Andy's Glasses

This picture is the standard ‘evolutionary progression’. There were many such images. Lots from the Victorian times put an unambiguous black man in the line-up, just before the white man who was always the ‘apex’ of evolution (such a phrase that has absolutely no validity; there is no ‘apex’; evolution continues, its what it does. If the world is still here in 1000 years people will all have USB sockets in their abdomens). Because science in Victorian times was the pursuit of rich white men. Like Darwin. If you were paid to ‘do science’ in the 19th Century, you were paid by rich white men to help them. And the presiding view was that black people were under-evolved white people. Egocentricity always places ‘you’ at the top of anything, unconsciously or otherwise.

They were wrong, obviously. Once Mendel came along with ‘genetics’, Darwin’s theories had acquired a mechanism for his brilliant theory. And showed that ‘men’ (I’m using this in the Victorian way to describe all the genders; don’t report me) are men. Regardless of colour.

You can’t find those images now. They’ve been cut. From science. From history. They’re unacceptable.

As are many things when judged in the wrong context. You shouldn’t judge ‘back then’ by standards of today. I have the same issue with slavery. The most awful, wrong, evil, horrendous thing ever. It is wrong now and it was wrong then. But it was not illegal. It was pretty much ‘state-sanctioned’. Locking up Galileo for proposing that the world was round was similarly ridiculous, in hindsight, but no-one died so it’s viewed with amusement rather than disgust. But basically; its is ALWAYS wrong to make judgments using today’s values on historical issues. They should only be judged within the context of their own time. Women couldn’t vote. I’m not saying that’s always a good thing, but that’s what it was. There was no DEI in 1900.

And thus to David Sullivan. The ‘co-chairman’ of West Ham United. Now the ‘ex’. Not sure who the other ‘co’ might be since David Gold died, but Sullivan has now ‘stood down’. Because a bunch of women have accused him of ‘historical sex offences’, over 30 years ago. When he was a ‘pornographer’. He published dirty books. Smut. Porn didn’t arrive in the click of a mouse back then, it came in magazines which paper shops kept ‘under the counter’. And the allegations against Sullivan are from the women who went to ‘star’ in his magazines and sleazy ‘movies’. And in his own words: ‘why would you own a sweet shop and not eat the sweets?’ There are no allegations of ‘rape’ or abuse, but, ‘looking back on it’ it could certainly NOW probably be seen as some form of coercion, that the boss offered ‘incentives’ to sex workers to possibly have sex with him, in return for a starring role. Which itself would be having sex with strangers.

I don’t like David Sullivan; he’s horrible. But I can’t help thinking that this is just cynical opportunism by judging what was probably voluntary behaviour then by today’s more obsessive standards. Jumping on the ‘me too’ bandwagon. Against a very rich man. Hmmmm…

I make no judgments. Historical or not.

Happy Sunday

A xxxx

Just one question to ask Elon (fucking) Musk and ‘the (fucking) office of Donald Trump’. Its this:
ARE YOU ‘AVIN’ A FARKIN’ LARFFF, OR WOT???

The Henry Nowak murder has reached across the Atlantic. Though, obviously, they over there don’t seem to realise that such news travels in both directions. So for every tragic murder they hear of, which has occurred here, we get to hear about the 947 which occurred on their watch, over there, (that’s not including the weekly ‘high school mass shooting’).

And it may be that our policing methods are less than perfect; that fall short of the mark on occasion, that result in tragedy now and again. But theirs? THEIRS????

There’s a big difference between dying in police custody after a stabbing and being murdered BY the police. Like George Floyd and so many others. We generally don’t arm our police. They not only arm all police but then introduce groups like ‘ICE’, the ‘illegal immigrant brigade’ who are, in the most part, just government-sanctioned hit-squads who go around shooting illegals and anyone who protests on their behalf. They seemingly answer to no-one.

Yet we have a ‘2-tier policing policy’.

For Trump to criticise our police is like the Taliban criticising our DEI policies. Its like the City of Las Vegas having a go at our gambling laws. Its like getting budgetary advice from the Saudis. Or getting European football strategy from Arsenal.

