Category Archives: Hedonism

In early 2012 I heard about a new restaurant called Dabbous. It struck me as a definitely, almost defiantly, unpromising name but went along to review because it was new and also walking distance from where I live. I was back in there for lunch the following day. Young Ollie Dabbous explains the name struck me as not only an immensely talented and intelligent chef but one who had in his grasp the spirit of what Parisian chefs at the time were calling bistronomie high-octane cooking, low-key surroundings, amiable, unstarchy service. I gave Dabbous five stars, my top rating, awarded I explained when a restaurant comes along that changes the game. Ollie now cooks at Hide in Piccadilly in collaboration with Russian-owned Hedonism Wines. I am meeting my son Ben, ownerof The Compasses Inn near Tisbury in Wiltshire, for a meal at Hide. I want him to experience Ollies cooking. Mum, wed better stick to the set lunch, (38 for two courses excluding sides) are Bens first words. This we do but we are denied none of the prettiness verging on beauty of Ollies new direction nor the enthusiastic embrace of the potential in plant life. My first course choice of baked pumpkin with orange blossom, toasted macadamia and a pandan leaf broth is a soup mined with delicious discoveries. There is now a handsome book Essential by Ollie Dabbous published last month.

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Fay Maschler: What landed on my plate this week - Tatler

Thats the question everyones asking since Leo Varadkar moved into the neighbourhood recently. The Tnaistes arrival in my part of Dublin 8 was massive gossip locally, and we were all finding excuses to walk up his road and have a goo at his gaff.

ven taxi drivers want to know where Leo lives.

I thought I might run into him buying a packet of toilet roll in the local store we share, Booze and News. It stopped selling alcohol a while back to the great dismay of residents so its really just News now, but its still the place everyone goes to for the household essentials.

No sign of Leo around at all yet; although he wasnt here a wet week before the hipster bible Time Out had declared Dublin 8 one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world.

Those of us who live here greeted this news with a similarly wry amusement.

Oh, its cool now, is it? Twenty or so years after the rest of us figured that out?

It has always been the coolest neighbourhood in the capital. Its full of history, art, music and hedonism. Its neighbourhoods have romantic names such as The Liberties, The Tenters, Rialto and Portobello. It has Camden Street, Meath Street and Christchurch.

We like it so much that many of us are financially clinging on here by our fingernails as its also fast becoming one of the most expensive.

The house over the road from me, a two-bed semi built a century ago as part of one of the States first social housing developments, recently sold for nearly half-a-million.

Whos moving in here, with that kind of money? And what kind of a shock will they get when they land and reality hits?

Theyll arrive imagining its a kind of edgy Ranelagh. That its all boutique delis for breathinarians; vegan warehouse cafes with confusing ordering systems whenever they deign to open and restaurants that sound like medieval torture chambers. Hens Teeth at Blackpitts, anyone?

What I love about Dublin 8 is that its rough, raw and real. Its inner-city Dublin and all that comes with it. It has a kind of ready, steady, violence, as the Fontaines DC sang on their song about Dublin 8, Liberty Belle.

It has a menace to it. You have to be tough, or get tough, to live here. I had a bottle thrown at me by a group of young lads on bikes during lockdown. Anti-social behaviour is a reality of life here.

We duct-tape our letterboxes for Halloween. Thanks be to Brexit, the fireworks supply chain has sputtered this year.

Usually, its like a war zone every night as soon as September comes around. Last year, a young fella set off a firework from the bin inside the kids playground.

Thats the truth about Dublin 8, and for all those sins and faults its also home to the very best of people and the tightest communities. It may have a new cool cachet, courtesy of the Tnaiste and Time Out, but its not for the timid.

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So, what is it really liked living next door to Leo? - Independent.ie

New additions to Londons bustling restaurant scene are always good news, but theyre even better news when they combine two of our favourite things: rooftop terraces and sushi. Thats exactly what Bisushimawas going for when they opened in early 2020 (before closing again due to a series of lockdowns). The Japanese restaurant and bar sits atop the Phase8 Hotel in Covent Garden, offering prime 360 views of Trafalgar Square and the city skyline from their wrap-around terrace.

SEE ALSO: The Delicious Japanese Spot With The Flaming Desserts

Now, Bisushima isnt just a random name. According to the restaurants website, it combines two elements: Bisu represents the Egyptian god of hedonism and party, while Shima is the Japanese word for island and sanctuary. Thrown together, Bisushimas concept takes guests on a journey from Shima (day) to Bisu (night).

Serving everything from appetisers to hot dishes and cold plates, Bisushima focuses on artful Japanese cooking with locally-sourced and Japanese ingredients. Diners looking to raid the extensive sushi bar can taste traditional Edomae-style bites, which incorporate a special aging process that promises to bring out the full flavours of raw fish. If that sounds too adventurous for you, youll find plenty of delicious dishes that might suit your taste, such as their lobster tempura with sauted scallops or grilled Iberico pork.

