R.I.P.

It seems as if every year someone the world will miss dies at Christmas. This year there were two: Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter and my favourite Catwoman Eartha Kitt.

They shall be heroes

Amongst the illustrious guests at Barack Obama's inauguration next month will be some, but not all, of the "Little Rock Nine whose attendance at a previously all white high school in Little Rock Arkansas over fifty years ago required the intervention some damned activist judges and the US Army.

Returning to the blogosphere...

...following the Christmas frenzy. I've just returned from several lovely days in the Kentish countryside to find that Captain Codpiece's competence remains unchanged in the (thankfully) final days of his imperial reigh.

A seranade for "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney

It seems that the evil one behind the throne has no regrets. Nonetheless I would think he probably should avoid holidaying in Spain in his retirement. They take a hard view on war criminals there.

And so in memory of "I'm a Big" Dick I give you the Sparrow.

A good week for Leonard Cohen

Sorry for the hiatus but suddenly Xmas activities seem overwhelming. I'm finally off duty for the year and have finished my shopping as of an hour ago so there is hope. Off to the pub for a pint.

In the meantime Leonard Cohen should be happy as three versions of his song Hallelujah find themselves in the British holiday charts; a so-so version by a reality TV (not really a) star is Xmas number one, Jeff Buckley's extraordinary version at number two and Mr. Cohen's own version snuck in at number thirty six.

Today in Schadenfreude

I'm sorry for the silence; blame it on job and social business. In the meantime read this and enjoy!

Because I've had this song stuck in my head for three days!

A great and important American voice falls silent

The great America folk singer and activist Odetta has died at 77. Sadly she was hoping to be able to sing at Obama's inagguaration next month.

War is Peace

Captain Codpiece has finally expressed regret over Iraq. Unfortunately his regret is that the intelligence was wrong NOT because he sent his country to war without any legal justification. But it's a start.

Today in Schadenfreude

Anorexic, radical right wing hag-ette Ann Coulter has had her jaw wired shut. I would have preferred that it was welded shut but one must take what one is offered!

Today in infamy

On this day in 1955 a tired Negro woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a richly deserving white man and America has been heading down the slippery slope towards multi-culturalism and away from the Anglo-Saxon dominated society envisioned by the founding fathers every since.