Trump’s comments that ‘this is how civilisation declines’ is just more Farage-esque hyperbole. I’m not saying that immigration isn’t a big problem for all of Europe, but not every problem is about or is a consequence of that immigration. Like the murder of Henry Nowak.

So, thanks guys, but we really don’t need your advice about policing. Though if we should ask for it, it’ll be for a combined advice to include how to arm everyone in the entire nation regardless of age, criminal record or mental state.

Anyway, I managed to cycle in this morning due to lack of rain forecast, and I managed to break 146 road traffic laws in one trip. That makes it more, kind’a ‘no tier policing’. The best type for us criminals.

Happy Friday

A xxxx

The terrible murder of poor Henry Nowak was indeed a… errr… a terrible murder. As opposed to a ‘good one’, or a ‘fun one’. Henry was killed, as are so many kids today, unfortunately, by a nutter. Anyone carrying around a big knife, with a burning desire to use it, not in an eating dinner way, is a fucking nutter. And Vickrum Digwa was a fine exemplar of the class. A knife obsessive. Of whom there are tragically many. He happened to be a Seikh. Many such nutters aren’t Seikhs. They come in all flavours.

Henry met Vickrum and was stabbed numerous times. Then Vickrum’s brother called 999 and reported that he and Vickrum had been subjected to a ‘racist attack’, by Henry. Who was by then lying on the floor dying from stab wounds. When the police arrived they found the 3 guys, with Henry writhing on the floor.

The police have no information, no ‘intel’ to work with, other than ‘a white geezer attacked some Indians’. There’s nothing ‘racist’ about that, nothing ‘two-tier’, just the ‘facts’ as they were given them at the time. They were lies, told by ‘the brother’, but that’s all they knew.

They ‘handled’ Henry terribly, ignoring his pleas of inability to breathe and that he’d been stabbed, which was wrong in a big way. But it was absolutely nothing to do with Henry being white.

I’ve never been a policeman, or a policewoman (I could have been!!! Don’t fucking ‘pre-suuuuume’!!!). But every day they are faced with scenarios which are not ‘cut and dry’. There’s ambiguity. They’re never sure who did what to whom. And they can only act in accordance with what they know and what they see. And they have to act instantly. Intuitively. It’s not science.

So Nigel Farage immediately pours fuel onto a tiny spark and accuses the police of victimising white people, giving the breaks to anyone ‘dark’, or imported, even if they happened to be born here. Because Nigel is a horrible, racist, right wing thug who happens to be in a suit and is allowed to speak in Parliament.

The police have a history of racism. Unsurprising when you get a group of essentially white, fairly right-wing guys and gels together. And that has been reduced over time to the extent that in some instances, there does seem to be a prejudice in order prevent accusations of ‘Islamophobia’. Like with the Rochdale rapist groups who nobody would ever dare to call ‘Pakistanis’.

But the Henry incident was nothing like that. It was a police cock-up, that’s it.

Farage calls his mate, Tommy Robinson, who gathers the troops, the fascists, the proper racists, the skinheads, anyone who is capable of hurling rocks at the police, and down they go to Southampton to protest against this ‘horrendous 2-tier policing and victimisation of proper, English white people’.

Precisely what Henry’s poor, grieving parents didn’t want. Their tragically dead son becoming a political football between the hard right and the sensible. Specifically what they begged not to happen.

But Farage is the opportunist’s opportunist and Henry was too good to ignore. Or even just show some compassion about. Not when you can whip up a storm of ‘poor little white boy’ protest, riots and yet more division. Like we need more fucking division right now.

Poor kid. Terrible tragedy. Poor police. Leave them alone.

Happy Thursday

A xxxx

You know those Japanese, right? Stiff, polite, buttoned up, neat, precise, smart, formal. Right?

Actually it’s wrong, it’s just a façade; a veneer, to cover an emotionally repressed, sexually deprived bunch of perverts and deviants, who sit in cafes in their Armani suits sniffing schoolgirl knickers.

Ok, not all of them. But the ‘take away’ from Japan (a truly amazing country filled with magic) is that ‘all is not what it seems’ with the people. There are hidden depths. Of depravity, frustration and suppressed feelings as a result of their overly oppressive cultural restrictions. Which cover all aspects of ‘hooking up’ with potential ‘mates’. Its their way.

