consult the ŏracult!
The ŏracult is a group of people from all over the world who work together in writing material for this site and others. The group, which currently has only six members, is based in Katmandu, Nepal, but many of our contributors haven't even been here. We are in desperate need of contributors to keep our music, film and calcio sections going, so if you want to sign up, simply send a message to the address at the bottom of this page. There is no need for one to be overtly devoted to the site, but we welcome anybody into the club - simply to expand our horizons. Thanks in advance.
matters we enjoy oracling at ...
Last update - December 26th 2003
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HANUKAH TO YOU ALL!!
We've spent the best part of the last few months
collating and compiling all the info herein.
We're still getting all the content online just now, but rest assured, in the
next few weeks, this place will be chock-a-block full of news past and present.
And if you're looking for some light relief from all the information and need
some guidance, just email us - we don't know everything but have incredibly good
taste. We run errands, just for you!
Anyway, we hope you like the new site - see you back again soon.
Cheers,
the oracult
P.S - There are some great new links at the music section that you must check out.. make sure you havbe your speakers on!
Innocent until proven Arab
by Anhai Rhoads Nov 2002
Since 911, the US has quickly revamped policies relating to security. When the idea of Muslim profiling was raised, it caused a significant stir around the world.
Profiling
In the past, Law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) have repeatedly investigated, stopped, questioned and in some cases searched individuals due to the colour of their skin, origin, gender, or sexual orientation.
Profiling is not something that sprung up after 911, dedicated to "protect" us. It violates civil liberties and generalizes by appearance. This method has now increased in intensity, expanding its scope into religion and origin.
October 1, 2002, INS inspectors began land, sea and airport campaign allowing authorities to fingerprint, photograph and track visiting aliens who have traveled to Indonesia or Malaysia. Previously, INS inspectors were limited special screening visitors from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya and Syria.
Religious Profiling
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been busy keeping up with racial and religious profiling cases after 911. Two examples:
1. An Illinois National Guardsman and three private security personnel at O'Hare International Airport engaged in an unnecessary, unjustified, illegal and degrading search of a 22 year old United States citizen of Pakistani descent last November. Ms. Kaukab was identified and subjected to a humiliating search not because she posed any security threat, but only because her wearing of a hijab identified her as a Muslim. [1]
2. Five men, including Michael Dasrath and Edgardo Cureg, had their civil rights violated when they were forced off of Continental Flight #1218 on New Year's Eve, after a fellow passenger stated "[the] brown men are behaving suspiciously." Five civil rights lawsuits were filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of the men. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is a co-plaintiff in three of the cases. The lawsuits were filed simultaneously in LA, MD, NJ and San Francisco. Four of the passengers are United States citizens and the fifth is a permanent legal resident.
The ACLU writes, "We bring these lawsuits because, as a nation, we long ago settled the issue of discrimination. We declared it to be wrong, immoral, and contrary to fundamental American values. We also made it illegal. We decided that every individual should be allowed to participate in every aspect of American society, including in the American economy; to eat at restaurants and stay in hotels; to travel on buses and airplanes."[2]
This treatment is not only racist, but it also violates the 4th Amendment which states that the authorities require probable cause prior to a search. Profiling also violates the 14th Amendment which ensures equal protection for everyone regardless of race.
Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are on the rise. The number of reported anti-Islamic crimes increased from 28 in 2000 to 481 in 2001. According to the FBI [3], the overall number of hate crimes increased dramatically from 8,063 in 2000 to 9,726 in 2001, signaling an increase of 20.6%.
Racially motivated bias represented the largest percentage of bias related incidents at 44.9%, followed by ethnic/national origin bias at 21.6%. Religious based bias rose to 18.8% in 2001.
The FBI currently does not collect statistics on anti-Arab or anti-Sikh hate crimes.
Organisers of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) [4] and the Arab American Institute (AAI) report there have been over 200 incidents of abuse directed against Arab-Americans since 911.
Does Racial and Religion Profiling Generalize?
Those who are considered terrorists are of various ethnic and religious backgrounds and operate all around the world. High profile attacks such as 911 have brought U.S. attention on terrorists in or from the Middle East, and the US State Department has identified many groups with Arab/Muslim connections - this does not mean only Arabs and Muslims are capable of terrorism.
Racial profiling of Arabs would prove difficult because Arabs may have light skin and blue eyes to olive or dark skin and brown eyes. The US has, at various times, classified Arab immigrants as African, Asian, European or white. They have roots spread over several countries such as parts or all of Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Arabs are residing in Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The Arab world of the 7th to the 13th centuries joined the peoples of Spain and North Africa in the west with the peoples of the ancient lands of Egypt, Syria and Mesopotamia in the east.
Past Events
Take into account how America handled Pearl Harbour immediately following the bombing. Racial profiling allowed the wrangling of 120,313 Japanese-Americans persons during that period.
According to the Japanese American National Museum's [5] fact sheet, Ellis Island along with several other immigration facilities was used as a detention and internment station for enemy aliens, under the authority of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. It has been estimated that as many as 8,000 aliens spent time at Ellis Island between 1941-1945. Many of them were Japanese who, though living in the U.S. for decades, were forbidden to become citizens.
