone interested in the possibility of portraying a sloppy drunk in an 80's punk band sometime in the next decades should send inquiries this way.

2) Jog? The weather's been nice & I've been lazy. Full English breakfasts, man...

3) Schoolwork. I've been informed via the paper-mail that I've got some papers and exams coming up. Ever ready, I will rise to the challenge and hopefully bring some Positive Mental Attitude along with me this go-round.

4) Project babyface. After being let down over and over again by the BIC corporation's inferior 2 bladed products I've made the big jump. 5 blades. Fuck you, stubble.

5) [fill in the blank]

<3

Here Today

It's been a while - a month - hasn't it?

I've traveled far and wide, from Barcelona, to London, to Amsterdam, to Berlin and all the way back again, and then up to St. Andrews (because I didn't feel as though I'd spent enough time sitting in trains) just to round things out. Too many stories to tell and moments to relay form the past month, but it was good. The company of Mr. Budge was a welcome change from the Cardiff blur, and it was great to see THE SNUGE as well as the Connalum triumvirate or AubreyNickBen in Alemania.

Next up, my parents visited. It was a good time, and I'll miss them 'til I see them next. A day trip to Oxford revealed the thousand and one facts, figures and crossbeams of the ancient university. And good weather all around!

Now the first wave of trips and visits has ended, so I'm heading back into the Uni mode of papers and (gulp) exams, with some more screenplay workings thrown in for flavo(u)r. Music, too. I went through my demo snippets today and I foresee some good things coming together with musically inclined friends all over.

End stretch. Get a good night's sleep. I love and miss all of you.

Binyam Mohammed Interview

This is the audio for the recent interview of Binyam Mohammed, a British resident recently freed from Guantanamo Bay by another former prisoner, Moazzam Begg, who I was lucky enough to see speak a month of so ago.

http://www.cageprisoners.com/media.php?id=935

U.S. citizens need to hold our leaders to account, because this kind of bullshit is not what I vote for every two years, regardless of party.

Kebab fury

I'm still here trucking along, friends. My connection to reality suffered a lapse for a few weeks due to a cavalcade of the unexpected unknown and unfortunate, but adventures have continued nonetheless.

Wales had over a week of beautiful, warm sunshine, which I got to really enjoy the tail end of in my own fashion. There were nights of searching and arguments about life, creativity, and how to interpret Hunter S. Thompson. There was sitting in the park reading On The Road and being distracted by all the happy dogs racing around in the sunshine. One particularly beautiful boxer caught my eye. If he hadn't been so clearly in ecstasy to be racing back and forth in Bute park, I might've been afraid of him -he was big, muscular and brown, like a larger male version of my cousins' old boxer, Zelda. His owner and two female friends were playing games with him; hide and seek, fetch, and all the rest. It's good to stop and watch the animals sometimes, even the dumb stumbling pigeons that I'm always worried are going to shit on me while I walk under the train bridge.

"0 to tasty in seconds: Rustlers"

Just yards away from the library entrance, I received a petition, a Socialist Newspaper and a free microwave cheeseburger at the same time.

Strange Times at TESCO

Standing in line to pay the few pounds for my Hoisin Duck wrap I overheard a group of girls discussing the pros and cons of freezing bread. "I was against it for the longest time! Like it would turn to poison!" I, caught in the midst of this exchange, remark that this is the most extreme bread concern I'd ever heard.

"Well," she replies, "My flatmate is also convinced that if you put a banana peel in the freezer, it will grow into a new banana."

NEWS FLASH

Seems like Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's in a little hot water these days.
Is it because of his past ties to AIG?

(http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/gop-rep-calls-on-geithner-to-resign-or-be-fired/)

or...

Is it because he's MOLOCH THE MAGNIFICENT!?

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2Q0ZfL6If-Hq6lXWRbG0PRKywyyFuwND9FGwL4g6XqYTlr-0jAgmaqYCxFb7OWuYvPw4g-2M9rmJEUFDlOgBUYemicAPgQ4VwpKzXqRhLe4NsIErVCDowROQ6KNA8JwRDM1eEFPeYoE/s400/watchmen_moloch_mystic.jpg)

Take a look, guys. I know. TERRIFYING. I, like everyone else, thought that Moloch had been iced by Ozymandias, but it seems that now, by some strange twist of fate and a change of identities, he has made his way into the Obama Administration.

Where's Dr. Manhattan when you need him...


Oh yeah. Mars.

Tyrannies of time & space

This term was used today in my Politics and Journalism lecture. Although the conversation was on the function of Vox Pops in the news media, it applies neatly to the situation this week. Wales, land of fog, mystery and VodkaRedbull has become freakishly sunny and wonderful. It's beautiful thing. Flowers are out, the air smells like opportunity and everything's cool.

