The jaywalking of sex crimes

[alexsarll]

The shade of a willow and delicious CCPs provided a welcome escape from Thursday's heat; I resisted attempts to get me climbing said willow because I had no desire to be barred from what is quite possibly my favourite London pub. These drinks to mark rentaghost31's London stopover were about as social as my weekend got; there was a small gathering at ksta's suburban manse on Saturday (complete with a jam session which, astoundingly, was actually fun for spectators too) but otherwise I was pretty much left to my own devices.

On Friday I attended the Antony & the Johnsons concert; when it comes to gay church music, he is the Jesus to the Hidden Cameras' John the Baptist. There's an almost bathetic sadness to *watching* him sing those songs, though, poor sod. He doesn't play his best song, 'Fistful of Love', but I'm still surprised at the couple who brought their small children to this. The songs are sublime, albeit perhaps more so when eyes are closed; still, there's a size to the sound which I don't think you can catch on CD. And the experience of being surrounded by an omnipresent audience humming with which Antony then duets is most novel.
Emmy-Kate Montrose
at Antony; but sod that
so is Marc Almond

On Sunday I went to see the giant desk. As you crest Hampstead Heath, it's amazing; in a gallery this would mean nothing, but out here it is Art. Closer in, it's too obvious that it's made of metal, that it's anchored, that it hasn't just been left here by a titan. Ah well.

Old School isn't quite on a par with the other films by the Ferrell/Stiller/Wilson/Vaughn/That Lot mob. It's too tied to convention, too busy having a plot. There are too many scenes advancing a straight romcom arc for Luke Wilson's character, and in many of these, shamefully, nothing funny happens. Still, hung around this is plenty that's much more like it - in particular, any scene featuring Will Ferrell. Even when the script's not funny, his face is.

Tristram Shandy was one of the first novels, and yet it pulled all manner of narrative tricks whose pale modern emulations still win prizes and plaudits for their novelty and radicalism. Filming it oughtn't to work. Unless you film it like this, with these people involved, in which case I don't think it can fail.

Finally registering with a London GP, I see a poster in the waiting room declaring "Employment improves mental health". Really? Because I've just started the Idler's new issue, 'War on Work', and they quote a Samaritans survey which declares work the single biggest cause of stress. And a British Social Attitudes report which concludes that 60% of British workers are unhappy with their jobs. Unhappiness and stress improve mental health, do they?

Comments

[capitalflash.livejournal.com]

are you looking forward to the wedding crashers? i want to see old school for completion's sake.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The Wedding Crashers trailer I saw looked more like a film that had them in it than one of their films, if that makes any sense. As such I'll probably watch it sooner or later, but I'm probably not going to go see it at the cinema.

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

...I had no desire to be barred from what is quite possibly my favourite London pub.

It is a lovely place, isn't it? And quite local for me too. I just hope they'll let me back in!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Why, did they seem to object on Thursday?

Good icon, btw.

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure, I wasn't really noticing. They did say goodbye to us when we left though.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Unless it's followed by 'And don't come back!', that usually means they like you.

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

I think they were possibly amused by my drunkeness really!

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

I reckon they could have charged for viewings! ;P

[hospitalsoup.livejournal.com]

Ah, that Employment Improves Mental Health thing is a research project they're doing - I applied to work for it in Haringey, in fact. Bear in mind that our cluster of friends probably has a lot more spare mental capacity and expectations/social aspirions than the national average, before you diss it completely, mind. There are plenty of people for whom regular work is a huge leap - and their main social opening.

Hmm... Stroud Green Road... are you with Dr Ramnani or Dr Nubi at 157 by any chance?

[hospitalsoup.livejournal.com]

Aspirions? Christ, I shouldn't type before the third cup of coffee.
Aspirations, obviously.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Ramnani, yes. Any dirt on him? He seemed fairly competent and didn't try pushing the steroids, so he is currently the best doctor I've ever had.

I'm aware that our lot aren't exactly the norm, but that's why I quoted national surveys rather than the anecdotal stuff which, in any case, would be implicitly obvious to most of the skiving-off-drudgery readers of this thing.

[hospitalsoup.livejournal.com]

I cannot possibly comment on primary care contractors in a public arena. But you have mail. ;-) Nah, he seems fine. And his wife is lovely.

I do think there is worth in the EIMH thing; it seems aimed at people who wouldn't be working otherwise... Anyway, I know I'd go nuts if I didn't have something structured to do, which always makes me suspicious when people don't work because of 'depression'. Mine gets worse if I'm at a loose end!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

His wife works on reception or something, if I remember the leaflet right.
(though can I just pause to gag at the phrase 'primary care contractors'?)

I'm sure there are people for whom work helps keep them stable. However, given they're often the ones suffering from the Protestant Work Ethic, I think it would be truer to say 'Work alleviates the symptoms of those afflicted by a certain specific form of mental illness'.

[hospitalsoup.livejournal.com]

Yup, she's called Suzie, and she has a great accent.

The red-tape-ese was deliberate. ;-)

Hmm, I guess I am a chronic sufferer from the PWE (enough to have had it as an LJ interest for ages) but still. Everyone else is wrong, I tell you.

Everyone else is wrong, I tell you.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

That's my line!

Re: Everyone else is wrong, I tell you.

[hospitalsoup.livejournal.com]

Jinxed!