Even in Canada, Japanese-Canadians were given only 24 hours notice to vacate their homes, before being sent to special sites where they were detained until proper camps were prepared for them. They were categorised as "enemy aliens" and uprooted from their homes and businesses. Their property, which included cameras, radios and watches, was confiscated for what the government considered to be "protective measures". By November of 1942 nearly 22,000 people were displaced. This was all due to racial profiling. [6]
Consider also Operation Seek and Keep where Federal agents used racial profiling against Indians and Pakistanis during a high-profile investigation into immigrant smuggling in the 1990s.:
"The purpose of Operation Seek and Keep was to dismantle a criminal network that was smuggling Indian nationals into the United States for illegal employment, thus preserving jobs for authorized U.S. workers. From a law enforcement perspective, this case has been unique in that the entire smuggling organization has been broken. International and domestic smugglers have been apprehended, closing down the smuggling pipeline. Employers who placed orders for illegal aliens and the illegal aliens are still being identified and apprehended". [7]
This operation had taken in $220 million and smuggled 12,000 people, mostly from South Asia. The operation led to the indictments of more than 30 people.
Violation of Amendment rights, media demonisation, denial of service, and an improved chance of being attacked by an angry hate monger: these "privileges" of citizenship in North America have been enjoyed by African-Americans for over a hundred years, by the Japanese-Americans during World War II, and today by Arab-Americans. Are you prepared to believe that it is for your own good? What happens when your skin colour, your God, or your headdress becomes the scapegoat of the day?
Jan 2003
Belle&Sebastian
THE WAY OF THE EGG
A fine day in Glasgow. Feels like it’s all kicking off. I don’t think I’ve ever been so busy with band stuff, but then maybe I’m just kidding myself. The stuff that I’m busy with is stuff that I just make up and then feel a compulsion to do. My overall project just now is akin to Chicken Licken in the nursery story. You remember Chicken Licken? He got a fright or had a small accident or something, and he decided the sky was going to fall on his head, so he went off to find the king. He was a major panic merchant. He alerted the whole countryside to his lunatic raving. But everyone he met was as daft as he was. And, crucially, they all had nutty rhyming couplet names like Licken did, only according to their species. So we had Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Turkey Lurkey, Goosey Loosey, etc. And each one of them as mad as the little Chicken fellow. They went for his story in a big way, and dropped everything to join the lunatic band.
Ok, my analogy has gone a little far. Now that I got into the story of Chicken Licken I realise that. But there’s a couple of things about the Chicken I like. I like the fact that he’s trying to keep the momentum up. He’s trying to keep the party going. You don’t see his friends complaining much, do you? Fact is, it’s probably the most excitement they’ve seen around the farmyard for quite some time. They’re totally into it. They’re getting a day trip out of it and it’s costing them nothing.
I’ve been taking pictures and knocking about on my bike bumping into one person after the next and drinking tea and trying to get things going. Feeling a little like Chicken Licken, specifically. But one has to be careful. In the end the chicken gets eaten by a fox. I wonder if I’ll reach a foxy end?
Actually, I don’t care because I’ve been having a lot of fun. Glaswegians are nuts to want to leave this town at this time of year, when the city is reaching its most sublime point, where the sandstone and vegetation combine to create one big indie playground. That’s how I found myself describing it to a friend the other night. She admitted to being ‘geeky’ about the town as well. I don’t know why I used ‘indie’ as an adjective here, but then as I mentioned elsewhere, there are moves to keep changing the meaning of that word until it either doesn’t mean anything or it means all things to all people!
And that reminds me, one of the ‘lunatic band’ I bumped into during photographic adventures last week was Jason from V-Twin. Actually I bumped into him a couple of times, once in the caff with V-Twin Donald and Michael, and once when he was walking Fawcett, admittedly the cutest little indie raver of the lot. (Fawcett is a West Highland Terrier.) We got talking about our favourite words. I can’t remember the context, but Jason’s was ‘obsequious’ or ‘meticulous’ or one of those ‘ouses’. (Shit, sorry Jason, I can’t remember which one exactly.) Whatever, you can bet the conversation did nothing to contribute to the GNP of the Glasgow area. There was nothing economy bolstering about that hour and a half. We were just shooting the breeze over expensive coffees just like we’d been doing since ‘93 when I first knew Jason. I don’t see him around so much anymore since he switched cafés.
There is a boring stereotype going around that says that guys don’t talk about stuff. If you get the right combination of people though, you can have a good old chat. It just takes a couple in a group to get it going. And I like Jason because he likes to pull the barriers down anytime anywhere. It can be nine fifteen in the morning at a rainy bus stop and he will be grinning from under his parka hood, talking about girl trouble, band trouble, dog trouble!
Justin Currie from Del Amitri was knocking about the caff. Different era from us lot. It’s funny that we still sit about chattering about people like kids. I should grow up a little. I can’t imagine having a coffee with Justin Currie. Not in this present situation. Well I could, of course. But I’d have to behave myself a little and not talk rubbish. I put him in with the Lloyd Cole brigade, with Edwyn, Horne, Bluebell, Kirk. It’s a different generation! It’d take being drunk at a wedding to really break the ice.
Anyway, Jason said a funny thing. “Del Amitri are really underrated. They really had their moments. ‘Always the Last to Know’. It’s a great song.” Then he proceeded to quote the lyric, like John Gielgud on Radio 4 or something. What was equally disturbing is that Donald was quietly but steadfastly backing him up. I just don’t know where I stand! I had ‘Sense Sickness’ which was like early Orange Juice. That’s about it. What was funny was that Jason said “I mean, you’ve got to hand it to him, he’s a big fucking handsome dude! If I was a girl, I’d bang him!” Ha ha!
