Allegedly I shared an airplane to the US with Coldplay. I have no proof of this, nor knowledge of this myself besides a member of the now non-genderised 'cabin crew' mentioning this to a passenger in the seat next to me.
I also went through Terminal Five, again, without losing my luggage. It's a most impressive terminal and I was, needless to say, most impressed with it.
I am now also armed with baked goods in the form of cookies for my trip home.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Upcoming Plans
So, I've got a bit going on the next few weeks. Thought I'd update you lovely folk with my impending itinery.
30th May-8th June - Holiday in the US of A with Chrissi.
14th-15th June - Trip up to Durham to visit folk before they disappear for the year.
16th June - calling in on Leeds on the way back to visit Mark.
An action-packed set of weekends then.
30th May-8th June - Holiday in the US of A with Chrissi.
14th-15th June - Trip up to Durham to visit folk before they disappear for the year.
16th June - calling in on Leeds on the way back to visit Mark.
An action-packed set of weekends then.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Edge of Extremism
This week, common sense and progress won. But only by a narrow margin.
In a controversial series of votes, some people with their own agendas used a weakened Prime Minister and divided party to try and introduce some amendments to the parenting, embryo and abortion laws this week.
Considering the implications, the votes went the right way. But it was a lot closer than it should've been. In my mind, some of these were the thin end of the wedge. Either you have policies put in place by science, or you don't. You don't justify using rhetoric.
Those who attempted to cut the abortion limited with no scientific or medical backing had no justification. Considering how often people in this country have sneered across the Atlantic at similar policies, to have the retained law passing by a narrow majority is disheartening.
The 'father figure' IVF vote had the potential to be just as bad. Clad in concern for 'traditional' society, this was only going to affect all-female couples. Whether or not the intention, the homophobic undertones of the message were clear. I'm unsure whether this act itself would have been legal under discrimination legislation. Again, it was defeated, with the phrase 'supportive parenting' correctly applied. But not convincingly.
Both votes here went the right way. But it spells worrying messages for what the next government might bring if this is what they're displaying.
In a controversial series of votes, some people with their own agendas used a weakened Prime Minister and divided party to try and introduce some amendments to the parenting, embryo and abortion laws this week.
Considering the implications, the votes went the right way. But it was a lot closer than it should've been. In my mind, some of these were the thin end of the wedge. Either you have policies put in place by science, or you don't. You don't justify using rhetoric.
Those who attempted to cut the abortion limited with no scientific or medical backing had no justification. Considering how often people in this country have sneered across the Atlantic at similar policies, to have the retained law passing by a narrow majority is disheartening.
The 'father figure' IVF vote had the potential to be just as bad. Clad in concern for 'traditional' society, this was only going to affect all-female couples. Whether or not the intention, the homophobic undertones of the message were clear. I'm unsure whether this act itself would have been legal under discrimination legislation. Again, it was defeated, with the phrase 'supportive parenting' correctly applied. But not convincingly.
Both votes here went the right way. But it spells worrying messages for what the next government might bring if this is what they're displaying.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Less Dimensions, More Meaning
So, last night I saw Persepolis at the cinema. I'm not a rabid cinema-goer, and this is probably the first time I've gone for a good eighteen months.
For those of you who don't know the backstory - it's the story of a girl growing up in Iran, throughout the period of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq war that followed.
It was well worth seeing. The film was absolutely superb. It's one of the more bizarre mediums on the face of it - telling the tale of a revolution, war and repression through a two-dimensional animation (mostly in black and white, to add to that). But it's fantastic, beautifully written, with comical touches and for such a serious subject, incredibly warming.
It's impossible to explain it for what it is. But the oft-referred to scene of the anatomy art class of a woman in a burkha provides a wonderful touch that exhibits so much about this film. The clip of men 'pushing' casettes of western music illicitly is also beautifully done.
I really recommend that you try and find somewhere that's showing and go and see it. It's well worth it.
For those of you who don't know the backstory - it's the story of a girl growing up in Iran, throughout the period of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq war that followed.