But now, in a new initiative called: ‘Tokyo Cool Biz’, they’re trying to change the image of their white collar workforce. ‘Where appropriate’, they should ditch the jackets and ties; wear polo shirts (shock! horror!!) and even… wear shorts!!!

But this initiative has met with some protests. Mainly, that ‘oyaji’ and ‘ojisan’ shouldn’t be allowed to wear shorts. Who are these people? Banned from displaying their lower legs in public?? Literally the words mean ‘dads’ and ‘uncles’, but only in the derogatory. Its an insult. To dads and uncles. Essentially, middle aged men (and presumably older) shouldn’t wear shorts because they have horrible, hairy legs.

Well, a message to the Japanese nation from an oyaji and an ojisan: JUST FUCK OFF!!!

I wore shorts in Tokyo. Even in Kyoto!! And my legs were always admired. Ok, mainly by me, but there were no sniggers. No accusations of ‘oyaji’ or ‘ojisan’, just swooning admiration. Possibly lust, even. Mel loves my legs. Almost as much as I do. I have a long list of fabulous physical features (I keep it on my phone, with copies in the cloud, just in case) and my legs are right up there with the hairs growing out my nose and my fabulously endowed ears.

So how dare those young Japanese dare to try and exclude me from the bare-leg brigade!!! Ok, I don’t exactly live there. But I’m filled with empathy for all those uncles and dads who, like me, possess a pair of enviable pins which will forever be banned from public display because of rampant ageism!!!!

Who cares?

Happy Wednesday

A xxxx

(written yesterday; can’t send from a plane).

I write this from seat 17C of a Boeing 832 or 485 or whatever, en route from Gibraltar. To my left sit Lila and Joey, plugged in, headphoned up and wired for two and a half hours of unrestricted ipad time. Or ‘quality time’ as they call it. They’re living their best lives. In their eyes. And ears. Their mother is always insistent that ipad usage can only begin AFTER TAKE-OFF, like taking a piss or reclining your seat or buying a cheese sandwich for 15 quid. Or a few thousand avios. Which is why, as we sit on the pre-launch tarmac, they’re sitting with me. Mum’s a few rows ahead. What happens in row 17 stays in row 17.

We’ve had the best holiday. Fabulous place. Well, fabulous resort; the place was just like any other ‘middle of nowhere’ which happens to be on a super bit of wonderful coastline, incredible beach, unbelievable food (read: QUANTITY), with a perfect climate. And with the kids you need a resort. You need big, you need variety and you need lots of adults to keep them amused.

Great, job done, birthday celebrations complete, even though it’s 2 weeks to my birthday, and we’re on our way home. And that’s when the Rock of Gibraltar comes into its own. We flew there because Cadiz doesn’t have an airport and Jerez, nearby, only gets, like one flight a week. So we Gibbed, got a big taxi and went that way.

And all week on the news they’ve been taking about how ridiculous, how impossible, how hostile and prohibitive are the new regulations in the EU for ‘non EU countries’ passport holders. Otherwise known as the “Fuck You, Brexit!!!” laws. In which every Briton returning home has to get his/her/their fingerprints taken and… compared to… errrrr… the average, Eurrr-oh-peaeaean’s fingerprints, for the purposes of yet more unnecessary queuing at all European airports. Fuckers.

Except Gibraltar. Because it’s not really ‘European’. It’s really British. But like REALLY British. They take Euros there, but everything is priced in ££££s. It’s on the southern tip of Spain but claims allegiance to Britain and only Britain. And never, ever, EVER wishes to be any part of Spain. They want nothing to do with those paella-eating, sangria-drinking, Barcelona-supporting SPANIARDS!!! Even though the Spaniards want them. They’re desperate to own what is, a big rock. Ok, its a rather beautiful rock, but a rock nonetheless.

