tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228258162024-03-12T22:39:46.491+00:00The BacchanaliaFlotsam. Jetsam. Ramblings. Musings.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-32907198443858083502007-06-24T16:15:00.001+00:002007-06-24T16:17:18.170+00:00First attempt at captaincy of the season resulted in a comprehensive hammering and I'm wryly reminding myself of the old adage that captaincy in 90% luck and 10% skill but you shouldn't try it if you don't have that 10%.....<br /><br />But deep down, I know that there was nothing I could have done that would have materially affected the outcome of the game and I have nothing to reproach myself for. We're just not good enough right now.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-87917230057444559152007-06-23T10:33:00.000+00:002007-06-23T10:39:23.240+00:00Raining again.<br /><br />I'm supposed to be playing cricket this afternoon but an abandonment might not be a bad idea as, once again, we are nowhere near full strength. The club is in a trough, with our best players leaving or continually unavailable. As vice-captain, I'm partly responsible but any attempt to get your best players to play more is doomed to fail if the team is continually losing in their absence.<br /><br />We were pre-season favourites in some quarters but are now staring at a relegation battle. Next weekend's annual tour can't come soon enough - we are in desperate need of some team bonding and togetherness that we can take out onto the field with us for the second half of the season. Cricket and beer in (sunny?) Weymouth might just do the trick.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-75055957265280046572007-06-23T10:15:00.000+00:002007-06-23T10:33:40.390+00:00The idea that people from outside the Government, 'high-profile public figures', would join the cabinet under Gordon Brown got me thinking. First thought was that it feels slightly undemocratic - Lord Ashdown is not a sitting MP and therefore has not been elected by the people - what right would he have to take his place in the Cabinet and form public policy?<br /><br />On reflection though, I've decided that the idea is actually a pretty good one. We need to get away from tribalism and factionalism in politics, and the trend of Government ministers meekly toeing the party line regardless of conscience. If people outside of the Government can bring a fresh pair of eyes, good ideas and their independence to bear on policy, it's got to be a good thing. <br /><br />Hey, it's the closest we'll get to Proportional Representation any time soon.<br /><br />Last song on the iPod: Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - Lost WeekendMomushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-8138501801438411022007-06-16T16:14:00.000+00:002007-06-16T16:19:02.703+00:00Facebook is the craze that's sweeping the nation and even I cannot remain unmoved forever. To my eternal shame, I created my own Facebook profile a couple of weeks ago and am delighted to have more than 20 people claiming to be my friends!<br /><br />To be honest, it's nothing more than a good way to waste some time but hey, it gives you the opportunity to throw metaphorical sheep at your friends and what could be more fun than that??<br /><br />Last song on the iPod: The Beach Boys - Surfin' USAMomushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-63494735565923892052007-06-16T16:07:00.000+00:002007-06-16T16:13:47.695+00:00A knighthood in the Queen's birthday honours list for Ian Botham, England's most famous cricketer. It's as much for his charity work as for his heroic efforts for England in the late 1970s and early 1980s but anyone of a certain age remembers the summer of 1981 and the series against Australia which will forever be known as 'Botham's Ashes'.<br /><br />Despite the fact that his unbeaten 149 at Headingley is invariably seen as his finest hour, he himself admitted that it was a glorious fluke. In truth, he was a better bowler than a batsman but his unshakeable self-belief and his insistence that he could do anything on and off the field turned him into one of the most exciting cricketers of all time. His knighthood is well-deserved.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-2688414248502777922007-06-04T23:25:00.000+00:002007-06-04T23:31:37.788+00:00'By Tre, Pol and Pen shall ye know the Cornishmen', so the saying goes. A fab week in Cornwall with particular highlights the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth and the Tate St. Ives. Not to mention the picturesque setting of St. Mawes on the Roseland Peninsula, a place of which I never tire.<br /><br />All this after an eventful trip to the Nordic countries where a fool and his luggage were soon parted. Fortunately it appeared in Stockholm, unquestionably my favourite Nordic city, in time for a cracking night out where I finished up drinking and dancing till 3am with my new Swedish friends. Happy days!<br /><br />Last song on the iPod: Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The GrapevineMomushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-67522245003867641992007-05-16T07:27:00.000+00:002007-05-16T07:44:12.269+00:00Nobody can have anything but great sympathy for the parents of Madeleine McCann, what has happened to them is truly dreadful - but the blanket coverage, and the dissecting of the life of the British man being regarded as a suspect is starting to grate just a little.