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It's Friday.
Time to do something interesting.
Time to do something interesting.
This week...
Jun. 16th, 2006 06:53 pm...has been a crazy mix of medical stuff, family stuff, train travel, work and Other Things.
I watched an England game. In a pub. While wearing an England shirt. It's an interesting experience. A bit like Rocky Horror (everyone knows the songs, everyone knows their cue...) but with more beer and less black. I'm not so sure how it compares in terms of fishnet and suspenders. Best not to ask.
Had an interview on Tuesday, for an internal vacancy. Heard today that, yes, I got the job. Quite happy about that.
Other stuff is not quite so good, but will sort itself out.
And somewhere, there's a pub. It's calling me, y'see. I can hear it. Or some of the people in it, anyway. And not just because of the phone posts. :)
I watched an England game. In a pub. While wearing an England shirt. It's an interesting experience. A bit like Rocky Horror (everyone knows the songs, everyone knows their cue...) but with more beer and less black. I'm not so sure how it compares in terms of fishnet and suspenders. Best not to ask.
Had an interview on Tuesday, for an internal vacancy. Heard today that, yes, I got the job. Quite happy about that.
Other stuff is not quite so good, but will sort itself out.
And somewhere, there's a pub. It's calling me, y'see. I can hear it. Or some of the people in it, anyway. And not just because of the phone posts. :)
For ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
davefish, among others...
vitaly_stranger points out that Dust Heaven are playing this year's Castle Party.
They're rather good. More precisely, they were very good when I saw them at WGT. Hmm.
davefish, among others... vitaly_stranger points out that Dust Heaven are playing this year's Castle Party.They're rather good. More precisely, they were very good when I saw them at WGT. Hmm.
(no subject)
Jun. 14th, 2006 10:59 pmOrange Wednesday.
X-Men 3.
I don't feel I was robbed. Not as good as the second one, but some nice moments. Some unexpected ones, too - I'd been avoiding spoilers and was rather surprised at a couple of the twists.
Nice take on Madrox. Silly helmet on Juggernaut.
X-Men 3.
I don't feel I was robbed. Not as good as the second one, but some nice moments. Some unexpected ones, too - I'd been avoiding spoilers and was rather surprised at a couple of the twists.
Nice take on Madrox. Silly helmet on Juggernaut.
Another great day for the Met (part 2)
Jun. 10th, 2006 09:59 amQuestions are being asked about the way police and intelligence services handled an anti-terror raid in east London after the release of two men
"Two brothers Abul Koyair, 20, and Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23 who was shot in the raid, were freed without charge on Friday evening"
After the raid, the papers talked about a cyanide bomb. There were initially press reports that one brother had shot the other (whereas it now appears that he'd headed downstairs to see who was breaking into his house, not realising that it was the police - who then shot him, in circumstances that'll undoubtedly be investigated).
Oh, and government officials said both suspects had "extensive criminal records" - although Julian Young, Mr Koyair's solicitor, has stated that his client has no such record - and the government officials stopped making any such claims a couple of days back...
Let's not forget that they also detained the neighbours - and if the quote about a police officer striking one of them across the head with a gun butt is true, that was also a complete mess.
And let's also remember this particular quote:
One senior security source said: "We are absolutely certain this device exists and could be used either by a suicide bomber or in a remote-controlled explosion."
"Two brothers Abul Koyair, 20, and Mohammed Abdul Kahar, 23 who was shot in the raid, were freed without charge on Friday evening"
After the raid, the papers talked about a cyanide bomb. There were initially press reports that one brother had shot the other (whereas it now appears that he'd headed downstairs to see who was breaking into his house, not realising that it was the police - who then shot him, in circumstances that'll undoubtedly be investigated).
Oh, and government officials said both suspects had "extensive criminal records" - although Julian Young, Mr Koyair's solicitor, has stated that his client has no such record - and the government officials stopped making any such claims a couple of days back...
Let's not forget that they also detained the neighbours - and if the quote about a police officer striking one of them across the head with a gun butt is true, that was also a complete mess.
And let's also remember this particular quote:
One senior security source said: "We are absolutely certain this device exists and could be used either by a suicide bomber or in a remote-controlled explosion."
Another great day for the Met (part 1)
Jun. 10th, 2006 09:49 amAsian police officers "and in particular Pakistani Muslim officers" need special anti-corruption training, according to an internal police report. The report was commissioned to "investigate why complaints of misconduct and corruption against Asian officers are 10 times higher than against their white colleagues", but has now been leaked to the press.
