Theatre of the Absurd and the Mainstream

Imagine you woke up one morning and you had turned into some monstrous insect. Your initial reaction might be "wtf?!" but this is what happens to Gregor Samsa, Franz Kafka's protagonist in his famous short story Metamorphosis. (Un)fortunately I am not an expert on his work, but it does give us a framework to try and understand issues which seem beyond comprehension.

In the history of civilization, there have been countless things that we have not understood. But in this age where we have so much confidence in our knowledge and progress, issues that have previously been just innocent myth or left to nature's idiosyncrasies are now branded as bizarre, 'absurd', or 'talk of a fruitbat'. Because we are now the leaders of our own destiny having thrown away the shackles of religion, the state, and ideological doctrine. Michio Kaku, the American physicist and futurist, has looked into the progress of technology - there are dangers of course but he seems quietly optimistic. We will preside over the 21st century transition from the 'Age of Discovery' to the 'Age of Mastery', he argues. From artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics to DNA sequencing and string theory, it is evident that science has and will make further giant steps into the future.

But the human condition must not be neglected. For all the development in philosophy, the 'absolute freedom' that Sartre alluded to is something that many have struggled to truly grasp. But we love this 'dont mess wit me' school of customized philosophy, indeed religion is for 'weak' people who can't think for themselves. It's a shame that consumerism has infiltrated this desire of a one-size-fits-none search for identity and purpose; look into your hand-/man-bag and you might find an iPhone to check MySpace or browse YouTube. So it is this confidence/denial that masks our fear about the ultimate meaningless of life, where God does not exist, and the very nature of existence is questioned.

Recent events reported widely in the media threatens to blow the cover of the seamless simulacrum in which reality is represented today. 24-hour coverage of the showdown between Raoul Moat and police showcases our inherent, perverse curiosity towards a deranged murderer who was visited by none other than Paul Gascoigne, a troubled, recovering alcoholic, ex-footballer. The media circus that followed this event came hot on the heels of the Cumbria shootings, where a taxi driver went on a killing spree - albeit with no obvious motive. As a media-hungry public, we do want to know what the motive was. To not know would be catastrophic.

It is difficult to come to terms with events that are so extra-ordinary. The 'absurd' fascinates us but makes us repeal with confusion, indecision and for the British perhaps, a stiff upper lip. A step into the surreal and the imaginary is institutionalised through a forever-recycling media, and comes part of our daily fabric. We notice and then quickly move on. The 'Green' Revolution in Iran which was given much media attention last year, has barely had a mention in recent months. Politics in Iran is still polemic, explosive, and controversial, but for the rest of us, it just doesn't capture our attention anymore.

So inevitably this is what will happen to the score of Chilean workers stuck in a mine half-a-mile underground. With months to wait until they can hope to see the heavens again, they will be stuck with Hades in the underworld for quite a while. It has been reported that a number of the miners are displaying symptoms of depression - like the protagonists in Beckett's Waiting for Godot or Pinter's The Caretaker who expect something to happen or change, but nothing really does. It is the waiting, not the silence, which is most claustrophobic. The media will pack up, go home, and maybe return when they are finally under blue skies again.

Hades and the Underworld: The Chilean miners' own Theatre of the Absurd

So perhaps in our close relationship with the media, we are imagining and creating our own mainstream Theatre of the Absurd. It could be our way of understanding the "wtf's?!" in our lives.

See relevant links:
BBC: Michio Kaku - Visions of the Future
Kafka's Metamorphosis e-Text
Literary Encyclopaedia - Pinter's The Caretaker
Guardian article on Beckett's Waiting for Godot

Vintage scandals - the music when the lights go out

"Name 5 Beatles singles which did not make No.1 in the U.K."

A typical question in the local pub quiz. Look, I was born in the late 1980's, and sadly my parents are not overgrown hippies. This quiz is just sooo ageist! A lot of hipster/ indie types of the Z generation or whatever teenagers are these days, profess to like the Beatles - "this is proper music unlike the corporate treadmill that is X Factor and all those talent shows with untalented, polished people." But really, I cannot even pretend to like the Beatles - not because I am a twenty-something who cringes at 90's theme club nights but because it is far more interesting to find the soul of a bygone era in a different way.

So for me, it is the Onassis family dynasty and the John Profumo affair which are my personal favourites of 60s music when the lights go out. Both stories are fascinating in their own way - an insight into glamour, tragedy and a spot of intrigue. Let us first consider the colurful life of Aristotle Onassis.

Born of humble means in Greece, Aristotle Onassis became a billionaire - the Rockefeller of his times - as his shipyard business expanded to global dimensions. He was just one of those classic types - just like Flavio Briatore - a slightly overweight, business mastermind who could seduce the most outstanding beauties of their time. But Onassis' conquests seem other-worldly now. First he had arguably the most talented opera singer as his mistress, Maria Callas. Yes, the Maria Callas - famous for her renditions of "Habanera", "Sull'aria", and "O Mio Babbino Caro". But Onassis did not stop there. In fact she was dumped by an even better prize. The jewel in the crown: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy - the former First Lady. Having recovered from the trauma of her husband's assassination, she embarked on a second life filled with freedom, reflection, and beauty. But as with all powerful dynasties, Onassis' death left a considerable trauma on the rest of his family. And since then, the family have struggled to recover, despite their material fortune. Numerous family members were lost to plane crashes and suicide, before Aristotle's only daughter, Christina, died at the age of 38, after four unsuccessful marriages as well as a bitter battle over drugs and depression.

