bondosan

Went to see the latest Bond film, Casino Royale, recently. Very much in keeping with what i recall of the books, a much harder, tougher edge to the character. Of all the Bonds even Connery, Daniel Craig seems closest to that almost psychopathic character in the books but also mixed with vulnerability. I wonder if Ian Fleming would recognise this portrayal as being closest to the written character if he were still alive. However, the theme song was quite possibly the worst and most anonymous Bond song ever. I wonder where the franchise goes from here. Non-book scripts again or remakes of earlier books. There is a real problem in a non-cold war environment of coming up with plots/stories. Similar problem to that faced by John Le Carre who has endeavoured to site his more recent novels in current scenarios like 'multi-nationals and environmental/human rights abuses'. Similar problems are faced by tv versions of the spy genre like 'Spooks' which is in danger of going ott on 'muslim/middle east related stories'. It was interesting to see the most recent series finished with an 'environmental story' and one in the current world perfectly believeable of a uk government.

spoofing capitalism!

If you haven't visited before, a site well worth looking at is adbusters http://adbusters.org/home/ . As the ad says, if you excuse the pun, it does what it says on the packet. Starting i think with spoofing ads for major brand names. See some very good examples on the website. They developed the concept of the 'buy nothing day'. The site rightly questions our obsession with brand and shopping.I'm not sure when the site dates from, but it may have developed in the late 90s on the back of several books of the time, like 'no logo' highlighting for the 'brand generation' the domination of leading brands and their increasing invasion of public space and their power vis-a-vis many governments. In addition those same companies increasingly dictate the terms of the lives of most people on the planet.

musical interlude

What is it about certain fragments of music that make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. In my case such as the opening chords of Badge by Cream, or the opening of Kid A by Radiohead and that part of Karma Police - 'for a minute there i lost myself' as it builds to a crescendo. Others defy being repeated countless times such as 'love will tear us apart' by Joy Division. You never seem to tire of listening to them time and time again, often trying to detect the lyrics.

ancestral thoughts

As i walk each morning from Blackfriars through to Ludgate Hill past St Andrews by the Wardrobe (a wonderful name) and i cross Carter Lane, i'm frequently reminded that direct ancestors on my father's side lived here in the 19th century and elsewhere in the City, east end, north and south London. In fact since the mid 18th century my direct ancestors have lived in various parts of London.On occasions i've looked for the specific house numbers they lived in but the overwhelming majority no longer exist not unsurprisingly.I often think this very long association explains my deep passion for London, warts and all. It's as though it has seeped into my bones. I would love to come full circle and live back in the City. One day perhaps.I try to imagine my ancestors lives of scrimping and saving, with a few exceptions they were unskilled labourers, although one brother, in the mid 19th century, of my direct ancestor somehow managed to marry into a family owning wool warehouses in the Minories and left over £50, 000 in the 1850s but none of it came my family's way!My own birth by Waterloo Bridge, i think technically qualifies me as being born within the sounds of Bow Bells!

hollywood and conflict diamonds

Last friday saw the launch in the UK of Blood Diamond, the Hollywood film about conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone in the 1990s and also the film the diamond industry has tried hard to nullify by the launch of a multi-million dollar pr campaign. Most prominent in this campaign has been the launch by the industry of the so-called 'diamond facts' website.If you want to know the real facts then you are better going to Amnesty International UK website http://www.amnesty.org.uk/diamonds/
I hope many of those seeing the film, open their eyes to the issue and start asking retailers to prove their diamonds are conflict free. On that front there are a number of donwloads on the Amnesty site which will help those buying diamonds. I was lucky enought to see a review of the filmlast monday evening and although not my sort of film i would recommend it and i think it will do a goood job in bringing thousands more people to ask questions about where their diamonds come from.