No More X-Factory!

The time has come, people to say "No!" to the string of X-Factory no-talent-one-Christmas-hit-wonders. There is a campaign in full swing to get this song by Malcom Middleton to the number one spot for xmas. The former Arab Strap member has released this fantastically rebellious little ditty, in the same vein as The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl Fairytale of New York.

Even if you have never bought a music download before, I urge you now to do so, even if just to say to future generations "We did not all worship Idle Telly!". Because that is what that show is, cheap TV made by people too lazy to create an original idea and spoonfeeding the population one version of what music can be.

Rebel, go crazy, spend 79p to send a message to Simon Cowell, future generations and the mass media of today.

Gigs - VNV Nation

Tuesday 11th December - Thekla Social, Bristol

I had never been to a gig at the Thekla before, so didn't really know what to expect from the venue. But I had high expectations from the band, having seen them earlier this year at Infest, where they blew my mind and gave my OH an epiphany regarding glow sticks!

The support act, Kloq, made a good go at warming up a tough crowd, who only reluctantly gathered around the stage and barely even tapped their feet along to the catchy synth rhythms. I enjoyed them, but confess I was impatient for the main attraction - VNV Nation.

My friends and I managed to get ourselves right up front as soon as Kloq left the stage and we waited as the crowd pressed in behind us. Glow sticks at the ready, the crowd broke into hysterics waiting for the band to come on stage. One girl off to our left kept screaming, and I mean, horror movie, lung-ripping screaming. The crowd began telling her to shut up, but every couple of minutes she would let out another great scream.

The audience were not disappointed when one of the first things Ronan said was to tell this girl to cut it out.

"It's funny... once. After that it's just annoying."

I had been struck on seeing VNV previously how funny Ronan is as a frontman. He engages the crowd with anecdotes and moments of wit to rival the best stand up comedians in Britain, but more than this he is an expert at getting the crowd involved. He encourages movement and singing along, he covers the stage thoroughly and being up front as we were, we were treated to regular grins from him as he towered right over us. At one point he saw me holding my camera up and made sure to pause long enough for me to get a clear photo of him.

VNV have produced some incredible tracks over the years. Anthemic dance tracks as well as heart-felt ballads and as at Infest, where they dedicated 'Illusion' to Sophie Lancaster, I was moved to tears during this powerful slow track from their latest album, Judgement.

A technical problem forced the band to leave the stage and the crowd waited patiently for the issue to be resolved. Great relief swept over us when the band returned to play another few songs and we were treated to a standard encore after that.

Knowing the latest album significantly better than when I last saw VNV certainly heightened my enjoyment of the gig, which is saying something. Exhausted though I was by the encore I couldn't help but dance with all the energy I could muster and I found myself the following day barely able to walk; my back was so sore!

A heck of a gig, here's hoping that VNV Nation return to Bristol often.

Gigs - Within Temptation

Birmingham Carling Academy

This was my third time at a WT gig. I have come to expect certain things.

1. A huge crowd
2. Epic sound
3. Brilliant charisma
4. To dance my arse off

I was not disappointed. I have mixed feelings about this venue. I have seen NIN there in the past and on both occasions I have had trouble getting to actually see the bands performing. The venue is simply too big for a standing only gig. The ground floor fills up very quickly and from about ten feet back from the stage all the way back to the bar there is no view. There is a balcony upstairs, but once there are about two rows at the railing someone of my height can see nothing.

On this occasion we took up position three rows back on the balcony for the support act, however, I couldn't see so found myself a comfy spot under the large plasma screen and watched the support act from there.

Once WT took the stage, however, I was not content to sit back and wandered off to find myself a better spot. I got lucky and managed to squeeze in by a pillar dead centre on the balcony, with a few rows in front of me but a little gap through people's heads afforded me an intermittent view! Andy joined me and we enjoyed the set from this position.

The thing that struck me about this gig was that it was evident that we were witnessing the tail end of the tour. When we saw them in Bristol in April the band were energetic, fresh and incredibly tight. That was lacking a little this time, Sharon took a good three songs to warm up properly and even then her voice wasn't as strong as I have heard it in the past.

The set was incredible with us being treated to a few older tracks as well as the usual hits from Mother Earth, The Silent Force and The Heart of Everything. Despite the end-of-tour feeling, it was a very good gig, full of great interaction with the crowd and a fantastic energy from the audience.

Next time we see them it will, hopefully be back in Bristol at a better sized venue. Here's hoping that they keep playing the smaller venues though and that their tour manager doesn't ditch those gigs.

Tonight: VNV Nation!

Getting a Point Across

I have observed, throughout my life, that when a person is unable to answer a question in a debate coherently, rationally and with due attention to previous discussion then they usually don't have much of a point to make. Either they don't understand the subject under discussion or they don't understand their own opinion on the matter.

Internet forums and message boards have made it possible for all manner of people to get involved in public debate that may not have had the chance were the internet not such a fantastic tool. People who have never been involved in a formal debate before are mixing with those who have. People who have never had to argue their opinion in a coherent manner before are mixing with those who have given their opinions careful consideration and discussed them openly many times.

I don't claim to be an expert at debate. I'm not. I represented my house in the school public debate competition once and not very well. I made a speech as part of mock-election week for the 1997 general election, which I enjoyed but my well thought out, pre-written and impassioned speech didn't go down too well with my a-political classmates.

On the rare occasions that I have gone up against those who are genuinely expert at debate (usually guys with quite forceful personalities) I have crumbled and utterly failed to get my own point across. Their arguments may be utterly abhorrant, they may only be arguing for the sake of it and not really because they believe the position they are putting across, but if they are well-practiced in the basic skills then I stand no chance.

But I, like many people, like talking about my own opinions and I do this on the internet with regularity. Mostly I find myself the superior debator, despite my lack of experience. I know some of the theory and I do give my opinions a lot of thought, therefore I often come to a debate well armed with my own, reasoned thoughts.

I do, however, tend to get passionate about the things I care about. And that gets in the way. I find myself falling out with people from time to time, simply because the discussion becomes personal.

But recently, I have been getting quite agitated by a long-running discussion because I have not become impassioned, I have remained balanced and rational throughout. However a couple of posters have taken my comments incredibly personally and have taken to slinging mud. No matter how upset I get in one of these discussions I never stoop to insults or "I know you are but what am I"- style arguing. If I get too involved, if I take offense I tend to withdraw and let the discussion go on without me.

I am farely knowledgable about this subject, it being one I have studied on my degree and in my leisure time. So it infuriates me when people come to the discussion just to throw insults and stamp their feet without any consideration for the rational, serious discussion taking place. They misunderstand, misquote and generally make themselves look silly and wind me up because I feel like I am doing a poor job of getting my point across.

