God Bless Radio Four (Part 2)
By any other name...
This week's Any Questions, meanwhile, carried with it the minor gem that President Bush's response to the Iraq Study Group's report contained the detail that the President is "unhappy with the rate of success".
Which is about as spectacular a euphemism for 'abject failure' as I've ever seen.
God Bless Radio Four (Part 1)
What's in a name?
I just discovered, courtesy of From Our Own Correspondant and a mere three weeks before her husband leaves office, the name of Kofi Annan's wife. I'm not sure how I've missed it all these years, but I know for a fact I hadn't just forgotten it - If I'd ever known this I'd never have forgotten it. And now that lovely lady with the fantastic name is no longer going to grace the international scene. No longer will people sitting next to her at diplomatic dinners have to stiffle a chuckle when they spot the neighbouring placecard.
At least the incoming Sec-Gen will himself maintain the tradition of silly names that is so central to the post. Welcome, Ban Ki-Moon of South Korea.
And in the meantime, it's a fond farewell to the brilliantly named Nan Annan.*
And yes, I know it's spelled Nane, but it's pronounced the way I just spelled it, and you need the sound for maximum effect.
All The Partners
I was going to write briefly on the trials and tribulations being encountered in the run up to Ambridge's first gay wedding in The Archers. Adam and Ian are both suffering mightily from family members unwilling to share their happiest day; Ian's dad and Adam's step-dad Brian are both boycotting, and in Monday's episode Adam's grandmother Peggy announced that she and husband Jack wouldn't be attending as "it would be too confusing for him". Jack's Alzheimer's seems to create a useful excuse for what is clearly the true state of affairs, Peggy's own deep discomfort with the whole event.
I'm sure this is Ambridge reflecting a generally found state of affairs, as families the length and breadth of the nation turn their noses up at the chance of a free party and a bitch about their oppos, but speaking from our own experience nothing could have been further from the truth. If we'd tried to tie the knot without them I think we'd have been lynched.
Anyway, this all ties in nicely with the news that the Government's original estimate that there would be 22,000 civil partnerships by 2010 seems to be grossly understated. The Guardian reported yesterday that in the first nine months of the concept being available (yesterday was the anniversary of the first registrations of intent), more than 15,500 partnerships have already been registered. And that doesn't even include us, as we did the deed in October.
Hoot Crowd
(On the subject of anagrams of 'Doctor Who').
I've been keeping fairly quiet about Torchwood, because, to be honest, I've been a bit disappointed by it. The promise of a grown-up spin-off from Doctor Who offered some fairly interesting prospects and Torchwood as set up during DW series two offered a lot of promise which the series has largely failed to fulfill.
The fairly glossy and professional semi-military organisation of the DW finale has been replaced by a rather ramshackle outfit lacking in discipline and carrying out its operations with a notable disregard for procedure or even common sense. The stories (especially those attributed to the 'showrunner' Chris Chibnall) have been unimpressive (and in Chibnall's case dire), and so yes, the overall word is 'disappointed'.
And yet, I quite like it. The cast give it enough energy to carry it through a lot of the rougher patches, and it's at least brave enough to wear its kitsch on its sleeve - that car!
That Day Again
If it's the First of December, it must be World AIDS Day.
Someone on the radio this morning mentioned that AIDS is now (or is about to become) the biggest killer of human beings in the history of diseases, beating out the Black Death, and still there's no sign of either a cure or a vaccine. What's heartening to at least some degree is that the drug therapies now available to those who can afford them are having a truly remarkable impact on the life expectancy of sufferers. For a disease that even quite recently was a guaranteed death sentence within a very few years, the shift in perspective is astonishing. I know people who were diagnosed over five years ago whose day to day activities and apparent health are occasionally better than mine, given what a slob I've become.
Anyway: in the interests of reflecting the old Link and Think initiative model from a few years ago, a few things you might not know:
The single country with the largest infected population is now India, which has overtaken South Africa. Bill Clinton is there at the moment, and has announced an initiative to try and get more treatment drugs to affected children.
Last year's rise in new infections in Scotland was the largest annual increase to date - 400 new cases, an 11% rise.
More info, the chance to donate, and information about activities you can support at the World AIDS Day site:
