Wednesday, April 30, 2003

Manuel Writes

"A confirmation that indeed TNR and thewife were the perfect guests. No stray
flatulence here; no gratuitous calumny there.

A quick sentence or two on morals: has it escaped notice that the US army of
occupation has killed fifteen unarmed civilians and injured ninety seven in
the two days just past? Cue news interview with a Liberator: well, this
crowd (protesting against the Liberators using their children�s school as a
barracks and asking for it back �Ed) started throwing rocks, so we shot
back. In self defence.

Anyway, the moral poser. Bush started out on this unprecedented gambit (we�
ll attack a sovereign state on the basis that it may possess at some point
in the future the component parts of machinery which may pose a threat if
used against us although this threat is speculative�.this has never been
done before, in history, nowhere on the globe), anyway (2) Bush has always
been a loony. This was to be expected. What was unexpected was that he would
gain legitimacy from the UK Prime Minister. This was reviled worldwide as an
illegal and immoral act, and left to their own the perpetrators would have
been easily seen as the pariahs they are. But the prop given to Bush by
Blair was the legitimacy needed to do it. Blair had in his hands for the few
days he mattered the opportunity to reshape the new imperialism: i.e., deny
it. He chose not to, and takes more of the blame than Bush, for my part.

By extension, anyone still carrying a Labour Party card is responsible for
granting Blair legitimacy. In failing to resign or leave, they are in
acquiesce. That goes for any socialist in the Party or in office who kept
their mouths shut. Any voice in those crucial moments was important, and the
silence of so many mouths was in the end the impetus for the planet�s new
rulers.

We could have had European-led peace coalition supervising extended
containment and disarmament. Instead we�ve got 1500 dead civilians, a puppet
state, Texas-lite pumping oil revenue direct into the State Department and a
whole new territory for the Devil Sharon to eye greedily for his
settlements."

Don't think Manuel missed anyone there, did he?

posted by timesnewroman at 9:29 PM  

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Mumsy had her cardioversion today. Routine operation apparently. Stop your heart and then restart it. Mmm! But she's great so we are enormously cheered.

Its an election eve and you'd hardly think it. I saw two labourites with a pair of ladders outside my local polling station. (Bizarre I thought it was felt on the roof of the community centre) That's the most political activity I've seen other than the SSP canvassers over the past few weeks.



posted by timesnewroman at 9:07 PM  

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Tuesday, April 29, 2003

I'm beginning to find my way around here now, hence the links on the left, and I MEAN the left. Perspective kindly reciprocated my link. Its cheering to see the number of Scottish Blogs of a reddish hue. Further on reddish Scots hues. Interesting bit in the Guardian re Labour haemorrhaging members to the SSP and some MSP's struggling to find activists to canvass for them. Surprise!

jimty is still on about myself ransacking his bag the week before he went on holiday, like it was a crime or something. Pah wait till you are hungry!
posted by timesnewroman at 6:31 PM  

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Monday, April 28, 2003

Whappen? Its Monday already. Early Monday and I 'm still trying to figure out where the weekend went. I remember the thumping noise from yesterday, that was battering away inside my head and caused me to curl up on the couch fo rthe entire day. Ah, dinner with Manuel and Lady El on Saturday. Splendid dinner, Chilli, with those thin herby potato wedges, which Manuel made himself, having passed on the option of trying to pass off the shop purchased version as his own. Even the caramelised garlic bread was nice. Followed by an abfab almond tarty thing with poached strawberries in drambuie mmmm. Wine, lots of it, lots indeed, followed by (big mistake) CCs Chocolate Liqueur and Cava Concoction, which I went off of. This topped up with some Heather Nova, I liked this a lot, and some country stuff. Lady El is going through a country phase at the moment which was good I liked the Dixie Chicks before I even heard their music, just cos of their stance on the war and their demonisation at the hands of the US media. Then more wine and something called a rusty nail, which I think they drive through your pineal gland or something cos it makes you feel an enormous amount of pain the following day. Apparentlyl I cam home, sat on couch for all of three seconds and fell immediately asleep, snoring like a herd of loud pigs. thewife recalls these thing effortlessly.

Seemingly Justin Hugheston-Roberts some sort of scum lawyer is pressing hard to have George Galloway tried for treason. Would this be the same scum lawyer that defends child abusers?

Better get ready for work. jimty should be back fromhis Portugese trip and the apprentice will no doubt be a happy man after yesterday's old firm game.

posted by timesnewroman at 5:35 AM  

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Friday, April 25, 2003

thereidboy txts. He is happy, deliriously so. Celtic, are through to the Eufa cup final against Porto, having beaten Boavista in the semi. First time they have been in a European Final for 33 years. That's a lot longer than the last time Kilmarnock won the Scottish cup. Good for them I say and best of luck in Seville.

