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annwfynLast week was a good week, with many many cool things happening. This has now, fairly predictably, left me poor and able to only leave the house if I'm walking across broken glass to the coal mine* but right now I think it was all worth it.
As for the cool stuff...
On Thursdaymolez and I went to London Zoo. I'm a fairly big zoo fan, and I've never been to London Zoo, and so there was much bounce. Sadly I then stepped out into the open air and realised how hot it was and the bounce rather melted, leaving me only able to vibrate slightly. It turned out that the animals had also noted the hideous heat and had mostly decided to retire to cooler climes, which may have been the thick undergrowth in their enclosures, or the houses at the back of the enclosures. Either way, rather a large number of them were not findable at all, which was a little bit disappointing, especially when I discovered the bears were amongst that number.
However, the tigers were happily sprawling by their window, looking gorgeous, the penguins were running around and splashing in their pool, and I got to see African Hunting Dogs which I didn't think I'd ever seen before and that was very cool. It did spark a discussion on the domestication of dogs, in which Andy commented 'you've got to wonder at the mentality of the person who first did that' as we speculated on whether the African Hunting Dogs were a lot closer to the original wild dogs that got used by man than the happy cocker spaniels we see today!
On Friday I went to see 'Bodies...the exhibition' at Earl's Court. 'Bodies...the exhibition' is based on the very successful 'Bodyworks' series of exhibitions which uses real human corpses, carefully displayed, to educate and inform people about how the human body works. At least, I think that's the stated goal, although the bodies are also displayed with a lot of artistry and I felt there was a definite aesthetic subtext.
In the 'Bodyworks' exhibition, all the bodies used have been donated specifically to the 'BodyWorks' programme, which I assumed was also the case with 'Bodies...the exhibition', which rather coloured my view as I was walking around. Afterwards, however, I discovered that this exhibition was being done by a totally different group of people to the original corpse artists, and all the bodies used were 'unclaimed' corpses from the People's Republic of China, which really rather made me twitch.
I don't mind dead bodies. In themselves, they don't creep me out at all, although it must be noted that all my actual experiences of dead bodies have been skeletal remains of archaeological finds, and I did find the addition of skin a rather odd thing to get used to. However, the bodies in themselves, not that bad. What I did find disturbing was the notion of human remains as art - skin unpeeled from a body, and beautifully laid out, forming a kind of spiral, and yet with old scars and hair clinging around the nipple, making it very clear that this was once a person. I found it a little odd seeing these naked men - some of them young, some old, frozen in artificial positions such as one seeming to be playing football or running, with the sad remains of their genitalia dangling for all to see. All of this I kinda put down to me being squeamish when I thought all bodies were from volunteers. Well, that or having read too many texts on archaeological ethics while writing my thesis** but either way, it was me being a bit daft.
Then I got home and found out that all those bodies were simply those remains of people who didn't have a family to claim that after death, and that really bothered me. I disliked the idea that those people, in life, might have hated the idea of being on display like that. I hate the fact that the exhibition seemed to be saying that poverty meant that there was no right to dignity in death. I also read one newspaper article which said there had been questions raised as to whether the bodies of executed criminals were being used, which further alarmed me.
I'm not entirely sure if this is still me being a bit daft, but it really has vaguely continued to bother me since. I'd definitely go and see an exhibition by the 'Body Works' people if that came up, because the human body is an amazing thing, and what I saw on Friday was incredible, but I really would check up next time where the bodies came from for any other exhibition of this nature.
And finally, on Saturday myself,isalani, pierot and imnotagoth went to the Milton Keynes National Bowl to see Nickelback and Bon Jovi playing. And lo! It was great!
The day itself was fantastic. The Milton Keynes National Bowl is a massive outdoor grassy space, which on a hot and sunny day just makes for a rather nice afternoon out, sitting on the grass. The atmosphere was mellow and contented and I arrived in a rather good mood having had a long, but comfortable drive up in an air conditioned car.
Anthony and Scott were both on good form, jez was in a good mood as well, and the world was kind.
