An old friend of mine, Adrian Cruden, posted the article below on Facebook last night. I thought it was brilliant and deserved circulating to a wider audience. I first knew Adrian through Scottish Young Social Democrats back in the day. He's now with the Greens and stood in a Council by-election for them a couple of months ago in Dewsbury.
"they will bring upon themselves a bigger shoah (holocaust)", by Adrian Cruden
A tiny area, packed with tens of thousands of people in cramped, inadequate, decaying buildings; with no one allowed in or out; water supplies cut and barely enough food allowed in; with one of the highest rates of infant mortality and deaths in childbirth…packed in together, with a mighty army surrounding this place to keep its inhabitants incarcerated, the head of the army proclaiming that soon he will unleash a holocaust on that place.
Where is this? The Jewish ghetto in Warsaw in 1941? Or Vilnius in 1942?
It could have been – but it is neither. It is Gaza, squeezed between Israel and Egypt. And the time is…now.
Gaza is a strip of land 25 miles long and 4 miles wide, with 1,600,000 people squashed into its confines. They are nearly all refugees or the children and grandchildren of refugees – the Palestinians thrown out of their lands in what is now Israel in 1948.
After the peace accords signed in 1993, the territory fell under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority, which also has jurisdiction over various enclaves in the West Bank. In both areas, however, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), retained military control and withdrew from Gaza only in 2005.
Elections to the Palestinian Parliament in 2006 brought Hamas, a fundamentalist Islamic religious party, to power, its electoral triumph defeating the previous regime of the PLO-Fatah party of the late Yassir Arafat. Although if I was a Palestinian I think I'd not want much to do with Hamas, it was nevertheless the clear choice of the Palestinian electorate (under the title "Change & Reform" http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/p/palestine/palestine2006.txt ). Yet the EU and USA joined Israel in refusing to recognise or deal with them – democracy it seemed mattered to the West only as long as it produced the right result. After clashes between supporters of Hamas and Fatah, the Palestinian lands fractured, with Hamas in control of Gaza and Fatah in control of the West Bank territories.
Israel began a blockade of Gaza, restricting food and water and medicine. The densely populated territory suffered greatly as a result, and a UN report just a few weeks ago found massive addiction to painkillers and antidepressants among all age groups as the only things which helped the inhabitants cope with day to day life. Gaza is a ghetto just as much as the ones the Jews of Poland were crushed into ahead of their deportation to the gas chambers.
Under the circumstances, it seems of little surprise that some Gazans resorted to firing homemade rockets with fertiliser incendiaries into Israel. Over the last six years, this led to 19 Israeli deaths. Hamas encouraged this, and Israel responded – with massive raids by its airforce and its army, the fourth largest in the world. Several thousand Palestinians have been killed over the same period (around 2,300 in Gaza alone, including nearly 400 children). Past Israeli tactics have included bulldozing rows of houses in the close quarters of Gaza, often with little or even no notice to the residents. Now, tonight, their army has launched a land assault.
Earlier today, like thousands in cities around Britain, I joined about 350 others to march and protest in Leeds City Centre to call for peace in Gaza. Under a steel grey sky, in the bitter chill of an early January afternoon, we walked along the Headrow as shoppers watched, most of them seeming mildly bemused by this interruption to their post-Christmas Sales shopping, a few more hostile, shouting abuse, especially at the Muslim women in their headscarves. The police filmed us carefully every step of the way.
Why should it matter? Why does it matter, what happens hundreds of miles away?
Aside from the moral and ethical case, if these are not enough, there is the self-interest of stopping violence between humans: what happens there could happen anywhere, given the right (or wrong) conditions. And with its arms supplies to Israel, the UK is more involved than probably any of these shoppers might imagine.
The USA bankrolls both the Israeli army and pumps a huge economic subsidy into Israel - some estimates as high as $5.5 billion pa. ( http://www.hotpolitics.com/tax4israel.htm ) In addition, the UK is one of the IDF’s arms suppliers ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/apr/06/israel.armstrade ). Both could exert a huge influence on what is happening if they chose. But both Bush and Brown (and of course the Middle East Peace Envoy, Tony Blair) have at best equivocated, somehow putting the puny rocket attacks on a par with the assault launched by the fourth most powerful army in the world; more than that, they have effectively backed Israel to the hilt, leaving little room for hope they might broker true and just peace.
US President, George Bush, has claimed this latest bloodshed is the inevitable and justified Israeli response to Hamas terrorism: Barak Obama, by his craven silence at this critical time, has in effect endorsed this view, even although the first shots were fired several weeks ago by Israeli forces and although as far back as 29 February, the Israeli Defence Minister was promising to unleash a “shoah”, a holocaust, on Gaza.
http://www.counterpunch.org/cook03082008.html
That the Israeli elections are only a few weeks ago and the poll ratings of the two Government parties – Kadima and (shame on them) Labour – have soared since the offensive began is clearly more than coincidence. Likewise, this can be seen as Bush’s last anti-Muslim hurrah, a proxy assault by his allies rather than the no longer possible assault on Iran he dreamt off, just as his dad, Bush senior, invaded Somalia at the equivalent point in the dying days of his Presidency in 1991/92. Just as Clinton was incapable of sorting out the mess in Mogadishu, it seems hard to see how Obama will ever draw peace out of the Palestinian pyre.
But then perhaps that would suit some of these scheming politicians – for Hamas is very much the creation of the Israelis. Back in the 1980s, PLO-Fatah, a vaguely socialist, wholly secular party led by Yassir Arafat, was in the ascendancy among Palestinians and recognised around the world as their legitimate voice. Israel decided on an approach of divide and conquer and so began to sponsor, fund and train Hamas as a religious alternative for Palestinians in order to undermine Fatah and Arafat. That Hamas went on to win the elections and subsequently for the Palestinian Authority to be effectively divided in two is something that will suit those who wish no peace that involves Israel surrendering an inch of land. It may bring no peace or security, but the low grade incursions Hamas makes into Israel may well be seen as a price worth paying by those who seek endless confrontation.
(US article - "Hamas: Son of Israel" - http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=8449 )
Today, one speaker hit the nail on the head for me: when he saw children weeping amid the ruins of their homes, he thought of his children; when he saw an old woman bleeding in a hospital, he thought of his own mother; when he saw houses turned to rubble, with people trying to dig their neighbours out, he thought of his own neighbours. I think it is this, the commonality of suffering, that should bind us together in campaigning for peace - by marching, by writing to MPs, emailing newspapers, by talking to any who will listen.
