Andrew O'Hagan: Be Near Me

Always trust a stranger. It's the people you know who'll let you down.

'I thoght I was supposed to be the king of the double life.'
'That's only the newspapers talking,' he said, seeming to draw all the oxygen out of his glass as he drank from it.

*
And I say: be near me. The world is rowdy and nothing is certain. Do not stray. None of us was meant to face the day and the night alone, though that is what we do and memory now is a place of fading togetherness. Be near me. True love is what God intends.

Discovered by Charles Bonnet in 1760.
Disease caused by damage in optic passway or brain, causing people to have vivid, complex, recurrent hallucinations. When the brain does not receive as many pictures as usual, it might create them, and the nature of the hallucinations depends on what part of the brain that is inflicted. Sufferers are otherwise mentally healthy and understand that the visions are not real. No prescribed treatment so far, but it is belived that stimulation of finger tips helps stop the hallucinations.
The most common visions are of complex coloured patterns and people/faces. Also occurring are animals, plants and inanimate objects. Often the visions are in 'lilliput' version.

----------------------
... it came as a surprise to the 73-year-old when he looked up from his television one evening to discover he was sharing his living room with two RAF pilots and a schoolboy.

'The pilots were standing next to the TV, watching it as if they were in the wings of a theatre,' he says.
'The little boy was in a grey, Fifties-style school uniform. He just stood there in the hearth looking puzzled. He was 18 inches high at most.'

Mr Stannard's guests never said a word and vanished after 15 minutes.

Daily Mail

1. Miranda July: No one belongs here more than you

.."we had once called out hello into the cauldron of the world and then run away before anyone could respond.
:)

2. Tarjei Vesaas: Is-slottet

Department of Psychiatry and Behaviours Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al Ain, UAE.

OBJECTIVE: Lycanthropy is the belief in the capacity of human metamorphosis into animal form. It has been recorded in many cultures. Apart from historic description of lycanthropy, there has been several case reports described in the medical literature over the past 30 years.
METHOD: We identified eight cases of lycanthropy in 20 years, mainly in the area of Babylon, Iraq.
RESULTS: The most commonly reported diagnosis was severe depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms. The type of animal that the patients changed into were mainly dogs (seven cases) and only one case changed into a cow for the first time to report.
CONCLUSION: Lycanthropy delusion is a rare delusion but appears to have survived into modern times with possible archetypal existence.

-Breaking-

Happens to front vowels e, i and æ when preceeding velar consonants (l,r,h). Monophthongs break into diphthongs. Æ broken into ea. E broken into eo. I broken into ie. Æ and e are more often affected than i, but as texts are not consistent in showing breaking, it's reasonable to assume that the phenomenon did not result in phonologically distinct diphthongs.

- i-mutation -

Is so called because it affects words of (at least) two syllables, whereof the second is an unstressed i/j. The mutation causes the initial, stressed vowel to change. Back wovels become front vowels: U mutates to y. O mutates to e. A mutates to æ, except when joined with m/n, then it mutates to e.
Front vowels are raised one step: Æ up to e. E up to i.
Diphthongs all as one become ie.

1. Jan Guillou: Riket ved veiens ende
2. Kate Mosse: Labyrinten
3. Jeanette Winterson: Sexing the cherry
4. Kitty Fitzgerald: Pigtopia
5. Sergei Lukyanenko: Night Watch
6. Doreen Valiente: Witchcraft Tomorrow
7. Vera Henriksen: Dronningsagaen
8. Poppy Z. Brite: Lost Souls
9. Terry Pratchett: Discworld: Wintersmith
10. David M Kiely & Christina McKenna:
The Dark Sacrament:Exorcism in modern Ireland
11. Terry Pratchett: Night Watch
12. Nick Hornby: Fritt Fall
13. Nicole Krauss: Kjærlighetens Historie
14. Erica Wagner: Seizure
15. George R.R.Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones
16. Jan Wiese: Kvinnen som kledte seg naken for sin elskede
17. Jack Finney: Invasion of the Body Snatchers
18. Bi Feiyu: The Moon Opera
19. Sarah Waters: Affinity

Edit: alt så langt

14. Erica Wagner: Seizure
Lånt grunnet fint coverbilde og få sider. Men antageligvis de 200 lengste sidene jeg har lest frivillig noengang. Wagner skriver egentlig fint, men det drukner liksom i kvalm tematikk. Altså: kronisk anfallsyk dame arver hus av moren, dame er overrasket for moren er da død for gudameisålengesiden, dame reiser til huset og finner at det bor noen der som hun sporenstreks forsøker å kaste ut - og derfra er det rett ned i sursøt incestestetikk. Ikke helt min greie.

15. George R.R.Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones
800 sider som faktisk gikk langt radigere enn forrige.. Konger, helter, sverd, drager og sånn. Ble litt avhengig gitt, og hater Deichman akkurat nå for ikke å ha nr2 i hylla.