Car is very poorly indeed. Seems it needs the equivalent of a heart transplant. 'Twill be expensive and possibly entail the throwing of good money after bad. Already looking at stuff we can't afford but need.

I read the most astounding story in the Guardian today. I thought it was just amazing, fabulous, scary, heartening and downright.......well you read it here!
posted by timesnewroman at 6:57 PM  

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Thursday, April 24, 2003

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh boy. What a SHITTY day! Car Broke down on the M77 just before 8 O' Clock. Very bad. Had to join RAC. Man came, quite quickly actually, looked at it said "Very Bad" towed to garage on the recommendation of workcolleaguepassenger. Left it there to be looked at by friend of workcolleaguepassenger, Came back eventually to hint that it is Very Bad. Still awaiting the price, but I know we can't afford it whatever it is. Just when you see a wee bit of light at the end of the tunnel, it turns out to be a locomotive headlamp.

Former bestschoolchum has emailed. I want his job, because he seems to collect some of the funny things on the internet and then send them to people. I could live with that. On the day that I really needed cheering up, he sent me this -> Very Good! Check it out!
posted by timesnewroman at 5:30 PM  

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Wednesday, April 23, 2003

thewife is reading the previous post over my shoulder and is protesting loudly. Pah David Beckham, don't think so! Luis Figo more like. The link is included for purposes of appeasement.
posted by timesnewroman at 9:48 PM  

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Just back from a quiet night at the YIK. Only to discover that thewife has very kindly sorted one's piece out for luncheon tomorrow, or almost has. Seems she was ovenising a brace of cheese and onion pastry things, only to have got caught up in the excitement of the tail end of the Man U. V Real Madrid Champions League game. Burned! King Alfreded me lunch. David bloody Beckham is personally responsible for me being minus sustenance for all of tomorrow am and pm. Snot nosed little git. Go woman, and fetch me a morsel I bellow. NOT!
posted by timesnewroman at 9:20 PM  

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Tuesday, April 22, 2003

Okay, so we are now expected to believe that a journalist from the Daily Telegraph, just happened to walk into the burned-out shell of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry in Baghdad and poke around some undamaged files, before walking back out again with damning evidence in the form of a memo, to the effect that George Galloway MP, perhaps the UK's leading critic of the war in Iraq, was making mucho Dinar from a lucrative oil deal with Saddam's governent. How very convenient! Excuse me whilst I dry my pants. I wouldn't believe the Daily Telegraph if it told me that Conrad Black was a mega-rich newspaper proprietor, who relinquished his Canadian citizenship for a British peerage gifted to him for his services to the Tory party! Titter ye not. Was it Adolf Hitler who said that the masses would be more inclined to believe a truly outrageous lie, rather than a bit of a fib?

posted by timesnewroman at 6:18 PM  

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Monday, April 21, 2003

Far colder today, more like April weather. We decided to take mumsy to Glasgow for the day, for a trip round Charles Rennie Mackintosh's House for an Art Lover. Absolutely stunning, although unlike other Glasgow places of interest it was a pay to enter, nevertheless was well worth it. You can check it out here for free. The house is fabulous, the man was clearly a genius. The walled garden adjacent to the house is also beautiful, but I'd advise going on a warmer day. Following this we high-tailed it to the People's Palace for a bit of working class Glaswegian culture and a jolly time we had too. The winter gardens were spot on for heating up a bit. The food was very reasonably priced, of good quality and generous of portion. A fun time was had by all.
posted by timesnewroman at 5:56 PM  

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The glazier has been and we no longer have a wooden window, thewife is pleased. She is distinctly less pleased when she discovers that a remake of Casablanca is being touted with Ben Affleck, he who needed to check with his publicist to establish if he was pro or anti-war, and Jennifer Lopez. Sacrilege and apostates have been heard in passing. Do something about it I said, likewise anyone who reads this.

