Just a quickie today (ooh, matron, no!)
Have moved into my new flat and I love it. That "Englishman's home is his castle" is so true, and I'm not English!
This means I have been coming from the opposite side of town to get to work, and I think the combination of the less familiar, the beautiful weather and the joy of my flat and my things has meant I have a new appreciation for the beauty of Edinburgh. The view from North Bridge over Waverley Station to the Scott Monument to the New Town and the Castle is one of my favourites anyway, but it has sparkled over the past few days with a new luminescence. Everybody should come to Edinburgh, it is the greatest city in the world!
I think late July is my favourite time of year in Edinburgh. The city is gearing up for the festival (box office in place at the Assembly Rooms, Pleasance Courtyard being converted etc.) but the deluge of performers, fringers and other associated hangers-on has not yet descended. It is a city on the edge of it's moment in the sun and has an anticipatory buzz.
It begins again....
27 July 2006
20 July 2006
Some ideas you might like to try at home
Been a while, but moving into the new flat is taking up most of my time, and work most of the rest of it.
Anyway, I thought I'd list some potentially revolutionary ideas I have had in the past and the reasons why I never carried them out, for your entertainment....
1. Starting in October 1992 only listening to Beatles songs that had been released by thirty years previously. Meaning, for example, that I could not listen to Rubber Soul until November 1995. This may have given me a better appreciation for the progression in the group's work. It was never done because it would have been too much hard work and probably impossible given that you hear the Beatles everywhere.
2. Writing down every thought you have in a day. It was never done because it would have been impossible and discussion with friends suggested you would probably go insane. I still think it's an interesting idea, however I think you would need a dictaphone type deal to do it, perhaps a modified MP3 player would have sufficient capacity. There would also be that scientific thing about the very act of monitoring something causing it to change.
3. The interesting list of "words that are not part of a mobile phone's basic text predicting dictionary". Every time I get a new phone I think about this one, because there are some basic words that are not there, and some interesting ones that already are. I have found that "nike", "coca-cola" (but not, interestingly, "pepsi") and "eastenders" are there for you to use but "inclement" is not ! What gives? Never done because I am too lazy.
4. Milk cubes !!!!! Potentially revolutionary way to add milk to drinks, they would come in a clear cube, the covering of which would degrade on contact with hot liquid. This could help dieters who need to use only a particular amount of milk. Never done because I am not a scientist.
5. The Macca Project. I did "Tug Of War" I really did, I will do it, but the flat is my concern now.
Anyway, I thought I'd list some potentially revolutionary ideas I have had in the past and the reasons why I never carried them out, for your entertainment....
1. Starting in October 1992 only listening to Beatles songs that had been released by thirty years previously. Meaning, for example, that I could not listen to Rubber Soul until November 1995. This may have given me a better appreciation for the progression in the group's work. It was never done because it would have been too much hard work and probably impossible given that you hear the Beatles everywhere.
2. Writing down every thought you have in a day. It was never done because it would have been impossible and discussion with friends suggested you would probably go insane. I still think it's an interesting idea, however I think you would need a dictaphone type deal to do it, perhaps a modified MP3 player would have sufficient capacity. There would also be that scientific thing about the very act of monitoring something causing it to change.
3. The interesting list of "words that are not part of a mobile phone's basic text predicting dictionary". Every time I get a new phone I think about this one, because there are some basic words that are not there, and some interesting ones that already are. I have found that "nike", "coca-cola" (but not, interestingly, "pepsi") and "eastenders" are there for you to use but "inclement" is not ! What gives? Never done because I am too lazy.
4. Milk cubes !!!!! Potentially revolutionary way to add milk to drinks, they would come in a clear cube, the covering of which would degrade on contact with hot liquid. This could help dieters who need to use only a particular amount of milk. Never done because I am not a scientist.
5. The Macca Project. I did "Tug Of War" I really did, I will do it, but the flat is my concern now.
03 July 2006
Randomnity
Subject 1 - stuff.
I have a lot of stuff. I went to my parents' house this weekend (and now that I *nearly* own my own house, I will have to stop referring to it as "my house", which I still think of it as, even though I haven't lived there in any permanent sense for nine years) and started to sort my stuff out. I genuinely didn't realise how much stuff there is. I bought three big "moving" boxes, and filled them within about an hour. I also have an issue with how to categorise and prioritise stuff. I started with what I thought would be easy, my books by, about or relating to The Beatles. I split them into three types - books I want to take to my new flat, books I don't want to take but I don't want to get rid of and books that can go out. I started to ruminate on this, because I am a hoarder and there are books there that contain no information not contained in other books and which I will probably never look near, but I don't want to just throw them out, it implies that they are worthless and they are not. So I have resolved I will sell them on eBay, and hopefully make a nice wedge. Hopefully. However, in order to do that I will need to secure the agreement of the parents to leave them boxed in their home for some time.
Anyway, I filled the box of Beatles, and it is too heavy to lift, so it will have to be decanted at a later date (when I have more boxes).
Next I moved on to videos, mainly of Doctor Who (old skool Who that is!) but also old telly ("three words, more. old. telly.") and, inevitably, The Beatles etc. That's another box full, and a little file box too.
Next was Douglas Adams and Monty Python - a little box, some charity shop bound (ulp!), and part of a big box.
This was followed by old music magazines, filled with interesting articles! you never know what bands you might get into!! and I even have nostalgia for certain issues - read that backstage at Romeo and Juliet!, made up a compilation tape from the list of great Queen tracks in that one!, I think that was the best article on Pink Floyd I've ever read and it was in the kitchen when I came back from watching England v. Scotland at Wembley in 1999. Some of these filled the bigger box, and others have been set aside as "more research is needed" before they can be definitively thrown away.
So I now have a half cleared bookshelf, and a half-cleared cupboard. Only the books on top of the cupboard and the big bookshelf to go. Wish me luck.
Subject 2 - the lost art of the compilation tape
I dropped the heavy black bag onto the patio, there were 100 sickening crunches as 100 cassettes - marginalised by the compact disc, rendered obsolete by the iPod - gave in to the pressure of their brethern bearing down upon them. In a sort of music format peace process the pre-recorded, cassingles, C60s, C90s and even a couple of C100s and C120s were put "beyond use".
As part of the great purge of my past the cassettes had to go. Simple nostalgia for old friends is not a good enough reason to hold onto things in the current climate. (As TOM said "....but what's it FOR!!!") I did keep a few : unique, unavailable in other formats, or at least not owned by me. But everything else had to go. Including a fair number of compilations. While going through this painful process that the compilation tape must have held sway for at least 25 years, possibly as many as 35. The satisfaction of a good compilation tape, one that ends mere seconds before the tape itself, is one that the current formats cannot hold a candle to. The CD-R compilation does not have the same thrill of gambling with time; as close to 90 minutes as possible, and not one second over. The CD-R software won't let you start if you can't finish. The MP3 compilation doesn't demand the same self-control, as there is no time limit, hence a 90 minute "best of" Rod Stewart expands to a behemothic 4 and a half hour playlist. Honestly, when am I ever going to listen to 4 and a half hours of Rod Stewart to appreciate the progression of a musical journey? I threw away three compilations of which I was immensely fond, two "soundtracking" comps, one for vocal songs from films (I believe there was a caveat that the songs had to be written and recorded especially for the film, or at least turn up there first) and one for instrumentals (all hail the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra! and John Barry's theme to Midnight Cowboy) and the pre-club compilation, compiled in 2000 and was more usually the post-club, must-hear-some-good-music compilation. I actually played this on Saturday afternoon, and the sequence of Say You'll Be There-Happy-Young Americans-The Seeker is uplifiting in too many ways to detail.
As well as these multi-artist compilations, there were excellent single-artist compilations too, from the cleverly titled ("These Stories I've Known - The Best of Kenny Rogers", "The Beach Boys - Love And Mercy, Heroes And Villains", "Fleetwood Mac - Singles Bar") to the matter of fact ("The Sting Cassette", "Rolling Stones Compilation", "Elvis").
