I'm touched. I really am. I'm not an openly emotional sort of fellow and far less likely to fall prey to any public display of affection. This is sometimes challenged by what I have long referred to as 'mother nature's masterpeice'. A good friend.
I've talked so long about dear old Dan in Maine, up there with Jess and the dogs and I feel it's only right that I return the favour to his world of blog. He very nicely applauded this little corner of blogworld the other day and I thank him for that. Everyone should go and look at wisdomweasel. I wouldont plug him just because he's a nice man but because it's a blog I read most days and it is full of thought provoking and amusing articles.
Added to which we send each other books and stuff and share a few bizarre hobbies and argue almost as much as we laugh. He is also a fellow communist on the Huesca front. (that's NYcanaries.com to you)
I suppose I'm trying to say that good friends are fine things, Dan, feel free to slap me next time you see me for this sentimental slush what I wrote.
PS: This is not drunk blogging.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Electoral fraud
It's the day after the veep debate and I'm chatting with the third graders about the latest 'Time for kids' which has a special issue about the November election.
These kids spent much of second grade studying the fifty states so they are a wealth of information about such things. "Dick Cheney is from Wyoming. There are more sheep than people in Wyoming, that's why it has only 3 electoral college votes"
We move on, we play a math/civics game based upon the elctoral college system. One dice for George Bush, another dice for John Kerry, whoever scores highest gets the state with it's electoral vote, we add the votes up and soon we have a mock presidential race on our hands. The kids are loving this, they are bemused when California goes Republican "My aunt lives there and she's a Democrat", delighted when Texas goes Democrat "that'll NEVER happen" and appreciate that Wyoming with all it's sheep is a pretty safe bet for Mr Cheney. The tension builds as we work our way through the south, "do Florida! do Florida!"
"OK kids, Florida has 27 electoral votes because it's a densely populated state"
the dice roll, Bush takes Florida.
A voice, first just one, then a chorus.
"Recount"
I'm a little taken aback.
"Recount"
"we demand a recount"
"There was a hurricane"
"I smell foul play"
"Recount"
Under pressure from 15 third graders I roll again. And again. And again.
We endure five recounts before florida goes to John Kerry.
The lesson about electoral fraud is scheduled for next week.
These kids spent much of second grade studying the fifty states so they are a wealth of information about such things. "Dick Cheney is from Wyoming. There are more sheep than people in Wyoming, that's why it has only 3 electoral college votes"
We move on, we play a math/civics game based upon the elctoral college system. One dice for George Bush, another dice for John Kerry, whoever scores highest gets the state with it's electoral vote, we add the votes up and soon we have a mock presidential race on our hands. The kids are loving this, they are bemused when California goes Republican "My aunt lives there and she's a Democrat", delighted when Texas goes Democrat "that'll NEVER happen" and appreciate that Wyoming with all it's sheep is a pretty safe bet for Mr Cheney. The tension builds as we work our way through the south, "do Florida! do Florida!"
"OK kids, Florida has 27 electoral votes because it's a densely populated state"
the dice roll, Bush takes Florida.
A voice, first just one, then a chorus.
"Recount"
I'm a little taken aback.
"Recount"
"we demand a recount"
"There was a hurricane"
"I smell foul play"
"Recount"
Under pressure from 15 third graders I roll again. And again. And again.
We endure five recounts before florida goes to John Kerry.
The lesson about electoral fraud is scheduled for next week.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
The American pastime.
It's October and as the local news reminds us this means that there is baseball in The Bronx but not, alas in Queens.
As any regular reader will be aware this site has a connection with a certain Minnesotan politician and former Vice President.
Accordingly I need assistance from you, the reader.
Find out all you can about the 'Twins'. I need infromation, I need lots.
Could it be time to burn that Jeter shirt?
As any regular reader will be aware this site has a connection with a certain Minnesotan politician and former Vice President.
Accordingly I need assistance from you, the reader.
Find out all you can about the 'Twins'. I need infromation, I need lots.
Could it be time to burn that Jeter shirt?
Saturday, October 02, 2004
The next election.
As we near the end of the current electoral cycle I want to ponder great elections I have known. Being a 'Brit' it's going to be Anglo centric but what the heck? It'll be a trip down memory lane for those of you who have even the slightest clue what I'm on about and perhaps a small education for my American readers.
My earliest memory of an election would have to be Margaret Thatchers landslide of June 1983. Having just biffed the Argentine junta down in the South Atlantic the heroically unpopular premier of only a year or two earlier whipped the country into a frenzy of patriotic commie/foreigner bashing that would make the current Bush look like Howard Dean. The similarities don't end there, the opposition was led by the marvelous Michael Foot, well into his sixties and with flowing white hair, walking stick and duffle coat not to mention a passionate socialist agenda he was, alas an easy target for the Thatcherites. The Labour manifesto for that election has been described as "the longest suicide note in electoral history". What did Michael Foot say about his much mocked sartorial choice? "It was a cold day and I liked that coat".
As for personal memories of this time I was busy watching Manchester United beat Brighton in the FA cup final (British elections tend to be held in the spring or early summer) so the politics pretty much passed me by. I do remember my mother (daughter of a communist) being a bit pissed off.
