Anthropax's Old Blog

Apparently, I have family in Japan, in Osaka! An uncle's nephew married a Japanese lady, when working out there as a teacher, and lives out there now. I could visit them. Goodness, we get about. I found out because my aunt came around, in between going on retreat (where she meditates, for days on end) and after I mentioned my plans, out popped this titbit of info. I also want to visit the Miho museum (http://www.miho.or.jp/english/index.htm) that looks fantastic and full of great stuff. anyway, got to dash, ciao! edit: nuts, I forgot to post my monday top 5. They were really good as well. I'll post them tomorrow now, or is that cheating?

Well, I was rather impressed by Dr Who. It was highly enjoyable, and I would be hooked if I was 14 again. As it is, I'm just going to keep watching because some of the filming was done in my home town of Monmouth. I was going to post last night, but I opened a bottle of wine, and after that had somehow emptied itself, I moved on to a small bottle of a sweet wine that I brought back from Greece. I did get a bit tipsy, but heck, it was Purim, and you only live once.

Dr Who is back in 10 mins!!!! It looks great! *edit* and is great!

Well, I failed. I mucked up, by hesitating on a roundabout, when I could have gone, as well as a couple of other reasons, but I'll book another test asap. In other news, another velvet revolution is taking place (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4378029.stm), yep, another one, is this decade one of people power? look at all the popular protest that has taken place, both with (The Ukraine et al) and without results (Anti-war protests). Hmm, power to the people and all that!!!

Ah!!! I have my driving test today at about 10.10 GMT, so if anybody could send out happy thoughts at that time, it would be a great help! I'm worried, all the best people fail the first time around, and I drive like an old lady, so it is touch and go. Ciao!

There is a scholarship, from an old boy of the school, allowing the winner to have some BA flights. The application has to be in in a week or so, so I've decided to apply. I think I may be off to Japan for the New Year. I'll put my case forward using my Uni course, and point out how good it would be. There is a museum I would love to go to, but I'm not sure which city to fly to, I could just go with Tokyo. Any ideas?

Huzzah! Time for another Monday Random Five, our regular (until I forget, or can’t be bothered) feature for your delectation and enjoyment. 1. Banquet – Silent Alarm – Bloc Party. Catch tune, great band (mixed in ethnicity and sexuality), almost poppy in the speed of some parts, but undoubtedly homely indie goodness 2. The Dark of The Matinee – Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand. Loved it when I first purchased it, it has a fab video (just as important in my opinion), and is pretty fun when walking through a crowded school with it playing in the old earphones. Parts of it are like an old Yiddish folk tune I believe, and it mentions Terry Wogan (as well as having a superb Warhol-style picture of him in the video) 3. Handbags and Gladrags – Unknown – Stereophonics. I think this is better that the original (Rod Stewart I believe), and also has the association with The Office. A local-ish band also, always good. 4. Horse Tears – Unknown – Goldfrapp. Loving the weird instrumenty stuff, as well as the good vocals from the lady. I may be a philistine, but I seem to associate Goldfrapps music with Bjorks. Hmm 5. Walk on the Wild Side – The Best of the Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground. Fantastic tune, simple, yet effective (like most velvet stuff), with truly brilliant lyrics about transvestites and the whole Warhol shebang. ‘Shaved her legs and then he was a she’. Great stuff.Are the Velvet Underground cooler than the Beatles? Hmm, unsure. I need to get more Beatles music, and some Bob Dylon, come to that. I’ll have a chat with Theo, and borrow some CDs.

I found this on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_ethnic_divisions) I knew about Ashkenazi and Sephardi (My family came over from Germany in 1751, making them Ashkenazi) and a bit about Oriental Jews, but the diasporic communities facinate me. I feel that, as I'm off to Uni in the Autumn, I should get around to thinking about what to do over the Xmas hols this year. I think that this would be an ideal time to go about the world, and meet new and exciting people. The potential list is as follows: Japan New Zealand (I have family out there, and it would be nice to meet them) Canada (More family out there too) Argentina (more family, and I could put my limited espanol to good use) North Europe, mostly Sweden, Danemark, Norway, perhaps Holland as well (would like to see the legendary social systems in person!) Iceland (Bit chilly in the winter though, same for the above) That's about it. I haven't done much traveling about though, and would love somewhere safe, and where English is widely spoken (I would make an effort to learn a bit, but I'm no linguist). I think it would really help my Uni course (Social Anthropology). Any ideas would be great!

Set up Broadband- Huzzah!!! Watched the BSP video, rather good

Listening to The Velvet Underground - Venus in Furs, and wondering what to do. If I push on with this Human Resources Coursework, then I could get an 'A' in business studies, and should be able to get into St. Andrews Uni. It's supposed to be in on Wednesday, but nobody in my class will have done it. I should hand in something, just to give my teacher something to do over the hols. God, I just said 'hols', am I turning into something out of an Enid Blyton book? Gosh, I fancy some Ginger Beer and a high jape! What do you say Timmy the Dog? Oh dear

It seems that the local assembly member for my area is getting a bit of flack from a few commenters on his blog (www.daviddaviesam.blogspot.com) notably on his recent abortion topic (http://daviddaviesam.blogspot.com/2005/03/abortion-lets-have-debate.html#comments). Hurrah for Claire Smalley! It appears that, in the upcoming elections, my area will have the honour of a UKIP (right-wing, very anti-EU) candidate. He'll split the right-wing vote, and so, Lib Dems or Labour could have a chance of winning. On another note, I have ordered the following items from Amazon:

1. The Iron Heel, by Jack London (Book)
2. The Last Temptation of Christ (DVD)
3. Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined, by Mono (CD)

Should be good!