<br /><br />It's a classic case of what the US media calls MWWS - Missing White Woman Syndrome. If the missing child were a boy, or black, or Asian, or anything other than white, female, young and cute - the coverage would have dropped off ages ago and the TV stations and newspapers would have found something else to pore over. As it is, every single news station in the UK seems to have sent dozens of people over there to interview locals and local officials alike. <br /><br />As for Robert Murat, he may, or may not, be involved in her disappearance but the whole media circus seems to have decided that, guilty or innocent, every detail of his life must be dragged up. Yesterday morning, there was a camera crew outside the house in Norfolk where his ex-wife lives, complete with obligatory interview with 'concerned' (for which read 'delighted to be on telly') neighbour saying how 'shocked' they were at the news. The point being that there wasn't any news. At the time, Robert Murat hadn't even been arrested, let alone charged or convicted. But the old adage of 'innocent until proven guilty' doesn't apply any more in this age of 24 hour news.<br /><br />All of this doesn't take away from the fact that her parents must be torturing themselves silly and one can only hope that Madeleine McCann is soon returned to them safe and well.<br /><br />Last song on the iPod: Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dear PrudenceMomushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-49056505133617331732007-05-08T12:42:00.000+00:002007-05-09T07:11:35.945+00:00The UK and France have both gone to the polls over the last couple of days. The outcome of both was relatively predictable in terms of how the opinion polls had read it, with a kicking for Labour in England and Scotland and a win for the conservative Nicolas Sarkozy in France, consigning the Socialists under Ségolène Royal to a third straight defeat.<br /><br />What's more difficult to predict is what this might mean going forward. In the UK, despite gains for David Cameron's Conservatives, I still don't believe that there is any great enthusiasm for a return to Tory government. Not yet. I have no doubt that many people are heartily sick of Labour, as is to be expected in the middle of a third term. That doesn't mean that the Tories are home and dry. In 1992, the Tories were hideously unpopular but the voters were still not ready to embrace Neil Kinnock, resulting in a wafer-thin majority for John Major, and a government that was dead on its feet a matter of months into the new administration.<br /><br />The only thing that seems definite from the UK results is that the electorate is disappointed and disillusioned and that they don't trust any party to be able to deliver the kind of vision they want to follow. That suggests two things - firstly that political engagement between the electorate and those who purport to represent them is becoming more and more difficult to achieve, and secondly that the voters haven't really made it clear what kind of vision they want, if indeed they know themselves. Those two scenarios are inextricably linked and point to even lower voter turnout in the future.<br /><br />On the contrary, France's election saw a record 85% turnout with Nicolas Sarkozy emerging triumphant. It's the third win in a row for the right-wing party but this one feels different. Sarkozy is immensely unpopular in many quarters for some of his views and his description of rioters last year as 'scum' certainly ruffled a number of feathers. But although he is nominally from the same stock as Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy seems certain to be considerably more active in terms of changing French culture. He talks tough on crime and immigration, he embraces America and he has promised a 'rupture' with old-style France.<br /><br />Can he get his reforms through in the face of union opposition? Is he France's Margaret Thatcher, thirty years later? Who knows - it might not be pretty but it will certainly be interesting across the Channel in the next few years......<br /><br />Last song on the iPod: Billy Bragg - SexualityMomushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-16315062892960782112007-05-03T21:18:00.000+00:002007-05-03T21:40:23.457+00:00This may (or may not for those who know me!) sound weird but my thoughts were occupied the other day by what constitutes the perfect lonely hearts ad. There's something utterly fascinating about people trying to appeal to others in just a couple of very short sentences and I've often wondered how I would write one about myself if the much-put-upon Mrs Momus ever saw the light and decided to put me off.<br /><br />So after a bit of web-based searching, I came across a book entitled 'They Call Me Naughty Lola' which contains a collection of some of the quirkiest and funniest lonely hearts ads from the London Review of Books. These are simply wonderful and if they don't make you fall in love at first sight, they'll certainly pique your interest enough to delve a little deeper. Some of my favourites read like this;<br /><br /><em>'They call me naughty Lola. Run-of-the-mill beardy physicist (M, 46).'