In the autumn of 1984 a new kid started middle school. Matthew Salmon shuffled around the school hall at lunchtime looking for somewhere to sit. He set down next to me as I munched on my meat pie and chips with peas and lots of salad cream. I think I mumbled a brief hello. He asked me who I thought would win the upcoming US election, his money was on Walter Mondale. I got on pretty well with "salmon" after that.
By the time the British election of June 1987 came round I was an emerging teenage socialist in the most intensely annoying mould. I despised Thatcher (still do but at least I have some idea about why) and thought the answer lay with Neil Kinnock's modernizing Labour party. In rural Norfolk it was still a wee bit risky to be an out and out Labour supporter. To my knowledge in 1987 Norfolk had only one labour MP out of about eight constituencies and was very much in the grip of the old guard of shire conservatives. Another Thatcher landslide. Thanks for your help Bowles. The day after the election I was buying some candy in a store when the owner started raving to a friend about Thatcher. Thus begun the first in a long line of business boycotts based upon irregular political convictions or staff rudeness.
1990 doesn't really count but I can't not mention the passing of Thatcher's political career. I was in a politics A level class when fellow crypto socialist Helen Stayte burts into the class full of seventeen year olds shouting "she's resigned!!" After an impromptu chorus of "ding dong the bitch is gone" we all went off to find junior Tory Kelvin Rashbrook as there was a schoolwide rumour that he was in tears.
1992 gave me my first real experience of electoral politics. Up to this point it was all rather like self abuse. In the Abbey Hall, Wymondham, electoral constituency of South Norfolk on April 9th I lost my political virginity. Some years later I was talking to a colleague from Chile. She had fled the Pinochet regime and had married an Englishman. It was her first chance to vote, ever. She had expressed some bemusement about the stubby little pencil and the postcard sized ballot paper. It's a bit of an anti climax really.
Of course, being old enough to vote means you're old enough to get smashed while watching the results on TV. The country decides but the fucking country decided to keep the sodding Tories in power. A crushing blow, a real bucket of cold water thrown over the passions of political youth. Not only that but my desire to gather the news with fellow lefties meant that I'd gone to my sailing club with a few friends. The sailing club with NO TV! We huddled around a transistor radio into the early hours as the horrible truth of clutching defeat from the jaws of victory became apparent.
The next day came with a massive hangover of both electoral and beer induced proportions. I sat in the Thurne Lion in with Bookham (he of Wisdom weasel fame) and Milo and decide that the only sensible thing to do would be to get shitfaced.
At least America did something right (remember those days?)
In November of that year they elected Bill 'you know you want to' Clinton and we all loved him pretty much for eight years. (Hey, I didn't have to live with him).
Kinnock was replaced by John Smith as John Major's Government bumbled, groped and generally buggered everything up for the next five years. If you ever want an example of a fundamentally incompetent Government, ask anyone who live in the UK between 1992 and 1997. From April 10th 1992 it was clear that Labour would win the next election. It may sound like a glib statement full of the beauty of hindsight but it's still a reasonably accurate assessmen. By the spring of 1997 you could have put red rosette on a chimp and he would have won.
Let's look back to the spring of 1994. It was with real shock that we learned of John Smith's fatal heart attack in May 1994. A lot has been said about what kind of Prime Minister Smith would have been. Much, often in the form of thinly veiled attacks on his sucessor, Tony Blair. All I will say is that John Smith was a good man, an honourable and decent man and there are far too few such people in public life. I can't hypothesise about his stance on Iraq or his relationships with foreign leaders, all I can say that there are times when I miss him deeply and I wonder about what could have been.
Blair took the leadership of the Labour party after a deal was done (or not?) with Gordon Brown. He easily defeated John Prescott and Margaret Beckett and in July of 1994 it became apparent that the next Prime Minister was a schoolboy.
Let's fast forward to March 1997, John Major calls the election and the inevitable soon takes place. John Major is no longer Prime Minister, replaced by Blair who will take office just as soon as he's finished his homework. I recall seeing an interview with Major a few days before the election. Forget about Nixon in 1960, John Major looked absolutely shattered. I wondered how on earth the interview had been allowed to take place. The Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was a living wreck. The day after the election John Major did what he loved doing most, went to a cricket match at The Oval and got a bit drunk. It was later said that the Tories had quite an easy campaign, people were reasonably friendly towards them as the public had had five years to make up it's mind and noone took them seriously anymore. It was as if the country had got drunk in 1992 and woken up with the ugly girl from the grocery store. Perhaps the memory of last time still haunted us but she had a nice personality so there's no need to be horrible about it.
It was a bloody landslide, the Tories were obliterated, reduced to a rump. It was fantastic!
The country woke to a new dawn, it was our 'velvet revolution' , the intellectual elite rather than the old money was in charge.
Much that has happened since is well documented and we can all see how office has turned Blair from the school boy into an elder statesman unrivalled in terms of global gravitas (but what about the hospitals Tony?)
So we'll be going to the polls again sometime soon, once the dust has settled from the innaugeration of rither Kerry or Bush I'll be looking east, across the Atlantic, the next one should be along soon.
I just want to mention the 2001 election. I voted Liberal. John Prescott , the deputy PM twatted a mulleted anti government protester and on election day nothing changed. I was fairly happy with that. I was especially happy that Prescott got into a fight with a right wing hill billy.
