All the Right Friends, Part II

Hmm.

Apologies.

I have been silent for too long. My fan club of approximately four (the term ‘fan club’ is loosely deployed here as I force some of them to read) has been shuffling impatiently. Well, I have been busy if that is any defence: my customary state of indolence was summarily swept aside in a display of rampant productivity. I kid thee not, but will not bore you with the details, because the fan club may well then dwindle to zilch.

There are a couple other outstanding reasons for my inactivity. First, I fucked my leg. Not once, but twice. And no, not literally. Thanks. It is presently buggered. It’s a strange phenomenon. A couple weeks back now, it was mildly uncomfortable for a few days and then disintegrated into mayhem at the weekend before the First Test. As a result, I had to take a couple days off work. This, of course, coincided rather neatly with Murali’s world record, but in all honesty, I was laid up. Then it cleared up entirely, only to return at the start of this week. Not as bad but it’s certainly there. I may well have to consider going and having it checked. Some people pointed out the strange coincidence in timing with the Third Test. Sadly, this has not been exploited owing to reasons connected to aforementioned rampant productivity.

Reason 2: Comet Fucking Cable. No sport makes any self respecting fascist a very grumpy child. Enough said.

All The Right Friends, Part II

What else?

The third reading of the budget came and went, and I felt inclined to comment, given my confident assertion post-second reading that the JVP would be laughing loudly. I think that as the old adage goes any action has at least one or two unintended consequences, and the JVP ‘no vote’ clearly emboldened the minority parties to consider voting against the budget if there was a likelihood of defeating the government. I think that would have happened but the JVP changing tack forced the potential pole-vaulters to re-consider. What I’m picking up from the press seems to suggest that was the case. Ultimately, nobody came out with a heightened reputation. However much the JVP may state that their vote to abstain was not a vote in favour of the budget, there’s no denying the fact that their initial ‘no vote’ was a vote against the budget, presumably on the principle that it gave eff-all for the people, and the about-turn suggested that keeping the government in power and the ‘military strategy’ continuing was more important than that. That works on some levels, I’m sure, but I’m not sure it’s as successful a stance as their initial one.

But anyhow, nothing was surprising. No one in power wanted to lose their seats. And they didn’t. The JVP did not want another election. And they didn’t get one.

But for a minute there, I thought logic was going to be defied. It does remind you how quickly things can change.