Grain Of Truth Publications presents:
Diary of an Ale-Fan
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March 2004
Monday, 1st March 2004
It's Only Fair
Today sees the start of Fairtrade Fortnight: 1st - 14th March 2004.
Fairtrade is something that's dear to my heart.
I've been buying Traidcraft
products for quite a number of years now, even in times when household
budgets were tight, and it's good to see that the fairtrade movement
continues to go from strength to strength.
Although some of the organisations supporting fair trade have a religious
dimension they don't overtly proselytise. Also one of the big players in the
movement is the secular Oxfam. So, (in an Australian voice) no worries then !
In Bury St Edmunds we are lucky because we have a shop, Just Traid, selling
fairly-traded products and complete with an excellent cafe as well. We
endeavour to visit the shop/cafe as often as we are able.
This world is full of exploitation, and goodness knows we have our fair
share of it in this country, and our social security system is also far from
perfect, but it is very hard to justify not paying a peasant farmer a living
wage for her/his produce just so that we can have cheap products or more
likely so that supermarkets can make high profits. Giving someone the
respect of being able to provide food, clothing and other basics for
themselves and their family is surely not too much to ask.
Even if you only buy one Fairtrade product with your regular shop I urge you
to do so - every little helps.
You can also buy online.
3rd March 2004
The Great Divide
For my sins, as I've mentioned before, I work for an American company. The company is based in the South East of the USA.
I've been there on three occasions; The last time being September 2001, when my stay was prolonged slightly, on account of the planes, they stopped flying !
My contact at head office, who I've met on those three occasions, is a women of about my age, who I like and get on well with. We'll call her J.
We often chat on the phone at work, and we occasionally exchange e-mails from home. We have a tendency to celebrate our differences, but we both have a similar cynical outlook on life.
My assistant is off sick at the moment, so I'm having to do some work. Bugger !
I've had to enter my own orders on the American system. I'm a bit rusty - J rings me up to point out that I keep making a fundamental mistake.
I blamed my age, and the software.
How on earth do you explain to an American what a TOG is ?
I tried and failed, realising that the more I said, the more complicated my explanation became.
Is it me ?
Sunday, 7th March 2004
Changes ?
Rather neglected my blogging of late. It's the usual case of too much to do and too little time to do it in.
Work, family and possible plans for the future have been taking up most of my time.
The rest of it - I'm just too knackered to do anything much apart from drink beer and/or vegetate.
On a number of occasions I've pointed out that I hate my job. It's now got to the point where I feel I need to do something about it !
One problem is my age. It's not going to be easy to get a job that I might enjoy and that pays a decent salary.
So I am now considering joining the ranks of the petty bourgeoisie.
It's a scary prospect, but if I don't do it now, I might never get another chance.
The trouble with living in a prosperous part of the country, like Suffolk, is that business premises are scarce
and at a premium. We have been spending a lot of time looking at premises, driving around looking for premises,
and generally chatting to people about our predicament.
Woe is me.
I do hope that something will turn up soon !
Sadly one of the victims of this possible change in my life has been the Morris dancing.
I just couldn't guarantee to commit the time needed both for practice and the dancing proper.
Monday, 8th March
Pilsner PC
My thanks to Alan for highlighting this wonderful piece of kit:
To find out more click here.
I'm off to get a Greene King ale crate at the first opportunity !
Tuesday, 9th March 2004
Expurgated Version
If there is something of interest on, and we are feeling flush, The Lady and
I will occasionally go to the lovely little theatre that we have in town.
As a consequence I am on their mailing list.
Yesterday I received their summer programme, along with the programme for The Bury Festival.
In the main The Bury Festival is synonymous with yawning.
There is only really one thing that we feel moved to try and get tickets for, and that's The Angel Brothers & Satnam Singh with guest lyricist, Barnsley poet Ian McMillan.
Predictably the festival's finale, at the end of May, is two nights of tribute bands in the Abbey Gardens.
Friday night is Abba & Bee Gees Tribute Night (I never liked the originals).
Saturday it's Madness & Queen Tribute Night.
I've never understood the point of tribute bands. Why do they exist ?
As far as I'm concerned they're entertainment for the socially inadequate and the mentally challenged.
