A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on June 28, 2008
in Events, Me Myself and I, People, Photography and Various
. 0 Comments

Eric Cartman of South Park can finally agree upon something with God; Hippies. “Hippies. They’re everywhere, They wanna save the world, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad”. And go to festivals, I might add to Cartman’s classic itch. Anyhow, it seems like the same interpretation God has of them, as he every year decides to let it rain during both Roskilde and Glastonbury Music Festival.

I went to Roskilde in 2004 - one of the many years where it rained cats and dogs nearly 6 out of 6 days. I mean, not that watching Iggy Pop while water from the heavy rain was diluting my beer wasn’t cool enough in itself, but still, the mud is generally pretty annoying in the long run. Last year was even worse as far as I’ve heard. Hippies almost drowned in rain and mud, and a lot of people headed early home because of the terrible weather. This year seems to run into the same problem. But, what is really dense in my opinion, is to keep running the festivals in these specific last week of June/ first week of July. For as long as I’ve lived the two weeks of Wimbledon, which is pretty much the same, have been a combination of washouts and extreme heat-waves, so why is it that late July or early August isn’t the festival weeks? I really can’t figure it out…

But maybe I’m being this negative only because I’m not going. Neil Young is there, Radiohead will be playing and then of course Mike Skinner as The Streets. Even Slayer, Cat Power and Jay-Z will be rocking up the crowd… So why am I not a proud Roskilde festivalgoer this year? Well first of all, I haven’t got a ticket and don’t really want to pay 1800 DKK for one (call me niggardly). It might also be Platon and Aristotle’s idea of the human nature as reacting on background of prudence.

But then again; prudence my ass… - I fear that I’ve turned boring and old before time…

fuckyou.png

All pictures and illustrations above are taken or made and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

Alien in Pretoria

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on June 26, 2008
in People, Publications and Various
. 0 Comments

As Darwin and Wallace’s theory suggests, more creatures in a population are born than can survive. This is the struggle for existence. So when some 10.000 Chinese decides to settle elsewhere - in this case South Africa - the colonialists must react. That’s pretty fair isn’t it? First they reacted with discrimination under apartheid which gave them very little liberty to earn decent money or have decent jobs. This also reflected their societal status, and respect was a word that wasn’t heard of for very long. Now, 17 years after the racist apartheid system ceased, the Chinese South Americans have won the rights to be classified as ‘Black’.

Now what is really strange, is the classification of Asians. People from Korea, Taiwan and Japan were categorized as ‘White’. But, no no, Chinese are ‘Black’. Weird? Then think about it again, and correct your impulse to ‘extremely lame’! Might even ferocious, I could argue.

Marcel Berlins, from Guardian, recalls a trip to South Africa in the 1960s, where the Chinese were still under very strict restrictions, but the Japanese were seen as ‘white’: “Hardly anyone at the time had the faintest idea how to distinguish between Chinese and Japanese people, even supposing they were aware that the latter, legally speaking, were now Caucasians. But what if a newly whitened Japanese person was treated as though they were Chinese? A team of government officials was sent out to explain to puzzled restaurant owners and other service providers that the east Asian-looking gentlemen soon to enter their premises were to be served politely rather than turfed out unceremoniously. It caused great confusion at the time, but was clearly successful in business terms.”

My first thought was, how does this benefit the Chinese, does it make any difference, and hpw does this shit work? Well, apparently, the motive was financial. By being part of the (’luda’cris) black label, the Chinese gets access to various black economic empowerment schemes available to the victims of apartheid. Great life.

My last comment won’t be any anthropological nonsense on why this is normal in South Africa, or why this is even possible to take place now-a-days. No, I want to quote The Yardbirds’s song called ‘Mister, You’re a better Man than I’, as I believe it’s more clever than what I can come up with right now: Could you condemn a man, If your faith he doesn’t hold? Say the colour of his skin, Is the colour of his soul? Or could you say if men, For king and country all must die? Then Mister you’re a better man than I, Yeah You’re a better man than I

031_na.jpg

All pictures and illustrations above are taken or made and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

In Masquerade - My Political Comment

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on June 25, 2008
in Illustration, Me Myself and I and People
. 2 Comments

I am not the biggest political activist, nor do I follow the US election that intense as I feel I should. Nonetheless, I can’t bear the look of John McCain. It seems many Americans think of him as a lovable patriot with a maverick streak: The war hero of Vietnam, who will fight and stand up for the war in Iraq until the Muslim terrorists are sure they can’t mess with the Americans.

