The dark side of life came through too – illness, fear trauma… people like those at the Berlin Love Parade going out to enjoy themselves, and this horrible tragedy befalling them. The human spirit seems to surpass that though, and in the film there’s a sense of redemption – a sense that once you face the dark side of life you can actually get on and enjoy it.
In World War II, S.L.A. Marshall observed that many of his fellow soldiers didn’t shoot. He wrote a study called Men Against Fire about this reluctance to kill the enemy.
“Fear of killing, rather than fear of being killed [was] the most common cause of battle failure,” he wrote.
Perché la destra, vedi, mi fa meno incazzare, perché sono cadaveri, è gentaglia, sai che sono dei disonesti, sono messi lì, sai che è un disonesto; ma i finti amici, quelli che fanno finta di fare le opposizioni e poi sono d’accordo e fanno slittare il referendum dalle elezioni, lo fanno slittare e lo fanno mettere il 12 e il 13 di giugno, porca puttana, mi fanno più incazzare quelli lì.
“Such a thing is inconceivable between Cosa Nostra members. The Sicilian mafia is extremely homophobic. But the Camorra is much more liberal and modern in that respect. Camorristi aren’t bothered how they are portrayed or what other people think. As long as they’re able to function and carrying on making money.” Dr de Rosa said their laissez-faire attitude was evident when, in February 2009, police arrested the 27-year-old transsexual Ugo “Ketty” Gabriele on suspicion of being a Camorra drug smuggler.
In other words, here at the Venice Biennale there is absolutely no escaping what a strange and sometimes monstrous thing the art world has become. There again, it’s probably no worse than 15th-century Florence or 16th-century Rome.
If you had
a bike (a
good bike) and
the will (a
strong will) and
the strength (a
cosmic strength), you
would be sitting
with me … under
this tree … on
this grass … in
this sun. I
struggle to imagine
a better place
than this, right
now, in London
As with impressions generally, if you get an impression of something pleasurable, watch yourself so that you are not carried away by it. Take a minute and let the matter wait on you. Then reflect on both intervals of time: the time you will have to experience the pleasure, and the time after its enjoyment that you will beat yourself up over it. Contrast that with how happy and pleased with yourself you’ll be if you abstain. If the chance to do the deed presents itself, take extra care that you are not overcome by its seductiveness, pleasure and allure. Counter temptation by remembering how much better will be the knowledge that you resisted.
The light bulb
went, the other
day. It wasn’t
the best, anyway
much too bright
but … Bugger, I
thought, then left
it there … darkish
A door went
the other day
it’s been half-broken
for months … annoying
but not much
Eventually, slowly, it
unhinged itself, until
it fell off
completely. We had
to manoeuvre it
with both hands
place it like
a screen … heavy
I bought a
new light bulb
a Philips Genie
40w, warm white
it looks perfect
I can just
turn the light
on and it’s
beautiful - just right
not too dark
not to bright
My housemate fixed
the door, today
I heard him
drill, annoying sound
I opened my
door to see
him fix the
broken one. He
did a beautiful
job - the door
shuts perfectly, now
Sometimes, things, to
be improved, have
to fall apart
One of the nuns at the monastery, Anna Nobili, a former lap-dancer, reportedly took part in dance performances with other nuns during religious ceremonies.