I think we should boycott all those horrible countries who are insisting on these new regulatory, stress-inducing, time-wasting, anger-generating border routines. They’re not mandatory, Greece have refused to implement them, so the rest can be viewed as purely Anglophobic and obstructive. So fuck ’em. They can keep their beaches and pasta; I’m off to Athens.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx

You see; it’s all about aspirations and expectations. It’s all about appreciating your place in the world and not overstepping the mark. Ok, it’s good to pursue higher goals, stretch yourself and challenge the greats. But to pursue higher goals, you have to score them. (See below, after the obligatory motivational speak-bollocks, soul-searching, target-driven, philosophico-marketing bullshit). Yes you set your targets high, but achievable. Otherwise the effects of the failures may impact morale and future performance, detrimentally. And no fucker wants dat.

As football fans we aspire vicariously. We commit our hearts and souls and emotional stability to a bunch of tattooed scumbags because they’re kissing the badge of the clubs we love. For now. Until a better offer comes along, then they kiss a different one. And we have ultimate faith in our manager(s). Who guide our teams, buy and sell the players, select the line-ups and set the game plans.

At this end of the season, well, its kind’a finished, but for the last few weeks, any two teams could have vastly different goals. F’rinstance; take Spurs and Arsenal. The former fighting for survival in the top league. The latter fighting to win the thing as champions. But then more. Because Arsenal were in the enviable? position (see below in the ‘fuck ups’ section) of winning the Champions League as well. A double only achieved by two English clubs. And to be honest, all the European clubs who win the Champions League have always won their domestic one six months ago. Such is the standard over here in Euro-land.

Arsenal didn’t so much ‘win’ the league as ‘take control’ of it. They played their early matches with a flair and speed and, yes, even beauty which, at times seemed unplayable. Then the change. Arteta turned from Pep Guardiola (under whom he trained) into Sam Allardyce. He became attractive football’s nightmare. The Pragmatist! His team ran out, scored one goal, in the 6th minute, then shut up shop for the day and let their truly awesome defensive unit just run the other 84 minutes down. Altogether now: “1 nil, to the Ars-en-al, 1 nil, to the…”

The problem? You meet a team who will find a way through. Were always going to find a way through. Spurs played PSG and were 3 nil up before eventually losing. Because they don’t stop. And by giving them 75% of possession is really never going to end happily.

Out of respect (such as exists in football) for my Arsenal friends, I won’t go into details about last night in Budapest. But it didn’t end well. In fact it ended terribly. You can never, ever lose ‘well’. And so the Arsenal fans, so ‘high’ on their winning of the Premiership, feel a massive deflation on losing the final last night. Little Harry over here, in his ‘Saka 7’ shirt, was crying as… as the shit happened. Gabriel happened. The player of the match, probably the league player of the season, yet he’ll be remembered for that penalty miss. Which is a shame. It’s all a shame. It’s all tragic. Open topped buses down the Holloway Road just won’t feel… as good as they should.

Whereas at White Hart Lane, there is only ecstasy. Only the incredible joy and immense relief that our short time goal of ‘staying up’ was achieved. That we hit the bottom and survived.

We alone can enjoy total, unconditional joy and happiness. Because we were never the best at anything this season. And in fact, only needed to be a bit better than West Ham. Whereas Arsenal fans had a different world view. Which last night in Budapest (or even Cadiz) came a’crashing down.

Happy Sunday

A xxxx

So we head to the beach, Lila, Joey and me, with our buckets and spades and moulds and… and shit. And we dig. And we build, and we create, and we throw sand around and watch water drain away, and its all great fun. And then everyone says to me: oh, that’s so nice you play with the kids and take them to the beach. Yeah, right.

Because the fact of the matter is that IIIIIIIII want to play on the beach and build sandcastles. But I’m not allowed. Unless… unless I have some justification for being there. You’re just not allowed to build your own sandcastles when you’re 69. You need kids with you. For two reasons. Firstly, it validates the exercise. You’re doing it for ‘them’. Whereas in fact I want to do it and need them for a socially acceptable context. Secondly, I build big. So I need labour. Cheap labour. And grandkids are nothing if not that. Although I may have to reconsider ‘cheap’ in the wider scheme of things. I even borrowed my mate Freddie’s grandson as well, for extra ‘muscle’.

