Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Spicy chicken, The American President, and nice legs
I have been very busy today. Apart from work, which of course took up the bulk of the day, and involved slicing through the usual entanglement of red tape that strangles even my most simple requests, I had my Dad emailing me saying that yesterday's blog-based crime-query exchange made him look "like a Tory." Let me just confirm to the reading world that he is anything but.
At least, that's what he says...
I went out to dinner with a friend tonight, and we broke several cardinal rules by spending the entire time talking about politics and religion. It's a good job it wasn't a first date, as I doubt there'd have been a second! Not least because, as well as the dodgy conversation, the whole thing took place inside the Printworks branch of Nando's, which is hardly the candle-lit romantic hideaway that I would like for such an occasion.
Still, it was an interesting chat, and there was no quibble over the bill at the end like there would've been after a date, where I'd have ended up paying after some fake platitudes from her over splitting it. It's the law of dates, I think.
We were talking about the American Presidential election, and how interesting it is that two of the leading Democratic challengers are a woman (Senator Clinton) and an African American (Senator Obama). Two things occurred to me over my piri-piri spiced chicken burger. First, that it's incredibly important for the whole world, not just America, who wins the election. The leader of the USA really is the leader of the free world, in charge of a foreign policy that can set the tone for every single one of us. I think we should all take an interest in the outcome of the election. And second, that having a female or a black President would have the potential to be such a milestone, bringing a set of agendas to the fore that have always been in the background before. It could really be an interesting time.
But then I ate some spicy nuts and two glasses of Sprite, so whatever trifling thoughts I was having about American politics got lost in a haze of fizzy pop and my burning mouth. And the conversation turned to my pal's new boyfriend.
And that was the end of that...
And now I am home tapping away at this, whilst Tam sits in the lounge on the phone to a variety of friends in turn, trying to organise a "girly" holiday. The entire thing appears to be about as easy as getting twenty fruitflies to dance the rhumba in unison. Not made any easier because the girls on the other end of the line seem to have a severe form of attention deficit disorder. I am only hearing half the conversation, obviously, but if the plane taking them on holiday veers as spectacularly as the conversations to do with the booking, then we are all in trouble. Topics covered so far include:
1) The Special K Diet
2) How awful it is that "Lost" is only on Sky
3) MSN Messenger's flirting potential
4) Netball
5) Nice legs and their effect on jean-wearing
6) An occasional mention of going on holiday, maybe.
We shall see how the conversation pans out. We may have a holiday organised by bedtime. We may not. Either way, I imagine I will hear LOTS about it between now and lights-out tonight.
I honestly can't wait.
Rick
At least, that's what he says...
I went out to dinner with a friend tonight, and we broke several cardinal rules by spending the entire time talking about politics and religion. It's a good job it wasn't a first date, as I doubt there'd have been a second! Not least because, as well as the dodgy conversation, the whole thing took place inside the Printworks branch of Nando's, which is hardly the candle-lit romantic hideaway that I would like for such an occasion.
Still, it was an interesting chat, and there was no quibble over the bill at the end like there would've been after a date, where I'd have ended up paying after some fake platitudes from her over splitting it. It's the law of dates, I think.
We were talking about the American Presidential election, and how interesting it is that two of the leading Democratic challengers are a woman (Senator Clinton) and an African American (Senator Obama). Two things occurred to me over my piri-piri spiced chicken burger. First, that it's incredibly important for the whole world, not just America, who wins the election. The leader of the USA really is the leader of the free world, in charge of a foreign policy that can set the tone for every single one of us. I think we should all take an interest in the outcome of the election. And second, that having a female or a black President would have the potential to be such a milestone, bringing a set of agendas to the fore that have always been in the background before. It could really be an interesting time.
But then I ate some spicy nuts and two glasses of Sprite, so whatever trifling thoughts I was having about American politics got lost in a haze of fizzy pop and my burning mouth. And the conversation turned to my pal's new boyfriend.
And that was the end of that...
And now I am home tapping away at this, whilst Tam sits in the lounge on the phone to a variety of friends in turn, trying to organise a "girly" holiday. The entire thing appears to be about as easy as getting twenty fruitflies to dance the rhumba in unison. Not made any easier because the girls on the other end of the line seem to have a severe form of attention deficit disorder. I am only hearing half the conversation, obviously, but if the plane taking them on holiday veers as spectacularly as the conversations to do with the booking, then we are all in trouble. Topics covered so far include:
1) The Special K Diet
2) How awful it is that "Lost" is only on Sky
3) MSN Messenger's flirting potential
4) Netball
5) Nice legs and their effect on jean-wearing
6) An occasional mention of going on holiday, maybe.
We shall see how the conversation pans out. We may have a holiday organised by bedtime. We may not. Either way, I imagine I will hear LOTS about it between now and lights-out tonight.
I honestly can't wait.
Rick
# posted by Richard Baum @ 20:59 
