Media

No comment.

The situation in Georgia is a nightmare. I haven’t kept up with the region for a long time but here’s what I recall, which may not be entirely correct (this is aided by some notes I took): South Ossetia was originally colonised by Ossetians from across the caucus in the 17th/18th Century. The Imperialist Russians first invaded Georgia in 1801 but didn’t really conquer it until 1864. Because of fights with the Turks. With all of the stuff that went down in 1918 Georgia briefly achieved independence until 1921 when the Bolsheviks regained control. They made Abkhazia and Adjaria autonomous republics. South Ossetia was an oblast – which is different.

In 1988 the Ossetian Popular Front got annoyed that the Georgian Government intended Georgian to be the only official language. Some may say rightly, given about a third of Georgia is not ethnic Georgian, and multiple languages were in use. The OPF wanted South Ossetia to merge with the distinctly Russian North Ossetia, and in 1989~1990 declared an independent Soviet Republic. At which point the Georgian government stripped South Ossetia of its autonomy. The shit hit the fan – by which I mean violence – the Russians sent in troops and thanks to Yeltsin and Shevardnadze in 1992 both sides established peacekeeping forces.

Georgia is important to the West disproportionately to its size. Why? Central Asia. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, and Turkmenistan have vast oil, gas, and mineral resources. Without a long detour, or reliance on Russia, Georgia is an extremely important strategic point. Georgia cannot win against Russia. The attack on South Ossetia was like kicking a bear up the arse. Why they did it is difficult to fathom. I don’t see that it serves anyone’s purposes. Both Russia and the US/UK have hundreds of ‘military trainers’ (often drawn from elite units – who train/advise/arm), there is a huge vested interest in having Georgia in NATO (incedently you can’t join NATO if your country has outstanding border disputes), and as a result this could be the first Cold War style proxy war of the 21st Century.

Both sides are right, both sides have legitimate claims on South Ossetia, and as a result, nothing good can come of this. A good compromise leaves both sides unhappy, and that isn’t going to happen. It’s like a flashback to the early 20th Century. Not good. One hopes world leaders are sane, but evidence suggests otherwise. Hopefully it won’t spread.

FFS x 10.

Fiery Furnaces and The Ting Tings and Wild Beasts and Interperse.

The Bastard Fairies and Cake and Citay and Hardfloor.

It’s a sign of the fall of the West when people have time to sit in their underpants, and watch Fraggle Rock. The Wikipedia page is interesting and worth a read. Some Wikipedians know a great deal about Fraggle Rock. I find that amusing. Despite having read the page and remembered quite a bit.  Watch a whole episode here (p1, p2, p3).

That show used to give me nightmares.

The video of the interview with ex-Scientologist and actor Jason Beghe is on the tubes. I’m finding it quite difficult to follow because a lot of the jargon is unfamiliar to me. But this segment is worth watching because by the end it has more occurences of the word fuck per minute than a Tarantino movie. It’s fascinating from the perspective of an insight into Scientology (albeit from a apostate’s perspective – but he’s still a primary source). I quite like Jason Beghe, and sort of recognise him from some US television shows, he’s a bit like Frank Costanza (example) but nicer and with more fucks. See here for the background to it.

The Whitest Kids U Know need to be shown on BBC-3, Channel 4 or E4.  Pronto:

Tar Toast part 1 and part 2.

See also some very black humour here.

would mean that I would wake up earlier on Sundays.*

Following link.

* Realistically speaking, being honest with myself, I misspoke when I typed that.  I’d almost certainly record it on Sky Plus or download it.   Or watch the repeat.

“What you doing mate?”  “A nature walk”

Never before has the mechanical action of the human heart been made to sound so wanky. Lol. Watch Hard ‘N Phirm here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/lifestylenutritionists

It’s a fascinating history of lifestyle nutritionists – including funny fads that your great-great grandparents and grandparents may have known about.

You can comment to the host directly, not indirectly through forums or staff, but at his blog here.

Eating hoops is the “most disgusting thing I’ve ever done for my boyfriend”.

See also: Farm of Fussy Eaters.

More here.

The way of the road.

An excellent documentary about Richard Feynman.

I have nicked this link from Ben Goldacre’s Bad Science blog.

Sartre. (Backup link)

The Junkies. (DQ)

RB Videos from LA.

Heh. Russell Brand can sing, a bit, contrary to conventional wisdom. Shame about the fan vid. It’s like watching a peacock fidget around shrubbery. Hopefully someone will rip the scene from a pirated DVD screener. See also this Trey Parker/Alfred Packer classic, along similar lines.

The new BBC drama/black comedy Being Human is about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost. It could have been really shit. I think it was pretty good. There were a few rough edges but that’s expected of a first episode. I was shocked that it had quality writing because BBC 3 gave us Two Pints of Lager and A Packet of Crisps. Which is right down there with the Vicar of Dibley. If you’re in the UK and you want some entertainment go here, to the BBC’s YouTube like service they rushed out when they realised they’d fucked up with the Kontiki/Microsoft DRM client (BBC: work on Dirac more, produce DVDs worth buying for the extras, and drop the DRM. With decent extras they will still sell.):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b0090xff.shtml

If you’re not in the UK go find it on a tracker site. Buy the DVD (which won’t play unless you’ve got a multi-region DVD player) when it comes out, if you feel guilty. Which you shouldn’t. British License Fee payers have already paid for the episode. I’m a British License Fee payer and I don’t give a flying fuck.

A prediction, like Nostradamus, but not taking the piss in code: Being Human is likely to be bought as a concept for American television, or a me-too version. I reckon.

Very clever and an important message about belief.

Fox News Is Shit.  From LNN.

Some things are tasteful. The best lyrics of any song in the last few years that I can think-of off-hand, and I’m at a reasonably befuddled point of a Friday night, is Chris Michaels by The Fiery Furnaces. Today, between 5am and 6am, there is rumoured to be a mock special forces snatch raid, by former special forces soldiers, staged on the Big Brother House (see The Sun’s exclusive). Presumably for the Big Brother Celebrity Hijack show broadcast Sunday or Monday night. To kidnap and interrogate some of the contestants. With the cooperation of the programme makers. Too much realism would be a very bad thing indeed because it’s the sort of thing that unhinges some people. Being jumped by three or four tough guys, handled rough, tied up, and tossed in a transit van, can be quite jarring of a morning. I presume the contestants have been screened for obvious psychological problems. If they’re made to wear orange jumpsuits I will lol. I probably shouldn’t.

RAVING MAD? pt 1/3 Central Weekend Live 1993

Bloods and Crips history.

Imagine a world before science: a world of the supernatural - hunches dictating belief, of sun blotting fallacy.  For some seriously lolworthy quackery and pseudoscience watch hGosthunters in Ireland. 

Human all too human (Heidegger).  A cunt.  There are clever cunts don’t ya know.

Thought for the day

There is nothing vile about vagina.  Cunt is a deeply misogynistic word.  However it does have emotional impact.  If anyone has words with similar impact/utility that are less misogynistic please email me, I will use it instead.  I feel a bit of a cunt using it.

The Whitest Kids U Know.