And, of course, there were the bittersweet, High Fidelity style memories of compilation tapes made for others where the songs themselves, or the subtle ordering of the tracks were the message...
All of which is to say, so farewell then, the Compilation tape.
Subject 3 - How memories attach themselves
Today was a "very 2000/2001" day I thought. I meant the weather and temperature etc. reminded me of days at that time. But how does that work? There must have been days with rain in the air before then, and after, so why is it a 2000/2001 day?
Oh, the sweet mysteries of life...
I have a lot of stuff. I went to my parents' house this weekend (and now that I *nearly* own my own house, I will have to stop referring to it as "my house", which I still think of it as, even though I haven't lived there in any permanent sense for nine years) and started to sort my stuff out. I genuinely didn't realise how much stuff there is. I bought three big "moving" boxes, and filled them within about an hour. I also have an issue with how to categorise and prioritise stuff. I started with what I thought would be easy, my books by, about or relating to The Beatles. I split them into three types - books I want to take to my new flat, books I don't want to take but I don't want to get rid of and books that can go out. I started to ruminate on this, because I am a hoarder and there are books there that contain no information not contained in other books and which I will probably never look near, but I don't want to just throw them out, it implies that they are worthless and they are not. So I have resolved I will sell them on eBay, and hopefully make a nice wedge. Hopefully. However, in order to do that I will need to secure the agreement of the parents to leave them boxed in their home for some time.
Anyway, I filled the box of Beatles, and it is too heavy to lift, so it will have to be decanted at a later date (when I have more boxes).
Next I moved on to videos, mainly of Doctor Who (old skool Who that is!) but also old telly ("three words, more. old. telly.") and, inevitably, The Beatles etc. That's another box full, and a little file box too.
Next was Douglas Adams and Monty Python - a little box, some charity shop bound (ulp!), and part of a big box.
This was followed by old music magazines, filled with interesting articles! you never know what bands you might get into!! and I even have nostalgia for certain issues - read that backstage at Romeo and Juliet!, made up a compilation tape from the list of great Queen tracks in that one!, I think that was the best article on Pink Floyd I've ever read and it was in the kitchen when I came back from watching England v. Scotland at Wembley in 1999. Some of these filled the bigger box, and others have been set aside as "more research is needed" before they can be definitively thrown away.
So I now have a half cleared bookshelf, and a half-cleared cupboard. Only the books on top of the cupboard and the big bookshelf to go. Wish me luck.
Subject 2 - the lost art of the compilation tape
I dropped the heavy black bag onto the patio, there were 100 sickening crunches as 100 cassettes - marginalised by the compact disc, rendered obsolete by the iPod - gave in to the pressure of their brethern bearing down upon them. In a sort of music format peace process the pre-recorded, cassingles, C60s, C90s and even a couple of C100s and C120s were put "beyond use".
As part of the great purge of my past the cassettes had to go. Simple nostalgia for old friends is not a good enough reason to hold onto things in the current climate. (As TOM said "....but what's it FOR!!!") I did keep a few : unique, unavailable in other formats, or at least not owned by me. But everything else had to go. Including a fair number of compilations. While going through this painful process that the compilation tape must have held sway for at least 25 years, possibly as many as 35. The satisfaction of a good compilation tape, one that ends mere seconds before the tape itself, is one that the current formats cannot hold a candle to. The CD-R compilation does not have the same thrill of gambling with time; as close to 90 minutes as possible, and not one second over. The CD-R software won't let you start if you can't finish. The MP3 compilation doesn't demand the same self-control, as there is no time limit, hence a 90 minute "best of" Rod Stewart expands to a behemothic 4 and a half hour playlist. Honestly, when am I ever going to listen to 4 and a half hours of Rod Stewart to appreciate the progression of a musical journey? I threw away three compilations of which I was immensely fond, two "soundtracking" comps, one for vocal songs from films (I believe there was a caveat that the songs had to be written and recorded especially for the film, or at least turn up there first) and one for instrumentals (all hail the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra! and John Barry's theme to Midnight Cowboy) and the pre-club compilation, compiled in 2000 and was more usually the post-club, must-hear-some-good-music compilation. I actually played this on Saturday afternoon, and the sequence of Say You'll Be There-Happy-Young Americans-The Seeker is uplifiting in too many ways to detail.