The world would be a better place without tribute bands and their audiences.
Every year the final (tribute band) concert/s in the park is a sell out; Every year it pisses down with rain; And every year they all come back for more !
I really don't see the point.
Wednesday, 10th March 2004
Break A Leg Luvvy
In my previous blog I mentioned our theatre. "One of the oldest and smallest working theatres in the country, the Theatre Royal is a delightful Georgian building owned by the National Trust."
Built in 1819 it stands opposite the Greene King brewery. This is quite significant, as prior to it's restoration and returned use as a theatre in the 1960s, it had spend a period as a barrel store
for the afore mentioned brewer of fine ales.
These days it is run by an actor that used to be in The Bill.
Links:
Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal - History
More
360º
Tuesday, 16th March 2004
Eight-Fifteen
It doesn't matter whether it's the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, or the recent bombings in Madrid.
There can never ever be any justification for murder.
Soldier, freedom fighter or terrorist: they are all the same, killers, and/or cannon fodder.
There is no such thing as a just war. And why certain sections of the world's major religions continue to condone it beggars belief.
One war simply leads to another.
It's intellect, and not force, that will stop terrorism. All war is
terrorism.
We need to be working towards a democratic and just world - a world free
from oppression.
We always seem to be looking for ways to fight the enemy, fight terrorism.
These are totally the wrong responses. We should be addressing the causes,
the injustices, it's the only way you're ever going to stop war. You can't
'fight' terrorism - anyone who thinks they can, is basically, a complete
wanker.
It would be good to start with making the UK more democratic - I've voted
Labour in every general election since I was 18 (I won't be next time of
course), but I've never elected an MP - no one represents me (or my views) in
parliament. I've always lived in constituencies that elect Tories. I could
never consider that I was represented by a political creed that is by it's
very nature oppressive.
Once we have democracy perhaps we can then work
towards justice.
I live in hope.
Not quite as eloquent or erudite as I would have liked, but I hope you understand where I'm coming from.
On this day in:-
1660: The Long Parliament of England was dissolved, after sitting for 20 years.
1802: The US Military Academy was established at West Point, New York State.
1917: On Western Front, German troops withdrew to the specially constructed 'Hindenburg Line' between Arras and Soissons.
1978: Red Brigade terrorists kidnapped former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro.
Today is also the:
Feast day of St Finan Lobur, St Abraham Kidunaia, St Julian of Antioch, St Eusebia of Hamage, St Heribert of Cologne, and St Gregory Makar.
Wednesday, 17th March 2004
Who's A Pretty Boy Then ?
The chancellor increases the price of a staple food of the working classes.
Bugger, beer's gone up a penny a pint.
No real surprise I suppose. I suspected as much after the 'binge drinking
spin' at the beginning of the week.
Don't give a shit about fags, he can put them up as much as he likes. Don't
think an 8p increase is nearly enough.
The extension to the small breweries relief is not a bad thing though. The Publican sums it up:
"However, there was good news for some of Britain's smaller brewers as the
chancellor doubled the rate of progressive beer duty from 30,000 to 60,000
hectolitres.
This new figure means that brewers such as St Austell, McMullens, Harveys
and Holt now qualify for tax relief."
Defence spending up, which is not good, Civil Service job-cuts.
He could have done better.
Squeeze the rich bastards for a start.
But that won't happen under dull old 'New' Labour
Friday, 19th March 2004
Tartarus
It's an old joke, but I hope it bears repeating.
I was reminded of it the other day.
This bloke dies and goes to hell.
At the entrance to hell he is met by the devil, who tells him that he's got
to chose a job.
He will be forced to do this job for evermore.
The devil shows him the options:
- The first job is one of constant shovelling to keep the fires of
hell going - Mmm he thinks, too much like hard work.
- The next was fishing for pike, but without a rod. A job for men only, requiring them
to dangle their willies in the water worm-like and wait for a bite - Ouch too painful he thought.
- Finally he is shown a room where everybody is standing up to their
knees in cow-shit, drinking cups of tea - He thinks, I suppose I could get
used to the smell, and drinking cups of tea doesn't seem too onerous.
He plumps for the third option and wades into the room of shit. He's handed
a cup of tea.