But! The inescapable ‘but’! Away from the political speeches and Republican newspaper’s headlines he’s an anti-abortion Creationist who surrounds himself with religious extremists. No matter how hard he tries to disguise it, the fact that McCain believe Islam is evil and gays are immoral is difficult to oversee. Sure, gays probably aren’t the ones helping to rid of Aids and Hiv, but I mean, isn’t it natural now-a-days that people have the possibility to be respected no matter what sex they prefer? Maybe not, but the sad thing is, that the dark sides of McCain’s primeval ideas doesn’t stop here. My beloved friend, John McCain, wants to appoint extreme conservatives to the Supreme Court and see abortion banned, just like his late ancestors would have it. Anachronism if you like - either way disastrous. But then again, could we expect something else from a man who was born on a military base, in Panama?

As young Americans return in bodybags from Iraq - and probably Iran too before long - an old soldier like McCain, who is from a family of warriors, seems a natural choice as the superpower-leader in this dangerous world. In my world John McCain seems to be a little bit like the new disability dolls: either he is a sick joke or a blessing - of course this depends on what mask you see him wearing. But, as Oscar Wilde pointed out in his ‘Truth of Masks’ : the usage of masks are very important in all games. Masks, he argued, has a double function as they are both picturesque and dramatic - just like McCain (patriot vs. creationist) can be argued to be.

mccain.png

All pictures and illustrations above are taken or made and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

Curious of Curiosity - Touch Me I am Sick

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on June 12, 2008
in Anthropology, Me Myself and I, People and Various
. 1 Comment

I have a little fling for human and social sciences these days. Let it be sociology, philosophy, anthropology or linguistics - you name it… I am not sure why I like it or why it fascinates me, but sometimes I think it is because it doesn’t give me any real answers. I am not good at being told things, so I might as well read books that only suggest instead of state. Other times I believe it is of my curiosity; I have grown a strong desire to learn or know about reasons, causes, logic, judgments and diversity of these. (And then I am really fed up with gullible people, sorry to say).

When I saw the British classic Blow Up some years ago I forgot about quite quickly. Seeing it again some months ago made my mind curious to discover the places, the lines and the true meaning of the almost quintessential message of curiosity and meta-interest (as it is called in the academic milieux, I’ve been told). What seems to happen is apparently that human curiosity about curiosity itself combined with abstract thinking sometimes lead to mimesis and imagination. Probably a bit like the situation I often take myself in, where I think somebody walk in the hall outside the bathroom while I am showering. After 10 minutes of nervous searching around the flat I realize it was my own mirror-image that reflected a shadow. Really annoying, actually.

Another weird kind of curiosity is the interest of morbidity. This cathartic form of behaviour when seeing something disastrous is pretty bizarre, but I reckon everybody knows the feeling of curiosity when one sees a damaged car, a wrecked train or whatever Aristotle meant when saying ‘people enjoy contemplating the most precise images of things whose sight is painful to us’. It’s weird that such an unpleasant sight gives a kind of natural feeling of disgust that might even pleases you in other aspects of innate human emotions - and animalistic for that matter.

But to be honest; the reason why I’m writing this is because of some weird notions I’ve taken the last couple of months. First of all, why is it people always touch were a sign says ‘newly painted’? And why is people sniff when they are told that the person sitting next to them just farted? I mean, it’s just weird that this disgust needs to be verified isn’t it? It might just be that ‘People are Strange’ as Jim Morrison titled one of his songs. Maybe its because of the extreme curiosity that people suffer from (or benefit from, of course). Sometimes I think it is because people don’t trust each other, and want to confirm the warnings themselves! Either way, it is uncanny and even eerie, especially as I am curious to know why we are curious…

img_4958.JPG

img_9568.JPG

All pictures above are taken and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

Wicked thing… - Folks get down in the Sunshine

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on June 11, 2008
in Me Myself and I
. 0 Comments

It’s a scary time we’re living in. First some crazy geezer blows himself and his non-democratic corpus up in front of the Danish Embassy in Pakistan. Then a Japanese guy makes a real life ‘Falling Down’ scene, as was he Michael Douglas, when he launched into a stabbing frenzy on a busy shopping street in Tokyo because he was ‘tired of life’. Two jerks equals 14 dead civilians. Great job guys, you really nailed it this time, didn’t you?

After all, when it’s summer and you are in safe and quite little Denmark you can’t complain that much. I read the other day in Monocle that Copenhagen was named the best city to live, and especially praised for its ‘cutting edge design, great transport system, restaurants and environmental credentials’. Although, taken into account that the population of Denmark is half the size London, and the population of Copenhagen is about the same as Borough of Chelsea (only far more Jean Marie Le Pen’ish), the whole transport system and environmental applauds needs to be taken into perspective. But still pretty wicked stuff!

Copenhagen has been called a rife full of liberal lefties - nonetheless, Copenhagen is as every other city a somewhat Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I reckon. Some parts are great, others aren’t. And while talking of Copenhagen and Denmark, I will lay it on thick by asking you to consider this BBC link (poor Burundi)!

