mutant's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=mutant2006-01-24T21:54:56ZNot to die but to be reborn... (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/mutant/writeups/Not+to+die+but+to+be+reborn...mutanthttp://m.everything2.com/user/mutant2006-01-24T21:54:56Z2006-01-24T21:54:56ZI left London in the early evening of March 28th 2004, bound for <a href="/title/The+Shit">The Shit</a> by way of <a href="/title/Turkey">Turkey</a>. As usual, there were a few favours that I had to do for a few folks that would take a few days. Ok.
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This documents the trip inbound to Iraq. <a href="/title/I+still+can%2527t+sleep">I still can't sleep</a> much so I wrote this over two restless nights; about six thousand words, its rough, needs polishing, and, as always in this line of work, <a href="/title/no+regrets">no regrets</a>.
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I know I've taken a vow to avoid profanity whenever possible, so all I'll say about this trip to Iraq is <a href="/title/Holy+Fucking+Shit">Holy Fucking Shit</a>. You folks probably don't know this but the locals declared open season on civilian contractors. Oh man. It was fine there for the first few days and then Holy Fucking Shit. Some nasty stuff happened to a few contractors about 10 miles west of us in a town called <a href="/title/Fallujah">Fallujah</a> and all hell broke loose maybe one day later as US Troops went for payback.
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I'll no doubt write about my time there this time but be forewarned : <a href="/title/it%2527s+far+worse">it's far worse</a> then my visit to<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…When shall I be free? (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/mutant/writeups/When+shall+I+be+free%253Fmutanthttp://m.everything2.com/user/mutant2006-01-21T05:57:45Z2006-01-21T05:57:45Z<i>"...the <b>ABILITY</b> to put people on the ground anywhere on the <b>PLANET</b> is a projection of <b>AMERICAN</b> global power and influence...you are..."</i>
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...excerpt from a training lecture, Quantico, Virginia, November, 2002.
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Yes yes yes I already know that the <a href="/title/unseemly+things">unseemly things</a> I learn talking to the other white folks in <a href="/title/hotel+bars+down+in+Africa">hotel bars down in Africa</a> aren't fit for discussion with you folks back home in the Western Democracies.
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So how the fuck I can ever be expected to contribute to polite conversation after spending so much time down there in Africa specifically and around these folks in general I have no fucking idea. <a href="/title/I%2527m+ruined+for+life">I'm ruined for life</a> I swear.
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You know <a href="/title/when+things+get+tense">when things get tense</a> during my teaching - a part time job at a local University here in London - and I'm fed up with their bullshit and I exasperatedly say that we should <a href="/title/just+kill+them+all">just kill them all</a> people look at me <a href="/title/like+I%2527m+the+fucking+psycho">like I'm the fucking psycho</a>. They stop talking and I swear I can hear throats clear.
<p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Mad World, or my weekend in Afghanistan (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/mutant/writeups/Mad+World%252C+or+my+weekend+in+Afghanistanmutanthttp://m.everything2.com/user/mutant2003-12-20T18:47:30Z2003-12-20T18:47:30Z<p>FYI; sent to several folks via <a href="/title/BCC">BCC</a> last month, and hopefully now they'll understand my <a href="/title/erratic+behaviour">erratic behaviour</a> and odd disapparences from time to time.
<p>This is <a href="/title/not+polished+at+all">not polished at all</a> and in fact written in <a href="/title/two+frantic+days+while+I+was+in+Amsterdam">two frantic days while I was in Amsterdam</a> last month. I have a strange sense of urgency to get all this down.
<p>Combine <a href="/title/a+reclusive+Mutant">a reclusive Mutant</a>, a Five Star hotel, <a href="/title/room+service+booze">room service booze</a> an <a href="/title/Apple+G4+PowerBook">Apple G4 PowerBook</a>, a loaded <a href="/title/iPod">iPod</a> and look what a mess you end up with. Maybe seven thousand words but no apologies and <a href="/title/never+any+regrets">never any regrets</a>.
