"OK, time to talk a bit." by mrjemm

Is the easy bit, doing all the other stuff is the not quite so easy stuff.

I was going to have a bit of a rant and a rave about all my thougts on society and suchlike, but the inspiration has gone to get a cup of coffee I think. Maybe I should join it and do that later. In the mean time I guess I could introduce myself. After all, you have taken the decision to enter my area of this community, it'sprobably only fair for me to let you know some things about myself so you may see where I'm "coming from" as such. Until I feel more inspired and creative, I will stick to basic facts and lists, leaving any formatting and structure to a later date.

So Mr Jemm, tell us about yourself.
Well, er, my name is actually Jeremy, but you may realise that is not how I choose to be referred to. Although you can if you like, likewise I end up using Jim often as it's just a hassle to say "no, with an E, like a diamond...". The 2nd M stands for my surname if it matters.
I am originally not from Aberdeen, but Ipswich, read my pages and you'll realise that I'm not a fan of that town or region, which may one reason for my regular escape into travel, and now a new life in Scotland. It embodies the human face of the Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail?
Yes, that paper, along with some help from others like the Express help the national identity and my rants no end. It has a very powerful negative influence on a very large portion of the population. It seems to want to create knee jerk reactions and prejudice. More infamous tabloids like The Sun do less harm because it is not so self conscious, apparently serious or plainly insidious. The Mail promotes itself as a Middle Class, Middle England moral guardian whilst using hypocrisy and suspect ethics to promote it's own sales with a right wing twist. Without reading it properly regularly (why would I?), it appears to not maintain a standard argument within it's own pages or over time. Except of course that all immigration is bad, and such like.

Better get a coffee and take a breather, I feel a rant coming on.

Hmmm, I just wrote quite a tirade, but decided to delete it, thinking that OK, VT is fairly free thinking and this is my little corner of it to do as I please, but it was just too far from the point of the site and I don't want to abuse it and risk any bad feeling.

Until I know more where my limitations are, I think I will move onto what I find good out there.

Many contributors here like to list what they enjoy, so I may as well follow suit and expose a few of my pleasures. Like most, music, film and fine arts are a major aspect of making me happy, obviously besides travel, but I go into that on travel pages, so here I will "do" the arts.

I am one more of the majority on VT who will tell you of my love of non mainstream film. Not to say I don't enjoy blockbusters and Hollywood fodder, but beyond an adrenalin rush ora quick fix, it's really only fillm that gets me thinking and leaves me feeling I've gained something that really cuts the mustard. I'm particularly keen on (some) the cinema of Japan, China and Hong Kong, but America produces some of the best film in the world too. As do many or indeed most countries. Sadly, UK seems to lag behind in this, although as usual, it believes it produces the best "quality" (as it does with fashion, art, music, etc.). Anyway, here's a few of my favourites, but I'm sure I'll forget some of the most important ones:

Afterlife ("Wandafuru raifu"), Japan, 98),
Tampopo, Japan, 85,
Waterboys, Japan, 01,
Shall We Dansu, Japan, 96,
Kikujiro No Natsu, Japan, 99 (and many other Kitano- Hana Bi, Sonatine etc.).
Not One Less, China, 99, (and many other Zhang Yimou- The Road Home, etc.).
Fallen Angels ("Duo luo tian shi"), HK, 95 (and many other Wong Kar Wei- Chungking Express, In The Mood For Love, etc.),
Made in Hong Kong, HK, 97,
Down By Law, US, 86, (and many other Jarmusch- Night on Earth, Mystery Train, etc.),
Baghdad Cafe ("Out of Rosenheim"), US, 87.
Blade Runner, US, 82 (yes, it's good).
My Neighbour Totoro ("Tonari No Totoro"), Japan, 88, (and many other Miyazaki animations- Pom Poko, Spirited Away).

And many, many more...

Well, I guess everyone likes music in some shape or form, and often those are wildly different shapes and forms between people. I mean, some people actually like Queen, U2 and the Red Hot Cack Mongers, if you could believe that. I suppose it is a bit general to refer to the music you like by naming the band, because there are often only certain tracks you actually enjoy or at best you like most of somebodies catalogue, but I am sure there is always something that bothers you amongst even your favourite artist's creations. However, I will be sweeping and refer to artists and even genres in my very simple list.

My big bugbears here (besides those bands named above) are modern R&B/Urban/Swing and Garage. Even more generally speaking I would say anything being played on a bassy car stereo audible outside the car, anything on someone else's headphones (audible from outside them), anything that involves guitar solos (sorry fellows, it's a personal thing) and anything being played audibly when I am trying to sleep or get some peace. Basically anything invasive. What I do like, though, is:
1)Ska- Older, original stuff especially, although the 80's revival had some great bands- anything 2-Tone, Janet Kay, etc. and also some more recent stuff- especially Ska-P from Spain. Not so keen on some of the US/UK skate kiddie efforts though.
2)Punk- particularly Dead Kennedys/Jello Biafra and associated projects. Again, not keen on recent skate-kiddies efforts.
3)Tricky
4)Tom Waits
5)Sneaker Pimps
6)Breakbeat especially Semi Detached Productions (some friends, but bloody good).
Note: by the way, the only order here is how it comes into my head, not preference.
7)Yann Tiersen (Amelie and all that)
8) All sorts of random other stuff- "eclectic" is the word of the moment and it really fits. Lots of electronic, Bollywood, Thai, Japanese, Folk, Psychabilly, Filipino, Indian, Accordion, Old Movie themes, some Hard Rock, Disco, Acid (early), Jazz, Soul (various forms bar those mentioned), classic, opera, hell even some Sugababes. But no U2, Red Hot Arse and certainly not Queen.

Quick change of theme, but whatever. Now I think I'll go on a bit about stuff that should be on my to do list.

The biggest, most importanly super special de-luxe stuff I must really gotta do is see at least one iceberg up close, preferably safely. Also I totally definately must get good looky looky at St Elmo's Fire, the electrostatic effect, not, I repeat not, the movie; I've seen that more than enough times to be satisfied. And similar to that is the wibbly wobbly sky show of multicoloured delights known as the Northern Lights and Aurora Borealis and Ooooh, those pretty things.

Ooh, works up, home time, more soon. Ta-ra.

It seems to me that there are quite a few cat people here- more so than dog people. I think there may be something in that; definately an independence issue. And intelligence. (Not saying I'm intelligent, but I respect intelligence). Anyway, don't know why, but it got me singing to myself a nice peice of music by the Dead Kennedys called Dogbite. not been bitten by one, but that's the sort of antisocial thing dogs do, along with licking, crapping and generally being smelly and stupid. Being an epic tune of astounding depth, complex lyrics and technical merit, I'm pleased to see it involves 2 parts of my life- travel and acoustic positioning (well, it's the only real form of underwater navigation- I don't count dead reckoning or inertia systems). here's the entire lyrics-

Dog bite
On my leg
Not right
Supposed to beg
Daily to the filling station
Underwater navigation

Oh
Oh
Oh

Ah, such... Ooh, it just moves me.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Catchy though, aint it?