Now the John Profumo affair was another blockbuster. It had that rather delightful potion of sex, politics and mysterious death. John Profumo, the War Minister, was invited to a party hosted at Lord Astor's mansion when he became acquainted with Christine Keeler, a call-girl. One thing leads to another, the story breaks to the media, he is forced to resign. His burgeoning political career coming to an abrupt halt, following a quiet life dedicated to charity thereafter. A court case ensues, a witness dies in mysterious circumstances, and a dodgy drug dealer from the East End is also implicated. The Profumo affair remains one of the biggest political sex scandals on these shores. And Christine Keeler became a cultural phenomenon. Does anybody recognize this photo?

On that note, it is time to look for a modern-day scandal, which give these vintage examples a run for their money. Perhaps I will go to the Notting Hill Carnival this bank holiday weekend - known for music, rice and chicken, a 'cool' vibe, drugs, and the odd stabbing. Oh what joy for the middle classes to venture out to an event so risque!

See relevant links:
A Profile of John D. Rockefeller
Aristotle Onassis - the Man, the Myth, the Legend
YouTube: Maria Callas in Covent Garden, 1962
Jackie O: Style Icon
People Magazine archive: Christina Onassis in 1983
Guardian article on The Profumo Affair
Profumo the Musical

The 'Third Way' 4.0

Quangos. Our natural inclination is to shudder. Even if like me, you're not quite sure what they do. Or maybe that is a legitimate reason to shake your head and wonder what's become of our wonderful world. But it does raise issues about what government means to people. They are employers who give out gold-plated pensions, give us something to moan about, help businesses function and grow, take a nation to war - sometimes against popular sentiment, and represent our interests in all manner of things.

Indeed, how big and pervasive should government really be? The Tories like small government, big business and do not have much historical sympathy for social welfare. Although whether Dave is changing this remains to be seen. On the other hand, the Labour Party has turned from the party of protest, the party for cotton mill workers in Yorkshire, to one that gave us New Labour, Peter Mandelson, and 'spin'. A brief look back into history indicates that Clement Attlee presided over the first Labour government from the end of the Second World War to 1951, and gave us the NHS - oh that precious institution! But nowadays, governmental departments and public sector organizations have come under intense (and deserved) scrutiny. But social welfare is just such a cuddly affair these days; people lose initiative and independence as the patronising politicians talk about child poverty, social mobility and other big words which make up the political jargon of the 21st century. The Daily Mail can't get over red tape either.

But is this argument about the size of government viable in this age of increasingly complex forms of political governance? Does the sub-contracting of a government contract still count as public sector work? Luckily, this is not a one way street. It is not about the private and public sector having divergent goals. Of course government cares about people more, and businesses focus solely on profit; but new ways of thinking about political and corporate governance has emerged where government and business work together. Add in NGOs, charities, and foundations too. Suddenly you have a recipe for the utopia that the New School in New York would definitely be proud of. The Economist has entered this debate too - it is not just about the British coalition government reneging on an £80 million loan to the innovate Sheffield Forgemasters company following austerity measures. One can ask bigger questions on humanitarian aid and social innovation.

Many are familiar with the politics and complexities of international aid, but social innovation is new. By using forms of governance more familiar in profit-driven companies, a new way to solve social problems emerges. A prime example of this is Muhammed Yunus' contribution to global poverty with the introduction of micro-finance, leading to his much deserved Nobel Peace Prize. Who would have ever thought an Economist winning that? But social innovation is an era of research and policy which is only just beginning to hit the mainsteam. We have moved on from the disgust in which Private Finance Initiatives - that cruel and corrupt arrangement between government and corporation - were seen as the ultimate solution. It was the 'third way'.

But social innovation has a lot more to offer, and is fast becoming quite in vogue in the social policy world. One should note: watch this space.

Oh, and let's not forget "philanthrocapitalism" either, it is really taking off!

See relevant links:
BBC: So just what is a quango?
The Economist: "Entrepreneurs and charities can do more for the poor than official aid."
Attlee and the NHS
Sheffield Forgemasters among companies dealt blow in government cuts
The Yunus Centre
Young Foundation - a centre for Social Innovation
Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving can change the World
The Great Billionaire Giveaway to the Gates Foundation

The genders have never been so happy. Discuss.

I do not normally like talking about gender. It is the rather easy option in the humanities if you have no inspiration for that looming essay deadline. So this will be my first and perhaps last post on the matter.

As much as is possible to be non-sexist and politically correct, gender has always been an explosive subject. It is, after all, the relationship between male and female, the dynamics between them that are so fascinating today. But it is nevertheless unavoidable to talk about the sexes on their own. Even Newsnight Review plunges these depths, discussing Tony Parsons as an example of "lad lit"only a few months ago. And then there was the launch of "Men's Hour" on Radio 5 Live. I had a brief listen and thought it was crass, overly 'soft', and just a bit gay. A sense of disbelief that male vulnerabilities - something as mythical as UFO's for many - were being discussed on the air waves was a slight shock.

But of course these developments are pies in the sky, compared to the industry and frankness of the female realm. It is indeed difficult not just to look good, but to find the money and time to look good. To balance all the things that are biological givens and social norms. So it is with some trepidation that I enter this minefield, and gloss over a few issues which rightly or sadly I do not know much about.

It all started on the Picadilly Line, where a pretty girl is reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. Having topped the book-selling charts for quite a while in the US, it has fostered polarized debate as to its authorship. Some web reviews have commented on its neurotic, overly indulgent style - and this is coming from other women. Others have praised the way it details a rites of passage for women towards personal and/or philosophical enlightenment. Have any of you read this book, or would you be interested in reading it? Or for want of a more critical inquiry, would you be seen reading it? Imagine you were on a train one day reading a book - you are either squinting your eyes looking for the existential 'light' or you are just a silly person with wacky thoughts. Or you could be both of course.

