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
You mention the pleasure I must have directing Isabelle A. It’s the opposite of pleasure, it’s daily suffering for me, and almost an agony for her. For her profession is her religion, and because of that our shoot is a trial for everyone. It would be too easy to say she is difficult, she is not. She is different from all the women in this profession and since she isn’t even 20, add to all this (to her genius, let’s not be afraid of words), an unawareness of others and their vulnerability, which creates an unbelievable tension.
I can’t use public transport any more. Trains are always late, most state schools are shit and I’ve gotta give you, like, four million quid – are you having a laugh? When I got my tax bill in from 19, I was ready to go and buy a gun and randomly open fire.
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.
She said, in dialect-accented Italian, “Please talk to me, there’s no one here.” I answered, “I’m an American.” She paused and answered, “I am blind, and there is no one to talk to here.”
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