I would just like to express my sadness at the passing of Dennis Hopper. He was a true Hollywood legend. As an undergraduate, I had the good fortune of making a presentation about ‘Easy Rider’ with Steve Metcalfe; I caught a glimpse of what an unusual kind of guy Hopper was. One story goes that he had a fistfight in the cutting room with the director. Hopper will be missed greatly.

link

Lyn got her new Ipad on Thursday, and I must admit it really is an impressive piece of technology. Although I have a natural dislike of macs, having been brought up onn real computers*, the ipad has a tendency to make my jaw drop. I find myself asking, how did they get so much technology into something so small? The graphics are amazing, yet it has an incredible touch screen. One must take your hat off o Steve jobs and his team.

For Lyn, however, the ipad is something even more important. It has a text-to-speech ‘app’, so Lyn can use it as a communication aid. Of course, she has only just started to use the thing, but she’s already quite effective. I don’t know what it’s got in terms of word prediction etc; I’ll ask her later. The cool part is, though, this means I can now use her old SL40 lightwriter, which is quite cool as it can text! We’re both very happy with things now; I actually can’t wait for Lyn to let me have a go on the ipad myself!

*A real computer is one you can customise, tinker with, actually open up and so on.

I am, of course, quite concerned by what Michael Gove, our new education secutary, has planned. I think Tory plans for ‘free schools’ add up to a two-tier system, where rich families, who have the time and the inclination, can set up nice new schools, creaming off the best teachers. Meanwhile, those who can’t afford it are left in schools which will get worse and worse due to the fact that recourses are being diverted away from ordinary schools. In effect, not only will we have segregation in terms of disability, but segregation in terms of class. It takes us all the way back to the mid nineteenth century, to systems which reinforced the class divide. It was wrong then, and it’s wrong today. Why should some people get a better education than others, simply because their parents are richer than others? And why should we sit back while a party which did not get half the vote imposes their backwards, elitist, intolerant views on all of us?

My brother just sent me this fascinating link. Mark Twain’s autobiography is to be released. Apparently, he worked on it in the last ten years of his life, but stipulated in his will that it was not to be published until a century after his death. Twain died in 1910, sio here we are, with this remarkable voice from the past. The first question I find myself asking is, how did twain know that he’d still be remembered after all this time? More intriguing, though, are questions about what this book can teach us about life a century ago. Its as if the words are still freshly written, as very few people will have seen them; words from another age – one before the horrors of the twentieth century. I can’t wait until the first volume comes out.

George Osborne published his budget thing today. All the pundits are saying it’s the tip of the iceberg, and how there are more, deeper cuts to come. It really pisses me off how the Tories are, by cutting services, punishing us all for a problem caused by the financial sector making riskier investments, while, by doing away with the proposed tax, those investors get away Scot free. I also hate how they lie about the state of the economy they inherited: it wasn’t a mess; it was doing okay. The fact is, as I was discussing with one of Lyn’s friends the other day, most people felt that they could trust brown economically; you felt he knew what he was doing. You can’t say that of Osborne – I even have my doubts about whether he can count. Almost everyone I talk to holds a similar opinion: nobody trusts this government economically.

Anyway, the sun is shining. Time to go enjoy it with my fiance while it lasts.

I am not sure if this is the best place to announce this; I haven’t even told my parents yet. I suppose blogging about it is the best way to let everyone who needs to know know. Yesterday was Lyn’s birthday, so last night I dropped the big question. I love her utterly and can’t imagine not living with her. I recently realised that I want to spend the rest of my life with her, so last night I asked her to marry me. She said yes, so I’m now very happy.

This morning I want to address something which has been playing on my mind for a few days. I recently got into an argument with a couple of Tories. In the course of the debate, the matter of privilege came up. Apparently, we liberals are hypocrites because we are biased against privilege.

This argument really, really irritates me, mostly because it’s so stupid. As I understand it, liberalism means tolerance – the belief that no one person is better than anyone else. Hence one asks: ‘why should a disproportionate number of old etonions become prime minister?’ Yet, according to certain people, this means I have a bias against the upper class.

In other words, they’re accusing me of discrimination in order to defend a system which discriminates. We all know that the things the Tories promote – lower taxation for the rich, a reduced wealth fare state, less regulation in business – is designed to perpetuate the class divide. They are the ones discriminating in terms of wealth; liberals like me see everyone as of equal worth, and hence we need to redress the balance so everyone has a fair chance. The class system is unjust as, no matter how brilliant you are, if you are born into a working class family it will be very hard to succeed. Yet Tories would just describe it as their own fault. They’re the hypocrites, not us liberals. It is not discrimination to point out the inequalities in the system.

