Milk Please!
I've not been a fan of Sean Penn before. Today I saw
Milk - the excellent biographical film about Harvey
Milk, a gay activist and the first openly gay man to
be elected to public office in California as a member
of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. For those
of you that don't know both Milk and San Francisco
Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by former
supervisor Dan White on 27 November 1978. I'm
overwhelmed by the portrayal by Penn - and commend it
to you highly. It's not yet in the UK, but won't be
long I'm sure. I predict Oscar nomination at the very
least.
This was the second film I saw during my trip here - the first also being wonderful, Cadillac Records. This film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the singers who recorded for Chess Records - majoring on the career of Muddy Waters. Great performances - and Beyonce is stunning, I never thought anyone could portray (and sing like) Etta James so successfully. Again - required viewing!
So, two great films. Just one week in New York. It was damn cold too, so very sensibly I kept inside a lot - thanks to all of you who made my trip so successful. Rumour is that (depending on a number of other factors) there might be a birthday celebration at 1984 at the Pyramid Club in July. What the hell?! My feet are still aching from all the dancing I did on Friday - yes, Simon dancing! You can tell the music was from the 1980s and early 1990s, wonderful.
I'll be back soon. In the meantime you've all at least 2 great films to see.
This was the second film I saw during my trip here - the first also being wonderful, Cadillac Records. This film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the singers who recorded for Chess Records - majoring on the career of Muddy Waters. Great performances - and Beyonce is stunning, I never thought anyone could portray (and sing like) Etta James so successfully. Again - required viewing!
So, two great films. Just one week in New York. It was damn cold too, so very sensibly I kept inside a lot - thanks to all of you who made my trip so successful. Rumour is that (depending on a number of other factors) there might be a birthday celebration at 1984 at the Pyramid Club in July. What the hell?! My feet are still aching from all the dancing I did on Friday - yes, Simon dancing! You can tell the music was from the 1980s and early 1990s, wonderful.
I'll be back soon. In the meantime you've all at least 2 great films to see.
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Why I Hate LAX
Whilst I sit here in sunny Sacramento, California, it
is with some trepidation that I am contemplating once
more having to travel through the worst airport on
earth. I am attempting to conjure up any saving
graces, and after almost a week since my last
encounter with this place from hell I have realised
there is nothing to be said in its defence.
Having travelled a fair amount, I have encountered more than my fair share of incompetence and rudeness - but also wonderful helpfulness, humour, and general politeness. Coming from London, I know how difficult big airports are - and I am hoping that the impersonalness of Heathrow will be mitigated somewhat by the new Terminal 5 that opens to the public just after my return.
LAX and I have history. I have never enjoyed flying to or through it, but this trip was quite something. It began with an insecure man on passport control trying to show off to the person he was training. To be rudely questioned about how much money I have, followed by how was I getting to Sacramento. I admit I looked like hell - but I had been on a flight for 11 hours or so, and I travel in comfortable casual clothes. Well I had no dollars in my wallet, and the man seemed incapable of thinking someone might use a cashpoint in a foreign land. I wanted to retort that I was thinking of purchasing a US bank whilst I was here, but I decided that he'd clearly no sense of humour and I did want to be let in to the country after all. Thankfully my e-ticket sufficed on how I was getting to Sacramento (plane of course!) although he seemed incapable of believing that I might know anyone in Sac who possessed a car and might collect me from the airport. Throughout he expressed exquisite rudeness and arrogance - the like of which panders to anyone around the world who has a stereotype of Americans. Condoleeeeeeezzzza would have been proud.
Then to security! I virtually had to strip to get through it, and without a sign saying "please take your laptop out of your bag" (even without the please) it was hard to know that this was required. Suffice to say that got me in to more trouble and clearly the brothers of the passport control man were working the security system. Even I found it hard to just keep on smiling, and a lesser person might have thought it a conspiracy.
Well the rudeness went on - but my arrival, and indeed whole trip, in Sacramento has been heavenly. I admit, made more heavenly by the fact that I missed snow back in Blighty.
Fingers crossed the builders have finished.
My advice - never use LAX, use SFO instead. Always. This lesson is well learnt.