As well as these multi-artist compilations, there were excellent single-artist compilations too, from the cleverly titled ("These Stories I've Known - The Best of Kenny Rogers", "The Beach Boys - Love And Mercy, Heroes And Villains", "Fleetwood Mac - Singles Bar") to the matter of fact ("The Sting Cassette", "Rolling Stones Compilation", "Elvis").
And, of course, there were the bittersweet, High Fidelity style memories of compilation tapes made for others where the songs themselves, or the subtle ordering of the tracks were the message...
All of which is to say, so farewell then, the Compilation tape.
Subject 3 - How memories attach themselves
Today was a "very 2000/2001" day I thought. I meant the weather and temperature etc. reminded me of days at that time. But how does that work? There must have been days with rain in the air before then, and after, so why is it a 2000/2001 day?
Oh, the sweet mysteries of life...
29 June 2006
A picture of health !
For those who may be concerned I am no longer deaf !
Dreams of being one third of the way to being a pinball wizard dashed !
Comments should also be enabled for anyone now.
Dreams of being one third of the way to being a pinball wizard dashed !
Comments should also be enabled for anyone now.
26 June 2006
Perfect isolation here behind my wall
Had a number of things I could have written about but have decided on the one that is causing me most grief at the moment.
Since last Wednesday I have been suffering from sinus blockage. I have been prone to this kind of thing most of my life, but in the past nine months have suffered quite badly, though thankfully not for long, three times. Basically, and this may be more information than you want to hear, I get all blocked up, bring up a lot of phlegm and usually suffer from a sore throat too. This time however, I have not had the throat problem, which last affected me on my first days in my new job and prevented me conversing very much with people as I would usually break down into uncontrollable and quite horribly "loose" coughing within a few sentences.
Instead the illness has borne the trajectory of :
Wednesday night - running nose
Thursday - blocked nose, coughing fits
Friday - coughing fits, pressure in right ear
Saturday - coughing, pressure in left ear
Sunday - coughin, pressure in left ear decreasing
The pressure in the ear, is not painful, but akin to deafness in that I can hear what I say amplified in my ear, but not what others say. This has lead to me talking very quietly but thinking that I'm shouting and turning the volume on the TV right up.
I thought I would be pretty much sorted today, but instead I am now equally deaf in both ears. This had led to feverish speculation in my mind that I am in fact, going deaf. Possibly brought on by the fact I have recently double the volume of the tracks on my iPod. Internet research indicates that "ear congestion" can be brought on by poor diet (check) or spinal/neck injury (possible side effect of my sporting injury ???)
Now, obviously my mind is running wild, and I have always had sinus problems from when I was a baby, though thankfully they don't happen too often. Hopefully by my next post the subject will be something else and not how I'm learning to live with deafness....
Since last Wednesday I have been suffering from sinus blockage. I have been prone to this kind of thing most of my life, but in the past nine months have suffered quite badly, though thankfully not for long, three times. Basically, and this may be more information than you want to hear, I get all blocked up, bring up a lot of phlegm and usually suffer from a sore throat too. This time however, I have not had the throat problem, which last affected me on my first days in my new job and prevented me conversing very much with people as I would usually break down into uncontrollable and quite horribly "loose" coughing within a few sentences.
Instead the illness has borne the trajectory of :
Wednesday night - running nose
Thursday - blocked nose, coughing fits
Friday - coughing fits, pressure in right ear
Saturday - coughing, pressure in left ear
Sunday - coughin, pressure in left ear decreasing
The pressure in the ear, is not painful, but akin to deafness in that I can hear what I say amplified in my ear, but not what others say. This has lead to me talking very quietly but thinking that I'm shouting and turning the volume on the TV right up.