That's going to make Asian officers feel so much more welcome, isn't it? It also seems to skip one very important point - complaints of misconduct are very high, but the report remains silent on whether or not they're found to be justified.
Are confirmed corruption/misconduct reports also uncomfortably high, or are the majority of these just wild claims, targeting officers who look/sound a bit different from the norm?
That's going to make Asian officers feel so much more welcome, isn't it? It also seems to skip one very important point - complaints of misconduct are very high, but the report remains silent on whether or not they're found to be justified.
Are confirmed corruption/misconduct reports also uncomfortably high, or are the majority of these just wild claims, targeting officers who look/sound a bit different from the norm?
Mostly for my own reference...
May. 22nd, 2006 12:08 amToulouse Lautrec and the Art Nouveau Poster
At Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Until 19 Jun 2006
As mentioned last night. I should probably make an effort to visit this at some point.
At Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Until 19 Jun 2006
As mentioned last night. I should probably make an effort to visit this at some point.
Today has been good, for a number of reasons. Most recently a very fine evening at mister_jack's place, watching Eurovision in good company. With cats.
"We are a rock band and we just won Eurovision - that's weird" - Lordi.
'Nuff said.
Opinion on Doctor Who was mixed.mister_jack and jambon_gris both think it was by far the weakest thing so far, in either season. I wasn't impressed, but I'm not sure it's that bad - some nice moments, but the cliffhanger resolution was clumsy and some parts of the ending were predictable and/or mawkish. Still think it's better than the Slitheen story in season 1, though.
mister_jack's place, watching Eurovision in good company. With cats."We are a rock band and we just won Eurovision - that's weird" - Lordi.
'Nuff said.
Opinion on Doctor Who was mixed.
mister_jack and jambon_gris both think it was by far the weakest thing so far, in either season. I wasn't impressed, but I'm not sure it's that bad - some nice moments, but the cliffhanger resolution was clumsy and some parts of the ending were predictable and/or mawkish. Still think it's better than the Slitheen story in season 1, though....and on a similar note...
May. 18th, 2006 08:26 pmThe new David Hare play, The Vertical Hour, opens in New York this November.
Hopefully it'll then make it back to the UK. At some point. And some of you might get a chance to see it in New York anyway, I guess. Gits. :)
Hopefully it'll then make it back to the UK. At some point. And some of you might get a chance to see it in New York anyway, I guess. Gits. :)
Tom Stoppard - Rock'n'Roll
May. 18th, 2006 08:20 pmIt would appear that there's a new Stoppard play.
http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whatson01.asp?play=422
I think I may need to go see this. :)
http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whatson01.asp?play=422
I think I may need to go see this. :)
Farewell, Jack Straw
May. 7th, 2006 01:24 pmAs the non-UK folk reading this may or may not be aware, we had local elections last Thursday. Nothing that directly affects Tony Blair or his MPs - but poor results are still seen as a clear warning shot, a sign that if they don't change something they'll get hammered in the next general election.
Early the next morning, Tony Blair was already hard at work making changes - sacking ministers who'd lost public confidence and "rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic" (...and where's Stephen Colbert when you need him, hmm? :)
One of the more surprising changes was the demotion of Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary. The Guardian has some views on just why this happened...
Early the next morning, Tony Blair was already hard at work making changes - sacking ministers who'd lost public confidence and "rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic" (...and where's Stephen Colbert when you need him, hmm? :)
One of the more surprising changes was the demotion of Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary. The Guardian has some views on just why this happened...
Mr Straw has said repeatedly that it is "inconceivable" that there will be a military strike on Iran and last month dismissed as "nuts" a report that George Bush was keeping on the table the option of using tactical nuclear weapons against Tehran's nuclear plants.Eeek. No further comment....
His fate was sealed when the White House called Mr Blair and asked why the foreign secretary kept saying these things.
Life is improving, I think.
Last night was a great deal of fun. Lunch today (in Browns with the mob) suffered from a touch of fatigue on my part, but was otherwise good.
I haven't done a single hour of overtime since I returned from my holidays (this might be because nobody's really sure what my current job description is, but I'm not complaining).
Life is also complicated, of course, and there are several hundred things I really need to make time to do - some of which I'll be attempting tomorrow - but on the whole I'm not doing so badly.
Last night was a great deal of fun. Lunch today (in Browns with the mob) suffered from a touch of fatigue on my part, but was otherwise good.
I haven't done a single hour of overtime since I returned from my holidays (this might be because nobody's really sure what my current job description is, but I'm not complaining).
Life is also complicated, of course, and there are several hundred things I really need to make time to do - some of which I'll be attempting tomorrow - but on the whole I'm not doing so badly.