</em><br /><em></em><br /><em> 'List your ten favourite albums... I just want to know if there's anything worth keeping when we finally break up. Practical, forward thinking man, 35.'</em><br /><br /><em>'I like my women the way I like my kebab. Found by surprise after a drunken night out and covered in too much tahini. Before long I'll have discarded you on the pavement of life, but until then you're the perfect complement to a perfect evening. Man, 32, rarely produces winning metaphors.'</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>'My ideal woman is a man. Sorry, mother.'</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>'I've divorced better men than you. And worn more expensive shoes than these. So don't think placing this ad is the biggest comedown I've ever had to make. Sensitive F, 34.'</em><br /><em></em><br />And my personal favourite....<br /><br /><em>'Romance is dead. So is my mother. Man, 42, inherited wealth.'</em><br /><em></em><br />Now don't tell me there are no potential partners there....!Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-47851577941163635502007-05-03T20:57:00.000+00:002007-05-03T21:06:33.421+00:00Crikey, it's like moving into a new home.<br /><br />I haven't lost the urge to pontificate and spout a lot of nonsense to anybody unfortunate enough to stumble on this place. But I have been away for ages. However, I do really like the new editing options on the Blogger site and I've taken the opportunity to update the look and feel of the place, add a few photos - which it's much easier to do these days - and generally give the place a bit of a spring clean.<br /><br />It was a bit musty in here after being deserted for so long and a lick of paint will do wonders for the joint. Welcome back.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1169681727813508022007-01-24T23:34:00.000+00:002007-01-31T13:52:11.190+00:00Check out my new favourite band, The Decemberists, (<a href="http://www.decemberists.com">www.decemberists.com</a>).<br /><br />Hailing from Portland, Oregon - they're featured in this month's issue of the UK's finest magazine, The Word, and play a kind of quirky, experimental pop-indie-folk melange with a good helping of melancholy, blood and gore, with songs on their latest album 'The Crane Wife' covering subjects from Japanese folk tales (the title track) to Northern Ireland in the 1970s and the US Civil War. <br /><br />And they're really rather good.<br /><br />Last song on the iPod (well, it had to be after that!): The Decemberists - Yankee BayonetMomushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1169681502343531122007-01-24T23:24:00.000+00:002007-01-24T23:31:55.160+00:00According to today's Guardian, an 'overwhelming majority' of people in Britain are willing to sacrifice their civil liberties in order to help 'the fight against terrorism.'<br /><br />This is deeply depressing, I can't believe that I'm the only one who thinks that September 11 2001 and its after-effects have been an absolute godsend to governments around the world. Traditionally, we and other nations would surely have fought tooth and nail to prevent legislation such as that introducing ID cards, 90 days detention without trial for suspected 'terrorists', anti-demonstration laws and phone tapping. Governments down the years have dreamed of introducing this kind of surveillance of its citizens but have never dared for fear of the outcry. Now they only have to mention the 't' word and it seems we are cowed into meek acceptance.<br /><br />Mr Blair must think Christmas has come early.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1167919798083267822007-01-04T13:27:00.000+00:002007-01-04T14:09:58.096+00:00If all goes tonight as it has done previously, Australia will complete a comprehensive win over England some time in the early hours in the UK.<br /><br />As well as confirming the first 5-0 whitewash that England have suffered in the Ashes since 1921, the occasion will mark the last time that we see Shane Keith Warne involved in a competitive international cricket match.<br /><br />So many words have been written about Warne that I'm not going to go on and on but the thing I love about him is that he has always entertained. I've read columns recently castigating him for over-zealous appealing and sledging of opponents but it's all part of his sense of theatre.<br /><br />It's easy to forget in this world of vast salaries that one of the core characteristics of sport, as well as the elements of competition, talent and spirit, is that it should be entertainment for spectators. Nobody captures that drama like Warne - whether it's the Ball of the Century that drifted, dipped and spun its way into history, or yesterday's observation that Paul Collingwood should give back his MBE...!<br /><br />The nub of his appeal for me is that he is the antithesis of the modern professional sportsman. In a land populated by charisma-less clones with fitness coaches, dieticians and personality bypasses, Warne is unfit and overweight, surviving on a diet of pizza and toasted sandwiches. He smokes and drinks and when not involved in cricket, he relaxes by sending flirty or alternatively, obscene text messages to attractive ladies who are not his wife! And despite all that, his well of cricketing genius runs so deep that he is still the leading Test match wicket-taker of all time and arguably the greatest bowler who ever drew breath. What's not to love about that?!?