Wild Cyprus, angry mermaids and my YouTube crush!

A few things I’ve been reading/watching today:

• Peace threatens wildlife on Cyprus! No man’s land separating Greek and Turkish sides of the island in 1974 turned into an unintentional natural reservation. Peace and the ensuing return of farmers and villagers will threaten various rare endogenous species. There have recently been an influx of other animals such as rats and wild dogs – maybe the returning folk could protect the incredible gift that has come of this conflict from such things and preserve it? The cynic in me says no.
• Represent Copenhagen! OK so the ground-breaking, pollution-tackling, environment-saving, hope-inspiring resolution everyone had been hyped up to depend on never came through. But can we really expect to solve a problem so great in just 11 days? Regardless, I think Copenhagen made some important statements that I hope people will take home with them, my favourite being no one is too good to drink tap water – Go Jantelov! (not that I really agree with it but it has its perks.) Can’t say too much as I have only caught bits and pieces during the Christmas cram.
• The Angry Mermaid – Awards prizes to worst coroporate lobby groups for “undermining effective climate change” (see above). Cool animation on YouTube – regardless of the criticism, I think it makes a valid point – we want to help, we want people that genuinely want to make a difference to represent us and solve this problem, cause in the end it’s going to be us paying for it! It’s totally doable – sure, drastic changes need to be made and some very powerful companies will lose out unless they, too, make the switch. Boo hoo. Things evolve, we need to pay the consequences for our mistakes and apply the knowledge we’ve gained to ratify the situation. How can the politicians keep selling us out? It’s us they’re meant to be representing!
• I’ve been watching this guy Lasse Gjertsen on YouTube for a couple of years now. I must admit that I am somewhat infatuated with him, but the guy’s seriously talented! He’s done a few different things, Hyperactive being his most watched video. Along the same line of stop-motion animation is Picadilly Postcard – awesome! He’s also done some classic animations – Gammel Nytt and The Business Man being a couple of favourites – and a satirical “commercial“. He’s has recently started making music videos to make ends meet – some people look at that as slightly traitorous. I disagree – music videos are an art overlooked thanks to all the trashy stuff out there and I think Lasse’s latest upload, A Bar in Amsterdam is proof of it (artsiness, not trashiness).

The difference: Iranians do heroin, Arabs coke.

This Iranian dude Maz Jobrani talking about the difference between Persians and Arabs.
So true!

Jeffrey, Are You Listening?

Here’s a poem by Serj Tankian, most noted for his role in System of a Down. It was performed on the Concert Series Volume 1 album by Axis of Justice. It is also in his book of poetry, Cool Gardens – totally on my Amazon wish list!

I don’t know the exact punctuation and layout, but here’s my interpretation. Corrections are welcome as are thoughts on who or what Jeffrey represents.

I’d also like to add that “who pays the bills sets the ways” applies not only to foreign policy. It’s fundamental in capitalism and although it has its benefits, there are dire consequences when unrestrained.

Serves plenty of food for thought and the word play is delightful.
 

Jeffrey, Are You Listening?

Blessed are the criminals that pursue crime as a hobby,
as soldiers who kill the enemy for fun,
as hookers prostituting for joy,
tall trees and submarines,
skin deep abrasions.
Gods children serving dearly should be forgiven.

Jeffrey, are you listening?
Are you listening?

Out of their fierce bellies
like a swordfish dance hall metholyptus cough drops you on your ass.

I’m encountering a strange revival:
that of the mind.
Thinking, unobsessed, scrutinising
mechanism of our human experience
unlike the staggering loop forced contemplations
of the ego-based mind of trouble and canoes.
I am re-encountering the thriving pinnacle
of the expansive existential thought processes.

Jeffrey, are you listening?

Out of their fierce bellies
like a swordfish dance hall metholyptus cough drops you on your ass.

On the other foot,
why not laugh?
Laugh of well being
for it is that which drives us men to evolve.
It’s the trick of life.

Jeffrey, are you fucking listening?

We are freezing
standing in front of our electric heaters, nuking our food.
We are tired of your transparent “Who pays the bills sets the ways” foreign policy.
We are tired of sending our troops to foreign soils to die,
not knowing why
and who’s interest they were sacrificed for.
We are ashamed to see the way you take care of your people
by cutting social services and aid to those most in need.

Explain me something:
How could the richest country in the world have starving children?

Here’s the fucking point:
Nations and their governments should provide, protect and serve its citizens.
Not the interest of the multinationals.

Jeffrey, are you listening?

A Monk Swimming.

Malachy is Frank McCourt’s wild younger brother. His tale begins in America working the docks as his older brother did, stealing as much as he could conceal on his bodice and drinking far more than recommended. From there a wild string of events takes place: he works his way to (minor) stardom in the theatre and TV chat shows, opens up “Malachy’s” with a few buddies which quickly turns into the hottest saloon in New York, weds a not-quite-girlfriend and has two children by her which he abandons to engage in excessive drinking and general hedonism, smuggles gold to India…

It’s an interesting read for a number of reasons. I’ve read both Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis, and now I’ve seen parts of those books from a different point of view. Malachy is also the entertainer of the family and this is portrayed in his writing style. It’s very colloquial, easy to read yet he is obviously well-read. The dictionary had to come out a few times. He is, in his own words, an erudite. Still, reading his book is just like listening to him telling stories at a pub.

The stories themselves aren’t overly impressive. He’s led an exciting life, but I think we all do, so this is to be expected of a biography. If there wasn’t anything exciting or different to write about there wouldn’t be much point. What I did like, as I just mentioned, is his writing style and therefore have to recommend it. In my opinion he’s superseded his brother. Very entertaining.

Miss Gomez and the Brethren.

Miss Gomez discovers the Church of the Brethren of the Way in Jamaica in a paper left behind by a client at a brothel in London. She begins corresponding with them and eventually ends up on the desolate Crow Street, doomed for demolition. She is convinced that a sex crime is about to occur between Alban Roche, previously incarcerated for sexual misdemeanors, and Prudence Tuke, daughter of the owners of the Thistle Arms. No one listens to Miss Gomez when she intervenes and tries to prevent the act with prayer. When Prudence doesn’t return that night a huge investigation takes place.

There was a little too much preaching in this one for me. Miss Gomez, once converted, tries endlessly to convinces others to join her church. It’s main concentrated in one section of the book, but that was more than enough. Because if it, it took nearly a month to finish!

The writing is delightful though. Very funny and descriptions are original. The omniscient point of view is also well used, adding thoughts from random people passed on the street or updates on characters only briefly involved in the plot. It gives the story a profound sense of realism.

The plot is really interesting and characters well developed. Miss Gomez goes from being the sole survivor of a horrific fire to a disturbed child at an orphanage in Jamaica to a hooker in London to a fanatic Christian trying to save people. Prudence’s mother, Beryl Tuke, is a gin-guzzling, sappy romance-reading, promiscuous woman. Alban Roche is a man deeply disturbed by incest.

It certainly makes for an interesting read and Trevor’s style is great. I’ll have to read some of his other works.