And then there is the institution of mumsnet.com - a saviour/release for many battered, lucky, confused, enlightened, divorced, single women. Watching "Mistresses" on the BBC seems like a colourful, albeit a little more dramatic, condensed representation of mumsnet.com issues all in the space of 58 minutes. Not bad... but seriously what is going on when the first sub-link to the website is "Am I being unreasonable?" Google are such sexist twaddles!

Of course, we should never discuss such a statement as "women in the developed world have never had it so good" - as The Economist has attempted. Surely this is asking the wrong question. It should be asking, are the genders content in our world today. Content because happiness is just a marketing executive's favourite buzzword. So yes, content.

"How are you... really?" "Je suis content :-)"

See relevant links:
Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love - 3.54 stars at goodreads.com
Economist Debates: Women
Mumsnet

"We choose to go to the moon"

John F. Kennedy's famous speech regarding the space race caused quite a stir in the autumn of 1962. "We" - the American government and people - choose to do this 'not because they are easy, but because they are hard'.

Now if Buzz from Toy Story was more eloquent, he would arguably say something like this. The good of mankind, freedom, and liberty, this is what America strives for. It is important to revisit those times of aspiration and uncertainty, and never forget what history can teach us. Indeed what can JFK's story teach us?

JFK is arguably known for his speeches, his wife and his unfortunate assassination. Our historical memory has been so clouded by these outstanding features, that for the XYZ generation it is hard to envisage what sort of world it was like back then.

The world split into two, Capitalism and Communism created an unbearable tension across the world. Nuclear warfare on a global scale was said to be imminent. My great-grandfather - who passed away in the early 90's - left a little piece of history in his diary. One entry was entitled "World War III". Even for a quiet, unassuming man who had never left Ishikawa Prefecture, let alone Japan, the chills of the Cold War could be felt to such an extent that he felt it warranted comment.

The decade that gave us Lyndon Johnson's 'Great Society', the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement created an enormous amount of nervous energy in society. An energy which had to be released; if we're to all get nuked we might as well enjoy ourselves in the meantime. Cue the Beatles, Woodstock and the roots of Flower Power.

As it was then, society today offers many opportunities as well as facing many threats. One hopes that the armageddon of nuclear warfare has passed our generation by, and hopefully for good. But it is always good to look over your shoulder every once in a while and appreciate the rocky road of history in the last fifty years. Perhaps this is a good time to reflect - its not as if we can party like its 2007 - 2010 has been a year of sobriety and recovery, a chance again to think 'big' and aspire.

See relevant links:
JFK - We choose to go to the moon
(Skip to 8:35 in the video for relevant quote)
Guardian Article on the possible legacy of the Baby Boomers
Slate discussion on the state and fate of young people

Fragility and Resilience

"The Ideal Happy to Sad Ratio? 3:1" says Dr. Happy.

Although science has improved to such an extent that life could be simplified into such a ratio, it is somewhat of a shame to see life's trials and tribulations in a mathematical way. Doesn't it seem a little too linear and two-dimensional? Maybe it isn't at all like that, but the philosophy of science is indeed evolving at an impressive rate.

Bio-technology is also stretching the boundaries to such an extent, that DNA/genome sequencing is fast becoming not only scientifically possible, but commercially viable. The perception 'to be' will inevitably change; perhaps philosophy based on the 'individual' will move on in Western intellectual thought to recognize this new frontier of identity. While it is drummed into our heads that choices, convictions and beliefs make up what one is, the cold logic of science threatens our happy irrationality which we are so comfortable with in postmodern times.

In literature, we see many examples of writers trying to grapple with the most sensitive issues of identity and purpose in different ways. Here are just two examples:

Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go - when a whole life is compressed into 30 years, strange things can happen as the characters experience the various stages of life in double-quick time. While simultaneously they remain young. The reflection back to their idyllic school days haunts them as memory, naivety, and denial, distort their perceptions of how their lives have unfolded since then. But ultimately, this story is about the fragility of life, a recognition of the precarious nature of being and the beautiful vulnerability of the world in which we occupy. The writer evokes a poignant sense of a past life; where fond recollections of idiosyncrasies intertwine with doubts and apprehension. Conviction in this book is noticeable by its absence.

Orhan Pamuk's The New Life - "I read a book and it changed my life" goes the opening line. We never find out what the said book is but we are reminded time and time again about its power and pervasiveness. Light pours out of the book, seemingly from within. This leads to the main character going on a journey through rocky mountain terrains in the backwaters of Turkey, arriving at one bus station but only to leave on another bus a few hours later. A journey without a planned destination. The process of riding endless bus journeys, drinking cold teas in dilapidated bus shelters, scrutinizing the snoring man curled up in the seat in front of you with his hair falling roughly on the curtain by the window. The journey is important but he is looking for something to remind himself to cultivate a new life. He visits scenes of traffic accidents, wondering among the debris of the dead. He looks into their eyes, and it gives him a push into that new life. All from a book and a conviction that being so physically close to death will jolt you into living. It is not the poetry or peace of death which is so appealing, but the anonymous, random nature of death in this book which often comes too early and in a form that is not so easy to understand. Not everyone is bequeathed an obituary; death for many is merely being anonymous amongst a statistic.

Two books, two different readings about the fragility and resilience of life. It would be a little too Chekhovian to discuss the relative merits of the arts and sciences, but in their own ways, it does remind oneself to be happy 75% of the time and sad for 25% of it.

See relevant links:
Dr. Happy at Fora.TV
Guardian Review of Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go
Pamuk's The New Life at goodreads.com
Chekhov's Ward No. 6 - A Short Story

Turkey - Not just for Christmas

Turkey continues to push for accession into the European Union. But as with all things political, its not very straightforward. Especially when France and Germany, the most influential actors in the E.U., are against it happening for the moment. But why would they be so against it?