My favourite word... actually I have two just now, but one of them would give away my present unhealthy obsession. My favourite word has a Gielgud connection. (Two in one diary!) He used to read the Bible on Radio 4. I mean, right from the start. They had him on for ten minutes everyday reading from Genesis onwards. I like the word ‘creepeth’. It’s one that you would have trouble fitting into everyday conversation. But he just used to roll the ‘r’, and it was good. Back in Genesis, everything and everyone was always creepething around when everything was dark and lush and overhanging, and the snakes talked and you strucketh your brother for the smallest of reasons, and the smallest of smotes would almost always kill! I’ll try and fit that word into the next few diaries. And because you’ve read this you will be in the know. Everyone else will probably think I’ve just lost my head for a minute.
Like I was meant to say something at the John Peel Christmas Party thing that was meant to be a secret signal to my friend Marisa. She gave me a list of words that I had to use so she would know I was signalling her. But I didn’t manage it. I can’t remember the words right now but I remember we did have quite a funny time devising them. It would have been just too unlikely. I would have been wheeled away!
It’s absolutely pouring down outside. “Here comes the juice!” the punters cry. Typical Glasgow Fair Monday. It always rains.
So, like I was saying, my major thing in the last few days was taking pictures. I had the shoot for the front cover of the lp on Friday there, and for the single, on the Tuesday before. And the whole week I was toying with the idea of buying a new camera. Now this was quite a big deal to me. I knew the advantages of having this camera, but to be honest I didn’t know how to work the frigging thing, and even going into the shop to buy the thing was proving an ordeal. I mean, the first time I went into the shop the guy did everything in his power to not sell me the camera. He didn’t even get it out the case! And all the time I’m standing there sweating like a paedophile in a creche! Like I was going to be found out as the non photographer I so clearly am. What the hell would I want with a Hassleblad?
I think I went in there about four times before I actually got the thing. And each time I took a different person to chum me. It must be said, the underground artsy camera set in Glasgow rallied to the cause last week. Stand up Martin, Roxanne, Tris and Ian at the lab. And Marisa of course, though she’s in Boston.
Marisa’s pretty much the perfect subject. She hands you the camera, primed and ready to shoot. Then she strips off and poses meticulously. It was she that opened my eyes to the possiblity of the medium format. Usually I would imagine professionals are sniffy about lending equipment or handing over their tools. But Marisa must just be comfortable in the knowledge that she can do it either side of the lens. And she can, she’s a talented girl.. Sorry, I know I’m being a bit cartoonish here, but being able to pose is a definite skill, and one that I admire all the more because I can’t do it. I’m lucky to be around such photogenic people.
The day I actually bought the thing I was meant to meet an acquaintance of an acquaintance, the aforementioned Tris, so he could give the camera the once over, and talk knowledgable bollocks to take the heat off me. But he stood me up! Later on, his friend Roxanne told me that his aquarium had broken, which is a hot one! I’m going to use that the next time I can’t make it to something. Though I’d never be able to not giggle. It was true though, his aquarium had broken, threatening both flat and guppy. He came along to the shoot on Friday to make up for it, and for a bit of moral and technical support. As it turns out, everyone that I had spoken to the previous week turned up, so there was an embarrassing surfeit of the knowledgable and the artsy. Thank God we got some beers in. I felt a little self conscious as I ponced about on top of a table, ordering the group around. They were very, very good.
Trouble with Glasgow at this time of year is that you never know how many layers to put on when you leave the house. Now, I’ve had to become a layer expert over the years on account of my eskimo blood. And in Glasgow the sun can go in and the wind can blow up in minutes. And you can go from one to four layers accordingly. At least I can. Why can I already anticipate my own kids taking the piss out of me? Imagine I raise a real bruiser who has just no sympathy whatsoever? I would have nowhere to hide.
Well this particular sensitivity has even put the strain on that most tolerable of friendships, that between a boy and his best friend. Even Ciara feigned to lose patience with me this one particular incident. I had gone into town, it had been a little overcast. But the sun came out and showed no sign of going back in and I felt a little ripped off that I should have to lug my jacket around all day while I did my indie errands. So I went to the post office and bought a sheet of brown paper and posted my jacket home. That was a few years ago now though, and I was less robust than you thankfully find me today.
It was a beautiful three button jacket of my dad’s that I posted. I subsequently lost that jacket, and of all the things over the years I have lost it is the one I have come to miss the most. Such a perfect item, I’ve never seen its like since, though I have searched. And all the more annoying that it should have been my dads. I left it in a football changing room. It disappeared instantly. It’s definitely in my Top 5 items of clothing of all time. Now even I might hesitate to list that list in this diary as that would surely put a strain on your readership. Maybe we can swap Top 5’s and the stories they contain? That way I wouldn’t feel so bad about talking about something which can’t possibly have any interest to anyone but me. Ok, tell you what, send me your Top 5’s and a few lines on each if you are so moved.
I just came back to the house to have a little lunch and there’s a package here from Bob, who’s making a little film that I’m helping with. He’s sent me a Felt dvd called ‘A Declaration’. This to me is very interesting. It’s almost too much to take. Lawrence looks so good, it’s too much, it’s like a dream. I can’t believe this band ever existed. They’re so perfect. Fuck the Smiths, fuck Orange Juice, Felt, FELT, FELT!! I have to stop watching. I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack today. They just take me to a different place. “I wasn’t fooling when I said. All the people I like are those that are dead”. The dvd’s shit quality by the way, so don’t go there unless you can join the dots for yourself.
