pogoism

Lake Tahoe

Apologies for taking ages to put up a new post, but it’s been a really hectic week and my chances to get to the internet have been somewhat limited.

Started off last Sunday morning, bright and early, to get the bus to Dublin. We drove through the country, marvelling at how ill-prepared the UK is for flooding, and got to the airport way ahead of time. Boarded a trusty Aer Lingus flight to Los Angeles and tried to settle into my new home for the next 10 hours. Unfortunately I didn’t get one of the planes with the in-seat screens, so I had to make do with craning my neck around my neighbour’s rather large broadsheet – not that the films were worth watching anyway. Managed to doze off once or twice, and forced down some yummy airplane food, but otherwise a very long and uneventful flight. I can’t imagine how people do transatlantic flights so often though, it’s not the nicest experience. Arrived in LA early, so had an even longer wait for my connecting flight to Reno, but spent the time trying to find the ever elusive terminal 8 (which they decided not to signpost for some reason), and wandering around trying to find something to eat that wasn’t going to give me a coronary.

And then, after 27 hours travelling, I arrived in Reno! I was greeted by a poilce office on a Sedgeway and met Emily and Fiona.

Up early on Monday to go to Lake Tahoe for the annual department picinc. The drive up there is spectacular. Reno itself is at 4500ft, but the drive to Tahoe takes you right over the mountains at 8000ft and down a bit to the lake. The scenery on the drive and the lake is some of the most dramatic I’ve seen.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were spent filling out the mountain of forms we’d been given, making sure that they all got to the correct offices, and getting orientated about the School and the campus. The campus is huge, with the School of Medicine being at the far north end. Also had to do all the dull stuff, like setting up bank accounts so I can actually get paid, getting social security…

Friday saw the start of work. I was assigned to a project studying interstitial cells of Cajal and type 2 diabetes, so it should be an enjoyable year! Also managed to get an apartment sorted out – free gym and pool for $850/month – bargain

So, a fantastic start to what looks like is going to be a great year in Reno. Keep checking back for more photos and posts :)

After a few months of my placement being on and off, tomorrow I’m finally heading to Reno for a year! Which means I can finally fill my blog with the things it was intended for :)

I’m really sad to be leaving Belfast though, I’m leaving behind some people that I’m *really* going to miss…

Anyhoo, keep an eye on my blog if you want to see what I get up to over there, complete with pictures!

I first heard of Neon Neon when The Guardian released some tracks to download relating to Glastonbury back in June. The track they had for Neon Neon was “Belfast”, so that instantly drew my attention (though I hoped it wouldn’t be like the last track I heard with the same title…

So, I thought I’d give their album a spin, see what it was like.

Neon Neon comes from the pairing of Boom Bip and Gryff Rhys (from Super Furry Animals), and were originally called Delorean, for reasons that you’ll see later.

When I first heard Belfast, I immediately drew comparisons to other bands, notably Chromeo and Neosupervital. Overall, the album is a weird mix of 80s electro, hip-hop and indie, but they manage to blend the three so that they work really well.

Stainless Style is a concept album based on the life of John De Lorean, a car designer with a playboy reputation. Said Rhys of the idea

a full-on concept record about the wives and lives [...] Of John DeLorean, so it’s been a real pleasure to write about a specific subject, and to think about various scenarios relating to his life and imaginary scenarios that may have happened to him on the way. And so musically we’ve been writing in a style that personally mirrored his kind of fast, cocktail-driven lifestyle. [...] It’s a very frivolous electro-pop record about the first playboy engineer. [Pitchfork Media]

This connection is obvious on a few tracks – Dream Cars, Raquel (about an alleged affair he had with actress Raquel Welch in the 1970s), I Lust U (about his affairs) and Belfast (about the city where he once had a car factory).

Neon Neon, at Summercase 2008

Having had a few listens of this album now, its a mixed bag – there are some great tracks, some okay tracks, and some really irritating tracks. Some of my favourites are the fast-paced I Told Her on Alderaan, catchy indie track Steel Your Girl and latest single, the smooth I Lust U. However, the album is let down by the annoying tracks – Raquel being the main offender. Add into this the fact that its blatantly obvious which tracks belong to who.

The final verdict? Overall, a very solid album, and it appeals to a variety of genres – it’s just a shame that there some weak tracks.

After the jump, the video for new single I Lust U.

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This Is England

I’ve been meaning to watch This Is England for absolutely ages, but finally got round to it this week. I had read glowing reviews of it, so started watching it with high hopes, but to be honest it did disappoint a little.

It’s a film that explores part of the skinhead movement in working-class England in 1983, and follows the story of one boy, Shaun. We quickly learn that Shaun’s dad was killed in the Falklands War. After being bullied at school one day, he runs into a group of older skinheads, and he becomes part of their group. Then, Combo, an older skinhead, returns to the group after serving a prison sentence, and radicalises the group into becoming anti-immigrant. A few leave the group, but Shaun decides to stay. Then, one night, they all get high, and Combo beats Milky, the only black member from the original group, and kills him, leading Shaun to question the movement.

