Bignjuicy

Did you know that the street named in the famous Beatles song, Penny Lane, was named after one James Penny? Did you know that James Penny, who died in 1799, was active in the slave trade until the American War of Independence and later took up the trade again when the war ended?  Furthermore, Penny spoke in defence of the slave trade to Parliament in 1788; he argued that abolition of the trade would destroy the economy of Liverpool;

“it would not only greatly affect the commercial interest, but also the landed property of the County of Lancaster and more particularly, the Town of Liverpool; whose fall, in that case, would be as rapid as its rise has been astonishing.”

Thankfully Penny was proved wrong, Liverpool survives still. A policy of changing the name of Liverpool streets associated with the slave trade deliberately excluded Penny Lane from the process. Like Penny, the city knows where its bread is buttered.

1. Cancellation of North Tees and Hartlepool new hospital building – not cutting the NHS?
2.  VAT to rise to 20% – fair taxes, the poor not disproportionately targeted?
3. Calling your parliamentary colleague a ‘dwarf’ – nice use of offensive language.
4 . Insulting the victims of a disaster – great move by the ‘Culture’ minister.
5. Thinly veiled rascist legislation proposal – because muslim women make great scapegoats Mr Hollobone when your party is busy being nasty?

The story of Oscar the ‘bionic cat’ is remarkable enough in itself. What’s more endearing for me is the force of personality this here cat seems to possess. We like Oscar.

Unfortunately named holding companies : no 1
Koc Holding

Unfortunately named Chairmen of unfortunately named holding companies : no 1
Mustafa Koc

Two of my most favourite things in one this weekend. Dr Who meets Vincent Van Gogh. Richard (Four Weddings and a Funeral) Curtis produced a script crafted to push those emotional buttons. If the online reactions I’ve been reading are anything to go by, there were several million moist eyed viewers this evening. A tokenistic monster fighting narrative was, rightly, overshadowed by the examination of Vincent’s complex character. His insights into humanity, his battle with depression and his profound visual understanding were all skilfully woven into an action packed fifty minutes filled with humour and just enough edge to portray Vincent as a real person, not the more usual 2D caricature.  Of course the star of the episode was the visuals and the star of the visuals were the stars. Vincent, Amy and the Doctor lying down looking at the stars.

Unfortunately named Turkish domestic appliance manufacturers – no 1:

Enlarge to full screen and click image to see captions.

Every year I go the the Chelsea Flower Show and every year a fibreglass gorilla is there. People walk past bemusedly looking at it. Some go up and look at the price tag and stagger away in disbelief. It is £14000. The fibrglass gorilla is surrounded on all sides by less bulky fibreglass things such as a sleeping hound, a mystic mermaid and various nymphs looking weak and submissive. The fibreglass gorilla does not look weak and submissive. If you opened your curtains of a morning and saw the fibreglass gorilla on your lawn you would not think ‘god that fibreglass gorilla looks weak and submissive’. In fact if you opened your curtains of a morning and saw the fibreglass gorilla on your lawn the least of your worries would be whether or not it looked weak and submissive. This is because a. You are likely to have far too much money to care. b. You have the aesthetic sensibility of Jordan after she has done a BA in Bad Taste from the University of Poundland and c. You are a laughing stock for miles around because you have paid £14000 to have a fibreglass gorilla on your lawn. Garden gnomes are banned from the Chelsea Flower Show because they are in bad taste. Garden gnomes are, on average, around 12 inches in height. You can easily hide a garden gnome under a tasteful tuscan pot or behind a stunning stipa gigantea. For all we know the whole of the Chelsea Flower Show could be secretly stuffed with bad taste garden gnomes that are hidden from view by dint of their diminutive dimensions. If the RHS will not allow the open display of garden gnomes then WHY OH WHY DO THEY ALLOW THE ANNUAL DISPLAY OF THIS SIX FOOT ABOMINATION? It’s right opposite Titmarsh’s bunker too.  Some plastic things shouldn’t be allowed. That’s two for starters.

Annoying deluded person: “Wasn’t it lovely when they were walking in the door of number 1o? He looked so chuffed.”

drD thinks: Er no, it was pretty soul destroying actually. Some of us resent multi-millionaire toffs seizing control of our government to further their capitalist rich-boy agenda comrade.

Annoying deluded person: ”Everything feels so hopeful again, like a fresh start.”

drD thinks: You mean like Tony Blair in 1997?

Annoying deluded person: ”I thought it was really good that ministers will be taking a 5% pay cut”

drD thinks: Yep it’ll sure make all the redundant workers and re-possessed homeowners feel better that multi-millionaire cabinet ministers will be getting £137000  instead of £144000.

Annoying deluded person: ”I think the coalition will be really good for the country; parties working together.”

drD thinks: Don’t you mean backstabbing each other as usual?

Annoying deluded person: ”I really like David Cameron”

drD thinks: Oh sod off will you.