Some thoughts on 2004
In no particular order, a few musings on 2004. . .
It began, as years so often do, on the 1st of January. Personally I favour moving New Year's Day to 1st March and just ignoring January and February (compositely known as Helluary) altogether, but this idea is yet to catch the public's imagination. All I'm suggesting is that we all hibernate for these two months and don't get out of bed again until March when daylight doesn't end at 1.47pm and there's a chance it might have stopped raining/snowing/hailing. It's just an idea. I think it could be popular.
Chavs continue to take over our fair isle and the word itself, relatively unknown a couple of years ago, has reached near ubiquity. They even have their own chav odyssey now. The girlfriend had a run in with one of our pleb cousins only yesterday in our nearby shopping centre. Having accidentally knocked into a young woman with a buggy, and subsequently apologising, she was verbally threatened by the male counterpart (and possibly the father of the buggy's passenger - who can tell?) who, after calling her a "stuck up bitch", then threatened to "fucking put her in her place" and "knock her down". Nice. All in the middle of a busy clothes shop. Did anyone intervene? No, of course not. This is London and nobody likes to get involved. The sheer number of young thugs dressed in garish sportswear, rutting like animals to fill this country with yet more of their illiterate scum children continues to shock and dismay. And yet, if we were to kill these people, WE would be the criminals.
Another shit show for England in a major football tournament: Euro 2004. The depressing inevitability of being knocked out on penalties AGAIN was almost too much to bear. Still, it made a superstar out of Wayne Rooney, undeniably a fantastic player. Unfortunately, he ruined everything by signing for The Great Satan in the summer. Arsenal, meanwhile, won the Championship in great style, and went the entire season unbeaten. This unbeaten stretch continued a fair way into the 2004/2005 season until calamity intervened. Still, looks like they're finally back on the road to recovery, although Chelsea are looking unbeatable at the moment.
I'd like to briefly talk about the two most controversial films of the year, although I should point out that I haven't actually seen either of them (note to self: must get to the cinema more often in 2005; note to Hollywood: must make more films worth watching): Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Passion Of The Christ. The former I am suspicious of because Michael Moore is becoming an embarrassment, and from what I have seen and read, his film gleefully distorts images of the war to suit his own (and lots of other people's) agenda. By all means go after the Bush family, but please keep to the facts otherwise we all lose. Unquestionably the most entertaining review that I read of Fahrenheit 9/11 was this one by Christopher Hitchens. Hitch goes for the jugular, ripping both Moore and his film to pieces. And as for The Passion Of The Christ, it seems to me that it was made to satiate the desire of a particular type of Christian (more specifically a particular type of Catholic) that enjoys watching the spectacle of a young man being flogged to within an inch of his life. OK, so I haven't seen the film (I don't think I could stomach it anyway and besides, I have no interest in giving money to that little turd Mel Gibson) but if I wanted to watch something like that I would track down a gay S&M flick. Homo-erotic piss masquerading as statement.
Record numbers turned out in the US elections in November to grant George W. Bush a second term, this time without any ambiguity. Personally I wanted Kerry, but what can you do? At least this way Bush and his crew will have to face up to the responsibility of the mess they have created in Iraq. I didn't oppose the war (although sometimes it's difficult to remember why) and believe that the creation of an Islamic democracy in that troubled region cannot be anything but a good thing. It is not in the world's interest for America to fail. Let's hope the election goes smoothly in January 2005 and that we don't just walk away soon after. It will take years to bed down stability and it has to be seen through to the bitter end.
Back in the UK, it's been a tough year for Tony Blair. He has continued to pay the price for his backing of the Iraq invasion, he's got Gordon Brown continually breathing down his neck, he lost his powerful home secretary David Blunkett after a long soap opera and there's probably going to be a general election next year. Luckily for him, the Tories under Michael Howard continue to be a hopeless opposition and Tone will no doubt get the third term that he so craves, although I expect it will be with a vastly reduced mandate. The thing is, I don't know if I even care anymore. The fox hunting debate continues to drag on and, frankly, who is interested? It's difficult to conceive of anything less relevant to the 99% of the population who collectively yawn at the very mention of the subject.
John Peel sadly passed away. It's always the good ones who have to go before their time. Peel dies, yet "Dr" Fox lives. Justice? No. Still, 2004 was a good year for music. Highlights for me, again in no particular order:
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Morrissey - You Are The Quarry
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Lyre Of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues
R.E.M. - Around The Sun
Brian Wilson - Smile
Keane - Hopes And Fears
Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
Embrace - Out Of Nothing
Thirteen Senses - The Invitation
The Dears - No Cities Left
Kings Of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
So much else. Democracy resolute in Ukraine; Arafat dead; Reagan dead; iPods EVERYWHERE; Spain capitulates to terrorists. . . . and then, right at the end of the year, nature pops up with devastating consequences to remind us all that the world is a very dangerous place, that despite all our technology and sophistication we are at the mercy of the elements. Makes me glad to live in a country like the UK where, minor grumbles and the crappy weather aside, we don't really have much to worry about. For that we should be extremely grateful and we should all pledge some money for the relief effort in Asia to at least help in some small way.
See you next year.