12. Fritt Fall - Nick Hornby
Om fire svært forskjellige, suicidale personer bumper inn i hverandre på taket av byens høyeste bygning en nyttårsaften. Det virker som oversetteren har hatt en hard jobb med å overføre Hornby til norsk, så jeg vil kanskje anbefale originalen.. Men anyways. Antideprimerende bok om å finne seg fastlåst i håpløse situasjoner. Undertegnede kjente seg i hvertfall litt igjen i noen av følelsene til samtlige.
13. Kjærlighetens Historie - Nicole Krauss
Såå søt, litt humoristisk og ...moving (norsk ord for det? rørende blir så feil):) Uten å nødvendigvis være full av happy endings. Littegrann komplisert hvordan ting henger sammen, men det er egentlig ikke så farlig. Krauss lager fine bilder i hodet, og det ser ut som oversetteren har gjort en nydelig jobb. Jau. Fine boka.

it seems clear that vacation is something I'll have in the grave. It's busy in a good way, but ahh..energy...come to me..

Two more books for the slowly progressing list.

10. The Dark Sacrament: Exorcism in modern Ireland - David M Kiely & Christina McKenna

11. Discworld:Night Watch - Terry Pratchett

Then out dancing, woohoo.

A couple of books, while I remember them.

8. Lost Souls - Poppy Z. Brite
Gay vampires and kiddy goths in New Orleans. Spectacular, very entertaining and sometimes just a little bit ....icky. (S)he writes well. Nice with all the Bauhaus references, for my part.

9. Discworld:Wintersmith - Terry Pratchett
Aw how lovely. In short, The spirit of winter falls in love with a witch-in-training. (And the trouble that starts it all off, is a morris reel..) Eternal winter ensues, and world needs fixing.

9,5. The Call of Cthulhu - H.P.Lovecraft
Just a "short" story, not a book, but anyway I've read it..

Currently having another Discworld and Iris Murdoch, though most of the time is eaten by Manx and adverblove. Yay.

Vaaaaaahh, you were never supposed to know of my existence! I was supposed to be the shadow in your corners, the wind outside your windows and the eyes of your wall paintings.
But at least you don't know who or why. Mwaha.

-My sepulchre of love-

I am hurtled to the depths of abject despair
for you have run off with a paler goth than me.
Love has passed away from this earth and only wraiths of blackness remain.
I wail like a banshee
remembering the embrace of forever we once shared.
I take baths with my toaster.
I have no choice but to die endless deaths for I am nothing.
This horrid madness encircles me and I bleed from every pore.
Can you not see the black trails of my tears?
Can you not hear my cries?
You care not for my damnable suffering.
You hide all my black underwear.
I am a black rose, smothered by winter snow
dying, frail and left to decay.
I succumb to the torture that you have willed on me,
and I listen to Britney Spears with an arrow
in my whiny soul as I reach my end.
Love is but an ashen memory.

Whatever my life would be without the Do-it-yourself Goth Poetry aid at:
http://www.angelfire.com/goth/asphyxia/poem.html
:-D

Jeg har gjort den før. Men det er leenge siden.
It's my journal and I meme all I want to

1. Hva var den første tanken som slo deg da du så deg selv i speilet i morges?
"Svart teatersminke, huhei". Og så husket jeg hva jeg egentlig drev med i går kveld, og glemte ukoselige ting, og det var bra.

2. Hvilket blad leste du sist?
Fables

3. Skriv et ord som rimer på FUCK?
Duck

4. Favorittplanet?
Den med beboere som invaderer oss snart så det kan skje noe action?

5. Hvem er den fjerde personen på tapt anrop-listen din?
Hmm. Karita, faktisk.

6. Hva har du som ringelyd?
"Mjæææææææuuu!"

7. Hva har du på deg?
Klær, som regel.

8. Setter du deg selv i bås?
Jeg er ikke helt sikker på hvilken jeg hører til i.

9. Hvilket merke er det på skoene dine?
Skopunkten? Fragile? Live2MonthsAtthemost?

10. Hva er best - lyse eller mørke rom?
Begge deler kan jo være fint da.

11. Hva synes du om den personen du rappet denne meme-tingen fra?
Tja. Jeg er egentlig ganske ok. Id er litt plagsom når hun har for mye å tenke på, så da føler ego seg litt satt ut og vet ikke helt hvordan hun skal oppføre seg.

12. Hvis du er alene i et rom med to senger, hvilken velger du å sove i?
Eh..den med...god karma? Ja, nettopp.

13. Hva gjorde du rundt midnatt i går?
Da tror jeg jeg var i ferd med å sovne.

14. Hva står det i den siste sms-en i innboksen din?
Blant annet "[Han derre] er her, men i godt humør nå".

15. Hvem er den siste personen du så i dag?
Han butikkfyren.

16. Hvilke(t) ord bruker du igjen og igjen?
Mhm

17. Hvem er den siste som fortalte at han/hun elsker deg og når skjedde det?
I fjor en gang, og så gikk vesenet hen og forlovet seg med noe annet.