Dick Cheney's foul mouth? Give me Two jags and his left hook anytime.
Thank you for listening.
My earliest memory of an election would have to be Margaret Thatchers landslide of June 1983. Having just biffed the Argentine junta down in the South Atlantic the heroically unpopular premier of only a year or two earlier whipped the country into a frenzy of patriotic commie/foreigner bashing that would make the current Bush look like Howard Dean. The similarities don't end there, the opposition was led by the marvelous Michael Foot, well into his sixties and with flowing white hair, walking stick and duffle coat not to mention a passionate socialist agenda he was, alas an easy target for the Thatcherites. The Labour manifesto for that election has been described as "the longest suicide note in electoral history". What did Michael Foot say about his much mocked sartorial choice? "It was a cold day and I liked that coat".
As for personal memories of this time I was busy watching Manchester United beat Brighton in the FA cup final (British elections tend to be held in the spring or early summer) so the politics pretty much passed me by. I do remember my mother (daughter of a communist) being a bit pissed off.
In the autumn of 1984 a new kid started middle school. Matthew Salmon shuffled around the school hall at lunchtime looking for somewhere to sit. He set down next to me as I munched on my meat pie and chips with peas and lots of salad cream. I think I mumbled a brief hello. He asked me who I thought would win the upcoming US election, his money was on Walter Mondale. I got on pretty well with "salmon" after that.
By the time the British election of June 1987 came round I was an emerging teenage socialist in the most intensely annoying mould. I despised Thatcher (still do but at least I have some idea about why) and thought the answer lay with Neil Kinnock's modernizing Labour party. In rural Norfolk it was still a wee bit risky to be an out and out Labour supporter. To my knowledge in 1987 Norfolk had only one labour MP out of about eight constituencies and was very much in the grip of the old guard of shire conservatives. Another Thatcher landslide. Thanks for your help Bowles. The day after the election I was buying some candy in a store when the owner started raving to a friend about Thatcher. Thus begun the first in a long line of business boycotts based upon irregular political convictions or staff rudeness.
1990 doesn't really count but I can't not mention the passing of Thatcher's political career. I was in a politics A level class when fellow crypto socialist Helen Stayte burts into the class full of seventeen year olds shouting "she's resigned!!" After an impromptu chorus of "ding dong the bitch is gone" we all went off to find junior Tory Kelvin Rashbrook as there was a schoolwide rumour that he was in tears.
1992 gave me my first real experience of electoral politics. Up to this point it was all rather like self abuse. In the Abbey Hall, Wymondham, electoral constituency of South Norfolk on April 9th I lost my political virginity. Some years later I was talking to a colleague from Chile. She had fled the Pinochet regime and had married an Englishman. It was her first chance to vote, ever. She had expressed some bemusement about the stubby little pencil and the postcard sized ballot paper. It's a bit of an anti climax really.
Of course, being old enough to vote means you're old enough to get smashed while watching the results on TV. The country decides but the fucking country decided to keep the sodding Tories in power. A crushing blow, a real bucket of cold water thrown over the passions of political youth. Not only that but my desire to gather the news with fellow lefties meant that I'd gone to my sailing club with a few friends. The sailing club with NO TV! We huddled around a transistor radio into the early hours as the horrible truth of clutching defeat from the jaws of victory became apparent.
The next day came with a massive hangover of both electoral and beer induced proportions. I sat in the Thurne Lion in with Bookham (he of Wisdom weasel fame) and Milo and decide that the only sensible thing to do would be to get shitfaced.
At least America did something right (remember those days?)
In November of that year they elected Bill 'you know you want to' Clinton and we all loved him pretty much for eight years. (Hey, I didn't have to live with him).
Kinnock was replaced by John Smith as John Major's Government bumbled, groped and generally buggered everything up for the next five years. If you ever want an example of a fundamentally incompetent Government, ask anyone who live in the UK between 1992 and 1997. From April 10th 1992 it was clear that Labour would win the next election. It may sound like a glib statement full of the beauty of hindsight but it's still a reasonably accurate assessmen. By the spring of 1997 you could have put red rosette on a chimp and he would have won.
Let's look back to the spring of 1994. It was with real shock that we learned of John Smith's fatal heart attack in May 1994. A lot has been said about what kind of Prime Minister Smith would have been. Much, often in the form of thinly veiled attacks on his sucessor, Tony Blair. All I will say is that John Smith was a good man, an honourable and decent man and there are far too few such people in public life. I can't hypothesise about his stance on Iraq or his relationships with foreign leaders, all I can say that there are times when I miss him deeply and I wonder about what could have been.
Blair took the leadership of the Labour party after a deal was done (or not?) with Gordon Brown. He easily defeated John Prescott and Margaret Beckett and in July of 1994 it became apparent that the next Prime Minister was a schoolboy.
Let's fast forward to March 1997, John Major calls the election and the inevitable soon takes place. John Major is no longer Prime Minister, replaced by Blair who will take office just as soon as he's finished his homework. I recall seeing an interview with Major a few days before the election. Forget about Nixon in 1960, John Major looked absolutely shattered. I wondered how on earth the interview had been allowed to take place. The Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was a living wreck. The day after the election John Major did what he loved doing most, went to a cricket match at The Oval and got a bit drunk. It was later said that the Tories had quite an easy campaign, people were reasonably friendly towards them as the public had had five years to make up it's mind and noone took them seriously anymore. It was as if the country had got drunk in 1992 and woken up with the ugly girl from the grocery store. Perhaps the memory of last time still haunted us but she had a nice personality so there's no need to be horrible about it.