Only by accident are we born where we are born; but we are all part of humanity, and there is only one earth. What happens anywhere should concern us all – enough at least to stop shopping and start shouting.
The land attack has begun – there will be more demonstrations in the UK and around the world in the days to come. These will all be chances for us to make our voices heard to save Gaza, and all of us.
When the Nazis came for the communists
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
- Pastor Martin Niemoller
Shout loud - peace and justice almost happened before; we can make it happen again...
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Sunday, January 04, 2009
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Who the hell is Matt Smith?
Wow. That was a bit of a shocker.
I was getting so annoyed with the build up, though. Any other time, you would love to see these old clips of previous doctors and episodes, but there came a point when I was screaming, at nobody in particular, "just f***ing tell us". We knew it wasn't Paterson Joseph within the first 10 seconds, cos they said it was somebody young, which just made it all worse.
And then all of a sudden, with no fanfare, this strange hairstyle attached to a quite beautiful face pops up, and your eyes are drawn to the caption "Matt Smith, Eleventh Doctor".
I expect his will be one of the most googled names of the day. I didn't recognise him immediately, cos I'm rubbish with faces, but when they showed the clips of Party Animals, I remembered how much I'd enjoyed his performance as Danny as the sane head trying to keep a rapidly disintegrating minister together.
Anyway, hats off to Mr Moffatt and co for keeping us all in suspenders so well. I think Matt Smith has potential. It shows something about the confidence of the production team that they are willing to cast someone who isn't a household name to take over after the highly successful Eccleston and Tennant years.
I can't say that I'm looking forward to seeing him in the role because that would be wishing David Tennant's time away, and I don't want to do that, but I do wish him all the best, and I'm sure that all we Who fans in the Lib Dems and beyond will have much to say when he finally takes control of the Tardis.
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I was getting so annoyed with the build up, though. Any other time, you would love to see these old clips of previous doctors and episodes, but there came a point when I was screaming, at nobody in particular, "just f***ing tell us". We knew it wasn't Paterson Joseph within the first 10 seconds, cos they said it was somebody young, which just made it all worse.
And then all of a sudden, with no fanfare, this strange hairstyle attached to a quite beautiful face pops up, and your eyes are drawn to the caption "Matt Smith, Eleventh Doctor".
I expect his will be one of the most googled names of the day. I didn't recognise him immediately, cos I'm rubbish with faces, but when they showed the clips of Party Animals, I remembered how much I'd enjoyed his performance as Danny as the sane head trying to keep a rapidly disintegrating minister together.
Anyway, hats off to Mr Moffatt and co for keeping us all in suspenders so well. I think Matt Smith has potential. It shows something about the confidence of the production team that they are willing to cast someone who isn't a household name to take over after the highly successful Eccleston and Tennant years.
I can't say that I'm looking forward to seeing him in the role because that would be wishing David Tennant's time away, and I don't want to do that, but I do wish him all the best, and I'm sure that all we Who fans in the Lib Dems and beyond will have much to say when he finally takes control of the Tardis.
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A Day of Anticipation, Excitement and a bit of disappointment
The disappointment comes from the fact that I am here at my laptop and not in Edinburgh going round the Winter Wonderland after going to the demo against Israel's increasingly appalling action in Gaza. I have got a bug the details of which you are best left ignorant. Unfortunately, though, it looks as though I will have further opportunities to demonstrate as the Israelis just seem to be getting more and more aggressive. Presumably because they can.
Anyway, the anticipation is because of the annoucement in less than two hours of the name of the actor who is to replace David Tennant as Doctor Who. Names such as David Morrissey, Paterson Joseph, Catherine Zeta Jones (what on earth was Russell on when he suggetsed her?) and Lesley Sharp have been thrown into the ring at various points. All the smart money is on Paterson Joseph. I've only ever seen him in Survivors, and thought he was very good, so I could live with him.
I quite like the way the BBC are doing this - announcing a special Dr Who Confidential 24 hours out and live streaming it onto big screens across the country - so if we had been in Edinburgh I'd have nipped across to the station to watch it.
One hour, 38 minutes and counting......
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Anyway, the anticipation is because of the annoucement in less than two hours of the name of the actor who is to replace David Tennant as Doctor Who. Names such as David Morrissey, Paterson Joseph, Catherine Zeta Jones (what on earth was Russell on when he suggetsed her?) and Lesley Sharp have been thrown into the ring at various points. All the smart money is on Paterson Joseph. I've only ever seen him in Survivors, and thought he was very good, so I could live with him.
I quite like the way the BBC are doing this - announcing a special Dr Who Confidential 24 hours out and live streaming it onto big screens across the country - so if we had been in Edinburgh I'd have nipped across to the station to watch it.
One hour, 38 minutes and counting......
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Friday, January 02, 2009
9 for 09
I guess it's my turn to try the fortune telling lark. It will be interesting to look back on 31st December and see how many of these actually come true. I suspect this will be more Sybil Trelawney than anything else, although she did get it right once..........
Anyway, here goes:
1 Obama will have a brief honeymoon and then his popularity will drop like a stone as the recession bites in the US and he fails to magic it all away when he takes office. He has already tried to manage expectations about this - in his victory speech he said that he couldn't do it all at once, but I suspect that people will want too much, too soon from him. I think any blip will be temporary as he has the communication skills to deal with it and things will be better by the mid-terms in 2010.
2. There will not be a UK general election in 2009. I don't think the polls are clear cut enough to make Gordon think it's worth the risk. Once he calls the election, there will be a particularly vicious, dirty scrap between Labour and the Tories south of the border which will probably endear neither of them to anybody. Nobody can really predict the outcome and literally anything could happen and I doubt that he would want to take the risk. I think Gordon should announce that he's going in April 2010 and introduce legislation for fixed term parliaments and have done with it.
3. The Liberal Democrats will make steady progress throughout the year. This might not come out so much in the polls, but more in the preparation and continuing the structural changes we need within the party. I think that we will do better than we think in the European elections.
4. Tavish Scott already hit the ground running as Scottish Lib Dem leader in 2009 and will establish himself as the true opposition leader in Holyrood. Annabel is too schoolmarmy and Iain Gray too boring to make an impact. In Tavish we have a warrior with Viking tenacity and fight in him - watch this space as he makes further dents in the Salmond ego and shows the SNP Government up for its failings.
5. Having screeched to a halt in Glenrothes, the SNP juggernaut actually starts to go into reverse. Questions will be asked about what exactly they have achieved, and if they fail to move on key issues such as their extra national income tax, their illiberal plans to stop 18-21 year old adults buying alcohol in off licences and the joke that is their Scottish Futures Trust to name but 3, then they are going to come seriously unstuck.