<br /><br />Sport lovers everywhere should feast their eyes on his last performance tonight for we shall not see his like again and we will weep when he is gone.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1167746067294347792007-01-02T13:39:00.000+00:002007-01-02T13:54:27.306+00:002007 is here at last. New Year resolutions are varied, from visiting the west coast of the USA to submitting ten chapters and a synopsis of the book that may (or may not) change my employment prospects.<br /><br />I don't believe it's hypocritical to want to visit the US, despite previous criticism of the behaviour of their political leaders. It's a truly fascinating country, and the American citizens I know are invariably very personable, knowledgeable and friendly. I still love the UK despite the increasingly bewildering madness of our own political masters. Incidentally, does anybody else get the feeling that there is a sea change waiting to happen in British politics? Where the Prime Minister once appeared steadfast, he now looks increasingly like some kind of unbalanced religious fanatic. First Mate Prescott is finished, and the remainder of the Cabinet appear caught between defending increasingly bizarre policy and jockeying for position under Mr Brown. One almost feels sorry for Gordon - will he finally get the reward he has craved for so long, only to be bundled out unceremoniously just a couple of years later, drowning in a sea of recrimination?<br /><br />So, a Happy New Year to all, may it bring you peace and joy. Especially if you live in Baghdad, Basra, Najaf.......Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1166979828669675522006-12-24T17:01:00.000+00:002006-12-24T17:03:48.686+00:00It's precisely 5pm on Christmas Eve. Santa will be starting his round any time now, he'll have to be quick if he's to reach every child in the world before morning breaks.<br /><br />Let peace reign once more among mankind. A very merry Christmas to one and all.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1166322821072210362006-12-17T02:18:00.000+00:002006-12-17T02:35:04.206+00:00It's 2.20am. The fourth day of the third Ashes Test in Perth begins in ten minutes and I figured I should make the effort to watch it, if only because I think it may be the last time England hold the Ashes for some considerable time!<br /><br />I feel sorry for those thousands of people who will be flying out of the UK for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, traditionally the two biggest matches of the series. Unless something truly miraculous happens today and tomorrow, the series will be done and dusted and those games will be utterly meaningless. I'd be pretty unhappy if I'd forked out thousands for that.<br /><br />A few weeks ago on these very pages, I tipped Australia to win handsomely but even I did not realise just how uncompetitive England would be. It's been a throwback to the bad days of the 1990s - Australia have dominated from the start and every time England have had a good couple of sessions and looked like they could get themselves into a really strong position, the Aussies have dug deep and ripped the game from England's grasp.<br /><br />The turning point was the last day of the second Test at Adelaide. Despite the hammering England received in Brisbane to go 1-0 down, had they managed to draw the second match, they would have gone into this Perth test in good heart, only one down with three to play. As it is, that slow lurch to calamity on the final day at Adelaide ensured that England would lose the apparently unloseable game and finished the series there and then. That dramatic shift in momentum and morale was irreversible.<br /><br />Questions will be asked about selection although there's no doubt that England were a little unlucky to have to play the entire series without three of their biggest names - Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick and Simon Jones. In addition, Andrew Strauss must have run over umpire Rudi Koertzen's cat in a previous life having received three poor decisions in a row. But England have never given themselves a chance. By selecting a skipper who had not played for months, and given the impression, rightly or wrongly, of an old mate's network, where certain players are selected regardless of fitness or form, they made a rod for their own back - and Australia, burning with desire and hunger after the events of last year, have taken full advantage.<br /><br />They will look to seal the Ashes today and then humiliate England 5-0. And they might just do it....Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1165064124266626102006-12-02T12:43:00.000+00:002006-12-02T12:55:24.290+00:00Today's Guardian contains an interview with author DBC Pierre, who wrote my favourite book of recent times, the Booker Prize-winning Vernon God Little. It's interesting how it was something as simple as seeing a picture on his television of a young lad in a hoodie being shoved into a police car in America that encapsulated all the feelings of anger, disillusionment and 'the tapestry of commercial lies and political spin' that passes for contemporary reality, summed up by shows like Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey.<br /><br />Just as interesting is that the creative process was stimulated in 1999 by that picture and it took just five weeks to produce 300 pages of thoughts, but it required a further 18 months of 'learning how to write', to distil Vernon's angst and experiences into what is truly an outstanding book.<br /><br />Check out the interview - <a href="http://books.guardian.co.uk/bookclub/story/0,,1961827,00.html">http://books.guardian.co.uk/bookclub/story/0,,1961827,00.html</a> - and definitely check out the book. I can't recommend it highly enough.<br /><br />Last song on the iPod: James - How Was It For You?Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1164670869980411012006-11-27T23:24:00.000+00:002006-11-27T23:41:10.036+00:00Well, the bit about England having to start well obviously struck a chord, although not with the people it was supposed to! It's going to be an uphill battle now.<br /><br />On an entirely separate note, those who know me will be well aware I don't watch much in the way of TV but I've finally found a show I really like. 'Lead Balloon', starring Jack Dee on BBC2 is outstanding - extremely funny in a slightly depressing way - the main character is a comedian, disillusioned with the way his work is turning out, with an agent wife, stroppy daughter and downright rude home help. He's a total neurotic, who can't bear the thought that people might think he's fat, gay, or simply not very funny. And there but for the grace of God goes nearly every 30- or 40-something bloke I know, especially me!<br /><br />I understand that it owes a lot to the US show 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. But as I've never seen that, I can't recommend it and must content myself with thoroughly endorsing 'Lead Balloon', Thursday nights on BBC2.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1164203807544048982006-11-22T13:45:00.000+00:002006-11-22T13:56:47.560+00:00It all begins tonight. It's 124 years since a full-strength England first lost to Australia on home soil, whereupon the body of English cricket was cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.<br /><br />Battle will be rejoined at 11pm in the UK and I simply cannot wait. Australia are unbeaten in nearly 20 years at the Gabba ground in Brisbane, the traditional venue for the opening Test of an Ashes series. If England are to maintain their fragile hold on the urn, a good start at the fortress of Australian cricket is essential.<br /><br />Australia will start as favourites and justifiably so after England's winning team of last year has been decimated by injury and illness. Can the replacements - the likes of Alistair Cook, Sajid Mahmood and James Anderson - repeat those heroics?<br /><br />For what it's worth, I think Australia will fulfil their burning desire to right last year's wrongs and prevail by a victory margin of 3-1. Good luck to both sides and let the games begin!Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1163550085207862222006-11-15T00:07:00.000+00:002006-11-15T00:22:18.036+00:00A footnote to the last entry. The Australian cricket team has a victory song - 'Under The Southern Cross' - which is sung by the entire team after a Test match win. One member of the team has the honour of leading the team in the song, and this honour is passed down reverently as time passes, players retire and a younger team member, now established in the side, takes the baton. It's not a difficult hymn.....<br /><br />Under the southern cross I stand<br />A twig of wattle in my hand<br />A native of my native land<br />Australia, you bloody beauty<br /><br />I only mention it because, on my trip to Australia in 2002, I took a yacht trip out in the Whitsunday Islands, off Queensland. Moored up in a bay on a warm clear night with the heavens resembling a glittering sheet of silver, I asked the skipper to show me the Southern Cross, the constellation that appears on the flags of Australia and New Zealand. Lying on deck gazing at it, surrounded by unimaginable silence and beauty, even this Pom found himself muttering the verse and uttering the immortal words 'Australia, you bloody beauty'....<br /><br />Last song on the iPod: Sarah McLachlan - I Love YouMomushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1163549192755614402006-11-14T23:50:00.000+00:002006-11-15T00:22:31.786+00:00The contest for the Ashes begins in just over a week. Cricket's oldest rivals will go head-to-head in a series that means more to both teams than for many years. England, finally the holders once again, must prove they are worthy and ready to step up to challenge the Aussies for the title of 'best team in the world'. Australia, wounded by their first defeat since 1986/87, will be burning to show their sport-mad countrymen that last year was just a blip. Looking forward to it, as I do every series.<br /><br />What is it about Australia that makes their sportsmen and women so competitive? Is it that they are a relatively young country and are therefore desperate to be noticed on the world stage? Is it the concept of 'mateship' that's drummed into them from an early age and team sports are a natural progression from that, underpinned by the ideal that you never ever let your mates down? Or is it the climate, which encourages young people especially to spend a large amount of time outside?