Impeach Tony Blair!
The Guardian reports today that (Tony's wife) Cherie Booth's chambers are to assist in framing the case for Tony Blair's impeachment proceedings. The proceedings have not been used since Pam (Palmerston) was impeached in the 1840's (though Flashman says that Pam was actually the best politico he ever dealt with).
I suppose that it's unlikely that Blair will actually be kicked out, but the reasons are certainly there, and so it is right that this action goes ahead.
Adam Price wrote an article about the case. This will take a while to happen, but maybe I'll have Sky TV by then, and will be able to watch the proceedings live!!!
Share ThisThe Da Vinci Code - awful
I've started reading the Da Vinci code, expecting to be bowled over by the book which has sold more copies than Harry Potter (which is also crap). Never have I been so under whelmed by a novel. I'm still reading it now, but not a page goes by without me being struck by the poorness of the writing.
Dan Brown has obviously done a commendable research job for this book and in a way the Odyssey of the main protagonist must mirror the journey undertaken by the author. So the book is full of details, factoids and knowledge (occasionally of an esoteric bent). Brown has stuffed the pages full of explanations, tangents and nuggets which he feels the reader must need to 'complete' the book. These bits of information are presented in a wholly condescending way.
There is no mystery in The Da Vinci Code because Dan Brown explains and elaborates every little detail to perfection. Many readers enjoy this because nothing is taken for granted. He refers to les Jardins Tuilieres as "Paris's own version of Central park" - not only patently US-centric, but also horribly patronising.
How did this style of novel come to such huge success? I suppose it must be the fault of American readers who demand the simplification they are given in TV news 'shows'. This 'Paris, France' mentality is not new in popular fiction. Put simply, the novel requires no graft on the part of the reader: no thought has to go in to understanding any aspect of it because everything is so blindingly explicit. So this makes The Da Vinci Code a classic piece of 'bangers and mash' reading - parts of it are genuinely entertaining (except all that stuff I've already complained about, and also this albino Silas character who's like a kind of Gollum fellow and very badly realised)… and of course, some of the nuggets of information are quite interesting (stuff like origins of symbols and so on). But this is not a book which is particularly thought provoking or rewarding.
Share ThisReview: Can't Stand Me Now - The Libertines
Rating: 1 out of 1
Can't Stand Me Now - A perfect mix of Oasis/Strokes guitar and Joy Division bass/vocal combination. The counterpoint between Carl and Pete is novel and touching.
"You can't take me anywhere/I can't take you anywhere"
There is an increasing feeling that this will be one of the last singles The Libertines release. The reasons, a much-hyped drug addiction and falling out between the two friends, are well known but one question (or is it a hope) remains — is there more than just a touch of the magic of Mr McGee behind all this?
Share ThisThe Spanish Civil War - remembered at lacucaracha.info
Many people around the world are completely unaware that in 1936, Fascists mutineered against the democratic, constitutional government of Spain and waged a war against the majority of its citizens. There ought to be no confusion or doubt about what happened: a brutal, anti-democratic, anti-philosophical coup led by army officers obsessed by fascism and an outdated view of Spain's place in the world. Spain was leading the world in some ways - its social democracy, its moves toward devoultion of the provinces, indeed - if you speak with people who remember the time of the second republic, there is a common sentiment that this was the most wonderful time to live in Spain.
Tomas Capdevilla Cavero's website about the civil war (http://www.lacucaracha.info) has wealth of images and data from the time, along with an illustrated diary tracking the entire history of the war. Utterly devastating stuff to read, but if you have any interest in the subject, this is the site to visit.
Protect Yo Brands
http://www.athens2004.com/en/BrandProtection
Fill in your brand protection incident form here! A quote:
"To report an ambush marketing matter, contact the BPO directly by phone, fax or email. The BPO will provide a daily summary of ambush marketing reports to the SMO Account managers in order for them to follow-up and be aware of their clients cases. You can also contact
directly your Meridian Account Manager who will inform the BPO accordingly."
Ah those damned ambushes!! Luckily I wore a pair of Adidas® Trainers® while I was browsing the Coca-Cola® Athens® 200® Olympics® site. Could have been nasty otherwise.
Share ThisChavez wins recall vote in Venezuela
Hugo Chavez (Huge Chav) has defeated the right-wing opposition in Venezuela to remain in office as President.
The hero of the workers, the poor, Indians and afro-Indians is hated by the broadly white right-wing middle class (possibly to do with the way they now have to pay taxes). They maintain that the referrendum was 'a massive fraud', though we will have to wait for the response from international monitors.
Share ThisOlympics and Big Macs for all!! (And bags of drugs)
"Hi, I'd like an Olympic special Big Mac, please"
"Oh I'm sorry, we don't have any burgers here called Olympic special. Would you like a regular Big Mac?"
"So there's no special healthy burger tie-in for the Olympics? How the hell did they get the sponsorship deal?"