I have something more positive to write here today. Congratulations are in order for England’s cricket team after they beat Australia in the twenty20 cup final in Barbados. I cheered out loud when I heard that on the news. However, it must be noted that the bbc reported it after the other sports news, and spent only a few seconds on it. It’s a magnificent feat, yet football always goes first, even though it’s a winter sport. I have also yet to see any actual footage of the game – I presume sky have it and refuse to let anyone else broadcast it. It sickens me how sky have pumped so much money into sport, ruining it for those who refuse to pay their extortionate prices. I’m also fed up of football always taking precedence.

Anyway, well done England!

I cannot help it. I know I said yesterday that I’d try to avoid writing about politics on my blog, but politics seems to be the subject most on my mind these days. I was listening to David Milliband’s speech to the labour party earlier, and I was impressed: under labour we all did very well. After 13 years, it’s natural that people wanted a change and thus bought the hollow promises of the Tories; yet people forgot, it seems, what a dire state we were in before 97, and just how better things got under new Labour: working parents tax credit; more civil liberties; more people going to university than ever before. Their ethos was communal, so things became fairer. People also forget that it’s only because of brown’s actions that this recession isn’t a depression. I’m now very concerned that, because of their individualist ethos, the Tories will now put this at risk. I know I can’t do too much – I believe in democracy after all – so the best I can do is to continue stating my opinion to whoever will listen, in the hope that public opinion will force an election sooner rather than later. I’m no revolutionary, but I firmly believe that the current government must go before it’s too late.

My blog has probably become too political of late. Its supposed to be about other things too, like life here in south London, but the truth is I’m shit scared at what CaMoron will do. I’m angry that, ass soon as they got in, they gave themselves a 5 year fixed term, as if it was their right to rule. They don’t even have a proper mandate. I get very wound up about it, probably partly because I feel so powerless. I probably go back to writing about things more specific to me soon – we still haven’t resolved the issue with the pub – but the odd political tirade will be unavoidable.

I am very concerned indeed about the future and the implications of this new Tory ‘government’ for disabled people. Under labour, of course, I think it fair to say we flourished: we could employ our own staff, public transport became accessible, and more disabled kids were included in mainstream education than ever. Of course, it wasn’t perfect, and there was a long way still to go, but I honestly fear that the Tories will now undo the progress we made. We know they’re planning to reverse the trend towards inclusion under the euphemism of choice. They’re also planning cuts in spending deeper than ever before: all it would take is for one of them to look at the direct payments scheme and to think: ‘it would be cheaper to put these cripples back into homes. That way, we can tax less, and we won’t have to look at them, too.’ Mark my words: under the Tories, given a choice between our freedom and higher taxes, it’s our freedom which will be at risk.

I am very concerned at our current state: the people now holding power keep describing society as broken; a notion that, when you think about it, reveals some very dark attitudes, how can society be broken? If something is broken, it means that it is not in it’s original state: hence, a toy can be broken, a light-bulb can be broken, a cup can be broken and so on. But society is something organic; it evolves constantly. New trends come and go, people take up new attitudes, and so on. Society has no original state, and therefore cannot be broken.

The only way you can say society is broken is if you take a rigid view of what society should be. That is to say if you subscribe to a set of values against which society can be judged. Any such set of values will be both narrow and artificial. The Tories cling to just such a set of values, derived mostly from the JudaeoChristian tradition. Hence, for instance, they see marriage as superior to other kinds of relationship, despite the fact that that many people prefer other kinds of relationship. But, to the Tory, this doesn’t mean that marriage is an outdated institution, but that society is wrong and needs fixing. Thus the Tories intend to impose their views upon us all, making sure we conform to their values, trying to suppress anything that does not fit their schema. Some may think I am exaggerating or being reactionary, but CaMoron’s words are quite plain, and I’ve only taken them to their logical conclusion. This talk of broken societies reveals much about the true attitudes of the Tory party.

I like to think that I am a pretty liberal, tolerant kind of guy, not often given to political extremism. Yet it would now appear that talks between the lib dems and labour have broken down, and, as such, the Tories will now almost certainly take power. While they are the biggest party, the fact remains that they did not win the election. Therefore I refuse to recognise them as the ruling party, and I refuse to recognise David CaMoron as prime minister. As far as I am concerned, this country is now leaderless, and I plan to do whatever I can to remove that squatter from number ten. His is a party of segregation, elitism and class division, and I will not tolerate it. His attitudes to Europe, immigration and the wealth fare state ran counter to my beliefs of tolerance and cooperation; moreover his plans to slash services so he doesn’t have to tax his friends will make us all suffer while the rich prosper. It is time I stood up for what I believe. I view this government as if it were a force off occupation, and I plan to resist it however I can using only non-violent means..

I do not have much to report tonight – you guys will have certainly learned what’s going on nationally for yourselves – but, having lived in south east London for several months, I’m beginning to see what a sense of humour the people around here have. I keep seeing cool little things which just make me smile. The other day, for instance, I saw a yellow reliant robin marked ‘trotters independent traders’; whenever I go over to Woolwich, I pass the queen Victoria Pub; there’s even a ‘Dot’s Laundry’. I love these little details, these little references – they just make one smile. People here are very proud of who they are, but it’s good to see that they’re not afraid to take the piss out of themselves.