Having travelled a fair amount, I have encountered more than my fair share of incompetence and rudeness - but also wonderful helpfulness, humour, and general politeness. Coming from London, I know how difficult big airports are - and I am hoping that the impersonalness of Heathrow will be mitigated somewhat by the new Terminal 5 that opens to the public just after my return.
LAX and I have history. I have never enjoyed flying to or through it, but this trip was quite something. It began with an insecure man on passport control trying to show off to the person he was training. To be rudely questioned about how much money I have, followed by how was I getting to Sacramento. I admit I looked like hell - but I had been on a flight for 11 hours or so, and I travel in comfortable casual clothes. Well I had no dollars in my wallet, and the man seemed incapable of thinking someone might use a cashpoint in a foreign land. I wanted to retort that I was thinking of purchasing a US bank whilst I was here, but I decided that he'd clearly no sense of humour and I did want to be let in to the country after all. Thankfully my e-ticket sufficed on how I was getting to Sacramento (plane of course!) although he seemed incapable of believing that I might know anyone in Sac who possessed a car and might collect me from the airport. Throughout he expressed exquisite rudeness and arrogance - the like of which panders to anyone around the world who has a stereotype of Americans. Condoleeeeeeezzzza would have been proud.
Then to security! I virtually had to strip to get through it, and without a sign saying "please take your laptop out of your bag" (even without the please) it was hard to know that this was required. Suffice to say that got me in to more trouble and clearly the brothers of the passport control man were working the security system. Even I found it hard to just keep on smiling, and a lesser person might have thought it a conspiracy.
Well the rudeness went on - but my arrival, and indeed whole trip, in Sacramento has been heavenly. I admit, made more heavenly by the fact that I missed snow back in Blighty.
Fingers crossed the builders have finished.
My advice - never use LAX, use SFO instead. Always. This lesson is well learnt.
Hillary or Obama?
06/03/08 00:26 Filed in: Politics
As one of the Brits who has studied American
politics, I'm actually rather pleased that the media
here in the UK are making quite an effort covering
the US primaries. Let's face it, they are much more
interesting than our current political climate here.
It's fascinating to see the self-righteous British
public complain to Radio 4 about giving too much
coverage on the Today programme, but yet they have to
acknowledge that for the first time in years the
people are interested in politics (well more
interested than normal).
The fact that it's a dead heat so far is also interesting. I had thought (hoped?) Obama would deal the final blow, but I shouldn't have been surprised really. Hillary is quite an operator - and the Clintons should never been underestimated. She has significant power and charisma - she is the only candidate that is identifiable by her first name only. That says a lot. I wish I knew what might happen - it's fascinating. From the perspective of wanting a Democratic administration then I am not sure that dragging the contest out until the Convention is wise, but that looks on the cards. They are both good candidates - and, when I studied US politics two decades ago I would never have thought that we were looking at one of the major parties electing either a Black man or a woman as their presidential candidate. So, whatever the result it is certainly progress - and much more significant than Geraldine Ferraro. My heart wants Obama, though, and I think my head does too. Why? Well I think he'll have most chance of winning - from the other side of the pond it's clear that some sections of the US will do anything to "Stop Hillary". Why is she SO hated? I can't quite get my head around that.
Anyway .. fascinating. Puts our dull debate about the EU and its reform treaty in perspective. Strange how our politicians are keen to bore us to tears on this subject!
Enough politics. I'll try to avoid for a few blogs!
The fact that it's a dead heat so far is also interesting. I had thought (hoped?) Obama would deal the final blow, but I shouldn't have been surprised really. Hillary is quite an operator - and the Clintons should never been underestimated. She has significant power and charisma - she is the only candidate that is identifiable by her first name only. That says a lot. I wish I knew what might happen - it's fascinating. From the perspective of wanting a Democratic administration then I am not sure that dragging the contest out until the Convention is wise, but that looks on the cards. They are both good candidates - and, when I studied US politics two decades ago I would never have thought that we were looking at one of the major parties electing either a Black man or a woman as their presidential candidate. So, whatever the result it is certainly progress - and much more significant than Geraldine Ferraro. My heart wants Obama, though, and I think my head does too. Why? Well I think he'll have most chance of winning - from the other side of the pond it's clear that some sections of the US will do anything to "Stop Hillary". Why is she SO hated? I can't quite get my head around that.
