ArachnaCure

Not Race, Space

Space for rent?

On Twitter earlier I read a few posts where people are admitting they are genuinely frightened about the fact that next year up to 250,000 Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants could flood into Britain after access restrictions are lifted. Is the way we intend to go forward? Making our citizens fearful of the future that lies ahead?
I am not a racist, and 9/10 times you hear someone say this, you can almost guarantee that the next words to fall from their lips will be racist but not so today if you'll hear me out. In the 1990s I was part of the "End Racism: Live In A Colourful World" campaign, nd recently I stood up to racist bullies who were being horrid to my partners work colleague (her workmate is Filipino.)
Im as far from racist as the bottom of the ocean is to outer space but then immigration is not about race, its about space. Great Britain is a small island, an island that if we are not careful will have people spilling off the edge of our coasts. Where are all these homes going to go? Are we going to build skyscraper monstrosities and have them looming over the streets like giant bars casting depressing shadows? Our green and pleasant lands will have to make way for apartment blocks I suppose and wildlife be damned.
I fear we are reaching a sad chapter in British history, miserable times created not by people fearful of a foreign race (although one can't deny this is happening in some places) but more by the simple fact that islands have limits. It is impossible to try and stretch earth that it is not there. The only way to build would be up and then we will end up looking like 2000AD's Mega City One.

In The Colonies

And Even Concrete Changes

His Masters Voice

HMV is set to go into administration after 92 years and bang goes another big name store that holds memories from my youth. As a young metalhead I used to hang around outside the Swansea HMV in the quadrant with all the other headbangers, clutching our newly bought heavy metal vinyl/cassettes and discussing our 'scene'. Truly great times when it was a joy to go to Swansea.
But times they insist on change, demand it with a stubborn fist like a barfly ordering another scotch. Like the water in our oceans, nothing stays still not even steel and concrete. Our town and city centers are vastly different to how they were in the 1980s and its not just fashion that is making the difference. I fear that all that is going to be left open are pound shops and mobile phone 'bars', which is a reflection of how cheap we have become as a collective society. The 'hivemind' is targeted toward bargains, good things for less (largely due to the internet) and bricks and mortar shops suffer as a result.

Splitting Art from the Artist

In light of the The Despicable Saville revelations and all of the other rumours and accusations of sexual abuse by other famous names I thought it was time to approach the subject from a different angle; namely what does one do if one of the accused happens to be one of your own cultural heroes? What IS the right and proper thing to do? There have been a few recent rockstars and actors caught in this sordid web but what is a fans correct response? Burn the records/DVDS? Or is it possible to seperate the artist from the art?
I know someone who can still enjoy a certain directors films for example and think it fine to do so, but he can understand those who can't.

Undiluted Memories

Evil Dead 2013

Goretastic fun

When I hear of a classic horror movie remake (and you dont get much more classic than Evil Dead right?) I usually shake my head in disgust. I mean, we've been there, experienced the shocks from the original and moved on. Even if the reboot is any good our rose tinted memories will always favour the original, but this time I must shrug off my contempt for filmakers who try to cash in on past glories and admit: Evil Dead 2013 does look pretty darned good judging by that trailer up there. Theres no boomstick toting Ash this time but still, I personally don't feel disappointment in that fact.
Okay we've all been taken in and then burned by movie trailers before but this one is different, theres a definate buzz when you watch it, it 'feels' different if that makes any sense? I dunno, I might be just another Evil Dead fanboy who grew up loving the original and is now hoping to hell this works out to be at least better than recent shovelware horror remakes. Its co producers are Sam Raimi (writer, producer, director of the originals) and Bruce Campbell (who played Ash) so it already has better odds in being a success.
Lets hope so! Evil Dead is out on April 12th and you know what? Don't be suprised if you see me in the local Apollo.

A Christmas Gift Scam

The Dail Mail's story anout people selling unwanted Christmas presents on eBay is hardly a news story. Its a fraud and some sellers have done it for years - if you check their past listings and feedback you'll see they do the same thing again and again. They try to give people the idea that it's something worth a fair amount of money but in reality it's a load of cheap rubbish bought at a Poundshop. As the description was so vague, the buyer has no grounds to complain as they took the risk. If they really wanted to sell the stuff, don't you think they'd open it? Especially if they genuinely thought it was of value.