Nash Army! Nash Army!

It's come as quite a coincidence; the NBA's all-star pin-up, Steve Nash, has expressed a potential interest in buying Spurs. (I can't help thinking he'll be put off by the abominable action of their board of directors in recent weeks.) Only a fortnight ago I met Mr Nash in the corridor of the athletics department at my university. Apparently, the team he plays for, the Phoenix Suns, have identified the University of Arizona as their official off-site headquarters. He was a much smaller man than you'd imagine, considering he's a basketball player (an inch or so shorter than myself at 6'2"), but he can supposedly jump like a jack, so who am I to comment? Perhaps, given the new information about the value of sterling versus the falling dollar, he's a wise man to look at Britain, rebelling against all-too secular America. This serves as a kind reminder that, although he doesn't have the dough to buy the club outright, it's not only Premiership footballers who live the high-life amid a highly consumerised sport.

The Office - A Revival

This comes courtesy of the emergent American sub-cult who have abandoned their love for the American Office and reverted to the original, and best, British Office. I am eternally grateful. This piece is a true gem; another snippet of brilliance from the cultural heroes and pioneers, Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant.

Abortion 2

As if you weren't convinced enough by yesterday's rant, here is another brilliant article by Polly Tonybee denouncing the succession of revolting protests against abortion, often headed by the Christian right.

Abortion etc.

The Times comments on the recent plans to "relax" laws on abortion in the UK. Now, in my opinion, anything we can do to support the sensibilities of women is fundamental to our societal success when tackling abortion. As if abortion is not traumatic enough for women anyway, why do the commentors to this article (all men) see this as a keystone in our cultural demise? Making abortion limitations stricter is not going to help tackle rising rates of demand. This, to me, is obvious. Better awareness and education, augmented through a psychological, cultural shift, however, will. We should not, also, forget the preachings of our favorite feminist friend, Amanda, intent on keeping her place within this world firmly four inches higher than males everywhere, who reminds us of the all-too-common hypothetical scenarios involving a drug-addicted, impoverished teenager who is brutally raped by an HIV infected mutant, and, therefore, impregnated. If we all were to listen to the pro-life Christian, fundamentalist bigots, this girl's life would be forever ruined as a result. Interestingly enough, off the topic of abortion, Amanda elaborates on the Californian blaze; not on the tragedy, surprisingly, but on the right-wing reaction calling this God's punishment for San Diego's homosexual community. Repellent.

Weirdo

Micheal Moore's latest documentary, Sicko, has come under fire for perpetuating transparent propaganda, just like last time in Farenheit 9/11. He does, however, comment and make comparisons with the British NHS, which any Brit is hard-pressed to defend, yet we look pretty good by comparison. Moore makes clear how the private health care system in the US is failing an impoverished 50 million citizens, too poor to pay the basic insurance premium. From this kind of statistic, I can't help but feel a small sense of national pride in something we do better than the Americans, which (statistically) doesn't come around too often. Two days ago I spent the evening in the local American hospital, waiting in the Emergency section for treatment on a suspected broken wrist - I spectacularly fell off my bike. The wait was no less than four hours. Also, when I came to be seen, my diagnosis turned out to be wrong, thanks to the more accurate information of my resident orthopaedic surgeon. Glad to see the Americans aren't any better in this instance than we are; amazing, seeing as I'm expected to produce my insurance details every step of the way. I'm fine by the way: just a sprain.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

I'm sure regular updates are integral to a blog's success, which only infuriates my inner conscience more in acknowledging my recent lacking. I apologise irrefutably, only to douse you in the latest news of minimal world importance - the kind we all love. I shan't add anything to the South African's deserved victory on Saturday; although, they should be made aware of the fact that they beat a side who merely represent a shadowy outline of their former selves. You may recall the raging dispute surrounding classic novels being edited and shortened for the word-processing generation - it was only a matter of time before Tolstoy's War and Peace got a face-lift. As the bruising gradually recedes, the book won't lose any of its charm or philosophy, but it will lose its detail and depth: a travesty. I was glad to see at least one newspaper staying sane with regard to "revolutionary" drinking discoveries; healthy drinking limits should be encouraged, but it is not the middle-class, weekend drinkers the government should be targeting, as we all know. Also in the news, is the ongoing race debate, started by the aging scientist, James Watson - blacks have lower IQ scores on average. So what? When it comes to culturally based intelligence tests, blacks do just as well as everyone else. As recent "ground-breaking" scientific literature will tell you, 99.9% of human gene sequences are exactly the same, it's that 0.1% that codes for skin tone etc. As the omniscient Appleyard will have you know: James Watson is an awful man anyway. It is, however, a shame that this row will reignite the flames of political correctness whilst matter-of-fact issues are at hand concerning our national safety - subcultures are breaching our moral boundaries, perpetuating casual violence in our streets. If these subcults are statistically grounded in the roots of black teenage individuals, it reports to higher ground beyond PC rhetoric. This has nothing to do with genetics, this has to do with security.

