Wednesday 15 February 2012

Why It Sucks: Globalization.

"It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it." - George Carlin.
 
I've just finished answering several study questions for my Cosmopolitanism and Global Justice module and the contents of the article I studied has rekindled the anti-neoliberal/anti-gloablisation fire in the depths of my heart. Since I realised how society in this country and others in Europe are being roped into American style profiteering I've argued against the enslavement that is Economic Globalisation.

Firstly, before you shout out about how I am using a globalised medium to rant at you all about big business and the rise in national populism - a few definitions. I am all for "Information Globalisation" which entails the use of unregulated information sharing such as the internet. I have proposed in the past that the internet could replace governments and maintain some form of peace as it is the ideal representation of our rights to free speech and to our freedoms of information access and self expression. What I don't do is "Economic Globalisation." You can probably guess what that entails. A Starbucks on every corner, a McDonalds at every service station around the globe and the whole freaking world babbling American style english. A world devoid of individualism. A world of mass confomity. A world where its leaders aim is to turn it into one endless shopping mall with unlimited retail outlets and ongoing manic investments from coast to coast.

I am no nationalist, though I am a historian, and through studying history I am aware of the characteristics of numerous communities and regional values. These, such as the Pagan festivals of Eastern Europe and the miniscule languages of regions such as Breton and Catalonia - are the most vulnerable. So many innocent people around the globe - particularly Europe, feel ashamed in the decline of their native tongues due to how heavily English has been imposed upon them by the prducts they have to buy or the technology they must now conform to.

Having to keep with the trends and be accepted into social circles by the clothes you wear, the car you drive or the way you speak is even part of globalisation. Festivities such as Christmas have even been hijacked by the companies to seek profit and promote religious obediance - packaged as a free gift - in a lifestyle which only few percentages of our planet's population can support. These are the reasons why I don't own a car, an IPod nor buy clothes from designers or high street brands because I do not wish to sacrifice my individuality and just see myself as another cog in the wheel.

Even education suffers from globalisation's venemous influence over our communities. Exam questions tend to be tailored to a medium which the average joe can get right just so they can do all the paperwork for the owners in exchange for a meagre bonus on the payroll each year. As profit is all that the owners seek in this globalised world, they'll soon be coming for your pensions and bonuses as well as your social security money. The unbelievable acts of leaders such as Thatcher and Reagan are to blame for the decline of the Welfare State and the fear of nationalised industries such as the NHS. Private Schools are now being tailoered to produce the social elite who handle the money and keep the plebs down via influence over the police forces so they can protect their investments and savings.

Though the worst thing about globalisation is this. As the Multinational Corporations now have the power to close the workplaces in certain nations and them move them to the developed world or the third world, a division of labour is created which must emigrate beyond their home borders to seek a living. It is because of this that immigration has increased to the Western Superpowers and to Europe and Asia for the last 50 years. Because of how some communities see this as a threat to their values and ways of life you see the increase in far right organisations who wish to restrict immigration and create xenophobia. It's no surprise to me if most leaders tend to encourage xenophobia to decrese the overpopulation of nation states such as the immigration policies of most US states.

I know that I am a product of the immigration system and will not stand to see a world where nationalism prevails and hatred arises. Xenophobia is not the alternative to globalisation - globalisation has encouraged such attitudes. In a world where conformity is rife for a human to feel safe, I certainly don't feel that my civil liberties are being preserved or defended by those whose duties it is to look after. Nowadays all anyone wants is to be the owner's bitch just so they can get a pay rise and strive to achieve the non existant honour that is the American Dream.


Sunday 12 February 2012

On Whitney Housten.


Well it seems another chart sensation of ages past has unexpectedly shuffled off the mortal coil and is currently being auditioned for the choir invisible. Yes, Whitney Houston’s sudden disintegration was a shock to me - but how does that relate to a guy who listens mostly to rock and punk based music, I hear you cry from the depths of the dancefloor?

You are correct on the grounds that I am no fan of 80s Electro pop, New Wave or just singer songwriters renowned for pouring out love ballad after love ballad. But, in all honesty, I do feel a bit sorry for poor old Whitney. 

The reason being, that her rise to stardom and fall into obscurity is yet another classic tale of a superstar selling their soul to narcotics and eventually the only remnants of her once inescapability are the odd smash hits which become more and more saccharine year after year. And for someone whose source of income is relying on the release of shoddy compilation albums by EMI, Island Records or whichever other music giant for nearly 30 years does make my heart sink.

Whitney Houston was a natural talent whom I don’t think shot to fame via a horrific talent show or “search for the next big thing” malarkey – so her sudden demise does make me feel a tad down for how hard she must have worked and then watched herself become a mere nostalgia novelty; which is churned out at every Yuppie gathering or Primary School disco, (as I was introduced to her lip-wobbling.)