It was a bloody landslide, the Tories were obliterated, reduced to a rump. It was fantastic!
The country woke to a new dawn, it was our 'velvet revolution' , the intellectual elite rather than the old money was in charge.
Much that has happened since is well documented and we can all see how office has turned Blair from the school boy into an elder statesman unrivalled in terms of global gravitas (but what about the hospitals Tony?)
So we'll be going to the polls again sometime soon, once the dust has settled from the innaugeration of rither Kerry or Bush I'll be looking east, across the Atlantic, the next one should be along soon.
I just want to mention the 2001 election. I voted Liberal. John Prescott , the deputy PM twatted a mulleted anti government protester and on election day nothing changed. I was fairly happy with that. I was especially happy that Prescott got into a fight with a right wing hill billy.
Dick Cheney's foul mouth? Give me Two jags and his left hook anytime.
Thank you for listening.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Conversations overheard by a British immigrant.
I was talking to a third grader about history.
He is a recent immigrant from India and he had a limited knowledge of American history.
I asked him if he knew anything about Indian history.
He responded that he had visited Gandhi's home when he lived in India.
An American kid next to him asked who this Gandhi guy was.
Another kid (also of Indian descent) joined in the conversation, "Gandhi got rid of the British, he did it without guns or an army".
1st Indian kid " Yeah, he just got everyone to ignore the British".
Both Indian kids " Yeah, they just ignored them".
At which point I was duly and very deliberately ignored.
He is a recent immigrant from India and he had a limited knowledge of American history.
I asked him if he knew anything about Indian history.
He responded that he had visited Gandhi's home when he lived in India.
An American kid next to him asked who this Gandhi guy was.
Another kid (also of Indian descent) joined in the conversation, "Gandhi got rid of the British, he did it without guns or an army".
1st Indian kid " Yeah, he just got everyone to ignore the British".
Both Indian kids " Yeah, they just ignored them".
At which point I was duly and very deliberately ignored.
Every pissing rainstorm in the Bronx has a silver lining, kind of.
I do believe in beauty. I do wake up and feel exhilirated by the new dawn. I am an eternal optimist.
But there are some things that really piss me off. Let me list the ways.
Going to Yankee Stadium annoys me, it just does. ($18)
Spending over an hour on the 4 train to get there when it should only take about 45 minutes.($2)
Pissing, miserable, soaking, demoralising rain.(free, it's rain you know)
Obnoxious Yankee fans on aforementioned 4 train.(also free yet still annoying)
Waiting for half an hour to get into the Death star in a crowd of annoying Yankee fans in the rain. (a combination of all of the above except the bit about the 4 train).
Seeing six Yankee fans turned away from the gate because they had arrived on Friday night with tickets for Sunday's game. (F*CKING PRICELESS!!!!).
But there are some things that really piss me off. Let me list the ways.
Going to Yankee Stadium annoys me, it just does. ($18)
Spending over an hour on the 4 train to get there when it should only take about 45 minutes.($2)
Pissing, miserable, soaking, demoralising rain.(free, it's rain you know)
Obnoxious Yankee fans on aforementioned 4 train.(also free yet still annoying)
Waiting for half an hour to get into the Death star in a crowd of annoying Yankee fans in the rain. (a combination of all of the above except the bit about the 4 train).
Seeing six Yankee fans turned away from the gate because they had arrived on Friday night with tickets for Sunday's game. (F*CKING PRICELESS!!!!).
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
This TV show makes me happy.
I was nicely adrift in a world loosed from reality then someone pinched my laptop. I've no desire to make laptop theft a repetative motif within my blogworld but it just feels like 'reality' (never a concept I was at home with) has knocked on my door.
BUT, there is hope. The British sitcom 'spaced'.
I've just watched this (two seasons, 14 episodes, some 7 hours of TV, love/joy/laughter/happiness/nostalgia/quality/humour and the rest) all the way through one of the most deliciously sun drenched, late summer breezed, idyllic september afternoons.
And do you know what? It felt great!
I promise the next time I write I will a) not mention crime and b) place a link to the spaced website.
BUT, there is hope. The British sitcom 'spaced'.
I've just watched this (two seasons, 14 episodes, some 7 hours of TV, love/joy/laughter/happiness/nostalgia/quality/humour and the rest) all the way through one of the most deliciously sun drenched, late summer breezed, idyllic september afternoons.
And do you know what? It felt great!
I promise the next time I write I will a) not mention crime and b) place a link to the spaced website.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Movie moments.
I have been carrying a torch for this man for years.
Please go and see 'Shaun of the dead'. It's got Simon Pegg in it. He was in the best TV show ever. 'Spaced'. You must see this movie.
Please go and see 'Shaun of the dead'. It's got Simon Pegg in it. He was in the best TV show ever. 'Spaced'. You must see this movie.
Crime and punishment.
It's been a strange few days here at Bowles towers.
