Delicious Alec Empire mix

Atari Teenage Riot has left me with some fond memories. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this fantastic mix by Alec Empire while traveling the internet highway.

The Functionality of Depression

A fascinating look at current scientific thinking about depression and its possible benefits.

Climate Change

We ignore Gore at our peril.

Scissor

The new Liars video is creepy and effective until it is ruined by CGI. It's a shame really because for a music video it has a good sense of pace and mounting tension. The stone rain just fails to communicate weight and threat, mainly because it looks fake. The song rocks, though.

You've got to love this guy

"[Art] lets you kind of control physiology and the secretions that take place within the body.”

--- Jeff Koons in The NY Times

In praise of Maria Casares

I saw Bresson's "Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne" yesterday and it made a terrific impression on me, but my feelings about it were mixed. His style as a director seemed to be pulling away from the melodramatic dialogue by Cocteau. It is well worth seeing, though, if only for Maria Casares. She has figured in two of my favourite films ("Les Enfants du Paradis" and "Orphee") and she is sublime here. Early in the film, she falsely confesses that she no longer loves her partner, and when he responds that he has fallen out of love with her, the suppression of her pain is wrenching. This star dazzles with singular brightness.

Will it be a Singing Blond or a Horny Devil?

Beer tasting!

"Zebra"

"Zebra"

This is a gorgeous song. The simplicity of the video serves it well.

Gender and killers

Though this piece is absurdly dismissive of Marina Abromavic, one of my favourite artists (I saw the 2002 work described by the writer when it was exhibited in NYC and it remains one of the most powerful performances I've ever witnessed), it is worth reading for its examination of the relationship between gender and cultural depictions of violence.

Free the killer whales

The loss of this trainer is tragic, but the message is clear.

Joseph Stack and terrorism

Was Stack a terrorist? I think so but perhaps branding him one will help his cause ...

Take a look at Robert Wright's insightful blog posting on the subject.

America, this is madness

In Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill last week that allows people to carry concealed weapons in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, and the House of Delegates voted to repeal a 17-year-old ban on buying more than one handgun a month. The actions came less than three years after the shootings at Virginia Tech that claimed 33 lives and prompted a major national push for increased gun control.

--- NY Times

We could all learn something from a former Soviet political dissident

A very interesting experience: you learn yourself, you understand yourself. Once you understand yourself to that degree, it's much easier to understand other people ... Some people cannot stand solitary confinement at all. I've known people go completely mad. Some would feel that their personality disintegrates. After some observations, I understood why that happens - some people define themselves only in relation to others. I'm not like that. When they are deprived of this point of reference, they go bonkers, just lose their personality. For me it was never like that - I never defined myself in relation to other people - and therefore it was kind of fun for me. It was a very interesting experience! You become a bit exalted - but if you control it to some extent, it's OK. And that allows you an enormous degree of concentration. Things come naturally when you learn how to play with your subconscious.

--- Vladimir Bukovsky

An antidote to Monday

This is a delicious mix of African music put together by the ever adventurous mind of one Fitz Gitler. Chase the commencement of the week blues away with radiant, sunny tunes.

Prezzo is No-go

Well, I suppose blogs are for ravings and rantings. So here is some bile. In between teaching classes today, I was famished and sat down in a Prezzo across from Euston Station. The waiter had been somewhat ambivalent showing me to my table. He slapped a menu down and off he went. I thought nothing of this, I've certainly encountered worse. I sent a text, had a long look at the menu, decided I'd like a salad, and then looked at a programme to an awful show I'd recently seen. After a while, I realized that, considering the restaurant had morgue-like levels of activity, it was quite surprising that no one had come to offer me a drink let alone take notice of my closed menu that signaled that I'd like to maybe order some day soon. I saw what looked like the entire staff of the restaurant huddled around a table. There wasn't the slightest indication of a thought in my direction from the huddle. Pressed for time, I got up, threw on my coat and dramatically wound my scarf around my neck as I grabbed my back pack. No reaction from the herd. So out the door I went and Prezzo is now a no-go. I guess this is what their website means by "relaxed" service. It would appear I am not alone in my feelings from a glance at london-eating.co.uk.

Borealis Festival

I only got to see one performance at this festival at Kings Place, but listening to this broadcast on BBC 3 is making me realize just how much I missed. A ridiculously loud and savage noise band named MoHa!, a clarinettist on a skateboard ... the list goes on. Have a listen to the broadcast.

My friend Simon's piece "les escaliers mecaniques" is the one I saw. It is extraordinary and well worth checking out properly (just ignore my trembling cinematography). My buddy Filippos did the movement direction. See it here.