Author: Mark

  • The Cut Up – William Burroughs

    The Cut Up – William Burroughs

    I had this urge to do a cut-up.  I learnt about cut-ups decades ago. They were promoted by William Burroughs and his buddy Brion Gysin. The technique was sometimes used in their literature.  Literally sentences are cut-up into words and then the words are reassembled so that the future is revealed through this alchemical process.   The technique has been used in both art and literature, but most of all it is fun.

    A few minutes ago I wrote down the slogans of Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.  I then cut-up the sentences into a series of words which I reassembled in the hope that something would be revealed.

    YOU-MAKE-EVERYONE- EVERYONE-OUR -GOOD -FOOD – EVERY- DAY – SPECIALIST- US – VALUES – FOR – SAVING – HELPS – MONEY – DIFFERENT – FOR – EVERY – LITTLE

    If it has revealed something profound I cannot spot the insight, but I do like the concept.

  • Remake Weekend

    Remake Weekend

    By accident on Saturday and Sunday I found myself watching favourite films that had been remade, it turned into remake weekend.   On Saturday it was The Wicker Man.  I have watched the original many times and it stands up to many viewings. It is a wonderful film.  The remake was not required and I had resisted watching it.  The high spots were Nicholas Cage a fine actor, although miscast in this film and out of curiosity spotting how bits of the original had been reinterpreted.  The special effects were impressive, but overall the film felt hollow, it didn’t have the soul of the original.

    The lack of soul was similarly evident in The Day the Earth Stood Still. Again it was a case of despite the impressive special effects the magic of the film was missing.  The title of the film signposts the most important aspect of the film, but in the remake this is tacked on the end as an afterthought.  It was a pleasant way to pass a Sunday evening, but I would have preferred to have watched the original.

  • The Dead Wood Mouse

    The Dead Wood Mouse

    I awoke this morning to find a dead wood mouse in the garden.  This mouse appeared to have died from natural causes, apparently they live for up to 20 months.   There was nothing surprising or shocking, but as I reflected I became quite sentimental.  Last night as I quietly slept this wood mouse nearby was coming to the end of his/her life.  I found myself thinking in very human terms, had they been feeling unwell, would they be missed? I pondered the final moments as a little mouse life ends.  I buried the mouse in the garden and so he/she becomes part of the nature to which we all belong.

  • FA Cup Final 2011

    FA Cup Final 2011

    Enjoyed watching the FA Cup Final 2011, this afternoon.  I do not support either side, but for the sake of football I was pleased Man City won. It  took  me way, way back to watching FA Cup finals with  my Dad.  Back in the seventies both ITV and BBC would cover the final and the coverage would start at breakfast time.  Slowly the atmosphere would build up.  

    The games did not always live up to the build up, but you couldn’t fault the build up.  It really was the golden age of the past, happy times, secure times and family times.  And after the match myself and some of the other boys would kick the ball around in the road, emulating our heroes in a completely carefree manner.  The game is so very different these days, one of the players was reputed to be on £220,000 a  week, something was lost in the translation.