Firstly there was an outrageous breach of security which involved the theft of two laptops.
The culprits are being pursued.
They will be crushed.
The most depressing aspect is the ammount of writing that was lost, we have now learned the importance of backing up all our work but it's a bit too late.
So, in a vain attempt to recapture what was lost i'll give you a brief synopsis of the contents of my laptop.
' Parallel Universe'. This was a work in progress (hey, they were all WIP). A pseudo-Seinfeldian drift through the early morning adventures of a Brooklyn schoolteacher and his journey to work.
Also starring Dave the art teacher.
'Tom'. An affectionate portrait of my old university chum, Tom Lynn. I was enjoying this so much that I'm planning on re writing it and continuing the process with other friends.
An untitled account of my grandfather's pre war athletics career.
'Butterfly brooch'. A sure fire money spinner. This was the wife and I hoping to cull middle America with the schmaltzy tale of how we met and the ensuing romance. We are willing to cash in our happiness for the downpayment for a house.
There were other things but the four mentioned above were the ones that I'm determined to try and recreate.
As it happens we got off pretty lightly. Two laptops, that's it.
Firstly there was an outrageous breach of security which involved the theft of two laptops.
The culprits are being pursued.
They will be crushed.
The most depressing aspect is the ammount of writing that was lost, we have now learned the importance of backing up all our work but it's a bit too late.
So, in a vain attempt to recapture what was lost i'll give you a brief synopsis of the contents of my laptop.
' Parallel Universe'. This was a work in progress (hey, they were all WIP). A pseudo-Seinfeldian drift through the early morning adventures of a Brooklyn schoolteacher and his journey to work.
Also starring Dave the art teacher.
'Tom'. An affectionate portrait of my old university chum, Tom Lynn. I was enjoying this so much that I'm planning on re writing it and continuing the process with other friends.
An untitled account of my grandfather's pre war athletics career.
'Butterfly brooch'. A sure fire money spinner. This was the wife and I hoping to cull middle America with the schmaltzy tale of how we met and the ensuing romance. We are willing to cash in our happiness for the downpayment for a house.
There were other things but the four mentioned above were the ones that I'm determined to try and recreate.
As it happens we got off pretty lightly. Two laptops, that's it.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Victorian Gothic.
Sometimes I get the urge to take a sideways glance at the world and just go "aaaahhh". I am not a close the curtains and roll back into bed sort of chap but I look around and see the world spinning as normal. I am resigned to my fate, glorious and crazy as it may be. The RNC is in town, "aaaahhh". The Olympics are over, "aaaahhh". There seems to be some tennis happening in Queens, "aaaahhh". We have no netflix movies in the house, the next are due on Wednesday, "aaaahhh".
But there are positive notes. Mrs Bowles and I are embarking upon our annual 'New England, meet the family roadtrip' this Thursday.
I love roadtrips! Part of the great American dream. Load the car up with CDs, bad food and random reading material. Point the thing north and in about five hours we are in Boston and a few days later we drift down to Rhode Island and then home. In the meantime lots of eating, drinking and bonding.
On a slightly gloomier note, the long hot summer of lazy teacher fun is about to draw to a close. My brother refers to this as the "long dark weekend of the soul". Back to school.
But Hey! Britain got a bunch of medals in Athens, after a slow start we got home with something like 59 medals. Best haul since 1954.
OK, if you need more Bowles why not check out my slot on NYcanaries.com. It's a straight talking,man of the people sort of column all about soccer.
But there are positive notes. Mrs Bowles and I are embarking upon our annual 'New England, meet the family roadtrip' this Thursday.
I love roadtrips! Part of the great American dream. Load the car up with CDs, bad food and random reading material. Point the thing north and in about five hours we are in Boston and a few days later we drift down to Rhode Island and then home. In the meantime lots of eating, drinking and bonding.
On a slightly gloomier note, the long hot summer of lazy teacher fun is about to draw to a close. My brother refers to this as the "long dark weekend of the soul". Back to school.
But Hey! Britain got a bunch of medals in Athens, after a slow start we got home with something like 59 medals. Best haul since 1954.
OK, if you need more Bowles why not check out my slot on NYcanaries.com. It's a straight talking,man of the people sort of column all about soccer.
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Thoughts upon a convention.
Oh my word i'm confused.
On the one hand I'm a political junkie of 25 years standing (I remember the disapointment my parents felt upon the elction of Mrs Thatcher in 1979) and I am fascinated by the prospect of a massive political event happening on my doorstep.
On the other hand I am scared by republicans. I know two who are really nice people but the others are a**holes. I resent their presence in my city almost as much as I resent their presence in your country.
The botttom line has to be this, I cannot comprehend a political system where everybody thinks,acts and votes in the same way. I admire opposition and discussion in all forms and am never happier* than when discussing questions with open minded, civil people.
I just don't see many civil, open minded republicans out there.
(You know who you are and I'm not just being polite, respect is due.)
*Actually, lots of things make me happier than hanging out with conservatives! Who am i trying to kid? Having said that I stand by my comment about there being two good republicans out there, i'll not name them, this is a liberal site after all.
More thoughts to follow.
On the one hand I'm a political junkie of 25 years standing (I remember the disapointment my parents felt upon the elction of Mrs Thatcher in 1979) and I am fascinated by the prospect of a massive political event happening on my doorstep.
