I Say Thee Nay.

[alexsarll]

Went to the al Quds day counter-demonstration* yesterday; I don't think I've been on a demo since the anti-tuition fees one a decade back, so now part of me's just hoping the state of Israel will last slightly longer than free education did. There wasn't any visible opposition on the fees march, so being scant feet from the enemy was a new experience on me - in a really unsettling way it was an exhilarating experience, a little the same as the way I felt at and after my first gig. I understand now why people get hooked on demonstrating; there's something addictive about being loudly and communally active in defence of the cause of righteousness. Except of course that the other side were visibly getting exactly the same buzz...
Which is not to say that I don't think we did good, or that I don't think we're in the right; see a hundred previous posts as regards rejecting the paralysis of misapplied relativism. I'm proud to have made a stand; I'm glad to have been part of something that made the news on another continent. But I am also reminded of the seductive power of fervent belief in one's cause, and reminded (if only by the pro-Ahmadinejad march's numbers versus ours) that for now the monotheists can still muster a lot more of that than the liberals.
(The pub to which we repaired afterwards had a whiteboard informing prospective punters of the latest birthdate which would make them eligible to buy alcohol. If the youth of today don't even have to memorise false birthdates to get served anymore, no wonder if standards in maths are slipping)

Several TV debuts for which I had high hopes disappointed last week. The Tudors sees Showtime apparently seeking to cement their reputation as the poor man's HBO by making the Lidl Rome. Vivienne Vyle makes those of us who remember Jennifer Saunders being really funny even more doubtful of our memories, following as it does the Office mistake of assuming that accuracy will necessary entail comedy or truth. Peter Serafinowicz's sketch show was considerably patchier than I'd hoped. Even The Sarah Jane Adventures snuck its first episode under my radar, and then amazed me when I caught the second by having somehow made the Slitheen even more rubbish than they were in Doctor Who. Compared to which shower, it's not hard to forgive the continuing imperfections in Heroes. Yes, some of the characters are still intensely annoying - Peter in particular defies all reason by being even more irksome sans fringe and memories. And though we might mercifully have mislaid Niki/Jessica, instead we get new heroine Maya and her astonishing power of DEATH BY EMO. Meanwhile, Nathan appears to have developed a secondary mutation - a beard which I suspect is going to team up with Mr Muggles for its own spin-off, Hairoes.
Against which...generational conspiracies. A mysterious killer. The Legacy Virus. Molly being ace in a manner child actors seldom manage. Mohinder and Parkman going two episodes without doing anything intensely annoying, which I think has to be a record for either of them, let alone both. Mr Bennett Butler appears to have turned into some sort of local Jack Bauer. And Hiro, as ever, rocks. Particularly now he's paired with Kensei, who is basically Chaucer as portrayed by Paul Bettany in A Knight's Tale, crossed with Flashman.
I do have one objection, though. I realise this is science fiction, but that's no excuse to abandon all pretence of plausibility. Evolution being taught as fact in a smalltown Texas high school? As if.

Had far too many options for Saturday night; at least two of them were guaranteed to play Girls Aloud, but Poptimism also offered Betty Boo, Led Zep's 'Immigrant Song' and PWEI, so I think I made the right call. Among the weekend's main home listening was the debut single from Evelyn Evelyn. I had totally fallen for the advance publicity, in which the great Jason Webley and Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer claimed to be co-producing a record by conjoined twins; it helped that I had seen conjoined twin singers on Armand Marie Leroi's Human Mutants, and couldn't remember their name. But here the twins are a ruse and the record simply a collaboration - and a very good one, albeit perhaps a little more slight than one might expect from Webley & Palmer.

A handy reminder of what the so-called 'pro-lifers' actually want - at least 82 women dead in a year, and 11-year old rape victims forced to bear children. The local Catholic church are as happy as, well, as happy as paedos guaranteed a constant supply of fresh meat; Pope Sidious is blithely certain there'll be no real problems. Note also that this measure was implemented by eighties radical icons the Sandinistas. Thank heavens the default Left never supports such monsters these days, eh?

*This is, and is likely to remain, the only time any gathering of which I am part has been described as "a who's who of the sensible Left".

Comments

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

at least two of them were guaranteed to play Girls Aloud

Which two? Because I danced to Girls Aloud at Stay Beautiful!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

SB I knew would have 'Biology' because it was the watering can song; Poptimism I knew would have Girls Aloud just because it's Poptimism, but as it turned out they played 'Biology' too, *and* 'Sexy No No No'.

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

basically yey for girls aloud. my computer is being a total gay so i am only half way through heroes 2. i hope maya makes herself die.

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

also, is it just me or have they just gone, ah to hell with sensible science, lets just have STUFF HAPPEN!!?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I think we passed that point...ooh, about the first time Niki had an argument with her reflection?

Yeah, Maya...you'll be frustrated by how close you come to getting your wish, I think. I know I was.

Also you did not dance to nu Girls Aloud!

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

Because I do not no nu fangled musics. I am old and decrepid. OH NOES! :(

Yeah Niki isn't very biologically sound is she bless her...

I want to set mohinder on fire.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

But he hasn't done anything stupid yet this series! Give him a chance!

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

can't i just set his hair on fire? all ppl should have hair on fire, like the mans what does SFA covers. All his little men have fire hed.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Mohinder finally develops some superpowers of his own after Pippa sets his hair on fire, yesterday

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! :D

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

for now the monotheists can still muster a lot more of that than the liberals.

I suspect it's easier to get fighters for your cause the more extreme the cause is. If yesterday's counter-demo was a "nuke Iran" one, you prolly would have got a lot more attendees. Anyway, you should have raked the Al Quds lot with a mini-gun.

Still, good on you for going. (I would have attended, but, you know, I've a busy schedule running the world's media, finances etc.)

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It has to be said, when faced with the noise of the other side, our more nuanced chants did eventually degenerate into "fascist scum". But still, we had a counterdemo which hadn't been there the year before, while their numbers had declined. Which could almost make me believe in progress again.

We'll pimp it more intensively next year, I think. Let the media run itself for an afternoon!

[missfrost.livejournal.com]

I once got asked my age in a pub when I was around 13 (having already sat down with my drink) and just snapped off a quick date. I have no idea if it was legitimate sounding but saying it quickly with just the right amount of being offended seemed to be fine.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Point - this could as easily have been for the benefit of the slower bar staff as for young scammers, though if so they might want to relocate it.

So speaking of such things, are you going for a celebratory pint or not? I couldn't quite follow the plot of your post.

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

I think the main plot was WOO HOO! also STEAK.

COuld be wrong though...

[missfrost.livejournal.com]

There may be pints. Are you up for one? We could start the ball rolling if you're free?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I have no other commitments for the evening. Could be in appropriate pub for, ooh, half eight?

[missfrost.livejournal.com]

Queens? Or Noble? Actually I'll say Noble. See you soon!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Noble it is, then - see you shortly.

[exmoor-cat.livejournal.com]

Another reminder why I left the catholic church

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Also, everyone knows that lapsed Catholics have the most fun.

[exmoor-cat.livejournal.com]

:) indeed

[publicansdecoy.livejournal.com]

I think the other side just thought we were racist scum.

-x-

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Zionist scum, surely? And filthy Western decadents, of course (I'm pretty sure I saw a couple of gestures related to the length of your hair). I think that generally, it's more the fellow travellers and useful idiots who genuinely believe that islamophobia equals racism; for the true believers, that argument's more just a useful screen for turning the hated West's defences against itself.