Larkin, Cohen, Lawrence and Moz. The rest of you boys can leave your quills in your tunics.
Oh, no, I’m in the park and I’m being checked out by a baldy headed guy. I must be in the pick up zone. Serves me right for saying how beautiful Lawrence is. C’mon, you know what I meant. I’m a bit nervous actually. What if he tries to wrench the laptop from me? Why do I never get propositioned by women? I suppose it’s a law of nature. It would make life too easy, huh? Like, what is the point of feedback? Why can’t we just make everything louder without the squeals? Like, what is the point of depth of field? Why can’t the lens just capture everything flat, no matter how dark it is? But then we wouldn’t strive. Digital has made a lot of things easy, but then without having to strive, the art has become worse. Apart from the art that is digital to the core. Like computer games and such. Am I wrong?
So I rambled on to the steps to Park Circus, and on the way I bump into Allen, our drum tech, and his two mates, Robin and Edgy. They are in exactly the same spot as I saw them in the last time I was in the park a few days ago. They realise this and are a bit bashful as I approach.
“You are the Three Coins In The Fountain.”
They laugh. They are perched on the edge of the fountain. They had just been to the transport museum, but they were disappointed the man wouldn’t let them get in the cars and blow the horns. The subject moves round to ‘The Two Towers”.
“I mean, what were the Two Towers anyway? In the film it makes out they were Saruman’s bit and Sauron’s bit. I always thought it was meant to be Minas Tirith and Minas Morgul.”
I kind of agree with him. That would make the most poetic sense. There are four towers to choose from though. Orthanc, Morgul, Tirith and Barad-Dur.
“I’m surprised Tolkien didn’t give the Hobbits a tower as well.”
Well they had a sort of mound.
They are twelve ways you can pick two towers from four, right? Pick one from four then one from three remaining. Three times four is twelve... I got to get out more. But I am out! Maybe I’ve got to stay in.
Allen is one of the gang I was talking about earlier. He was helping me with both the pictures. We were in the same spot last Tuesday, the bandstand, where the baldy guy was trying to pick me up. Me and Allen, and Katrina, Roxanne, Hannah and Bob, who were all modelling. Bob was wandering about in a straw hat smoking a rollie. Allen motioned towards him, and says to me:
“Look at Bob, man. He just walks this land!”
And it’s true. He just walks this land. Which reminds me, I was going to try and talk a bit about the other dudes in the group for a while, but I’m going to go and make dinner for a friend, so it will have to wait.
I may be a lousy cook, but at least I’ve learned the way of the egg.
Stuart,
21st July ‘03
Dec 2003
Tragedy in Iran.. the town of Bam has been flattened to
the ground by an earthquake. Our hearts go out to our friends in Iran, and the victims of this
absolutely devastating quake. Three days ago, in San Francisco, a quake of the
same scale killed just three. How can this architectural chasm be bridged?
Thousands of people stayed outside at -9'C last night. 20,000 killed and at
least another 30,000 severely wounded. Since I sold my TV, I'm finding out about
this really late. It turns out one of the oldest ancient forts, (Arg of Bam) has
been almost destroyed. 1/4 of the city is dead. Unbelievable. In 1990, a similar
quake killed 50,000 - so this isn't the first time.
This highlights the importance of earthquake proof buildings.
There is something very common in the houses you come across in places like South Asia, Latin America, or parts of Turkey, Iran.. the worst example of this chasm in architecture is my neighborhood here in Katmandu (which is a brick jungle, really). You have these relatively expensive concrete/brick structures held up by steel reinforced pillaring. The thing is, people spend far too much money building these wedding cake houses that are ridiculously unsafe and expensive too.. not only that, most of them end up incomplete. They basically consist of steel reinforced concrete frames in filled with masonry - too much detailing in columns and railings. One typical feature of these houses is that on upper floors the intermediate floor slab continues through the outer wall. This is what sucks. Many of these houses line narrow streets and their dynamics are seriously flawed in that they are connected to each other - if one falls, all fall. Obviously to prevent a hammer action you need to connect the beams of the two houses rather than create a close distance. Structures are often too light - columns, beams and slabs can be very slender because of their high cost. In countries like Iran, nonstructural masonry infillings are used between the beams. Steel reinforcement does increase the concretes structure's flexibility but at the same time masonry is very rigid and has no ductility, making it incredibly vulnerable during an earthquake. During an earthquake (and I've seen his happen), masonry infills literally explode. This said, the question would be - why are these "typical brick structures" more expensive than earthquake proof buildings, how could they possibly be, etc. The first factor is symmetry but that's pretty obvious. Let's look at it this way.. there was an earthquake that went off in this city back in 1934 and the findings were like this.. the least affected buildings had wooden pillars instead of brick. It is obvious that it is safer and cheaper to live in a house with wooden pillars instead of brick. So, specially designed buildings don't have to be so special.. especially in the context of the third world.
