More zen slacking

49. When alone talk vociferously in a foreign accent.

57. Always lie about your age.

65. Think from time to time of all the time you wasted by doing something rather than nothing.

78. One Saturday get up early, open a beer and read the morning papers. Make sure it's before 9am. Tell people about it.

Modern Drunkard

Man, I love being hungover these days, it just doesn't feel as bad as it used to. There's that exhausted wooziness you feel, and your body's whimpering patheticness; your slouching, groaning, lazy body movements. It's a wonderful thing. I love that feeling of self-pity, where you curl up in a big jumper, drink lots of tea, and despair at Sunday morning telly.
This morning, I woke up to watch the last hour of match of the day. I just texted a friend about those annoying community project slots they have. So very dull. He said that he times them with the making of his breakfast, which is a good plan. There's notihng more annoying than going to make a cup of tea, or get some Shreddies and then missing a goal. Especially if you don't know the scores. Hmm.
Last night was really good, one of the best drinking days I've had in a long time. I started drinking in the afternoon, after coming back from the United game (lunch-time k.o.) and Simon and Jerry (from work) were there. Simon left soon after, but Jerry stuck around snd we chatted loads. I've not really spoken to him before, so I heard about his penchant for Phsychobilly and 60s Garage, and I tried to convince him that country music was good. I was drinking Pedigree and it tasted particularly good yesterday. We stayed in there until the Newcastle game, and watched that - we left ten minutes from the end, it was obviously going to end a draw. I quickly grabbed some tea and tried to sober up a little. I'd had four pints, and drinking in the afternoon can knock me out pretty bad, but I still felt good, if a little blurry, and I headed into town in good spirits.
At the Bath, I drank Schneider Weisse, which is a lovely wheat beer, very slowly, and enjoyed the company of my friends. Everyone was in good form, and it was fun to see Kirilee, who I simply love, she's a wonderful person. Adam and Simon were there too, as well as Gnomes, Felicity and Val. A great night, loads of fun, good booze, great company, I couldn't ask for more.

I think I might get a subscription to Modern Drunkard Magazine.

Literatoor

Culture whore that I am, I went to another event from the wonderful Off The Shelf festival last night with my goodly wife. We saw Lionel Shriver read from her last two books, followed by a Q&A session. She spoke really well, and it's interesting hearing different voices to the characters to the ones you imagine, like the different emphasis and intonation. But the best buit was the Q&A session. I was very impressed by the questions fielded, most of which were intelligent and incisive. She answered them all with a natural grace, and it was just great to hear these conversations about ushc a wonderful book (all the questions were on We Need To Talk About Kevin). It was interesting to hear that the last page, in which the reader is given some relief form the torment she has endured and their relationship seems to have some hope, wasn't planned, and even as she was writing the previous page, she was worried the book was going to end on a downer.

I'm looking forward to her next book (out next Spring) - one of her characters is a pro Snooker player! She's a big fan apparently.

The Cuckoo is a pretty bird

My God, last night went to see Shirley Collins tell The Memorial Hall all about her travellings across America with Alan Lomax in 1959, and it was wonderful. She told wonderful stories and although delivery was a bit middle-aged (well, she is, so...), her experiences were so interesting, and the music she played incredible that that didn't matter too much. And anyway, I warmed to her style pretty quickly, it was quite homely and English.
So in 1959, Alan Lomax invited her over to the States to held assist some field recordings throughout the South. Unbelievable, I don't think I've ever been so jealous of a person's experience. They came across some pretty scary Baptists who didn't take too kindly to her sinful haircut and Alan's beatnik beard. I think my favourite of the musicians they came across were the Sacred Harp singers - I'd heard some of this profound Christian singing tradition on the Cold Mountain soundtrack, and their harsh, defintie voices, pounding away from their proud hearts is so beautifully stirring. One of the most moving sounds I've heard.
It was interesting to find out Po Lazarus - the first song featured on the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack and inspiration for probably the best song I've ever written - was also a 1959 field recording. It really was a recording of prisoners hitting away at the dirt with their picks. Incredible.
Anyway, today I've been putting together a compilation for Felicity, who was also there with me, of some traditional American music. Lots of fun.

Also, I'm looking forward to purchasing some of Shirley's own records - I've been meaning to buy Old Roots, New Routes, her album with Davey Graham, for some time. I'm also going to get some Anne Briggs and some other English folk traditionalists.

I was reading this interview with an author who was saying that she hasn't read any fiction in about ten years because she finds herself copying the style of the book she's reading. This seems to make sense, every writer wants to be original, but I think I actually have to be reading something in order to write. It's the same with writing songs - the only time I wrote anything decent was when I was trying to rip someone else off.
At the moment I'm reading 'Vernon God Little' which passed me by when it was released. I'm really enjoying it, it's very very much like Catcher In The Rye - an anti-hero who sees everything through snatches of movies and songs - Fate Songs as he calls them. But yeah, it probably is having an influence on my style, but that's ok. When I'm reading somethnig good, it gives me the confidence to write well. Or just write.

Zen slacking

28. Are you happy? If you're not sure then you need to do more zen slacking. Stay on the bus a few stops too far and then amble back.

9. When you try to chill out it's more trying than chilling. You'll find that things that are unexpected will still iritate you and then depress you because you realize your cool is skin deep. I'm still working on this one. Going for a long walk is pretty good.

23. If you find you are too stressed to take phonecalls from old friends then the next time it happens deliberately prolong the call until they are the one to end it.

31. Aim to watch a bad movie at least once a week. Preferably one you've seen and dismissed before.


Taken from The Idler 38. More to come.......