Reading Pride and Prejudice made me thankful of several things:
1. The United States has no aristocracy
2. The British aristocracy are no longer powerful
3. Gender equality has progressed tremendously
4. Contemporary notions of manners and morality are not the same as those of Victorian England
5. My friends and family do not act in the same bat-shit-crazy way as the majority of the book's characters
Perhaps I would have liked it better had I not just read Vonnegut and The Color Purple. That creates a pretty steep hill to climb for anything pompous and asinine. BTW, please read The Color Purple if you haven't yet! It should be essential reading for every American!
Klosterman's Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs was also disappointing by being ideologically incoherent and a bit offensive without being very funny. He attempts to pass off all of his subjective tastes as objectively cool while arguing that anyone else who does the same is a clueless narcissistic hipster. Perhaps I could have handled that better if his favorite TV shows didn't include "Saved By the Bell" and MTV's "The Real World," if he didn't worship at the alter of Pamela Anderson, and if he would stop arguing that all soccer players are sissies. After reading this pop culture critic, I am no closer to understanding pop culture but I do loathe it (and him) a bit more.
mandag 24. mars 2008
lørdag 22. mars 2008
Berlin Pt. 2
To continue from the Kulturforum, I went shoe shopping. My last pair of shoes were literally falling apart. They'd had holes for a few months, but then the elastic laces broke on the left shoe and it was time. I checked out a few skateshops, but couldn't find a single pair that I really liked. They had to be usable as skateshoes but still nice enough for me to be able to wear to work, and I had to find them somewhat aesthetically pleasing. These seemingly simple requirements were more difficult to meet than I had imagined. I ended up at an Adidas store and settled for a one-size-too-small pair that I was a bit lukewarm about. This is why I hate shopping. I never find anything that I really like when I need it, never have money when I do find something I like, and nearly always end up regretting my purchase. And unfortunately, I do regret this purchase. The next day I came across some other stores with awesome shoes that I imagine would have fit me instead of causing the most painful blister of my life. This blister is covering half my pinky toe. I don't even know if I should refer to it as a single blister, as the original blister popped and a new one formed right on top. Last night I was in such pain that I couldn't walk or even think all that clearly. Today is a beautiful sunny day and I can't go out and enjoy it. Fuck.
So ANYWAY, after shoe shopping I spent a couple hours walking around Prenzlauer Berg. This neighborhood was clearly the current hotspot, there were hip boutiques, cafes, bars, and people everywhere. Later that night I ended up at a collectively run vegetarian cafe/bar in the neighborhood called Morgenroot. I had a couple beers and chilled out to the funky soul music they were piping through. This was one of the most awesome spots I've ever been too! It was a bit overwhelming, especially thinking about how perfect his place was for Cate.
On my last full day in town I began with a brunch buffet at Morenrot. The buffet cost 4 to 8 Euros and its up to the patron how much they want to pay "based on how rich they are." Well, I'm not much rich but I do love that place. The rest of the day I ended up doing more wandering around Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. I also walked around Mitte's gallery district. Mitte was the hotspot in East Berlin in early nineties, but now seems a bit corporate and commercial. I did stop into a really cool gallery called Circleculture that was exhibiting some silk screen graphics by Sister Corita Kent. Longer post about her to come?
I ended up having a final dinner at Morena, a cozy spot in Kreuzberg, and later that night I went back to Bais for a couple more cheap drinks. And that was pretty much the trip! A few touristy things but mostly just walking around and enjoying Berlin's atmosphere or reading in one of its fine cafes or bars. And I did a fair amount of reading, too. I finished The Color Purple on the trip down, sped through Pride and Prejudice as quick as I could, and bought Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs at an English language second-hand bookshop.
When I got back to Oslo yesterday it had snowed about four inches, which is causing me a great deal of psychological pain. I saw flowers here three weeks ago! There should not be this much snow right now! Its going to take a while to melt, I bet, and I don't want to deal with all the ice again. Hana, my Slovakian roommate from last semester, moved back into our flat! She's back in town for about a month and a half and around the tail end of April Isi and Weibtke will visit. So that's fun.
So that's the update. By the time you read this there should be photos posted up on Flickr.