Laugh, I almost choked. The U.S. in Eyerack have just introduced 2000 card carrying members of Saddam's Baath Party as the nation's police force says the Guardian Didn't that nice Tony chap say something about liberating the poor suffering populace. Are they stupid enough to think that Saddam Hussein alone reigned in tyranny, with a few henchmen at the top of the tree. Looks like solid evidence that the only liberation happening is that of children from their limbs and families!
posted by timesnewroman at 9:09 AM  

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Sunday, April 20, 2003

Been spending far too long foutering about with the blogsite trying to tidy bits up here and there. I can't say I am entirley satisfied, but it's a definite improvement nonetheless. I have also been checking out other blogs. For some bizarre reason I seem to stumble across the most reactionary bunch of shitheads imaginable. I thought perhaps that bloggers were stereotypable as nazi nutters. Not so friends, I found this little beaut among the haze of blueness, which is a pathway to numerous kindred souls. Proof positive that there is intelligent life in the USA. I am cheered.
posted by timesnewroman at 2:18 PM  

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Saturday, April 19, 2003

Still a holiday and still beautiful weather so waht do we do? Go fix someones database and then have a look at ovens. Ovens for godsake. Well actually I suppose it was kind of my idea to start with. The oven we have currently kind of lets as much heat out as it retains. Its good for keeping the kitchen warm in the winter but is less good at raising souffles. Also we have a combined grill and oven, whereas ideally we would like these to be seperate, so that you can grill stuff and heat the oven at the same time. There is a lot of information one needs to know when in the market for an oven. They come as part of your standard cooker, they also come "built in" and "built under." What we are apparently looking for is a "built under" double oven, which also has a grill. Unfortunately, these tend to be even more expensive than stand alone cookers with two ovens. Really bizarre. The local out of town shops tend not to have a great selection and they are a tad expensive. I found this out through an online price guide Anyway, we decide to think about it, which is probably a really good idea, since we probably can't afford a new one right now.
posted by timesnewroman at 7:00 PM  

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Friday, April 18, 2003

Easter holidays and its a beautiful day outside, what the hell am I doing blogging? Well the mail just arrived, when I say mail, I mean the electoral leaflets for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections. I have them from:

The Scottish Conservatives (Tory Scum) who have as much chance of getting my vote as Ariel Sharon stands of getting a valentine's day card from Chairman Arrafat. What a miserable looking shower of a list, 9 no less, relatively middle aged, middle class, WHITE MEN including the legendary Phil (Rent a Mouth) Gallie. With a whole lot of promises to stop spending money and save us money on taxes. Fuck off and die I say!

The Scottish National Party introducing Michael Russell who was apparently brought up in Ayrshire. Mike as he is known is a glaikit looking sleazy opportunist smug bastard of the kind you would like to slap in the face with a wet railway sleeper. Very glossy leaflet too, must have cost them a few shillings. Mike apparently has been to Quebec (still) in Canada to visit a revolutionary childcare scheme which he plans to introduce as a pilot in Scotland. Doesn't say what it is or what it does or what it will cost in fact it doesn't say much at all come to think of it. Pretty much par for the course for the most inept opposition in the history of British governmental oppositions. Christ even the tories put up a more credible oppostion than the SNP and their gormless leader John Swiney. Oops did I miss an "n" there. All things to all people and in reality no use to man nor beast. I say powerwhores be off with you.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats, Introducing Iain Dale, and informing us that Jim Wallace has known him for some time, as has Alex Salmond, as in fact did Donald Dewar. You see nice chap as Iain undoubtedly is, he is somewhat chronically homeless when it comes to politcal parties. I first met Iain as a young whippersnapper in the S.N.P. in the late 70s early 80s. He disappeared to England for a while and came back with a degree and a Labour Party Card. He's obviously since changed this for the radical new Lib Dem ticket. I can see some moral conscience development there, but too little politics. If the truth is known, Iain likes elections and electioneering far more than he likes politics. I say stick to quizzes my man.

The Scottish Socialist Party with a rather effective leaflet daring me to be different and possily the only Scottish election leaflet to feature a smiling picture of Dubya (Unless of course Iain's next move is to the Republican party.) Also included is a Who wants to be an MSP quiz which succinctly tells you where they stand. I say I will dare to be different and will stand with them.

Missing was the Labour Party's. Where is it did they run out of members to take it to the Post Office. I say Come on Irene. Not!

posted by timesnewroman at 10:06 AM  

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We have a wooden window. It's in the back (spare) bedroom, so it has very little impact on my life. We rarely use the room, and don't often have guests. The window became wooden after I slammed the glass version a little too hard when closing it....tinkle. I boarded it up immediately, leaving it wind and watertight and pretty much out of sight and mind. Having taken up the commencement of D.I.Y. projects as a hobby, I considered that it might be interesting to attempt a small glazing project. I left it thus for some time, it's an upstair window and I don't have ladders, but I would get around to borrowing some, eventually. Fairly recently a neighbour, opposite, had the misfortune to be visited by some unsavoury types who smashed the glass panel on his front door in the course of their visit. This was boarded up soon afterewards and has remained this way for the past few weeks. It has begun to annoy me somewhat. It's not a particurlarly good job of boarding up. It's hardboard, the edges are uneven and worst there are two boards overlapping. In fact its hideous and brings the neighbourhood down somewhat. I mention this to thewife, who stares at me in disbelief. She uses the back door on a daily basis and does notice our wooden window. I'm off to phone the glazier.
posted by timesnewroman at 7:16 AM  

