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Ack! [Dec. 28th, 2007|10:45 pm]
Flashback!

[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom[info]smashboredom

Flash forward! Add my new 2008 journal! Bye!
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You boycott your brain, you answer with fists. [Dec. 15th, 2007|04:00 am]
[Current Music |Propagandhi - Head? Chest? Or Foot?]

WE'RE DOOMED FUCKING DOOMED FUCKING DOOMED FUCKING DOOMED FUCKING DOOMED

Yeah I just updated, so what. There's good chance I wont actually get to update much during the last two weeks of this journals life, but we'll see what I can do.

I woke up in Levenshulme this morning, and had absolutely no choice but to get the bus back into town. The level of disgusting, racially charged poverty in this city is not helped by the winter grim demon. Over here in Cheshire, my comfortable so-called voluntary poverty looks like a sick joke after seeing a blind Asian girl stumble around a crowded bus. And people say there's no point trying to improve the buses because scum will make them unbearable again in no time. I was at Em's house, having slept rather well on an airbed. I don't hold it against her for sacking me, which I suppose is what happened. I wish I had had more notice, so that I could get people along who always promised to come, but in the end it was the usual crowd, barely. I might ask Tony if he wants me to try doing some punk and ska for his night.

I never used to be able to understand why people didn't always fill in the "music" field on here. It's because you can't show how cool you are when you listen to the same few bands over and over again, can you? Hey, how brilliant is Livejournal? Let's big up Livejournal.

Confession time! I truly believe all the things I say about working less, buying less, living more. But I like having money in order to escape money, like all the people who want to win the lottery so they dont need to work. I have a small (subjective) stash of money that I don't like to see deplete as it makes me feel more secure. I'm not really living on the brink (not that I would purposefully put myself there) but I wonder if when I get some big expenses and get down to the red, I'll be able to hack it. I try not to spend much at all even now, but I know I remain in a relatively privelidged minority. I found a quid on the floor of the pub tonight though. I should be reassured of my survival skills by the fact that I was actually looking on the floor for loose change.

I would rather like my new journal to have some kind of design that gave it small entry boxes, but I can't do that shit.

A story from a while ago that I want to document. Last month I stayed at Adams home after going out to a club. Drunkenly, I ate some rosemary in their kitchen. They are quite an ethical couple, vegan and vegetarian, all the rest. But this rosemary was just about the most unethical food product there is.

It was Tesco. Okay. Even I eat Tesco bread, because they use it as a loss leader.
It was air freighted, and said so explicitly.
Air freighted...
...from the West Bank.

Edit: When I said I had absolutely no choice but to take the bus, I meant that I would rather walk as that of course is free (tying those parts of my entry together), not that I wouldnt want to ride the scummy bus. But I had no idea how to get from where I was to somewhere I knew.
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While they are pissing around in Bali and (thank FUCK LJ saved this entry, my browser closed). [Dec. 15th, 2007|01:44 am]
[Tags|]
[Current Mood |sleepysleepy]

I've had a few things to post in this journal for a while that people have kindly allowed me to steal. Here's one from [info]sentienthing called Climate change and public health, from a medical magazine, which argues, like I have done, that doctors and nurses should be more into the environment. Isn't it better to prevent injury and illness than deal with it later? Surely they are taught that? I want to print this and take it to local hospitals. The medicine companies, that I can understand, but not people who have devoted themselves to helping people live. Also, see the link to see me arguing with a climate change denier! Quite well too I think.
What is the correlation between this and medicine however, you may be asking? The answer is that climate change cannot be separated from its public health implications. People are already suffering from its effects and the future impact has been predicted to include changing food production worldwide and associated malnutrition; an increase in tropical diseases and waterborne illnesses and a generally increased worldwide burden of illness. We in the UK will also be unable to escape the effects and it will be our generation of medical students that will have to treat those affected.
It was my last time DJing at Bomb Ibiza last night. I did it for over 3 years and it got more fun as it went on, rather than less. Here's my last setlist:

11:20 - 12:00

The Filaments - The Farse
4ft Fingers - Hopeless Romantic
The Code - 40 hour week (thanks [info]roach_!)
Smoke Like A Fish - Alright Jack
The Specials - Free Nelson Mandela
Ye Wiles - In Appreciation of Zoltan Kanoly
Rancid - 1998
Link 80 - For The Crown
Sublime - The Ballad of Johnny Butt
Operation Ivy - Yellin' In My Ear
Capdown - Faith No More (live)
Mouthwash - We Evolve
Propagandhi - Ska Sucks (immediately after which the music stopped and Em auctioned off the right to shave off Mikey Wongs quiff for charity)

1:50 - 2:25

Lightyear - Blindside
Leftover Crack - Crack City Rockers
Streetlight Manifesto - The Receiving End Of It All
King Prawn - Day In, Day Out
Duff Muffin - Pipe Down
[spunge] - Kicking Pigeons 2001
Less Than Jake - All My Best Friends Are Metalheads
Adequate 7 - Gotta Stay Focused
No Comply - Silencio
Capdown - Headstrong
Sublime - Santeria

What was the last song of the night, that Em played after announcing it was my last night and saying thank you?
Mariah Carey.
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LA [Dec. 7th, 2007|01:21 am]
I threw some more money into the pockets of Richard Branson and bought train tickets to London tomorrow (only £39 for a return, I suppose I should be thankful). I think I am just about ready to bear the capital again and just about ready to venture outside again, after being horribly ill for over a week. I was originally going to go on the purpose-coach for the Global Climate Demonstrations, but it emerged I'd be going alone so I decided to go for the whole weekend and spend some more time with Southerners. Somehow, all 6 of us have just about managed to organise our way to a venue that none of us have ever been too to see the gig on the side here, featuring a Johnny Cash sounding act and circus, for a peace charity. Then on Saturday after the march (with George Monbiot) some of us might be seeing Mark Thomas, the activist comedian who has taken on the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (no demonstrating outside partliament!) and the arms trade. Then home on Sunday.

I'm going to watch King of the Hill in a minute, for the simple reason that it's on before a film I want to watch at 2am (Charge of the Light Brigade).

I've made a new journal. The name reflects my odd realisation that the struggle for freedom within our own lives (and it is a struggle!) is just as important as the global issues. Again I want to recommend How to be Free by Tom Hodgkinson to everyone (thank you [info]harlicat!)

[info]smashboredom
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"Careers are a 20th century invention, Mr Franz. And I don't want one." - the great Into The Wild. [Nov. 18th, 2007|06:12 am]
[Current Music |Mos Def - Perfect Timing]

Short version? Another job has been vanquished!

Brought over from Facebook:

There's been a few topics on which I thought about writing my first note: Microsoft and Google battling to buy Facebook and pollute our eyes with internet banners; wondering why otherwise intelligent and caring people add to the misery and racism Gypsies and Travellers get from government policy; and others. But I always left it too long after feeling inspired. Well here's a fitting first one: the amusing story of how I, once again, got sacked (it's posible and likely that next year I will enter double figures for the number of jobs I've had).

It was for a few reasons apparently - being late, other people not wanting to work with me because I don't work hard enough (I can't imagine multiple people complaining about that. I may slack but I make a conscious effort not to hurt my co-workers. Anyway, fuck whoever is the source of that rot), and because the manager found me saying bad things about him on Facebook, which I suspect to be the overriding real reason. That's right! You think it can't happen to you, but it can. If you are one of the 30 - 40% of the population who like their job.. well I suppose you won't be complaining on here about it, so there's no risk. I don't know what exactly he read, as it will have been at least some weeks ago and I am drawing a blank, but apparently I called him a wanker and a bastard and said I was leaving soon. Which is true. I was going to give them a weeks notice tonight (I am polite). I did not need to bother. So that was nice.