Well its obvious with France isn't it. Somehow or other it is felt that the 1789 legacy came with a heady dose of patriotism. Egalite for the 'Others'? No of course not; Lost it ain't! Or perhaps its because Nicolas Sarkozy's paternal ancestor on his Hungarian father's side was 'ennobled on 10. September, 1628 for his role in fighting the armies of the Ottoman empire' - according to Wikipedia.


But Germany's ambivalence is less clear. Especially since Germany and Turkey have enjoyed cordial relations since the 2nd World War, with many Turkish Gastarbeiter staying on in Germany and making the Vaterland home. One of those of course was the star of the Germany football team at this year's World Cup: Mesut Ozil.


Where is the 2nd biggest Turkish city in the world? Why, its Berlin obviously!


But Turkey is useful to the European Union. While it cradles the edges of Europe and Asia Minor, it doesn't threaten Christendom since Istanbul used to be Constantinople - its got Christian roots! The famous Hagia Sophia, an exemplar of Byzantine architecture, was a cathedral and then a mosque. Indeed, Turkey holds a key strategic location acting as a buffer for Europe against the volatile Middle East. It is secular and democratic - well, ish - and until a few months ago enjoyed good relations with Israel - that 'American outpost'. Economically, Turkey is booming - you don't start hosting a Grand Prix without a little bit of money. Bahrain, check; Singapore, check; Turkey, another check.


So what is holding the E.U. back? The bold, moral diplomacy of post World War II may be just a distant memory - no one remembers the guilt of the Vichy government and National Socialism anymore - as it has evolved into an altogether different beast to something nobody ever imagined. English apathy to the E.U. is understandable: "Fish quotas! 35 hour E.U. work directive! You're havin' a girAffe (laugh in laymen words)!" No wonder that Lisbon Treaty fell a bit flat. The near bankruptcy of Greece hasn't helped either - we should dearly sympathize with the Liberal Democrats!


Football fans, as I have previously noted, are not the brightest sort but I did give out a chesty laugh when the E.U. flag was mistaken for the Hungarian one. An E.U. anthem sounds ludicrous in this context!


When the E.U. was formed, it turned European politics on its head. Its a misnomer. International relations theorists had to invent neofunctionalism. It is sad somewhat the higher ideal of European integration is not humanist enough to feel that "hüzün" – that peculiarly Turkish sense of nostalgic melancholy - is compatible with Western European values. 


So what is the hold up to Turkey's E.U. accession? Are the reasons historical and idealistic or... tactical and pragmatic? It could turn out a bit of a mess if we're not careful... right? Let's imagine this:


"We, the Turks, promise to be democratic and a mediator in the Middle East to prevent the spread of extremist religious sentiment. But just for jokes, we can threaten Israel for blockading Gaza. What are the Americans doing here, do they not understand sarcasm? Evidently not. Now what? We don't want our army declaring martial law again; where's Interpol when we need them?"


It used to be so much more simple for the likes of Suleiman the Magnificent in the glorious Ottoman era. To consolidate your rule as the Sultan of the realm spreading from just outside Vienna to the mountains of Anatolia, you would just kill all of your brothers. You wouldn't want them stealing your crown and not giving it back!


The story would start, "Once upon a time, there was a Sultan..."

To infinity and then Iran!

Buzz Lightyear personifies American foreign policy. He wants to save the world. He also wants to go to the moon and back. Is he the naive face of all that is good and bad about American Neoconservatism? I don't really know what Leo Strauss, the philosopher behind the doctrine, would think about this. But it seems I am not the only one trying to connect popular culture with the slightly less cool world of academia.

A philosopher said of Toy Story 3 that it illustrated the positive side of atheistic existentialism. How could he get away with saying that in a broadsheet newspaper? Perhaps the reason my comment has often been met with a screwed up face suggesting scepticism is... well, a little bit political. "It's a kids story which makes adults cry, not Newsnight!"

Philosophy is about everyday life and dreams/daydreaming. Films inform but also more often than not lets us escape. While the line between celebrity and film star blurs to the extent that reality is Hollywood basically, cartoon characters/super heroes/toys makes you imagine that you were other than human. Philosophy offers the same escape into the boundless universal.

So it was at the library that a girl with roughed-up Converses with a massive brick of a laptop which was far too loud - I suspect the fan was broken inside - had a book. "Superheroes and Philosophy". The cover looks like a Roy Lichtenstein piece, I thought. A closer inspection shows its just a generic comic book cover. Still, some complain that popular culture has made us a dumber society, but I do really want to read that book!

See relevant links:
BBC News: Teaching philosophy with Spider-Man
The book: "Superheroes and Philosophy"

The Human Rights Regime gets 'Political'

Wikileaks and numerous Human Rights groups are having a media tit-for-tat surrounding the possible security implications of revealing Afghan informant names and other identities in the "Afghan War Diary" - a vast collection of leaked U.S. defence documents. Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, reacted angrily to a letter from these groups,  subsequently 'accusing Amnesty of a "set-up" and questioning why the organisation had contacted him unless to offer help in redacting the names.' (The Times, 11. August, 2010)

See BBC report here

Human rights are supposed to be universal, according to the Universal Declaration. It's supposed to be clear cut in most cases, because there is now an international regime of human rights. Essentially Wikileaks and these organizations should be on the same side. But this recent spat has seen organizations such as Amnesty International come into agreement with the U.S. government. Wikileaks is arguably now the most revolutionary bastion of freedom of expression and freedom of information; but what does their 'justice' mean? Does it include national security? And why is it that it is seen as incompatible with the values of prominent human rights NGOs?

Kind of surprising perhaps, since Wikileaks won the Amnesty International 2009 Media Award.

See relevant links:
WikiLeaks wins Amnesty Media Award

This article was amended on 20. August, 2010, following insightful comments.