On the other hand I am scared by republicans. I know two who are really nice people but the others are a**holes. I resent their presence in my city almost as much as I resent their presence in your country.
The botttom line has to be this, I cannot comprehend a political system where everybody thinks,acts and votes in the same way. I admire opposition and discussion in all forms and am never happier* than when discussing questions with open minded, civil people.
I just don't see many civil, open minded republicans out there.
(You know who you are and I'm not just being polite, respect is due.)
*Actually, lots of things make me happier than hanging out with conservatives! Who am i trying to kid? Having said that I stand by my comment about there being two good republicans out there, i'll not name them, this is a liberal site after all.
More thoughts to follow.
Friday, August 27, 2004
A most unsettling situation.
I have an apology to make. There was a spelling mistake in my last entry and I have been humbled and humiliated by it's glaring presence. have i bothered to delve into my archive and rectify the situation? Nah, course not, but then, what are you gonna do?
Another matter which has come to my attention is that there are some noble bloggers out there who have included links to this site on their sites. I've tried to fill out the little links bit which sometimes appears on the right hand side of the page but I love this format so much and there's really no room for links. Accordingly, I shall tell you now who three of my favourite linksters are and how you can reach them. One has to assume that folk other than the two dans and jamies actually read this page. here goes,
http://listmaker.blogspot.com/
http://balgavy.com/apes/
http://wisdomweasel.blogspot.com/
There, I won't say any more than that, just enjoy the blogs that you, my readers write.
Another matter which has come to my attention is that there are some noble bloggers out there who have included links to this site on their sites. I've tried to fill out the little links bit which sometimes appears on the right hand side of the page but I love this format so much and there's really no room for links. Accordingly, I shall tell you now who three of my favourite linksters are and how you can reach them. One has to assume that folk other than the two dans and jamies actually read this page. here goes,
http://listmaker.blogspot.com/
http://balgavy.com/apes/
http://wisdomweasel.blogspot.com/
There, I won't say any more than that, just enjoy the blogs that you, my readers write.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
The Olympics.
I'm not overly concerned about the olympics. As any semi interested aprty(LOOK! GLARING AND RIDICULOUS SPELLING MISTAKE, oh the shame. See next entry for full apology.) will be aware. I'm more of a football, cricket, baseball sort of fella. I do love sailing and know an insane ammount about it but it's never really the type of sport you can watch on TV or chat about to friends, "Hey guys! Did you see Ben Ainslie crap on that Finnish laser last night?" No, it doesn't really work.
Having said all that I do enjoy the big shows such as the track events or anything where the British have even the slight chance of success. We used to win a few medals when I was a kid.
The reason for our decline? It's not about underinvestment in the nation's youth or the rise of the 11 year old couch potato. It's all to do with the cold war. Look at some of the great British Olympic heroes of the past thirty years, they all succeeded when the games were 'blighted' by some form of international boycotts. In 1980 (No USA) we won a clutch of golds. In 1984 (No USSR) we also did pretty well. Since the world has grown up and decided to get along we've been shit. Oh well, here's to curling and synchronised diving.
Having said all that I do enjoy the big shows such as the track events or anything where the British have even the slight chance of success. We used to win a few medals when I was a kid.
The reason for our decline? It's not about underinvestment in the nation's youth or the rise of the 11 year old couch potato. It's all to do with the cold war. Look at some of the great British Olympic heroes of the past thirty years, they all succeeded when the games were 'blighted' by some form of international boycotts. In 1980 (No USA) we won a clutch of golds. In 1984 (No USSR) we also did pretty well. Since the world has grown up and decided to get along we've been shit. Oh well, here's to curling and synchronised diving.
Friday, August 06, 2004
I'm back.
After three glorious weeks in the UK I'm back.
Jetlagged, tired but happy.
I'm going to try and get something up and running in the next couple of days but first i think that you should get those long awaited quiz answers.
Thanks to the two Dans and Jamie who, as far as I know are the only people who attempted the challenge.
Here goes.
1. Sunderland won the FA cup in 1973 beating Leeds Utd 1-0. (One of the biggest giant killing upsets in cup final history!)
2. Clark Clifford replaced Bob Mcnamara as defence sec.
3. Newcastle utd are known as "the Magpies". (Why the obsession with the Northeast?)
4. Winston Churchill's last words. (By all accounts he was bloody useless in his second term as Prime Minister.)
5. Spiro "ethnic slur" Agnew was Governor of Maryland. (Well done Baltimore Dan.)
6. Lambeth Bridge. (Nearest tube station is Pimlico on the Victoria line.)
7. U.S.Grant. (He didn't want to be President, described the White House as a jail.)
8. 14 November 1948, Charles Windsor's birthdate.
9. 9. (If you got this wrong you want bloody shootin.)
10. Freya was the Norse god of passion and beauty.
11. The 'A' train runs from the Rockaways to Inwood 207st. ( Note to Maine Dan,"Somewhere shit to somewhere overrated" is a terribly Boston RedSox sort of answer but it made me laugh.)
12. Richard Nixon's middle name was 'Milhous'.
13. President Johnson called his dog 'Little Beagle Johnson'. (Don't, I could go on all day.)
14. Ahh, my favourite hymn. This one also contains a reference to seventies funksters 'Earth , Wind and fire'. The hymn runs..."Oh Lord and master of mankind, forgive our foolish ways".