6. Unless someone takes Israel by the scruff of the neck and says, ok, unless you stop your disproportionate and aggressive behaviour, we are not going to give you any more money/weapons/invites to the White House for tea and sandwiches etc, then the situation in the Middle East will get a whole lot worse. Obama and Clinton need to give the Israeli Government a good talking to, and threaten them if they have to. It will be better for everyone in the Middle East in the long term if they do.
7. The banks will end free banking on current accounts in credit and start charging either a monthly fee, or a charge for every transaction. The last few months has proved that they simply don't care about public opinion and they don't really get what they have done wrong. It's time to make sure that the necessary regulations are put in place to avoid their irresponsible behaviour from putting the economy in jeopardy again. If they won't act in a sustainable way by themselves, then they have to be forced to.
8. A major broadcaster will throw all their toys out of the pram in spectacular fashion after being prevented from doing something perfectly legitimate, but mildly outrageous, because of fears of a Daily Mail Brand/Ross style backlash.
9. Homelessness reaches crisis point as repossessions and evictions force families onto the street and local councils simply can't cope with the demand for emergency accommodation. Preventative action now might help, but I suspect people will have to endure incredible misery before something is done to help them.
10. On a lighter note, the Pet Shop Boys new album will be fabulous, as will the new Harry Potter film. And David Tennant's departure from Doctor Who will be spectacular and emotional. Don't ask me who the new Doctor will be - although I suspect it won't be either David Morrissey or Lesley Sharp. Oh, and Andrew Lloyd Webber will produce a fabulous and very catchy song for Eurovision, which will still get trashed in the competition because of political voting.
Now, those were the predictions, but what are my hopes for this year? World peace and an end to poverty go without saying.
1. Obviously, and most importantly, that Bob, Anna and I get through the year happily and healthily.
2. That Anna continues to do well at school and grows in confidence, quirkiness and curiosity. While I would like her occasionally to just do what I ask without entering into debate (and some of it can be high quality stuff), I don't want to subdue her questioning of authority or her sense of fun.
3. That Powder Puff the hamster will be joined by two new rabbits in the Spring time - this will happen if Anna continues to look after her as well as she has done up until now.
4. That both Bob and I manage to lose some weight and get fit. I know that this is not going to happen by magic and we have to eat better and take more exercise to make it happen.
5. That I manage to get some sort of balance between home and the Liberal Democrats and that I finally get around to tidying the house on a regular basis. But there's always something better to do, a book to read, a place to go, a blog post to write...
And that we find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, find a unicorn in our back garden one morning and definitively discover that the moon is made of cream cheese, cos they are all as likely.
6. That the BBC does not muck around with Strictly too much. Let's not have them pick the young, fit and beautiful exclusively. It's a Saturday night light entertainment show, not a dance competition. Part of its appeal is that the likes of you and I can think that we might just be able to learn to dance. If they can all do it from the start, then we might as well give the show back. They obviously need to sort out the situation with ties on the leaderboard, but they shouldn't diminish the role of the judges, who should continue to speak their minds. I would put the results show back on to Saturday though - I can never wait until Sunday to find out what's happened and it always leaks.
7. That Louis Walsh gets a playmate on the X Factor. He has at times been like a wee lost soul this year without Sharon who was his partner in outrageous and often very funny antics. Oh, and for people not to get stressed when their favourite gets voted off one of these tv programmes - that's kind of the whole point, and there's no point in raising it in Parliament if you don't like the result.
8. That Andy Murray finally makes his mark on Wimbledon.
9. That the whole ridiculous notion of a Team GB football squad for the Olympics in 2012 gets kicked into the long grass where it belongs.
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Anyway, here goes:
1 Obama will have a brief honeymoon and then his popularity will drop like a stone as the recession bites in the US and he fails to magic it all away when he takes office. He has already tried to manage expectations about this - in his victory speech he said that he couldn't do it all at once, but I suspect that people will want too much, too soon from him. I think any blip will be temporary as he has the communication skills to deal with it and things will be better by the mid-terms in 2010.
2. There will not be a UK general election in 2009. I don't think the polls are clear cut enough to make Gordon think it's worth the risk. Once he calls the election, there will be a particularly vicious, dirty scrap between Labour and the Tories south of the border which will probably endear neither of them to anybody. Nobody can really predict the outcome and literally anything could happen and I doubt that he would want to take the risk. I think Gordon should announce that he's going in April 2010 and introduce legislation for fixed term parliaments and have done with it.
3. The Liberal Democrats will make steady progress throughout the year. This might not come out so much in the polls, but more in the preparation and continuing the structural changes we need within the party. I think that we will do better than we think in the European elections.
4. Tavish Scott already hit the ground running as Scottish Lib Dem leader in 2009 and will establish himself as the true opposition leader in Holyrood. Annabel is too schoolmarmy and Iain Gray too boring to make an impact. In Tavish we have a warrior with Viking tenacity and fight in him - watch this space as he makes further dents in the Salmond ego and shows the SNP Government up for its failings.
5. Having screeched to a halt in Glenrothes, the SNP juggernaut actually starts to go into reverse. Questions will be asked about what exactly they have achieved, and if they fail to move on key issues such as their extra national income tax, their illiberal plans to stop 18-21 year old adults buying alcohol in off licences and the joke that is their Scottish Futures Trust to name but 3, then they are going to come seriously unstuck.
6. Unless someone takes Israel by the scruff of the neck and says, ok, unless you stop your disproportionate and aggressive behaviour, we are not going to give you any more money/weapons/invites to the White House for tea and sandwiches etc, then the situation in the Middle East will get a whole lot worse. Obama and Clinton need to give the Israeli Government a good talking to, and threaten them if they have to. It will be better for everyone in the Middle East in the long term if they do.
7. The banks will end free banking on current accounts in credit and start charging either a monthly fee, or a charge for every transaction. The last few months has proved that they simply don't care about public opinion and they don't really get what they have done wrong. It's time to make sure that the necessary regulations are put in place to avoid their irresponsible behaviour from putting the economy in jeopardy again. If they won't act in a sustainable way by themselves, then they have to be forced to.
8. A major broadcaster will throw all their toys out of the pram in spectacular fashion after being prevented from doing something perfectly legitimate, but mildly outrageous, because of fears of a Daily Mail Brand/Ross style backlash.
9. Homelessness reaches crisis point as repossessions and evictions force families onto the street and local councils simply can't cope with the demand for emergency accommodation. Preventative action now might help, but I suspect people will have to endure incredible misery before something is done to help them.
