Kneeling for the Privy Council is news, apparently

So today, whilst catching a bit of an update on what is happening around the world on the news websites, I spotted this headline.

"Jeremy Corbyn: will he or won't he kneel for Queen?"

Foolishly clicking on the link I became aware that this, apparently, required such a lengthy discussion that it was 13 pages long (however long a "page" is when we're talking about an electronic document and not a piece of paper).

In a large nutshell, Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Opposition to Her Majestys' Government, was sworn in to the Queens Privy Council today, and as part of the normal ceremony includes kneeling before the Queen.  Mr Corbyn is a republican and as a result I assume doesn't really feel like kneeling before royalty.  But it's important for him to become a member of the Privy Council because it means that he gets things like security briefings which I imagine he ought to get.

Spoiler - he didn't kneel, but it obviously can't have mattered much in the end because he still became a member of the Privy Council without being beheaded or killed or anything.

I don't talk about politics and so I'm not going to give my opinion on whether he should or shouldn't kneel - I don't really think it's up to me, it's a matter really for Mr Corbyn.

I just think that news coverage of Kneelgate is a little over the top really - does it matter that much if he kneels or not?  He obviously hasn't blown up the Privy Council or attempted to assassinate the Queen yet.

Instead, here's a picture of a green pint of beer.

It hasn't even got a good head on it.  Now THAT is something to get angry over.

Cheers!

The beauty of a weekend chillout

I've been chilling out at the weekend.

Not all weekend, of course.  That would be extremely lazy (and lovely).

Basically, my Saturday and Sunday morning chillouts take up the first two to three hours of the day.  I get up with my son, make us both some breakfast, and then eat said breakfast whilst watching Glee.

Yes, I know, Glee is a dreadfully cheerful and uplifting piece of televisual entertainment, but sometimes I just want to feel good!  It's a modern musical and the one thing musicals do is touch your soul.

And breakfast is essential for absorbing the alcohol from the night before.

Breakfast was especially good this weekend, due to buying bacon last week.

And when I say I bought bacon, I BOUGHT BACON.

In the interests of supporting my local shop, I went to the butchers, with the intention of buying somewhere between four and eight slices of bacon.  However, they had a special offer of two pounds (about one kilogramme) of bacon for £5.70.

That's not actually a special offer, it's actually the going rate for bacon, but I couldn't resist - I bought it.

Now I have lots of bacon in the house.

Two bits of news - firstly, I have a video collaboration being organised as I type, no details yet but hopefully a new video will be arriving in a couple of weeks (apart from any others I knock together in the meantime)

And secondly, fingers crossed I have a new YouTuber interview coming through very shortly, if so it'll be featured this week!  Stay tuned.

No news is... more and more common these days

You know, in the olden days, there wasn't any Internet?

You had to wait for news.  You watched the news programme on TV (BBC in our household, we didn't mix with those heathens on ITV.  And don't even think about mentioning Channel 4.  Although I do like Krishnan Guru-Murthy)

Personal news came by the telephone, people coming round to the house, or in the post.  You waited for the post to see if you had anything.  Nowadays all the post ever has in it is bills, junk mail, or parcels from Amazon.  It is true that in the old days it was generally mostly bills and junk mail, but there was the hope of an actual letter from someone in the mix.

But as technology had advanced, we wait less and less.  We can log onto the Internet and find out the latest news.  Our phones beep and vibrate to warn you that you've got a new email, with the sideline of the message being READ IT NOW even if you're busy, perhaps in a meeting or having dinner or attending a christening or something.

So we don't get to be surprised by news any more.  That's a shame.

Speaking of news, however, are you aware that the Perseid Meteor Showers will be coming along in under a month?

The Space Striders blog says that after midnight on August 11th and 12th should be good opportunities to see the meteor showing.  I've always had an interest in Astronomy - even toyed with it as a hobby for a while - and I've always wanted to see a decent meteor shower but never actually done it.  Perhaps this might be the year!

Also, tomorrow is the closing date for the Costa Short Story competition.  I've just submitted my story - a sort of psychological science fiction... I really want to use the word thriller but I really don't think it is. Anyway it's been fun to write a story and I was surprised how quickly I could pull it together, bearing in mind I only started it on Monday!  For more info about the competition head to http://www.costabookawards.com/short-stories