Twitter vs. Letters to the Editor

Page 18 & 19 in today's copy of The Times features my favourite section of the newspaper - Letters to the Editor - which are a collection of letters responding to recent news articles. I have previously said how this was a small demonstration of democracy; where the 'small people' are heard. But there is one chink missing in this armour of argument, which is the selective nature of the letters from 'reputable persons'.

Normal people do not get a shoe-in today as heavyweights with titles such as "President, Royal College of Physicians", "Emeritus Professor", "Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator", "Dr.", "Consultant Surgeon". Seriously SIR James Dyson, you're making everyone else look awfully modest!

I am personally unenthusiastic about the Coalition government's proposal of a Graduate Tax, and read excitedly the letter which begun: "Sir, The Government's proposal to charge graduates for their degrees as a higher tax on future earnings does not mention the contributions graduates make to the nation during their working life." A bit patriotic but whatever... right? But then I realised it was the views of just another pompous academic.

Unamused, I checked out Twitter feeds on "graduate tax".

Some are pretty straightforward:

"Coalition should reject the graduate tax precisely because it's 'progressive." "A graduate tax is a tax on hard work + success; bad idea." "Graduate tax under fire from the left and the right."

But I was attracted to these ones more:

"Graduate tax: "...But there aren't special taxes on those with A-levels or stroke victims." "Graduate tax?! Noooooooo."

Now there is a limit to how long your letters can be to The Times, but it is not as constricting as the 40 characters or so of Tweets. But nevertheless, scope for immature or plain silly comments seem to be far wider on the unregulated but diverse web. A politician's nightmare...!

"Ed Balls, talking about work/life balance on This Week just said: "People are juggling. It's hard to keep all the balls in the air."

So Twitter does reflect the idiosyncrasies of modern democracy and new social media may be better than the traditional format of the Letters to the Editor. But then, it would be so cool to address a letter as follows: 

Editor of the Times

London

(none of that street name/post code rubbish!)

A football fan's guide to world history, politics and economics

"You're s*** and you know you are!"

All down the country, overweight men scoff their pies while hurling abuse at football players on the terraces. Not known for their intelligence, football fans are not known for their knowledge of international politics. To call the Egyptian striker Mido "shoe-bomber" or referring to captain of South Korea Park Ji Sung "eating dog" is admittedly a little bit ridiculous.

For our modern-day Stepford Wife, they anticipate with dread the moment their formerly romantic, lager-lout husbands take their son to the little boy's first ever football game. Exasperated she cries, "I'm going to lose another male in my life to Saturday afternoons!" By contrast, football-mad, what-a-lad dad keeps shouting "GO ON SON!" at football matches, even when their son's not there...

But fear not Stepford Wife and David Mitchell (who hates football)! Knowing about football stars can actually lead to a passion for history and current affairs - it will be like High School Musical gone a little bit weird - instead of choosing between music and sport, our babies could mull over the difficult dilemma of whether his ambition is to become an academic or footballer!

Here is a little taster from the football fan curricula:

Mehmet Scholl - former German international midfielder known for his creativity. Born to a Turkish father and German mother, he is a model of successful Turkish integration in Germany after WWII. His father came to Germany as a Gastarbeiter ('Guest worker') to fulfill Germany's need for labour to fuel their economic miracle of the 1960's and 70's.

Tulio Tanaka - current Japanese international centre-back. Born in Brazil, moved to Japan at the age of 15. His father is Japanese-Brazilian. I have no idea how this combination of nationality came about, but I suspect this came about from Japanese migration to South America including Brazil and Peru which started in 1908 in a search for a better life. Cue here for Alberto Fujimori, the former Peruvian President.

Jong Tae Se - cried like a big baby while singing the North Korea national anthem before his nation's World Cup game against Brazil this summer. Known for his love of hip hop and driver of a Hummer, he is of course not your typical malnourished national of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He was in fact born and raised in Japan to Korean parent. Significantly he was sent to attend a Chongryon school, run by Korean residents in Japan. Some of these Koreans may have been used as slave labour during World War II, hence Japan's ambivalent position towards the status of North Korea post-1945. Recent fears over DPRK's nuclear programme has coincided with a crackdown on the Chongryon schools and its activities.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Swedish international star currently playing for Barcelona, speaks English pretty well just like any of his highly educated countrymen. Born to a Bosnian father and Croatian mother, it is evidence of the low-profile immigration of Eastern Europeans to Sweden, one of the most liberal countries in the world.

Zinedine Zidane - France football legend of Algerian descent. A closer inspection details France's colonial interests in Algeria, the subsequent Algerian struggle for independence, and the spawning of films like "The Battle of Algiers" and "Les Indigenes".

Luis Figo - (in)famously moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid in the noughties. He returned to the Nou Camp (Barcelona's stadium) for a match where a pig's head was attempted to be thrown at his head. Why would they do that? Well if you knew that Real Madrid was General Franco's team and Barcelona is more than a club, but an important fabric of Catalan identity, then it all makes sense. History runs deep in Spain; Franco's Nationalist Army captured the Republican-held city of Barcelona in February 1939 during the Spanish Civil War.

Aiden McGeady - Irish international who plays for Glaswegian side Celtic. Just another in a long line of Celtic players with an Irish background, Celtic is a 'Catholic' side, as much as fierce rivals Rangers is a 'Protestant' side. Especially on Old Firm day when the two sides meet, there are certain no-go areas in Glasgow town centre depending on where your allegiances lie. An introduction to why Northern Ireland continues to be so controversial.