10. On a lighter note, the Pet Shop Boys new album will be fabulous, as will the new Harry Potter film. And David Tennant's departure from Doctor Who will be spectacular and emotional. Don't ask me who the new Doctor will be - although I suspect it won't be either David Morrissey or Lesley Sharp. Oh, and Andrew Lloyd Webber will produce a fabulous and very catchy song for Eurovision, which will still get trashed in the competition because of political voting.
Now, those were the predictions, but what are my hopes for this year? World peace and an end to poverty go without saying.
1. Obviously, and most importantly, that Bob, Anna and I get through the year happily and healthily.
2. That Anna continues to do well at school and grows in confidence, quirkiness and curiosity. While I would like her occasionally to just do what I ask without entering into debate (and some of it can be high quality stuff), I don't want to subdue her questioning of authority or her sense of fun.
3. That Powder Puff the hamster will be joined by two new rabbits in the Spring time - this will happen if Anna continues to look after her as well as she has done up until now.
4. That both Bob and I manage to lose some weight and get fit. I know that this is not going to happen by magic and we have to eat better and take more exercise to make it happen.
5. That I manage to get some sort of balance between home and the Liberal Democrats and that I finally get around to tidying the house on a regular basis. But there's always something better to do, a book to read, a place to go, a blog post to write...
And that we find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, find a unicorn in our back garden one morning and definitively discover that the moon is made of cream cheese, cos they are all as likely.
6. That the BBC does not muck around with Strictly too much. Let's not have them pick the young, fit and beautiful exclusively. It's a Saturday night light entertainment show, not a dance competition. Part of its appeal is that the likes of you and I can think that we might just be able to learn to dance. If they can all do it from the start, then we might as well give the show back. They obviously need to sort out the situation with ties on the leaderboard, but they shouldn't diminish the role of the judges, who should continue to speak their minds. I would put the results show back on to Saturday though - I can never wait until Sunday to find out what's happened and it always leaks.
7. That Louis Walsh gets a playmate on the X Factor. He has at times been like a wee lost soul this year without Sharon who was his partner in outrageous and often very funny antics. Oh, and for people not to get stressed when their favourite gets voted off one of these tv programmes - that's kind of the whole point, and there's no point in raising it in Parliament if you don't like the result.
8. That Andy Murray finally makes his mark on Wimbledon.
9. That the whole ridiculous notion of a Team GB football squad for the Olympics in 2012 gets kicked into the long grass where it belongs.
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Thursday, January 01, 2009
Caron's Blog of the Year 2008
I meant to put this in my review of last year and then forgot. It's clearly going to take more than the dawn of a new year to resolve my scattiness issues.
Anyway, I've spent more time in the blogosphere this year than ever before and I have some firm favourites. For inimitable insight combined with just the right amount of geekiness, there's no rival to Stephen. For Victor Meldrew chic, where better to turn than my tribute blog? I hope that he returns to full time blogging in the New Year. If I want to read something sensible about US politics, Paul or Duncan can always be relied upon to deliver the goods.
If I want good, serious analysis of the international situation, particularly as regards Russia and Eastern Europe, or the challenges facing the financial markets, I look no further than Cicero's Songs
Outside the Party, nobody delivers insults and right wing bile better than Mr Eugenides, even though (and he'll kill me for saying this, he's a really nice bloke in real life. What worries me is that I've agreed with him twice this year:-)
Tom Harris, although he occasionally spouts the creme of Labour bollocks, has led the way for the Labour Party in engaging with the blogosphere and I can forgive his occasional patronising claptrap because most of what he writes is done with good humour and he also does a whole load of X Factor and Doctor Who stuff.
Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting can always be relied upon for good debate, and he does occasionally try to wind me up. I also read Mr MacNumpty for a good Nationalist perspective on life as well as debate on Strictly Come Dancing.
I miss Kezia Dugdale very much for news from a Labour perspective, but Yousuf has been good for debate and is willing to speak out, particularly on issues like the Israeli action in Gaza.
There are so many others I could mention - Costigan Quist is rapidly becoming a favourite for his humourous and irreverent take on life and liberalism.
I can only pick one favourite, though, and for me, this one stands head and shoulders above the others. Step forward Jennie, whose Yorksher Gob is original, occasioally outrageous and outstanding. If you want to combine the Lib Dems, Star Trek, Doctor Who and Harry Potter, to name just some of the things she writes about, you could do no better than make the Yorkser Gob a daily must read.
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Anyway, I've spent more time in the blogosphere this year than ever before and I have some firm favourites. For inimitable insight combined with just the right amount of geekiness, there's no rival to Stephen. For Victor Meldrew chic, where better to turn than my tribute blog? I hope that he returns to full time blogging in the New Year. If I want to read something sensible about US politics, Paul or Duncan can always be relied upon to deliver the goods.
If I want good, serious analysis of the international situation, particularly as regards Russia and Eastern Europe, or the challenges facing the financial markets, I look no further than Cicero's Songs
Outside the Party, nobody delivers insults and right wing bile better than Mr Eugenides, even though (and he'll kill me for saying this, he's a really nice bloke in real life. What worries me is that I've agreed with him twice this year:-)
Tom Harris, although he occasionally spouts the creme of Labour bollocks, has led the way for the Labour Party in engaging with the blogosphere and I can forgive his occasional patronising claptrap because most of what he writes is done with good humour and he also does a whole load of X Factor and Doctor Who stuff.
Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting can always be relied upon for good debate, and he does occasionally try to wind me up. I also read Mr MacNumpty for a good Nationalist perspective on life as well as debate on Strictly Come Dancing.
I miss Kezia Dugdale very much for news from a Labour perspective, but Yousuf has been good for debate and is willing to speak out, particularly on issues like the Israeli action in Gaza.
There are so many others I could mention - Costigan Quist is rapidly becoming a favourite for his humourous and irreverent take on life and liberalism.
I can only pick one favourite, though, and for me, this one stands head and shoulders above the others. Step forward Jennie, whose Yorksher Gob is original, occasioally outrageous and outstanding. If you want to combine the Lib Dems, Star Trek, Doctor Who and Harry Potter, to name just some of the things she writes about, you could do no better than make the Yorkser Gob a daily must read.
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Ros Scott's first message as President
Ros Scott's first message as President (oh, how good does that sound) is here as a reminder that hard work really does pay off. It's great to see her plans for the future and to have confidence that she will be a full time president who will devote her time to growing the party and supporting campaigns and activists.