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<p>Disclaimer : This is about a <a href="/title/business+trip">business trip</a> to <a href="/title/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> and some shit that happened during that visit. It wasn’t the best of experiences – in fact looking back at it months later although I was only trying to do <a href="/title/the+right+thing">the right thing</a> I realise that my life has been negatively impacted by the events of only two days. Absolutely amazing. But some folks have been through worse so in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t that bad.
<p>I’ve cast<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Sometimes it happens (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/mutant/writeups/Sometimes+it+happensmutanthttp://m.everything2.com/user/mutant2002-10-31T20:17:25Z2002-10-31T20:17:25Z<p>
<a href="/title/Everthing+Quests%253A+Scary+Stories">Everthing Quests: Scary Stories</a> <i>(yep, this is fiction - the <b>only</b> piece of fiction I've put in E2, and probably the last...)</i>
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<p>My little brother Michael <a href="/title/The+Beat+of+the+music">passed away after a long struggle with cancer</a>. For me, probably the worst part of his death was our <a href="/title/estrangement">estrangement</a>; there had been some silly argument between him and my mother and me – I can’t remember what it was about, but the three of us used to argue and disagree with each other quite often, sometimes taking contradictory or irrational positions just to stir something up with one of the others.</p>
<p>But before <a href="/title/slamming+down+the+phone">slamming down the phone</a> I do remember shouting– "Ok if you want it that way, I won’t talk to you for a year!" And I meant it. I felt terrible as soon as I’d hung the phone up, but I’m nothing if not a stubborn bastard. I wasn’t going to talk to him for a year.</p>
<p>Well, next year never came because less than six months later I got a phone call from the hospital. I went dumb as soon<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…The night I saw a man get his head blown off (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/mutant/writeups/The+night+I+saw+a+man+get+his+head+blown+offmutanthttp://m.everything2.com/user/mutant2002-10-19T16:28:17Z2002-10-19T16:28:17Z<p>In the mid 1980's after legal bars in <a href="/title/the+East+Village">the East Village</a> had closed at four thirty in the morning, I would frequently head out to the <a href="/title/after+hours+club">after hours club</a>s.</p>
<p>The East Village at that time was a pretty <a href="/title/lawless">lawless</a> place, and there were absolutely no shortage of illegal bars where you could drink, drug or dance until the sun rose high in the sky the next morning. <a href="/title/Efficient+market">Efficient market</a>s favour the adept provider of services, and some of these places like "Little Lil's" were sexually oriented, so if you'd struck out with the ladies that night you could have a few drinks and <a href="/title/knock+boots">knock boots</a> with a young working girl before heading home for the night.</p>
<p>In my quest for experiences I hit every sleazy after hours bar that was operating in <a href="/title/Lower+Manhattan">Lower Manhattan</a> at that time and I generally had a ball. Sometimes I think of those days as an almost perfect exercise in American style capitalistic freedom, considering what has happened to <a href="/title/New+York+City">New York City</a> since I've left.</p>
<p>Even though I should have known<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Urine Boy (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/mutant/writeups/Urine+Boymutanthttp://m.everything2.com/user/mutant2002-10-19T16:21:58Z2002-10-19T16:21:58Z<p>Call it the curse of <a href="/title/Post+Modernism">Post Modernism</a>, or a natural effect of the pervasive <a href="/title/mass+media">mass media</a> pushing images, but it seems that today authentic people and authentic activities are few and far between. Most folks are so concerned with conformity, career and health that they are fearful of being perceived as unique or different.</p>
<p>As a writer in training I've always been a collector of experiences, the more varied and authentic the better. This quest has led me in several different directions in my life, in terms of career, social circles and leisure time activities.</p>
<p>I started running my first art gallery, <a href="/title/Skull+Space">Skull Space</a>, in early <a href="/title/1989">1989</a>. Before I decided to go into the art business I’d seen the <a href="/title/East+Village">East Village</a> change a great deal, and in my opinion some of these changes definitely were not for the better.</p>
<p><a href="/title/Junkies">Junkies</a> and dealers ruled the downtown streets back in the early 1980’s, and one simply didn’t go to the East Village in those days without a really, really good reason simply<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…