Silly People

Two silly stories for you. Both items are articles worth scrutinizing and questioning. Here is an article about a racist scientist, and here is an article about hellfire. Oh dear Oh dear Oh dear.

The Man Booker Prize - Result

Anne Enright has taken this year's prestigious award for her "exhilarating bleak" family epic, The Gathering. As you recall, I was strongly backing Ian McEwan to win for the wondrous On Chesil Beach, whilst The Gathering was merely a long-shot outsider. Well, at least this announcement doesn't fall into the hands of predictability, whilst simultaneously fuelling the conspiracy about the award and the sea. Interesting. That reminds me; here's a lovely story about the illustrated edition of the 2002 winner, The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, which I mentioned some time ago.

The Top Gear Smear

Top Gear have once again found themselves to be the victim of humourless viewers who don't really have any idea why they're watching the show in the first place. This, following the minute web of complaints launched after they sparked up a pipe on set. All the anger appears to be targeted at their supposed disregard for law and order: smoking in an enclosed public space. Now, as far as I'm concerned, they are an entertainment form and should be allowed free reign rather than censorship. Likewise in the theatre. What I would say, however, is that these middle-aged presenters embody modern day icons - they have an almost cult fanbase, not just amongst their middle-aged counterparts. And so, a lot of teenagers interested in stunts, fast cars, or just good television, look up to these guys like I do, and I abhor smoking, it revolts me. In my opinion, these individuals should acknowledge their responsibility as cultural leaders and swap the fags for better gags.

Le God

Being an avid 'Saints' fan myself, it only seems appropriate that I utilise my newly discovered voice to preach the skill and brilliance of Matt Le Tissier, one of the best and most gifted English footballers of all time. He took 49 penalties throughout his career with Southampton, scoring 48, and hitting the post just once. This ability to beat the keeper every time has earned him national recognition - only Alan Shearer has come anywhere close to equalling this record, yet his place in Southampton's history will always remain, earning him the nickname of "Le God" on the terraces (later emulated by Thierry Henry at Arsenal). Originally coming over from the Channel Islands, he played for his country sporadically yet with dedication - often being brought on in the final minutes of extra time to garuntee at least one good penalty taker. Here are some highlights from his career that encapsulate his fantastic ability:
Le Tis' top ten goals (highlights include his cheeky free-kick, his lob over Peter Schmeickel, and the much repeated piece of individual talent that would bring tears to the eyes of Eric Cantona).
Round-up of Le God(demonstrating his spot-kick taking ability and confirming his place as the best ever striker of a ball).

The Booker Prize

This years Booker Prize is announced tomorrow, disquieting the camps amongst bookmakers across Britain - this year has seen unprecedented speculation about the winner, with bookies recording more than double the amount of bets placed in comparison to last year. Ladbrokes said they were waiting in trepidation; if one of the front-runners does take the prize, they're looking at a six figure payout. Ian McEwan's wonderful On Chesil Beach is favorite to take the 50,000 pound reward, whilst Lloyd Jones' Mister Pip has gone from being a ranked outsider to a firm second-place in the odds. I've only managed to read one of the shortlisted books this year, Ian McEwan resonating comment on love, and a masterpiece in characterisation, yet I feel quite optimistic my ignorance will pay off when he walks away with the award tomorrow for the second time (McEwan also won in 2002 for his post-9/11 novel, Saturday) - compounding his position at the forefront of contemporary British literature.

