We went bowling today. Lyn suggested it, and, not having been bowling in ages, I thought it sounded like fun. Lyn won; of course, gentleman that I am, I let her win, just like I let her win the chess game we had in Amsterdam. (persons wanting to dispute this are reminded that they have their own blogs!).
After bowling, I was thirsty. The atmosphere at the bowling ally was so dry, I just needed a coke, so we went to a nearby pub. We took a seat, and we noticed that there was football on. However, I then noticed who was playing - we had stumbled into the local derby! The pub was on two levels, but there was a large screen behind the bar which one could see from both floors. Chelsea supporters were on the upper balcony, arsenal supporters were downstairs. However I got a bit worried - what if either team scored? What if a brawl broke out? Would we be able to defend ourselves? I was a bit concerned, and rather excited - we were inn a south London pub for the local derby: it was quite an interesting sociological phenomenon.
As it turned out, neither team scored while we were at the pub, and everybody left quietly. It was quite a cool little outing, though. I'm really enjoying my new life here.
I know that I'm repeating myself, and that I blogged about this the other day, but I'm still very concerned about the stuff about assisted suicide. It isn't that I'm against suicide per se - I believe anyone should be able to make such a decision - but what worries me is where legalising such acts might lead. It kind of sends out the message that the lives of people with disabilities are somehow worthless, and that we're all itching to top ourselves. I also worry that it opens the door to some very dark possibilities - what if people start assuming you want to die? What if you can't communicate your wishes properly? I may be being paranoid, but we may be starting down a slippery slope to some very dark things.
I realised yesterday, with great astonishment, that my friend Hugh Jones - brother of Charlie - lives in new cross. To be fair, C had mentioned it before, but yesterday with the aid of google maps I found out where new cross was: it's practically within spitting distance of Charlton. I found a poster on Facebook concerning Hugh performing at a pub there, so I looked it up. I was kicking myself, as, if I'd seen it the day before, we could have gone to watch Hugh.
The reason I was looking Hugh up was, the night before, Lyn dan and I were talking about the music industry. Lyn is a musician, and a damn good one at that: she composes using her mac. She is really eager to make it in the music industry, so I suggested she meet Hugh, who now works for the ministry of sound. Now all I have to do is organise a way for them to meet, Lyn will get a record deal, and I'll be rich! Easy!
A strange thing occurred to me the other day: that, despite it all, despite the absence of WMD and the horrendous loss of life, I still trust Tony Blair more than I do David CaMoron. I think it's because of what Blair once was: a bastion of hope, a fresh face; the person who ended 18 years of misery under the Tories. I was watching him at the chilcot enquiry, and I thought, ''this man lied to us, yet I still trust him more than CaMoron. Why?''
I think it's because Blair is genuine - CaMoron isn't. Blair had firm convictions, and has stood by them. He honestly thought he was acting for the greater good. All I see when I look at CaMoron is an act: a shallow, hollow attempt to present himself and his party as reasonable and delectable. The other day I saw a poster with CaMoron's face and the words ''are we Blair yet?'' I thought it hit the nail on the head: CaMoron is hoping to do what Blair did in 97. He goes around trying to tell people that Britain is broken, when in fact it is doing rather well. We've just come out of the worst recession in living memory relatively unscathed, thanks largely to brown; unemployment is also lower than it might have been. In short, the last 13 years have been a period of prosperity, and for CaMoron and his brainless minions to go around pretending otherwise is just plain wrong. I've spoken to Tories who would have you believe the recession was caused by brown.. How can anyone believe such demonstrably untrue bullshit? In fact it was only because of brown that this country didn't hit a 1920s-style depression, yet the Tories intend to lie and cheat their way into government by any means. And that's why I still trust blair more than CaMoron.
There is a small voice in the back of my head which screams the word 'hypocrite' every time I go into school. I still think I can make a difference there, and I still think it is a good thing to do. Yet there was a time when I was appalled at the very existence of special schools, and I still think most of the arguments I heard in those days are essentially valid.
Inclusion must proceed where at all possible; I do not think many people would argue with that. But where vulnerable children are involved, idealism must give way to pragmatism. Part of the reason why I'm going into school is to better educate myself on the other side of the debate. I must admit the situation is far more complex than I must thought, and I can see why some kids need the settled environment a special school provides. Yet, other times, I look at kids and think 'why aren't they in mainstream?' this is not an argument one can afford to be dogmatic about, and I'm yet to draw any final conclusions.I am starting to come to the opinion that inclusion can proceed, but elements of segregation must be retained.
