Sunday afternoon. South East London.
As I didn't have much to do I decided to go to the cinema, where Greenwich Picturehouse do matinees for a fiver.
After the film (Shifty, excellent), I popped into the toilet for a cheeky piss. As there was virtually no one in the cinema, I was looking forward to the moment of quiet reflection one can get from standing alone at the urinal.
Or so I thought.
A noise which can only be described as a cacophony made itself known from one of the cubicles. Think the beach landing from Saving Private Ryan.
I paused for a moment. "Oh God, it's someone having a fit of internal combustion in the cubicle, and he doesn't know I'm in here, so won't show any restraint." I had to act fast, to let him know that I'm here. I softly reached over to the door, and pulled it open, letting it slam back against it hinges, denoting that someone had entered the room.
Silence.
Brilliant. It's worked, I thought. Now all I need to do is wash my hands before..."PLOP PLOP PLOP!".
Oh no, he's still doing it. He knows I'm here, yet he continues! Suddenly I becamse painfully aware of the sound of toilet paper being used, trousers being pulled up. I've got to get out of here. There's no way I can look the man who provided the sound effects for Platoon in the eye. But it's too late. The cubicle door is opening, he's approaching the sink.
Silence.
"Nice day today isn't it mate?" he pipes up.
"Yeah, nice and sunny I guess" I awkwardly reply.
"Nice and quiet after the Marathon"
You have got to be shitting me.
With that I was out the door, running down Greenwich High street in the vain hope that I'd find something to take my mind off things. You just don't want that on a Sunday Afternoon.
Monday 27 April 2009
Monday 20 April 2009
Skiving, no doubt.
This post is going to be somewhat brief, mainly because I'm bored at work and dodging the watchful eye of my manager as I write this.
Two of my friends have just left for America, meeting in the former hub of car manufacturing that is Seattle. I'm meant to be joining them soon, flying out to Toronto to explore the East Coast of America. Recently I've got the travel bug, and it's affected my outlook on daily life quite a bit. I love the sensation of strolling around, not knowing where I'm going, looking at the buildings around me. (This same sensation can be easily replicated if you neck 12 shots and then stumble round your local town centre, but never mind) There's something very liberating about travelling somewhere you've never been before. Maybe it's the sensation that you won't bump into any of the reprobates who happen to live on the same road as you, or just rediscovering the child-like sensation of the shock of the new. I'm beginning to be sick of London, having lived here for most of my life. It's nice knowing where everything is, how to best navigate the tube system etc, but it's become boring. I remember the first time I went to Boombox at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, the amazing feeling I got that I was part of something innovative and exciting. Ever since I've failed to replicate that feeling, in a club or otherwise, London and it's personality have become predictable, much like that sinking feeling you get when a relationship no longer excites you.
So to conclude, I'm looking forward to seeing new pastures in America. Because you see so much of American life through a film lens, you're almost surprised when it actually turns out to be the same as it is "in the movies". Places like New York City take on an almost mythological status, because of the countless iconic films/photographs/books which have used the Big Apple as it's backdrop, and I'm pleased to say that I'll be a part of it soon.
Two of my friends have just left for America, meeting in the former hub of car manufacturing that is Seattle. I'm meant to be joining them soon, flying out to Toronto to explore the East Coast of America. Recently I've got the travel bug, and it's affected my outlook on daily life quite a bit. I love the sensation of strolling around, not knowing where I'm going, looking at the buildings around me. (This same sensation can be easily replicated if you neck 12 shots and then stumble round your local town centre, but never mind) There's something very liberating about travelling somewhere you've never been before. Maybe it's the sensation that you won't bump into any of the reprobates who happen to live on the same road as you, or just rediscovering the child-like sensation of the shock of the new. I'm beginning to be sick of London, having lived here for most of my life. It's nice knowing where everything is, how to best navigate the tube system etc, but it's become boring. I remember the first time I went to Boombox at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, the amazing feeling I got that I was part of something innovative and exciting. Ever since I've failed to replicate that feeling, in a club or otherwise, London and it's personality have become predictable, much like that sinking feeling you get when a relationship no longer excites you.
So to conclude, I'm looking forward to seeing new pastures in America. Because you see so much of American life through a film lens, you're almost surprised when it actually turns out to be the same as it is "in the movies". Places like New York City take on an almost mythological status, because of the countless iconic films/photographs/books which have used the Big Apple as it's backdrop, and I'm pleased to say that I'll be a part of it soon.
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Just let it be...
With all the recent media coverage about atheism and Richard Dawkins shtick, I thought I'd have a crack at making some sense of it.