Overall, it’s a very powerful and tense film, particularly with the use of original footage from the era, showing events such as the Falkland’s War, and speeches from Margaret Thatcher, grounding it in periodic authenticity. However, there were some cringy moments, like the ‘first kiss’ scene, and the story between Combo and his ex-girlfriend. Despite this though, it’s honest and true, and a great depiction of the skinhead movement.

I’d highly recommend you make an effort to see this, it’s one of the finest examples of British cinema out there.

XXY

I went with a few mates to QFT to see XXY, and none of us were really sure what to expect. I assumed the title referred to the medicial condition Klinefelter’s Syndrome, where the patient has the chromosomes XXY, as opposed to XX (for a female) or XY (for a male). This usually results in smaller testicles, and reduced or complete eradication of sterility. However, it quickly became clear that the film was not about this, as it was said that the main chacracter, Alex, is actually intersex (has both male and female genitalia).

Alex has been brought up her whole life on a cocktail of drugs and medication to keep her outward appearance female, but we learn that she has stopped taking her medications. Alex’s parents have moved her around a lot, to keep her from the negativity that could result, and have moved to a secluded location near the sea in Uruguay. Her mother, Suli, invites some of her friends, one of them a surgeon, from Argentina to stay to discuss the possibility of an operation. Alex has sex with Álvaro, the surgeon’s son. Then, some local men find Alex and forcibly pull Alex’s pants down so they can see her genetalia, but they decide not to report it to the police. Alex decides that she no longer wants to take the medication, or have an operation.

This is a very daring film, with the issue of intersex people rarely explored. I can only think of one instance, and that was (a very good) episode of Grey’s Anatomy. The filmmaker treats it very delicately and fairly. It is a truly beautiful film, with much attention paid to the characters emotions and the scenery. Perhaps the best thing about this film is the ending – there isn’t really one. Its annoying when you step out of the cinema, but with more thought, I realised that this is probably the best way, as for Alex, there isn’t really an ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, despite the subject not being what I thought it would be. However, my friends didn’t really seem to like it, so the verdict’s out…

The Dark Knight

Now, I have to admit, that I’m not really a fan of these comic-book films, and I went to this film reluctantly. I was wary that it was going to be a victim of it’s own hype, and not quite manage to cut it, and the length worried me somewhat.

How wrong I was.

What a fantastic film! The plot is somewhat long and complex, so I won’t go too much into it here, but it focusses on Batman’s (Christian Bale) fight with the Joker (Heath Ledger) and DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), and his affections for DA’s assistant Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

Heath Ledger really is as good as everyone is saying he is, on par with Hopkin’s Lecter, Christian Bale as Batman was good too. Everything about this film is marvellous!

Go see it, now!

In the wake of comments by Iris Robinson MLA MP over the last few weeks, today saw the much anticipated return of Belfast Pride. 

Photo from Flickr user healysequoia

There was a larger turnout than normal, probably due to Mrs. Robinson’s comments, and there was also a larger religious presence – including representatives from the Changing Attitudes Ireland, a new organisation to represent Christian gays throughout the island of Ireland. Said Rev. Mervyn Kingston

This is the first time our banner has been displayed at Pride in Belfast because it was important to increase our visibility and to show people that there are alternative Christian views than those espoused by Iris Robinson. 

At the Church of Ireland synod in Galway last May we had a stall for the first time and I counted only three delegates who refused to take our leaflets and only one who objected to our presence.

There also appear to be good relations between the gay community and the prominent protester Rev David McIlveen. The Chairman of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association, PA MacLochlainn (dressed as the Pope for the Parade) said

He loyally and steadfastly preaches the Gospel, but he doesn’t shove it down our throats. We get on well with David.

And in reply, Rev David McIlveen

I treat them as human beings, I have debated and conversed with them, but we don’t condone what they do.

So perhaps its not all as bad as the media would have us believe?

But despite this, it felt great when, as we walked past the protestors (with their backs turned) at St. Anne’s Cathedral and City Hall, members of the public clapped us to show their support. They probably don’t realise how important it is for us to hear that, and it’s fantastic to see that not everyone in Northern Ireland holds the same views as certain high-profile bigots… Indeed, there were many more politicians than normal, another positive outcome of Iris’ comments.

It’s always nice at Pride, and perhaps more for Belfast Pride, to see the wide mix of people who come, and show their support – particularly families.

The party in Customs House Square after the parade was a bit of a let down, with the Freemasons themselves not actually appearing, just the (not very good) vocalist, but it was all good fun.

After the jump, a few more photos…

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