I actually picked up a copy of London Lite on the way home tonight.. Apart from the normal trash in there (adverts, Fuzzy Pictures of London's elite drunk on the streets and criticism of Red Ken - I'm voting for you!) there was an article in there about the recent youtube video that has surfaced apparently featuring Banksy talking about his guerilla art and showing him at work on a recent piece of work in East London..
Now it's not been proven whether the video is real or not (No it's not April Fools, I wouldn't insult your intelligence) but the Journalist went on to divulge such insightful information as Banksy appears to have a West-country accent and he totally gives away his secret of how he does his artwork with stencils and whilst disguising his face.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Banksy as much as the next disaffected 30 year old who hates the establishment but is probably too busy to do anything about it except listen to good music and buy free-trade coffee (not starbucks) and go to farmers markets occasionally (if you go late, it's cheaper) and yes I do recycle BUT, we all know how easy his artwork is to reproduce. There's enough people imitating him (badly) as it is. The fact that no-one knows who he really is makes you assume that he probably disguises himself.
It's about the message AND the fact that he is anonomous helps put this message across.. For Christ Sake, it's that simple. The moment we know who he is then he loses a lot of integrity for any future Guerilla art and the message is lost.
Does this debunk those conspiracy theorists that think Walt Disney was a nazi sympathizer?
Is the word 'nazi' capitalised in sentences? Should it be? Surely it lost that privalege a long time ago.. Maybe only nazis use the capital.. I'm glad I haven't...
On Sky 3 this week was a programme on a supposed cover-up of the Titanic sinking - If there's an interesting story in history then there is always a conspiracy theory as to why it didn't happen. I haven't yet seen it but I decided to google it and read up on it anyway as i'm a real sucker for a conspiracy theory, even if it's believable or not.
Apparently, the story goes that the Titanic was swapped with it's sister ship, the Olympic, as part of a huge insurance scam. The reasoning was that the Olympic had already been damaged because of a collision and it would have bankcrupted White Star Liners to have repaired it, so instead they decided to make the switch so that they could claim the insurance for the Titanic Sinking and then carry on using the very sea-worthy Olympic and therefore, the company would not go bust. That's the abridged version but you can read the full story here
The evidence itself is very sketchy and it almost certainly never happened but still it's quite a fascinating read anyway.
Although this video presents evidence that it was a more sinister force at work and it was not an iceberg that caused the sinking as we are led to believe:
This is what a woman said to me this morning after I must have stood on her foot.. I must say I didn't notice and it was rather busy... What a stupid bloody question.. No, of course I don't know how much your shoes are, you stupid, shallow self-centred idiot.
My actual reply was "No, I'm sorry I didn't think about the cost of your shoes when I maliciously stood on you, are they worth, like, a gazillion pounds?".
I wish now i'd said something as witty as 'You should have gone to shoesavers!"
2) "You have to press your oyster card on the reader"..
Now i'm always sticking up for employees of public transport but not this time.
My reply sums it all up, really..
"What the hell do you think i'm doing? Licking the reader?"
Now, I can't stand stupid people but what I can't stand even less is stupid people that try to patronise me and make me feel stupid because they are having a shitty day.. Well guess what? I'm having a shitty day too...
But let's not just have a go at China for having a poor human rights record.. there aren't many previous Olympic hosts without blood on their hands...
Australia's human rights record is pretty patchy in places and the UK's is pretty terrible too if you take into account Iraq, Afghanistan, holding terrorist subjects without charge, slavery, The British Empire and any so called war/conflict we've been involved in which involved us fighting opposition less well equipped and prepared than ourselves... Then there is Germany, Russia(USSR), South Korea and of course, the USA..
I'm not defending China or trying to say that none of these countries deserved to host the Olympic Games.. It's just that China aren't the only evil empire out there..
I doubt anyone will protest against us when it comes to our turn but people would be in their right too.. Although, in Australia's case, the only people to protest were the people that had been persecuted. The same could well happen to us but in the case of Australia, it probably won't be reported in as much depth as the current situation with China...
But then if we're completely honest, The contest that decides who hosts the games is decided by whoever offers the most bribes, freebies and incentives to the judges.. It's like that and It's the way it is...
