Click here to view the embedded video.

So it’s sorted. Will the UK get the new kind of politics that our new Deputy PM, Nick Clegg, is so fond of talking about? Who really knows. One thing’s for sure – I admire the man’s (and the party’s) optimism that we will. I admire the belief that the new coalition government is the best thing for Britain, and that the Tories and LibDems can deliver on the promise to provide a stable and fair government, based on what the country decided at the general election.

Bit of  an odd thing that though – assuming that the country, as a singular, decided anything at all. Indeed, it could be equally (and has been, quite vocally) argued that it did the exact opposite of that, and showed just how different and diverse we are in our opinions. That’s no bad thing necessarily, but it does beg the question of how politicians make the jump from the fact that 26,116,083 people voted – between them – for three different parties, to the idea that we all voted for the current situation.

I didn’t vote for the Tories. I’ll say that because I’m open about it. I don’t believe that I should hide the fact, and I don’t believe I voted for another party (the LibDems) particularly to get the Tories in and have the LibDems on board. But then, when over 26 million people vote, it’s hardly easy to sort it all out. Not at the moment anyway, without Proportional Representation.

So it’s a bit of a stretch to say that ‘the country decided’. We didn’t, did we? We didn’t not decide either. Each of us decided to vote for a party/candidate/PM, but not enough of us did to avoid a coalition government. Yet there is Britain to run, and with Gordon Brown resigning yesterday in a truly dignified manner, what has the ‘ConDem/’LibCon’ government done to bamboozle us? Decide to get along! The barefaced cheek of it!

I must admit, it’s a crazy but inspiring idea, yet it might just work.  I’m not ‘anti-Dave’ per se. I don’t believe he represents my vote in the General Election, but it was quite refreshing to see him and Clegg address the nation’s media on the lawn of Number 10 today. I don’t jump into the fire of claiming that the LibDems sold me out either, because at first glance they appear to have brokered a sensible power-sharing deal, and, on the face of it, helped to shuffle ‘new politics’ into a rather stale deck.

What’s more, politics seems accessible and enjoyable for once. (I’m actually writing a blog on the damn thing, and) With the media, commentators and MPs not quite sure where they stand, the barn door appears to have been blown open for those – like me – previously tired by Punch and Judy back and forths. What? Oh come on, a little optimism never did any harm.

It might be I’m at the age to take interest, or the increased media coverage of this election. It might be the knowledge that ‘my’ party will have an impact in this new coalition that’s turned me and my friends and colleagues on to the political goings on. Or it might be those ‘New Politics’ (post ‘New Labour’) we’re hearing so much about. Whatever it is, I don’t really feel too bad about it. And I hope others don’t either.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hello everyone. I found out something very interesting over the weekend: If you publish posts, traffic increases. Marvellous. Now that I realise exactly what this space is for, let’s keep doing…that thing that it’s for. Incidentally, the other thing I found out over the weekend is that a coalition UK government is quite clearly doomed.

This is based on a highly scientific experiment which involved consuming a coalition glass of red wine – majority shiraz, minority pinot noir. Then the beers wanted to have their say…and then gin called for shot-glass proportioned representation and…the result? Complete alcoholic fallout. It could be some weeks, or even months until any of those parties will be elected again.

Anyway, onto writing matters. The fine people at Den of Geek have allowed me to have a look at the new footballing film: One Night in Turin, a revisiting of the events surrounding England’s tumultuous journey through the 1990 world cup. You can wince at my footballing pun in the intro, and read the rest of the words after it here.

If you do, thanks. If not, well thanks for getting this far. If you didn’t even get this far, then you smell. And if you just read that as you smell, well don’t worry about it because in reading it, know that it means you don’t smell. Blimey, now I know how hard those Choose Your Own Adventure writers had it.

One person who clearly did choose his own adventure, is a gent called Tom Perkins, of  film vid-blog FILMXTRA. This morning he found himself drenched in a plagiarism downpour of which The Following Preview blog has all the details. Do read that post, it’s very,  very interesting.

Essentially Tom took film reviews from several sites and writers and read them allowed to camera in a presenter style, truly fit for the 21st century YouTube generation. What he didn’t do was ask anyone if he could present their views, and went about claiming the reviews as his own. Oh sorry, I’ve made a typo. He read the reviews ‘aloud’, it wasn’t ‘allowed’.

Den of Geek was one of the sites affected, but there were others who are also a tad disgruntled at his brazen attempt to make a name for himself, and his blog, off the back of others’ works. Bizarre, it really is. Tom has since ‘apologised’…in a way, but the matter will probably end his film review ‘career’. Similarly I feel a little sorry for him in a way. But not in much of one. ‘Til next time.

Kev.

Here’s a boat that cannot float.

Here’s a queue that cannot vote.

Here’s a line you cannot quote.

Here’s a deal you cannot note …

and here’s a sacrificial goat,

here’s a cut, here’s a throat,

here’s a drawbridge, here’s a moat …

What’s your hurry? Here’s your coat.

On the subject of poetry, if you happen to be in North London tomorrow, the arts collective I’m part of – Lazy Gramophone – is holding an event called Lazy Sunday.

Full details can be found at the facebook group here, and it should be a lively and entertaining event, equally mixed with Sunday cool.

Readings by William Conway (from sections of his Tastes of Ink) as well as performances by the top gent (and excellent poet and musician), Joshua Idehen, The Sea Kings and Jem Cooke will feature.

I’ll be there milling about and chatting to peeps as well. Not as part of any performance, just to have a bit of a natter. Maybe see you then. And let’s hope that – for the good of the country – whatever is to happen, happens quickly in Westminster. 

Moving on, in some bad, bad news for lovers of small, boutique festivals, a great one has been cancelled this (what would have been its fifth) year. Very, very sad. GocStock, a weekend I’ve enjoyed every year since its inception will no longer be going ahead. It was set to be the biggest GocStock so far, had a fantastic Jabberwocky theme in place, moved to a larger site and even had The Holloways headlining. But all that is for nothing now.

Why is GocStock much-loved? Well take a look at the below video You’ll see me on there at some point waxing lyrical (and sporting a rather nice, borrowed, beret!):

GocStock is dead, long-live GocStock! Hopefully, it will be back next year…

*weeps*

The Guardian has the others here.

This election isn’t going to be fun is it?

Not because the editorial is Pro-Tory (this time round) – though the paper’s Murdoch-inspired fancies have been made crystal throughout this General Election race (and I find blatantly politically biased news coverage like a puss-covered shoe-iron to the face). But because of the above front page, and the inside ‘Page 3′ as detailed here.

Not only are both pages a shambolic attempt to sway voters of tomorrow’s Election in the most patronising and pop-culture pandering way possible, but they highlight The Sun’s clear disregard for the public’s ability to make an informed personal choice. It’s horrific, it truly is, and if I could find more words to express my disgust, rage and downright incredulity at the gall of supposed ‘reporters’, ‘editors’ and ‘newspaper journalists’ behind this copy I would. But it leaves me virtually speechless, thinking only of the letters ‘F’ and ‘O’ and with this message to the nation’s ‘favourite read’.

‘Britain’s Got…A Brain. Now sod off, and don’t ever darken my door again. There are papers 100 times more worthy of the 20p you cost. Which is a bargain, considering none of them are anywhere that price.  Now, bye, bye The Sun. And don’t let the polling station door hit your arse on the way out.