Of the bands themselves, I felt bad for Nickelback, who did a good show, but were stuck with a warm, laid back and rather lethargic audience who only really perked up for 'this is how you remind me', and sat back and listened to everything else. The band were good, and I'm glad I've seen them live. Bon Jovi, on the other hand, were fantastic. I think I've bounced about this to everyone I saw yesterday, but I'll say it again. Bon Jovi were great! They played their hearts out, and did a solid two and a half hour set, with barely a breath between songs. They bounced, they ponced, they strutted, and they were just great. The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic, and hearing 70,000 people singing the entirety of 'livin' on a prayer' word for word was incredible.
It was also quite interesting to realise how very very big, classic, and mainstream Bon Jovi are now. I mean, twenty years ago, they were dodgy rockers. Ten years ago, they were kinda cheesy big hair rock that you got looked at a bit funny for liking. These days the crowd ranged from some pretty respectable looking thirty and forty somethings who went crazy for their older stuff ('bad medicine', 'livin' on a prayer', 'runaway') to football lads with grade one haircuts and England football shirts.
Jez and I drove home and collapsed into bed in the small hours of the morning. Totally worth it!
And that is my life of late. How are you? What's been happening?
______________________________________________________
*I may be exaggerating here
** There's a big drive these days for archaeologists to basically excavate bodies, treat them with respect, keep them in a medical environment, and unless there's a specific use or need for them, try and put them back where they were. There are also a load of rules on the display of human remains, which mostly suggest placing them in mortuary context, and keep them laid out as they were in their grave.
As for the cool stuff...
On Thursday
molez and I went to London Zoo. I'm a fairly big zoo fan, and I've never been to London Zoo, and so there was much bounce. Sadly I then stepped out into the open air and realised how hot it was and the bounce rather melted, leaving me only able to vibrate slightly. It turned out that the animals had also noted the hideous heat and had mostly decided to retire to cooler climes, which may have been the thick undergrowth in their enclosures, or the houses at the back of the enclosures. Either way, rather a large number of them were not findable at all, which was a little bit disappointing, especially when I discovered the bears were amongst that number. However, the tigers were happily sprawling by their window, looking gorgeous, the penguins were running around and splashing in their pool, and I got to see African Hunting Dogs which I didn't think I'd ever seen before and that was very cool. It did spark a discussion on the domestication of dogs, in which Andy commented 'you've got to wonder at the mentality of the person who first did that' as we speculated on whether the African Hunting Dogs were a lot closer to the original wild dogs that got used by man than the happy cocker spaniels we see today!
On Friday I went to see 'Bodies...the exhibition' at Earl's Court. 'Bodies...the exhibition' is based on the very successful 'Bodyworks' series of exhibitions which uses real human corpses, carefully displayed, to educate and inform people about how the human body works. At least, I think that's the stated goal, although the bodies are also displayed with a lot of artistry and I felt there was a definite aesthetic subtext.
In the 'Bodyworks' exhibition, all the bodies used have been donated specifically to the 'BodyWorks' programme, which I assumed was also the case with 'Bodies...the exhibition', which rather coloured my view as I was walking around. Afterwards, however, I discovered that this exhibition was being done by a totally different group of people to the original corpse artists, and all the bodies used were 'unclaimed' corpses from the People's Republic of China, which really rather made me twitch.
I don't mind dead bodies. In themselves, they don't creep me out at all, although it must be noted that all my actual experiences of dead bodies have been skeletal remains of archaeological finds, and I did find the addition of skin a rather odd thing to get used to. However, the bodies in themselves, not that bad. What I did find disturbing was the notion of human remains as art - skin unpeeled from a body, and beautifully laid out, forming a kind of spiral, and yet with old scars and hair clinging around the nipple, making it very clear that this was once a person. I found it a little odd seeing these naked men - some of them young, some old, frozen in artificial positions such as one seeming to be playing football or running, with the sad remains of their genitalia dangling for all to see. All of this I kinda put down to me being squeamish when I thought all bodies were from volunteers. Well, that or having read too many texts on archaeological ethics while writing my thesis** but either way, it was me being a bit daft.