But seriously, masonry is surely the worst choice for a
building material in earthquake areas. It is heavy and its tensile strength
small. This is a threat because walls start to fall as soon as the building
vibrates. In this city, sun-dried bricks used for walls in houses are brittle..
and the quality of mortar is poor. So if an earthquake happens here, I really
fear the worse. My own house is made of bricks - but it is designed to be
earthquake proof with thick reinforced beams. Even when other reinforcements are
added - the end result is bound to cost less than what I've pointed out as a
"typical third world brick structure". So the solution, obviously, is a building
product made from reinforced wooden beams - of course iron beams is not an
option. Houses properly connected with each other by interlocking bricks and
wooden beams make no hammer action between two buildings. By wooden beams, I
don't mean houses made entirely of wood, nor pin-connected buildings. It's just
that masonry is surely the worst choice for a building material in earthquake
areas. It is heavy and its tensile strength small. This is a threat because
walls start to fall as soon as the building vibrates.. especially buildings that
grow bigger as they grow higher - those were legally binding under the old
Indian seismic code. The end result is a building that is not entirely
earthquake proof - but far less expensive and much, much safer. So we're
pinpointing the fact that construction workers ignore seismic codes as the main
cause - sure. Nepal needed a state of the art seismic code.. It is considered
that introducing simple earthquake-resistant features into rural stone
masonry/mud mortar buildings could reduce damage ratios from 60% to 30% in
intensity VII shaking. Improvements for other structural types to reduce
vulnerability were proposed. The philosophical objectives of the code were that:
(1) a structure should have sufficient strength and stiffness so that the
frequency of occurrence of structural and non-structural damage is acceptably
low, and (2) the probability of collapse of a structure in its useful life be
acceptably low. To achieve these goals alone it is important that the materials
used are of high quality - hence implementation and enforcement aren't the only
things. The case here was that the appropriate Indian building codes were used
in the absence of Nepalese ones, they were not being adhered to in a disciplined
way... Yep, safe to say that's what happened in Iran.
CINEMA
La double vie de Veronique, Krzysztof Kieslowski
25 December
don bobbo 2003
I saw it for the second time, finally.. after much toil
in looking for the rare DVD. One of my favourite films, certainly Kieslowski's
best but I would say Irene Jacob was slightly more mature in the film Rouge. Her
performance in La double vie de Véronique, too, is wonderfully nuanced to
the final touch.
Here I go again. What stands out is her, the music, and the imagery. That is it,
and there isn't a single flaw. The experience, that's what it's all about. The
light, the color, the sound - THAT is what film is! And seeing this film is what
made me realize this! It does not matter whether it is set in the paranormal
with reference to the metaphysical. This is done with precision, absolutely no
pretentiousness - pure class. I don't want to get incredibly gushy about the
whole thing, but I will truly cherish this film in my mind forever. Kieslowski
takes a simple idea – the notion that each one of us has an identical twin
somewhere in the world, and turns it into a wonderfully profound and captivating
story - no, an experience. There are layers and layers and layers of detail in
this film underneath that basic theme, it is like a dream - Why? because an
attempt to make sense of what is going on in the film would be futile, there is
no need. The cinematography, the music, the story, Irene Jacob, all fit together
like an impeccable work of art. On one hand this film is a magnificently
abstract tapestry - but on another, it is a captivating piece of cinema which
will leave an indelible impression on anyone who watches it. Words cannot
describe it for sure. Anyone who hasn't, do watch this film.
Irene herself is a dream in this movie as she portrays two gifted look-alike musicians, sharing the names Veronique (in France) and Weronika (in Poland). They share the same ill-health, destiny and sadness. And they share an unknown effect on each other's life, despite being worlds apart. The inexplicable depression that Veronique feels when Weronika dies while performing on a stage, makes you ponder 'whether in my life I too wasn't depressed for some or other inexplicable reasons?' 'Is there another I somewhere concerned about me?' 'Is that why I was sad during that time?' 'Is someone else sharing my sorrows being somewhere in this world?' 'Will I meet him/her sometime? Somewhere?' Yes, unanswerable questions, inexplicable feelings and surrealistic thoughts. That sums up this movie.
Perhaps there is a double life in each of us. The life we lead and the life we might have led. In this superbly crafted film the late director Kieslowski poses a series of questions about why we became who we are. It seems that ultimately we are creatures subject to the vagaries of fate, destiny and random chance. Irene Jacob is simply superb in the dual-role lead. Kieslowski was at his probing, questioning best as he mapped out this journey that compels us until the very end. "La Double Vie de Veronique" is a film more about suggestion than substance.
Like life itself, it hints at mysteries for which there are no answers. La Double Vie de Veronique is art of a high order.
Dec 24 2003
A Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah to everybody!
MUSIC
Nepathya - Bhedako Oon Jasto
27 December
don simrik atelier 2003
A revolutionary new folk-rock album coming from the new Kathmandu music scene, Bheda ko oon Jasto is surely the next big thing in world music, or at least has the potential to become just that. That tracks are lined with highly inventive grinding guitar riffs accompanied by Nepali percussion instruments. Amrit Gurung's vocals alternate between madly energetic and devilishly thought-provoking - as do his lyrics. Seriously, this is one heck of an album coming out from Nepal. Every single track is a potential hit, from the sleepy last track to the wild Bheda ko Oon Jasto. We wish Nepathya the best of luck.
CALCIO
don bobbo e simrik atelier 2003
(an article about the financial side of things, I really don't know shit about economics but I guess this article was a good help)- Well, the future doesn't look too good for Parma, what to do? Does this signal an overall decline in Italian football? Hell no! We really hope really hope the club can be sold as soon as possible, because that's the only way it will remain a viable club. Any calcio fan should be saddened by this matter, we'd hate to see anything else happen to a club that has been providing some of the best football (and players, sadly) over the past decade. AC Parma is NOT the Enron of Italy, Parmalat is. This is calcio. Why can't people get that into their heads?