<br /><br />It's probably a mixture of all three and more but there's no doubt that a nation of only 20m punches well above its weight on the sporting front. Sir Don Bradman, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Kieron Perkins, Ian Thorpe, David Campese, Mal Meninga, Shane Warne and many more - these are some of the great names of sport. The Aussies are our rivals but in most cases, rather than hating them, I reckon we see them as our slightly irritating but essentially good-natured cousins - the ones we're secretly jealous of cos they're younger and fitter than us!Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1163548198286825872006-11-14T23:35:00.000+00:002006-11-14T23:49:58.296+00:00A rather bizarre question struck me today as I sat in traffic on my way to Bristol. Which town appears the most in songs? It only occurred to me today as I had my Beatles' compilation CD going in the car and listened to 'Get Back', which mentions Tucson, Arizona in the first verse. The same town appears in Paul Simon's 'Under African Skies' from the album 'Graceland', which incidentally might just be my favourite album.<br /><br />What is it about Tucson that means it appears in two wholly different songs nearly twenty years apart? What's in Tucson that makes it popular? Does the town appear in any other tracks? I know the likes of New York, Chicago and San Francisco are so famous that they have their own tracks recorded in tribute but what about the smaller towns? I once went to Chicago with work and the hotel I stayed at made all employees wear badges carrying their name and home town. My contact came from Saginaw, Michigan - which appears in another track by Simon, this time 'America'.<br /><br />What about towns in the UK? Again, the likes of London are mentioned in hundreds of songs - but are there any that mention the likes of Clitheroe, Dewsbury, Evesham and Stirling? Answers on the proverbial (and metaphorical) postcard...Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1163463221473609972006-11-13T23:48:00.000+00:002006-11-14T00:13:41.486+00:00This is the time of year when we offer our tributes to those who have sacrificed their lives for their country in the great conflicts of the twentieth century.<br /><br />Having grown up in Rugby, Warwickshire, I make no apologies for selecting Rupert Brooke's poem 'The Soldier' as one that has particular poignance for those who love their country (and it is possible to love it without resorting to jingoism, xenophobia or nationalistic fervour, I promise....) Brooke was born in Rugby and attended Rugby School and his statue adorns the town centre. I reckon that millions of schoolchildren must have grown up quoting the first few lines of The Soldier and it probably still brings a tear to their eye.<br /><br />If I should die, think only this of me<br />That there's some corner of a foreign field<br />That is forever England. There shall be,<br />In that rich earth, a richer dust concealed<br />A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware<br />Gave once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam<br />A body of England's, breathing English air<br />Washed by the rivers, blest by the suns of homeMomushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1162908943331127452006-11-07T13:51:00.000+00:002006-11-27T23:43:23.166+00:00So Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death. The latest chapter in a pretty sorry chain of events which the UK helped to bring about. It won't bring about an end to the violence that we see on a daily basis.<br /><br />Nobody would deny that Saddam Hussein is a vile human being. He deserves no compassion or sympathy. But surely a life sentence would have been the best way to make him pay for his crimes, left to rot, forgotten. This way, quite apart from the fact that the UK does not support the death penalty, (although we can hardly trumpet the 'fledgling Iraqi democracy' we claim to have created and then condemn its findings), it surely just allows him one more moment in the spotlight and risks making him a martyr?<br /><br />What also appears to have gone unnoticed by those who have hailed yesterday as a 'good day for Iraq' was that Saddam will go to the gallows as a result of a massacre in the village of Dujail in 1982. That was in the middle of the Iran-Iraq war when Saddam was backed wholeheartedly by both the US and the UK. Our favourite Middle Eastern son, battling against the evil Islamic clerics in Tehran. Oh, the bitter bitter irony.......Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22825816.post-1162907430679444132006-11-07T13:45:00.000+00:002006-11-07T13:50:30.700+00:00A fun weekend to lift a little of last week's gloom. Friday saw a visit to a bonfire party in the Wiltshire village of Broughton Gifford with my colleague and good friend Max. Saturday and Sunday saw a rugby fest with the highlight a trip to Twickenham to watch England take on the might of the All Blacks. I'm pretty neutral when it comes to international sport, far less tribal and partisan than club rugby or football, so was happy to sit back and enjoy the All Blacks sweep to a deserved victory.Momushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348424414489230326noreply@blogger.com0