One telling thought from her earlier post. Apparently her 3 week stay at home over Christmas is the longest she will have been there since the Summer of 2007, which shows the personal sacrifice she has made for her campaign.
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One telling thought from her earlier post. Apparently her 3 week stay at home over Christmas is the longest she will have been there since the Summer of 2007, which shows the personal sacrifice she has made for her campaign.
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Some Reflections on 2008
I should have done this last night, but was distracted by an invitation to visit some real people, which you should never turn down.
We had great fun with Stevie and the girls, his brother Kevin, brother-in-law Ally and his girlfriend Kay. I don't think I have ever heard such ecstacy in my whole life as when Stevie finally worked out how to score a goal in Football on the Wii. The extra time alone was 3 times more than the match had been, and the resulting celebrations made the stuff that goes on in a real football pitch seem very tame and polite.
Anyway, we all really missed Anne, who was working last night.
The last year which started in the McGinnigle house, 2006, was a really good one, so here's hoping that they have worked their magic again.
But on to the serious stuff. A quick look back on the year just gone - Caron's awards, voted for nobody but myself and so entirely subjective.
First, a word about sexiest politicians awards. Men, Obama has this one sown up for hte forseeable, so the rest of you, even Nick Clegg, are just going to have to look into your mirrors and weep.
Now, on to the serious (ish) stuff:
Defining Moment of 2008 has to be Obama's acceptance speech. I could have picked any moment in September when Robert Peston was more famous than Simon Cowell and God, but let's be optimistic.
In case you missed it, here it is again - a treat and a defining moment probably in the whole of history, not just this year. It was remarkable that a man who I was at best lukewarm to at the beginning of the year actually managed to get under my skin and make me like him. Still not sure on the substance, though........
UK Politician of the Year - has to be Vince Cable for his wise and prescient comments on the economy. He saw the financial meltdown coming for years and spoke with more credibility and authority in outlining our proposals to help the economy recover in a sustainable way. His challenge for 2009 is to turn this into success for the party.
Scottish Politician of the Year - Tavish Scott, who, in 4 short months, has done a great deal to build the profile of the Scottish Liberal Democrats after a couple of tough years. He has led the way on tax cuts and HBOS and has started to make much needed changes in the party. It's good to have a leader who has a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve and how he wants to go about it. His challenge for 2009 is to galvanise and motivate the Party to deliver a winning campaign for George Lyon in Europe.
Scottish Political Moment of the Year in terms of media headlines, honours would probably be shared between the SNP's narrow victory in the Glasgow East and then Labour's convincing win in Glenrothes, bringing the Nationalist juggernaut to a screeching halt. I have to offer a health warning for the appalling language, and I clearly have no sympathy with the sentiments expressed, but the viral videos prepared by both sides in a parody of the film Downfall, shows how bitter and twisted they can both be. I'm not embedding them but if you want to watch them, here's the Glasgow East one and here's the Glenrothes one. I will confess to some moments of mild hilarity when first watching them, but, like a fast food burger, any feeling of satisfaction is quickly over.
However, I would give my award for moment of the year to the Scottish Parliament for voting down the SNP Government's ludicrous and illiberal proposals to prevent under 21s buying alcohol in off licenses. It shows that the Parliament is still capable of working together to vote down illiberal proposals. Let's hope that this idea is now quietly forgotten.
Political Campaigner of the Year
This one has to go to Baroness Ros Scott, new Liberal Democrat President. Who on earth would have thought, 18 months ago, that a humble Peer would beat one of the best known names in the Party. It's a tribute to her sheer hard work in travelling the length and breadth of the country, supporting local campaigning here, there and everywhere combined with use of the best the internet has to offer. And, by the way, her campaign database software is the basis of the future. Her comprehensive victory was well deserved and I feel that the Party is in safe hands for her term.
Congratulations to her and the Honourable Lady Mark for starting as they mean to go on, by continuing to support local campaigns, in particular Grace Goodlad's campaign in East Wickham at the moment.
Political Villains of the Year I'd go for the Democratic Unionist MPs for voting with the Government on 42 days' detention proposals. Of course, the decision to, later in the year, abandon proposals to extend UK abortion laws to Northern Ireland was completely coincidental. The proposals were ultimately defeated by the House of Lords, forcing a humiliating Government climbdown.
Coward of the Year
The BBC for cravenly buckling to the Daily Mail lobby over Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. Stupid and insensitive though they were, the BBC should have been more robust in defending itself.
My personal favourite moments of the year, in my life
Watching Anna perform confidently on stage in Mallorca so many times during our holiday.
Going out with my husband to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary
Watching Anna in her choir Christmas concert
Trying on inappropriately high heeled shoes with my niece Emma when she came to stay the other week.
Sitting up and live-blogging the US elections, however stupid that may have been in terms of being exhausted the next day.
Low Points of the year
The darned virus from which I have still not fully recovered, which laid me low in mid November.
Breaking down on the way home from the Glenrothes count.
Trashy TV Moment of the Year
For this one, I've considered John Sergeant quitting Strictly, which took all the headlines for days and was even mentioned in Parliament, the Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue spat on the X Factor where her tears saw the sweet and good natured Louis hysterically branded a bully in most of the press and the Strictly voting fiasco which propelled Tom Chambers from certain elimination to winning the series. However we have to go back to May for the Winner - the Kosher Chicken fiasco from the Apprentice. If this is typical of the stupidity of future entrepreneurs, then we are all doomed:
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We had great fun with Stevie and the girls, his brother Kevin, brother-in-law Ally and his girlfriend Kay. I don't think I have ever heard such ecstacy in my whole life as when Stevie finally worked out how to score a goal in Football on the Wii. The extra time alone was 3 times more than the match had been, and the resulting celebrations made the stuff that goes on in a real football pitch seem very tame and polite.
Anyway, we all really missed Anne, who was working last night.
The last year which started in the McGinnigle house, 2006, was a really good one, so here's hoping that they have worked their magic again.
But on to the serious stuff. A quick look back on the year just gone - Caron's awards, voted for nobody but myself and so entirely subjective.
First, a word about sexiest politicians awards. Men, Obama has this one sown up for hte forseeable, so the rest of you, even Nick Clegg, are just going to have to look into your mirrors and weep.
Now, on to the serious (ish) stuff:
Defining Moment of 2008 has to be Obama's acceptance speech. I could have picked any moment in September when Robert Peston was more famous than Simon Cowell and God, but let's be optimistic.