SEE ALSO: Londons Biggest Asian Food Hall Might Just Rival Chinatown

Of course where theres a rooftop terrace, theres also plenty of booze! Enjoy a drink from Bisushimas signature cocktail menu or one of their many sakes, which come even more in handy on DJ nights (check their Instagram to stay up to date with current events and happenings). What a way to honour the Bisu in Bisushima!

The restaurant is currently also offering Shima hour, an innovative take on the classic Italian aperitivo. Guests can try a signature cocktail with a small plate of either squid or chicken kara-age, crispy tofu, wagyu gyoza or pork tonkatsu, for 20. The special menu is available from 6pm until 7.30pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Bisushima, 8 St. Martins Place, WC2N 4JH. Find more info on their website.

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The Rooftop Sushi And Omakase Restaurant Overlooking Trafalgar Square - Secret London

Before the dance-infused Saint Etienne version or the dreamy Psychic TV cover, Neil Youngs brilliant original Only Love Can Break Your Heart was born out of sincerity and heartbreak. A touching tribute to the pitfalls of love and relationships, lyrically the song is critical, and the concise account of love that the title provides us with is a testament to just how perceptive Neil Young is as a man and songwriter.

The third track on his third solo studio album,After the Gold Rush,Only Love Can Break Your Heart, is a folk-rock ballad of the highest order. However, given just how personal but universal the songs message is, youd be forgiven for thinking the song to be wholly autobiographical.

There might be flecks of lived experience in the song from Youngs perspective. Many suggested the track was originally written about the break-up of his supergroup, however, the song is actually about the end of the relationship between his CSNY bandmate, Graham Nash and Canadian folk heroine, Joni Mitchell.

Given that Young is typically a rather opaque gentleman when it comes to discussing the origins of his songs, it is not surprising that the origins of the classic have always been a point of hot discussion. The song and album were recorded by Young after the raucous CSNYDj Vualbum tour, and because of this, in tandem with his apprehension at discussing the songs roots, many originally thought that the classic was actually written about the cocaine-addled Stephen Stills. Notoriously, he had alienated his bandmates by referring to them as his back-up singers one night on stage and the suggestion Youngs break-up anthem was directed at him has never truly been shaken off.

However, seemingly worn down by the number of questions regarding the songs origins, Young did eventually concede that the song was about Nash and Mitchell. The track stemmed from the period where each component of CSNY was struggling with significant interpersonal problems, such as the death of David Crosbys girlfriend Christine Hinton in a tragic car accident, and where the negative effects of hedonism were starting to wear the group down, eroding the rock at the centre of the group.

Nash was left heartbroken by the end of his and Mitchells relationship. Together from 1968 to 1970, the relationship started almost overnight and fell apart seemingly as quickly. After first meeting at a show in Canada, and being entranced by Mitchell as a sylphlike beauty and genius musician, Nash and Mitchells relationship was one of the most iconic of the entire era.

The two countercultural heroes lived together in LA, and Nash was so happy with his lot that he wrote the CNSY classic Our House about their relationship. The lyrics of the chorus demonstrate this perfectly: Our house is a very, very, very fine house / With two cats in the yard / Life used to be so hard / Now everything is easy cause of you.

Ironically, it was actually Mitchell who first set the wheels in motion for the formation of CSNY. It was she who first introduced Young to David Crosby, with whom she also had a fast and furious relationship. When producing her debut albumSong to a Seagull,Mitchell told Crosby: Youve got to meet Neil Young.This impetus was because Stills and Youngs first band, Buffalo Springfield, were recording next door. Mitchell said to Crosby: I know him from Canada. Hes in the Springfield. Hes so funny. Youre going to love this guy. Later that year, CSNY would form.

Returning to Nash and Mitchell, their relationship was incredibly healthy for a time, but as excess and orgiastic touring got in the way, the two started to drift apart. The relationship soon descended into a chaotic and hate-filled association. Allegedly, Nash even proposed to Mitchell, but she declined, thinking that he wanted a wife solely to cook for him and so on.

After a huge row after a show in Copenhagen where Mitchell poured her cornflakes and milk over Nashs head, the writing was on the wall. Nash embarked on a 3,000-mile boat trip with the grieving Crosby between Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco, during a stop in Panama where they disembarked and met up with Mitchell, the two argued once more and Mitchell swiftly caught a flight back to LA.

When he returned home, one night Nash was lying on the kitchen floor he received a telegram from Mitchell which read: If you hold sand too tightly in your hand, it will run through your fingers. Love, Joan.That was the end and Nash was heartbroken.