But there is no rationalising with those people. They will never understand a point of view contrary to their own so I mustn't get stressed out about it. This blog entry serves as the venting of my frustration. Hopefully now I can get on with my life.

Gigs - The New Root

Allflaws/Red Vein/The New Root – 14th November 2007 – The Louisiana, Bristol

The night opened with rap-duo Allflaws, sadly not to this reviewer's taste. The second performance came from Red Vein, who provided a more inspiring set of lyrically and musically interesting tracks. They set the mood well for the main attraction; The New Root.

However, I find myself at a slight loss for words as I try to begin this review. What can I say that I have not said before? Am I a fool for having praised TNR so highly in the past? I ask that not because I have ever had any doubt that they deserved my praise, but because I find myself struggling to describe just how amazing they were on this occasion. Having given them such glowing reviews in the past there are very few more rungs on the ladder to go up to and in this case they really need more rungs.

I have always been a Rooter, I have always enjoyed their gigs; loved their songs, revelled in their performances and come away glowing with pride. But this night was different. This night they were headlining, they had a longer set and the biggest audience. There may have been nerves there, but I didn’t see them, all I saw was excitement and joy from the band. It was evident that they were enjoying themselves more than ever and that showed in their confidence and stage presence.

They opened their set with my old favourite, Cruel. This Rooter was overjoyed to see the return of this song to their set. It has been slightly rearranged, the acoustic guitar has been replaced with electric and Trish now plays the key part as well as singing, the whole song has a little more oomph than it did before, and it was always one of their more pounding songs, so that is saying something.

The treatment upon the band’s older material from newest band members Joel and Tony has brought a heavier, more edgy sound, more appropriate for moshing to than previous versions. And mosh we did. Regular Rooters took up position at the front and much vigorous dancing ensued throughout the set, with quiet pauses for Still Near and Crazy.

Other returning track Tell It Like It Is went down well as did their newest track with its irregular rhythms and slamming guitar. In a recent conversation with Dave and Trish Boothby, they said that they wanted to be able to take the audience on an emotional journey in their gigs and that certainly happened with this longer set. We were set up marvellously for the very emotive Crazy, drawing a tear from more than one audience member's eye and the set was brought to a fantastic climax with So Alive.

The Rooters weren’t going to let the band get away without playing crowd-pleaser My Truth, though and calls for an encore were, thankfully, given into by the venue, who gave the go ahead for another song.

Their would-be closing track says it all really, this gig made me feel so alive. I left the venue with friends, all bouncing merrily in the street, elated and exhausted at the same time from all the dancing. TNR have reached a new level in excellence. More confidence, I believe is the key, they pulled off a tight performance and were engaging to watch. As ever, I came away feeling very positive about the future success of the band.

Gigs - Kosheen

Andy & I have been going to a lot of gigs lately. At the nudging from a mate I am going to blog about them.

Wednesday 19th September - Kosheen - Bristol Carling Academy.

I have been a Kosheen fan for several years, since the 2nd album, Kokopelli came out and I was working at the Virgin Megastore. The band actually played there on my first day, but, having not heard of them at that point I didn't go to the gig. Afterwards everyone was talking about it and the Virgin Megastore radio station started playing Avalanche, the single at the time, with some regularity. I noticed the album creeping up the chart as I restocked it daily and realised I needed to get a copy myself - I loved the single so that was enough for me. I quickly learned that they were a Bristol band and they became a firm favourite of mine very quickly.

The band then went off to tour Eastern Europe, so I had to content myself with listening to the albums. My heart skipped a beat when I saw their gig at Aberystwyth Student Union appear on their tour dates list and I went about planning a bit of a reunion with my friends from uni there to coincide with the gig. Alas, people couldn't make it along and then the date disappeared off the list. Another opportunity lost.

I was eagerly anticipating their third album, Damage, but for whatever reason, all thoughts of them touring had slipped my mind. It didn't occur to me that they would be supporting the new album back at home... until I descovered that Darren Beal, one of the founding members of the band, would be mixing The New Root's next release. I quickly checked the tour dates and my heart leapt into my throat to see that they were playing Bristol in a few days time! I bought tickets immediately, not willing to miss another opportunity to see them.

I have to say, as impulse buys go, this was probably the best of my life. Although Andy wasn't feeling well and had to go and sit down after the two support bands finished, he wanted me to stay up front and enjoy the show. The support came in the form of Sub Line, a local band with some interesting tracks and Rochelle, an upbeat act with bouncy female vocals on a similar line to Republica. The vocals were a bit weak however, and the constant demands from the lead singer that we all dance were somewhat trying.

I was impatient for the main event and had been edging forward throughout the two support acts, managing to get myself a spot in the second row for Kosheen. After the typical build up, the crowd itching for the band to come on stage, Kosheen entered, beginning their set with the title track from their new album. From there they embarked on an impressive set; taking us back to the beginning with legendary tracks like Hide U and Hungry; through the highlights of Kokopelli: Avalanche, Crawling, Coming Home and Wish; and mixed with some great new tracks from Damage including Overkill and Guilty.

Sian worked the crowd as a pro, commanding the stage magnificently with a presence I don't think I have ever seen before. The crowd was fuelled with the energy and love coming from the band. Maybe because this was their homecoming gig, the first time they had played Bristol in several years, or maybe every set they play is like that, but the atmosphere was electric and very moving. There were screaming fans in tears from the love they felt for the music and musicians - something I haven't seen since my Boyzone days!

I got friendly with the woman I was stood next to and by the end we were dancing together with her friends and the other strangers around us. It was a shame that Andy had to pull back, as I would have loved to experience that with him, but it was interesting to be up at the front on my own. I feel like I bonded with the crowd more than I typically do at gigs, maybe that was the power of Kosheen more than anything.

I can't recomment Kosheen highly enough. Their albums are beautifully produced and packed with haunting and anthemic tracks. But live... live they shine.

A Liberal Life

In his speech at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton this week, Sir Menzies Campbell gave an inspiring speech about the future of the party. Apathy and disillusionment are severe problems in Britain today and I know that many of you reading this email will be planning to dismiss what I say. "All politicians are the same", "all the parties are the same", "nothing will ever change" - I tell you what... with attitudes like that you're damn right! Things will never change if people continue to brush off the possibilities, if people give up on hope and ambition.

I am a Liberal Democrat because I believe that we, as a nation, deserve better. We deserve a free, fair and green country to live in and more than that... I believe that we can achieve it.