Two days on and we still have no idea who will be the in next government. Although the reporters keep saying coalitions are the norm for Europe, I can’t help feeling it’s a bit of a train wreck.

Anyway, to lighter matters: we were watching tv last night, going through all the channels, when Lyn and I stumbled upon something rather odd. It was called FOBO – Films of black Origin. It was showing some very strange stuff indeed. Not strange in terms of plot, but the shooting style was completely alien to me. You could tell that these films were made recently, but the films appeared to be made using cameras from the sixties or seventies. To eyes used to Hollywood, it was something totally foreign. Mind you, I let out a few rather guilty laughs: one film had a kid running around the jungle with a bloody great knife, winning a wrestling match and attempting to marry a girl twice his age. I hope the fact I found this funny doesn’t make me racist. Oh well, I suppose it broadened our horisons anyway.

Poor David CaMoron must be gutted this morning. Okay, he may have got the most seats, but not enough to form a government. Even against an opponent as popular as brown, he didn’t get the absolute majority he so desperately needed. And I think he needed one badly, for now he’ll have to form a coalition with the lib dems. This is rather good news for labour supporters: if the Tories get in with liberal help, I think several things will happen: A) the liberals will prevent CaMoron from doing too much damage; B) we’ll have electoral reform, and, most crucially, C) we’ll have another election quite soon, meaning that if the Tories do implement the cuts they promise, they’ll be out of power by 2012, so unpopular that they never return. So, in a way, I’m quite happy with how this election went, although that doesn’t mean that I will be anything but highly critical of a Tory government. Of course, this relies on brown conceding defeat, but I don’t think he’ll try to hang on, will he? I hope he sees the bigger picture.

I really do not know what to write here tonight. I could launch in to yet one more diatribe against the Tories, but you know what I’ll say, and anyone reading this will probably have already voted, so whatever I write will be moot. I’m genuinely fearful of what tomorrow might bring – come the morning, CaMoron might be in number 10, and all that I hope for will be gone; but tonight I just want to settle down, give Lyn frequent cuddles, and hope for the best.

It has been a while since I had occasion to write a ‘what I did last night’ type blog, but this is just such an entry. We went over to see Hugh and his new band – the oddly named Saltwater Samurai – play in a pub in new cross. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect; I didn’t even know what type of music they played, butt nights out are nights out, so I went anyway.

I was worried that we’d not see Hugh at all the entire evening, except for on stage, but as soon as we went into the main part of the pub we heard ‘Matt and Lyn!’ It was good to see him, and the four of us went over to a table and got chatting. Predictably, pretty soon Lyn and Hugh got into a conversation about music which went over my head, but that was what I wanted. Then, after a while Hugh had to go play his set.

The music was cool, but hard to describe. Fairly jazzy, but with odd sounds and beats. I think I like it.

We left about half eleven. Hugh came back to talk to us after his set, and another guy I knew from Chester – Tom – came to say hi. It was a cool night, and it reminded me how long its been since I went to such a gig, but I rather suspect we’ll be going to a few more.

I am not completely sure what’s going on with regard to the pub. Lyn and I are still pretty angry about it, as are Dan and Paula, our neighbours and friends. Lyn emailed some of the local press yesterday, and at one point I was all ready to go over there to sort all this out, but Lyn reminded me that there are far better, more subtle ways of solving this problem. I know some may think we’re making a mountain out of a molehill, and that we should let this drop, but it is the principle. We have as much right to drink as much as we want as anyone else; we should not be dictated to. What the guy in the pub was highly patronising and discriminatory., and I refuse to get him get away with it lest it happens again to someone else.

I cannot recall ever feeling this pissed off. We were in the swan earlier; we got the first round and all was well. We then sent our PA up for another round, but the bartender refused to serve her. Apparently, when we get drunk we ‘make a mess’, so we couldn’t have a second drink. We have never left that place in anything but an orderly fashion; we have never caused any trouble or hastle there. According to our PA, he alluded to our dribble as a factor in the ‘mess’.

In short, I think this a case of plain discrimination. Me and Lyn are adults, dammit, and we will not be treated like this.

I heard quite an interesting proposition yesterday: I was watching Dateline London on bbc news 24, and someone made the point that, whoever won on Thursday, the cuts they would inevitably have to make would be so deep and harsh that it would render them unelectable for decades. This I do not doubt: the greed of a few bankers has put the economy into a dire situation. But it made me think: what if thee Tories did win? We know they’re planning cuts the like of which we haven’t seen since the end of the second world war. They would be so unpopular that, in four or five years, they’d be booted out of office and we wouldn’t have to worry about the fuckers for fifty years. We should all vote Tory, blame the ensuing depression on them, then boot them out and get on with rebuilding the economy.