John Obi Mikel - Nigerian midfielder who currently plays for Chelsea. Peculiarly demonstrates the U.K.'s ambivalence towards E.U. law by having different and far more strict employment laws concerning visas and work permits. Mikel previously played for unknown Norwegian side, Lyn Oslo, why? Immigration within Europe is far easier; he could not have moved to a top English side directly from Nigeria due to work permit restrictions.

Athletic Bilbao - a Spanish team in the top ladder of Spanish football. Only recruits Basque players or those of Basque ancestry. An insight into Spain as an 'incomplete' nation; Spain formerly comprised of different regions with its own rulers and traditions. The Basque region is no different; hence the terrorist activities of ETA, the Basque 'separatist' organisation.

Rivaldo & Fabio Cannavaro - two of the finest players of their generation, now ply their trade in Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates respectively. Why would these players go to the Middle East to see out their playing careers? Money of course! These countries have so many petrodollars to throw around, football has become the sheikhs' favourite passion investment.

And finally, a tentative metaphor...
Middlesbrough FC & New Labour - the dates are a bit wrong but...
- Labour came into power in 1997 on the back of landslide hysteria. Middlesbrough FC, situated in the North-East of England in typical I-hate-Tories coal miner territory enjoy the skills of Juninho, a Brazilian midfielder who mesmerized the Premier League in the 1996-1997 season.
- New Labour loses momentum culminating in its election loss of 2010 under the farcical image of Gordon Brown. After some heady years including European football in 2004, Middlesbrough FC started to disintegrate under manager Gareth Southgate who clearly did not know what he was doing. Relegated in 2009, they are now playing in the second tier of English football.
- The loss of 1,700 jobs from Redcar's Corus steelplant was estimated to have cost the town of Middlesbrough £25 million in early 2010 and was a political disaster. Middlesbrough FC's failure to get close to promotion to the Premier League in 2010 which would have been worth as much as £50 million was a footballing disaster.
- Middlesbrough FC wear red, Labour's colours are also red.

See relevant links:
Luis Figo and the Pig's Head

Aesthetics and Madness - Colour 2.0

Further to my last post on 'signs', here are two examples of how the way in which we now consume information/imagery and frame our thoughts have been shaped in very different ways.

The first is the visualization of data with the help of computer graphics. Is this seductive over-simplification or a vital tool to organize the constant bombardment of messages in monochrome/colourful form from every kind of media? This prompts a more vital point concerning info-tainment; how can aesthetics combine with data - if at all? Is it a refreshing sense of perspective or a smoke-screen before our eyes?

And then we come onto Testuya Ishida's paintings, which illustrate a pessimistic view of modernity and technology. A 'surrealist' painter, he committed suicide in 2005. But it is open to debate whether his message had any political message at all, or rather he was merely quite a politically-minded person. His dark take on Japanese society hits a tone for some: "He has captured the disconnect between the commercial and inner drive." "What sophisticated brains and good imagination you need to draw such things. And could the painter be a healthy person?" Just to make things more interesting, let us consider these comments from a Chinese blog forum: "The deviant paintings of deviant person. I just want to vomit looking at these, my head unbearably dizzy/faint." "No wonder he would go get hit by a train, he has psychological problems." Despite my careful selection of quotes, national identity politics should surely not be combined with art. 

'Playful', dream-like surrealism cannot portray the world, just ask Picasso: "
Despite the enormous interest the painting generated in his lifetime, Picasso obstinately refused to explain Guernica's imagery."

I find it difficult to agree with Otto Neurath that "words divide us, pictures unite us". There is something beautiful about literature in its consistent form - one admittedly reads the black font against the white background even on the Amazon Kindle; it would be a shame to lose the many unifying possibilities that beauty brings. But perhaps it is about time that I widen the scope of beauty... and perhaps reluctantly, reinterpret the realm of suffering and madness.

See relevant links:

David McCandless: Information is Beautiful - The Cost of the Iraq War

Picasso's "Secret" Guernica

Tetsuya Ishida, Chinese Reactions

Black Ink and Colour Paints

One often complains about jargon. Words are meant to clarify things but instead categorize vocabulary into confusing word systems - a whole structure of blemishes, abbreviations and 'signs'.  One writes a word on the page, and it looks back at you in the same blank and comical way that ink sinks and sets on the paper. In its often black form, it strives to enlighten the reader of the world. 

Imagine the many students who devour their course textbooks under the powerful glare of the sun. "Collaterized Debt Obligations (CDOs): an investment instrument to create liquidity in the market from debt mainly in the form of mortgages." "Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard: the ethical has nothing outside itself that is its τελος [end, purpose]..." "Russian for Dummies: I live in London - я живу в Лондонe". Then they look up and scan their surroundings; a squirrel searching for that elusive chestnut on a tree brunch. The red-yellow leaves fall onto the cream-colour straw hat of a pretty girl with a flower-print dress combining dark purple and sharp flourescent blue with a white trim. 

She has a faint smile on her face as she squints into the sunlight while looking up from a boried copy of Kenzaburo Oe's The Silent Cry.  Temporarily escaping the surreality of a remote village in the Japanese countryside, she glances at the reality in the various shades of green that make up the small park square. While engrossed in this separate world of words, jargon and/or 'signs', the docile students flip in and out of the different realities that the mind conjures up through observation of the monochrome book and the colourful outside world. 

Somehow literature seems different to other kinds of printed word. It challenges us to understand the contradictions of our daily lives better through ink than by other elements of our surrounding environment. "Don't study life, Just Read It" - have Nike used that one before? Of course some 'sign' systems have limitations, even in the field of literature - sometimes words fail us. It fosters miscommunication - Turkish, Finnish and Mongolians kind of understand each other due to their languages all belonging to Altaic language family. 