Ming concluded his speech with these words:

"I will lead this party into the next election with energy, ambition and determination. Because the stakes for this party have never been higher. And liberalism has never been needed more than it is today. So whenever people ask you: “Why vote Liberal Democrat?” tell them this:
We alone are prepared to break the cosy consensus of British politics and face up to the challenges confronting our society. To create a country that is free, fair and green.

[...]

Only we can achieve that free, fair and green society. Because only we believe in it – Only we will work for it – Only we will fight for it. The Liberal Democrats versus Labour and the Tories. Today, our party is not only the real alternative: It is the only alternative. Not two against one. But one against two."

To read the full speech go here.

Please don't dismiss me out of hand. Please don't hit "delete" without a second thought. Read what Ming has to say, think about what you can do to help. Even if that doesn't mean voting Lib Dem at the next election, tell your other friends what the Lib Dems have to say, tell people you meet that the political landscape needs to change and encourage people to vote with their feet. Literally. If there is an issue you care about, even just one issue, get out there and do something about it! Shout from the rooftops "No! I will not lie down and submit to this! I demand change!"

Thanks for reading. Now go do.

Google is funny

OK, so I am faffing instead of working (see "Thank You!" below) so I thought I would try the google name game.
How it works: You put "[your name] needs" into google and post the first ten results in your blog. I did this and the very first result was some other Holly doing the same thing!! Coincidentally she was the same age as me, interested in the same things and was also married. Spooky.

My results:

1. Welcome to the Addicted To Holly gallery. It is your #1 source for up to date pictures and it will fulfill all your visual Holly needs!

2. Holly needs home in Ridgeway, Ontario

3. Holly needs help in her Olympic efforts

4. Holly needs to go bak [sic] to neighbours

5. Holly needs a home

6. Holly needs a new home

(I'm beginning to spot a theme here)

7. Holly needs something

8. Holly needs to go to obedience and learn how to walk nicely on a leash because she does a lot of "drifting" from side to side investigating things

(Finally a laugh!)

9. Holly need motorcycle

10. Holly needs identification

:-/

Not as humourous as I was led to believe. Ah well, number 8 gave me a giggle.

Language

So, language usage changes over time. This is not a mystery, it is a mundane fact of life that everyone knows. Or at least, would if they stopped to think about it for a second and compared modern English to the thees and thous of days of yore.

So how come some people don't seem able to handle the idea that people in the modern world call themselves witches and that in the modern use of the word, witches do exist? Why are some people so detirmined to piss on other people's bonfires?

Thank you!

As you all know by now, I am terrible at getting my coursework done. I put it off until I almost crack under the pressure. I can't do this all on my own, I have help and I thought I would give credit where credit's due. So here are my top 10 procrastination websites!

10. Adult Fan Fiction
For those who missed it the first time I "came out": I write smutty Harry Potter fanfic. Here it is. I used to spend hours at a time reading other people's stuff on AFF, but I don't have time any more and a lot of my favourite authors have stopped writing. To be fair, so have I.

9. Home Office Watch
Essential viewing for any Brit. Informative and occasionally shocking.

8. Flickr
Mainly I check out my friends' photos, but it's good for a browse too. You can find pictures of anywhere in the world. Excellent for procrastination material.

7. Dave Gorman
I love Dave Gorman, he writes a fantastic blog, reluctantly!

6. The Lexicon
A fantastic site for losing yourself. Anything you can think of to do with Harry Potter is on here. Any little factoid from the books that you could want to know has been catalogued and numerous essays dissecting characters and events are there to entertain.

5. ROFL Cat
Side-splitting, hilarious pictures of cats! Funny every time you go back even if you've seen the images a dozen times already.

4. 20 Sided - The GM of the Rings
Hilarious comic strip of what might happen were D&D and Lord of the Rings to be reunited now. It's a long running strip, so there's a lot of content, but it's well worth catching up on as and when you have ten minutes.

3. The Rockstar Game
I love this game, I've been playing for years on and off. It is one of those things you can immerse yourself in to whatever level you wish. There have been times (between jobs!) when I have spent hours every day playing and writing on the roleplay forum. Because of how the system works, when I came back to the game recently after a seven month absence I didn't have to put many sessions in before I got a top 100 album!

2. MySpace
Obvious maybe, but true. I spend far too much time faffing here. Although not so much lately, it seems to have gone quiet in the last month or so. I dare say that will change though.

1. BBC Religion & Ethics
Ahh, my beloved religion forum. I am mostly found on the Pagan board. This community provides by far the most time away from my coursework (and job work these days!), I can while away hours chatting with people I have come to think of as friends. Alas, the site has come upon hard times, with the mods getting very strict about staying on-topic. But hopefully they will chill out again soon.

So that's my procrastination chart - a product of yet more procrastination!! Go ahead and check some of the sites out and say "hi" if you spot me in any of my guises!

Deadlines

Technically I have until the 29th for one and 31st for the other, but I have this week off work and am going away for the weekend, so I really need to get my two projects finished by Thursday. I've done bits and pieces of reading over the last week and a half, but nowhere near the required amount and forget any kind of plan or draft...

Two lots of research and 8000 words to write in four days. And yet here I am, sat watching CSI and writing a blog. What is wrong with me right now? Why am I not feeling the panic? I feel a little like I went past panic a couple of weeks ago, now I'm just sort of resigned to the idea that it's impossible.

I am going to do some research this afternoon, I really am - I've been saying that every day for the last week. I am going to need a miracle to pull this off though.

The best gig of my life?

A good question. I've seen a lot of bands live, some of the highlights have been Rammstein, Within Temptation, NIN, David Bowie, Terrorvision (back in the day!) and Queen (with Paul Rogers).

While all of these bands, with the possible exception of Terrorvision, are huge successes with legendary live shows and the kinds of artists you expect great things of, there is something about big venues and fancy light shows that makes you forget about what's really important... the music, and the chemistry between musicians and audience.

Terrorvision is in that list for the very reason that back when I followed them around Yorkshire playing pubs and small clubs they gave me my first taste of live music. They were accessible and created an amazing atmosphere in limited space with limited shiny resources.

The screaming, the palpitations and me being star-struck at any of those huge gigs you care to refer back to is not to be sniffed at. Gigs of that scale (David Bowie drew a crowd of over 100,000 at Glastonbury 2000) can be awe-inspiring and incredibly atmospheric (NIN). You can get up close too, within mere feet of your idols, the lead singer can make eye contact with you and make you feel like she's singing just to you (Sharon del Adel, WT). They can fill you with the trembles from the power and shock of the performance (Rammstein). They can send you home singing at the top of your lungs and desperate for more (Queen). These gigs and many more were each amazing for these very reasons and more besides.