Recalling when Young wrote the song, Nash toldUncut: That song means a lot to me because Neil wrote it about me and Joni. Its such a beautiful song. I knew it was about me the day Neil played it for me at Stephens house in Laurel Canyon.

He continued: Its a beautiful song and it was incredibly important for me to hear what Neil had said because he was dead right, it is only love that can break your heart. We are strong, mankind, but these love things can really trip you up. He was only 24 when he wrote that.

Its incredible how prolific he was, Nash appended. I personally feel that Crosby, Stills & Nash and Crosby, Nash, Stills & Young are two completely different bands because of his talent and the difference that it makes.

Nashs assertions, in addition to Youngs lyrics, But only love can break / Your heart / Try to be sure / Right from the start, drench the song in the sinking feeling of heartbreak that we all know very well. A saddening but realistic song, Young tells Nash that next time he has to be sure his love interest will be in it for the long run to avoid further heartbreak. Its a lesson a lot of us could do with hearing.

Listen to Only Love Can Break Your Heart below.

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The Story Behind The Song: Neil Young's heartfelt message to Graham Nash, 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' - Far Out Magazine

Matt Damon as Jean de Carrouges, right, and Adam Driver as Jacques LeGris in a scene from The Last Duel. (Patrick Redmond/20th Century Studios)

Id love to see a documentary about how the rousing and epic and bloody fantastic historical drama The Last Duel came to be, given that the legendary director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien, Blade Runner) is working from a screenplay by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (their first collaboration since Good Will Hunting) and Nicole Holofcener, the brilliant filmmaker whose pinpoint modern screenplays for movies such as Lovely and Amazing and Can You Ever Forgive Me? are about as far away from the mud and gruel and grime of the Hundred Years War as you can possibly get. Who wrote what? And how did this collaboration come together?

Also, our imaginary documentary would have to include a segment devoted to the wigs. Oh my, the wigs.

Filled with big performances, breathtaking cinematography and expertly choreographed battle sequences that put you right there in the middle of the gruesome chaos, Gladiator-style, The Last Duel is an unabashedly old-fashioned and richly satisfying tale of noblemen and peasants, of hedonism and intellectualism, of brave knights and scheming tricksters and, of course, theres a love story as well, and although at first it seems to be the stuff of fairy tales, lets just say it doesnt play out the way one might expect.

The Last Duel is one of those movies that are set in the France of the late Middle Ages and all the main characters are French and have names such as Jacques and Jean and Pierre but everyone speaks English (save for a few throwaway lines and a song), and for the most part they dont even bother with French accents, and we just go with it because ever since weve had sound in cinema weve had movies set in foreign lands where everybody just happens to speak the Kings English.

After a prologue in which two squires prep for a duel as if theyre NFL players suiting up for the Sunday Game of the Week, were plunged into battle with Matt Damons Jean de Carrouges defying orders and commanding his men to get across that stream and save those people and during the course of the violent clash that leaves corpses and mutilated soldiers strewn everywhere, Jean saves the life of his longtime friend, the dashing Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver, looking like the most handsome cast member of a particularly flashy medieval times tournament and dinner ensemble). This Jean de Carrouges is a real hero!

At least thats the way it plays out in the first third of the story, which is told from Jeans point of view. With Damon sporting one of the most unfortunate mullets in movie history and a nasty spiderweb of a scar on his cheek, the brutish but valiant Jean finds himself at odds with the powerful and wealthy and hedonistic Count Pierre dAlencon (a hilarious Ben Affleck, almost unrecognizable under a bleached-blond Beatles hairdo) and eventually with Le Gris, who has become a consigliere of sorts to Count Pierre and is always working some angle to thwart the uneducated and unsophisticated Jean.

When the newly knighted Jean marries a disgraced noblemans daughter, the beautiful Marguerite (Jodie Comer), and thus claims her dowry, it appears Jean has achieved everything he ever wanted but when Jean goes off to fight yet another battle for country and king, Le Gris snakes his way into the house and rapes Marguerite. At a time when most victims of sexual assault would remain quiet, Marguerite tells her husband and then goes public with the accusation, resulting in a trial in which its decided Jean and Le Gris will duel to the death. If Jean dies, Marguerite will be tortured and executed because that will prove she was lying. If Le Gris falls, Jean and Marguerite will be vindicated and will be free to live out their lives.

The Last Duel shifts viewpoints twice more first to show events from Le Gris P.O.V., and then, in the last act, through Marguerites eyes. This Rashomon technique is put to great use, as we see Jean transform from mighty warrior filmed in close-ups, with the camera often tilting up to show his greatness into a clod, the butt of jokes, and a brute who treats Marguerite only slightly better than his horses. (And in fact, when Le Gris is accused of a crime, its not categorized as an assault against Marguerite; its a violation of another mans property.)

