This has been a tough week. My work-life balance has taken a turn for the worse and has combined with approaching winter to mean I’m spending more of my daily commute in the dark. In addition, this week the media has been awash with stories that only evoke emotions running the full gamut from resigned depression to near-fury, mixed in with a bit of disappointment.
The ‘Black Wednesday’ Public Spending Review cuts have felt chaotic and depressing. The Government has gone out its way to present the policies as unavoidable and absolutely necessary. Yet they seem to want to have their cake and eat it too, insisting on the ‘fairness’ of their approach.
Well I’m sorry, but they should just have the courage of their convictions to front up and tell the truth. Cutting public sector jobs and services will disproportionately affect women (especially part-time/administrative staff), the lower-paid and families. One of my new favourite bloggers, Billynojob, has written many posts on this theme. The Tory Government almost seems to blame the poor and the long-term sick for being poor or long-term sick.
George Monbiot (not always my cup of tea) has highlighted an apparent agenda behind the slashing of QUANGOs. Earlier this year I wrote about my hopes for the Coalition Government. Hmmm, I’m not sure what I feel now; betrayed, naive, let-down…
So in other news…
Last week’s almost Hollywood rescue of the Chilean Miners was an undiluted piece of Good News to cheer the hearts of even the sternest, most cynical types. And if a picture paints a thousand words, these pictures are worth way more than anything I can say.
But alongside this, I have needed some silliness this week more than ever. Usually my ‘go-to’ remedies for a bad week are films like Withnail and I or In The Loop. More regularly in the last three years, I can also turn to The Bugle.
The Audio Newspaper For A Visual World is 3 years old this week, and it’s always a moment of joy when I listen to its opening theme-music. John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman are terrific foils for each other as they disappear on flights of fancy, including their ongoing obsessions with Plaxico Burress, Hugo Chavez, Silvio Berlusconi and Florence Nightingale.
In case you’re unfamiliar, John Oliver is a regular on The Daily Show and is based in New York City. He also featured in The Love Guru, and as such is still awaiting his Big Break into movies.
An excellent comedian who really should know better. And Mike Myers.
Andy Zaltzman is a master of the pun, enormous fan of cricket and consummate wordsmith. I also think he looks a bit like…
Springfield's finest stand-up, and Krusty The Clown.
The Bugle may be an acquired taste, but in this week’s 3rd Birthday show, they revelled in the unmitigated joy of the Chilean Miners’ story, declaring that we humans need this sort of thing once in a while to offset the daily gloom and Bad News that assaults us. “We are Joy Camels and our humps are thirsty”…
As a taster to their style, these two YouTube clips will give you an idea. I love The Bugle.
John Oliver gives the Democrats some assertiveness training…
Andy Zaltzman tells his Queen Victoria joke
