Another month, in which I was ill a fair bit, on and off. Seasons changed, clocks went back, the sky was very often low and grey (though we did also have some northern lights and a hunter’s moon). But still lots of interesting things!
Went to a Kurdish solidarity event that one of my pals was involved in organising, and it was interesting to hear more about Öcalan’s political thought and how things actually work in Rojava. A lot of the analysis seemed kinda like idiosyncratically feminist Marxism to me but I need to read a bit more into it I think.
We went to a few Octoberbest dinners—highlights included a lunch at 64 Degrees, which I could’ve sworn had shut down, and dinners at new faves Halisco and Kitgum. Reviews in Seagull over the next few weeks.
We watched the 40th anniversary Grand Hotel Bombing documentary which was absolutely fascinating. We accidentally started watching the 20th anniversary documentary first which started off with a load of cop interviews and once we’d realised I made a joke about the 40th anniversary one being the one where the wokified BBC sides with the IRA—which it obviously wasn’t, but it did seem to have a bit more time for the idea that maybe they had some explicable political motives. They also had an interview with the guy who set the bomb—who also set the crosswords in the IRA’s magazine? Not that I’m drawing an equivalence here but did Inspire or Dabiq have crosswords? It was a very good doc but it did insist on doing the “we’re going to film the person sitting down and putting their mic on” thing which is almost as annoying as when youtube people hold their lav mics for false verisimilitude.
A bunch of folk were going along to Fist Club and I’ve not been to live wrestling in ages, so I went along. It was an agreeably good vibe but I realised that I’m really a workrate guy and it wasn’t doing much for me. It’s not a workrate promotion, that’s fine, but I saw the guy who’s now WWE champion wrestling in that hall back in the day in what was one of my favourite live matches ever and that’s the kind of thing I’m after, honestly.
Saw lots of pals. Good to see pals.
Went to see Pete & Bas which CM found thoroughly bewildering, but I enjoyed a lot, even if they were singing over the tracks that included “their” vocals (which, I am told, is a common thing at rap gigs now? Not like I was a prolific attender before, but that seems very odd to me). In this case it just made it very clear that it’s not them actually doing the rapping in the videos.
Ruth and James got a load of us together to watch Over The Garden Wall for spooky season. Haven’t watched it since it first came out, still absolutely cracking. A very good job of being offbeat and sweet without being saccharine.
Owen and CM watched Merrily We Roll Along and I was in the room with my ears in for most of it but I think I’ve realised the real thing I find difficult about (good) musicals: the music shortcuts my brain and puts me in an elevated emotional state almost too effectively, in a manner that makes it difficult for me to ‘climb down from’. I know that is ‘the point’—I think I’m just especially susceptible to it and I think it’s not always positive for me.
Our new vicar is lovely, and it’s nice to have a bit of impetus for change in the church! It’s always a tricky balancing act, trying to respect what’s there and how things are done but also bring a bit of fresh energy, and he’s been doing a really good job of that so far.
Watched the Vince documentary. Gosh, what an unpleasant man. Several extremely uncomfortable laughs, though—as Bassey said, there’s a reason the WWE-controlled documentaries always cut off the clip of Jeff Jarrett at Over The Edge at “we’re praying for you”, rather than continuing on to him talking about ”puppies”.
Some positive medical news in the family—not mine so I can’t share but I think it’s nice to know people are getting diagnosed with things that have clinical solutions, even if those solutions have a months-long waiting list.
Had a load of pals over for Samhain and it was absolutely delightful. We had some soup and dumplings and soda bread and told some spooky stories and mine was about the time the cops took my sword.
Right now I‘m in Ireland helping my soon-to-be mother-in-law move house. I’m also definitely coming down with something, as I seem to every time I fly.
I’m working on a writing project that’s a bit different and a bit more long-form which is why I’m still not here regularly. When I have a bit more for that I will note it here!