But even in translation, literature seems to transcend borders and advocate for a common humanity. Literature makes us more human, except perhaps when one follows the Naturalism theory like Emile Zola. But even then, how possible is it just to be a pawn of something bigger, a mere figurine in a grand Victor Hugo epic? By describing the revolutionary social ideas  and ideals of 19th century France, these authors indirectly inform and shape our individual. 

Although modernity and science in a number of respects classify and commodify in equal measure, simplification is not a straightforward process - rather its complicated. The 'tyranny of choice' frames our decisions; do-it-yourself has never been easier as one can choose from halcyon blue, royal white, mahogany brown paints to refurbish our homes. Psychology literature even attests to the number of choices influencing how frequently we choose. In striving to understand ourselves and society in a specific kind of way, one can either try to identify the different shades of grey or strive to see the mysterious intensity of colour 'inherent' in Yves Klein's Blue Sponge Relief. 

Colours are 'signs' just as much as words. But literature will always tell us something new, sometimes just to annoy us into confronting things that we'd rather not. I'm not sure why anyone would want to know that Oe - who confessed to having a difficult relationship with Japanese society - thinks his homeland is a Third World country. Is it significant that he studied French literature and philosopher in the 60's when Sartre was so en vogue? Or that Philip Gabriel, the translator of Haruki Murakami and Western commentator of Japanese society, believes that disillusioned, young Japanese look inside themselves and find nothing? Or perhaps one should study the Hibakusha, the victims of the Atomic bomb, who continue to suffer discrimination and shame from a resurrected society still scarred by the apocalyptic events. And the emergence of new religions and spirituality in Japan, as evidenced by academic Susumu Shimazono. The land of Hello Kitty has an awful lot of explaining to do.

Or perhaps we should heed the words of Walt Whitman: "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself... " Words don't have to mean anything at all. 

But in any case, please do not let the Mad Men influence our words too much. 

See relevant links:

The Times (Saturday Edition - 7. August, 2010) - Salman Rushdie article on contradictions in literature. (available online but unfortunate paywall restriction)

Oe, Kenzaburo. "Japan's Dual Identity: A Writer's Dilemma" World Literature Today 60.3 (1988), 359-369 (student access online through JSTOR)

Yves Klein: examples of his work

A recent translation from Philip Gabriel: Shuichi Yoshida's "Villain"

Wikipedia entry on Hibakusha

Shimazono on Popular Religious Movements in Japan

The 'Word' hijacked by Sky Sports

The Times - embracing the iPad along traditional lines

"That's because they don't have anything worth to put on the front page on a Saturday."

This was a response after I moaned that The Times had indeed dumbed down, perhaps illustrating desto reflecting on modern Britain, but probably the role of a certain figure at News Corporation had something to do with it. 1997: New Labour, yay! 2010: Not another 13 years, give Dave a chance!

The editors of The Times have changed their political tune during the exciting new age of Labour, but politics in Britain has also changed during this time. The agendas are different, Iraq and Public-Private Partnerships were so last week; public interest in politics now extends into the fields of forensic accountancy and the fashions of the First Lady. Is that a Vera Wang? In our world of the simulacrum, reports are desperate to clamber over others for the next scandal - politics is almost wanting to become fashionable.

But Robert 'Bob' Dudley is becoming the next head of BP, because he is politically more palatable to the US media due to his American accent. Is he also not the former head of the TNK-BP, notorious for his leadership style (BP PR-men kept in the down-low) as much as for being a victim of the ueber political business environment of Russian oil and gas (PR-men doing their job well!)? The New Cold War is emerging, surely? Veteran Eastern-Europe journalist Edward Lucas likes to think so: he wrote a book entitled this, but of course that was before oil prices absolutely collapsed after Lehmann etc. etc. So in the mess of it all, good old 'Bob' will restore BP's reputation (did I remember to long BP shares and short against the oil market in general?), and everyone will forget that he towed the fine line of being the perfect gentleman diplomat with those overbearing oligarchs and being a *yrant. And how do i know what Bob is like? Only because a Moscow-based lawyer wanted to write about her work/play for the Internet public. "Darling, I had to move to Russia to start anew after my ill-conceived liaison with a married man. Did I tell you my apartment is probably bugged?"

OK, I am digressing. The Internet age, without question, has changed the way in which we perceive media, but the average 40-something Joe on the street will still have political views from their family and youth. While reading the latest FT and dare I say it, Bloomberg News, on the commute back from London to Winchester, they shake their heads as they see a gang of hoodlums with their Tracky-B's down their ankles through the window of the train. Nothing has changed from 20 years ago except they read the latest news on their cool new iPads, and they would maintain that their bourgeois lives wouldn't be possible without the Big Bang. Not that one, Thatcher's one in the 80s when the City of London saw the 'light'.

And typically the Letters section in the middle pages of the Times would reflect this. OK, the 80s were horrible to the miners (hence the Tories will never get Sunderland South, let alone 'Baghdad North') but who actually remembers the 'Winter of Discontent'? The people didn't have gas and food, the basics, although of course I was too busy trying out extremely edgy fusion cuisine before Canary Wharf was even on the financial map!

But rest assured, the majority of readers are a sensible bunch who have moved with the Times to nuance the successes and failures from the late 90's till now. One can commonly read through the lines that readers believe Britain is and should be a bastion of cultural tolerance and modern cosmopolitan living: "It is ironic that European countries who advocate women's rights take away the rights for women to choose between wearing a Burkha or not. " "The NHS has its many problems and perhaps one management layer too many but compared to 1997, it has come a long way. Just the other day, a member of public on Question Time actually challenged Conservative MP Francis Maude on the reasons why he used private healthcare - omg can you believe it?! We don't need the Coalition government spreading ideas about GPs controlling localized NHS budgets, that is what the Primary Care Trusts are for."