Five minutes later he's just starting to become acclimatised to the smell
when the demon in charge says,
"Right everybody, tea break's over, back on your heads" !
Sunday, 21st March 2004
Where Have All The Brain Cells Gone ?
What is it about drunk epsilons and meat ?
I was walking into town yesterday afternoon, when staggering towards me came this bloke in his late twenties/early thirties.
If he was literate, I dare say The Sun would be his reading material of choice.
He was pissed as a fart, and carrying a supermarket basket choc-full of pre-packed meat. He kept dropping some of the contents.
Upon which he would sling the basket down, wail very loudly, repack the basket, pick it up and stagger on a bit further.
He headed right towards me. "What are you looking at ?", he said through gritted teeth.
I was very tempted to say, "a loser", or, "a big tosser", but cowardice came over me and I decided that discretion was the better
part of valour, and made a hasty deviation.
As I continued my journey into town, I noticed a thin trail of meaty chunks along the path, and on car bonnets.
If I was not a man of peace, I would suggest that a sound beating about the head with a baseball bat would have
certainly improved him no end !
On another occasion, me and two friends were travelling by train to a beer festival, when we got talking to a drunk,
who was working his way through a case of Carling Black Label. He offered us each a can. We declined.
He told us this tale of woe about going to see his mother, and how she wouldn't want to see him.
He showed us two joints of meat. He said they were a present for his mum.
Soon after, he managed to persuade himself that the meat wasn't really an appropriate present, and tried to persuade us to accept
the joints as a gift. Two of us are vegetarians, so we immediately declined, but the third was, I could tell, almost tempted. Oh the weakness of carnivores !
You can't help feeling sorry for these poor creatures. Binge drinking is not a nice thing, and really doesn't suit those
of a Neanderthal nature.
Work is the curse of the drinking classes.
What a condescending bastard I am !
Monday, 22nd March 2004
Double Standards
I'm sure that Sheikh Yassin was probably one hell of a shyster, but what Israel have done
is terrorism pure and simple !
If the US were sincere about 'winning' the war on terrorism, they could get a long way down that road by not continuing to prop up Israel, and pressurise them into accepting that there needs to be a free Palestian State. America has the financial muscle to do so.
For reasons I can't fathom out, the US administration seem to favour a middle east in turmoil.
Are they all that stupid that they can't see the error of their ways ?
Wednesday, 24th March 2004
Bard - The
You're always guaranteed a good night's entertainment at a Billy Bragg concert,
and last night was no exception.
I've lost count of the times I've seen Billy, but this was the first time in a seated venue, a strange experience in that way.
It was a solo gig, no Blokes this time. I'm always amazed how much noise he can make with just a guitar.
He played lots of old favourites, many with different arrangements to the originals. There was also a light dusting of Woody Guthrie
songs along with a Smiths song, and in one of the encores Bowie's All The Young Dudes, which he performed
with the support act, Jill somebody or other. Fantastic !
The man's a genius - if you've never seen him live I think you should ensure you rectify that at the earliest opportunity.
Barred - Should Be
This is madness !
Will they never learn ?
It would appear that
"Tony Blair is set to offer British military training for Libyan troops when he meets Colonel Muammar Gaddafi."
Why ?
I'm all for making peace with countries that we have had hostile relations with. And, depending on the nature of the regime, extending economic ties. But giving military assistance to any country is indefensible,
but giving it to a dictator is sheer stupidity.
You would have thought that after Iraq, Dickhead Blair would have realised that it's not a good idea to assist despots in matters military.
Thursday, 25th March 2004
Flagrant Abuse Of Copyright ©
One of my favourite poems is Reading Scheme by Wendy Cope, one of England's greatest poets.
I was reminded of it by this entry in the bignoseduglyguy blog.
I thought I'd share it with you as today's blog entry, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:
Wendy Cope - Reading Scheme
Here is Peter. Here is Jane. They like fun.
Jane has a big doll. Peter has a ball.
Look, Jane, look! Look at the dog! See him run!
Here is Mummy. She has baked a bun.
Here is the milkman. He has come to call.
Here is Peter. Here is Jane. They like fun.