15. A great big bar of chocolate is wending it's way to Maine Dan for getting this one correct.
Lucy's nickname is 'Kitten'.
16. A growler is the name given to the smallest form of iceberg. (who would have known?)
17. A Macdonald's big mac contains 27.6 grams of protein. (I'm not making this up.)
18. Tennesse went Republican in 2000. ('nuff said.)
19. The IVY league universities are, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale..
20. Describe a recent sensation of ennui? I should imagine that taking part in quizzes in blogland should hit the spot.
Thanks to those of you who took the time and effort to have a go. I'm sorry that i was a little late in terms of answering. I shall be blogging more soon and you never know, there may even be another quiz in a month or two.
Jetlagged, tired but happy.
I'm going to try and get something up and running in the next couple of days but first i think that you should get those long awaited quiz answers.
Thanks to the two Dans and Jamie who, as far as I know are the only people who attempted the challenge.
Here goes.
1. Sunderland won the FA cup in 1973 beating Leeds Utd 1-0. (One of the biggest giant killing upsets in cup final history!)
2. Clark Clifford replaced Bob Mcnamara as defence sec.
3. Newcastle utd are known as "the Magpies". (Why the obsession with the Northeast?)
4. Winston Churchill's last words. (By all accounts he was bloody useless in his second term as Prime Minister.)
5. Spiro "ethnic slur" Agnew was Governor of Maryland. (Well done Baltimore Dan.)
6. Lambeth Bridge. (Nearest tube station is Pimlico on the Victoria line.)
7. U.S.Grant. (He didn't want to be President, described the White House as a jail.)
8. 14 November 1948, Charles Windsor's birthdate.
9. 9. (If you got this wrong you want bloody shootin.)
10. Freya was the Norse god of passion and beauty.
11. The 'A' train runs from the Rockaways to Inwood 207st. ( Note to Maine Dan,"Somewhere shit to somewhere overrated" is a terribly Boston RedSox sort of answer but it made me laugh.)
12. Richard Nixon's middle name was 'Milhous'.
13. President Johnson called his dog 'Little Beagle Johnson'. (Don't, I could go on all day.)
14. Ahh, my favourite hymn. This one also contains a reference to seventies funksters 'Earth , Wind and fire'. The hymn runs..."Oh Lord and master of mankind, forgive our foolish ways".
15. A great big bar of chocolate is wending it's way to Maine Dan for getting this one correct.
Lucy's nickname is 'Kitten'.
16. A growler is the name given to the smallest form of iceberg. (who would have known?)
17. A Macdonald's big mac contains 27.6 grams of protein. (I'm not making this up.)
18. Tennesse went Republican in 2000. ('nuff said.)
19. The IVY league universities are, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale..
20. Describe a recent sensation of ennui? I should imagine that taking part in quizzes in blogland should hit the spot.
Thanks to those of you who took the time and effort to have a go. I'm sorry that i was a little late in terms of answering. I shall be blogging more soon and you never know, there may even be another quiz in a month or two.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
The real Walter Mondale
It's all there, the picture from 1984. Our namesake is talking to a lone fisherman. Big Ron is gladhandling thousands of happy shiny types whilst our friend Walter is just hangin with a fisherman. I wonder where he is now?
And by the way, Big Ron may have won in 1984 but where is he now?
Looks like Walter is laughing last.
And by the way, Big Ron may have won in 1984 but where is he now?
Looks like Walter is laughing last.
Quiz time.
It's a busy time for me as I'm off on vacation in a couple of days time. Here's a quiz for you to amuse yourself with. Answers in a few days.
1. Who won the FA Cup in 1973?
2. Who replaced Robert Macnamara as Sec of defence in 1967?
3. The Magpies is the nickname of which English football team?
4. "Oh, I am so bored with it all" were the last words of which British Prime minister?
5. Spiro Agnew was Governor of which state?
6. Which london Bridge lies between Westminster and Vauxhall bridge?
7. 18th President of the USA?
8. The Prince of Wales' birthday?
9. 3+6=?
10. Freya was the Norse god of what?
11. The A train runs from where to where?
12. Richard Nixon's middle name?
13. LBJ's dog was called?
14. "Oh Lord and master of mankind...." complete the next line of this old hymn.
15. My cat has a nickname, what is it?
16. In the offical classification of icebergs, what name is given to the smallest type of iceberg?
17. How much protein (in grams) is in a Macdonalds Big Mac?
18. In the 2000 Presidential election Tennessee went Democrat or Republican?
19. There are eight IVY league universities, name four of them.
20. Describe, in your own words, a recent sensation of 'ennui'.
There you go, you have half an hour, no talking.
Answers in a few days.
1. Who won the FA Cup in 1973?
2. Who replaced Robert Macnamara as Sec of defence in 1967?
3. The Magpies is the nickname of which English football team?
4. "Oh, I am so bored with it all" were the last words of which British Prime minister?
5. Spiro Agnew was Governor of which state?
6. Which london Bridge lies between Westminster and Vauxhall bridge?
7. 18th President of the USA?
8. The Prince of Wales' birthday?
9. 3+6=?