18. Hva er den siste hårete tingen du tok på?
Leggene mine for inntil noen timer siden.

19. Hva spiste du sist?
Ostepizza.

20. Hvor mange ufremkallede filmruller har du liggende?
Ingen som jeg vet om.

21. Din favorittalder i livet så langt?
Nja, er vel tross alt mest fornøyd med nåværende tid i livet, selv om fødselsåret godt kunne vært litt senere enn det er.

22. Hvem er din verste fiende?
Den spirrevippen som lagde 'Don't worry be happy'.

23. Hva har du som skjermbilde på din personlige computer?
Death on Binky:) Begge smiler fint og.

24. Hva er det siste du sa til noen i dag?
"hadet bra"

25. Velg mellom en million kroner og evnen til å fly.
Flakse fly. Kunne jo forsåvidt tjent millioner av kroner på det.

26. Liker du noen?
Å jada.

27. Siste sangen du hørte på?
U2: All I want is you

28. Hvis den siste ukjente personen du snakket til plutselig ble fly forbannet på deg, hva ville du gjøre?
Bli vettaskremt, løpe hjem, spikre igjen dører og vinduer og legge meg skjelvende i fosterstilling under senga.

29. Hvem kunne du tenke deg å dra til så det sang, midt i ansiktet?
Er ikke så fan av slåing og..slikt.. Kunne kanskje gjort et unntak for Warren Mears, siden han er fiktiv og allting.

30. Hva befinner seg nærmest din venstre fot akkurat nå?
Min høyre fot, et stolbein og en tøffel. Ja..sko-tøffel, ja.

Today was really great.
I got out of bed really early because I had terrible stomach cramps. I feel like a llama on the Titanic. I'm so stoned.

Last night I had to shave my entire body. Apparently, the lice that I caught from Amanda's friend are really hard to get rid of. I look quite strange with no hair and eyebrows. I'd post pictures, but my webcam is broken.

I want to tell the world that I love you all! You're all so special to me!

I am really annoyed with those assholes at _are_you_hotter_than_us_?, because I am so much cuter than them, and those photos don't do me justice. They can't reject me, so I'm starting my own rating community. Click here to join (the first five applicants are automatically accepted).
Today, I got a digital camera! Yes! I'm so ugly. Don't look at my photos pleeeeeze.

I want to say thanks to The Flying Spaghetti Monster for incarnating into Michael Flatley.
I went to the doctor yesterday, and he said that nymphomania is ok. And bipolar disorder.

You should all do this quiz! It's amazingly accurate. You just put in your name and birthday, and it will tell you you're a moron.

When I grow up I shall marry Russell Crowe.

That's enough for now. But I'll leave you with this thought - sharing your life with strangers on the internet is the cheapest form of therapy available. Leave a comment and tell me I'm beautiful.

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Books so far in 2008. A bit happy-trip-ish, but actually, I have just read good books lately.

1. Riket ved veiens ende - Jan Guillou
Final of the trilogy, where we get to know 'how did it all go'. Well..nice to know, but I think the second book was the most genious one. I have to read Arven etter Arn though..suppose I'll get there soon.

2. Labyrinten - Kate Mosse
A book you should not know much about before reading, except it is about the holy grail and the cathars. Great story. ( The only thing is maybe )

3. Sexing the cherry - Jeanette Winterson
Weird. Fantastic. Love Winterson. Just read it, it's a tiny little book.

4. Witchcraft Tomorrow - Doreen Valiente
Yes, well, witchcraft in the age of aquarius. When one strips off the occasional fluffyness, it's still quite interesting:)

5. Pigtopia - Kitty Fitzgerald
Lovely, sometimes macaber, but very moving. Kind of modern, disturbing fairy tale about the friendship between a Quasimodo and a little girl.

6. Night Watch - Sergei Lukyanenko
Vampires, shapeshifters, witches, warlocks and different Others in the hidden parts of Moskow. An intriguing world, but what I liked the most was the mood that grew and reached a climax in the last part (there are three parts/stories). While there theoretically is a "good" light side and a "evil" dark side in this universe, it's stocked with grey zones, and there is much doubt what actually serves what.
(But the film sucks really really hard. Don't see it if you've read the book. Save yourself pain in the soul.)

7. Dronningsagaen - Vera Henriksen
A 10kr-find at the local antiquariat. I didn't have very much hopes for this one, but it is really exciting. It concerns the early days of christendom in the north and life outside of the battlefield. Also intermingled is a slave imported from Ireland, which turns out to be the son of Cuan Ua Lochainn (regent and ollamh, just google it). And the so very funny thing is how Henriksen weaves in Irish myths and sagas alongside the Norse.(For instance topsyturvy, MacDatho's pig is essensial for the whole thing^^)