I thought I would be pretty much sorted today, but instead I am now equally deaf in both ears. This had led to feverish speculation in my mind that I am in fact, going deaf. Possibly brought on by the fact I have recently double the volume of the tracks on my iPod. Internet research indicates that "ear congestion" can be brought on by poor diet (check) or spinal/neck injury (possible side effect of my sporting injury ???)
Now, obviously my mind is running wild, and I have always had sinus problems from when I was a baby, though thankfully they don't happen too often. Hopefully by my next post the subject will be something else and not how I'm learning to live with deafness....
19 June 2006
...in the middle of our street
Well, I've bought a house. A flat to be exact.
And everyone seems to be cock-a-hoop about it.
Except me.
I now understand what people say about it being one of the most stressful things you can do in your life. I like knowing what I'm doing, so this has been a bit of a nightmare so far. Viewing properties without fully knowing what I should be looking for (I eventually picked all the things I looked for when I was looking for rental places plus central heating). Engaging a solicitor and working out what the bidding system involved. The vague information you get back from that. Speaking to mortgage advisors and taking their advice (incorrectly as it turned out in terms of how long it would take to finalise a mortgage, meaning I had to go back and try to renegotiate the entry date.) Dealing with the parents about what they were going to pay towards it, and what that would entitle them too (although it is a fantastic deal in those terms) Now I'm on to working out what furniture needs to be bought and how best to buy it (interest free credit, warranties, etc, etc.).
However, desipite it being a nightmare, it does mean I will have my own flat that I can have my way and all my little plans and schemes can come true. Which is nice.
And I know I'm lucky to be able to afford a flat in such a good location in these days but it's still a nightmare.
And everyone seems to be cock-a-hoop about it.
Except me.
I now understand what people say about it being one of the most stressful things you can do in your life. I like knowing what I'm doing, so this has been a bit of a nightmare so far. Viewing properties without fully knowing what I should be looking for (I eventually picked all the things I looked for when I was looking for rental places plus central heating). Engaging a solicitor and working out what the bidding system involved. The vague information you get back from that. Speaking to mortgage advisors and taking their advice (incorrectly as it turned out in terms of how long it would take to finalise a mortgage, meaning I had to go back and try to renegotiate the entry date.) Dealing with the parents about what they were going to pay towards it, and what that would entitle them too (although it is a fantastic deal in those terms) Now I'm on to working out what furniture needs to be bought and how best to buy it (interest free credit, warranties, etc, etc.).
However, desipite it being a nightmare, it does mean I will have my own flat that I can have my way and all my little plans and schemes can come true. Which is nice.
And I know I'm lucky to be able to afford a flat in such a good location in these days but it's still a nightmare.
12 June 2006
A socially irresponsible post
Had a barbecue at the weekend. First time I've ever done one from start to finish, and it was lots of fun. The trick is to build little piles and then turn the coals over when they are white, spread them out and add others until your grill tray is full. Then you're ready to go, you need to top up every 45 minutes or so.
Anyway the most eventful thing was at one point the whole table on which the barbecues (there were two) were standing, caught fire, and I had to put it out. It reminded me of the old Public Information Films about the chip pan fires. I know they said, don't use water, but I figured that was because of the oil involved, so I used water. And towels to kill the fire at it's source. Within about 5 minutes it was all out. The only thing was I had to go pretty much back to the start with the barbecues, and that wasted some fuel.
I preferred the charcoal briquettes to the lumpwood, but it was all good.
Then, on Sunday I managed to get a sporting injury ! Considering how little sport I do, this is some feat, or perhaps that's why! Anyway, basically I fell over and my sunglasses cut my head, but because I was running between bases playing ball in the park it looked like I was making a heroic lunge for the base! And it looks as though I may get a cool scar over my eye! (How old are you !)
As Mark Corrigan would say :"I'm a man!"
