An exploration of the deeper realities of London through Ballardian soundworlds of music and refrained speech. Empty sunlit streets populated only by plants and animals. Subterranean spaces perturbed by looming forces from the unknown. Sonic trance-portation into a city contacted by fictions and dreams. What is eliminated in the mediocre melodrama we are invited to call adult reality is not fantasy, but the uncanny - the sense that all is not as it seems, that the kitchen-sink everyday is a front for the machinations of parasites and alien forces which either possess, control or have designs upon us. In other words, the suppressed wisdom of uncanny fiction is that it is THIS world, the world of liberal-capitalist commonsense, that is a stage set with wobbly walls. Tthe Real of the London Underground is better described by pulp and modernism (which in any case have a suitably uncanny complicity) than by postmodern drearealism. Everyone knows that, once the wafer-thin veneer of 'persons' is stripped away, the population on the Tube are zombies under the control of sinister extra-terrestrial corporations.

OK, now some of that I understand.

It makes so much more sense when you listen to the recording. Lasts an hour and a hoalf, and its absolutely mesmeric.
Among lots of soundbites, readings and dialogue overlaid with layers of bizarre, ambient music and unusual sound art is a reading of The Quiet Man accompanied by extracts from the very beautiful Translucence album.

I've had to shut the windows up here otherwise I can hear the Macarena irritating the back of my head, and people hooting and whooping. There is another Wedding of the Chavs at the club opposite. Grrrrrr…

This moring in Borders I browsed the music biographies and convinced myself more than ever of the need to get my own work into some comprehensive order and seriously attempt to publish something. Somewhere on the web might be the way to go to start with…??
Spent a few passing moments lusting after the new edition of Proust (hey, Christmas is coming now, it's September!) and then accumulated ALL SIX of the Arden Shakespeare's that carry cover art by Mr Leigh. Felt slightly uncomfortable when I seriously considered buying htem at £8.99 EACH just for the sake of having the artwork?
Perhaps it was fortuitous that this morning's post included not only the aforementioned recording, but also a nice letter from Mr lloyds informing me that they have charged me £35 for the privilege of not paying the Direct Debit that is my mortgage again this month. That is VERY unhelpful, and confusing. To have done so would have left me with an overdraft figure that is well WITHIN that which we have agreed? So what's the problem.
I can't help wonder if this is not in someway related to my case against them in the courts.
Yesterday I received their Statement of defence, which effectively denies all the charges. I think all I have to do is tick the appropraite box and send my Statement off and let the courts do the rest.

WHY did they pay that £750.00 if they deny ALL the charges?

It's also unhelpful because the cheque cleared today that covers everything. They know that I get the same amount of money on more or less the same date each month, and that the mortgage payment of exactly the same date comes out on 31st.
Whatever happened to flexibility and common sense. Customer Service, even…

And well, b*gger me sideways with a pointy stick.
Seems I've had more than DOUBLE the amount of hits during August even than in July.
Coming up on two years of bloggng now at this place, and still feel naively uncertain about it all.