Go Peter! Go Jane! Come, milkman come!
The milkman likes Mummy. She likes them all.
Look, Jane, look! Look at the dog! See him run!
Here are the curtains. They shut out the sun.
Let us peep! On tiptoe Jane! You are small!
Here is Peter. Here is Jane. They like fun.
I hear a car Jane. The milkman looks glum.
Here is Daddy in his car. Daddy is tall.
Look, Jane, look! Look at the dog! See him run!
Daddy looks very cross. Has he a gun?
Up milkman! Up milkman! Over the wall!
Here is Peter. Here is Jane. They like fun.
Look, Jane, look! Look at the dog! See him run!
Friday, 26th March 2004
Yoof
There's a young lad who recently started working at our firm, and when
presented with a fax the other day he exclaimed, "Oh no, not joined up
writing, I hate that, it's so hard to read !".
Straight out of, what was, a Further Education College, and doesn't know it's called cursive writing, and
what's more can't read it.
He also appears not to be too predisposed to washing, as he honks to high heaven. Illiterate and smelly, and probably
can't count either.
Surely English (real English that is), Maths and
personal hygiene are what they should be teaching them at school, n'est-ce pas ?
I don't know, the youth of today, they don't know they're born, "innit".
They'd never have survived a childhood if they'd have been born 40-50 years
ago. How would they have coped with school dinners, cod liver oil, and Pearl
Carr & Teddy Johnson ?
Bling, bling.
Saturday, 27th March 2004
Leg End
There are folk legends, folk icons, and then there's Martin Carthy.
Martin played at the Bury Folk Club last night, and I was there.
It should have been him along with his wife, Norma Waterson,
but unfortunately she was ill, so he was accompanied by Chris Parkinson (son of Cecil), a damned fine accordion player.
Like going to see Billy Bragg, I've lost count of the number of times I've seen Martin Carthy, in his various rolls*.
*Something that happens in the folk world , which certainly doesn't happen in popular music much, is that a lot of performers
do not necessarily stick to just one band, but will perform solo, in various duos, and an assortment of other bands as well.
Martin Carthy is a master at his art. It all looks so effortless. His guitar playing is brilliant, and his unique singing style
make a formidable combination.
A folk world great !
Beer was good as well - three pints of top condition Greene King IPA.
What more could anyone want ?
Monday, 29th March 2004
It's A God Awful Small Affair
Methane has been found in the Martian atmosphere according to this BBC report
Does this mean that Martians have a flatulence problem ?
I expect they'll discover pretty soon that the poor blighters have halitosis
as well.
If this is Mars, I for one, am in no hurry to go.
The report states that it was detected by telescope, from Earth. How do you
see a fart ?
Perhaps the Martians are igniting them as they force them out.
It's probably why the Captain was Scarlet, he was embarrassed by Mysteron
farting.
Sadly the more likely explanations are not quite as amusing. But it's
interesting all the same.
It's Snot Nice
This article is not for the faint hearted, or weak of stomach,
it's more for lovers of salty snacks !
All Aboard The Black Pig
I came across this site today whilst looking for something else. It's not in my neck of the woods, but it might be of use to some readers.
Wednesday, 31st
Terminated Ale
Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to have taken exception to this brew, can't
think why.
Does the man have not sense of humour ?
I suppose not, the right-wing don't have senses of humour.
The Long March
Something that's long overdue is the Civil Partnership Bill. Like most
legislation, I suspect it will be far from perfect, but it will be a lot
better than things have been in the past.
I realise that we still have a long way to go before discrimination on the
grounds of sexual orientation are eradicated from our society, but I'm sure
every positive move helps.
The news of this up and coming bill reminded me of my schools days. I went
to an all boys school, and a secondary modern at that, in the mid
sixties/early seventies. Things sexual or lavatorial were the major topics
of conversation. Greetings were always terms of abuse.
Like, "Oi wanker ! "
'Jesting' about homosexuals was never ending, with words like hom, poof, hud,
hudson, bum-bandit etc.
God we were cruel.
Prejudice is a vile thing.
I feel very sorry if there was any boy in our class that was homosexual -
They must have felt unspeakably tormented and abused.
In many respects, I'm not proud of my youth.
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