Theres no ambiguity about the rape; even though Le Gris maintains it was consensual, even when the attack is seen from his viewpoint, its rape. That Marguerite has to endure deeply personal and insulting questions in court, that even her circle of friends doesnt believe her, that its her reputation on the line, has obvious and relevant parallels to #MeToo. Comer does a magnificent job of playing a woman who is born of her times and stuck in that world, and yet has a bigger heart and is just as brave as all those men killing each other on the field of battle.

Nothing about The Last Duel is subtle. Just about everything about The Last Duel is brutally effective.

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Brutally effective: Big performances, battle sequences put you in the middle of 'The Last Duel' - Albuquerque Journal

Comedian Danny O'Brien discusses his career during COVID, his time spent with a Mayan deity in Guatemala, and why he believes that the city of Galway holds the soul of comedy.

At the beginning of 2020, I sat down with Danny O'Brien to discuss his then-upcoming tour, Reformer.

Galvanised by a knee injury, which he got while dancing to The Cure's Close to Me on an Australian dance floor, the young comic's show centered entirely on his pursuit of healthiness.

Determined to treat his body like a temple, O'Brien cut sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and meat from his diet, only to find that the vice with the tightest grip on his health was something far more insidious - stress.

Speaking in January of last year he said: "Genuinely and this is something that I've been trying to work on, that's why I did the meditation stuff what I'm going to die from is stress, if I don't address it. That's a fact."

Two months later, a global pandemic reached Irish shores.

With the coronavirus decimating the country's entertainment industry, bringing live comedy to a standstill, and adding substantial stress to all our lives over the past eighteen months, Danny O'Brien is, unsurprisingly, no longer reformed. In fact, he's doubling down on his vices.

"Since I've last seen you, I've gone back to eating everything I quit," he tells me over a mug of fully caffeinated tea. "I put on a stone and I've never been more stressed in my life. That's the truth. But I don't think I'm alone!"

Having spent much of the pandemic setting up an event company called Garden Gigs Ireland alongside comedian Damo Clark, the Bray man launched a series of successful outdoor gigs, corporate Zoom events, and school workshops that kept him exceptionally busy through various lockdowns.

When restrictions began to ease towards the end of 2020, however, O'Brien jumped at the chance to visit Guatemala with some old friends. Performing a series of gigs while travelling the country (and donating the proceeds to a number of local charities), the former reformer was inspired by his unfamiliar surroundings.

"I got a new gig out of it," he tells me. "It's called the God of All Things Bad, and it's about this deity. Over every bar over there, there's a puppet with a smoke in his mouth - they light the cigarette and have a shot glass between its thighs - it's everywhere. That's Maximn."

"If you do something bad in Guatemala, you talk to Jesus. But if you do something real bad, you talk to Maximn," he surmised.

According to the National Geographic, this chain-smoking, rum-swilling folk saint "represents light and dark", and is often sought out by those praying for "miracles, good health, and love". Popular offerings made to the trickster's effigy are said to include moonshine, hand-rolled cigarettes, and money.

"Basically, whatever you want to do in life, you go and tell him your problem and you buy him a drink," Danny explains. "You have a drink with him and that's it. There's no penance, there's no nothing. And the brotherhood that stay with him for the year (he gets moved every year), they just drink with him all day, every day."

"It was the best craic religious thing I had ever seen in my life," he laughs. "This is the kind of church I can get behind. It gave me a really cool basis for a show, and it's totally different than anything I've ever done before."

From denouncing the "hedonism" surrounding Irish comedy in January to travelling across Central America to drink with a mischievous Mayan god in December, the comedian's material has done a 180 and may well reflect just how acutely the pandemic has effected us all.

Whether it's for better or worse is yet to be seen but, for Danny, the results will play out on stage regardless.

With restrictions easing, the stand-up has no plans to slow down and will be filling his calendar with forthcoming shows at the Wild Duck in Temple Bar, various Christmas gigs across the country, and two nights at the 2021 Galway Comedy Festival.

"The soul of comedy is in Galway," he says. "It's called the city of the tribes for a reason and I think that holds true when it comes to the festival because you're getting someone from every kind of tribe in stand-up comedy, all performing at once."

"There's an amazing camaraderie there," he adds, praising the late-night comedy KARLnival hosted by comedian Karl Spain, who he lovingly refers to as his "comedy husband".

"His late night show, for me, is one of the best things about comedy because I've been at shows where I've seen Andrew Maxwell on the same line up as the likes of Kevin Bridges and Zoe Lyons. And Karl is ripping all of them and everyone in the audience. And John Bishop is dropping in to do a ten minute set."

"I've done festivals all over the world and you never get that caliber of comic in those intimate gigs and they're only doing it for one reason - they absolutely love it. I think that's why Galway is different to others."

You can see Danny O'Brien at the Galway Comedy Festival on Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24th. Just don't ask him if he's stressed. He is.