Personally, my favourite place in Denmark is a small place called Rørvig. During winter a lot of the regular residents are a bit chowderheaded, drink Wiibroe beer and eat pork cracklings, although during the summer, the village is quite different. I went there during the weekend with Charlotte, and I might as well go there for the rest of the summer as it is really ‘wunderbar’.

img_3586.JPG

img_6263.JPG

img_6253.JPG

All the pictures above are taken and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

Copenhagen, helt sikkert!

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on June 6, 2008
in Events, Me Myself and I and Music
. 0 Comments

I am now back in Copenhagen for a little summer vacation, where I am currently enjoying the 25 degrees and blue sky. Quite opposite from what I came from in London where it was raining and windy most of the last days I enjoyed in The Old Smoke.

Enough about the weather though. Copenhagen is red hot these days as the city has its annual Distortion Festival where the trendy youth of Copenhagen gets very drunk 5 days in a row and listen to electronic music (not that there’s anything special in that, really). The distortion festival is the Danish proud answer to Sonar Festival in Barcelona, only a bit smaller and less respected (pathetic might be the right word, but I’m not gonna use it, as it actually is great fun). No matter what, it is a good excuse to go out and enjoy the summer nights, meet a lot of old friends as well as stand next to some bald, big and asinine Hell Angels rockers (and other Yobs). For some it is also a perfect way to check out the sultry unclad Scandinavian birds that makes your saliva run wild.

img_4172.JPG

img_5173.JPG

All pictures above are taken and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

Peace Crime Love Violence - tacky headline?

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on May 20, 2008
in Anthropology, Me Myself and I and Publications
. 0 Comments

I have decided this week’s posts to be me commenting on things I find elsewhere. Today’s story is one that is featured on most newspaper’s website and commented on by a lot of people. My commentary will be in here though (see reason in previous post). Anyways, I am of course talking about the newest ‘Global Peace Index‘ that rates UK as the 49th most violent place in the world, measuring external and internal turmoil. UK is placed just below Panama (48) and one place above Mozambique (50) which probably makes it a bit more atrocious (literally speaking this is). The top countries are Iceland, Denmark and Norway, respectively. Iraq, Somalia and Sudan unsurprisingly take the bottom three places in the index.

For me being a Dane, this isn’t that surprising - I’ve always known Marcellus from Hamlet was wrong when saying ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’. Now, I’m just grumbling about why I chose to live in England (London which is the worst place of them all, I guess) when I could have stayed put in little Copenhagen? I should maybe grumble about why I didn’t move to Iceland instead. But then again, their foreign minister’s name is ‘Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottiir’ - which would probably give me some language barriers to struggle with on second thoughts.
But I don’t want to complain or sound lugubrious - I’m happy where I am. At least most of the time.

And while sitting here in my flat in East End London (Jack The Ripper’s old area actually) thinking about crime and violence, I haven’t really got anything important (or stupid) thing to say about it. Firstly because the word ‘crime’ alone just nauseates me. Secondly, crime, I believe, is one of the subjects that one either discuss in length or neglect by the rule of reason. So by taking the second, and easy option, I have decided to upload some pictures I took earlier today as well as quote The Kinks’s song called Apeman (I know it’s a bit corny) as it seems a bit more deep than what I could come up with:

I think I’m so educated and I’m so civilized
cos I’m a strict vegetarian
But with the over-population and inflation and starvation
And the crazy politicians
I don’t feel safe in this world no more
I don’t want to die in a nuclear war
I want to sail away to a distant shore and make like an ape man

img_6085.JPG

img_5803.JPG

img_6087.JPG

All pictures above are taken and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

The Gentleman Notion

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on May 20, 2008
in Anthropology, People and Various
. 2 Comments

Earlier today I read the excellent article on gentlemen at The Times Online, where William Drew questions gentlemen as a dying breed. Apparently Dunhill, the British men’s outfitter, have asked several types to recount how a so-called NBG (New British Gentleman) behaves, what he wears and how he lives. I won’t give a summery of the whole article here but some of the more important and basic outlines include gentlemen as gallant and generous, firm, determined, yet with humour. Basically to have good manners, be chivalrous and charming and still remain dignity, and I believe we all agree on this?

The article then asks if this ‘gentlemaness’, ‘the notion that respectful, dignified behaviour, is losing out to cut-throat capitalism’? And further more states that ‘being a gentleman in politics will get you nowhere bar a long career warming the backbenches.’ The whole article also deals with gentlemen being of a certain classification in society, class wise. A very interesting point, I believe. However, is gentlemen not most of all an invention, an ideal for a part of a persons identity? I question if the ‘real gentlemen’ not sometimes fake a leg injury so he don’t have to give his seat up in the train, if he not sometimes farts in public and pretends nothing happened, if he not sometimes put the two pounds the grocery owner gave him in exchange by mistake, in his pocket and walks away?