In case you missed it, here it is again - a treat and a defining moment probably in the whole of history, not just this year. It was remarkable that a man who I was at best lukewarm to at the beginning of the year actually managed to get under my skin and make me like him. Still not sure on the substance, though........
UK Politician of the Year - has to be Vince Cable for his wise and prescient comments on the economy. He saw the financial meltdown coming for years and spoke with more credibility and authority in outlining our proposals to help the economy recover in a sustainable way. His challenge for 2009 is to turn this into success for the party.
Scottish Politician of the Year - Tavish Scott, who, in 4 short months, has done a great deal to build the profile of the Scottish Liberal Democrats after a couple of tough years. He has led the way on tax cuts and HBOS and has started to make much needed changes in the party. It's good to have a leader who has a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve and how he wants to go about it. His challenge for 2009 is to galvanise and motivate the Party to deliver a winning campaign for George Lyon in Europe.
Scottish Political Moment of the Year in terms of media headlines, honours would probably be shared between the SNP's narrow victory in the Glasgow East and then Labour's convincing win in Glenrothes, bringing the Nationalist juggernaut to a screeching halt. I have to offer a health warning for the appalling language, and I clearly have no sympathy with the sentiments expressed, but the viral videos prepared by both sides in a parody of the film Downfall, shows how bitter and twisted they can both be. I'm not embedding them but if you want to watch them, here's the Glasgow East one and here's the Glenrothes one. I will confess to some moments of mild hilarity when first watching them, but, like a fast food burger, any feeling of satisfaction is quickly over.
However, I would give my award for moment of the year to the Scottish Parliament for voting down the SNP Government's ludicrous and illiberal proposals to prevent under 21s buying alcohol in off licenses. It shows that the Parliament is still capable of working together to vote down illiberal proposals. Let's hope that this idea is now quietly forgotten.
Political Campaigner of the Year
This one has to go to Baroness Ros Scott, new Liberal Democrat President. Who on earth would have thought, 18 months ago, that a humble Peer would beat one of the best known names in the Party. It's a tribute to her sheer hard work in travelling the length and breadth of the country, supporting local campaigning here, there and everywhere combined with use of the best the internet has to offer. And, by the way, her campaign database software is the basis of the future. Her comprehensive victory was well deserved and I feel that the Party is in safe hands for her term.
Congratulations to her and the Honourable Lady Mark for starting as they mean to go on, by continuing to support local campaigns, in particular Grace Goodlad's campaign in East Wickham at the moment.
Political Villains of the Year I'd go for the Democratic Unionist MPs for voting with the Government on 42 days' detention proposals. Of course, the decision to, later in the year, abandon proposals to extend UK abortion laws to Northern Ireland was completely coincidental. The proposals were ultimately defeated by the House of Lords, forcing a humiliating Government climbdown.
Coward of the Year
The BBC for cravenly buckling to the Daily Mail lobby over Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. Stupid and insensitive though they were, the BBC should have been more robust in defending itself.
My personal favourite moments of the year, in my life
Watching Anna perform confidently on stage in Mallorca so many times during our holiday.
Going out with my husband to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary
Watching Anna in her choir Christmas concert
Trying on inappropriately high heeled shoes with my niece Emma when she came to stay the other week.
Sitting up and live-blogging the US elections, however stupid that may have been in terms of being exhausted the next day.
Low Points of the year
The darned virus from which I have still not fully recovered, which laid me low in mid November.
Breaking down on the way home from the Glenrothes count.
Trashy TV Moment of the Year
For this one, I've considered John Sergeant quitting Strictly, which took all the headlines for days and was even mentioned in Parliament, the Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue spat on the X Factor where her tears saw the sweet and good natured Louis hysterically branded a bully in most of the press and the Strictly voting fiasco which propelled Tom Chambers from certain elimination to winning the series. However we have to go back to May for the Winner - the Kosher Chicken fiasco from the Apprentice. If this is typical of the stupidity of future entrepreneurs, then we are all doomed:
LibDig This!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Clegg calls for EU action against Israel over Gaza
Glad to see that our leader, Nick Clegg, is urging the EU to suspend a proposed co-operation deal with Israel.
It would be a start and a major signal that a significant body of international opinion opposes Israel's continued and disproportionate action in Gaza.
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It would be a start and a major signal that a significant body of international opinion opposes Israel's continued and disproportionate action in Gaza.
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Middle East Peace Protests in Scotland this weekend
For all who are interested in the cause of Middle East peace, there are demonstrations in Edinburgh and Glasgow this weekend.
We hope to be going to the Edinburgh one, depending on how Bob is, to show our opposition to the thoroughly disproportionate and indiscriminate Israeli action.
Sending the bombers in is not going to bring about any sort of lasting peace and will only breed greater resentment and carry on this hatred for anothe generation. It has to stop somewhere, and the international community has a responsibility to take action.
Saturday 3 Jan, Gaza Protest, (Glasgow)
12noon outside Lloyds TSB, St Vincent Street Glasgow and then assemble for demo at Blythswood Square, 2pm Supported by Scottish PSC and Stop the War Scotland
Saturday 3 Jan, Gaza Protest, (Edinburgh)
12 noon, Foot of the Mound, Princes Street, Edinburgh Supported by Scottish PSC and Stop the War Scotland
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We hope to be going to the Edinburgh one, depending on how Bob is, to show our opposition to the thoroughly disproportionate and indiscriminate Israeli action.
Sending the bombers in is not going to bring about any sort of lasting peace and will only breed greater resentment and carry on this hatred for anothe generation. It has to stop somewhere, and the international community has a responsibility to take action.
Saturday 3 Jan, Gaza Protest, (Glasgow)
12noon outside Lloyds TSB, St Vincent Street Glasgow and then assemble for demo at Blythswood Square, 2pm Supported by Scottish PSC and Stop the War Scotland
Saturday 3 Jan, Gaza Protest, (Edinburgh)
12 noon, Foot of the Mound, Princes Street, Edinburgh Supported by Scottish PSC and Stop the War Scotland
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Monday, December 29, 2008
Congratulations, Andrew Reeves.....
....on being noticed by Iain Dale, the Tory one, finally, despite your wonderful blog having been around for quite some time.
You don't blog often enough, but I love reading it when you do.
Edit just to say that I've just looked on Iain Dale's directory, and he has you twice:-)
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You don't blog often enough, but I love reading it when you do.
Edit just to say that I've just looked on Iain Dale's directory, and he has you twice:-)
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If it were anyone else but Israel...............
....carryng out airstrikes, killing innocent civilians, there would be talk of military intervention, UN resolutions, sanctions, possible invasion and war, lines in the sand and "this will not stand."
