I had a rare night out on the pop last night. It was to commemorate and commiserate with my former boss, who has been unceremoniously bumped from his job after 20 years' service. I used to look forward to these affairs, but these days I eye them with dread. I simply cannot stick away six pints and not feel the consequences. That implies I used not to notice the damage; that isn't true. But I was better at ignoring it when I was younger. Also I had fewer qualms about turning up to work in an unfit state. These days, I feel bad if I arrive at the office bright green and trembling.
I left them to it at about 10 o'clock. My former boss, who was visibly in his cups when I arrived at 7pm, was still draining the bitter cup when I left. I imagine the inside of his nut resembles the Somme today.
[update]: I got an email from him a few moments ago. He was so "confused" upon reaching home that climbing the stairs seemed a Herculean task, so he slept downstairs with the cat instead.
What else has been happening? Oh, yes, I know - Sainsbury's has unveiled its Christmas advert, which is a dramatisation of the famous Christmas truce during the Great War when British and German troops met in no-man's land to play football. It's a beautifully realised, subtle and sweetly poignant film, and about the most offensive thing I've ever laid eyes on.
I'm staggered that not absolutely everyone in the country isn't horrified by this cynical, heartless and brutally calculating piece of marketing. Let's think about it for a moment. A supermarket is using the First World War to hawk its pickled onions and y-fronts. If, as some people argue, it's fine to to invoke an historical event in which thousands tragically died, then why not go the whole hog next year and base the entire yuletide campaign on 9/11? The reason they won't is because people would, quite rightly, hit the fucking roof.
But the principle is exactly the same. Or are we to conclude that an event that killed 37 million people...err...yonks ago is fair game, but one that killed three and a half thousand and happened within living memory is off limits as to use it to market Pot Noodles might, just might, be considered to be beyond the fucking pale? This is clearly bullshit. It is either a principled or an unprincipled act. One cannot cherry pick instances when it's okay and others when it's not. That's like arguing that it's fine to ridicule a Chinaman, but not a Nigerian. Actually I do believe some racists actually advance this confused argument.
What else has been happening? Oh, yes, I know - Sainsbury's has unveiled its Christmas advert, which is a dramatisation of the famous Christmas truce during the Great War when British and German troops met in no-man's land to play football. It's a beautifully realised, subtle and sweetly poignant film, and about the most offensive thing I've ever laid eyes on.
I'm staggered that not absolutely everyone in the country isn't horrified by this cynical, heartless and brutally calculating piece of marketing. Let's think about it for a moment. A supermarket is using the First World War to hawk its pickled onions and y-fronts. If, as some people argue, it's fine to to invoke an historical event in which thousands tragically died, then why not go the whole hog next year and base the entire yuletide campaign on 9/11? The reason they won't is because people would, quite rightly, hit the fucking roof.
But the principle is exactly the same. Or are we to conclude that an event that killed 37 million people...err...yonks ago is fair game, but one that killed three and a half thousand and happened within living memory is off limits as to use it to market Pot Noodles might, just might, be considered to be beyond the fucking pale? This is clearly bullshit. It is either a principled or an unprincipled act. One cannot cherry pick instances when it's okay and others when it's not. That's like arguing that it's fine to ridicule a Chinaman, but not a Nigerian. Actually I do believe some racists actually advance this confused argument.
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