Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Grooming Products

As you might imagine (and as I have undoubtedly said before) the world of ‘grooming products’ for men is a foreign one to me. So when we got a free sample of Nivea ‘for men’ (‘it’s just what you do’ apparently') I decided to give it a go. It was aftershave moisturiser or something. Well, I used it. It didn’t even small nice and now I have a greasy shiny face. Feel like I need a wash (I do use soap by the way). I suppose there’ll be some kind of exfoliating mouthwash I should buy to floss my follicles with.

I once spoke to someone who asked me if I ‘moisturised’. I kind of hope that the combined look of exasperation, despair and withering contempt means they won’t venture such a question ever again, but you never know. There’s a whole industry devoted to selling these ‘grooming products’ and a raft of magazines trying to make it respectable, even desirable. And some of the users aren’t even gay. I’ve seen articles that allege that women like men to use these grooming products. It’s a lie.

Them Ads

Seems I've done enough now to paste the ads in. I don't think I'm allowed to follow them myself, nor am I allowed to suggest that you click on them as a favour to me. I suspect that there's 100th of a cent or something (for me) for every million people who click on the ads.

I really hope that the ads pick up on the content of the blog - you'll be able to follow ads to 'New Labour', goldfish, BAE 'systems' and all kinds of stuff.

I need money and in this very limited sense I am prepared to be a hypocrite. Hurrah for me! My ultimate ambition is of course to be a Champagne Socialist...

Monday, October 01, 2007

What a shit evening

What a shit evening. The bus home was stopped by the police so they could arrest some kid (of about 12) on the back seat. Then the bus was stoned in Harehills (which quite often happens) and the windscreen broken so we had to get off the bus.

I walked home to find the goldfish had died. It was always a bad idea and I don't believe in pets. It was forced on us, we bought medicine and equipment and it wasn't enough.

Then there’s the news of the military crackdown in Burma. For some reason the media are allowed to call oppression by the military oppression by the military in this case. In most cases they don’t call it that – it depends entirely on who’s doing it it seems.

Meanwhile in the free West all our phone call details are being kept for at least a year by the phone companies so the government and ‘other agencies’ can spy on us for the purposes of ‘combating terrorism and serious crime’. My phone call details can be demanded by Leeds City Council apparently, among all the other agencies. You couldn't make that up could you, come on now, be honest.

I suppose it’s a good thing that people are questioning why an innocent man was lured into a trap, pinned to the ground and executed by several pumped up young men none of whom have been sacked let alone prosecuted. Someone also allowed the story to get out that their victim was a) a terrorist suspect - a lie b) running – a lie c) wearing a padded jacket – a lie d) that he jumped over the ticket barrier – another lie.

Tht was the next news story. The investigation is under health and safety legislation. You really couldn't make that up either could you. We’re supposed to have forgotten all this by now and gone shopping. We're supposed to let it go because the police are trying to protect us. If the aim is to preserve life every member of the 'security services' should be re-deployed as lolly pop men, road safety advisors and traffic police. This would save lives. Loads more than the most successful anti-terrorist operation. A more civilised foreign policy and most of the terrorism would melt away too.

In some ways all you can do is look on with contempt and horror. There’s simply nothing much you can do. However, when they want me to do something like signing up to be spied on at my own expense I draw the line. Yup, its back to the ol' ID database again.

The last set of freaks that tried taking away basic freedoms were hung or committed suicide after a massive war. We'll see...

Goodnight everybody!