Friday 29 April 2011

No shocks...



So, Wills strides out to an adoring 2 million people outside Buckingham Palace, turns to his side to kiss his gorgeous new bride, looks up to see a military fly-over and, thoroughly self-satisfied, musters the only word that would suffice in such a moment:

"Nice".

Thursday 21 April 2011

Royal Wedding rehearsal footage


Really interesting.

Letter from John Lennon to Paul & Linda McCartney

Bag Productions Inc.
Tittenhurst Park,
Ascot, Berkshire.
Ascot 23022

Dear Linda and Paul,

I was reading your letter and wondering what middle aged cranky Beatle fan wrote it. I resisted looking at the last page to find out – I kept thinking who is it – Queenie? Stuart's mother? – Clive Epstein's wife? – Alan Williams? – What the hell – it's Linda!

You really think the press are beneath me/you? Do you think that? Who do you think we/you are? The "self-indulgent doesn't realize who he is hurting" bit–I hope you realize what shit you and the rest of my 'kind and unselfish' friends laid on Yoko and me, since we've been together. It might have sometimes been a bit more subtle or should I say "middle class" – but not often. We both "rose above it" quite a few times – & forgave you two – so it's the least you can do for us – you noble people. Linda – if you don't care what I say – shut up! – let Paul write – or whatever.

When asked about what I thought originally concerning MBE, etc. – I told them as best as I can remember – and I do remember squirming a little – don't you, Paul? – or do you – as I suspect – still believe it all? I'll forgive Paul for encouraging the Beatles – if he forgives me for the same – for being – "honest with me and caring too much"! Fucking hell, Linda, you're not writing for Beatle book!!!

I'm not ashamed of the Beatles – (I did start it all) – but of some of the shit we took to make them so big – I thought we all felt that way in varying degrees – obviously not.

Do you really think most of today's art came about because of the Beatles? – I don't believe you're that insane – Paul – do you believe that? When you stop believing it you might wake up! Didn't we always say we were part of the movement – not all of it? – Of course, we changed the world – but try and follow it through – GET OFF YOUR GOLD DISC AND FLY!

Don't give me that Aunty Gin shit about "in five years I'll look back as a different person" – don't you see that's what's happening NOW! – If I only knew THEN what I know NOW – you seemed to have missed that point....

Excuse me if I use "Beatle Space" to talk about whatever I want – obviously if they keep asking Beatle questions – I'll answer them – and get as much John and Yoko Space as I can – they ask me about Paul and I answer – I know some of it gets personal – but whether you believe it or not I try and answer straight – and the bits they use are obviously the juicy bits – I don't resent your husband – I'm sorry for him. I know the Beatles are "quite nice people" – I'm one of them – they're also just as big bastards as anyone else – so get off your high horse! – by the way – we've had more intelligent interest in our new activities in one year than we had throughout the Beatle era.

Finally, about not telling anyone that I left the Beatles – PAUL and Klein both spent the day persuading me it was better not to say anything – asking me not to say anything because it would 'hurt the Beatles'– and 'let's just let it petre out' – remember? So get that into your petty little perversion of a mind, Mrs. McCartney – the cunts asked me to keep quiet about it. Of course, the money angle is important – to all of us – especially after all the petty shit that came from your insane family/in laws – and GOD HELP YOU OUT, PAUL – see you in two years – I reckon you'll be out then –

inspite of it all
love to you both,

from us two

P.S. about addressing your letter just to me – STILL....!!!
Being an actor is the loneliest thing in the world. The stage is like a religion you dedicate yourself to and then suddenly you find that you don't have time to see friends and it's not for them to understand you don't have anybody. You're all alone with your concentration and your imagination and that's all you have. You're an actor.

by James Dean


James - we all feel like that sometimes son.

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Owen on Twitter

After the game, Owen, who has more than 120,000 followers on Twitter, was involved in a frank exchange with the Daily Mirror's chief sports writer Oliver Holt on the social networking site.

Holt: "Honest question then Michael: why don't you tell them the facts?"

Owen: "I try to answer most questions Ollie but can't be bothered* being a back page story so some things don't need to be said!"

*The BBC has substituted "bothered" for the word Michael Owen actually used

Holt: "Fair enough, Michael. But I think sometimes if fans and journalists knew facts, there would be more sympathy with players."