Though it does seem to me, that as a homage and payback for having to put up with such an embarrassing status in the music industry for so long: Simon Cowell, Richard Branson and their endless cronies at EMI and Virgin will be quick to martyr her as a symbol of Pop Music’s evolution. It won’t be long before the music industry will be portraying her as a goddess who stands upon the proverbial Mount Olympus alongside Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. Once you see fairly ornate porcelain dolls of Whitney in her prime on sale in London or New York, only then will you know that she has become a worshipful icon.

“It’s amazing how a once adored talent is shot to stardom and then slandered and has their private life raped and ridiculed by the very same people.” That my friend is the music industry for you.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Post Application Stress Disorder

I'm sitting in my university room at the moment having just sent off a few more applications for MA courses in Journalism. This comes after recieving an essay upon which I just scraped a 2:2. The thoughts occupying my mind at present are those of doubt and self loathing.

Following every attempt I make at trying to move on in the world I always experience the feelings of stress and anxiety - always unsure on whether or not i'm making the right move. As well as the bad feelings concerning job hunting in the fairly near future, I am also feeling low at wanting to fulfil my dreams and that others around me are already aspiring into glory whilst I lag behind.

These feelings have been with me last night when I found that a friend had landed herself in a film role. This, among the hope of publishing a book or recording my own music one day has been my own aspiration for many a year. Now it seems that the holes in my persona are being exposed as real life sets in.

I guess on a more positive note, I've just begun my degree module on Engendering Politics which is something i've always wanted to study. Hopefully by this time next week I'll have overcome this stress of applying for a future and think myself lucky when I remember I haven't faced the same problems my foremothers were faced with.


Saturday 4 February 2012

Star Trek Trivia

http://cinemassacre.com/2012/02/04/trek-trivia-next-generation/

Here's some excellent trivia from the Angry Video Game Nerd himself, James Rolfe. I've always been a fan of Cinemassacre.com and their knowledge many great films and TV series and now they've done it again with my favourite installment from the Star Trek canon. 

A Few Definitions

If you're curious about my Blogger name, here's the lowdown on my persona.

Dimmu - Derived from a nick-name given to me in association with the Norwegian band Dimmu Borgir. 

Wulfenhume - A German word derived from my love of the video game Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Its   translation is: "The home of the Wolf". (I like wolves.)

Just a slight bit of local music promotion - this is my friends' band: Phyrexia.

Their signature sound is a blend of Keyboard driven Symphonic Metal with more Extreme Metal style guitar riffs and guttral Death Metal vocals. This is the ideal band on the London Metal circuit at the moment for anyone who loves music about Dragons and anything Skyrim realted.

Like this kind of music? Find them on Facebook - www.facebook.com/phyrexianmetal

Review: "Les Voyages de L'Ame" by Alcest


 (To begin I've posted a review I wrote for my University Newspaper, "The Stag." If you like Norwegian Black Metal or Alternative Rock or any kind of music about Fantasy, then give Alcest a shot.)

Having been on the road for twelve years spreading their atmospheric Post-Black Metal symphonies to the global metal scene and beyond; French metal duo Alcest, have returned with yet another masterpiece. “Les Voyages de L’Ame” (The Journey of the Soul) follows on from the band’s Shoegazy 2010 release: “Ecailles de Lune,” (Scales of the Moon).

Alcest’s signature style is their combination of the early 80s Alternative Rock sounds of Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine-with the 90s Black Metal grinds of bands like Burzum, Immortal and Darkthrone. Mix those two beautiful elements of alternative music together and you’ve got the atmospheric melodies of front man Neige (Stephane Paut) and other half Winterhalter.

Each of the band’s releases has focused on the subjects of fantasy and “far off lands” which frontman Neige claims he had visions of at a young age. Many say the mind of a child holds the greatest treasures of imagination, and sure enough, Alcest have managed to capture imagined beauty and set it to their wall of sound. Luscious images of fantastical purity leap from the flowing guitar riffs of opening track: “Autre Temps” (Another Time) to the high pitched screams of “Beings of Light,” and end track “Summer’s Glory.” To be a tad picky, the song lengths are a bit big in length-with the longest clocking in at just under 9 minutes.  But, for anyone who’s always hyped by fantasy, the weird and the extraordinary, this release sure is worth a listen.

Alcest are best described as an epic adventure novel put to music. If you wish to live that adventure, then check out “Les Voyages de L’Ame.” Or if you prefer to live out your adventures on the live music circuit, Alcest will be appearing alongside fellow French Metallers, Les Discrets and Soror Dolorosa at the Purple Turtle, Camden Town on Saturday 18th February. See you all down there.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5
 

Welcome

Welcome to the Blog of a young aspiring journalist and social critic. Within the space of this website you will find my writings, rantings or just plain observations on the world at present.

My interests are Politics, Sociology, Journalism, Science Fiction, Video Games and Black Metal. So expect much of these topics to be the norm of the reports made.

In all, I review albums, games, films and express myself on whatever is the talk of the town, as this is how i'd like to earn a living one day.

Enjoy the site.