10. Freya was the Norse god of what?
11. The A train runs from where to where?
12. Richard Nixon's middle name?
13. LBJ's dog was called?
14. "Oh Lord and master of mankind...." complete the next line of this old hymn.
15. My cat has a nickname, what is it?
16. In the offical classification of icebergs, what name is given to the smallest type of iceberg?
17. How much protein (in grams) is in a Macdonalds Big Mac?
18. In the 2000 Presidential election Tennessee went Democrat or Republican?
19. There are eight IVY league universities, name four of them.
20. Describe, in your own words, a recent sensation of 'ennui'.
There you go, you have half an hour, no talking.
Answers in a few days.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
The end of facial hair.
It's all gone now. There was just to much emotional baggage linked with growing a beard.
There was the kid in my home town who took acid and then his mum died mysteriously and then he flunked out of University and went mad and still wanders the streets asking for cigarettes in between getting beaten up by local hicks, he has a beard.
Then there was my nemesis in teaching college who took one look at me and thought "shit, you're just shit". He did everything within his power to fail me and destroy my fledgling teaching career. For nine weeks he made my life hell. He had a beard.
Added to which i kept seeing wierd people in the street with crappy facial hair. Plus the fact that I'm blonde and beards don't really work on blonde people.
I toyed with the idea of a Piazza/Nascar goatee but by god you shouda seen it (OOOOH! slack jawed yokel alert).
So i'm clean for Kerry/Edwards and it's all the way with LBJ.
There was the kid in my home town who took acid and then his mum died mysteriously and then he flunked out of University and went mad and still wanders the streets asking for cigarettes in between getting beaten up by local hicks, he has a beard.
Then there was my nemesis in teaching college who took one look at me and thought "shit, you're just shit". He did everything within his power to fail me and destroy my fledgling teaching career. For nine weeks he made my life hell. He had a beard.
Added to which i kept seeing wierd people in the street with crappy facial hair. Plus the fact that I'm blonde and beards don't really work on blonde people.
I toyed with the idea of a Piazza/Nascar goatee but by god you shouda seen it (OOOOH! slack jawed yokel alert).
So i'm clean for Kerry/Edwards and it's all the way with LBJ.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Endless suffering II. Some good news.
OK, I just got some good news that I thought you, my blog faithful would like to hear.
My sporting spirits have been lifted by some news from The UK.
It seems that my five year old neice Eleanor is something of a sporting champion.
She won her kindergarten sports day "beat the keeper" (penalty kicks) competition with a straight sweep of five consecutive goals. Well done girl!
As well as this, she smashed (that's right, Smashed) the Browick Road Infants School bowling record. The record stood at 24 and had done so for years. Eleanor's score? 40.
So, there's hope for the future.
My sporting spirits have been lifted by some news from The UK.
It seems that my five year old neice Eleanor is something of a sporting champion.
She won her kindergarten sports day "beat the keeper" (penalty kicks) competition with a straight sweep of five consecutive goals. Well done girl!
As well as this, she smashed (that's right, Smashed) the Browick Road Infants School bowling record. The record stood at 24 and had done so for years. Eleanor's score? 40.
So, there's hope for the future.
Facial hair.
It's summer, It's growing.
I'm in great doubt about it.
I look like a German sailor from WW2.
I'm in great doubt about it.
I look like a German sailor from WW2.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Endless suffering.
A passion for football runs deep in my family. My father was a noble center forward playing for a number of quality amateur sides from the 1950s through to the mid 1970s, my brother was a handy player, I just turned up and hurt people. My enthusiasm bloomed vicariously upon the terraces at Carrow Road, home of Norwich City, the Canaries. This interest has followed me across the Atlantic where I have been fortunate to follow the far away fortunes of Norwich City as they scaled the mighty heights. I have also been able to endure the joy but mostly pain and self loathing of watching England's latest European campaign. Dan Bookham sent me an article the other day,The article was concerned about the rise of new footballing nations, the non superpower brigade. It seems that with the decline of once great footballing nations such as Germany, Italy, dare I say it,even England there are some new kids on the block and they are pushing their way noisily to the fore. The article makes claims that globalization is now affecting football and that as a result the smaller nations, with their doubtless quality are able to take on any number of 'big boys'. This hurts. I have just one point to make. Why can't I follow a team (and remember, I have no choice in this, such support was chosen for me, by birth) that hits the right note, at the right time, in the right place? Why must I always be the bridesmaid at these things? I mean, don't get me wrong, we never even really got close this time but why not just let us have a little bit of glory just once? I remember the then England captain Bryan Robson telling us all how sick he was of looking at photographs of that swinging summers afternoon in 1966, the last and only time that England have ever won anything of significance, he was hoping to place that picture in it's proper historical perspective by bringing home the world cup. He was writing this in 1986.
OK, I know that this is a rant. I should be grateful. Norwich are in the Premiership after 9 often mediocre years in Division one (the Championship as it's now been rebranded). I have a great life, lovely wife etc, etc.
But just once, that's all I ask.
OK, I know that this is a rant. I should be grateful. Norwich are in the Premiership after 9 often mediocre years in Division one (the Championship as it's now been rebranded). I have a great life, lovely wife etc, etc.
But just once, that's all I ask.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)