Wednesday 30 June 2010

NY

I fly out to New York in two days. Why am I not excited? Sigh

Sunday 27 June 2010

Recent Acquisitions



Mos Def - Black on Both Sides

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum

Thursday 17 June 2010

Glamorama

After an awful week whereby I have probably just scraped a pass on my french exam, missed a Milton seminar, and missed the deadline for the Milton proceedural essay (with no ideas, no plan, having done no research), for some reason I have decided I need escapism. My mind feels all cloudy. Too much stuff has happenned this term. I just need time to relax and tackle Milton in my own time. Deadlines are not going to work. Anyway, I'm not sure how wise this 'escapism' is. I need to be immersed in work and work ethic - but alas, this is what is keeping me sane -

Hopefully his new novel Imperial Bedrooms is just as good. Luckily for me it comes out the day I go to America.

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Leviathan

This week for my Milton class I was set extracts from Hobbes' Leviathan. He writes the sort of things that as a self-indulgent depressive teenager I would have loved. Forgive me for quoting this section - it is so wonderfully, (and not even spuriously) pessimistic. It seems that I haven't completely let go of that part of me...

"Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherin men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them withall. In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short."

True?

Monday 7 June 2010

Astronomy

Listening to a lot of new hip hop the last few weeks - Blackstar, Braintax and Army of the Pharaohs. All good stuff.