Here's news - Tanzi's been arrested.
The founder and former head of global food group
Parmalat has been arrested by Italian authorities investigating how billions of
euros went missing from the insolvent company. Calisto Tanzi, 65, was detained
on a street in Milan on the order of prosecutors investigating alleged fraud.
The scandal has raised far-reaching questions about the conduct of the group's
managers, auditors and banks. It threatens billions of euros of investments by
holders of shares and bonds, as well as some two billion more of bank loans.
Tanzi stepped down as Parmalat CEO earlier this month, days before the crisis
erupted. He was detained hours after Parmalat was declared insolvent. Tanzi, who
took over a dairy plant in 1961 and built it into a global brand, was the first
person held in the investigation into fraudulent bankruptcy, fraud, false
accounting and market rigging. Although Tanzi no longer heads Parmalat, his
family's holding company Coloniale controls the group.
The scandal exploded last week when Parmalat, with 35,000 employees in some 30
countries, revealed a hole in its accounts that investigators said could exceed
10 billion euros.
Public prosecutors have named about 20 people in the fraud probe, including
current and former employees of the group as well as unnamed outside auditors.
Parmalat was declared insolvent on Saturday, three days after the government
rushed into effect an emergency decree. The decree shields Italy's
eighth-largest industrial group from creditors while a new administrator drafts
a restructuring plan.
CINEMA
Kill Bill Volume 1, Quentin Tarantino
11 December
don bobbo 2003
Cinematically and stylistically, absolutely no flaws in this film - he's created another thoroughly enjoyable experience - plus a great score and a larger than life Uma Thurman.. (Bloody) awesome, really. But.. In one scene in the beginning, as Thurman brutally stabs and murders a young woman, Tarantino quickly cuts the scene to the victims small daughter who is watching the carnage. This is surely a hint at the consequence of witnessing a violent act, but isn't that ironic? The scene moves on with the movie uninterested in the damage it does to that young girl, why even hint at it then? What is Kill Bill? what is it's purpose, it's point of view? It's made to be a comic book neo-violence with one sole purpose - to exhilarate and commit to the aesthetics of violence. but somehow to me Tarantino's blithe view on the subject is disturbing and uncalled for... especially his hint I mentioned to the repercussions of violence. once he's hinted it, why does he ignore it? that's what sucks about this film even though it is so not the point of it. And that's my point - the scene was unneeded. They either should have elaborated on that theme or not even touched it. That is my only critique of this film, and it's a big one. The movie should have headed in the stylistically fantastic direction all along, it should never had made even a reference to the theme a la consequences of violence. I'm confident that minor flaw will be completely eradicated once I get geared up to see vol. 2, wipe the blood of my face, and go back for another round in February ...
Nov 2003
Now that they've proved their absolute artistic demise, let's take a good look back at The Violent Femmes..!
From Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, the Violent
Femmes was formed by Gordon Gano (b. 7 June 1963, New York, USA; vocals,
guitar), Brian Ritchie (b. 21 November 1960, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; bass)
and Victor De Lorenzo (b. 25 October 1954, Racine, Wisconsin, USA; drums). Gano
and Ritchie first teamed up for an acoustic set at the Rufus King High School,
Ritchie having formerly played with Plasticland (one single, "Mushroom
Hill"/"Color Appreciation'). Joined by De Lorenzo, they recorded a debut album
(through Rough Trade Records in the UK). Its rough, acoustic style failed to
hide the Violent Femmes" intriguing variety of songs and lyrics, and although
they later mellowed, this formed the basis of what was to follow. Two acclaimed
singles, "Gone Daddy Gone" and "It's Gonna Rain" (both 1984), were drawn from
Violent Femmes before Hallowed Ground followed a year later, a more full-bodied
work that lacked the shambolic nature of their debut. Hallowed Ground contained,
what is for many, the classic Violent Femmes composition, the macabre "Country
Death Song". The Blind Leading The Naked nearly gave the band a hit single in
their cover version of T. Rex's "Children Of The Revolution" early in 1986.
There was then a long pause in the Violent Femmes' activities while Gordon Gano
appeared with his side-project, the gospel-influenced Mercy Seat, and Ritchie
recorded two solo sets for the SST Records label, and one for Dali-Chameleon.
De Lorenzo released Peter Corey Sent Me in 1991 and played on Sigmund Snpek
III's album, which also featured Ritchie. The release of the succinctly titled 3
re-introduced a more sophisticated Violent Femmes, although the grisly subject
matter continued, while 1991's Why Do Birds Sing? included a savage version of
the Culture Club hit "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" Moving to Elektra Records
and recruiting new drummer Guy Hoffman, the Violent Femmes released two further
albums that failed to capture them at their potent best. An abortive deal with
Interscope Records meant little was heard of the band in the late 90s. Their
first new studio album in over five years, Freak Magnet, marked a return to the
brash energy of their mid-80s heyday.
BOOK OF THE MONTH - If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino.
Sep 2003
RIP Edward Said (1935-2003)
Although many people have known him as an activist and advocate for Palestinian independence, Edward Said was an outstanding scholar and literary critic by profession.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/St...1049793,00.html
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&sec...d=26&m=9&y=2003
http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/.../ixopright.html
"But there is a difference between knowledge of other peoples and
other times that is the result of understanding, compassion, careful study and
analysis for their own sakes, and on the other hand knowledge that is part of an
overall campaign of self-affirmation. It is surely one of the intellectual
catastrophes of history that an imperialist war confected by a small group of
unelected US officials was waged against a devastated third world dictatorship
on thoroughly ideological grounds having to do with world dominance, security
control and scarce resources, but disguised for its true intent, hastened and
reasoned for by orientalists who betrayed their calling as scholars."