Hopefully this will silence critics of immigration. This guy came to the UK in 1999, and now has a VC, good for him! Hugely brave, and humbling, if you read what he did. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4358921.stm

As I only got 44% in my Greek Tragedy paper, I plan to have it remarked. Does this sort of answer deserve and 'E' grade? I think not (This post will be a little self-indulgent by the way). How far was Dionysus justified in his actions in The Bacchae? In your answer, you should consider the actions and attitudes of both the mortals and of the god. (20 marks) The Bacchae has provided rich discussion on the nature of Dionysus, and Euripides’ relationship and view of the gods. I feel that the very nature of Dionysus is one of excess, and this is shown in the actions of his followers and himself, combining in the outcome he desires. Dionysus is the anthropomorphic personification of excess, as well as the creation and destruction that stem from that excess. Dionysus is an excessive force, and Pentheus, who is rigid against it, could only fall. What is fascinating is that Pentheus’s fate is only death, abet an unpleasant and tragic one, while the fate of Cadmus, who advised Pentheus to pretend to worship Dionysus even if he didn’t really is severe. The fate of being turned into a snake and being destined to lead a barbarian horde against his own city is the truly excessive punishment. Hubris has caused the death of many tragic heroes, and Pentheus’s actual denying the existence of a god was hugely unwise. His other characteristics are undesirable, as he claims logic and reason, yet seems prone to bursts of excessive violence and rage, as shown in his attempt to use force. He treats others with contempt, and combined with his (granted not unusual) misogynistic attitudes, he does not appear to be a good ruler. In this sense, he is clearly worthy of the god’s wrath. However, many of his decisions were hugely influenced by Dionysus, and it is through the god’s sophistry that Pentheus’s fate is sealed. I feel that Dionysus was justified in his punishment of Pentheus, due to Pentheus’s hubristic and arrogant nature but due to the petty, child-like element that all gods (and particularly Dionysus) have, his punishment went too far with Cadmus and others, and Dionysus ascts like a spoilt child not given enough attention.

Started a diet today. Hopefully should go well. I'm about 2/3 of the way through 'Requiem for a Dream' and am finding it suitably fantastic. Max (a chum from school) discovered this blog on Monday, which makes things a bit... tricky.

Not all the weather was good... . Statue of a God . Spiro in his Taverna on the last night. If in Mycenae, make sure you pop in to Spiro's (This photo isn't mine btw, full credit goes to Tom, who, if he contacts me, can get me to take this photo down) .

Monday Morning Random 5 This new and totally original feature (err..) brings you the first 5 tracks from my MP3 Player, and perhaps a few words on them. 1. Believe Me Natalie – Hot Fuss – The Killers. I’m a bit of a Killers fan, and must admit that I couldn’t believe that they were from the US when I first purchased the album 2. Track 10 – Absolution (I think) – Muse. I borrowed this off Ronald, and put it onto my laptop, so I have none of the names of the tracks. I like the lyrics as well, quite meaty. Fantastic piano-y stuff as well. Bit of a roller-coaster track all in all 3. Kill the Target – Electric Samurai – Tomayasu Hotei. I purchased this album a few months ago, and really enjoy some tracks. Tomayasu is an artist, and (from his pose on the cover) rather pretentious, but good nonetheless. I plan to get more Japanese music, in the form of ‘Mono’. 4. Lost Souls – Lost Souls – Doves. I didn’t get the first album from Doves until a few months after I found the second (The Last Broadcast) reduced in price post Crimbo. I prefer Last Broadcast personally, but ‘tis all good. 5. Praise You – Unknown – Fatboy Slim. Simply great, with a fantastic video (as most fatboy slim ones are) and nice story behind the lyrics (originally written about the Civil rights movement in the USA).

Now, after re-sits, I have the following AS levels: Business Studies - B Religious Studies - B (78% on both Ethics and Philosophy) Classical Civ. - C (but big muck up with my Tragedy paper, A/B grade answer was given 44%, much to the supprise of my teachers, and myself) I'll try to post the answers in question (I get to use a laptop in the exam, and I printed out an extra copy for myself) so you, the great public can judge for yourselves. Over and out!

A dilemma that I've been mulling over recently...

• An election is going to happen.
• As I am 18, I will be voting in this election
• In the area that I live, Labour beat the Tories last election by only 1%
• I don't want the Tories to get in (due, mainly to their shocking immigration policy - I quote from their website "We will pull out of the 1951 Refugee Convention and enter reservations against the relevant parts of the European Convention on Human Rights", thereby removing from us the responsibility to take in any genuine refugee
• As a member of the Liberal Democrat Party, I should vote for them
• I feel that it would be better for Labour to get in again (even though I wasn't in favour of the war) than for the Tories to.
• So, I could;

1. Vote Lib Dem, and hope that people from the other two parties will be attracted
2. Or, vote Labour, in order to keep the Tories out.

Godness, what should I do?