Golf Tango Foxtrot

While not having a TV (or needing a license) I from time to time waste an hour or so watching the BBC iPlayer.  I'm a particular fan of Nordic crime dramas like The Killing or The Bridge .  The French also seem to do a good job on L'Engrenages  shown here as Spiral . The Wire , HBO's Baltimore-set drama is obviously a precursor and huge influence on all these shows and it's wonderful to see realistic drama which doesn't lie about the nature of its characters.  Or the nature of the state. Contrast this then with new BBC offering By Any Means .  Auntie Beeb describes it thus; "Drama following a clandestine unit living on the edge and playing the criminal elite at their own game, existing in the grey area between the letter of the law and true justice. Led by the sharp and elusive Jack Quinn, alongside straight-talking Jessica Jones and digital whizz-kid TomTom Tomkins, this brilliant team will stop at nothing to catch the criminals. Receiving their targe...

My friend Deshe has just had his application for asylum rejected by the Brit "Home" Office.   The "Home" Office is an ironic name for a (Westminster) Government Department which seems to spend most of its time splitting up families and not allowing folks to live together. The "Home" Office clearly think that Eritrea is a safe place to return to.  Clearly not so safe that Deshe can't prefer a life of destitution here (contrary to the lies of the Daily Mail, asylum seekers get NO benefits) to the prospect of death on his return. Deshe's problem of course is that he has no money.  If he had lots of money, some smart lawyer would easily persuade the "Home" Office that he would be a valuable addition to society.  Freedom of movement is only a right for the wealthy. When I was a kid at the height of the Cold War with the USSR, the constant propaganda was that these poor devils in the socialist world had no freedom of movement and couldn...

GTF is back from its summer holidays. It is now September and the summer is ending.  soon the geese will be returning from the north, passing overhead daily as they migrate to graze on fields and return to roost on the Montrose Basin. There has been a bumper crop of Geans (wild cherries in English) and the Plum tree overhanging from next door's garden is heavy with plums.  The air is getting chillier and winter approaches.  I will be heading for Barcelona soon for a few days to top up on some sun before digging in for the winter and the cold times to come. This week has seen the start of my reduction in hours at the day job to 21 per week.  Three days in effect.  This will give me more time to write and play music and do a bit of other work on the side with a view to keeping body and soul together. I am looking forward to some more freedom and self-efficacy.  For too many years I have been working too damned hard. That is not a rare complaint.  We ...