- Edward Said
(Introduction
to the new edition of "Orientalism," 25 years after its first printing; London:
Penguin, 28 August, 2003.)
26 September
Lenni Brenner 2003
Only a few days ago, I sent out an
e-mail flyer, announcing a November 25th New York panel discussion on
CounterPunch's forthcoming book, The Politics Of Anti-Semitism. One
of the speakers was going to be Edward Said, one of the contributors. Now he is
dead.
Will the event go on? Of course. That is what he would have wanted. Only now it
will also have to be a memorial for him.
When someone of his stature dies, even his enemies must go on record. What will
his home town paper, the rightwing Zionist Jerusalem Post, write of him?
Whatever they say, who cares? What will the New York Times say of one of
the best regarded literary scholars in their city? For years they refused to
have him write critiques for their wretched Book Review because he was
anti-Zionist. Will they acknowledge that shameful fact? What will Arafat say of
the man whose books he banned?
There are now many Palestinians in the United States, writers like him, as
devoted to their people's rights. But they will all say that he did more to
explain their cause to the American people than any of them. Yet he was not a
politician.
We met in the early 80s. I'm a Jew who exposes Israeli Zionism, but I'm also
deeply involved in American politics. One day we were discussing Democratic
Party liberals. I warned him never to trust them until they are dead. I quoted
examples, from personal conversations with them, of how cynical they are in
their chase after Jewish campaign contributions and votes. He took it all in and
then quietly said,
"Lenni, you have to understand that I'm a literary gent. I don't understand
politics at all. I'm only in politics because I'm a Palestinian and I feel
morally obliged to stand up for my people."
History and politics are my passions. Unfortunately that means that I've met
endless numbers of intellectuals, of all political ideologies, including my own,
who think they know more about politics than they do. But, if Edward made
mistakes, I know it because he told me he did.
Frankly, I'm an activist who, out of self-defense, also became a bit of a
literary type. Indeed I've tried to model myself on Plutarch and Shakespeare's
Timon of Athens, noted for his distrust of humanity. But, in the end, Edward's
modesty and honesty overwhelmed me. And, while he certainly learned much in
subsequent years, he never lost those two rare qualities. If anything, he
perfected them.
CINEMA
American Splendor, Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Harvey Pekar is the ultimate little guy -- not just in the comics world, where
his American Splendor has been an underground phenomenon for decades, but
in real life, as he has held down a steady gig as a file clerk in a Cleveland VA
hospital since the beginning of the known universe.
Pekar's life story -- his daily misery and misanthropy resulting from standing
in long lines, listening to idiots on the bus, and impatiently waiting for his
own death -- has been chronicled in the autobiographical comics, and now those
comics (plus outtakes from the rest of Pekar's life) have been turned into an
incredibly clever and surprising movie of the same name.
In Splendor, we track Pekar through the bulk of his life, but earnestly
we follow his life as a young adult through his retirement. Terminally pissed,
he scowls his way through the work day, saving money by patching up his coat
with glue and dreaming of success as a comic book creator. He's got
straight-outta-real-life stories galore, but the problem is he can't draw a
straight line.
A friendship with famed comic artist Robert Crumb results in the creation of
American Splendor #1, and the comic slowly grows a fan base in the 1970s
underground. His tales of hypochondria and the horrors of daily life don't
exactly resonate with the mass media consumer, so Pekar never earns enough money
to quit his VA job or move out of his apartment. But he does manage to attract
an equally odd wife (played admirably by Hope Davis) and become a minor
celebrity, appearing regularly on Late Night with David Letterman.
Pekar would probably be the first to agree that his story isn't so thrilling,
but the way it is told to us is. Part documentary, part biography, part animated
fantasy, the film weaves among genres smoothly and curiously, always baiting us
with a quirky tidbit to discover in the next scene. Paul Giamatti is a treasure
as Pekar, nailing his perpetual sneer and hunch (though unfortunately it's
impossible to replicate the real Pekar's broken voice). You can compare for
yourself of course when Pekar appears in one of the film's many candid interview
sequences -- shot during the taping of Pekar's reading of the film's voice-over
on weird, dreamlike sets.
Even more successful than Giamatti are Davis as wife Joyce and the inimitable
Judah Friedlander as Toby Radloff, a Pekar co-worker and self-professed nerd
whose monologues on jellybeans and Revenge of the Nerds rank as some of
this year's cinematic highlights. Friedlander's portrayal is so over the top
that just when you're ready to dismiss him as a total caricature, poof, out pops
the real Toby Radloff in one of the behind-the-scenes sequences, proving
just how exact Friedlander's performance is. The man deserves an Oscar.
The rest of the film hinges on its self-referential, circuitous storytelling
method, which is fascinating and groundbreaking, but which ultimately masks the
fact that Pekar's story is as simple and plain as he has always proclaimed. Even
though much is made of his fall from grace on Letterman and his bout with
lymphoma, these are but a few short vignettes in a life that makes you wonder
why it was turned into a movie… except that it is easily mocked by the audience.