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Funnyman Danny O'Brien: "The soul of comedy is in Galway" - RTE.ie

To wander around the grounds of Chteau dHrouville is to walk in the shadow of more than 200 years of cultural history. There is perhaps no place on earth that has been touched by so many influential artists and musicians or, in fact, that has touched so many in return.

If its true that some buildings are like sponges, soaking up the life of those who reside within their walls, then I wouldnt be surprised if this French 18th-century chteau located in the village of Hrouville, just outside Paris is about to start crumbling under the weight of its own history. Indeed, during one of the Chteaus many chapters, it was transformed into one of the most illustrious and unique recording studios of the 1960s and 70s, at which time it was visited by the likes of Jerry Garcia, The Bee Gees, Elton John and, of course,David Bowie who recorded his iconic albumsPin-UpsandLowat there in 1973. But thats just one chapter. To paint a full picture of one of the most fascinating buildings in Europe, we need to start at the beginning.

When French architect Gaudot cast his eye over the village of Hrouville in the 1730s, he saw a landscape that hadnt changed since medieval times. The people who lived there still resided in the poorly-constructed thatched huts that had been the homes of not only their grandparents but also their grandparents grandparents. The land was lush and fertile and over the centuries had been carved into a patchwork of neat fields filled with barley. Come August, the whole village would venture out, with the men cutting the crop with tall scythes and the women and children trailing behind to collect the fallen sheaths into bushels.

But Gaudot had a dream for Hrouville, one that would see him lay down the blueprints for a grand chteau overlooking the village. It would be built in the Romanesque style on the grounds of a previous mansion built in the 1500s and comprise two wings and several outbuildings. He envisioned 30 ornate bed chambers and numerous libraries, a kitchen, and a grand dining room, all of which would be set in 1.7 hectares of lush parkland.

Following its completion in 1740, just 48 years before the revolution that would remove many of their heads, the chteau became the residency of the French aristocracy, some of whom decided to make numerous additions to the structure. Thats why, if you visit it today, youll notice that the chteau is something of an architectural chimaera, one that wears its 300-year history on its sleeve. But, even before you notice the architecture, youll likely be struck by something much more challenging to place, a sense that you are never entirely alone, that to put it bluntly you are being haunted. You would be right to feel that way. In the mid-19th century, Chteau dHrouville was visited by two of the most important innovators in their field: Vincent Van Gogh who painted the chteaus exterior entirely by hand and the Polish composer Frdric Chopin, who left something equally enduring behind; his ghost.

Chopin escaped to Chteau dHrouville to be with his mistress, the French novelist George Sands in the mid-1800s. They lived there together for some time, and, according to legend, Chopin liked it so much he never left. Today, his ghost is said to haunt the master bedroom in what is known as The Sand wing. A hundred years or so later, the chteau would see countless other musicians pass along its winding corridors, the first of whom was the French film composer Michel Magne. He bought the property in 1969 after it had spent nearly 70 years falling into disrepair.

Over the next few years, he gradually transformed it into his personal studio, funding the project by working on scores for films such asLes Tontons Flingueurs,Fantmas, andGigot. The moment he gazed upon the chteau, Magne found himself lost in the same reverie that had possessed Gaudot back in the 1730s. Magnes dream was to utilise the structures natural acoustics while renovating it into a space where musicians and composers could collaborate. As Magnes second wife once recalled in an interview: There were certain rooms used as echo chambers. This was a revolutionin the beginning, the studio was there to record [Magnes] music. But word of mouth spread quickly and after doing the rounds in Paristhe whole world came here. It became the destination for the biggest groups.

By 1970, the chteau was being visited by some of rocks most important musicians, includingThe Grateful Dead, who decided to throw an impromptu show there in 1971. We went over there to do a big festival, a free festival they were gonna have, but the festival was rained out, Jerry Garcia once remembered. It flooded. We stayed at this little chteau which is owned by a film score composer. We were there with nothing to do: France, a 16-track recording studio upstairs, all our gear, ready to play, and nothing to do. So, we decided to play at the chteau itself, out in the back, in the grass, with a swimming pool, just play into the hills. We didnt even play to hippies, we played to a handful of townspeople in Auvers. We played and the people came the chief of police, the fire department, just everybody. It was an event and everybody just had a hell of a time got drunk, fell in the pool. It was great.

