20 July 2009
Daily Chat 20/07/09
Stirling Castle fell to King Edward I on this date in 1304. The Football Association legalised professionalism in football in 1885. The first unit of the Women's Army Corps began training in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1942. In 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world's first democratically-elected woman head of government as Prime Minister of Ceylon. And who could possibly forget that Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969? Celebrating birthdays today: Cormac McCarthy, Dame Diana Rigg, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and a lot of rockers. They are: John Lodge (Moody Blues), Carlos Santana, Dave Evans (AC/DC), Jem Finer (Pogues), Paul Cook (Sex Pistols), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam). It's Independence Day in Colombia.
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But colin, it’s not just The Clash.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Paul
I understood the allusion to sexual abuse under anesthesia. Anyone who shows the lack of attention to detail required to put their victim’s knickers back on back to front doesn’t deserve to be a dentist...
I don’t get referred to as a “young person” nearly often enough these days, so as long as you do that, I’ll cut you a bit of slack.
“And who could possibly forget that Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969?”
I’ll assume that was a rhetorical question, shall I?
@andy:
ReplyDelete“And who could possibly forget that Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969?”
I think MW was referring to the fact that she forgot that Apollo 11 took off on the 16th... one sort of led to the other.
Well done Montana, got us to the moon in the end, old stick.
By the way, that looked like a surreal weekend over here. What was all that anonymous/deano stuff about?
ReplyDeleteCare to enlighten me, deano?
Yes I wondered about that....
ReplyDeleteQuiet day here and on CiF, if this keeps up I am going to be forced to do some real work.
If you'd care to see what I was watching on TV forty years ago today, this is the CBS news coverage of the landing. Sadly, Walter Cronkite, the CBS anchor that day died on Friday. He was perhaps the most beloved & respected TV journalist this country has ever had.
ReplyDeleteThat phrase ("If there's so little going on here/on cif, I might as well do some real work") is really becoming quite prevalent around here, I feel.
ReplyDeleteIf noone comes up with some new phrases instead of the same one again and again, I might get tempted to do some real work, myself.
Flintoff's just got Haddin, snaffled up at second slip by the safe hands of Collingwood. Jolly good. 313-6 and Mitchell Johnson arrives at the crease.
ReplyDeleteDifficult to explain my confused head at the point when I mistakenly thought you might be having a pot at me Swifty.
ReplyDeleteFucked if I know who the anon was. When I read him/her more carefully later I thought herm not that bad after all.
Hope the bugs keep away and you get off on your hols later this week.
My training session is almost complete so I must get myself sober for our big family weekend next - that being the case I won't be posting much if at all till next monday.
deano.
dear Mon
ReplyDeletewhat about Al Cook?
@deano:
ReplyDeleteLast thing I took a pot shot at was a ickle fwuffy bunny wabbit about six years ago mate. Unless you count clays, which I don't, really.
You seemed to take him on, which is why I asked. No finger-pointing from me, I couldn't make head or tail of it all so am intensely relaxed about whatever it all was in aid of.
I was surrounded by sneezing, coughing, whinging commuters on the journey in this morning, so I'll be amazed if I can walk out of this particular Valley of Man Flu-type Death scenario unscathed.
Enjoy your weekend buddy, if I don't hear from you for a while.
I know Elementary Watson, but its Monday morning and I'm not feeling very original.
ReplyDeleteWell England seem to be doing rather well....This should make the Ashes more interesting...
ReplyDeleteNot dead, working for a few days. See ya.
ReplyDeleteClass comment on the Purnell thread:
ReplyDeletelalibella
20 Jul 09, 3:37am (about 11 hours ago)
Isnt it exciting to know that someone wanted James Purnell to write a book, and he was good enough to tell us even although we didnt ask him.
I really sympathise with Purnell's personal struggle, so much wanting equality, but being at a loss on what that equality should be about. It must be damn tough to know you want something really badly and you dont know what it is. I guess its a bit like when the waiter takes your order, and asks what you would like to eat, you are forced to just say "food". My God that can be embarrassing !
But James assures us that once his Open Left Project defines its goals it will then really be able to move ahead with gusto. I think that means it will be "goal directed", a very good idea in many walks of life.
James tells us he is going to probe one of his "prejudices", which turns out to be that "the state works best when individuals have the power to choose ". I think James is being just a little tough on himself calling this a "prejudice", because it seems to me to be a jolly good idea, and I doubt very much whether I or anyone else here would have thought of that without James telling us.
I also think its a brill idea that if you want to find out "what it means to be on the left today", you get a right-winger like James to do the investigation. That stops it from becoming all parochial and self-congratulatory.So I think its really generous that he has made this offer.