Why do they always get away with it?
I'm not sticking up for Hamas, by the way - their record at pursuing peace isn't great. Chosen by the Palestinian people out of frustration after decades of oppression and being ignored by the international community, they are not a bunch of cuddly teddy bears by any stretch of the imagination.
Someone, somewhere, has to make this stop. President-Elect Obama, Secretary of State Designate Clinton, I think this means you.
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Why do they always get away with it?
I'm not sticking up for Hamas, by the way - their record at pursuing peace isn't great. Chosen by the Palestinian people out of frustration after decades of oppression and being ignored by the international community, they are not a bunch of cuddly teddy bears by any stretch of the imagination.
Someone, somewhere, has to make this stop. President-Elect Obama, Secretary of State Designate Clinton, I think this means you.
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Facebook gets in a lather about breastfeeding
Hat tip to Morgan for re-alerting us to the issue of Facebook deleting photographs of nursing mothers posted to members' individual photo albums on the social networking site.
I fail to see how a breast, mostly obscured by the back of the baby's head, could be offensive to anybody. And if some people do have an issue with it then they don't have to look at them.
It's time for Facebook to grow up and be more discerning about what it considers to be obscene.
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I fail to see how a breast, mostly obscured by the back of the baby's head, could be offensive to anybody. And if some people do have an issue with it then they don't have to look at them.
It's time for Facebook to grow up and be more discerning about what it considers to be obscene.
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A new generation falls for Brucie's charms
BBC2 showed the 1973 Generation Game Christmas Special the other night, which I duly recorded because I adored the show when I was a little girl. I also would never have seen this one as we were on one of the two family holidays we went on during my childhood, in Estoril. In those dark, prehistoric days, there was no infernal wickedness of Sky Plus, or even VHS, and colour tvs were the must-have item.
I was totally unprepared for how Anna reacted when we watched it back together. I had billed it as "come and see what Mummy watched when she was a little girl" fully expecting her to slope off back to her Puppies in my Pocket or Powder Puff the Hamster with a shrug after five minutes or so.
She loved it. And I mean really loved it to the extent that she is still talking about it two days later and has forbidden me to delete it from the infernal wickedness of Sky Plus.
While I was cringing at Brucie's bright red trousers and bright blue jacket, not to mention the patronising way he interracted with all the females on the show, she was laughing her socks off at Frankie Howerd, giggling at the contestants' well meaning but not very good efforts at the mince pie and Christmas cracker making games, and asking what all the topical jokes meant. She now knows that somebody called Mr Gormley wouldn't let the minerrs go to work back then. She loved the seven cuddly toys on the conveyor belt and could not believe that the star prize, a Trinitron Colour Television, which was presumably top of the range way back then, was in fact a tv. She said it looked like a microwave and could not be persuaded otherwise.
All in all, it was an enjoyable trip down Memory Lane for me - I just wish they had more of these that I could show her.
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I was totally unprepared for how Anna reacted when we watched it back together. I had billed it as "come and see what Mummy watched when she was a little girl" fully expecting her to slope off back to her Puppies in my Pocket or Powder Puff the Hamster with a shrug after five minutes or so.
She loved it. And I mean really loved it to the extent that she is still talking about it two days later and has forbidden me to delete it from the infernal wickedness of Sky Plus.
While I was cringing at Brucie's bright red trousers and bright blue jacket, not to mention the patronising way he interracted with all the females on the show, she was laughing her socks off at Frankie Howerd, giggling at the contestants' well meaning but not very good efforts at the mince pie and Christmas cracker making games, and asking what all the topical jokes meant. She now knows that somebody called Mr Gormley wouldn't let the minerrs go to work back then. She loved the seven cuddly toys on the conveyor belt and could not believe that the star prize, a Trinitron Colour Television, which was presumably top of the range way back then, was in fact a tv. She said it looked like a microwave and could not be persuaded otherwise.
All in all, it was an enjoyable trip down Memory Lane for me - I just wish they had more of these that I could show her.
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Santa now in Italy
Is it just me or is Santa on a bit of a go slow this year? I am sure that he's been in Italy round about 8.30 or 9.00 in previous years but he's only just stopped off in Rome.
We are ready for him now and Anna is just waiting her instruction to go to bed from the trackers.
We have left a bottle of water and some home made mince pies and cheese for Santa and some special food for the reindeer, made by crushing weetabix with little glittery stars. I wonder what Nigella would make of that.
She has also warned little Powder Puff, her hamster, that she may be disturbed tonight when Santa comes to call.
It looks like my poor husband is coming down with a horrid lurgy, which is all a bit too much deja vu from last year.
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We are ready for him now and Anna is just waiting her instruction to go to bed from the trackers.
We have left a bottle of water and some home made mince pies and cheese for Santa and some special food for the reindeer, made by crushing weetabix with little glittery stars. I wonder what Nigella would make of that.
She has also warned little Powder Puff, her hamster, that she may be disturbed tonight when Santa comes to call.
It looks like my poor husband is coming down with a horrid lurgy, which is all a bit too much deja vu from last year.
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Santa on top of the world
NORAD have now posted the video of Santa flying over Mount Everest.
The report says that the reindeer eat healthy vegetables all year to give them the strength to fly through the cold.
So, there you are, if you, too want to fly over the highest peaks, you know what you have to do. I suspect it would have to be more than 5 a day, though.
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The report says that the reindeer eat healthy vegetables all year to give them the strength to fly through the cold.
So, there you are, if you, too want to fly over the highest peaks, you know what you have to do. I suspect it would have to be more than 5 a day, though.
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Tracking Santa Live Blog 2
17:22
We've had a short interlude for a visit from family and are now back to our occasional posting about Santa's journey. Please don't think I'm going to sit here shackled to the laptop when there is stuffing and mince pies to make.
We got the promised video from the Great Wall of China and Anna offered the information, which I'd never heard, that Rudolph is Dasher's second cousin. You learn something new every day.
Santa is now apparently in Kazakhstan, edging ever closer to here.
The NORAD site ties in to Google Earth so that you can actually go and watch Santa fly live through the skies. Oh the wonder:-)
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We've had a short interlude for a visit from family and are now back to our occasional posting about Santa's journey. Please don't think I'm going to sit here shackled to the laptop when there is stuffing and mince pies to make.
We got the promised video from the Great Wall of China and Anna offered the information, which I'd never heard, that Rudolph is Dasher's second cousin. You learn something new every day.
Santa is now apparently in Kazakhstan, edging ever closer to here.