It was well worth seeing. The film was absolutely superb. It's one of the more bizarre mediums on the face of it - telling the tale of a revolution, war and repression through a two-dimensional animation (mostly in black and white, to add to that). But it's fantastic, beautifully written, with comical touches and for such a serious subject, incredibly warming.
It's impossible to explain it for what it is. But the oft-referred to scene of the anatomy art class of a woman in a burkha provides a wonderful touch that exhibits so much about this film. The clip of men 'pushing' casettes of western music illicitly is also beautifully done.
I really recommend that you try and find somewhere that's showing and go and see it. It's well worth it.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Politics Idol
The best example of the trivialisation of politics has become the extent to which it has been another reality TV show. Candidates' answers on what their favourite food is or similar mundane irrelevancies are more likely to make viewers' minds up than the average policy.
Living on the outskirts of London and commuting further towards the official outskirts every day, I've naturally received a lot of coverage of the London mayoral elections recently.
I've been really impressed throughout this of the excellent coverage - ironically - of the freebie papers, the Metro and LondonPaper. Both have been strictly unbiased, not promoting a favoured winner, and featuring equal coverage of all four main candidates (unlike most major TV debates, newspaper updates and so forth who have frozen Green Party candidate Sian Berry out). This is a standard of media coverage that the rest of our press could follow.
This race is though, once more going to be a fight over personalities and perceptions. It's again refreshing that both Livingstone and Paddick have been effectively refusing to talk at all about their personal lives, maintaining that it's nothing to do with the elections. And of course they're right.
The problem is Boris.
Boris comes into it with the perception as a loveable buffoon. It is indicative of how important experience and knowledge rank that his BAFTA award for his inept performances on Have I Got News For You take higher credence in his qualifications for the post than his experience as editing The Spectator or being Shadow Arts Minister - neither demanding tasks.
Compare this to Livingstone, with eight years of experience as mayor, and has been closely involved in London politics since the days of the GLC in the 1970s. Or Paddick, a successful head of the Metropolitan Police.
In real terms, this experience is far more crucial for running a thriving city like London than anything on Johnson's CV. But this is where I fear the Politics Idol factor. Reality TV will triumph, people will vote for the person who made them laugh on TV for bumbling his lines, and the politicians will lose.
And London will be the poorer for it.
Living on the outskirts of London and commuting further towards the official outskirts every day, I've naturally received a lot of coverage of the London mayoral elections recently.
I've been really impressed throughout this of the excellent coverage - ironically - of the freebie papers, the Metro and LondonPaper. Both have been strictly unbiased, not promoting a favoured winner, and featuring equal coverage of all four main candidates (unlike most major TV debates, newspaper updates and so forth who have frozen Green Party candidate Sian Berry out). This is a standard of media coverage that the rest of our press could follow.
This race is though, once more going to be a fight over personalities and perceptions. It's again refreshing that both Livingstone and Paddick have been effectively refusing to talk at all about their personal lives, maintaining that it's nothing to do with the elections. And of course they're right.
The problem is Boris.
Boris comes into it with the perception as a loveable buffoon. It is indicative of how important experience and knowledge rank that his BAFTA award for his inept performances on Have I Got News For You take higher credence in his qualifications for the post than his experience as editing The Spectator or being Shadow Arts Minister - neither demanding tasks.
Compare this to Livingstone, with eight years of experience as mayor, and has been closely involved in London politics since the days of the GLC in the 1970s. Or Paddick, a successful head of the Metropolitan Police.
In real terms, this experience is far more crucial for running a thriving city like London than anything on Johnson's CV. But this is where I fear the Politics Idol factor. Reality TV will triumph, people will vote for the person who made them laugh on TV for bumbling his lines, and the politicians will lose.
And London will be the poorer for it.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Flashback Four: Terminal Decline
So, believe it or not, last month when I was on holiday I had the misfortune for my flight back to land at terminal five. Sorry, I mean Terminal Five, as it has now become known; the sort of phrase which should be uttered in a similar tone to that which you'd use to announce a B-movie horror film. Much mayhem would surely ensue.