But sometimes, like Terrorvision at the Harrogate Arms before they got big, a gig in the back room of a pub, with no more than 50 people in attendance can blow your mind. Just sometimes, the chemistry is just right between the band and the crowd. Sometimes, despite mistakes and having to restart the opening track due to amp-error, a band you've seen a couple of dozen times before can give you chills again. Sometimes a band you see for the first time can remind you what live music is really all about. It's not about the lights or the pyrotechnics. It's not about 100,000 people screaming and singing along. It's not about fainting from the crush and heat of the mosh pit or the charisma of the lead singer!

It's all about the music and the atmosphere. And you don't need tricks to create the atmosphere. You just need really, really good music, played with energy.

And that is what happened last night. The venue: The Croft. The music: The Sky is Blue, The New Root & Seagull Strange.

The fist band, The Sky is Blue had some good material but their frequent need to retune and a slight lack of stage presence let them down. The New Root started their set in the manner that those of us who have seen them play a lot have become accustomed to, taking to the stage one by one as their intro track plays and that kick ass whammy riff from Dave leads them into their opening track, My Truth. It's always a good start, high energy, quality rock. Last night, however, there was a problem with Trish's amp and she had to stop the band, something that has never happened before. They handled it professionally and started up again quickly, taking the track from the top and playing it at a fantastic pace to get in their full set with now limited time. Sped up the song rocked even harder than ever!

The bulk of their set is made up of fairly new material, each song a new twist and emotional turn. I spotted my other half wiping away a tear at the end of "30 Years of Our Marriage" and "So Alive" always gives me chills. They finished the set with the re-vamped version of Tell Me, which I absolutely love to pieces and left the stage to massive applause and me literally bouncing off the walls. Despite the hiccup at the start, or maybe because of it, the set was exciting, entertaining and rocking. "That's the best they've played in a long time!" Was Andy's first comment, but he says that every time, testament to The New Root's constant improvement.

The friend we had with us, for whom this was only his second TNR experience was grinning like a loon and bouncing almost as much as me. Another happy fan. I didn't think the night could get any better. How good would a band have to be to follow that performance by TNR?! I have always liked Seagull Strange, but hadn't seen them live before. But as Trish said before the gig, "Live is better". And she was spot on.

It's easy to see why they are signed to a label. They have charisma oozing from every pore, their songs rock and they know how to interact with the crowd. After a couple of songs, the lead singer, Dan told us that due to there being a "fire hazard" at the back of the room, we all needed to move forwards. Obediently we did so, filling the few feet gap right in front of the stage and I think it was only once the crowd had moved that anyone twigged the ruse! From that moment on the front section of the audience loosened up, there was much dancing and jumping about, especially during "La La La Ley"! Andy dived from our spot at the side right into the middle to mosh with a fellow regular-Rooter and I got to jump about like a crazy person right at the front too.

Rapturous applause had them perform an encore and more dancing ensued. We left the gig hyper and feeling that something special had happened in that little room at the back of the Croft. We kept bursting into song all the way home and when we got back played songs from the gig at top volume, singing along and dancing around the house, probably to the deep annoyance of our neighbours! But that is the price you pay for great rock.

Jack Black stated that "One great rock show can change the world!" Well I don't think it did that this time, but this show reminded me about the point of live music and made me feel once again, as I did when I saw Terrorvision that first time, that everyone in the world has to hear these guys. If they don't, if people miss out on this, they will never know what live music is.

Deathly Hallows

I was right about R.A.B. I was right about Snape. I was wrong about so much else.

When I finally stop weeping and get some more sleep I will write a proper review (spoiler free, don't worry).

Nervous twitch

I had two assignments to complete this week. As of last Thursday I had done none of the reading for either essay. I had one due on Tuesday and one today. I got both in on time even with my regular roleplaying sessions on Monday and Thursday nights and going out Saturday night. It's the result of very, very hard work on my part, furious reading and note-taking followed by rapid typing to get all 4000 words total written, formatted and sent to my tutors.

I am unashamedly congratulating myself on this feat.

Speaking of congratulations... The reason I was out on Saturday night was to celebrate my new job! It's the best paid job I've ever had and the most responsibility and I am really excited about it. I start on the 30th, so with those two essays out of the way I have a week to kick back and enjoy myself - or more wisely, to make sure I get loads of coursework done as I will be back to having only the evenings and weekends in which to study once I start work!

So, it's Friday night and I am exhausted after a very tiring week (it has gone remarkably quickly though) but I cannot rest yet. I have one more thing to do... read Deathly Hallows. Andy and I will be heading to the bookshop before ten to queue for our copy, the shop opens at midnight for this, the last Harry Potter book. I will not sleep and possibly won't even cook (I'll make Andy fetch me food!) until I have devoured every last page. (It's alright, I'll do the same for him when I hand him the book to read right after I finish it!)

I got the last two finished within 24 hours doing this and they were of comparable length to this one (~600 pages). I am very excited, my knee is bouncing as I write this, causing the laptop to rock under my fingers. This time tomorrow I will know everything; if my suspicion of who RAB is is correct...Snape's true allegiance...who lives and who dies.

One question, what will I do with my life with no new Harry Potter to revolve around?

Cerne Abbas Giant... meet Homer Simpson

There has been a bit of fuss in the pagan community over the huge drawing of Homer Simpson next to the Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset. Some are threatening to perform rain magic to hurry the flow that will wash away the soluble Homer, others are making noises of anger on internet forums, talking about disrespect of culture and religion, saying no one would have dared deface a mosque in such a manner... all I have to say to those people (some of whom are very good friends) is "Don't have a cow, man!"

Lighten up. It ain't that big of a deal, it'll be gone within a fortnight and it is pretty funny! I can just imagine where Homer would throw that doughnut. The Simpsons is well known to be a sharp and critical social commentary, though it disguises the serious aspect of itself well with brilliant humour, obviously so well that some people simply don't see the serious side at all. This advertising stunt is funny in itself but I think it also speaks to those of us who can see it. Taking a step back I think the people who came up with the idea are raising their eyebrows in a "see, we knew it would get this reaction" sort of way. I think they did it not only to advertise their film, not only because it's just funny, but also because they knew there would be a reaction and the act itself comments upon that reaction.

We shouldn't be so precious about religion, or cultural artefacts. Sometimes people need to take a step back and just laugh at these things, laugh at themselves.