So ANYWAY, after shoe shopping I spent a couple hours walking around Prenzlauer Berg. This neighborhood was clearly the current hotspot, there were hip boutiques, cafes, bars, and people everywhere. Later that night I ended up at a collectively run vegetarian cafe/bar in the neighborhood called Morgenroot. I had a couple beers and chilled out to the funky soul music they were piping through. This was one of the most awesome spots I've ever been too! It was a bit overwhelming, especially thinking about how perfect his place was for Cate.
On my last full day in town I began with a brunch buffet at Morenrot. The buffet cost 4 to 8 Euros and its up to the patron how much they want to pay "based on how rich they are." Well, I'm not much rich but I do love that place. The rest of the day I ended up doing more wandering around Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. I also walked around Mitte's gallery district. Mitte was the hotspot in East Berlin in early nineties, but now seems a bit corporate and commercial. I did stop into a really cool gallery called Circleculture that was exhibiting some silk screen graphics by Sister Corita Kent. Longer post about her to come?
I ended up having a final dinner at Morena, a cozy spot in Kreuzberg, and later that night I went back to Bais for a couple more cheap drinks. And that was pretty much the trip! A few touristy things but mostly just walking around and enjoying Berlin's atmosphere or reading in one of its fine cafes or bars. And I did a fair amount of reading, too. I finished The Color Purple on the trip down, sped through Pride and Prejudice as quick as I could, and bought Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs at an English language second-hand bookshop.
When I got back to Oslo yesterday it had snowed about four inches, which is causing me a great deal of psychological pain. I saw flowers here three weeks ago! There should not be this much snow right now! Its going to take a while to melt, I bet, and I don't want to deal with all the ice again. Hana, my Slovakian roommate from last semester, moved back into our flat! She's back in town for about a month and a half and around the tail end of April Isi and Weibtke will visit. So that's fun.
So that's the update. By the time you read this there should be photos posted up on Flickr.
fredag 21. mars 2008
Berlin Recap Pt. 1
Unlike so much of this past month this has been a tremendous week, and there is so much I could write about. Chances are then that I will write about nothing. But until I fall into the pit of procrastination and lethargy I will try to communicate just a little bit (just a wee bit) through this interweb log.
A list of potential topics to be ignored at will:
-Berlin: The Trip, the City, the Art (not necessarily separable categories)
-Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
-Chuck Klosterman
-Raymond Pettibon
-Sister Corita Kent
-The pains of walking
I will begin with Berlin though I doubt I will post on the other topics after a trip recap. First of all: I am not actually a berliner bun. I do not even know what a berliner bun is, although I do know and enjoy a good cold bottle of berliner pilsner. In fact upon a (flight-)delayed arrival to my lodgings I visited the hostel bar for several pint, and. I realized it was St. Patrick's Day when my beer was green. Yes, I did my Irish roots shame by forgetting the event, but thankfully was able to celebrate properly: by drinking green beer.
The morning of my first full day I spent in Kreuzberg. In fact, I spent a big chunk of the weekend walking around Kreuzberg or relaxing in one of its cafes. This neighborhood was most famous back in the 70's and 80's, as it was then surrounded on three sides by the East. The demographic population of the neighborhood hasn't changed much even if specific residents have cycled out. Over the last thirty years the neighborhood has been dominated by Turkish immigrants, their children, and young radicals. Like much of Berlin, today Kreuzberg is also covered in graffiiti including many incredible building-sized pieces. Photos will be posted.
I took a detour out of the neighborhood to check out the East Side Gallery, which is the longest remaining stretch of "the Wall." Soon after the wall came down folks began painting on this stretch. Although it has been continually covered up by new pieces, recently some of those original works from nearly twenty years ago were restored.
(RANT ALERT)
After walking back through Kreuzberg a bit I visited my second tourist spot: Checkpoint Charlie. Perhaps because I was too young for the fall of the soviet empire to affect me too much I find visiting a place like Checkpoint Charlie today to be a bit absurd. This is not to disparage history as I'm very interested in the human condition under Communism and I was, after all, a Poli Sci major. It just seems silly to me that visiting a place like Checkpoint Charlie is supposed to be profound or educational or anything other than a packaged photo op for tourists.
Perhaps what I am speaking of here goes to the root of why we travel and become tourists and the changing practices of my own travel experience. While I still visit a few museums or tourist spots if I come across them, when I travel now I am more interested in recognizing the distinct vibe of the place. Or maybe this is false as I usually end up in areas that can be summed up by two groups: immigrants and young radicals. Within our liberal democratic world order, no one should be faulted for pursuing what interests them (outside of interests that damage others, of course). While I find enjoyment relaxing in many cafes of East Berlin, others would find that a waste of time while the Zoological Gardens are available.