Then I got home and found out that all those bodies were simply those remains of people who didn't have a family to claim that after death, and that really bothered me. I disliked the idea that those people, in life, might have hated the idea of being on display like that. I hate the fact that the exhibition seemed to be saying that poverty meant that there was no right to dignity in death. I also read one newspaper article which said there had been questions raised as to whether the bodies of executed criminals were being used, which further alarmed me.
I'm not entirely sure if this is still me being a bit daft, but it really has vaguely continued to bother me since. I'd definitely go and see an exhibition by the 'Body Works' people if that came up, because the human body is an amazing thing, and what I saw on Friday was incredible, but I really would check up next time where the bodies came from for any other exhibition of this nature.
And finally, on Saturday myself,
isalani, pierot and imnotagoth went to the Milton Keynes National Bowl to see Nickelback and Bon Jovi playing. And lo! It was great!The day itself was fantastic. The Milton Keynes National Bowl is a massive outdoor grassy space, which on a hot and sunny day just makes for a rather nice afternoon out, sitting on the grass. The atmosphere was mellow and contented and I arrived in a rather good mood having had a long, but comfortable drive up in an air conditioned car.
Anthony and Scott were both on good form, jez was in a good mood as well, and the world was kind.
Of the bands themselves, I felt bad for Nickelback, who did a good show, but were stuck with a warm, laid back and rather lethargic audience who only really perked up for 'this is how you remind me', and sat back and listened to everything else. The band were good, and I'm glad I've seen them live. Bon Jovi, on the other hand, were fantastic. I think I've bounced about this to everyone I saw yesterday, but I'll say it again. Bon Jovi were great! They played their hearts out, and did a solid two and a half hour set, with barely a breath between songs. They bounced, they ponced, they strutted, and they were just great. The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic, and hearing 70,000 people singing the entirety of 'livin' on a prayer' word for word was incredible.
It was also quite interesting to realise how very very big, classic, and mainstream Bon Jovi are now. I mean, twenty years ago, they were dodgy rockers. Ten years ago, they were kinda cheesy big hair rock that you got looked at a bit funny for liking. These days the crowd ranged from some pretty respectable looking thirty and forty somethings who went crazy for their older stuff ('bad medicine', 'livin' on a prayer', 'runaway') to football lads with grade one haircuts and England football shirts.
Jez and I drove home and collapsed into bed in the small hours of the morning. Totally worth it!
And that is my life of late. How are you? What's been happening?
*I may be exaggerating here
** There's a big drive these days for archaeologists to basically excavate bodies, treat them with respect, keep them in a medical environment, and unless there's a specific use or need for them, try and put them back where they were. There are also a load of rules on the display of human remains, which mostly suggest placing them in mortuary context, and keep them laid out as they were in their grave.
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no subject
Date: 2006-06-12 10:27 am (UTC)I don't think I'd be comfortable going to that body exhibition, I'd be fine with those who have volunteered, hell, all my organs are up for donation, but using lost bodies sounds like some ghoulish stuff.
That is just icky....
Date: 2006-06-12 12:03 pm (UTC)I think I would be deeply uncomfortable with having seen that exhibition knowing that, I don't think it's just you being a bit daft. There are aspects of achaeology that make me rather uncomfortable for similar reasons, as although I find ancient burials fascinating, I can't help but feel that if somebody wanted to be buried in a particular fashion, they should be allowed to have that, without risk of being dug up and put on display in a museum somewhere (or worse, dug up and stuck in a box in a museum store room, somewhere, and forgotten a second time). I've never quite managed to reconcile the two suides of how I feel about this one, and it bothers me suprisingly often.
But there is a world of difference between your body being displayed in an exhibition like that with your permission, and it being displayed because there was nobody to say no on your behalf.
no subject
Date: 2006-06-12 07:04 pm (UTC)Have you considered selling individual match sticks? on London street corners? I hear it's a growth market.