In Rainbows - Media Reaction - Links

Yesterday's headlines blown by the wind. What follows is a list of some (impossible to list all) articles that have commented on, or reviewed In Rainbows. There's a lot of reading material here, I admit, but some of the more respected publications are listed nearer the top. Note: this list is subject to update. Considering the worldwide expectations for In Rainbows, it's been received remarkably well. Obviously, there are the odd critics who like to make a name for themselves, but barring those, the album is in strong contention for one of the best albums of the decade, and that's no exaggeration. My full review will be posted tomorrow. In the mean time, lesser critics have the floor to themselves.
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The BBC push the boat out and give an opinion - a good one too.
The Times hastily added their review the morning of the release.
The Observer made In Rainbows their CD of the week, very affectionately I might add.
Paul Morley comments on his blog on the morning of the release.
Elsewhere in The Guardian, they managed to post a proper review.
The Daily Telegraph reviews the reviews.
Rolling Stone give 4.5 stars - fairly accurate.
The New York Sun asks a very good question; how are the songs?
Gigwise reports on their unprecedented market dominance.
Someone from the NY Times thinks he's cracked it.
NPR liked the album after first listen.
Wired describes the pots of gold hidden throughout the album.
Billboard are another collaborative website who commend the album.
The Sun claims In Rainbows is "priceless" - a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Drowned in Sound pay homage to Radiohead with an extensive review that strongly praises the album.
Pitchfork live up to expectations and heap praise on the album - 9.3

god is not Great

The Vatican has its latest scandal to answer for, again involving homosexuality that will be categorically denied as usual. My latest read has been Christopher Hitchen's god is not Great, which ties in nicely with this story as it often reflects on the historical debauchery of the Catholic headquarters, whilst it simultaneously criticises its continued refusal to refute the lecherous acts of others. The Danish cartoon crisis last year, for example, is an instance where the Vatican perpetuated inter-religious conflict by calling for greater understanding of one another's sensitivities, rather than condemning the threats made by the Islamic everyman who called for the heads of those cartoonists, and carried out threats of arson and vandalism to Christian places of worship. A similar situation arose with the knighthood of Salman Rushdie as you well recall. These instances are discussed at length by Hitchens in a book full of opinion and subjective analysis. Hitchens is a journalist, so, naturally, his way with words proves highly persuasive, and the book is written with a more 'matter-of-fact' stance than The God Delusion perhaps, which grapples with the contradicting philosophies and logic of biology versus scripture. Hitchens is highly trained with the teachings of all modern religious texts and has experienced first hand the cultures of each. His constant attacks on immoral traditions, such as the "circumcision" of females at a very early age, or the paternal rights of a father to pull his son's mutilated foreskin away with his mouth, are designed to make the reader feel uncomfortable, yet his statement is clear: "religion poisons everything" - his brilliantly potent subtitle which is sadly lost in translation for the British publication. It is another persuasive book about the case against religion, taking lead from Dawkins' success. Whereas Dawkins ascribes merely one chapter to the damage religion has done to our international wellbeing, Hitchens dedicates an entire book.

Apart from that...

Apart from...that, as the repeatedly overused idiom entails (as well as a scathing sketch by Harold Pinter), this weekend's news has been spun between the fixtures of international sport, most notably, England's brilliant win over France. Oh, they also beat them at rugby on Saturday too - catapulting them into their toughest challenge yet, but rightly so, against the indefatigable Springboks for the re-attainment of the World Cup. Meanwhile, touching on my previous, ponderous post concerning Jamie Oliver's flawed initiative, and schools' wish to keep children trim, it appears we're all getting fatter and should stop eating to save the planet. It seems absurd to think that people consider preying on the sympathies of someone's global affinities overrides their desire to live healthily. Maybe its just me. Abortion laws in Britain are being questioned again, reminding nu-feminists like Amanda to stand up for their beliefs and, in turn, remind us that some individuals conceive during heavy drug use, bouts of extreme poverty, and chronic depression. All in all, one feels the abortion law is somewhat subsidiary to the anguish of terminating a birth as it stands, so why exacerbate that feeling. But apart from all that...