Still, I cannot escape the absurdity of a Checkpoint Charlie. Perhaps because the only enjoyment I imagine coming out of it relates to having a photo taken where everybody else has had their photo taken. It is proof of travel, proof that you could afford the time and money to be a tourist in Berlin. If Checkpoint Charlie represents the Cold War's tension between absolutism and democracy, then it is quite clear which system won. We had our eyes to the guns, ears to the tanks, and minds to the missiles, but our hearts are owned by consumption. Historically the system that provides the most goods at the cheapest prices wins. Is that wrong? Perhaps not, but it is fundamentally destructive of our relationships to ourselves, each other, our fellow living beings, and the Earth. Oh yeah, and its most likely simply unsustainable.
At Checkpoint Charlie I wasn't sure what was most representative of America: the stars and stripes, the unknown solider, or the fifty foot advertisement for Chanel. I do know that the greater symbol of our existence is the dominance of that advertisement over a bunch of photo happy tourists and my ranting about it on a low-readership blog.
(RANT OVER)
So ANYWAY, that evening I ended up at a crusty punk bar called Bais. It was described to me thusly: "Nonsense people discuss no-nonsense politics (or maybe the other way around)." I got into a confusing conversation with a local who complained about all the rich kids with rich granddaddies who had gentrified the East. He also spoke about visiting NYC soon after the wall came down to go into the music industry. He was shocked to discover that in meetings people wanted to get down to business. He also said some memorable things about fighting fascism, the Radical possibilities of emerging technology, and how Turkish immigrants, in addition to having absolutely nothing to teach Germans, really live in the middle ages. The description I received of the bar was accurate.
I began the second full day out and about in Berlin by walking from my hostel on the eastern edge of Mitte to Museumsinsel. I strolled down Unter Den Linden and passed through Brandenburg Gate. I visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which is superbly done and has been seared into my memory. I then continued my journey through Potsdamer Platz (still not to my liking) to the Neue Nationalgallerie for an retrospective exhibition of major trends within modern & contemporary art, or at least those trends/artists the museum deemed important enough to make purchases of. The exhibition was mostly of artists I was familiar with and all the explanatory texts were in German so after an hour I went to the nearby Kulturforum. While there I had my eye caught by Richard Pettibon's work, but I hope to write about that some other time.
Right now I'm going to have to quit this recap as I'm tired and dealing with a surprising amount of pain. You will hear more from me before this is over.
A list of potential topics to be ignored at will:
-Berlin: The Trip, the City, the Art (not necessarily separable categories)
-Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
-Chuck Klosterman
-Raymond Pettibon
-Sister Corita Kent
-The pains of walking
I will begin with Berlin though I doubt I will post on the other topics after a trip recap. First of all: I am not actually a berliner bun. I do not even know what a berliner bun is, although I do know and enjoy a good cold bottle of berliner pilsner. In fact upon a (flight-)delayed arrival to my lodgings I visited the hostel bar for several pint, and. I realized it was St. Patrick's Day when my beer was green. Yes, I did my Irish roots shame by forgetting the event, but thankfully was able to celebrate properly: by drinking green beer.
The morning of my first full day I spent in Kreuzberg. In fact, I spent a big chunk of the weekend walking around Kreuzberg or relaxing in one of its cafes. This neighborhood was most famous back in the 70's and 80's, as it was then surrounded on three sides by the East. The demographic population of the neighborhood hasn't changed much even if specific residents have cycled out. Over the last thirty years the neighborhood has been dominated by Turkish immigrants, their children, and young radicals. Like much of Berlin, today Kreuzberg is also covered in graffiiti including many incredible building-sized pieces. Photos will be posted.
I took a detour out of the neighborhood to check out the East Side Gallery, which is the longest remaining stretch of "the Wall." Soon after the wall came down folks began painting on this stretch. Although it has been continually covered up by new pieces, recently some of those original works from nearly twenty years ago were restored.
(RANT ALERT)
After walking back through Kreuzberg a bit I visited my second tourist spot: Checkpoint Charlie. Perhaps because I was too young for the fall of the soviet empire to affect me too much I find visiting a place like Checkpoint Charlie today to be a bit absurd. This is not to disparage history as I'm very interested in the human condition under Communism and I was, after all, a Poli Sci major. It just seems silly to me that visiting a place like Checkpoint Charlie is supposed to be profound or educational or anything other than a packaged photo op for tourists.
