Year: 2004

So to update. Voting was very political (as always). Terry was funny and James Fox did not disgrace us – although it was not the best song. There was a disproportionate amount of male singers and some, like the French, resorted to gimmicks (stilt woman) to try and draw attention to the song. I like the fact that all countries can now vote (even if they did not make it to the final) despite the fact that the voting process takes longer.

The apparent political dimension to the voting could pose interesting questions on the future for Europe but I think I just choose to find it amusing. Ukraine won (Ruslana was her name) which must have had something to do with the fact that it was visually stunning but I really do think that Sweden deserved to win.

This year we found a whole new dimension to the contest by watching the extra coverage on BBC Three although we did not get to watch the translated lyrics as subtitles – a feature I think just goes to prove that even the BBC don’t take it too seriously.

And what should I say to my Norwegian friends about another ‘nil points’?

And so it comes to pass that another year has passed and tonight is the Eurovision Song Contest. James Fox is our entry but I don’t hold much hope based on the fact that voting is so political these days. As I wasn’t aware of him on the television show that brought him to light (I think it was the BBC’s Fame Academy) but I got to hear him last November when he supported Liberty X at a charity concert I went to. He mainly performed cover versions (with a couple of original songs thrown in) which were fine but not fantastic but he had charisma and a small but very vocal fan base (they probably sounded loud because I was stood right next to them).

I haven’t heard his song for this year’s contest so it will be a first for me. As always I look forward to the event for it’s more ridiculous elements. I’m sure Terry Wogan will have plenty to be sarcastic about. I do wonder if I will watch it (if anybody will watch it) when he stops commentating. PY and I are visiting friends to watch it. I think I will end up over-eating and undoing all benefits of the gym.

Today has been a very strange day. I have been alone in the office; all of my colleagues are on the road or on holiday. Despite previous thoughts of working alone and/or from home I can categorically say that I like the stimulation of the office environment and I am pretty certain that I won’t be looking for employment from home in the future. I currently work in a small four-person office space and even that gets very difficult at times. Since early 2002 I have worked with three other people in two different jobs. I think next time I will be looking for something larger. If you work alone or from home, how do you manage it?

While sat alone this afternoon I started listening to Radio Four for a little bit of company and was reminded how good PM was as a news show. I don’t be live there was anything that stood out today – part from the obvious talents of Eddie Mair – but I can recommend it if you’re in need of company! Also, while I was working through my tasks earlier I got a call which means I will be attending a hastily organised meeting in Rome on Friday morning so I will be spending this evening trying to get as many of my belongings into the smallest possible bag that I can. It is at times like this that I wish my employer has purchased a lighter laptop for me.

Over the weekend I brought Man of the Moment into the new look. It was pretty easy so and, once again, I’m understanding the value of style sheets. I also changed the naming convention of the individual pages which was made very easy by Movable Type and a little harder when i decided to try lots of URL re-directing.

Reading through today’s web-reading I hear Blogger has also had a face-and-feature lift (here, here and here). It doesn’t interest me a great deal as I don’t use Blogger but then I went to the new site and found the my browser had a username already populated. Lo-and-behold I found an account I created in 2001. It does appear that the new blogger has some nice features but I’m going to sit and wait for Movable Type 3.

The main event of this last weekend was a visit to Olympia to look at the Urban Gardens show. As we were there early we managed to catch the first ‘celebrity’ presentation. It was Matt James on things to look out for when planting an urban garden. As it turned out he’s a good speaker and I found it really interesting – which is a little more than can be said for a lot of the rest of the show. It was full of stands offering a lot of hard landscaping, garden ornaments and furniture and very little about plants – although there were some fantastic ferns and Canadian Maples on display. Matt himself is very good-looking in the flesh so I imagine he was a very big draw to the show. We didn’t get the chance to see Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan on the Sunday but I guess that might have been fun.

All of this home-style probably explains why I spend part of Saturday afternoon glued to UKTV Bright Ideas (or whatever it’s called now) watching lame home shows. Still, Wild & Fresh (which seems to be a Canadian/UK co-production) has one of the most amusing title sequences of any show I have seen for a long time and a would-be Jamie Oliver in the form of chef Danny Boome. It was kind of fun but, as the Why Don’t You? used to say, I should have got up and done something less boring instead. Sadly, I started to watch the Coronation Street omnibus to catch up on the latest Todd and Karl storyline. Wish I hadn’t.

One of the sites I most visit is ‘Downing Street Says‘, an unofficial site recording the official opinions of Downing Street and, I assume, The Prime Minister. One of the real benefits of reading the transcripts of the briefings rather than a journalist’s interpretation is seeing how the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman tries not to express opinions. It’s no wonder people have a disregard for the political process in the country when you read,

Asked to explain why the Prime Minister was willing to express a view about the pictures relating to alleged US mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners when their investigations had not yet concluded either, the PMS pointed out that the Government’s view had been set out very clearly by General Sir Mike Jackson last Friday night when the pictures had first emerged. [source]

What I think most right-thinking people won’t understand (and I am sure the civil servants can explain it away very well) is why disgust can not be expressed every time the question is asked. If the British pictures are real then the such treatment should be strongly condemned. If the pictures are fake then the actions of those who made them should be discussed in the same terms. Why do they have to hide behind the diplomatic speak?

Really, there doesn’t seem to me much point in having a ‘Big Conversation‘ with the people if you don’t understand what one half of the room is saying.

I had a really relaxing holiday weekend. To the extent I don’t want to be back at work (but we all have to try to make a living and I didn’t want to be in front of a computer. So I haven’t written anything for a few days.

I had a nice email from somebody in Poland thanks to my entry welcoming the new countries to the ‘New Europe’ (can I trademark that?) which was welcoming and Marek, I will reply (reasons for not as above).

Just when I thought I had nothing to say but to moan about the rather strange weather we are having here in London I read ‘Booked in 60 seconds‘ from London’s Evening Standard newspaper (by way of thisislondon.co.uk) and became all irate with the AA staying that ‘There should be leeway’ when it comes to parking fines. It appears – and here’s where I go all Victor Meldrew – that I am the only soul in London who be lives that parking rules are here to serve us and should be enforced. If you’re time is up, it’s up. Give up the space you selfish moron. No leeway for parking. Rules are rules.

Anyway, I was going to compose a nice long rant about it but then I found Ab Mania and felt – instantly – better by laughing.

The moral of this tale is that laughing is good for you (and the weather is still very strange in London).

Welcome to Europe

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