In Rainbows - A Response

I, like most of musical journalism, went quiet yesterday. We took our shoes off at the door and transcended into silence, like the hush before the storm. We bowed our heads and reflected on the immense impact Radiohead have had on our lives, from the day we listened to OK Computer, to the day we heard the opening chords to Everything In Its Right Place, to the present. Not only have Radiohead inspired other musicians, there effect has spread throughout the world, reaching our hearts and minds through our well-tuned ears. It seemed appropriate then, as it does now, to await the magisterial day to follow in a state akin to reverence and anticipation. What an affirming delight it was was to open my inbox this morning and be faced with a download link to Radiohead's latest work. As we all know, Radiohead's refute with iTunes has led to a bitter exchange, whereby Radiohead do not allow iTunes to publish their music, for the simple reason that Radiohead's albums should be treated as items themselves, not as a collection of individual, 79 pence, songs. So then, here it was, the album as the band intended - 10 tracks in sequence; 43 minutes of playing time. As Paul Morley comments in his self-aggrandising prose, it would be wrong to post a critical reaction to the music itself; this would seem particularly naive. As fans of Radiohead, we appreciate the often inaccessible nature of their music. Therefore, may I suggest we leave complete musical analysis for another few wholistic listens. What I would say, however, is that it would be unforgivable not to access the album in some way, for it takes the listener on a journey through the tangents of Yorke's artistic genius, from the abrasive opening tracks to the soul-rendering conclusion. One finds themselves surrounded, encompassed by sound. This is a devastatingly astute collection of songs, whilst, simultaneously, a triumph as an entity in itself. There are many comments one could easily make to advertise the expertise of this album; Yorke appears to have overcome some of his confidence issues and allowed his voice to be prevalent in the songs, and yet he by no means dominates the ever-powerful rhythm section. And what more could be said that hasn't already about the sequestrial awe of Radiohead's guitar combinations. This album represents plenty of new additions to the Radiohead catalogue, each with an individual identity that somehow fits perfectly with the overall emotional spine of the piece. In years to come, this album could be heralded a classic, a masterpiece, a definition. This blogger was rendered speechless this morning. I hope you too respond with all the resounding intensity that this album demands.

A Gaming Manhunt

It's come to my far away attention that the government is organising a study on violent computer games and their interaction with children. From what most of us have experienced growing up, computer games feature violence heavily, and has increasingly done so through the years. Now, in my opinion, it takes a certain type of moron to confuse in-game violence with the strikingly in-your-face violence of real-life. Moreover, should it really be the gaming industry being targeted here in place of the monotonously violent film industry. Is it not also true that "fantasy violence" in a movie can help reduce its certificate rating in place of, simply, "violence"? Is it not also true that all in-game violence is "fantasy"? I remember the media hype surrounding the game Grand Theft Auto 3 before its release in 2001 - the 18 certificate was blatant, the violence was blatant, but so was the highly unrealistic nature of the discourse. Three years later came Manhunt, by the same software company, 'Rockstar'. Again, I remember the media hype surrounding this game, and I remember going to the shop on the day of its release. The game was great, but more of an experience than a game; tight, fractured, tense gameplay (you were instructed to play the game in pitch black). Yet we all remember the game for being pulled from the shelves after a 14 year-old boy supposedly overlapped gameplay with reality and lured his friend to death. The overreaction to this anomaly was shocking. I worry that this inquest will set out with a clear agenda. A reflection on the imbalance of the 'Bobo Doll experiment' is needed to ensure a fair and thorough study of a worthwhile topic. I'm well in favour of broadening the research to incorporate other aspects of the visual media, but simultaneously, the scapegoat status of gaming should be reassessed.

Trampoline Basketball

This post was a direct response to BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk this morning. It's a reliably amusing show about sport and the week's news. One of the regular pundits on the show, John Oliver, when asked what YouTube sporting videos he recommends we view, replied: "Trampoline Basketball". Here are the results. Oh dear.

Asia and all its quirks

This article in the Guardian about a ten-year old girl who wants to swim the Channel...with her limbs tied isn't the first case of utter stupidity to come spewing out of China preceding their monumental staging of the Olympics next year. It reminded me of the four year-old Indian boy, touched upon in the article who runs 45km a day, followed (and presumably flogged) by his father/coach on a motorbike. Sick.
In related sports, and I use the word liberally, news - Dida shot down by crowd sniper.

