It was 40 years ago today, Bangladesh became a sovereign state. That’s about as far as I can get to re-writing the lyrics to Sgt Pepper, and I probably shouldn’t have even gone that far.
I’m glad that Bangladesh came into existence, and I’m incredibly proud I was born in that youthful country. My wife sent me this excellent article by author Tahmima Anam. I was only four years old when Bangladesh was formed. I know that my mother and father, along with everyone else in the country found it an incredibly difficult time – it was a time of the indelible, the forever. The creation of an independent nation is tantamount to revolution. As Malcolm X said, “It’s about land. A revolutionary wants land to set up his own nation. An independent nation.’
Yesterday, a hosting error yesterday deleted a bunch of my content from the past week. I don’t know why it happened (my brain’s not wired for tech). I suspect some capitalist ghost in the machine took exception to me posting an enthusuastic review of Inside Job.
A horrific natural disaster struck Japan today. This kind of seismic activity will undoubtedly have massive repercussions: those almost immediately felt in the affected areas, and those that will be seen later as the energy of the waves travel around the earth. It is suspected that more countries including Australia, Fiji, Hawaii and Mexico could also be affected.
Irrespective of early warning systems put into place, the power and breadth of destruction will surely take its toll on the affected countries. I’m no expert, so I don’t know what it means when another earthquake follows on so quickly from the on that hit Christchurch just last month.
Whatever it means, it’s a time when images make hearts sink.
A few months after Angela Merkel said that multiculturalism has failed in Germany – Herr Cameron has decided to echo that horrible and predictable sentiment.
I think my wife and I are a fine example of multiculturalism working. I’d also say that multiculturalism works in London. In Birmingham. In Manchester. In the cities where cheap labour was needed in the 1930s. Y’know – when ethnic minorities were actively invited and imported from the colonies.
Oh, and the EDL are having a walk around Luton today – striking Nazi salutes and sporting steelcap boots. That’s another fine mess you’ve got us into, Davy.
Some years ago, IÂ was Administrator at the Peter Bedford Housing Association up in Highbury. The Association exists to assist people who have faced long term exclusion from society through homelessness, mental health problems, learning difficulties, or multiple needs.
According to Peter Bedford’s  2007 Annual Report,David Ainley, a tenant, won the Model Employee award as a result of the high regard in which he is held by staff and participants alike in the post of permanent Administration Worker.
When I was Administrator, David would come into the office to work. A highly intelligent individual, I always looked forward to David’s presence – and our ensuing chats that, as I recall, were based around music, literature, films, and what food Djamel (the cook) was making in the canteen that day. We had a lot of laughs.
Today, I was informed that David passed away in his flat last week. I’m truly saddened by this, and can think of no other tribute to him than to post this as a reminder of what a kind person he was.
Well, it was a year – that doesn’t make it the year, but it was a big year, nonetheless. It started, as most years do, with January; which brought an appeal for the people of Haiti afflicted by a tragic situation – one that continues. By the time February came around, I disappeared to Newcastle to shoot ‘Self Made‘. That, as you already know, was an incredible, indelible experience. It altered my desired career path in the arts, and I’ll be spending 2011 pursuing work as an actor. March disappeared in a blue funk as the insipid return to work and normality choked the creative experience out of me; but April to July saw things pick up as I returned to acting class and began reviewing albums and gigs again. 2010 was – in my opinion – a good year for music. A fine vintage – full-bodied and very drinkable. Tellingly, a new Government came to power to make everything a little bit harder for everyone.
Come summer, and the UK Film Council was scrapped. Kate flew out to help with the Pakistan floods. I did some twittering from the High Voltage and Big Chill Festivals before declaring that I would never, ever be attending an outdoor, camping festival again.  August arrived, and I took some time off from reviewing to try and address more creative outlets, and just as I did, The Quietus asked me to write for them. I managed to fall out with some supposed ‘old friends’ in September, and then a very old friend called to re-establish contact. That was odd. October was very exciting; and ‘Self Made’ premièred over at the Abandon Normal Devices Festival before getting two screenings at the London Film Festival and another at the Bath Film Festival. Of all those, the Bath screening was the most enjoyable. With any luck, the film will be distributed throughout the UK in 2011, and perhaps appear at some festivals internationally.
Birmingham’s Supersonic Festival was easily the best music festival I’ve been to in years, but I got sick of social networking that month, and realised that having thousands of followers means little in the real world. I deleted my Twitter and Facebook accounts. Then, I was also nominated for ‘Live Music Reviewer Of The Year‘ – an award that went to Simon Price from The Independent. He’s a better writer, but I have better hair. I doubt that having my 1,063 followers on Twitter would have been much use when it came to voting. I’ve since returned to Twitter, but with no agenda other than to stay in touch with some of the lovely people I met when I was a Twitter addict (twaddict?)
November, and I was preparing for December‘s acting class. I started listing my albums of the year, as I knew I would have neither the time nor the inclination after class had begun. That class was difficult, educational, and inspiring. After four intense weeks, I fell ill; had a week off work. After that, I had two seizures and ended up in hospital: epilepsy is so very, deeply unpleasant. Since then, I have given up alcohol – nor have I smoked for about a month. I’ve been more alive since. I’ve read voraciously, and have a zest for life that I previously lacked.
Will 2011 bring anything new? Undoubtedly. Will the year be challenging, exciting, inspiring, daunting? Of course. Let’s go.
