Christening Sunday Blues

Being forced out of the flat this morning to go to christening, in a chapel, in Possil!!! Means I have iron a shirt, wear a suit, shave and prepare a 'listening to some kiddie-fiddler tell everyone how I'm going to hell unless I let him touch me' face.

It's baby Marcus' big day so I will shut up and enjoy as best I can. So in homage to the day i was looking through a google search for christening and the first million pages were all companies looking to make as much money as possible for tiny outfits which will be worn once and then placed in a family time capsule only to be taken out by the parents when they want to embarrass marcus when his first girlfriend comes round.

However, did find this site for hand knitted christening outfits all the way from an e-pensioner in the Shetlands. It says she is a compuslive knitter. That made me think about how bizarre a compulsion that would be. One search and of course I came across a site of a complusive knitter. Please check it out, if only for the halloween cakes in the form of a brain and severed foot. argh!!

In honour of knitters here is a song whose title if not content says a lot.....

Frederick Knight - You've Never Really Lived

Digital Killed The Video Star

Many years ago in a glaxay far away people placed large platic boxes filled with thousands of metres of black tape into a large box full of mini-pneumatic drills. They used this to watch adverts from 1986 which were showing inbetween the premiere of Howard The Duck. Scientists had believed that users of such nology had faded into history just like there ferguson vhs players but a prodigal user has surfaced.

I will not use her full name but just say she is known as L McMillan to some and Linda M to others. Recently a close confidant of Linda M exposed her recent purchasing of blank video tapes. I presume it was in preparation of all those christmas movie premieres showing on analogue tv, like Honey, I Shrunk The Kids or Octupussy.

So to you Linda M I dedicate the above artists impression of a blank VHS tape, inspired by descriptions of the nology from survivors of that generation. And of course a song in homage to video past struggle hold over all other nologies.

Videohippos - Rider

A Change Has Come

Sitting in the new flat on a drizzly Guy Fawkes evening. Totally shattered. Why? Stayed up last night watching the US elections and Barack Obama's history making victory.

At first I said "i'll stay up until he gets Ohio or Florida." Soon that became, " i'll wait until he gets 215+ as I know California will be 55 in the bag." By then it was too late and I waiting for the west coast polls to close and Obama's victory and the Republican's defeat to be announced.

Mixed feelings at first. Workmates asked if I was happy Obama had won. Happy would be the wrong word. I think relieved would more appropriate. I say that because I'm a socialist and I think that while Obama may tick all the boxes for liberals and those seeking a break from the Neo-Con hold on Washington, for me he is not someone whose ideas and party come close to wwhat I look for.

In fact when I was asked who i would vote for I said to pals that if I was in a swing state Obama would would get my anti-McCain vote but if I was in New York I would probably end up voting for some obscure leftist bloke standing for the People's Anarcho-Revolutionary Brotherhood of Harlem. But if i had done that then I think I would have been guilty of dwelling in the cynical mindset so many of us socialists can get into.

In fact I would have missed out in playing a role in electing a black man as the US President. Something I thought I would never see in my life. For while Obama may not be a trotskyist fellow travller, he does appear sincere is his desire for a better America, and of course it would be a slap in face to those millions of Americans who chose not to fear him but back Obama and change history.

I don't know if things will change that much for Americans or myself, and certainly doubtful Palestinians or Afhgans will find freedom through one man's election. But I can say in the future I watched it live. I can show folk the 'Obama Rocks' badge I bought in NYC a year and a half ago.

Sam Cooke said a change would come and it has.

Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come