The NORAD site ties in to Google Earth so that you can actually go and watch Santa fly live through the skies. Oh the wonder:-)
LibDig This!
Live Blog - Tracking Santa
Who says the US military has no good purpose?
Every year they track Santa's progress round the world on Christmas Eve and it has become something of a tradition in our house to follow him on his travels.
My daughter is not a child who likes to be early in her bed at night - but as soon as the warning comes that children in Europe should go to bed, she's off there like a shot.
I thought it might be fun to do a bit of a live blog - although we've started late. He's done Australia and New Zealand and is currently in South Korea.
Update 14:53 Santa now in Pyongyang. Hope the brutal North Korean regime don't shoot him down. Maybe the US is trialling cloaking technology or something to make him invisible:-)
15:10 He seems to have survived the totalitarian regime in NK - now at the Great Wall of China. We usually get a video from there......
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Every year they track Santa's progress round the world on Christmas Eve and it has become something of a tradition in our house to follow him on his travels.
My daughter is not a child who likes to be early in her bed at night - but as soon as the warning comes that children in Europe should go to bed, she's off there like a shot.
I thought it might be fun to do a bit of a live blog - although we've started late. He's done Australia and New Zealand and is currently in South Korea.
Update 14:53 Santa now in Pyongyang. Hope the brutal North Korean regime don't shoot him down. Maybe the US is trialling cloaking technology or something to make him invisible:-)
15:10 He seems to have survived the totalitarian regime in NK - now at the Great Wall of China. We usually get a video from there......
LibDig This!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Come on, Miss, where is your Christmas spirit?
A primary school teacher in Edinburgh has caused controversy by agreeing that Santa Claus does not exist.
When you discuss these matters, I feel it's always important to respect both believing and questioning children. All will come to their own conclusions in good time and surely it's best to let that process happen naturally.
For me, the truth of these matters is simple. Santa Claus comes to those children who believe in him. If any child stops believing in him, then of course their parents have to step in so that they don't find an empty stocking on Christmas mornning. I have said to my daughter that if she ever doubts, then she should give me the heads up so that I know that I have to buy her presents.
What worries me, though, is that this teacher, who probably has a perfectly good service record, might now be victimised, perhaps forced into the retirement the Evening News says she is close to. If it were for this reason alone, that would be silly.
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When you discuss these matters, I feel it's always important to respect both believing and questioning children. All will come to their own conclusions in good time and surely it's best to let that process happen naturally.
For me, the truth of these matters is simple. Santa Claus comes to those children who believe in him. If any child stops believing in him, then of course their parents have to step in so that they don't find an empty stocking on Christmas mornning. I have said to my daughter that if she ever doubts, then she should give me the heads up so that I know that I have to buy her presents.
What worries me, though, is that this teacher, who probably has a perfectly good service record, might now be victimised, perhaps forced into the retirement the Evening News says she is close to. If it were for this reason alone, that would be silly.
LibDig This!
Pope likens homosexuality to destruction of rain forests
Ok, I never was going to agree with anything the Pope had to say about homosexuality, but his latest rant has made me splutter with indignation over my morning Earl Grey.
I am not a fan of any organised religion to be honest, but I have studied many of them in my time. To me, the New Testament is all about tolerance, diversity and compassion replacing corrupt legalism.
It's hardly surprising that church attendance is dwindling these days when they get their priorities so, so wrong.
Sure, the destruction of the rainforests is a huge problem facing humanity. Every day habitats and ecosystems are ripped apart for short term commercial gain. We should all be angry about this.
Sexuality is private, individual and as much a part of us as our hair or eye colour. No church or state should interfere.
It really is that simple, as far as I am concerned.
Idina Menzel sums it up perfectly with her song Gorgeous, performed live in London earlier this year. As she says if you love somebody, you shouldn't have to answer to nobody. It makes a good antidote to prejudice and I love the music as much as the lyrics.
Edit - just to add another simplistic but typically funny view from Costigan and a deeper analysis from Liz.
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I am not a fan of any organised religion to be honest, but I have studied many of them in my time. To me, the New Testament is all about tolerance, diversity and compassion replacing corrupt legalism.
It's hardly surprising that church attendance is dwindling these days when they get their priorities so, so wrong.
Sure, the destruction of the rainforests is a huge problem facing humanity. Every day habitats and ecosystems are ripped apart for short term commercial gain. We should all be angry about this.
Sexuality is private, individual and as much a part of us as our hair or eye colour. No church or state should interfere.
It really is that simple, as far as I am concerned.
Idina Menzel sums it up perfectly with her song Gorgeous, performed live in London earlier this year. As she says if you love somebody, you shouldn't have to answer to nobody. It makes a good antidote to prejudice and I love the music as much as the lyrics.
Edit - just to add another simplistic but typically funny view from Costigan and a deeper analysis from Liz.
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Vicki Harris - a sad loss
I don't think I've ever known a festive season when so many people I know and care about have been grieving the loss of a loved one, among them the family and friends of Lib Dem legend Neil Trafford and the 3 children in my daughter's school having to face life without their mum, who died of cancer recently.
On top of that, I was very sad to hear last week of the death of Vicki Harris, former Lib Dem candidate in Aberdeen South. I had worked closely with her since moving back to Scotland in 2000 and particularly in the run up to the 2005 election where she so nearly unseated Anne Begg. She worked hard, campaigning ceaselessly for local people. I admired the fact that she let nothing faze her, and just got on with the job, bringing new people in to extend the delivery network and take on roles within her campaign.
My heart goes out to her husband, Mark, whom she married just one week before she passed away. He was her agent during the 2005 election and was such a calm, patient and wise support to her.
My mother-in-law passed away at Christmas 21 years ago. To lose someone close at any time of year is awful, but it seems so much worse now, when the emphasis is on being wtih loved ones.
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On top of that, I was very sad to hear last week of the death of Vicki Harris, former Lib Dem candidate in Aberdeen South. I had worked closely with her since moving back to Scotland in 2000 and particularly in the run up to the 2005 election where she so nearly unseated Anne Begg. She worked hard, campaigning ceaselessly for local people. I admired the fact that she let nothing faze her, and just got on with the job, bringing new people in to extend the delivery network and take on roles within her campaign.
My heart goes out to her husband, Mark, whom she married just one week before she passed away. He was her agent during the 2005 election and was such a calm, patient and wise support to her.
My mother-in-law passed away at Christmas 21 years ago. To lose someone close at any time of year is awful, but it seems so much worse now, when the emphasis is on being wtih loved ones.
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