Over the next seven years or so, the walls of the Chteau dHrouville soaked up the music of the likes of T-Rex, The Rolling Stones, Canned Heat, Fleetwood Mac, and Elton John all of whom, at one point or another, stayed in the chteau to record their albums. Despite being a site of untold hedonism (it was the 70s, after all), the buildings long history continued to resurface, refusing to be drowned out by the sound of wailing guitars. Indeed, by the time David Bowie, Tony Visconti, and Brian Eno arrived to recordLowin 1978, there was no escaping it. As Visconti later said: There was certainly some strange energy in that chteau. On the first day, David took one look at the master bedroom and said, Im not sleeping in there! He took the room next door. The master bedroom had a very dark corner, right next to the window, ironically, that seem to just suck light into it. It was colder in that corner too. Eno also experienced things he couldnt explain. He once recalled waking up to the feeling of something shaking his shoulder, but on opening his eyes, he found himself entirely alone. None of this perturbed David Bowie, though; hed stayed in the chteau on his own when he was self-producing his albumPin-Upsin 1973.

Magne was many things, but a businessman was not one of them. In 1979, he went bankrupt and was forced to sell the property to his creditors. The subsequent owners had enough respect for what had gone on inside their new home to allow the studio to remain while they went about pursuing plans to renovate the building into (surprise surprise) luxury flats. But, after the development was denied, the building was abandoned and has been left to decay for the last 30 years.

Back in 2013, Chteau dHrouville was up for sale for around 1.12 million. As well as the asking price, the owner would have needed to supply an additional 300,000 for renovation costs to keep the place from falling in on itself. For some time, nobody took the bait. Then, in 2015, a group of three music professionals working in film scoring and audio engineering bought the property and rebuilt the recording studio. Today, it serves the very same purpose it did when Michel Magne opened it to recording artists all those decades ago: to provide a space to live and to create music. I just hope todays visitors understand the importance of where they are standing.

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Exploring Chteau d'Hrouville: The French mansion touched by Van Gogh, David Bowie and more - Far Out Magazine

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The robotic clown towers above us, breathtaking and menacing. He is impossibly tall, maybe seven or even eight feet on top of his small stand.

The stands speaker spews sinister circus music as the animatronic monster reaches a hand forward to ask for a volunteer for his juggling act.

I just need a hand... and a foot... and a head... any body part will do!. The clown breaks out in maniacal laughter, and my seven-year-old presses in against my side, even closer than he had been before.

His gaze flits quickly between the towering monstrosity and me. I worry momentarily that weve come too close, that the nightmare fuel will burn each and every bedtime this week, or maybe this month. I suppress a grin and open my eyes wide at him, acknowledging my possible failure as a parent and gatekeeper of all things inappropriate for seve-year-olds. His face breaks into a giant, nervous grin.

Dad, this is awesome.

I couldnt agree more. This is Halloween: the wet chill and low hanging fog in the air, the glow of orange from freshly carved and lit jack-o-lanterns; children running reckless from doorstep to doorstep, pillow cases pregnant with candy and difficult to lift, dragged or begrudgingly carried by parents; neighbours around a propane fire, offering hot chocolate from a thermos to warm kids and parents alike; and sights and sounds that teeter on the knifes edge of terrifying and exciting.

You have to know your audience. Not every child should be subjected to maniacally laughing animatronic clowns. I certainly wouldnt have enjoyed it at his age.

My youngest was drawn to the spectacle of it while we were still a long ways off. The rolling fog illuminated by brightly coloured light, the excited (and terrified) screams of children running to or away from the house. While we were slowly winding up an adjacent cul-de-sac, my youngest would crane his neck to see this particular house. He wanted to see it.

He comes by it naturally. At our house we have more Halloween decorations than all other holidays combined (those wooden gravestones and plastic skeletons take up more than their fair share of room under the stairs). And we much prefer setting up the Halloween ones.

When else do you get to cover the trees with cobwebs and plastic spiders, or create shallow graves out of wooden tombstones and left over planting soil?

It is, admittedly, not for everyone. Not everyone enjoys Halloween as much as I do, or even at all. But it is on offer to everyone. It demands little, but accepts much.

Want to turn all your dead summer flowers into graveyard decor? Go for it. Want to turn your entire residence into a haunted house? Have at it. Want to play Thriller, Monster Mash and Ghostbusters on endless repeat for all the neighbours to hear? You might get a visit from bylaw, but I wont judge you.

If youre feeling less in the spirit, a simply lit jack-o-lantern and a ready supply of candy is enough buy-in to be considered a full participant. Even those that give out toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss play a needed (and completely thankless) role on Halloween.

With so many participating on Halloween, you notice the ones who dont. The ones who dont appear to enjoy the spectacle. The houses that are completely dark, intentionally uninviting from the street. Its obvious that so much of the imagery of Halloween is full of grotesquery and gore, hell and hedonism, devils and darkness. Perhaps they cant see past the pageantry, past the demon clowns and devils and pitchforks.

Perhaps all they see is evil.

Its strange, isnt it? How some of us see evil as real and threatening, while others see it only as a lark?

Personally, I dont think Halloween is evil in the slightest. Theres far too much goodness there. The surface of Halloween may appear grotesque, but its heart is communal celebration.

