Personal Blogs

 Hello OU people

I seriously doubt anyone will read this blog. However, I thought 'why not, if nothing else I will just be typing to myself.' Is that worse than talking to oneself? I don't know, but unfortunately I do, (talk not type). I talk to myself at work, in the street and at home. Am I mad? Yes probably, but in a weird way I find it easier to work through problems. In my defence I haven't started arguing with a can of Special Brew....maybe one day. For some reason I can't do this silently in my head, it makes more sense for important decisions, if I say it out loud. I suppose at least I realise it's me and not some deity or Napoleon talking to me. Anyway I digress. Mind you it's my blog so I can digress all I want!

I'm going to digress anyway. Just before the end of the world didn't happen in 1999, I had to go to Glasgow for a meeting. As such I had to wear a suit! More about that later. I was on the 0600 train to Glasgow Queen Street. Hoping to get some sleep, I was kept awake by an ex-Major looking gentleman who in a posh voice, on a mobile phone, announced rather loudly to his wife and his secretary he was in fact on the train. Amazingly this conversation went on until Edinburgh Waverly! Thus I never got any sleep. However, it was the return that had me in stitches. While standing on the platform at Queen's Street for the train to Newcastle a 'bag lady' with her supermarket trolley in tow came up to me and asked for the time. I duly looked at my watch and gave her the answer. At which point she said 'You're a Geordie aren't you?'. I said I was and she replied 'Aye you're basically Glaswegians with your brains kicked out!' (actually the language was stronger than that, but it might contravene OU guidelines). She then toddled off leaving me crippled in pain with all the laughing. What a wonderful woman.

OK after that pointless, but I hope amusing story, I should give you a bit of background information. I live in the North East of England and I am a Newcastle United supporter. I have a wife and 2 children, both girls. Monty Python and The Goons are my comedic heroes and 'The Life of Brian' is the best ever comedy film, closely followed by 'Blazing Saddles'. Culturally and musically I have been described as a Heavy/Hippie/Goth/Punk. I love everything from Buddy Holly to The Sisters of Mercy, but The Beatles are the best group of all time... IMHO. I like literature and history, and my OU tutor is probably exasperated because I don't seem to know when to use capitals!!!! I'm really sorry, I don't do It IntenTionally, except obviously there.

Politically I see myself as a Humanist, liberal. To the Tea Party and Republicans in the USA that makes me a Communist! As for Religion I am an Agnostic Atheist, i.e. I don't know if a god or indeed gods exist, but based on the evidence given by believers, I am 99.9% sure they don't. 'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.' (Christopher Hitchens, 2010) Having said that I believe that on a personal level anyone's beliefs are sacrosanct. I also believe that ideas are open to question, whether they be political, to do with the arts or religion and I won't hold religious leaders in awe if they support dangerous nonsense.

I would love to read your views and all are welcome. You can agree with me or rip me to pieces, personally, you can even swear at me. However I expect you to back this up with a decent argument. You can't call me a so-and-so without justifying why you think that.