I'm not even sure of the legality of letting someone go because they called you a name, and not to your face no less. Even the best employer (which this bloke was certainly not) should know their employees are going to occasionally slag them off. He said it was because it was "where other people could see it," too. Well evidently, since he was snooping enough to find it. As if it has any bearing on the amount of custom they get, or him doing his job, or that the average patron of that pub would have a clue what Facebook was. Besides all that, if someone who works for you is calling you a wanker, perhaps you should be asking why? What am I doing wrong? Oh and why have we had to hire an almost entirely new workforce in the last two months? Perhaps don't blame the person and make a snap decision based on personal power. Utter lack of respect is why I was planning to quit. They can't even show you enough respect to get your wages right. He said I should have come to him if I had a problem, not written about him on the internet. Well 1) Why can't I do both? Why can't I say what I want to my friends, regardless of the medium? 2) I did do both. I asked countles times to get my wages, politely. Roy told me to bother you and you told me to bother Trish - the only one of that trifecta that seemed to have a clue about how to treat employees. It's totally unorganised bullshit, and I still never got all the hours I was owed. Also Roy had a huge go at me a few weeks ago, uncalled for and disrespectful, for which he never apologised and Andy never stuck up for me about. In fact Andy never showed much politeness or gratitude at all.

So I got my wages and left (it would be interesting to know if he got another person in to fill my shift, or if he just screwed his other employees by sending me home early on a busy night because he was power tripping). I decided to go to As Nature Intended since I was in the area, and have wanted some things for a while. I didn't have my canvas bag with me, so I started thrifty living right there and reclaimed a plastic bag (a clean one) from a bin. It had unopened (and organic!) food in it, some of which was vegan or near. I am quite sure they don't see many skippers in Hale on a Saturday evening. But the bag wasn't strong enough for what I got, so I grabbed a couple out of a council recycling bin (they'll find their way back to recycling, don't worry). The plastic bag bin was the only one not padlocked, thankfully.

So this is probably the least upsetting sacking I've ever gotten, although as I write this I do wonder if I even said what he accuses me of. It felt good though, like that feeling when you got the day off school. I got to spend the evening doing more important things, like talking to my girlfriend, eating a gorgeous falafal and hummus wrap and having an impromptu nap. Employment Sucks. To know I wouldnt have gotten home until 1:30am only made it better.

I don't know how this notes thing works on here, but I realise the manager might find it. If so, I don't care. If you can see this Andy, all I have to say is that the 4 hours I am owed for Wednesday better be there next week. If you all try to screw me I will bring the law in. I'm a social activist and I know my rights, one of which, astonishingly, is being paid for the hours I've worked.

Thanks for reading, this got kind of lengthy. I didn't know who to tag, just people I have worked with before or who I thought might be amused. If you think someone else might be amused, feel free to direct them over.

James.

--

And since you LJ types are more hardened to my longer entries, you can have a bit more info. Mos Def was bloody fantastic. I'm working on a review of the night. I think after Christmas I will see if I can get a job in a bookshop, even if its a dirty corporate one, as that sounds like it might be okay. Especially since I am reading more than I watch films now. 2 months of proper freedom, woohoo! And I am really sorry that I have written about this sort of thing so many times before.
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(no subject) [Nov. 16th, 2007|08:23 pm]
[Current Music |Mos Def - The Beggar]

A week late. Last night was the excellent but sadly underpopulated Middle Finger Response.

12:30 - 12:55

Sonic Boom 6 - People Ack Like They Don't Know
Tiger Army - Power of Moonlight
The Toasters - Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down
Random Hand - Scum Triumphant
Smoke Like A Fish - Freezing in the Desert Sun
Lightyear - Nuff Cuts
The Filaments - Dub
Against Me! - Sink, Florida, Sink

1:35 - 1:55

The Filaments - Trevor
The King Blues - Track 6 (no idea what it's called)
Rancid - Ruby Soho
Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies
Lightyear - Shatners Bassoon
Operation Ivy - Freeze Up
King Prawn - Smoke Some Shit
Goldfinger - Answers

2:20 - 2:35
Sonic Boom Six - uh, my writing is illegible. Danger danger?
No Comply - Your Life (is Your Direction)
Capdown - Cousin Cleotis
Random Hand - Anthropology

