I’m not a massive Ken Livingstone fan, but it’s the lesser of too evils as far as I am concerned. Too bad, “BoJo” got in.

On the one hand I am impressed by the record turnout in London, 45% is no mean feat. On the other, it concerns me that this turn out has much to do with the presidential style campaigning of the London mayoral elections and the personality war that it has become (or was always intended to be when Tony Blair kicked it all off again).

The real danger of voting on personalities is that people willingly vote for people who amuse them more than the other candidate. Ken Livingstone is less amusing, being quirky but seen as autocratic and a bit socially inept. Boris on the otherhand, is admired as a student pin-up, amusing like a typical un-PC grandad and at best, a bumbling Etonian fool. However, this view of BoJo (better nickname than BJ?) has a large part to play in his electability - we ignore his worst traits. Like his obvious racism. His blatant homophobia.

On same-sex marriage -

“If gay marriage was OK - and I was uncertain on the issue - then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog.” or “Gay marriage can only ever be a ludicrous parody of the real thing”

On Africans:

On Africa in 2002, when Blair visited Congo: “No doubt, the AK47s will fall silent and the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird.”

Maybe I should just lighten up, but I just don’t see the funny side.

I’m not a massive Ken Livingstone fan, but it’s the lesser of too evils as far as I am concerned. Too bad, “BoJo” got in.

On the one hand I am impressed by the record turnout in London, 45% is no mean feat. On the other, it concerns me that this turn out has much to do with the presidential style campaigning of the London mayoral elections and the personality war that it has become (or was always intended to be when Tony Blair kicked it all off again).

The real danger of voting on personalities is that people willingly vote for people who amuse them more than the other candidate. Ken Livingstone is less amusing, being quirky but seen as autocratic and a bit socially inept. Boris on the otherhand, is admired as a student pin-up, amusing like a typical un-PC grandad and at best, a bumbling Etonian fool. However, this view of BoJo (better nickname than BJ?) has a large part to play in his electability - we ignore his worst traits. Like his obvious racism. His blatant homophobia.

On same-sex marriage -

“If gay marriage was OK - and I was uncertain on the issue - then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog.” or “Gay marriage can only ever be a ludicrous parody of the real thing”

On Africans:

On Africa in 2002, when Blair visited Congo: “No doubt, the AK47s will fall silent and the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird.”

Maybe I should just lighten up, but I just don’t see the funny side.

So the recent Chicken Out campaign had a big effect on me. Only once since the programme aired have I slipped into eating filthy chicken, and I only half-knew. However, the effect has largely been that I stopped eating chicken altogether. Not for want of trying mind you. The local and massive Sainsbury’s in Balham barely increased their stock of free range chickens after the campaign, so they never had any in stock.

So the recent Chicken Out campaign had a big effect on me. Only once since the programme aired have I slipped into eating filthy chicken, and I only half-knew. However, the effect has largely been that I stopped eating chicken altogether. Not for want of trying mind you. The local and massive Sainsbury’s in Balham barely increased their stock of free range chickens after the campaign, so they never had any in stock.

So John Gibson, my “favourite” anchorman on Fox News, shows his classic nouse for good taste as always:

John Gibson mocks Heath Ledger’s death (audio mp3 file)

So John Gibson, my “favourite” anchorman on Fox News, shows his classic nouse for good taste as always:

John Gibson mocks Heath Ledger’s death (audio mp3 file)

I have been listening to a lot of Bill Hicks lately, after reading his biography by Cynthia True. What strikes me most about this fantastic and phenomenal man, is his intense frustration at US politics. In the UK, our anti-Americanism is too often aimed at the American people, and I fear this is misdirected anger. Hicks made his belief in humanity and in the ultimate good of people clear through his body of work, and the bulk of his wrath was for those who created the consume-now, pay-later society that encouraged greed. The corporations, the corrupt governments and the televangelists took the brunt of most of Hicks’ wonderful stand-up sermons.

So now, some 14 years after his death, it makes me sad to think that US politics has barely moved on. Corporations still dominate lobbying in politics, religion is still a driving force and consumerism goes on unabated. What worries me more is that the two front-runners in the Republican party are both driven by religion. Mitt Romney, a devout Morman and Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist Minister and employee of a televangelist. Both of these men are over-influenced by their churches to be running a country that dominates the global scene and will find it impossible to offer a more internationalist approach required after the legacy of George Bush. Bring on Obama.

And anyway, anyone who approves doing this with their family shouldn’t be allowed to run a cake stall, let alone a country - Mike Huckabee and matching family (is she strangling the dog? That’s wrong too) :

I have been listening to a lot of Bill Hicks lately, after reading his biography by Cynthia True. What strikes me most about this fantastic and phenomenal man, is his intense frustration at US politics. In the UK, our anti-Americanism is too often aimed at the American people, and I fear this is misdirected anger. Hicks made his belief in humanity and in the ultimate good of people clear through his body of work, and the bulk of his wrath was for those who created the consume-now, pay-later society that encouraged greed. The corporations, the corrupt governments and the televangelists took the brunt of most of Hicks’ wonderful stand-up sermons.

So now, some 14 years after his death, it makes me sad to think that US politics has barely moved on. Corporations still dominate lobbying in politics, religion is still a driving force and consumerism goes on unabated. What worries me more is that the two front-runners in the Republican party are both driven by religion. Mitt Romney, a devout Morman and Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist Minister and employee of a televangelist. Both of these men are over-influenced by their churches to be running a country that dominates the global scene and will find it impossible to offer a more internationalist approach required after the legacy of George Bush. Bring on Obama.

And anyway, anyone who approves doing this with their family shouldn’t be allowed to run a cake stall, let alone a country - Mike Huckabee and matching family (is she strangling the dog? That’s wrong too) :