Owen: "Fair point. The relationship between players and media is poor and needs improving as the people who suffer are fans."

Holt: "Probably worse now between media and players than back in 97-98 when you burst on to scene. More contact then, I think."

Owen: "If papers printed what is actually said then i think players would talk to you more openly. I know I would."

Holt: "You have spent a lot of your career writing for our newspapers, though Michael, both tabloids and broadsheets."

Owen: "It's the sensationalising of headlines that annoys most players. It makes us look like clowns when most lads are normal."

Holt: "Headlines are a problem for a lot of writers, too. Comes down to trusting a journalist to look after you, I suppose."

Owen: "But I made sure I had headline approval! My point is, the articles are fine, it's the headlines that make us look stupid."

Holt: "Agreed. Think we are at a point where writers need to fight for right headline to ensure bit of trust with player spoken to"

Owen: "And there is my point. The trust just isn't there hence the relationship between players and journalists is non existent."

Holt: "Players and media stuck in bad cycle now. Understand why trust has broken down but less contact is making things worse. Part of problem is no contact. GNev (Gary Neville) said journos should stay in England hotel so we'd have to face you after bad piece."

Thursday 14 April 2011

"People count up the faults of those who keep them waiting."
- French Proverb



Tuesday 12 April 2011

Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country

I'm currently on Jury Service, which is fascinating (but I'm quite obviously unable to discuss the trial). As I was sat there on Day One, jury after jury being called with my name failing to come out of the hat, it dawned on me this was one of the few genuine public duties people have to perform once or maybe twice in a lifetime. Yet the disdain and frustration it is viewed with is a poor reflection on our society, and a dismal projection of what the much lauded Big Society is capable of.

For anyone who has served Jury Service, you'll be aware there is a lot of sitting and waiting involved to get on a trial. I'm sympathetic with the boredom that can creep in after a whole morning reading the shit magazines they provide, and the grating agony of having to listen to that overweight woman cough her guts up every 30 seconds. But what irritates me are those who get summoned to the jurors desk, get told they are dismissed from their service early, and can barely hide their elation when skipping out of the door. What I don't like about it is we've become a society of negative, lazy moaners who if they could, wouldn't lift a finger. People expect to get everything for nothing and will point the finger of blame elsewhere as soon as it comes crashing down.

I'm a backer of the Big Society in an ideological sense, although firmly sit in the cynical camp as to whether it will practically come to fruition; partly - it has to be said - because of the lack of public appetite so clearly evident when people are asked to do something for nothing.

Except, they're not being asked to do it for nothing.

On jury service you still get paid by your employer, or can ask for compensation for loss of earnings if you're self employed. Your travel is paid for you each way (something that you don't get going to and from work). And on top of that your lunch gets paid for you up to a handsome £5.71 a day. This is the best deal a lot of people will ever get, albeit for a mere two week stint in the majority of cases. Yet the apparent burden of having to do something, as a opposed to nothing with their day, is overwhelming.

The same negative, lazy moaners surface every year when it snows and the pavements aren't gritted, and this year I was reminded by my father of what the case used to be. He made it quite clear that it isn't that the public have had a service taken away from them, or in fact that the weather is much worse. It is merely a pathetic government-blaming perception that has emerged so rampantly in recent years. Twenty years ago, people would have the pride and responsibility to clear their own paths outside their houses, in the knowledge and social pressure that when everyone did the same, the whole street would be cleared. So it seems a shame that people no longer feel that pressure, or indeed the faith that others will do the same. It feels like there is just a deflated confidence in your neighbour that they will do the right thing, and because of my limited years I can't quite place when or how that happened, but I still feel the frustration that it has.

These examples, to me, serve more usefully as challenges- specifically laying down the question of how to overcome this social lethargy. Now, I quite genuinely cannot offer any answers, which is the easiest seat in the house to sit in (and I'm aware of the irony that in doing so I am being a negative, lazy moaner), but I do feel if the Big Society is to work, a solution must be found. It may be that the Big Society itself can plant the seed of a well-functioning society - who knows.

The only thing that is clear to me, is that as I approach Day Three of my duty, I will become increasingly sick of those smiley happy people dismissed at 2pm as they rub their hands in glee in readiness for an afternoon of daytime TV.

Monday 11 April 2011

Friday 1 April 2011

"Until the last minute of this life, I will have this club in my heart"
- Eric Cantona (on Manchester United)