That was yesterday afternoon. In the morning I built the first part of a Lego Ferrari. Ok, it’s nominally Joey’s, one of his birthday presents from one of his friends, but the reality is, it’s mine. I get to build it. And I fucking love Lego, especially the really intricate things like cars. And again; no-one’s going to buy ME Lego for my birthday, so I have to hi-jack Joey’s and with Lila as my ever-eager assistant and ‘find-the-right-pieces’ operative, the construction began.

This place is fabulous. Most wonderful resort. Ok, it is pretty much ‘in the middle of nowhere’, but aren’t all the best places? Hence, 2 buses and about 80 minutes to get to Cadiz. But its a beautiful resort on a massive and extremely long fantastic white sand beach. It’s a very big resort, so there’s tons for the kids to do, just in running round the grounds. So I shall both thank MMM (me mate, Mark) and also put him out of his misery, as I love it here. (He’s been most concerned). We all love it here. Though I shall tell him ‘it’s awful’, because he recommended it and (even though he’s unaware) offers a full money-back satisfaction guarantee.

And tonight we get to watch the Champions League Final. Right here, in (ish) Cadiz. Probably with Spanish commentary, so how do you spell ‘goal’ in Spanish? More importantly, how do you spell ‘PSG’ in French??? So I know how to write it on my banner.

Happy Saturday

A xxxx

I love a European city. All of ‘em. So Cadiz qualifies therefore I love it. They all have fabulously long and intricate histories involving invading hordes of pretty much everyone who had a boat, wars, Royalty, more wars, armadas, castles dating back thousands of years and tapas. Ok, I suppose only Spain gets the tapas and armadas, because both were invented here, in Cadiz! I made that up. No idea where tapas originated, probably in Mrs Fernandez’ kitchen in Bilbao, but this is where the Spanish Armada sailed from to fight the English (there were no British then, Nicola Sturgeon hadn’t even been born in 1532; she just looks like she was).

We left the kids, cos the hour + each way on two buses was a lot for me, let alone Joey. And we set off for Cadiz. Where we did a ‘free walking tour’, as we do in every city we’ve ever been to, all over the world. Because they’re great and better than organised ‘tours’. You pay what you like at the end, so the guides try much, much harder. I had today’s one polishing my sandals for me. And you learn lots of details. Which survive, in my mind, intact, for approximately the time it takes to think ‘I’d love an ice cream, right now’. But the key points: Cadiz has a history dating back over 3000 years. And because it’s a tiny little ‘island’ (it was, but now is attached to the mainland) rich in minerals, everyone came to get a piece. Starting with the Phoenicians, from… Phoenicia? Phoenix?, anyway, them. Followed by some Arabs, then all manner of others. Building castles and cathedrals (bloody Christians), mosques and all manner of lovely old buildings now mainly gone. King Philip 2nd got in a row with Queen Mary and all hell broke loose, so Francis Drake came over and invaded on her behalf. Lots’a shit like that. All fascinating. All keeping me longer away from ice cream. And its 35 degrees here. And windy.

Cadiz is the windiest place on earth. Other than the few places which are possibly windier. Yesterday we had a wonderful walk along a stunningly beautiful beach, but every time the wind blew, your legs get ‘quite literally’ sand-blasted. It’s horrible and painful and you’re so busy protecting your eyes, your legs feel like they suffering the torture of 1000 needles. Nice.

Anyhow, the take-away is: Cadiz is a really beautiful little city. Charming, lots of lovely little plazas, almost like it’s in Spain. And they take Euros here. Now where the fucking ice cream shop and get me back to my swimming pool. Because you now know everything about Cadiz.

Happy Wednesday,

A & L xxxx

(Lila chose today’s picture and put it on the post. Obviously more quickly and efficiently than I could ever do it).

So the plan is; you’re having a big birthday sometime soon. Very big birthday. So fucking big that for the first time in your life you’re suddenly aware of certain realities which may have been sort of ‘ignored’ on the rapidly moving conveyor belt of life which had brought you this far. Like: I’m very old. Like: I have had way more time than I have ‘left’. Like: those were the good years; it’s all uphill from now on. But heh, its ‘only’ 70, rapidly approaching, that’s the ‘new 45’ (I have unilaterally and fairly randomly decided), so each day is a blessing, and thus must be celebrated accordingly.

