Been a long time...

And I've been, well, less than myself. Too much work with far too little reward or meaning. But all that's over now, so I can get back to stuff that really matters. Like bitching about things that everyone else heard about months ago.

F'r instance, the UK police are getting the same sorts of powers assumed by the federal government in the US (that are a clear violation of the US constitution), that is, the authority to root through your computer without a warrant. Good thing that we're all so past 1984, and so done with references to 1984, and so bored with that show about living in a surveillance society, so that this is really a non-issue. I mean, it's not like the UK police have ever misused power, right? Not like those US types, anyway. Right

Back to basics: traditional entertainment and bargain hunting

The British Tory party (the rough ideological analog of the US Republican Party) is going to have a conference in the city of Birmingham this month. And as a part of the city's attempts to turn a profit from the visiting Tories, they've distributed a coupon book to the visiting delegates, complete with discounted entry to The Rocket Club, a place people can go to watch ("Sir, do NOT touch the dancers!") nekkid ladies dancing on stage or sometimes on customers' laps.

I don't usually count on the Evening Standard for news, but this time they really came through for me with valuable, timely, hard-hitting journalism.

And just in case you were wondering what else Birmingham has going on, it is the home of the world's first Complaints Choir. Yep, homegrown culture.