“What does culture want? To make infinity comprehensible.”
“We have a limit, a very discouraging, humiliating limit: death. That’s why we like all the things that we assume have no limits and, therefore, no end. It’s a way of escaping thoughts about death. We like lists because we don’t want to die.”
Fixed gear / cafe / hipster culture hits Natimuk:
I always seem to end up at the bottom of a climb with a hangover, blearily looking up a rock face which is going to require more effort to climb than i’m really prepared to exert.
Dear X,
First of all, are you fucking mental? ‘Push back’?? What the fuck is that? All we’re accomplishing is a world were everyone pushes, and you know what that means, a world full of Stubborn Fat Americanos who start wars. All push and no give is like two magnets with the same poles. We repel each other.
Second, what if two people came out of this thing dead? Toxic places create toxic people. This is a toxic wasteland, pollution rises to the top.
It brings out the worst in you, me, Wendy and the trendy pervert in the corner. Everyone is driven by fear, advancement means compromising values, ethics and even decency and common manners.
There has to be a better way.. Being can replace having, you realise that there is another world out there, one in which you don’t have to pollute yourself to get through the exhaust fumed haze. Fuck, you don’t even need that much money to have a good time, let alone survive…
Anyway what the fuck would you know about being driven by fear? A lot I should think, you’re the fucking driver. But you know what my ragarre friends would think of your managerial Mercedes? They would aim a fuckin’ bazooka at that slug transporter and yell out ‘Die Fat Americano!!’ before blowing it to thousands of pieces of burning shrapnel. That’s what. Then they’d share a few beers and blast some Chuck Berry out the car door.
Ragarre is a name for what we might equate rockabilly culture to in Sweden. Fast cars, 50’s style, respect and rock’n’roll with a gentlemanly sensibility is what it’s all about. I agree with this type of culture immediately. Last weekend I was in Castlemaine, which could be considered Victoria’s raggarre capital (maybe even Australia’s after Newcastle). But if you slick back your hair and drive a cool old car are you living a lie? Half right, half wrong; lies become the truth; create a fantasy and talk it up until enough people believe it to become reality.
And you know all about ‘keeping it real’ don’t you slug? Yes i know. You read books. You have insight and oh that’s right, you read books. Hell in you’re private life, you’re even a ‘nice person’ and you make this known to me. But nothing is more boring after a while than someone who screams, “I’m not boring! Look–I’m singing, I’m dancing! I’m showing my arse! Isn’t this fun?”
Yes, a nice person in your private life.
private (adjective)
from Latin. privare
1. To deprive, to take, to rob.
So please, deprive me of your ‘niceness’. Now also might be an opportune time to look at the etymology of the word ‘idiot’.
idiot (noun)
from Greek. idiotes
1. Literally “private person”.
To act privately in a public context is to act idiotically. For example, when asked by a stranger for directions, you, the idiot, might answer “Take a left at my place” or even act nicely in your public sphere. But you won’t. Forget your private niceness and be a cunt, then bring people together, and give them something to do. I like it.
Regards,
D.
Amazed to discover that two of my favourite things (Werner Herzog films and rock climbing) combine into one during a random visit to the video store. Scream of Stone was made in 1991. Werner Herzog took a film crew to Cerro Torre in Patagonia and made a movie about one sport-climber’s mission to make the first ascent. The movie itself is a long shot from Fitzcarraldo and even Herzog now distances himself from it. Seeing footage of the climber Stefan Glowacz solo climbing Kachoong at Mt. Arapiles is definitely the highlight; it’s the same famous ascent pictured in this photo which you’ll find in climbing gyms everywhere.
I started this weekend the same way I usually do, sitting around, drinking coffee and talking about life, only this time my friend pain came along as well. Before we knew it, what started as a minor disagreement had turned into a major argument which lasted the whole weekend. By the time Sunday night rolled around, he’d hit me in the lower right abdomen so hard that I was writhing around in agony, swearing my head off and unable to walk. ‘Round about this time, my other friend sense popped over to give some advice. “Get yourself to a hospital man, and don’t forget to take a good book because there’s going to be a lot of waiting around.”
So that’s exactly what we did.
About 15 shots of morphine and 3 hours later, my other friend appendix said his goodbyes for good, and took pain away with him. Often, all you want is a nice piece of ass, to listen to some good tunes and maybe a cold beer to wash it all down, but sometimes your friends have other plans for you…
A drunk old man in a leather biker jacket harasses some girls in the park. “Bloody Sheilas! Bloody Sheilas! I wish I was a Sheila. I’d know how to have some fun!” He drives the girls away before riding away on a razor scooter, his long white beard flying about in the wind.
A minute later, a small girl cries out “Mum, I just saw a wizard!”
highlights:
lowlights:
also, saw Martyrs for the film festival. fucked up french horror with a lesbian subplot. something for everyone!
everyone wears black – its such a cliche, but Melbourne really is such a grey place to be. yeah I know, all the fashionistas “play with texture”, and are probably scared to wear anything bright because they might look like a Queenslander. but seriously, it might brighten the place up a bit, you know?
negative vs. positive politeness – this post definitely has me thinking about what is considered polite and respectful in different cities. I think it might be an anglo-saxon (blame the jocks!) hand-me-down, where a reserved and removed demeanor is considered polite. ie. it is considered polite not to make small talk or engage in conversation, because you don’t want to intrude on anyone’s personal space, or god forbid look like a weirdo. the amount of anxious insecurity this introduces into daily interaction is a joke.
contrast this with cultures where it is considered polite, friendly and frankly normal to interact with your fellow human beings. it’s nice to be nice.
lack of vending machines – I actually miss vending machines. I never thought this before, but it’s amazing how many times you need something, and in Japan there will be a vending machine no more than a few hundred meters away to cater for your needs. seven elevens? not the same.
(tangent, check this guy’s blog out, he meticulously catalogs the life and times of a Hokkaido vending machine)
artists and football – all of a sudden, it seems all the artists are into footy. even the ones who weren’t into footy. when did this happen? why is blue collar credibility necessary?
heat death of the universe 