What I am saying is simply that I don’t believe gentlemen really are the unspoiled paragon of men and their behaviour probably aren’t as flawless as one might think. Gentlemen can’t be generalized. Some of them are probably just pure sycophants, if I may be a little rude. And too be a little more anthropological here, let me paraphrase the English philosopher Hobbes (when talking of power relations, but works as well in this discourse) : what is unseen is unknown and, therefore, unlimited in its powers. It could be, or do, absolutely anything (Pye 1984 : 93-94).
So, why am I writing this? Probably because I haven’t got the guts to comment on William Drew’s article directly at The Times. Nor will there be enough space for all this blabbering.
You can possibly argue this to me pure hokum, nonetheless, to me, a gentleman has not only something to do with social status, a certain dress code, or a Blackberry. Yes, it has something to do with pretension, modesty and awareness. But I wont make a gentleman into a Kouros of nobleness (figuratively speaking - one must be careful these days). Furthermore: I do believe in the modern gentleman, and I also believe I know where to find him.

Of course my idea of the ‘new gentleman’ isn’t that far away from Drew’s. Firt of all I don’t believe in ferocious or avaricious gentlemen. But neither do I think gentlemen are part of a kind of special ‘human seraph’. To me, before I’m getting too tedious for some of you (my brother reminded me the other day of the simple idea of K.I.S (Keep It Simple), a gentleman is a person who has the backbone too be himself but at the same time be modest and generous - in both behaviour and in mind. A gentleman is the one who is aware of others (in a positive sense), and can behave in various social classes and milieux. He is not necessarily wearing a suit, a tie, or any formal wear, but he is a person who is not scared of doing the right thing (whenever it is needed of him of course). A gentleman, say James Bond, can go home at night with his head up - even to go home and eat pizza from the pack and drink beer from the bottle (just like the pictures I have uploaded of my gentleman friends, right right?).

img_4702.JPG

billede-259.jpg

img_5388.JPG

All pictures above are taken and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

The Other Side

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on May 16, 2008
in Me Myself and I and Photography
. 0 Comments

Tuesday and Wednesday was quite unique to me. I went with Mark to the Western part of Greater London (typical Aryan England (in a nice way, don’t get me wrong)) to do a photo-shoot of two English National rugby players and one of the English rowers of the Olympic four. The photo-shoot is a campaign for IC Companies as they are trying to build up some brand-awareness for their Matinique and Cottonfield brands through sponsoring some of the brave national ‘hero’s’ (good lads, eh).
And not only was is fun, as always, to be part of a thing like this, but what also struck me was the size of these guys. I mean, they were literally double the size of me and their arms reminded me of a footballers legs. Creepy and yet a bit amazing without sounding too gay.

The place we were shooting was really really nice, typical English society seen in telly, and we actually ended the shoot Wednesday in the most British manner by drinking tea at a balcony facing the Thames while the next-door cricket players began to warm up for their weekly practice. But it was simply one amazing place, actually so much it made me realize I am living in the wrong part of town, spending too much time doing anything and nothing. At least I am going to Denmark during the summer, where I can get some D-Vitamins in the sun, and get a bit away from the tandoori smell, smog and pollution and the many pub temptations that East London offers.

crw_5906_2.jpg

crw_5903_2.jpg

img_5822.JPG

crw_5853.jpg

All pictures above are taken and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®

One down: Two to go

Published
by
Christian Halsted
on May 12, 2008
in Events, Me Myself and I and Music
. 0 Comments

This is pretty wicked. Rather effortless and what a convenient timing weather wise! I am of course referring to my deserved summer vacation, which started Friday last week and seems to have been celebrated just until now: Celebrated with a Kim Larsen concert Saturday and followed by some good days with sun, friends and dry martini’s. Now starts 4 months of trying to earn some money, go to Spain, USA and Italy. This can’t be any better I guess!

Kim Larsen was really really cool to see live as he, eventhough he is 62, managed to pull off a rather excellent gig playing most of his classics and had energy to entertain for almost two hours. Especially ‘Rabalderstrœde’, ‘Kvinde Min’ and ‘Køb Bananer’ seemed to make people dance and sing around Shepherds Bush Empire, which was for one evening only, turned into an ensemble of pork-eating and beer-drinking overweighty Danes, many of them with annoying kids and a rather pink/violet tan. I am included in this category myself, of course (except the kid point).

img_4238.JPG

img_4279.JPG

All pictures above are taken and copyrighted by Christian Halsted ®