Oh, if only I’d known

I confess: I’m a politics junkie. Election time rolls around, British or American, and I start following candidates and campaigns, in the same way other people watch sports. It’s the only thing I’m ever tempted to wager on.

American elections are much more entertaining than Britain, because there’s a longer selection process to go through, and the campaigns are much nastier, bloodier and more personal. They’ve long since abandonded the pretense that the election is about policy, in the States. Now it’s all about the personalities. One huge media circus. Brilliant fun.

Normally. This year, though, I’m bored. Really bored. There’s nothign to chose between the candidates. Nothing at all. Normally, I find myself dreading one or the other winning, but this time around, both parties are fielding the same sort of slime, and aiming for the centrist vote. Normally, I find myself able to guess which one will win by watching for the burning light, the need for victory. Which one of the wants it more? Which one will be smarter, more vicious? There’s no hunger in this campaign, no drive. Just two dull fuckers who seem to think that they have a right to be president, because of their situation.

At least I’m not alone. Even the good doctor thinks this one is boring.

Nothing to see here

You got a lot of content last week – well, you got more than in the previous couple of weeks – so don’t expect wonders in the coming week. Still, I’m going to see X-men on Thursday, so I’m sure I’ll provide a report of it here, for those of you that give a damn.

Other than that, I’ve not got a lot to report, other than another weekend’s shopping, which I won’t bore you with here, suffice it to say that Tony Hawkes skateboarding on Playstation is more addictive than any game has the right to be.

Meta

This is starting to look distressingly weekly, rather than anything more regular, like I’d intended. And besides, I’m sure that there are more interesting things to write about that a brief summary of my weekend. Besides, I did nothing this weekend. Nothing.

A bit of work on Ninth Art, and a bit of reading. That’s it. Sad, really.

Pictures

Weekend: Mostly quiet, inadequate amount of work done. Shopping on Saturday resulted in the usual couple of comics TPBs, albums by the Cocteau Twins, Bjork, T’Pau and John Lee Hooker. I blame one of my exes for the T’Pau album – she kept playing it at me in a vicious manner, and I woke up one day and found I liked the album. Also picked up a couple of large photo-posters – a New York Skyline (cliche, I know, but it’s a fantastic skyline) and a rather nice shot across the Seine of Paris in the Fog, and some more strange smelling oils and incenses for the room – I’m getting into aromatherapy at the mo. Finally, the purchase of Syphon Filter 2 for the Playstation lead to a revealing insight about me (ha!) – all the games I own are either single player only, or two players in conflict. This, I’m sure, surprises no-one that knows me.

Went out on Saturday night with Mark, James, Ryan and Ross. Haven’t seen most of them in a while, so it was cool to catch up with them – the new flat/job combo have conspired to alter my habits a bit, so I’ve been kind of out of touch…

Playground

I got this link from Lyssa, who is back from her holiday. Sadly, she appears to have had a rather unfortunate automotive accident inflicted on her, which is not a good thing, although it sounds as if she’s recovering OK. Anyway, the link is to a work of brilliant and horrible genius. Visit it.

Batman

Once again, a week without enough updates. So, what’s new? Well, there’s that big honkin’ plane crash, I guess. Someone I know posed an interesting question: As a result of this, will people be more concerned about flying Air France, or flying on Concorde? I suspect the later – all the press has been focusing on the fact that it was Concorde that crashed, not “an Air France plane”.

Hearing reports that the Director of Pi is attached to Batman 5, and will apparently be working with Frank Miller. I’m a little skeptical – Miller’s name has been linked with this for so long, but nothing has ever come with it. Each time there’s been a new Batman film, there’s the inveitable round of “They’re going to make The Dark Knight Returns” rumours… (NB: the link is to AICN, but it’s apparently turning up in Dreamwatch this month)

Dial-Up

Finally, a decent net connection in the new flat. No more having to drag the laptop through to the lounge, because now I have an extension kit. Now I can be on-line in the privacy of my own room, which pleases me greatly. I haven’t been able to do this for years. Now, the Cure are playing on the Stereo, and I’ve got the the candles burning. It’d all be achingly goth if the room wasn’t decorated in yellow and blue. That said, I do have thick red velvet curtains, because they came with the room. This really is making me sound like some 17 year old with their hand nailed to their forehead, so perhaps I ought to stop now, before I make myself look even worse.