Thats not to say that I dont believe in an evil that threatens us. I just dont think it looks anything like the imagery halloween supplies. Unfortunately, I dont think most of us understand much about the nature of evil at all. And thats whats really scary.

The Franciscan friar Richard Rohr says as much in his recent book, What Do We Do With Evil?

Rohr argues that evil is not overt and obvious, but is subtle and insidious. Its less the stories of demon-clowns devouring children, and more the true stories of children being devoured and traumatized by institutions of power and privilege that we esteem and trust. Its less about the spectacle of the monstrous and inhuman and more about the devastation of dehumanizing those who are other from us.

While Rohr draws on the biblical language of principalities and powers of darkness, he states that these might be more familiar in our context as ideologies, organizations, corporations or institutions.

Here is a recent example from a well known corporation: A few weeks ago Frances Haugen stepped forward as a whistleblower against Facebook, stating that the company had repeatedly prioritized profits over the safety and well being of its patrons. She claims Facebook repeatedly hid or ignored information of their role in promoting misinformation, of not removing hate speech, and ignoring links between consistent use of Instagram and suicidal ideation in young girls.

If these allegations are true, what do you call decisions like that? I think we need to call those actions evil.

I know that evil is a loaded term, a term many of us relegate only to the religious and superstitious. Maybe some would argue that Facebook is merely self-interested, and acting in way that countless other organizations and corporations do.

But that sounds pretty evil to me. If we argue the term evil is antiquated and outdated, we need an appropriately weighty term to take its place. Corporate oversight just doesnt do it justice.

Perhaps that is evil's greatest trick. It does not come as a devil or monster, but as something commonplace and accepted. It exists in the devious ways that a company chooses profits at the expense of people but also in ways I find myself enmeshed in, and dependent on that same company when I believe they are doing evil.

We need to think, and re-think, about evil, especially in these days when many of us no longer believe in it.

Evil doesnt announce itself with pitchforks and horns, it hides in the places we excuse or even dont expect it. The first step is seeing evil in all the places where weve learned to overlook it.

Imagine if we always expected evil to be either a hideous, monstrous demon or an unnecessary, outdated notion. Imagine if we never developed the awareness to see evil working in plain sight.

Now that would be truly terrifying.

More here:

Evil is not always a monster we see - Something From Everything - Castanet.net

This summer, while I was stuck in a cloud of wildfire smoke in Washington, my fears about living with climate change, usually a background hum, hit a new, higher pitch. I started spinning about what the future would look like and what I shouldand might have todo to exist in a rapidly warming world. Should I go cold turkey on travel? Stop buying anything? Will those attempts to reduce my carbon footprint make me miserable, and will they even be worth it? Will I still lose the things I love, like eating fruit in winter and breathing clean air in summer, no matter how much I sacrifice?

It turns out that my spiraling brain may have gone a bit too far, at least when it comes to the link between climate action and misery. A new studypublished in Social Indicators Research in Aprilfound that the happiest countries in the world are also the ones closest to meeting the United Nations17 Sustainable Development Goals, which map a more environmentally viable, equitable world for all. The targets arent just about land and water conservation and clean energy, but also food security and sustained inclusive economic growth. When they came up with the goals in 2015, after nearly two decades of hammering them out, the UN member states made clear that sustainability isnt just a singular push toward carbon reduction or shrinking consumption. Environmental issues cant be divorced from economic or social problems, and countrywide happiness is just one of the ways that shows up. To me, that feels like a powerful way to look at the future.

Environmental issues cant be divorced from economic or social problems, and countrywide happiness is just one of the ways that shows up.

We wanted to look at how happiness, and more specifically hedonism and living a full life, were not at odds with sustainability, says lead author Yomna Sameer, a management professor at Abu Dhabi University.

To quantify the connections, Sameer and her colleagues looked at data from 152 countries. They overlaid each countrys progress toward meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with its scores on the World Happiness Report (also compiled by the United Nations) and the World Database of Happiness (compiled by researchers at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands), which look at a wide range of quality-of-life factors. They found a direct, significant connection between a happy life and a climate-friendly life. Its really amazing how clear the graph was. The happier you are, the more sustainable you can be, Sameer says.

These findings also counter the frequently held psychological and economic assumptionthe exact one that was bringing me downthat to live sustainably you have to skimp, give up things you love, or settle for worse quality of life. For years the whole idea of being hedonic has been looked at in a selfish way, but you can have pleasure, enjoyment, and comfort without being selfish or ruining the environment, Sameer says. Its not an either-or anymore.

Sameer and her co-authors dug into individual habits like recycling and consumption, as well as countrywide sustainability metrics like energy use. They found that happy places were often countries that consumed significantly but also eliminated waste, got their energy from sustainable sources, and minimized commutes. Culturally, they prioritized time off and access to nature. They worked for equity and equality so that those lifestyle values werent just available to the wealthiest or most privileged residents.