It began, as years so often do, on the 1st of January. Personally I favour moving New Year's Day to 1st March and just ignoring January and February (compositely known as Helluary) altogether, but this idea is yet to catch the public's imagination. All I'm suggesting is that we all hibernate for these two months and don't get out of bed again until March when daylight doesn't end at 1.47pm and there's a chance it might have stopped raining/snowing/hailing. It's just an idea. I think it could be popular.
Chavs continue to take over our fair isle and the word itself, relatively unknown a couple of years ago, has reached near ubiquity. They even have their own chav odyssey now. The girlfriend had a run in with one of our pleb cousins only yesterday in our nearby shopping centre. Having accidentally knocked into a young woman with a buggy, and subsequently apologising, she was verbally threatened by the male counterpart (and possibly the father of the buggy's passenger - who can tell?) who, after calling her a "stuck up bitch", then threatened to "fucking put her in her place" and "knock her down". Nice. All in the middle of a busy clothes shop. Did anyone intervene? No, of course not. This is London and nobody likes to get involved. The sheer number of young thugs dressed in garish sportswear, rutting like animals to fill this country with yet more of their illiterate scum children continues to shock and dismay. And yet, if we were to kill these people, WE would be the criminals.
Another shit show for England in a major football tournament: Euro 2004. The depressing inevitability of being knocked out on penalties AGAIN was almost too much to bear. Still, it made a superstar out of Wayne Rooney, undeniably a fantastic player. Unfortunately, he ruined everything by signing for The Great Satan in the summer. Arsenal, meanwhile, won the Championship in great style, and went the entire season unbeaten. This unbeaten stretch continued a fair way into the 2004/2005 season until calamity intervened. Still, looks like they're finally back on the road to recovery, although Chelsea are looking unbeatable at the moment.
I'd like to briefly talk about the two most controversial films of the year, although I should point out that I haven't actually seen either of them (note to self: must get to the cinema more often in 2005; note to Hollywood: must make more films worth watching): Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Passion Of The Christ. The former I am suspicious of because Michael Moore is becoming an embarrassment, and from what I have seen and read, his film gleefully distorts images of the war to suit his own (and lots of other people's) agenda. By all means go after the Bush family, but please keep to the facts otherwise we all lose. Unquestionably the most entertaining review that I read of Fahrenheit 9/11 was this one by Christopher Hitchens. Hitch goes for the jugular, ripping both Moore and his film to pieces. And as for The Passion Of The Christ, it seems to me that it was made to satiate the desire of a particular type of Christian (more specifically a particular type of Catholic) that enjoys watching the spectacle of a young man being flogged to within an inch of his life. OK, so I haven't seen the film (I don't think I could stomach it anyway and besides, I have no interest in giving money to that little turd Mel Gibson) but if I wanted to watch something like that I would track down a gay S&M flick. Homo-erotic piss masquerading as statement.
Record numbers turned out in the US elections in November to grant George W. Bush a second term, this time without any ambiguity. Personally I wanted Kerry, but what can you do? At least this way Bush and his crew will have to face up to the responsibility of the mess they have created in Iraq. I didn't oppose the war (although sometimes it's difficult to remember why) and believe that the creation of an Islamic democracy in that troubled region cannot be anything but a good thing. It is not in the world's interest for America to fail. Let's hope the election goes smoothly in January 2005 and that we don't just walk away soon after. It will take years to bed down stability and it has to be seen through to the bitter end.
Back in the UK, it's been a tough year for Tony Blair. He has continued to pay the price for his backing of the Iraq invasion, he's got Gordon Brown continually breathing down his neck, he lost his powerful home secretary David Blunkett after a long soap opera and there's probably going to be a general election next year. Luckily for him, the Tories under Michael Howard continue to be a hopeless opposition and Tone will no doubt get the third term that he so craves, although I expect it will be with a vastly reduced mandate. The thing is, I don't know if I even care anymore. The fox hunting debate continues to drag on and, frankly, who is interested? It's difficult to conceive of anything less relevant to the 99% of the population who collectively yawn at the very mention of the subject.
John Peel sadly passed away. It's always the good ones who have to go before their time. Peel dies, yet "Dr" Fox lives. Justice? No. Still, 2004 was a good year for music. Highlights for me, again in no particular order:
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Morrissey - You Are The Quarry
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Lyre Of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues
R.E.M. - Around The Sun
Brian Wilson - Smile
Keane - Hopes And Fears
Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
Embrace - Out Of Nothing
Thirteen Senses - The Invitation
The Dears - No Cities Left
Kings Of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
So much else. Democracy resolute in Ukraine; Arafat dead; Reagan dead; iPods EVERYWHERE; Spain capitulates to terrorists. . . . and then, right at the end of the year, nature pops up with devastating consequences to remind us all that the world is a very dangerous place, that despite all our technology and sophistication we are at the mercy of the elements. Makes me glad to live in a country like the UK where, minor grumbles and the crappy weather aside, we don't really have much to worry about. For that we should be extremely grateful and we should all pledge some money for the relief effort in Asia to at least help in some small way.
See you next year.
posted by Citizen Sane at 12/31/2004 02:03:00 pm
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