I’ll probably blog about Brexit quite frequently over the next few weeks. I know I’m  supposed to  vary my subjects, reflecting my life as a guy with a disability, but the truth is I’m now becoming very worried indeed about  what is  about to happen in the   UK. The more I read, the more frightening it seems  and he more certain I am that it must be stopped at all costs. I just came across this Guardian article by a Labour MP  spelling out what is going  on. If we leave the Eu,  we’ll have to join another international trade body.  The people pushing brexit ” want to take the UK out of the EU and join us instead to the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) or the Pacific Alliance, offering free trade with these countries but none of the environmental, labour or consumer protection offered by the EU.” Our consumer and human rights stand to be ripped to shreds as  the Outists seek to  transform the country  into  an  ultra capitalist hell; the postwar, communitarian, liberal consensus will be a thing of  the past. I went to university and live pretty independently, but that was only possible due to various state-based support structures – structures which now stand to be thrown out the window as the economy  is  re-oriented to  a much more  commercial, American style one. I do not want that to happen. Brexit must not go ahead, surely we must urgently do something to stop it.

I just came across this video of David Attenborough talking about brexit, and what he says seemed so astute that I instantly knew I needed to look up the original and link to it here. As Attenborough says, he isn’t a political figure, but what is currently going on in this country  and elsewhere is so concerning  and foolish that we have a duty to speak out against it. Attenborough us one of the wisest people alive; he is dismissed at one’s peril.

I know The United States of America to be a nation of bright people, as intelligent and thoughtful as anyone else, so why the zark is it allowing a complete idiot completely out of touch with reality claim to be it’s president? I just turned my computer on to find this news:  Donald Trump is threatening to completely shut down the US government if it does not let him  build a border wall  with Mexico. Such a wall would cost billions and probably be completely redundant as migrants, legal and illegal, would just find a way around it. I know America is the world’s richest nation, but even so, if I was american I’d be  furious that this money  wasn’t going on something more sensible, like social services or health. I’d be completely embarrassed, and wondering why those who know what they are  doing weren’t trying to put someone more qualified into the White  House,, rather then a nonse who thinks appearing on a wrestling show is the height of sophistication. How can any self respecting country allow a complete egotistical moron spend billions on his own  moronic vanity project? Come on, America,  grow up!

I’ve now been using an old-style Neater-Eater  to feed myself for about twenty-five years. My parents got me my first manual one when I was about eleven, and  since then  I’ve never considered anything else. A day or so ago, though,  I had occasion to look up videos about Neater Eaters to demonstrate one to  someone over Facebook, and cam across this amazing pierce. The new  Neater Eater  looks  incredible: I love how the new arm kind of weaves in and out, and  how  you  can now program it with an iphone. It has certainly come a long way from the first versions. It’s  so beautiful and cool that I just had to flag it up.

Apart from for a couple of hours before midnight on new year’s eve, 2018 like 2017 was a completely dry year for me. I’m proud that I managed to keep it up, although I feel bad that  I broke  my abstinence in the end. It  was just a couple of glasses of champagne, but I worry that that one drink will  open the door and I’ll end up getting silly again. On the other hand, I probably shouldn’t beat myself up: in that moment  of celebration with one of my best friends, having won a huge  bottle of bubbly, continuing to resist would have looked churlish. I defy anyone to have said ”No, thanks.” For  various personal reasons, I’ve had a stressful recent few months, and, truth be told, being  able to let go in that moment on Sunday evening felt good.

Thinking about it on  my walk this afternoon, I  decided that I ought not to be too angry about it; nobody begrudges me the odd drink. Problems only arose  when I had too much and too often. Having been a T-Totaler for two and a half years, perhaps  it’s time for a change of rules. Henceforth, I will allow myself the occasional drink, but only with friends or on special occasions, and only if I know I  can get to bed without breaking anything. And of course, the moment things start getting out of hand, I stop again.

What a superb image for London to see in the new year with

Mind you, you should see the hissy fit all the Outists are throwing over this. Tres amusing.

I woke up in Chester this morning. Charlotte invited me up to spend New Year’s Eve with her a few weeks ago and I thought it would make a nice change. I didn’t realise what she had in mind, but, Charlie being Charlie, last night I found myself at a New Year’s Eve burlesque night in a Chester church, complete with burlesque dancers, a gay choir and a magician seemingly capable of producing doves from nowhere. It was quite a way to see in 2019. The most surreal moment, though, was when Charlie and I were crowned joint burlesque queens of the night (not that I was wearing anything particularly queeny).