Since I am seeing the amazing Mos Def tonight (in a venue under a train station) I would like to post this passage from the start of his first album Black on Both Sides. Be sure to see outside the hip-hop box he is talking about.
21st century coming, 20th century almost done. A lot of things have changed. A lot of things have not. Mainly us. We gonna get it together right? I believe that. Listen, people be asking me all the time, "Yo Mos, what's going to be happening with hip-hop?" I tell them you know whats happening with hip-hop; whatever's happening with us. If we smoke out hip-hop's going to be smoked out, if we're doing alright hip-hop's going to be doing alright. People talk about hip-hop like it's some giant living in the hillside - coming down to visit the towns people. We are hip-hop. Me, you, everybody, we are hip-hop, so hip-hop is going where we going. So next time you ask yourself where hip-hop's going, ask yourself, "Where am I going? How am I doing?" So you get a clear idea. So, if hip-hop is about the people, and hip-hop won't get better until the people get better, then how do people get better? Well, in my understanding, people get better when they start to understand that they are valuable, and they're not valuable because they got a whole lot of money, or because somebody think they sexy but they valuable because they been created by God. And God makes you valuable, and whether or not you recognise that value is one thing. You got a lot of societies and governments trying to be God wishing that they were God. They want to create satellites and cameras everywhere, make you think they got the all seeing eye. [something I can't make out, a quote about paranoia] I don't get phased out by none of that, none of the helicopters, the TV screens, the newscasters, the satellite dishes. They just wishin' - they can't ever really do that. When they tell me to fear their law, when they tell me to try to have some threat in my heart behind the things that they do, this is what I think in my mind, and this is what I say to them, and this is what I'm saying to you, check it. ("fear not of men because men must die")...
Fuck Christmas Presents!
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"What better way to forget something than to commemorate it?" [Nov. 12th, 2007|12:48 am]
[Current Mood |okayskeptical]
[Current Music |The Circle Jerks - Paid Vacation]

Do you think it pisses World War veterans off (or in theory since they are getting fewer every year) when subsequent wars are justified using the fight they fought, and the sacrifice they made?

I'm thinking of how Saddam Hussein was "the new Hitler" when it suited us.

And Milosovic. And many others, whether or not the exact quote was made.

Using the fear of Hitler's actual threat to fight imperialist wars against tinpot dictators.

I refuse to buy and wear a poppy because most people who want to support the old vets won't respect their legacy by demanding the end of the fiascos in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The soldiers that are there are not heroes just because their lives have been endangered by government terrorists. They are being killed so we can drive, buy and eat. Oil-based food of course.

If my grandad was alive I would ask him.
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It will be interesting to see how this one transcribes. [Nov. 4th, 2007|11:47 pm]
VoicePost Help
326K 1:37
(no transcription available)
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My ma. [Nov. 4th, 2007|11:17 pm]
[Current Music |4ft Fingers (for the first time in years)]

VoicePost Help
220K 1:07
“Everything is fine. The final hr is fast approaching. I'm not sure if it will be midnight tonight or midnight US time I don't remember how it works but anyway like to hear about them and have all request fulfilled. That old one who asked her hello for my Mum and with probably with the TV and some Al Pachino film was playing the High Mannor Team and it's probably not that interesting and it probably plays some kind of Italian. Anyway here is my Mother. Hi Lawrence it's Jackie. Oh I can't believe I'm talking to you at last. Anyway let me be the first to say Happy Christmas, Happy New Year. Oh I wish I could see your face when you listen to this. Anyway I hope you're keeping very well. Hope your studies are going ok and enjoy ___ that all I can say and look after yourself. I'll pass you over to James now. Bye love. Bye bye. And there you have it there's were my optimism and creativity comes from. You'll never hear from me again. Goodbye.”

Auto-Transcribed Voice Post - spoken through SpinVox

Also Lauren, she says happy birthday for next week.
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Voice Post [Nov. 3rd, 2007|11:38 am]
VoicePost Help
202K 1:00
“Everybody, so here I was stuffing my face with food. I'm still sleeping so very much fall for the day I had which is definitely a hard blow. And as Evanson Hughes told me there is apparently crucial football launch today between Manchester United and Arsenal and I'm at currently that well everybody who braig(?) is about the yahoo vendor somebody from the navies football players and other sport people make can this be literally thinks figures work and people work in pubs and you know but if you say and I've ___ that something like this happened. Alright so I hope this isn't so so much because it's either Manchester and Manchester United but we'd prefer the rugby and national football definitely hundreds and thousands of people specifically just cos the football only not like they would be working normally subsiding them. I mean why the fuck are they bending their wages even at the bar table we're literally working so they can earn thousands for today's work each now that is a test take who agrees. See you later.”

Auto-Transcribed Voice Post - spoken through SpinVox
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