That’s June 16th. The ‘big day’. If I make it, obvs. No guarantees at this age. The day before is our 40th wedding anniversary. Holy shit! Don’t even ask how that one happened. No-one saw it coming. Anyway, we need to celebrate. So we’ll do what we do best; go on holiday. Otherwise you feel obliged to spend 10 grand watching people who claim to be ‘friends’ eating your food and getting pissed on your dollar, whilst you’ve spent 6 weeks fretting about flower arrangements and the music play list, only to find half your friends are pollen-anaphylactic and the other half in fucking wheelchairs.

So we’ve brought the gels and the kiddlies over to Cadiz. Why? Because MMM (me mate Mark) did it last year and said it was great. Simple. No agonising on the where/when/the transport/rooms, all sorted. Other than the ‘when’.

Because to actually be away on the 15th/16th of June would be just too ‘appropriate’, too ‘coincidental’ or ‘punctual’ and the fascists who run our country’s junior educational system wouldn’t want that, WOULD THEY???? No. So instead of putting a half term holiday which would have suited us perfectly, those bastards put it now. This week. Ok, we could have just all come without Lila and Joey. Left them in ‘care’ for the week, with social services. Or we could have just brought them anyway and faced the armed police that would have met us at Heathrow on our return. Or we could do now instead. Which, coincidentally, meant we travelled, yesterday, on Joey’s 7th birthday. Which was fun.

So here we all are. In the sun (just like those of you still in England), and by the beach, and in the very strong winds that they get round here. But I’m not complaining. Not yet, anyway. In fact I don’t need to complain. I’ve brought some professionals with me.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx

I never doubted my team, not for a moment, all season. Even when they were throwing away every game in the last seconds, finishing every game with 9 men on the pitch and slagging each other off in the press as we ploughed through a new manager every 3 months. I never doubted their skill, their commitment, their passion. Which would, by sheer force of belief, result in ‘success’. (There are many measures of ‘success’).

That’s why I haven’t been nervous, even concerned, about the end of the season. It really was ‘no big deal’ for me. I was chilled. Faith in the ‘program’, blah, blah, blah. Any kind of ‘fear’ you may have taken from these pages was just your imagination, and projection of how YOU would feel if the team YOU loved had GONE TO FUCKING SHIT AND WERE DESCENDING LIKE A BROKEN FUCKING LIFT!!!!! Whereas I was simply chilled about the whole thing.

And my calmness and low heart-rate and intact fingernails was totally proven justified yesterday afternoon. Where, at the Lane, Spurs breezed past Everton in the season’s finale, calmly and without fuss, anxiety or concern. Job done, game over, nothing more to see here. No relegation, no catastrophe, we’re safe and sound.

We scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game (but you don’t that at the time!!!) just before half time. It was fantastic. White Hart Lane exploded as if a cup final had just been won. Which, in so many ways (including financial benefits) it had. And the mood lifted, the uncertainty took a strong stop towards ‘certain’ and the party began.

Then West Ham scored against Leeds. Oh. Then they scored again. And thus were unlikely to now lose or even draw. They had 3 points. So Spurs fans had to dig deep and ask themselves a serious question: would you put the house on Spurs not conceding 2 goals in 10 minutes, plus (a shitload of) stoppage time? The question was answered by the general nervousness around the Stadium, and in my lounge. Because this current team of ours has the capacity to snatch defeat from the most advantageous of positions.

Anyway, Everton didn’t score, West Ham scored a third, but who cares? We were safe and sitting pretty (17th???) whilst they are sitting in the Championship.

Yet certain journalists were unimpressed that the mood after the match was ‘celebratory’. Well, if I’m honest, they may have a point. But, basically, fuck ‘em. We had done better than win a cup; in financial terms alone, we ‘had it off’. What we’ve done is assured our clubs place at the top table. For at least another year.

The future is bright. We’ve just arrived in Cadiz, but more about that tomorrow.

Very very very happy Monday

A xxxx