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Thursday, April 17, 2003

The important thing about these blogs I suppose is the necessity to keep them up date, not as difficult as it seems, although I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of confirming the degree of mundanity that exists in my life. So I'll just have to make things up, in the time honoured journo style of the Sun, Telegraph, Express et al.

jimty is off on annual leave. Telephoned the apprentice and myself to remind us of this fact yet again. Apparently he is sunning himself in the garden whilst we toil like toilers. No doubt with a Pina Colada in hand. Pah, our time will come. His holiday passes and daily I shall record it so. In the meantime we are off to inform the local Social Work Services Team that there is a drunk in charge of children in their area. Haha.
posted by timesnewroman at 6:23 PM  

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Tuesday, April 15, 2003

Our workplace is too darned hot. April, yet the weather is spectacularly mild for the time of year. The heating system for some bizarre reason cannot be switched off, consequently there are three radiators unrelentingly belching out heat. Despite our valiant efforts with fans and windows, the temperature still manages to reach the very high eighties (fahrenheit) by mid afternoon. Strangely there is no upper temperature limit in the U.K. in which people can be expected to work, although there is a minimum. jimty has spent a significant portion of the day reminding his colleagues that he will soon be holidaying in sunny Portugal. Lounging around in the heat he explains that he is acclimatising. The apprentice and I feel this is a tad unsporting and have vowed to arrange a virtual stoning some time later in the afternoon. To add realism, the apprentice has crumpled some small balls of paper and is offering to sell these for a few shekels each. This seems a not unreasonable offer and so we proceed to "stone" jimty. He takes this in good stead.

And so home to the thewife who has prepared a sumptious banquet in my absence. Actually its a rather nice salad with some spinachy pastry thingies. BBC's 6 O' Clock News brings us up to date with goings on in the Gulf. Seemingly there's a rather substantial number of Shia Muslims in Iraq who rather fancy the notion of democratically establishing an Islamic republic, pretty much in the same vein as Iran. Now this certainly could be interesting. I wonder if the U.S. liberation extends to this type of aspiration. I suspect not, we can but wait though with baited breath. How nice also, to see that after having severed the limbs from the body of some poor child, whose parents and siblings were killed in the same bombing raid, that the humanitarian coalition has airlifted him to Kuwait for medical treatment. Rot in hell you murdering lying bastards Bush and Blair.
posted by timesnewroman at 6:07 PM  

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Monday, April 14, 2003

Manuel writes "Just snooping/checking.

Bets on the date for McDonald's, Mosul Branch? See Terry Jones, one time
Python and oft-times Observer anti war hack. As he points out, the
genius.....war lite, at no cost to the protagonists...simply bottle up them
oil fields and recharge the Iraqi people for rebuilding their own country!!

48 hours to switch attention to Syria. Colin Powell, that well known
pronunciation error, talking about pressure by "diplomatic", "economic" and
(ahem) "other" means.

This is the new Imperium. The Fifth Reich. And the only player with any
influence in the run up was Oor Tone, who, when the world (including old
Europe) watched and the crowd outside his conference in Glasgow clamoured,
squandered the opportunity to rein in the most frightening force on the
planet in one belch of Diet Coke and threw in his hand. Well, as long as he
gets his cherished place in history.
But, hey, we're in the hands of the liberators.
Tell that to the dead, the injured and the homeless in Ramallah.
Yours,
peeved,
Unreconstructed Europe"

Me, I want to know if the U.S. have as they claim, Saddam's D.N.A. and what do they plan to do with it? Clone him????


posted by timesnewroman at 8:43 PM  

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jimty has read my post concerning our boycott policy. He mentioned that I omitted things Swiss. In particular Nestle. We don't buy Nestle products. Mostly cos they are shit but also because of the baby killing thing. He said I should mention it because I was spotted eating a Kit - Kat or something once. I didn't buy it though, so I don't think that really counts.