Anyway the most eventful thing was at one point the whole table on which the barbecues (there were two) were standing, caught fire, and I had to put it out. It reminded me of the old Public Information Films about the chip pan fires. I know they said, don't use water, but I figured that was because of the oil involved, so I used water. And towels to kill the fire at it's source. Within about 5 minutes it was all out. The only thing was I had to go pretty much back to the start with the barbecues, and that wasted some fuel.
I preferred the charcoal briquettes to the lumpwood, but it was all good.
Then, on Sunday I managed to get a sporting injury ! Considering how little sport I do, this is some feat, or perhaps that's why! Anyway, basically I fell over and my sunglasses cut my head, but because I was running between bases playing ball in the park it looked like I was making a heroic lunge for the base! And it looks as though I may get a cool scar over my eye! (How old are you !)
As Mark Corrigan would say :"I'm a man!"
06 June 2006
Snorty Licks
There is an advert on your telly (yes, it's on your telly, YOUR personal telly! There ought to be a law!) at the moment, which is advertising The Rolling Stones Forty Licks compilation. And there are two things about it which bother me....
The first is that of the Forty (geddit!) tracks on this compilation, representing The Greatest Rock And Roll Band In The World, the advert previews Ruby Tuesday, Miss You, Under My Thumb and Angie. All great songs (with the possible exception of Miss You) but hardly the rockingest selection when you could have the riffs of Satisfaction, The Last Time, Start Me Up and Brown Sugar, is it? They're the Rolling Stones for god's sake ! Maybe falling out of that tree did more damage to Keith than reported and this summer's concerts are going to be mid tempo all the way.
The second is the idea of "re-promotion", obviously the re-promotion is in aid of the concerts this summer (although they're not till August), but the concerts themselves are supposedly in support of A Bigger Bang, the latest "best Stones album since Some Girls", but that's not being repromoted, it's the greatest hits. However it does set the mind thinking on other possible re-promotions : "Out now, from the Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!", "The essential album of the year, Dire Straits Brothers In Arms (the year in question being 1986)" or "The breakthrough album from the new act everyone is talking about - The Bay City Rollers, Rollin'"
The first is that of the Forty (geddit!) tracks on this compilation, representing The Greatest Rock And Roll Band In The World, the advert previews Ruby Tuesday, Miss You, Under My Thumb and Angie. All great songs (with the possible exception of Miss You) but hardly the rockingest selection when you could have the riffs of Satisfaction, The Last Time, Start Me Up and Brown Sugar, is it? They're the Rolling Stones for god's sake ! Maybe falling out of that tree did more damage to Keith than reported and this summer's concerts are going to be mid tempo all the way.
The second is the idea of "re-promotion", obviously the re-promotion is in aid of the concerts this summer (although they're not till August), but the concerts themselves are supposedly in support of A Bigger Bang, the latest "best Stones album since Some Girls", but that's not being repromoted, it's the greatest hits. However it does set the mind thinking on other possible re-promotions : "Out now, from the Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!", "The essential album of the year, Dire Straits Brothers In Arms (the year in question being 1986)" or "The breakthrough album from the new act everyone is talking about - The Bay City Rollers, Rollin'"
01 June 2006
First Post
This is my rant of the day.
John Prescott.
What's going on?
For a long time now I've been a fan of Prescott's. I think he is exactly the kind of person who people mean when they say "We should have more ordinary people in Parliament." I think it's great the fact that he used an official car to drive his wife 200 yards so her hair didn't get blown about is superb, and exactly what an ordinary person would do for their wife (not withstanding what has subsequently come to light about him).
I remember, back in University, we would have many a discussion about Mr Prescott in one particular seminar instead of whatever the actual subject of the seminar was meant to be. (Either Mr Prescott or Anne Widdecombe - our tutor had a bit of an obsession with both.)