Under 10s on DNA database

The government's campaign to monitor the innocent at any cost continues as DNA records for young children and elderly people (over 90 years old) appear on our ever-growing DNA database. For more on this see www.homeofficewatch.com

This disgusts me. What business does the government have taking DNA samples from little children and storing them for 100 years? What about those elderly people too? Are the government afraid of an OAP uprising over pensions or fuel allowance?!

Write to your MP and demand an answer to the question 'What has my gran done to you?'

Bloody good gig

The New Root are a fantastic Bristol band who have been touring local venues for about three years now. The lead singer (Trish) and lead guitarist (Dave) happen to be very good friends of mine and Andy and we have been following them around Bristol and Bath since the beginning and seen the band go through a few line-up changes along the way. They have only ever improved with each new phase that they have gone through. Their material keeps on getting better and better, the live performance gets tighter and more professional with each gig.

The current line up looks secure and set to propel them to great success, if their recent shows at the Fleece and Louisiana are anything to go by.

Last night was The New Root's first Friday gig at the Louisiana. This is a big deal. The Louis is one of Bristol's most popular live music venues and my good friends (TNR) have been playing there for quite some time prior to their recent break from live gigs, but they had always played on week nights.

Even after a quiet period, the band left a strong enough impression from their last run of shows with the promoters and sound engineers that they have been able to walk straight into a Friday night slot. They have another Friday night gig lined up at the Croft on the 27th, another fantastic sign that their star is in the ascendant.

Of the four bands on the bill last night, TNR stood out as the most unique, the best musicians, the best material and by far the most compelling to watch. The group of friends that Andy and I took along were blown away and each vowed to come to the next gig and bring others. I heard a comment from one of them in the middle of So Alive (a fantastic new song that sticks in your head with the greatest of ease!) "How does she do that with her voice?! She's so good!" and the feedback after the set was full of glowing praise.

It's a shame they weren't the last to play, as the following band were a let down in comparison, TNR being such a tough act to follow, their set was truly the climax of the evening.

I have long believed TNR to have great potential, last night's gig demonstrated this perfectly, it being their tightest and most energetic performance to date. I have said before and I'll say it again, it would be criminal for these guys to not sore to dizzy heights of success.

I would love to see them grow in confidence a little now, though their humility is a wonderful gift, not many musicians of that calibre would be as modest about it, but their presence on stage would be improved with the ability to hide their occasional mistakes and the ability to present themselves as a complete package. If they can do this a label is sure to snap them up.

If you want to know more about The New Root check out their website and their myspace and come see them at the Croft on the 27th July :-)

Our new PM

Gordon Brown is talking about toughening so-called anti-terror laws. He's not not even moved into number 10 yet and he's already showing himself to be a frightening prospect as the first thing he wants to do is strip away even more of our civil liberties by allowing detention without charge for up to 90 days and allowing evidence from phone tapping to be admissible in court.

I read an excellent comment on the BBC, it went something like "I've been studying that total surveillance society you're building [in Britain]. How will you roll that back?" It's all very well for foolish members of the public to go along with these Draconian proposals in the name of security, safety, freedom etc. But how will we know when the "danger" has passed and how will we get back our freedom once it has been stripped away?

Yokohama?

If the opportunity to live in Japan for a year arose, would you take it? For me the answer is a very loud and resounding YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll keep you posted on this, obviously, it is verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry early days yet, but there is the possibility. Fingers crossed that it will come to something.

Scientology and Falling Out

I have been part of an online Pagan community for a while now that I have got along fine with. Other groups I've joined I have quickly left again because of not clicking with the people there very well. This group though has been very friendly and there have been few differences between us. Lately however I seem to be falling out with people there more and I don't know why.

Maybe I got comfortable enough to reveal a bit more about my opinions on things and it turns out I'm just as different from them as I was from other groups before. I'm not great with people, I'm opinionated in a way that most other people aren't and I'm usually guarded about my views because I've had disagreements with people in the past that have ruined friendships.

One of the fallings out recently has been on the issue of Scientology. Very few people will know why I feel the way I do about it because I don't come out and tell people as a general rule, it's not my place to divulge it. I admit to being biased on the subject and last week after the Panorama programme, it came up on this forum.

One of the women I usually get on well with disagreed with me. I was arguing that Scientology is a cult and not a religion, she is of the opinion that the only criteria for a religion is that someone believes it! She's free to believe that, of course, but from an academic perspective it is vastly more complex than that. So we seem to have had this falling out over it, not to mention other members of the forum who are not Pagan, who I do not interact with as much, who are arguing that it is a religion on the basis that all religions are corrupt and guilty of brain-washing etc.

I find it frustrating to deal with people like that. They have their own bias that prevents them from seeing religions in a neutral way, just as I have my bias against Scientology and it simply doesn't make for healthy debate. They gang up on me as the most outspoken person against it on the discussion, no other bugger has stuck around to argue my corner with me, even though plenty of people have put their oar in to say the same as me.

I wish I was more able to back away from these discussions when they get heated, I don't want to appear to be backing away because I know I'm wrong, when that's not the reason for me backing down! I don't believe I'm wrong. Not on this. I believe my opinion is valid. I also think that I have a more healthy view of religions in general and it's hard to get through to people who have decided that all religons brainwash people!

Tony Blair's Legacy

Inspired by the three accounts on the BBC, I thought I would write my own How will history judge Tony Blair?

Economics:

Inflation is today at its highest in six years, 5.5%, causing problems for first time buyers and current mortgage payers, as well as other personal lending. Personal debt is now at a record high of £3.8 trillion and the government has little to offer on improving this situation. Blair seems quite happy with this level of debt.

There is a greater divide between rich and poor in the UK than ever before, with the wealthy having better access to services and those less well off with less access to services that would improve their lives.

Students are in debt to the tune of £16 billion, following the scrapping of grants in favour of huge loans and the introduction of tuition fees and the government have dipped into this pot several times since Labour came to power in 1997 to bail themselves out.

Health, education and transport:

Controvertial school reforms, poor funding distribution in the NHS and grossly unpopular foundation hospitals all speak for themselves. Lack of improvement to public transport and road charges widely regarded as a stealth tax leave many Britons confused as to the Labour party's attitude towards climate change; despite the rhetoric about needing to act on the issue, the UK's emmissions continue to rise year after year.

Pensions:

The labour party's treatment of pensions is under serious criticism. Blair has always backed Brown on this issue so is also to blame for the failings. In all of these economic issues, we do of course have to credit Gordon Brown with the appropriate responsibility for Labour's fuck ups, and he's our next PM. Oh joy.

Iraq:

Tony Blair will be most vividly remembered for his defiance of international and domestic opinion in invading Iraq and the extended period of conflict following that and the previous invasion of Afghanistan. His blind obedience to US President G.W. Bush has marked him in a negative way in many people's eyes.