"$"
Cos yes, the Big Mac is the official food of the Olympics. That lovely, sloppy mess filled with guilt and self-hate and greed is the official food - of the gods! I wondered to myself for about two seconds how something like this could happen. I mean, the European Cup was bad enough. But the Olympics too? Surely with all the people being paid, all the special committees, all the experts, someone could have said "Er, are you sure?".
I know, I know. It shouldn't come as any kind of surprise that the Olympic games rates dollars over achievement, exercise, sport etc., but the shamelessness of picking McDonald's as the official food for the world's top sporting event is … well, it's a bit much, ain't it?
PLUS: in one of the most rock'n'roll sports stories I've ever heard, it seems that the two Greek heroes, Kostas Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou, accused of missing more than one drugs test, may have faked a motorcycle crash in order to try and get away with it. I mean, these two are already the stars of the Games for me.
Not sure which drugs it is alleged that they've taken, but perhaps they will be able to find jobs in other industries? After all, Babyshambles isn't great, and could probably do with another guitarist. Then again, RTX are releasing a new record, and I think that JJ Rox (aka Jennifer Herrema) would probably quite like to have a bass-playing ex-Olympic medal winner in the band (if either of them play the bass, that is).
So the Olympics are, in truth, a well of greed, fast food, stimulants and adventures.
I'm living the dream. 
Libs - the story today
YES I won't be telling what happened before because eveyone knows that surely. But Pete's off in a shamble, and things seem to be deteriorating what with tabloid cash helping him pay for it all. Yesterday he scawled
a missive with bile-a-plenty all venomy in thought and word. So the good ship Albion is foundering, and needs perhaps to pressgang-press Peter into kicking.
Problem is: what's Carl about? Cos if (if if if not is) he's cokey, then Pete can hardly be expected to kick and then rejoin the band when Carl's sniff-nosed evey mornin', now can he?
And unlikely it is, but imagine there were Mr McGee pulling the levers backstage and in-fact being more than just the first-mate or quartermaster?
Share ThisI never much liked democracy anyhow
At long last, Government has acted to curtail our freedoms in a way many of us have been praying for. All offences are now arrestable.
The point is, the police are given to miscarriages of justice, false arrest and so on — but it's not their fault!!!!!!! It's our fault.
Apparently, this is the perfect solution to that common problem "Can I arrest him or not?". The answer will now always be YES!!!!!! Instead of training officers in the Law they are meant to protect, we can save money by arresting everyone!!!! The hidden stroke of genius is that all those blacks and Asians who are stopped in the street (many times more often than whites) can now be arrested for a wide variety of offences.
Wider still, because there are now 400 more criminal offences than there were before Labour took power.
Plus there are more planned… including preventing demonstrations outside Parliament. At last.
I mean democracy, really… it wasn't what it was cracked up to be, now was it?
Share ThisTime For Heroes (The Libertines to play Barcelona 09/09/2004)
Well at long last they're coming back to Barcelona!
The Libertines play Razzmatazz Sala 3, Barcelona, on Thursday 9th of September!
They did play here before, when I was unemployed and impoverished, so I missed them. Pete was still with them then, but I think it's fair to say that he won't be there this time. So we should have got a reduction on the tickets really.
They're booked to play the miniscule Sala 3 where we saw I Am Kloot last time - this place is about the size of my sitting room, with the stage on a one foot high platform. We will, naturally, be reaching out to grab their faces. I am very excited about this gig, a great way to ease into September and hopefully the start of a decent season. Let's have the Strokes back too!
Share ThisExorcist the Beginning
http://exorcistthebeginning.warnerbros.com/exorcist_flashindex.htm
A new film of the Exorcist is coming.
Share This(Euronext Paris) - Telefonica de espana is to double the speed of ADSL lines without changing the price
So by the end of the year, I'll have 512 kbs for the same price. Or maybe I'll have 1mbs, as Jazztel are promising…?!
Share ThisPopbitch is shit
Devastating, but today of all holy days, the messageboard is showing signs of awfulness that I haven't witnessed in two years of lurking. Everyday there appear more dull posters (students with summer off?), more bickering without any redeemable humour… is Popbitch going to be my next fond memory?
Share ThisTwo photos
Here are a couple of pics from the new digital camera. I have reduced the size by a hell of a lot (width was about 3000 pixels before) - but the quality is almost as good at full size.
(taken using the nightshot feature)
(using a longer exposure, with no flash. I like the colour in the top-centre of the image)
Oh my beautiful camera!
Well, I have my birthday present a few days early this year (seeing as I bought it myself, this is not completely unfair). It is a nice chunky Sony DSC-V1, rammed with features and a beautiful lens, plus it's expandable (ie can have wide angle / telephoto lens attached; has hotshoe for larger flash). I don't really know how it works yet, and I know that with this sort of thing it'll be obsolete in a few years, but still I'm pretty happy! Read a review here: www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscv1/
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a blog by Tom Clarke in Barcelona, Catalonia, covering politics, culture and society
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