However, much as I supported his actions, I was amazed by what occured in Swansea? during the 2001 general election. It seemed to me that the headline "Deputy Prime Minister Punches Voter During Election Campaign" would almost certainly spell the end of said minister's political career. Instead Tony Blair laughed it off with "Well, John's John you know." And I would have imagined this as a response from his own party. But no opposition politician, of any party, called for his resignation or even chastisement. He was transformed into a hero in my eyes. A man who was ridiculed on an almost daily basis but who was seemingly impervious to criticism, to the extent that no one even voiced that criticism. Here was a man, I thought, who knows where the bodies are buried. It can't simply be a case of knowing too much about the Blair-Brown Deal, because the opposition won't touch him either. Until today, and a fairly innocuous statement from George Osborne, more aimed at the Labour Government than Prescott in particular, no one outside the Labour Party has broached the subject.
And now here we are with another storm in a teacup, Prescott playing croquet when he was "running the country". As I understand it Tony Blair was not actually out of the country at the time in question, therefore was still "running the country". Also, for all we know, Prescott had been at his desk since 6am and decided he wanted a game of croquet over lunch. It wasn't as if he was drunk or on drugs, he could have been contacted any time had anything been required of him.
Yet, as a result of this, his own party are calling for his head ?
I'm afraid this could be the beginning of the kind of Labour in-fighting that saw the Tories stumble out of office without credibility as a working government. I think Labour MPs should think hard about exactly what this airing of their personal opinions in public could do.
John Prescott.
What's going on?
For a long time now I've been a fan of Prescott's. I think he is exactly the kind of person who people mean when they say "We should have more ordinary people in Parliament." I think it's great the fact that he used an official car to drive his wife 200 yards so her hair didn't get blown about is superb, and exactly what an ordinary person would do for their wife (not withstanding what has subsequently come to light about him).
I remember, back in University, we would have many a discussion about Mr Prescott in one particular seminar instead of whatever the actual subject of the seminar was meant to be. (Either Mr Prescott or Anne Widdecombe - our tutor had a bit of an obsession with both.)
However, much as I supported his actions, I was amazed by what occured in Swansea? during the 2001 general election. It seemed to me that the headline "Deputy Prime Minister Punches Voter During Election Campaign" would almost certainly spell the end of said minister's political career. Instead Tony Blair laughed it off with "Well, John's John you know." And I would have imagined this as a response from his own party. But no opposition politician, of any party, called for his resignation or even chastisement. He was transformed into a hero in my eyes. A man who was ridiculed on an almost daily basis but who was seemingly impervious to criticism, to the extent that no one even voiced that criticism. Here was a man, I thought, who knows where the bodies are buried. It can't simply be a case of knowing too much about the Blair-Brown Deal, because the opposition won't touch him either. Until today, and a fairly innocuous statement from George Osborne, more aimed at the Labour Government than Prescott in particular, no one outside the Labour Party has broached the subject.
And now here we are with another storm in a teacup, Prescott playing croquet when he was "running the country". As I understand it Tony Blair was not actually out of the country at the time in question, therefore was still "running the country". Also, for all we know, Prescott had been at his desk since 6am and decided he wanted a game of croquet over lunch. It wasn't as if he was drunk or on drugs, he could have been contacted any time had anything been required of him.
Yet, as a result of this, his own party are calling for his head ?
I'm afraid this could be the beginning of the kind of Labour in-fighting that saw the Tories stumble out of office without credibility as a working government. I think Labour MPs should think hard about exactly what this airing of their personal opinions in public could do.
19 April 2006
A beginning of sorts
Thought I'd better get into the habit of posting, if I intend to do such a thing on a regular basis, and I do.
So this is just to point out that my other blogs, the ones with more "point" to them, are available by clicking on the links to the left, including the new one for the imminent trip to China with Fiona.
So this is just to point out that my other blogs, the ones with more "point" to them, are available by clicking on the links to the left, including the new one for the imminent trip to China with Fiona.
05 April 2006
Still testing
This is still a test while I work out what I'm going to do with the blog. I'm about to start another blog, probably called, at least initially "The Macca Project". This will begin by being a resume of all Paul McCartney's albums, and will grow from there. I hope there will be irreverent but never personally insulting comment on all things Macca....or maybe not.
04 April 2006
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