ID Cards:

Tony Blair has pushed through his proposals for this huge waste of public funding, breaking the law on requested reports and repeatedly lying about the supposed benefits of the scheme. We can only hope that this scheme will also leave with his departure.

The Liberal Democrats have today called for a General Election to detirmine the next UK PM. This move has been criticised as there is no historical basis for such a request, despite the fact that according to a poll last week most voters want an election.

The democratic system in the UK is stale and no longer relevant for people. So what if there is no historical basis? We need electoral reform in this country, now is the perfect time to implement it. Labour have got away for too long with this Presidential style of leadership, with Tony Blair refusing to change his proposals in the face of opposition from his own party. The last 2 elections Labour have kept their place in government despite increasingly low percentage of the vote (tweaking constituency boudaries where they need to).

People are uninspired by politics, low turn outs demonstrate this clearly. However, the absence of an "none of the above" option on the ballot may be to blame to an extent we cannot judge. If this option were present how many more people would turn out to register their disatisfaction with the options, rather than being counted as apathetic?

It's time for change.

Burying Bad News

Tony Blair announces his resignation the same day the the government admit the latest rise in estimated costs for ID cards. Talk about trying to bury bad news. It's almost as bad as the day TB was taken by police for questioning the same day as the results of the Diana enquiry (he was the first PM to ever be brought in by police, yet the papers glossed over this story in favour of the enquiry results).

Almost, but not quite, the press have seen through the attempt as have other politicians and they are making sure people hear about it.

Over £5.3 billion it's going to cost now.

Anyone not persuaded by the liberty issue must be put off the scheme by the cost issue. This money would be much better spent on recruiting more police officers.

To say "no2id" click here.

Auntie Lallie

I can't take credit for the below post. This was an email sent to me and my family by my mum following the recent death of my Great Aunt Lallie. I just thought this was so wonderfully written, my mum says it all far better than I could.

I was at a "Tai Chi for Horses" clinic today when I got the news about Auntie Lallie. I had spent all morning trying to get my hips to move backwards while getting my weight to move forwards from my ankles so my weight was on the balls of my feet rather than my heels...then I got the call from my cousin Ros and knew right away what it was and climbed over the fence to take the call. I was sadder than I expected, even though I knew it was coming. I was going to have to go and tell my Dad and I went for a cry into the mane of a chestnut horse standing nearby; horses are so much easier to communicate with than people at times like this....

Auntie Lallie was so much larger than her own life and always unexpectedly generous. As Isaac said, you would know her if you saw her now from her 1930's photo on Dad's wall because her face was so full of character. One of Grandad's first memories of her is of a teacher saying "Elspeth is such a rough girl" (or "child", I'm not sure which) I asked him why the teacher said this, he doesn't know. What did she do or say? (Does anyone know now?) I talked Dad through lots of memories, he sang songs he remembered from way back, and reminisced about the family business and his mum and dad, "I'm the last of seven", he said, "five" I prompted, "no seven" he said, "mum and dad count", "of course", I said. But why would anyone have called her rough? If she was, she rose above it and beyond! My early memory of Auntie Lallie was of her telling us about some new neighbours who had moved in and brought down the tone of the place (Crescent Way). The new mother went out to call in her errant offspring by calling "Elveeeeera!!! Auntie Lallie loved doing the impression!

When we came to stay with Auntie Lallie and Uncle Sam, I remember embarrassing my parents by running into the dining room crying "Hey you lot!" (I was sent packing). Dad and I once sang Petula Clark's "Sailor", with him accompanying me on the piano. I asked my dad, did Uncle Sam really live in the garden shed? No, he said, but his cigarette coupons paid for our first radio! I was so frightened of Auntie Lallie back then, she had oriental china and bamboo place mats and clean carpets, but now I can't think why I was frightened, she wasn't scary at all, she was gentle and generous and sweet and in later years I found her funny, warm and full of life, grateful for any small favour and always pleased to hear from us. Equally, she was capable of elbowing others out of the way to get to the front, whether it be at a funeral or a feast!

I remember how Auntie Lallie enjoyed her birthday celebrations, was it her 80th, when she was presented with the album of her life, we all had such a good time, Mum and I staggered back down the lane to the B&B, I think it's the only time I ever got drunk with my Mum! You did your Charlie Brown, and all the grand children did a turn but Lallie was the star of the night!

Dad says they were the closest of the siblings and helped each other out several times. I told Dad that Auntie Lallie had said "the first will be last", he thought that was amusing, and hoped it might have been her dying words, he likes drama, but I had to tell him she'd said it some days ago. That's life.

Today, Isaac and Aysegul make tea and Dad continues to reminisce. He notices he is the last of his generation and has no long term living friends left, but is philosophical. I'll be all right, he says, and turns on the snooker. Every so often he remembers and his voice catches. He's glad we're there, but now he wants to get on with things. I try to encourage him towards thoughts of his "telegram" ( or card, as it is now). He tries to be positive, but it's even harder tonight.

(Auntie Lallie, we all love and miss you..)

As for my own thoughts and words... I didn't know Lallie well. Her 80th birthday that my mum refers to, I was about 9. I remember that walk back to the B&B. I'd had a few sips of champagne and was laughing along with my mum and Nannie, my dad kept trying to shush us. Anyway, I hardly remember Lallie from that occasion, just her laughter. I do remember her from more recent visits, most notably my Nannie's funeral two years ago. She was indeed as my mum describes her, kind and funny, tough when she needed to be!

She will be missed. May the old ones watch over her always.

Speeding

I am one of those people who thinks that speeding is stupid, irresponsible and people who do it deserve at least a £500 fine and 3 points on their lisence. However, I do also think that many of the speed limits in the UK need revising as in some places they are unnecessarily cautious. I think that higher speed limits at night are a good idea too. I do also think that the point at which penalties kick in should be further above the speed limit in some cases.

30mph limits around schools and family residential areas should be sctrict, but 40-50 limits around industrial areas needn't be, so penalties should be applied at, say, 10mph over the limit.

Anyway, the BBC have announced that one third of all cars caught speeding on cameras cannot be traced to an address! People are registering their cars with the DVLA at fake addresses or not at all to avoid getting caught. Presumably because they intend to speed!

I can understand slipping above the limit without noticing, but not registering your address because you know you're going to break the law?!! Seriously. I think this study has revealed something significant about the Great British public... some of us are complete and utter shits.