Perhaps what I am speaking of here goes to the root of why we travel and become tourists and the changing practices of my own travel experience. While I still visit a few museums or tourist spots if I come across them, when I travel now I am more interested in recognizing the distinct vibe of the place. Or maybe this is false as I usually end up in areas that can be summed up by two groups: immigrants and young radicals. Within our liberal democratic world order, no one should be faulted for pursuing what interests them (outside of interests that damage others, of course). While I find enjoyment relaxing in many cafes of East Berlin, others would find that a waste of time while the Zoological Gardens are available.
Still, I cannot escape the absurdity of a Checkpoint Charlie. Perhaps because the only enjoyment I imagine coming out of it relates to having a photo taken where everybody else has had their photo taken. It is proof of travel, proof that you could afford the time and money to be a tourist in Berlin. If Checkpoint Charlie represents the Cold War's tension between absolutism and democracy, then it is quite clear which system won. We had our eyes to the guns, ears to the tanks, and minds to the missiles, but our hearts are owned by consumption. Historically the system that provides the most goods at the cheapest prices wins. Is that wrong? Perhaps not, but it is fundamentally destructive of our relationships to ourselves, each other, our fellow living beings, and the Earth. Oh yeah, and its most likely simply unsustainable.
At Checkpoint Charlie I wasn't sure what was most representative of America: the stars and stripes, the unknown solider, or the fifty foot advertisement for Chanel. I do know that the greater symbol of our existence is the dominance of that advertisement over a bunch of photo happy tourists and my ranting about it on a low-readership blog.
(RANT OVER)
So ANYWAY, that evening I ended up at a crusty punk bar called Bais. It was described to me thusly: "Nonsense people discuss no-nonsense politics (or maybe the other way around)." I got into a confusing conversation with a local who complained about all the rich kids with rich granddaddies who had gentrified the East. He also spoke about visiting NYC soon after the wall came down to go into the music industry. He was shocked to discover that in meetings people wanted to get down to business. He also said some memorable things about fighting fascism, the Radical possibilities of emerging technology, and how Turkish immigrants, in addition to having absolutely nothing to teach Germans, really live in the middle ages. The description I received of the bar was accurate.
I began the second full day out and about in Berlin by walking from my hostel on the eastern edge of Mitte to Museumsinsel. I strolled down Unter Den Linden and passed through Brandenburg Gate. I visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which is superbly done and has been seared into my memory. I then continued my journey through Potsdamer Platz (still not to my liking) to the Neue Nationalgallerie for an retrospective exhibition of major trends within modern & contemporary art, or at least those trends/artists the museum deemed important enough to make purchases of. The exhibition was mostly of artists I was familiar with and all the explanatory texts were in German so after an hour I went to the nearby Kulturforum. While there I had my eye caught by Richard Pettibon's work, but I hope to write about that some other time.
Right now I'm going to have to quit this recap as I'm tired and dealing with a surprising amount of pain. You will hear more from me before this is over.
onsdag 19. mars 2008
I am a berliner bun.
Whoop whoop!
I'm in Berlin and you're not. In fact, if you're reading this then you haven't even been in Germany today unless your name is Tory or I have secret readers among my German friends. 
I like Berlin and you should too. It is incredible! I will write more about this diamond of a city when my tour is over. For now, know that I am exploring to hearts content and feets tired. And I'm taking in some of those pesky tourist sites I missed on my visit two years ago with Anne.
I will have many photos, though most of them will be of things on the street that have captured my attention rather than the regular slide show full of poor imitations of postcards.
I'm in Berlin and you're not. In fact, if you're reading this then you haven't even been in Germany today unless your name is Tory or I have secret readers among my German friends.
I like Berlin and you should too. It is incredible! I will write more about this diamond of a city when my tour is over. For now, know that I am exploring to hearts content and feets tired. And I'm taking in some of those pesky tourist sites I missed on my visit two years ago with Anne.
I will have many photos, though most of them will be of things on the street that have captured my attention rather than the regular slide show full of poor imitations of postcards.
mandag 17. mars 2008
Dear Readers
Dear Readers,
It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to write to you today as a representative of J.L. Phil Rooney, esq. You have been carefully selected as the handful of people who give enough of a damn to read his blog. For this time only, you will be able to read a limited account of his adventures over the weekend comprising March 15th through 17th in the year of someone's lord, 2008.