The film will be far more rewarding to viewers that have some familiarity with
Pekar and his work, but otherwise Splendor's message is simplistic to the
point of nearly becoming trite: If Harvey can make it, the film tells us, then
anybody can. If you're looking to feel good about your own miserable life, well,
this is the movie to see.
Fear and loathing in Las Vegas (DVD), Terry Gilliam
All books are unfilmable. I was neither drunk nor on drugs when I watched it yet enjoyed it as a cinematic experience. It isn't simply a curiosity, the cinematography plus the acting deserves praise - and it entertains whilst ignoring almost every technicality you expect in a film. It wouldn't even qualify as a good movie technically speaking but its more about the enjoyment. The whole concept is absurd - there is no concept, what makes it a masterpiece isn't it's filmic brilliance - its the lack of it. Terry Gilliam completely exploits the phenomenon of having absolutely no pressure. Freedom.
It's crazy. Gilliam has made a gonzo film meant to get
you in the rumble seat, riding along with Duke and the doctor. Admittedly, their
adventure peters out after the novelty of trashing hotel rooms and spotting
celebrity cameos wears off (this happens at about the halfway mark). By then,
Fear and Loathing has gone over the edge, losing us in
its bid to become just another drug movie, only one made Gilliam style.
DVD supplements include three commentary tracks (Jesus!) from Gilliam; producer
Laila Nabulsi, Depp, and Del Toro; and the man himself: Thompson as
semi-interviewed by Nabulsi. Gilliam and Thompson have all the good dirt of
course, but to some degree all three commentaries are worth listening to.
Deleted scenes, storyboards, correspondence between Depp and Thompson, footage
of Thompson's visit to the set and cameo in the film, and various other errata
-- including a commentary about the little-known dispute over the writing
credits for the film.
I don't normally think much about packaging and menus, but I have to say that
Fear and Loathing has one of the most impressive exteriors
I've encountered on a DVD. An airbrushed, transparent plastic case holds the
actual DVD set, which itself includes a couple of essays from Thompson and some
overblown Thompson historian (who uses words like mise-en-scene) who
Hunter would probably castrate if he got the chance. Even the DVD menu is a
curiosity: Ralph Steadman is videotaped (arms only) spelling out the title of
the film in his trademark neo-gonzo illustrative style. Kooky. Gonzo.
July 2003
No oracult website can exist without a mention of the great Audrey Tatou, so we've stuck in an Amelie review just for you! Note - The DVD features a hilarious english language running commentary from Jeunet that you must checkout!
Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
After only a few films have I been
left with an indelible sense of wonder and amazement. After watching the
stunning and beautiful Amelie,
I've been struck again. This is truly a touching, honest, emotional roller
coaster ride, equipped with powerful but subtle scenes of unrequited love,
comfortable loneliness, visual wonder, imaginary worlds, and phantom
characters guarding the hearts and souls of their mental caretakers.
Amelie
delivers the goods on all levels, with crafty
storytelling, superb acting, and clever directing. The film follows the
exploits of the young Amelie (Audrey Tautou), a shy, introverted
girl with a dysfunctional past who lives alone in a small apartment in
Paris. Amelie spends her days working at a local Parisian café,
pines for the love of a strange boy who stalks the instant-photo booths of
the Metro, and silently observes the lives of her neighbors.
One day, Amelie discovers a small tin box in the wall of her
bathroom filled with a young boy’s playthings, marbles and metal racecars.
She decides to return the box to its original owner, thus returning the
childhood memories held in the box to their rightful purveyor. In turn,
the box acts a catalyst for Amelie’s interactions with her
neighbors. As she emerges from her self-inflicted emotional shell into
their world, her imaginary friends -- in full CGI glory -- watch
vigilantly over her as she ventures into the world of temptation,
compassion, and unrequited love. The humor is sharp and witty, the
characters speak not with words but with long, calculated movements, and
the greatest joys are not always found in the greener pastures across the
valley but in your own backyard.
Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is no stranger to making odd and wonderful
films (with fellow co-director Marc Caro), such as the delectable
Delicatessen and the inventive The City of Lost Children. Back in 1997,
though, Jeunet headed for Hollywood, directing the abysmal Alien -
Ressurection. Rest assured that Amelie
proves Jeunet is back on top. Jeunet’s
camera work veers between the sudden urgency of a caffeine-induced fit to
the lackadaisical wanderings of a lost child. The CGI effects bring to
life the animated characters of Amelie’s mind and emotional states.
But the real find of the film is without question Audrey Tautou. Her
bright, wide eyes, full of perception and passion, drive the intoxicating
allure of the film. In numerous subtle glances, Tautou convinces us of the
planes she inhabits -- the imaginary and the physical.
Amelie
stands as a testament that film, as an art form, can
deliver both entertainment and enlightenment to the masses. Jeunet’s
simple story of an innocent girl with a big imagination whose only wish is
to be loved is as powerful as they come. Highly recommended.
The
Amelie DVD is a fantastic two disc
set, full of extras that the film's legion of fans will eat right up (no
pun intended). Highlights include Tautou's screen test, a "making of
Amelie" short which actually focuses on the making of Tautou's
hairstyle, a few outtakes/goofs, dozens of trailers and TV spots, and
countless interviews. A few other highlights show the making of all the
little sub-stories in the film, from the gnome's worldwide adventures to
the 15 orgasms to the countless photo booth pictures. Highly recommended.
May 2003 - REMIXED ANTIWAR POSTERS
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