Italy was one example: residents value happiness factors like food and access to the sea, and the country is working to preserve those things through sustainable agriculture and marine conservation. Iceland was another, with extremely high happiness scores and an equally high rate of recyclingwhich Sameers analysis found was correlated with happiness in all the countries studied.

Sameers team isnt the only group extrapolating the connections between quality of life and sustainability. A 2020 study from economists at Oxford and Columbia, which looked at links between sustainability and economic well-being, found similar results, especially when it came to long-term success. As countries became wealthier, happiness plateaued unless the countries made moves toward sustainability, like protecting ecosystems and addressing inequality. When places focused too exclusively on gross domestic product instead of quality of life, their happiness stagnated.

The United States is an example of this, which might partly explain why I feel scared about the future. Even though were among the wealthiest countries in the world, were in the middle of the pack when it comes to both happiness and environmental values. We are still consuming too much (U.S. citizens individually use about 16 metric tons of carbon a year, and the U.N. says it should be closer to three) in unsustainable ways, and its not making us feel good.

Sameer says that culturally in the States we work too hard and focus too much on individualism. She says we should aim to be more like the countries that scored the highest in her study, like Finland and Canada. They work less, and have work-life balance, she says.The happiest countries are the ones that value leisure, not necessarily luxury. Their governments prioritize things like education, renewable energy, food access, and public green spaces.

A big part of meeting the United Nations sustainability goals worldwide involves systemic action by government, corporations, and financial institutes. That doesnt mean individuals are powerless. You can lobby your town or city government for more parks and better transit, and your state reps and Congress members for clean energy infrastructure. You can personally support the sustainable practices that bring you joysuch as helping build trails, eating local food, or spending more time on your bikeknowing that individual behavior affects systemic change.

Taking individual action can also bring meaning to our lives, which is part of happiness. Britt Wray, who studies the mental health impacts of climate change and writes a newsletter about climate grief called GenDread, advocates for something she calls meaning-focused coping. By realistically acknowledging a threat and then looking for its silver linings that align with ones beliefs, values, and goals, some optimism and purpose can almost always be found, even in the most terrible situations, she writes.

Im trying to take this to heart and remind myself that anything I can do for climate action will make me happier. I can spend money on things I believe in, like good local food, and be part of systemically making things better, not just passively avoiding them. I can work to make my local environment better so I can enjoy it. I can try to chill out and do lesswhich also means consuming less and spending less.

Living like that feels like a hazy fantasy sometimes, especially though the scrim of fire and flood were facing right now, and theres some heavy privilege in even being able to have this discussion about personal happiness as it relates to sustainability. But I think theres also something powerful about prioritizing a happy future for everyone, working toward it, and having the research to know that it can be a reality.

Continued here:

What the Happiest Countries in the World Can Teach Us About Green Living - Outside

At Tramp anything went or almost anything. When Keith Moon climbed up on to a 17th-century chandelier and brought it crashing down, showering other members with chunks of plaster, he was banned but only for 48 hours and there were no objections when he rolled up in the street outside naked and strapped to the bonnet of a white Rolls-Royce.

In 1998 Gold sold the club to Kevin Doyle for 4million, but he continued to hold court for several more years, showing up at least three nights a week to greet the famous and not so famous, before moving to the Bahamas.

When Gold celebrated his 70th birthday in 2002, guests included Rod Stewart, Michael and Shakira Caine, Joan Collins (with her new husband, Percy), Shirley Bassey, Cilla Black, Roger Moore, George Best, Barbara Windsor, and Salman Rushdie with Marie Helvin.

But as the Krug flowed and the glitterball glittered, Gold lamented that London was not quite the swinging place it had been in the clubs heyday in the 1970s and 1980s: Im not sure why. Perhaps its because stars get so much more hassle. Theres so much pressure on them, so many kiss-and-tells. They find a girl and, the next thing they know, theyre reading in the papers what a lousy bonk they were.

But Gold never lost his enthusiasm: If youre a people person, like me, you need people. I like to look around the dance floor, see everyone going crazy, having a good time. I enjoy it.

Jesse John Gold was born on June 25 1932 at Stamford Hill, north London; his father, Sam, was a Jewish milliner who became a turf accountant. When John was seven the family moved to Brighton. He was educated at Brighton College but left at 16. After National Service with the 6th Royal Tank Regiment in Germany he returned home to work in his fathers betting shop.

My mother, who had strong ideas on what was right, was always on at me not to call myself a bookie, he recalled. If anyone ever called me that, she would correct them: Hes an off-course turf accountant, not a bookmaker.

Continue reading here:

Johnny Gold, founder and guiding spirit of Tramp, the nightclub that became a byword for champagne-fuelled hedonism obituary - Telegraph.co.uk