So should I let my moans about the pink banner on the Saturday edition of The Times with some title about how to improve your romantic life (they definitely used the word 'sex' - shock horror!) fritter away in the back of my mind? Or that green banner last Thursday entitled "Do You Live in a Gay-bourhood?"

I hope I don't become one of those swashbuckling City boys who have settled into comfortable middle-aged life carrying an iPad traveling home to the Home Counties. Or otherwise my moans might even extend to hoodies. I don't want to become part of a new demographic of 'Selfish Elites' (see link below) that have characterized British iPad owners. I wouldn't even think thrice about giving to charity then...

But as I type these words on my MacBook, instead of writing in hand (better than Times New Roman in italics any day!), it saddens me that the community which abounds the Letters section in the Times might become a bit distorted. Daniel Finkelstein, executive editor of The Times and Tory media pin-up, argues the perfectly coherent case to charge for reading online content (special offer of £1 for the first month); the business model of newspapers is longer financially viable so revenue must be made in some capacity to maintain good quality journalism. There is of course empirical foundation to this argument, although now I cannot write to the Letters section via e-mail - on principle I will not be paying to read online content. I wouldn't normally write to the Letters section, but I would like to have the choice to do it! There must be others like me who enjoy the democracy of the Letters section in those tidy columns.

I have enjoyed reading The Times newspaper for a while now, but it was only recently that I discovered the wisdom of the Letters section, and to a lesser the extent the Editor's Notes on page 2. They give you a critical assessment of the news and gives you an insight into the mood of the country (and the journalistic elite). You could read other  newspapers, but that would be disloyalty surely? That would be like being so postmodern as to live in a marginal constituency! Unfortunately as the online content for the Guardian and the Daily Mail (shudder...) are free, I am increasingly inclined to visit the newspapers left and right of the Times. What more can you expect of a teenager from the Napster generation?

The Times editor's page 2 take on the Wikileaks releasing thousands of government files on the War in Afghanistan was something along the lines of: "This organization has no credibility or public responsibility to publish information which could threaten national security." While I am no tree-hugging pacifist, I think many younger readers would disagree with him on this issue. Why, because we are revolutionaries of course, part of the cyber avant-garde! Julian Assange has turned cyber-security on its head and will have major repercussions in the long term with regards to political and corporate governance. Complete transparency supported by total anonymity, multi-jurisdictional legal escapades without being a diplomat - this guy should be noted more than for his 'peculiar sort of intelligence'.

While I love the traditional format of the Letters section, I can't resist a good old expose by .pdf, .doc, or even a .zip!

See relevant links:
iPad Owners Are 'Selfish Elites'
Julian Assange on Multi-Jurisdictional Legal Immunity
Economist article on Wikileaks
Copy of The Times (no link here, just go to the shops and buy it for a £1 - back in my day it was 25 p. Obviously I hate inflation which comes with 'no more boom and bust' economic prosperity!)

Mad Men at BT & John Lewis - the adverts that paint a thousand words

Good advertising aims to puncture our hearts and read our minds. Large corporations more often than not have sizeable budgets to make good advertising - they make us laugh, grunt with annoyance or just plain confused - I didn't think opening an insurance policy was so much fun, but wait a minute...

And then there are adverts which scare you. Not because of ghosts or anything, it is rather that they hit a little bit too close to home. By hitting that raw nerve, those adverts which are meant to empower you to become keen consumers instead identify your vulnerabilities and makes you doubt yourself.  One takes reality for granted but are still startled by how poignant reflections seem to be. (This really is consumerist emotional blackmail at its best!)

You would often look into the mirror to try and figure out what all the lines in your face mean, but now you can reflect upon your reality on a HD flatscreen. How do the BT and John Lewis adverts succeed in telling you those are something other than smile lines?

The John Lewis advert shows the lives of a couple from birth to old age - with all the important stages of childhood, adolescence, first kiss, college, marriage, children, grandchildren in between. It is an idealised version of life's path without a hint of the modern troubles that seem to be insurmountable obstacles for some of us. Life is even better when your home is filled with half of JL's haberdashery department. What about that beautiful wedding dress - surely not craftily made by aforementioned department?

BT on the other hand is openly frank about modern life's travails in offering its fantastically reliable landline. Husband and wife are divorced, and their daughter finds little time to talk with far-away, workaholic dad. Especially with mobile phones - "I can't possibly talk at the moment; I haven't got any minutes/credit left". But with a BT phoneline, father and daughter can chat to their heart's content - well until she innocently remarks that mum is getting married. "So cool to be a bridesmaid!"

Life is complicated, absolutely. But do these adverts have to knock on conscience's door so loudly. "Can't you just leave me to cope with my troubles on my own? I don't need 1080 by 800 pixels and 20 Watts RMS telling me how hard it can be!"

Those ad-men are damned good at their jobs and must have led such interesting lives - how else would they know about life's idiosyncrasies - the father on an executive 'business trip' in an emerging market leaving behind bored, thrill-seeking yummy mummy with her beloved Chelsea tractor, the lovely negative-equity ensuite maison, the bubbly teenage daughter, a spotty lazy NEET (not in education, employment or training) of a son, leather furniture, funeral arrangements in the Isle of Man for a distant cousin murdered by a terrorist bloke, outstanding charity contributions to the Time to Change organization endorsed by Frank Bruno, and a baby shower for the Jones' goddaughter.

Did I try and describe modern life/our society in under 100 words? Those adverts don't need any. Well apart from at the end to remind the reflectee to buy some sodding goods!

For the videos courtesy of YouTube:
BT - Adam & Jane
John Lewis - Never Knowingly Undersold

For media commentary:
Daily Mail on John Lewis advert
The Guardian on another 'BT advert couple'

Relevant links:
Adam Curtis on the 50s/60s historical background behind Mad Men