Anyway .. fascinating. Puts our dull debate about the EU and its reform treaty in perspective. Strange how our politicians are keen to bore us to tears on this subject!
Enough politics. I'll try to avoid for a few blogs!
There's a guy down the chip shop, swears he's been offered a job with the NHS
With apologies to the late Kirsty MacColl, I just
couldn't resist the title of this blog. Well in her
song, the guy swears he's Elvis - but I think the
2000s equivalent is probably being offered a job in
the NHS. You may wonder why I say that ... well here
goes ...
I applied for a job a few weeks ago, and was surprised not to have heard anything. We won't mention where the job was, but suffice to say the HR department are clearly very challenged. So, I chased up what had happened - to be sent an indignant email attaching a copy of the letter that had been sent (admittedly nearly 2 weeks after the interview) offering me the job. Well, actually offering someone at a different address on my road but with the same name the job. The address was of the chip shop down the road! No wonder I didn't receive it - but I assume the evening after it arrived, the letter and the plethora of leaflets accompanying the letter were used to wrap up portions of fish and chips. Or maybe a pineapple ring or two.
There's a strange thing called Agenda for Change in the NHS now - I'd heard legend about it before I returned, but am amazed by how it has developed. Remembering the laudable policy intentions behind the change, it appears to have gone terribly wrong. Perhaps it might work with a well-resourced and competent HR function, but I am frankly stunned with how it gets administered across the various NHS organisations to whom I have applied for jobs in the past few months.
I'll update my ramblings further once I accept a job - but in the meantime I am sure that my battering skills will come in handy. What's Frying Tonight? (no jokes about sausages now, remember I don't eat them ...)
One more thing before I end for the night - we had an earthquake in Britain! 5.4 epicentre in Lincolnshire. However, I was just going to sleep in my humble abode in south east London 2 nights ago and my bed began to shake. I thought the rats were back from the supermarket over the road (that I dare not mention even though I know from the pest control people that that's where the rats came from before). Or that a burglar must have been in the house. Why either of those things would have made the bed shake is beyond me, but you know how the mind tries to make things logical when you're half asleep. Who, after all, would have thought it was likely that it was a quake! Anyway, that's been my week - Quake and Chips. Still Friday to go, so we'll see what else will come my way.
I applied for a job a few weeks ago, and was surprised not to have heard anything. We won't mention where the job was, but suffice to say the HR department are clearly very challenged. So, I chased up what had happened - to be sent an indignant email attaching a copy of the letter that had been sent (admittedly nearly 2 weeks after the interview) offering me the job. Well, actually offering someone at a different address on my road but with the same name the job. The address was of the chip shop down the road! No wonder I didn't receive it - but I assume the evening after it arrived, the letter and the plethora of leaflets accompanying the letter were used to wrap up portions of fish and chips. Or maybe a pineapple ring or two.
There's a strange thing called Agenda for Change in the NHS now - I'd heard legend about it before I returned, but am amazed by how it has developed. Remembering the laudable policy intentions behind the change, it appears to have gone terribly wrong. Perhaps it might work with a well-resourced and competent HR function, but I am frankly stunned with how it gets administered across the various NHS organisations to whom I have applied for jobs in the past few months.
I'll update my ramblings further once I accept a job - but in the meantime I am sure that my battering skills will come in handy. What's Frying Tonight? (no jokes about sausages now, remember I don't eat them ...)
One more thing before I end for the night - we had an earthquake in Britain! 5.4 epicentre in Lincolnshire. However, I was just going to sleep in my humble abode in south east London 2 nights ago and my bed began to shake. I thought the rats were back from the supermarket over the road (that I dare not mention even though I know from the pest control people that that's where the rats came from before). Or that a burglar must have been in the house. Why either of those things would have made the bed shake is beyond me, but you know how the mind tries to make things logical when you're half asleep. Who, after all, would have thought it was likely that it was a quake! Anyway, that's been my week - Quake and Chips. Still Friday to go, so we'll see what else will come my way.