Immigration Issue

The new system was confirmed today, it will be based on points earned depending on what skills you have and how in demand those skills are. In theory, I don't mind this too much. It's a step back from the open borders that I would like to see, but I do understand that at the moment this ideal isn't possible.

What baffles me a bit though is that there are no restrictions on EU citizens because of the deal we have about European migration. This system of open borders is great, it's exactly what I want to see, I just find it disturbing that what the government seem to be saying is "we have too many immigrants, we need to tighten controls, but if you're one of us [European/white?] then come on in!"

It doesn't sit right with me. Especially given the huge influx of immigrants in the last couple of years from new EU countries, surely these are the areas we should be restricting access from? Especially as they are low-skilled workers. And this is what the government is claiming to be targetting. Personally I don't have a problem with low-skilled workers coming into the UK, most British people, myself included, think cleaning and manual labour to be beneath them! But someone has to do it!

There are also concerns that the new system will make illegal immigration worse, though this was barely mentioned in the linked bbc article.

How Wude!

I was just queueing in D&A to collect my new glasses. It was my lunch break, so I didn't have a great deal of time. Clearly, it was lots of other people's lunch break too as it was pretty busy. I was waiting over ten minutes without being seen when this woman who was stood waiting behind me barged past, heading for a gormless young man who was cleaning test pairs of glasses on the racks and demanded to be seen!!

He politely told her he couldn't help as it was only his second day but offered her a seat in an empty bay. That should have been my seat! I was there before her, I was patiently waiting to be seen, not charging around, pushing in front of people making demands!

You don't get anywhere in this life by being polite, it seems. I waited another minute then walked out. I will try and get away from work early to collect them on the way home. But really? How rude?!

Education

(Wow, 2 posts in one day... I must be bored!)

So, there's going to be a new qualification thrown into the mix. Click. Because "These are important reforms which are intended to address a major generational problem of non-participation in education and training post-16."

Riiiiiiiiight. And... "With fewer low-skilled jobs, we need more high-skilled young people,"

Now, maybe I've missed something here, but don't we have record numbers of people in FHE? And don't we have the rather severe problem that the degree has become almost meaningless as a qualification, with vast legions of graduates being forced to work in call centres? i.e. low-skilled jobs.

I agree we need more high-skilled people, skilled as in knowing a trade or business and in principle I think vocational qualifications are a good thing... it's just the wording of the article I think and the choice of quotes from people involved with the scheme. Getting more people into vocational education and out of academia is a good idea. It will hopefully return the value a degree once held. But someone has to tell the call centres that graduates are over-qualified for these roles!

It might also help by reducing the number of people who go through university not knowing what they want. I think that's the crux of the problem, so many gradutes are coming out of uni with no idea of what to do, so they go to work in call centres. Maybe universities need to give more attention to career possibilities for their students. Hopefully though, by introducing vocational qualifications lower down it will gradually have a filtering effect.

March of Political Moans!!

The latest from John Reid is to up the marital age for immigrants from 18 to 21. Excuse me, but what on earth makes him think he is authorised to detirmine what age people can marry?! Just because someone is under 21 does not mean that the intended marrige is in any way forced either. What a bizarre thing to do.

The BBC report that this move is thought to reduce the number of immigrants by 3000 a year. That doesn't seem a particularly large number to me. It strikes me as a similar publicity stunt (to make it look like the government are doing something productive) to the ban on replica swords. Both policies will have little actual effect on the perceived problem (immigration vs. violent crime) but get Labour some press coverage that appeals to the mass public who are enthralled by the tabloids.

Mad.

The Budget

Gordon Brown, on behalf of the Labour Party, is sending our country down the drain in splendid fashion. Scrapping the 10% tax bracket in favour of 20% on all earnings above 5k is just about the most ridiculous and vote-losing policy he could have come up with.

So I'm actually happy with it. Maybe now people will see sense and vote Lib Dem, the only party who gives a damn about the public or the environment!

Brown says the average family will be better off... so answer me this, how is it that out of over 22000 votes cast on a BBC poll, over 60% responded that they will be *worse* off under the new budget?!!!!

To see Ming's response to the budget and get an idea of how other people feel about Labour because of it go here:

http://www.mingcampbell.org.uk/2007/03/21/how-gordon-brown-is-taxing-the-lowest-paid-more/#more-138

The NHS "Spine" and our children's fingerprints

This government just keeps pushing the boundaries of our privacy and democracy. As if the whole thing with ID cards wasn't bad enough, I have today learned that kids are being fingerprinted in school without parental consent (link) and our medical records are going to be held on another central database like the one for ID cards, i.e. just as insecure against hacking and abuse (link).

It's not just me is it? This is getting out of control. We are talking about massive abuses of power on the part of the government. Taking intimate physical details and storing them in an insecure way and even selling them to private businesses! Children's damn fingerprints will be held on file when they get a passport.... because...? Ok, it will help identify the odd John/Jane Doe. But the reasons we have been fed for the government wanting this information have nothing to do with identifying dead bodies.

They've tried to tell us it will prevent terrorism, experts from MI5 quickly denied that one; they've tried the ID theft line, but honestly, if all our details are held in one place one quick hack will make it nice and easy for anyone determined to steal IDs. So they go for the "if you've got nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about" line. *Cough splutter* Riiiight. So it's OK for our government to invade our privacy, sell our details and make us present our ID cards at every shop, bank and service we use???!! I don't think so. One small step towards bar codes on our hands that we have to swipe all over the place.

Anyway, my point, what the heck is going to be solved by having children's fingerprints on file? Of course, we all know that most terrorist acts are carried out by under 10s! Seriously, taking the prints without permission from the parents... which they are *already* doing ... is a gross violation of the trust of the public.

Then there's this thing with our medical records. Again, it will be vulnerable to hacks and abuse and information will probably be sold at a later date. What's worse is that after a certain period of time (this year) people will not be able to opt out. This is appalling. It's all very well for people with long-term conditions that may take them to hospital, but medical bracelets are a quick effective means of communicating this. One glance at a patients wrist tells the doctor not to use penicillin or whatever, rather than postponing treatment until looking the patient up on a database, whose information may or may not be correct depending on if their information has been hacked yet!!

We can't keep letting the government get away with this bollocks. They have gone too far and we have to show them that. If you think you live in a Labour "safe seat" area then talk to your neighbours and tell them your concerns, distribute leaflets, tell people what is going on because a lot of people don't realise. And vote for who you want to lead!! For goodness sake, tactical voting screws democracy over like nothing else, it is exactly how we have been stuck with Labour for this long, despite millions of people being deeply troubled by actions taken by them, from the Iraq invasion to ID cards.

