2008 — 28 November: Friday
An earlyish night tonight, methinks, as we're aiming to set off at about 09:30. Nonetheless, I'll hear all of the Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio Hour first. And dig out the next picture of Christa. I thought, given the gloomy1 November weather, we could all enjoy a more summery memory:
Christa and Peter in the surf, circa 1984
I suspect this was at Highcliffe, a little along the coast from Bournemouth. G'night, at 00:04 or so.
Grey morning
It's just gone 08:01 and is a remarkably grey morning at the moment. Let's see if breakfast changes anything...
In fact, does anything ever change?
"The essential similarity between what happened 21 centuries ago and what is happening in today's UK economy is that a massive increase in monetary liquidity culminated with problems in another country causing a credit crisis at home. In both cases distance and over-optimism obscured the risk," said Kay, a supernumerary fellow at Wolfson College.
Yet another euphemism for "greed"? Meanwhile, the folly that is our guvmint's stupid obsession with control freakery and ID cards marches on:
From a panicky perspective, irrespective of what happens at the next election, it's not hard to see all this coming to pass thanks to the bureaucratic equivalent of the great German war machine — though if such comparisons suggest the state at its most clunky and Kafkaesque, the government is busy wrapping its ideas in shiny inclusive packaging. Last week, for instance, it announced that transgender people will be allowed to carry two cards at once.
Not sure what Christa would have made of that insulting reference to her country of birth. I must stop reading the Guardian. Right, I see my transport is out on its drive, ready for the "off". Let's go find some cider apples!
My word, that was quick!
I refer, in part, to a speedily-smooth 150-mile round trip into darkest Somerset and, in part, to the arrival of five of the CDs I ordered about 36 hours ago. Either I'm their only customer, or they are well geared-up for the festive onslaught. Or both, I suppose. Small lump of artwork to follow, but first I need another cuppa. It's 15:13 by the way, and still a bit grey hereabouts. Somerset offered us some lunchtime sun as we supped our Costa coffee at a salubrious Tesco-dominated "retail park". Uni-sex loo, too, though no ID card needed for either gender.
The fridge is now re-stocked, the John Lewis cash flow boosted, and I'm looking for the battens for the hatches. (I'm told the weather forecast is none too cheerful.) But tonight there's the third of the wonderful Alan Plater plays and (for those of a staying-up nature) a repeat showing of Tanner on Tanner.2 Fans of the late Robert Altman and/or The West Wing should take note. This is the 2004 update of the original Tanner '88.
Funny ha-ha
Having just been phoned (yet again) by that financial adviser from who cares where, I've just laughed aloud at the tiny skit in the "Now show" wherein an Arnie-voiced Terminator from the future returns to seek out and destroy Alistair Darling to stop him lumbering "the future" with such a high level of debt. Excellent.
"Have I got news..." was good, too, as is "The Verb". Time to nip down to stop, and edit, the Alan Plater recording and try the next "QI". (It turned out to be an episode from 2005 that was new to me. Excellent.) Don't miss this! (Supplier, albeit somewhat indirectly, of the "Gryphon" CD.) Suddenly it's 22:50... must be cuppa time. Or, at least, time to do the dishes. Then Ivor Cutler on BBC7 — such riches.