On March 15th my employer awoke in mid-morning. He made pancakes and began reading Kurt Vonnegut's novel Breakfast of Champions. In the recent past he had finished Fyodor Dostoevsky's classic work, The Brothers Karamazov. He thoroughly agrees with the French philosopher Albert Camus's statement that Dostoevsky is "the great prophet of the 20th-century." Even more thoroughly does he agree with the statement, "It is a damn good thing and a relief to finish a long-ass book you've been reading for over a month." Unfortunately it is not known to whom to attribute this declaration, thus it remains anonymous.
My employer also enjoyed reading the aforementioned Breakfast. He found it was a short, easy and pleasurable read. Nonetheless it was difficult to comprehend that it was one of his father's favorite books, or so his uncle David had once wrote him. He is currently going through the emotionally difficult (and rewarding) process of reading Alice Walker's The Color Purple.
This weekend held more pleasures than those found in texts. Mr. Rooney had the opportunity of Friday evening to join his friend Charloette and several of her associates for an evening of drinking and dancing. The evening included a small party, the club known as The Villa, and a what is known in Norway as a nachspiel.
The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the fine sunny and warm weather that enveloped the Oslo metropolitan area. This enjoyment including what he would refer to as "chillin'" on the porch of his flat as well as trips into downtown Oslo to perform creative acts on a plank with wheels, also known as a skateboard. He was assailed by grannies and security, a pattern that within his experiences is fairly common.
As of this writing, he is hastily preparing for a trip to Berlin. Unfortunately, he is unable to write to you further at this time as he must "Hurry the fuck up."
Regards,
XXXX*
*Name withheld for legal reasons
It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to write to you today as a representative of J.L. Phil Rooney, esq. You have been carefully selected as the handful of people who give enough of a damn to read his blog. For this time only, you will be able to read a limited account of his adventures over the weekend comprising March 15th through 17th in the year of someone's lord, 2008.
On March 15th my employer awoke in mid-morning. He made pancakes and began reading Kurt Vonnegut's novel Breakfast of Champions. In the recent past he had finished Fyodor Dostoevsky's classic work, The Brothers Karamazov. He thoroughly agrees with the French philosopher Albert Camus's statement that Dostoevsky is "the great prophet of the 20th-century." Even more thoroughly does he agree with the statement, "It is a damn good thing and a relief to finish a long-ass book you've been reading for over a month." Unfortunately it is not known to whom to attribute this declaration, thus it remains anonymous.
My employer also enjoyed reading the aforementioned Breakfast. He found it was a short, easy and pleasurable read. Nonetheless it was difficult to comprehend that it was one of his father's favorite books, or so his uncle David had once wrote him. He is currently going through the emotionally difficult (and rewarding) process of reading Alice Walker's The Color Purple.
This weekend held more pleasures than those found in texts. Mr. Rooney had the opportunity of Friday evening to join his friend Charloette and several of her associates for an evening of drinking and dancing. The evening included a small party, the club known as The Villa, and a what is known in Norway as a nachspiel.
The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the fine sunny and warm weather that enveloped the Oslo metropolitan area. This enjoyment including what he would refer to as "chillin'" on the porch of his flat as well as trips into downtown Oslo to perform creative acts on a plank with wheels, also known as a skateboard. He was assailed by grannies and security, a pattern that within his experiences is fairly common.
As of this writing, he is hastily preparing for a trip to Berlin. Unfortunately, he is unable to write to you further at this time as he must "Hurry the fuck up."
Regards,
XXXX*
*Name withheld for legal reasons
fredag 14. mars 2008
onsdag 12. mars 2008
Blog Archives
After midnight looking through old blog archives. "PHIL," the plaque read, "MONSTER."
A couple things stand out:
-My writing was more interesting.
-Possibly influenced by my life being more interesting. Seriously, my life from 2006 is looking pretty sweet right about now. Like hella better.
-Over the Top is still a ridiculous movie. And this song (AND VIDEO!) is too much. It is...over the top!
A couple things stand out:
-My writing was more interesting.
-Possibly influenced by my life being more interesting. Seriously, my life from 2006 is looking pretty sweet right about now. Like hella better.
-Over the Top is still a ridiculous movie. And this song (AND VIDEO!) is too much. It is...over the top!
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