This is not the week to be stuck inside finishing essays.

The forcast says it's gonna be like this through the weekend. Uh oh...

I'm ready for the country. It's time to go.

Sidenote: Best quote from a recent dream: "You've got a move about you...like Ace Frehly."
My subconscious is awesome.

The one where I steal Donald's format

Week: ?

Kebabs: Way, way too many

When faced with the prospect of sitting in my room for another night working on my papers, I voted no. Kevin had mentioned another "happy hour" with the Canadian Law crew and, having avoided social distraction for a whole week (my guitar is enough to distract me for hours. I can now play a Chris Bell song almost perfectly) I headed down to Royal Orleans.

I t sounds like this is going somewhere, doesn't it? Not so, apart from having a very nice night with good people.

Fun Fact: I ate at a Kebab Shop called The Chicago Bulls about half an hour ago. No shit.

I miss you guys. Keep it real. Play safe.

Sorry, Hannah

...but there's not a whole lot to report about Cardiff this week. I've been spending a lot of time staring at this very screen writing the essays that will allow me to stay here for the rest of the semester. I'll start having adventures again in the next few week. Promise.

Also, drop me a line if you want. I've done some cool stuff, but I don't bother putting it all in here because...ya know...I'm doing things.

The Eastern European transcendentals who give away free hats in Bute Park story is better as a folk tale than recorded fact anyway.

daze

It's always a good idea to tell the people who you love that you love them. It's impossible to know what's going to happen.

Damnit...

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6687344

The Who Sell Out

My Syd Field book showed up in the mail today. Maybe this effects my integrity somehow (the TORTURE!) but I'm willing to accept any advice that gets my silly screenplay about Windsor written.

And no, I will not be plotting the whole thing on the paradigm.

Thanks for the mail, Mom & Dad!

London, Some Poems, the Byrds, and the Cardiff Occupation

The much-hyped London weekend has come and gone, leaving me with a lighter wallet and loads of empty calories. I was once again entertained by Mr. Gary Barker and his lovely ladyfriend, though I joined this time by some American compatriots. Benny "Bach" Martinson was there, along with crowds from Leeds and Bristol and Kevin, a new-ish Cardiff companion. Nothing spectacular to spew forth about London weekend. I can say it was fun. I can say that.

On yet another lead obtained from watching the walls of Bute Library for fliers I ended up at a recitation of some Eco Poetry tonight, courtesy of Susan Richardson. Throughout the duration of the talk it was clear that Susan has a great passion for things Environmental, and I wondered for a bit how this would fit in with her poetry. Actually, it worked quite well. She read in beat-like fashion - very stacatto, very exaggerated - about melting penguins, ice caps and relocated Icelandic families. Here book is called "Creatures of the Intertidal Zone." I didn't get my own copy, but it's worth checking out, if the selections she presented are any indication.

After poems and questions were through, I made the initial mistake of try to find my way out of the main building without assistance. I got down two hallways before I realized that I a) didn't know what the hell I was doing b) was surrounded by threateningly important science equiptment and c) didn't want to spend the night hopelessly wandering the halls. This is a very big, very old looking building. I'm sure there are ghosts.

Making my way back to the room to pick up a sherpa, I ran into Chris, who immediately guessed why i was walking back toward the lecture hall. I was lucky to run into this guy not only because he provided me with an escape route, but also because he shared with me an interest in a group of people we had heard mentioned in passing who were very intentionally spending the night in the main building.

Like so many other colleges and universities in the world this week, Cardiff has its own occupation. the goals of this group is to get the university to divest not only from stocks within or in support of the weapons industry, but also to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In the lecure hall I saw some familiar faces from the Guantanamo Forum (one of whom, I believe, was the guy who filled me in on some stuff I omitted in my rant on that subject - thanks, man!) and got a welcome earful of information on the kinds of things that have been going on. What was most notable to me was that their actions had already yielded not only praise from numerous local groups (and Noam Chomsky) but that they had also managed to convince the administration to sell some of the questionable stocks. I would go on at greater detail about the kinds of events they've been putting on - dialogues, debates, lectures, video-links to Palestinian students - but I was only there for a brief few minutes. While I was happy that students not unlike myself were causing some progressive motion, I will say that there are probably few stranger feelings than walking out of an occupation after 20 minutes or so of conversation. I've got my escuses for not taking a fuller part (phone calls, reading, the prospect of deportation is I miss too many things, etc.) but certainly not unique in that I've got other things going on; these guys are missing their fair of engagements as well, I'm sure.

All said, the best I can do at present is to talk about it and encourage people I know to read about what's going on and, if they are so moved, to do something about it all.

On a totally apolitical note (there aren't many of those in this blog, are there?) I've been on a Byrds binge. So it's been a pretty good day, all and all.

Later dudez.