Friday, June 20, 2003
Friday Five sucks.
1. Is your hair naturally curly, wavy, or straight? Long or short?
Shoulder length, wavy (or straight and messy??)
2. How has your hair changed over your lifetime?
It's got less red. I have had the same haircut for years. I always say to the hairdresser, 'Use your imagination, I want something different'. But it always comes out shoulder length with layering. Hairdressers don't have much imagination, or my hair is such a nightmare they can't do anything else.
3. How do your normally wear your hair?
Messy. Down.
4. If you could change your hair this minute, what would it look like?
Um. I wouldn't. OK. I would have it black, (something I have never done because it would patently not suit me). And I would introduce some kind of order to it, I guess.
5. Ever had a hair disaster? What happened?
Not really. I used to dye it wash-out purple, and once it RAINED and stained my favourite coat. It still has faint purple marks down the back. My lack of adventurousness has really prevented this one...
¶ 12:04 PM
Thursday, June 19, 2003
The new Adbusters arrived on my doorstep this morning. I am still not quite sure what I think of this magazine. For a project that is meant to be anti-adversiting and anti-corporate values, it is extremely glossy and has an aesthetic that is as slick as any ad, or mainstream magazine. But, then I remembered that the Situationist magazine SI (Situationist International) came out, it was produced with the most luxory imaginable. On the one hand, maybe there is an attempt to do this kind of thing. But SI was not produced in this way: the idea was to make it indulgently appealling, luxurious. But not in the way that Adbusters does: immitating (satirising, sometimes) the aesthetic of the bland world it critiques. Sometimes, it features spectacularly beautiful and shocking images. There was one in the previous issue of an american oilfield, pump after pump stretching into the desert distance. And this issue still has this element. The guy sitting opposite me on the train today was really curious, and I had more than one comment. (One, at Foyles, when Mike was buying some books for me with his discount, was kinda disturbing. It was a photograph of a blood soaked child on one side, and a missile on the other, with scrawled red handwritten text Who is the terrorist? Americans, Iraqis. The guy behind the customer service till thought it was a real advert) Well, anyway, maybe it's still effective. There is no real editorial, it is all excerpts from other peoples articles, and submitted letters. The tone of the letters is generally kind of outraged and self righteous. But sometimes there are some interesting and intriguing of affecting comments. They also publish invective against them. Which is good. But, there is kind of a DIY ethic behind their concept, that doesn't seem to be reflected in the glossiness of production. Hmm. Well, it is worth checking out ;) Hmmm, this was a very pretentious kind of post ;) ¶ 11:11 PM
Monday, June 16, 2003
Friday Five, a few days late...
1. What's one thing you've always wanted to do, but never have?
Travel. Hopefully, this ambition isn't so far away anymore.
2. When someone asks your opinion about a new haircut/outfit/etc, are you always honest?
No, I'm not. I try to be, but that look of expectation in their eyes often means I can't. But then I usually DO like the haircut/outfit/whatever...
3. Have you ever found out something about a friend and then wished you hadn't? What happened?
I'm sure this must have happened, but I can't think of anything right now.
4. If you could live in any fictional world (from a book/movie/game/etc.) which would it be and why?
Fiction is good because it *is* fictional. And none of the fictional worlds I like are completely positive. My favourite book is Catch-22 but I don't want to be in that world. In my dreamier moments, maybe some kind of fantasy world like The Magician, by Fiest. Dragons, elves, honour, bravery, swords, the whole deal... But, even then, I'm not completely convinced. :)
5. What's one talent/skill you don't have but always wanted?
I'd like to be fluent in another language. Or more perceptive :) ¶ 12:23 AM
So, who is the girl behind the mask (to flatter myself with the comparison to my heroine no end I might add!)? I've thought a lot lately about how little information about myself I allow myself to let go of on this blog. I think that the fact I constantly restrict myself, censor myself, even, has to end. This is partly because of Gabriela's example. Also my friend DC Mike's now vanished blog. Those are examples of what a blog should be. So, why all the masks? Well, I am going to try and stop relying on them :) Although my Harley Quinn persona might live on, because I like her so much :)
In the next couple of days, I'm going to add comments, I think. Any opinions, dear readers? Would you like comments? Or would you leave none, I wonder?
So, today. I went to see Mary Ann, my ex-stepmother. My dad's second wife. We had a really lovely day actually: she made a delicious salad and omlette for lunch, and we had it in the garden of the friends' she's staying with. The house is really lovely. Homely and girly and nice :) Then we went for a little trip into the countryside, to the little town Mary Ann is thinking of moving to. It was pretty nice. Then I came home and made Mike eat Indian food. Then we watched The Game which has entirely freaked me out. I'm feeling all paranoid now :)
All day (and all the last three days actually), I've been reading Martin Eden by Jack London. What a book. Go and read it. Although I've read books that I've enjoyed or appreciate, I can't remember when I read something as griping or unputdownable as this. I may have to read everything Jack London has ever written now :) I'll maybe write something a bit more extensive when I've finished. ¶ 12:09 AM
Sunday, June 15, 2003