In Rainbows 2

Here's the latest update on the explosive media response to Radiohead's forthcoming new album. CNN has reported on the inventiveness of the release technique; this is nothing new, just good to see the arousal of interest. American podcast, SoundOpinions, broadcasts a piece on the revolution; a previously unheard interview with Thom Yorke is included on here too. This thread on the AtEase messageboard is strangely concise and provides transcripts for all the news articles circulating in the moment's papers (what fan other than a Radiohead fan would type up every Radiohead article they find?). Word has it that the LA Times published its Radiohead article on the front page. BBC Radio 4 had an intelligent conversation with Radiohead's management and posted there interview here. It's also worth pointing out that Radiohead are going to sign a conventional record deal and have the album in shops for January. Billboard has the latest, up-to-date info on the contract proceedings. Beyond all of the above, keep checking back with Atease - they'll sort you out the goss.

Jamie Oliver and School Dinners

I witnessed the decline of food popularity in my school, so it doesn't surprise me that Jamie Oliver's School Dinners campaign is failing. I'm glad its failing. He single-handedly orchestrated the demise of quality food provided in schools. Seven years ago I could get three sausages, a plate of chips and beans for a pound-fifty. It was tasty as you like and it went down perfectly at lunch time before the afternoon's lessons. By the end of my secondary school career I couldn't get anything resembling a plate of food for less than three quid. It was an outrage, certainly not in line with the rising cost of produce or inflation. So what went wrong? Jamie Oliver - that's what went wrong. People are aware, intelligent, and told, enough to know what is good for you and what is bad. No-one in Britain is making uninformed choices about food. OK, if there was no alternative to the less-healthy foods, provide one. However, by limiting pupils' choice to one or two tasteless meals, you are withdrawing all responsibility, frustrating the pupils, and discouraging everyone from eating a hearty lunch. As the recent Ofsted report has shown, kids are finding ways to overcome their schools' lack of provision which, in turn, means that cafeterias nationwide are being forced to raise their prices to break even. And so the multiplier effect begins: less kids want lunch, the price goes up, less kids want lunch, etc. etc. This article in the Guardian points out that "even Jamie Oliver's menus has failed to make it cool to eat in school". Well, in case this reporter hasn't realised, Jamie Oliver is in no way "cool", nor does he possess the persuasion skills he needs to convince the conscious among us that he has succeeded with his silly little campaign. I'm sure however, the truism of failure has never, or will ever, cross his mind.

In Rainbows

For over three years I've waited for the Radiohead media bombshell to explode once again following their 2003 release of Hail to the Thief, their sixth album. Only last night, at one minute past midnight GMT did they underhandedly announce the release of their eagerly awaited seventh album, In Rainbows, and, already, the music business is fidgeting with discussion. Yahoo have commented on the way Radiohead seem to have bypassed the phenomenon of illegal internet downloading by allowing the consumer to pay whatever they want for the album (nothing, if they like, but what kind of tosser would do that?). This has kicked up quite a fuss amongst record labels, particularly those who thought they had a shot at signing the band. This article from Time magazine acknowledges a fact that many fans have known for years: Radiohead's fan base is vast enough that they no longer need promotional marketing, tactical single releases, or even a distributor - effectively, they can sell the record any way they like. The Guardian Unlimited has posted a rather flattering article (clearly by a fan) which, I believe, has established a new record for the amount of comments posted in response to a blog item. Even this not-so coy blogger identifies the difference that separates Radiohead from the lagging music conglomerate which follows pathetically behind. Radiohead have been, and will always continue to be the most innovative band in the world, forcing themselves in new directions and exploring new horizons, or simply making inaccessible songs. The media bombshell is cracking. Days, rather than weeks, will see the print media scrounging for archive photos of the band to support their headlines. Let the apologists apologise, the Coldplay fans bow out in defeat, the journalists document, the ignorant be enlightened, and the sane appreciate the wonder that is Radiohead's seventh masterpiece.

Philosophy, Logic, Science v. Religion

After the alleged journalistic attack on Richard Dawkins by the makers of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (formerly, Crossroads), he's riled himself up and he's ready to go...to America. Now, I can sympathise; I'm a self-confessed atheist after reading his latest book, and I've come to the US to study, meaning I'm surrounded by Mormons, evangelicals, catholics, creationists - you name it; Arizona has it. Not only have my surroundings made me grow to appreciate the religious diversity we have in Britain, but I'm struggling to effectively find voice and convert the believers. And so, to Professor Dawkins: America needs you.

Sex and Breasts 2

It seems that the media hype surrounding upper tier debauchery has affected the African-American community too. All hope is lost.