I think the atheism movement, or "fundamentalist atheism" as I like to call it, has rather hit a brick wall. Their entire argument is the existence of God, rather, the lack of. So where do they go from here? Endlessly reiterating the same point does nothing to substantiate or progress the argument.
Before I dive headfirst into this, I'd like to say that I'm bringing a fairly neutral perspective to the table, in that I am fairly unsure myself as to the existence of a higher power. To me, the God/no God argument is irrelevant. I'm more interested in the basis for such opinions being formed.
On the whole, us humans object to someone stating the bleeding obvious. Being patronised, having something shoved in our face is the sort of thing we don't like. Dawkins and his followers of staunch atheists relish in ramming their beliefs down our throats. What other groups share this contemptible characteristic. Oh yes, fiercely religious sects of course. I'm just as pissed off when The God Delusion thrust my way as "compulsory reading" as when I'm approached by the Hare Krishna’s. "But they're a bunch of deluded religious loonies!" I hear you cry. Perhaps. But are you going to begrudge the fact that Christianity gave my late grandparents great strength when times were tough? Delusional they may have been, but to derive such cast iron will from religion to get through the worst of times cannot be mocked.
"Ah yes, granny and grandad going to church is fine, but what about September 11th?"
A lot of the war and conflict in this world is based on differing aspects of faith. Dawkins argues that religion is an evil tool in this sense. Let me put forward a comparison for you:
If guns were outlawed in America tomorrow, what would happen? Would crime cease? No. Criminals would go on using them, and now the general public would be defenceless. Guns have been freely available in North America for years, and a law isn't going to stop those with the intent to commit crime from using them.
Likewise, citing Islamic fundamentalists as a reason why religion is evil is pointedly short sighted and naive. That's right, I'm calling atheists naive. Whether organised religion was around or not, these people would still be out to cause trouble. Atheists seem to think that if they get everyone converted the weapons will be laid down. Are they really so arrogant that they think they can overturn belief systems which are based on thousands of years of knowledge? It's like trying to overturn the myth that everyone who went to Oxford is a sparkling font of intellectual power.
In a way, I almost want the Christian afterlife to be correct. That way I can have a good old chuckle in purgatory while Dawkins is forced to kiss the feet of a Christian Fellowship, a situation that surely takes on hellish proportions in his mind.
I think the atheism movement, or "fundamentalist atheism" as I like to call it, has rather hit a brick wall. Their entire argument is the existence of God, rather, the lack of. So where do they go from here? Endlessly reiterating the same point does nothing to substantiate or progress the argument.
Before I dive headfirst into this, I'd like to say that I'm bringing a fairly neutral perspective to the table, in that I am fairly unsure myself as to the existence of a higher power. To me, the God/no God argument is irrelevant. I'm more interested in the basis for such opinions being formed.
On the whole, us humans object to someone stating the bleeding obvious. Being patronised, having something shoved in our face is the sort of thing we don't like. Dawkins and his followers of staunch atheists relish in ramming their beliefs down our throats. What other groups share this contemptible characteristic. Oh yes, fiercely religious sects of course. I'm just as pissed off when The God Delusion thrust my way as "compulsory reading" as when I'm approached by the Hare Krishna’s. "But they're a bunch of deluded religious loonies!" I hear you cry. Perhaps. But are you going to begrudge the fact that Christianity gave my late grandparents great strength when times were tough? Delusional they may have been, but to derive such cast iron will from religion to get through the worst of times cannot be mocked.
"Ah yes, granny and grandad going to church is fine, but what about September 11th?"
A lot of the war and conflict in this world is based on differing aspects of faith. Dawkins argues that religion is an evil tool in this sense. Let me put forward a comparison for you:
If guns were outlawed in America tomorrow, what would happen? Would crime cease? No. Criminals would go on using them, and now the general public would be defenceless. Guns have been freely available in North America for years, and a law isn't going to stop those with the intent to commit crime from using them.
Likewise, citing Islamic fundamentalists as a reason why religion is evil is pointedly short sighted and naive. That's right, I'm calling atheists naive. Whether organised religion was around or not, these people would still be out to cause trouble. Atheists seem to think that if they get everyone converted the weapons will be laid down. Are they really so arrogant that they think they can overturn belief systems which are based on thousands of years of knowledge? It's like trying to overturn the myth that everyone who went to Oxford is a sparkling font of intellectual power.
In a way, I almost want the Christian afterlife to be correct. That way I can have a good old chuckle in purgatory while Dawkins is forced to kiss the feet of a Christian Fellowship, a situation that surely takes on hellish proportions in his mind.