I guess suffering from the PWE is better than suffering from PWEI. THat would just be weird.

Re: Everyone else is wrong, I tell you.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Oi, I quite like PWEI! Sooner or later 'Everything's Cool' is likely to make an appearance at LYE.

Re: Everyone else is wrong, I tell you.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Not now James, we're busy.

Re: Everyone else is wrong, I tell you.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Kat, you seem to have gone a bit random. Have you had any sleep yet?

Re: Everyone else is wrong, I tell you.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I slept a bit on the train. Apart from that, plus the entire of The Life Aquatic in a field last night, No. And I had 2 hours sleep the night before. Approx 15 hours sleep over the last five days.

Re: Everyone else is wrong, I tell you.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

And plenty of booze, I'm guessing?

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

willow trees are ace.

and also
I got back to discover one of our employees is off on work related stress, so I agree with you now.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The world often contrives to prove me right - it's just a shame how many people have to suffer in the process.

[puzzled-anwen.livejournal.com]

Well, it's complicated, innit? But work forces you not to just sit in the house all day feeling sorry for yourself (you get to go out and feel sorry for yourself) and it may encourage you to take more care of your appearance and that, which can drag you up a bit. Plus it can make you feel a bit more self esteemy, and take your mind off things a bit.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The main thing that got me down during my year as dole scum was the lack of funds. Having all that time to myself, that was golden.

[puzzled-anwen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but it depends on the person/situation/mental health problem. Mind you, I was out of work nearly five years, at least three of which I was looking for work to a varying degree.

[jamesward.livejournal.com]

Most people are not you Bazza, most people are not you.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

But judging by the above-quoted statistics, nor am I entirely anomalous.

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree. It was depressing applying for jobs and not passing interviews many times, but the actual time Spent on the dole on a day to day basis was quite fantastic.

I guess it's not much fun if you aren't interested in sleeping/reading/listening to music/playing playstation/watching films/general flanerie and such like. But I am.

[ex-dumbgenius.livejournal.com]

Aye, I know a lot of people whose mental health is much improved by employment.

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

OI! where were you on Thursday?

[ex-dumbgenius.livejournal.com]

Ahh man! I meant to leave you a wee note. Sorry!
I had relatives visiting to go to Wimbledon on Friday, and was forced to suffer* a meal with them on Thursday night.

*actually, as relatives go, they are alright.

I feel bad to miss you again, bah!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Man.

I'm tired.

Glasto were ace, though.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Is this in the 'we nearly died and all our possessions were washed away, but endorphins and Dunkirk spirit carried us through' sense of the word?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

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<a href"http://the.earth.li/~jon/lj/damp.png">Our field</a>.

We were a bit further up the hill, but in a little dip so a river was running RIGHT past the entrance to my tent. Oh dear.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Oh WHATEVER I'm clearly too hippy for HTML.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

YOU'VE FLOODED THE INTERNET!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Either that's the same picture that was in the papers, or one flooded campsite looks much the same as another...

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I nicked it off of doop. I haven't been reading the papers. But yes, we were in the worst-hit field, that had the lake at the bottom. Curse Pennard Hill and its poor drainage! Out of FEAR OF WATERLOGGED SLEEPING BAG myself, TM, Bec and Robin carried our tent by its corners right up the top of the hill where bengraham was more sensibly camped, and stayed there.

[stealthmunchkin.livejournal.com]

If I could live like I did on the dole, but with enough money to keep holly_lama over here and not have to worry about baillifs and other assorted scum, nothing would make me happier than to never have to work again.

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

he is the Jesus to the Hidden Cameras' John the Baptist

Not being familiar with the new Testament and all that gubbins, is this a good or a bad thing?

Personally I am always more likely to want to listen to THC than Tony and the Js.

I keep meaning to buy The Idler but never see it anywhere. Do they sell it in Borders. I picked up two Jerome K Jerome books in one compendium at a charity shop the other week, which will go on the bookshelf of books that look good but I'll probably never read.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

John was mistaken for the Messiah but told his followers that he came only to prepare the way...similarly, while I like the idea of THC, I don't think that many of the songs actually stand up - when I saw them live and they didn't play 'Ban Marriage', I felt cheated. Antony didn't play 'Fistful of Love', and I didn't really mind.

The Idler should have better distribution on this issue, apparently. I'm fairly sure Borders stocked it already, though whether with Humour or the magazines, I don't know.

"get a job you lazy spungers"

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that would seem the likely subtext - not that it only applies to mental illness, cf all those faintly sinister efforts to get people off disability benefit and into 'gainful employment'.

That being skint and trapped hinders mental health, I can certainly buy. That some people don't know how to entertain themselves when left to their own devices because they've only ever been trained to work rather than educated to live, I also find depressingly plausible.
But neither of these is quite what they're saying on that poster.

[dr-deadmeat.livejournal.com]

There's still something I don't *get* about Anthony. Sweet voice etc, but the only song that's moved me on the album is 'I Hope There's Someone'. I saw him support Cocorosie last year, I've listened to the album a lot, and I just can't get past his mannered style and the lyrics that border on the crassly prosaic. Yes we know you want to be a pretty lady, get over it... his track on the Cocorosie album is so much better because it's genuinely poetic and *weird* (it's funkier than anything of his own too).