The apprentice has forsaken Nestle in the spirit of solidarity, despite their outrageous attempt to entice purchasers of R*ng*rs News with freebies of their grubby stuff. Good enough for purchasers of RN I say. The apprentice himself would like it known that he is not a reader of R*ngers News, but rather only a reluctant purchaser, he himself prefers the Celtic View.

posted by timesnewroman at 7:19 PM  

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Sunday, April 13, 2003

After hoping that Celtic would do rather well on Thursday, come today I was hoping the bold Killie would stuff them, but this was not to be. I should have known this, perhaps it was overly wishful thinking on my part. So come tomorrow I shall be rudely taunted by a number of folks, some of whom give not one sot about football, jimty for example, but who will nevertheless indulge in a spot of schadenfreude. Already received txt from jimstewart, he who became a football, nay r*ng*rs fan aged 48. AHHHHRGHHHHHHH. He asks how my team did as his won. Just to upset him, I txt back that we lost 2 this season's champs.
posted by timesnewroman at 6:27 PM  

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Busy weekend, shopping mostly. and finally located a bottle of the previously extremely elusive chocolate liqueur as recommended by CC for mixing with Cava. thewife is an enthusiast from first sip, says CC should be awarded something. This view changed dramatically come Sunday morn, seemingly thewife has mother of all hangovers.

The reidboy has emailed ranting sorely. Put me into rant mode also, hence the posting. Labour (War) Party and their macho shit. Diatribe ensues, bottom line is about the stock answers of Scottish Parliament having no say in the matter, and how Saddam is an evil thug who deserved to be overthrown. On count 1 - I'm no longer convinced having a Parliament that has no say in war is a Parliament worth having. That and the fact it's too easy an excuse to use to avoid stating where one actually stands. On count 2. Absolutely 100% behind that, however why now, why not ten years ago or for that matter twenty years ago. Oh and by the way who gets to choose who the good governents are and who the bad ones are? Power isn't just about making tough decision - any decision which involves the "necessary" killing of children is just a plain obscenity. Rant over! thewife beckons, we have a picnic to make, and I'm driving apparently.
posted by timesnewroman at 11:30 AM  

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Friday, April 11, 2003

Eventful Thursday, Not. Went shopping with two lists, both virtual. One list for the stuff that we need/want will buy on impulse and the other of countries and produce we are currently boycotting. Seems a bit bizarre at times but included at the moment, in a particular order are Israel, U.S.A., Spain. Portugal and Australia. We are none to keen on Austrian or Bulgarian produce but that isn't so much of a problem. We decided early on that to boycott British produce may cause starvation, so we do have quite a bit of home grown. Has this any effect? I don't know but I am damn sure Californian vintners must be feeling the pinch. Likewise the Australians. Instead France and South Africa are good pro-active choices.

Watched Celtic play Boavista in the EUFA Cup. Belgian refereeing leaves somewhat to be desired, failing to see one penalty could be an error, but 2? Not that I am a fan of either of the Old Firm, but still like to see a Scottish team do well in Europe. 1-1 on the night with Celtic well capable of scoring a couple away from home. Second leg may well be a goodie.
posted by timesnewroman at 6:32 AM  

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Wednesday, April 09, 2003

Manuel writes.."Absolutely excellent..I should have known you'd start a fucking blogger's site.No way I can post notes...you may want To comment that Manuel commends Linsey Hilson, C4's diplomatic corr, who has been in Bagdhad since before the atrocity started And who consistently takes the cameras to hospitals, bombed out flats..even turned in some footage taken by a very brave French camerman of 16 year old kids taking on the U.S. with RPGs and shouting "fuck you Bush" into the camera." Damn and there is me mostly missing Channel 4 news because of other engagements.

posted by timesnewroman at 4:53 PM  

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Tuesday, April 08, 2003

Manuel has sent me a link to a russian aviation? journal site with war news. Both depressing and interesting in terms of the differing angle. I've tended to depend on the guardian and reuters for news to date. Seems that journalists are the most endangered species in the gulf.
posted by timesnewroman at 9:34 PM  

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Leftist Scots cynic takes up the keyboard! The first entry. Having never kept a diary of any sort other than to keep appointments, I thought long and hard about whether to proceed with this or not. Actually I had a fairly sleepless night and decided that I was at least going to have a shot at it. So what is timesnewroman? It's not the font, rather my take on the age we live in. The USA is the new Rome and the times we live in are timesnewroman. Okay bit pretensious, but I'm still working on the song.

The war pisses me off enormously. I growl at the television and hurl abuse and derision at Bush and Blair, Straw and Rumsfeld. Who voted these people into positions where they unilaterally approve the killing of people to pave the way for the liberation of ordinary Iraqis?





posted by timesnewroman at 6:48 PM  

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