I dont know about the rest of you, but I am knocked side-ways by this exciting new project. Its been ages since we heard anything from New Labour, almost a week, I think since David Miliband told us how left-wing he is, and didnt that warm the cockles of our little hearts. I must say, I can hardly wait for the next installment. This could be really big stuff..I am not sure exactly what sort of stuff, but I am sure we are all unified in agreement that we need more stuff.
I can remember so clearly the moon landing. I was in primary school, and our teacher had us working on a project the week before to set up the classroom like Huston control, with cardboard boxes with screens painted on them, and silly fake headphones and stuff.
ReplyDeleteBlimey. 40 years ago. How old am I.. sigh...
"I also think its a brill idea that if you want to find out "what it means to be on the left today", you get a right-winger like James to do the investigation. That stops it from becoming all parochial and self-congratulatory.So I think its really generous that he has made this offer."
ROFL! :o)
BB - older than I am, apparently! :-P
ReplyDelete(But not by tooooo much.)
BB - do stop moaning about your age dear heart, you make me feel like bloody methusalah - I remember the moon landings quite clearly - it was wonderful - especially the piece of film that showed the earth rise - first time we'd seen it and it was gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteGreat day today for birthdays, Pogues, Moody Blues and Pistols all represented - and the fantastic Carlos Santana - had some wonderful chemically assisted evenings listening to him.
What does it mean to be on the left today? who the fuck knows anymore - all kinds of weirdos say they are or either it's an accusation from some right wing lunatic. All I know is that everything seems to be my fault.
Soz, Sheff.
ReplyDeleteI think of you as being the same age as me, though. Does that help? :o)
Of course your're forgiven BB - it's just hard to come to terms with being so old - I just can't believe it sometimes. still feel 25 in my head - I suppose I should be grateful for surviving so long given the rackety life I've lived.
ReplyDeleteSheff -- in my country people still think Bill Clinton was left-of-centre. Trouble is, the 'centre' has been pulled so far to the right over here that no one knows what the true left is anymore. Henry A. Wallace, who was FDR's first VP, was born in a village 10 miles north of here. People around here are all very proud of the fact that tiny, little Orient, Iowa produced a VP. Thing is, if any of them really understood how far to the left his political views were, they'd be aghast.
ReplyDeleteMontana
ReplyDeleteI stilll call myself a socialist - it's the only label I can stomach. although i do have a bit of an anarchist edge. Just looked up your Henry A. Wallace - quite a guy - a lot of decent people were schmoozed by the soviets in those days. But he was basically decent and seemed to care about ordinary working people even though it made him unpopular.
Bit of Santana. God, I love that man.
ReplyDeleteMontana, I know what you mean with the Clinton thang, and also Brian May is a bit yummy. '39 is one of my favourite Queen songs, but always make me cry cos it reminds of my sainted grandmother.
Clinton. Blair. Bush.
ReplyDeleteAn odd triangle.
With the first two, you thought you were getting something at least centre-left, but you were wrong. Bush never even pretended that (although he did claim to be a 'uniter, not a divider') but somehow Blair fell in love with him even more than Clinton, who, while I don't like the bloke, I don't think would have invaded Iraq - or, possibly, Afghanistan either.
I think there *has* to be some sort of homoerotic attraction between Blair and Bush. Quite likely not acknowledged between them. But nothing else explains Blair's actions.
*shudders at that last paragraph*
ReplyDeleteEwww.
Late to the CiF table again - work, eh, it don't half get in the way!
ReplyDeleteAgree with BB re: thauma's last para there - *shudders* & *retches*.
Cruddas on that OpenLeft website:
ReplyDeleteQ: What one or two changes would make the biggest difference to bringing that about (the sort of society he would like Britain to be)?
Cruddas: First of all, we need a policy of tax fairness. It is scandalous that the poorest twenty percent pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the richest twenty percent. It isn’t envy to demand that the wealthy pay their share. Secondly, free, high quality nursery care should be provided as a universal right. We know from the experience of Scandinavia that nothing is more effective in breaking the link between social inheritance and life chances.
Been in govt a while now, mmm since .. 1997, wasn't it?
Aah Nights in White Satin - a classic. Although I used to think it was "Knights in White Satin" but that's because I've always been hung up on the Arthurian Legend.
ReplyDeleteOff to beddy-byes now. Early mornings taking their toll. Still, I get to lie in til at least 7 tomorrow :o)
ReplyDeleteNight all! x
It's the satin yr hung up on bru!
ReplyDeleteBecause in the 70s, you got those brushed nylon sheets not white satin!
ReplyDeleteKiz and MsChin
ReplyDelete_______________
Yes who can forget those nylon sheets - along with the nylon baby doll nighties (with frills) -help I'm going to give myself nightmares just thinking about them.
Nights in White Satin always struck me as the perfect background record for seduction. A glass of champagne, white satin sheets and French silk underwear....
Think I'll turn in now I'm getting over-excited.
Public holiday tomorrow here, lots of fireworks and things.
Nighty night les filles.