Labour make the public think that they have been fairly elected, but this simply isn't true. The first past the post system means that at the last general election Labour only received less than a third of the votes and only a quarter of the possible vote (due to low turn out)! They do not represent the majority, despite what they claim. You can find out about other options for democracy here.

Anyway, please pass on the links above and talk about what is going on, this gradual theft of our democracy and liberty. I don't mean to sound so dramatic, but I do think it's a serious problem that is in danger of happening in our sleep.

Lords Reform

On 7th March there will be another vote on Lords Reform. To urge your MP to vote for a mostly elected second chamber go here.

It's an important step in gaining actual democracy in Britain, something we don't have at the moment!

OK, seriously

"Is it a claims query?"

"Er, no, it's just an update on some treatment I'm having for a claim."

??????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's *not* a claims query? Well what is exactly then you moron?!

Jeez. This job'd be fine if it weren't for the customers.

Just not a shouter

I occasionally get people on the phone at work who can't make out what I'm saying. I don't consider myself especially softly spoken, on the phone I speak clearly and fairly loudly, more loudly than in person certainly.

Now, when someone communicates to me that they can't hear me, I speak up. Naturally. Often it's down to the caller being hard of hearing, often they are elderly (this is medical insurance, afterall). I try to be polite and friendly, but I hate raising my voice, it sometimes feels like I'm downright shouting down the phone and it's bloomin' hard to retain a polite tone when speaking *that* loudly!

Just now I had a woman who said I was very quiet. I raised my voice and said "Is that better?", and she actually said "Yes, but I still didn't hear what you said"!!!!!!!!! OK, give me a chance to repeat my question, I was damn well checking that she could hear me this time! Stupid cow.

So I changed my wording (sometimes people don't understand the meaning of "How may I direct your call?") and shouted "Which department can I transfer you to?" and she obviously wanted the helpdesk, they usually do. She sounded put out, but what did she expect when she's being a difficult person despite me trying to be helpful?!

While writing this, I've had another call from a woman complaining about being on hold. She went off on one about the message that plays saying about "one of our agents will be with you shortly" she said it sounded like the staff don't actually work for the company and we should change the wording and I should report it and she couldn't hold the line any longer! Honestly, it's only a word. If they used "administrator" people might think they're on the wrong line, they might think "administrators" can't help with their claim or something. "Advisor" might do the job, but technically I don't think we're able to give advice, that was certainly the case at the last insurance company I worked for.

This job'd be fine if it weren't for the old cronies.

Working too hard

I was lucky enough to be enjoying my temp job. It was simple, nice people and plenty of time to faff online and do coursework too.

Last Friday they offered to take me on on a three month contract. I was really pleased, I still am. It's, I think, just right for me for now and three months is a short enough term so that I can reassess things at the end of it.

I've been working very hard, I had a TMA last week and tutorial to read for and this week so far I've been reading and note taking at work and stayed late last night to get more done before heading to Andy and mine's Monday night roleplaying group.

It was a good game too, Andy's running Midnight and we ran quite late. So it was a late night after a long day of hard work. Then I didn't sleep. I chalk it up to adrenaline from the game, my head was spinning with ideas and plans for my character and I just kept waking up, if I really slept at all. Chester wanted letting out at 5.10 so I got up to do that and got a bit more sleep. I woke utterly exhausted.

Can I do this?

Life Gets In The Way

I'm not that crazy about Valentines Day, I think it's nice to take a moment (or a day) to appreciate a loved one but largely it's a commercial mess with very little hold on me. Maybe because I'm married, maybe it's a bigger deal for single people or those in the early days of a relationship.

But I still hope for the day to be a moderately happy one.

I'm temping at the moment, full time hours with about an hour and a quarter commute each way, allowing for traffic. So I am out of the house from 7.45am until 6.15pm. I'm also studying full time, I take course books to work with me and study at lunch time and sometimes at my desk between calls (I operate a switchboard on this assignment). I had my first essay of the year due in this week so all my time at home has been spent doing that for the last week.

So, I'm tired, grumpy and feeling generally pretty down. I wish I didn't have to work, I wish I could just be studying. I spend all day at work chatting to other OU students online and thinking about the work I *could* be doing. As an OU student, I don't qualify for a student loan, so have little choice but to work at least part time.

This morning I felt a pang of annoyance and disappointment when I expressed my exhaustion to Andy and he responded with an "oh" about me having to stop working full time once this assignment is over. We both knew this year would be hard and when I took this 6 week assignment I prepared him for the possibility of burn out. We discussed me getting a part time job afterwards, cafe work or something and all seemed fine. Andy says he agrees that my degree has to come first, so I am disappointed that he wasn't immediately supportive.

Tonight we had plans to have a nice meal and watch a soppy film. I hope I can shake off this feeling so we can still have a nice Valentine's evening together.

Finally

So there's now been a report to say categorically, once and for all, that *WE* cause global warming. Now, the sensible people all already knew this, but hopefully it will shut up those idiots who refused to believe it, all those "it's perfectly natural for the earth to cycle through warm periods" wankers.

Stick your "natural" argument! Maybe even Exxon Mobil will change their tune. Apparently they've actually been attempting to bribe scientists to refute the evidence lately! Wankers!

Sorry, bit wound up about it. But why should I apologise for giving a damn? Some people do seem to think I should, some people seem to think that passion is a bad thing. But where would we be without passion? Would there be anyone investigating climate change at all? Would we all just sit back and let it happen without those of us who are willing to stand up and say "NO! This has to change!"?

Japanese attempt to sabotage ban on whaling

Japan are planning to kill nearly 1000 whales this year. They are hosting a meeting in February and inviting various governments to make it appear that there is world-wide support for a lift on the whaling ban.

Denmark hold a swing vote on the issue. Under pressure they are likely to not attend the meeting in Tokyo. Write asking their officials not to attend here

Jobs

I need another new job... one day I will find one I can actually tolerate!

More on Iraq

OK, so some bright infiltrator has put camera-phone footage of the execution on the internet and it has created quite a stir. Also, Prime Minister Maliki has said he wants to step down. AND, the Baath party have posted Saddam's former deputy to lead the party.

What did I say? Eh? Civil war draws ever closer and we're caught in the middle. Well, I don't want to say it, it isn't entirely accurate, but there is a case for suggesting that it is actually our fault. Say what you like about Saddam's regime, the country was a heck of a lot more stable then. I suppose with all the infighting they're less likely to be amassing an arsenal with which to attack us... but come on, we all know how unlikely that was. Many of us were saying so before Tony took our troops marching in illegally.

On a slightly lighter note, I started my new job yesterday, training is easy. Blah.