It started badly. My flight was delayed by three hours on departure, due to a previous delay on the incoming flight. This allowed me another three hours with my girlfriend and a chance for a nice meal as opposed to being force-fed airplane food. So far, it's proving a clear disaster.
But wait! Surely the sting is in the tail?
We come into landing, and as we're about 100m altitude and just about at the end of our descent, we shoot back up again because the preceding plane is lost and has stopped in the middle of the runway to ask for directions. So thirteen minutes later, we're on the ground once more.
Surely this is the start of my worries. I get through the state-of-the-art gate, immigration, passport control and similar. I must also say that the terminal itself is a beautiful building.
But now I approached the baggage hall, where surely disaster would befall me.
Yet within five minutes, my bag arrived. I went through customs, and out into the arrivals hall - a mere fourty minutes after landing.
Quite frankly, were it not for the newspaper bombardment I'd have thought that Terminal 5 was a great, efficient system that was a drastic improvement over normal airport waits.
It started badly. My flight was delayed by three hours on departure, due to a previous delay on the incoming flight. This allowed me another three hours with my girlfriend and a chance for a nice meal as opposed to being force-fed airplane food. So far, it's proving a clear disaster.
But wait! Surely the sting is in the tail?
We come into landing, and as we're about 100m altitude and just about at the end of our descent, we shoot back up again because the preceding plane is lost and has stopped in the middle of the runway to ask for directions. So thirteen minutes later, we're on the ground once more.
Surely this is the start of my worries. I get through the state-of-the-art gate, immigration, passport control and similar. I must also say that the terminal itself is a beautiful building.
But now I approached the baggage hall, where surely disaster would befall me.
Yet within five minutes, my bag arrived. I went through customs, and out into the arrivals hall - a mere fourty minutes after landing.
Quite frankly, were it not for the newspaper bombardment I'd have thought that Terminal 5 was a great, efficient system that was a drastic improvement over normal airport waits.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Flashback Three: Live Comedy
Although it now seems like a long time ago, one of my first days in America with Chrissi - I arrived on the Friday, and I'm fairly sure it was the following evening - we went to see a live comedian. Well, several.
And this is the secret that they don't tell you when you see a stand-up comedian on TV or DVD; there are warm up acts. And they're damn funny too. So you're always already laughing before you even get to the main act.
I truly recommend a stand-up comedy night to anyone. The main act in this case was Gabriel Inglesias, who has apparantly come somewhere near the top of Comic Idol or whatever the show is. Anyway, he was very funny. But for me some of the warm up acts were great as well. I can't remember many or really any of the jokes - but they were damn funny.
Learn from this.
And this is the secret that they don't tell you when you see a stand-up comedian on TV or DVD; there are warm up acts. And they're damn funny too. So you're always already laughing before you even get to the main act.
I truly recommend a stand-up comedy night to anyone. The main act in this case was Gabriel Inglesias, who has apparantly come somewhere near the top of Comic Idol or whatever the show is. Anyway, he was very funny. But for me some of the warm up acts were great as well. I can't remember many or really any of the jokes - but they were damn funny.
Learn from this.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Flashback Two: Easter Weather
Who can remember three-four weeks back to the Easter weekend? That weekend when the weather went crazy. Well, it was a bank holiday, so what can you expect but snow, sleet, hail, rain, winds, the occasional spot of sunshine - it's all part of the event.
Well, I for one don't remember a bit of it. I was sitting in California, revelling in the sunshine. It was 30 degrees celcius at least. While others were bemoaning the rain, I was on a boat in the Pacific Ocean dolphin-watching and whale-watching in glorious sunshine.
Not to rub it in!
Well, I for one don't remember a bit of it. I was sitting in California, revelling in the sunshine. It was 30 degrees celcius at least. While others were bemoaning the rain, I was on a boat in the Pacific Ocean dolphin-watching and whale-watching in glorious sunshine.
Not to rub it in!
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