Archive for the ‘Piffle’ Category

Thought Vomit #131: ft. I Did It Yahweh

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Sometimes we don’t get enough time on the podcast to discuss some of the better articles in our supplements. I liked this one so much though that I’ve decided to reprint it in full, and hang the copyright implications.

I Did It Yahweh

It’s not often we journos get a chance to meet the actual man. You know, the one with the stick and all. That’s why we here at You were so chuffed when we ran in to Him on our travels. We took the opportunity to ask as many tough questions as we could, and what follows is dynamite stuff.

You don’t mind if I tape this do you?

Um … I’m not …

It just makes it easier to chat and not have to worry about taking notes.

Okay. I suppose.

Right good. I think the first thing our readers would love to know, is, as God, where do you buy your shoes?

Are you serious?

Of course. I mean, it’s hard enough for mere mortals to find a good pair, but what about God?

That’s your first question? Where do I buy my shoes?

Yeah. Why?

I’m God. You’ve managed to track me down and corner me into a universal exclusive with your magazine, I think most people would ask about the meaning of life, not where I purchase my footwear.

I think our readers would be more interested in shoes.

I know they’re more interested in the point of existence.

With respect God, I think I know what our readers want.

With respect, I’m omniscient.

I don’t know what that means.

I know.

God Shows Off His New No Beard Look

God Shows Off His New No Beard Look

Look, can we just carry on?

(God sighs (What a diva! – ed)) Go on.

Okay, you want something more meaty. Um … what’s it like being God?

Well, I’m not even sure I AM God anymore.

Ooh, a crisis of confidence, what’s bought this on?

You’re recording this interview. Given that absolute proof of my existence can only be gained through faith, a magnetic tape with my voice on it would suggest I’m not actually God.

Can I ask you about the shoes now?

No. Look. Here I am, the supreme being of the Universe, and I’m not even sure what I’m doing here.

Exactly. If God doesn’t know the point of life, then why should our readers care?

Good point. I hadn’t thought of that. Argh, so now it seems I’m not even infallible.

What does infallible mean?

(God looks worried) I don’t know.

Okay, so, why not just tell our readers the meaning of life?

Um … I don’t … is it? Is it a good pair of shoes?




Thought Vomit #130: ft. Ghostbusting

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

I have a Ghost.

He’s called Derek.

Every morning I wake up and find a pile of vomit under my socks, and a mysterious shortage of toast in the bread bin.

So I decided to try and capture said ectoplasmic apparition on film. Well, video.

Having invested in a new camera, I realised it didn’t have night-vision, so I spent the next week painting my entire house in a pale shade of green, and found a pair of inverse contact lenses.

I made a film during the day, but obviously nothing happened. So I just stared into the camera, breathless and scared looking, because I realised I’d ruined my carpets with the paint.

The resultant footage was fairly convincing, and I’ve always wanted to meet Yvette Fielding ever since she appeared in Seaview, so I sent it to Most Haunted.

When a producer arrived he was horrified by all the green ectoplasm plastered all over my home and furniture, so decided it would make a good episode.

But it turns out Yvette has quit the show because it doesn’t find enough ghosts. Instead, they sent that twatwagon Acorah around. Without any cameras. Or production staff.

Too Stupid To Straighten a Slinky

Venkmann never managed to stop him drilling a hole in his head

The producer just arrived with him on a leash, handed me the end of it, turned on his heels and legged it.

Now Acorah just wanders around the house jumping at any given noise and making stupid voices. Plus he shits on the couch.

And he gorges on toast every night, before puking it up in my laundry basket.

I hate my ghost. I wish Derek would fuck off.




Thought Vomit #128: ft. Ill-Thunked Thoughts On A Hung Parliament

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Why is everyone assuming that it’s the Liberal Democrats who will hold the balance of power in a hung parliament?

The Lib Dems choice clearly rests on how much electoral reform they can wrestle from any deal – so the presumption is that they will host a bidding war between Labour and the Conservatives. Thus the consensus is that we have seen the death of first past the post system.

The Tories have little to gain from a coalition, and a lot to lose. With a truly three-party system based on Proportional Representation, the Tories may not see power again for a generation – unless it’s they who offer up the most concessions.

I’ve read a few thoughts that the natural outcome of a Lab-Lib coalition is the bringing together of the centre left movement, while some people argue a Con-Lib coalition would see the end of Labour all together. It’s a good story to tell, and I can see why the media is so fascinated by it.

Hung or Hanged

Hung or Hanged?

There are voices within Labour that like the idea of uniting the two centre-left parties, not least Mandelson and Johnson, the former of whom would see it as the culmination of a project begun with the wooing of Paddy Ashdown.

But all this assumes that it will be a coalition involving Nick Clegg’s band of MPs.

If both the Tories and Labour have much more to gain from keeping the current electoral system, which they clearly do – why wouldn’t the two main parties join together and form a majority Government?

A Labour-Conservative coalition gives them both what they need – survival. Any coalition with the Lib Dems does not.




Thought Vomit #127: ft. Cleggy Balboa

Monday, April 19th, 2010

In part one, all Cleggy wanted was to go the distance in the debates. But as part two looms and his stock has risen, he now wants to win.

His best moment in the first debate was a real piece of honesty:

“Ah come on, Britain, it’s true. I was nobody. But that don’t matter either, you know? ‘Cause I was thinkin’, it really don’t matter if I lose this election. It really don’t matter if these guys open my head, either. ‘Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren’t just another bum from the neighbourhood. “

But now he’s headed for a rematch, his advisors are promising that Cleggy is going to eat lightning and crap thunder.

Will he give the dinosaurs a good fisting?

Cleggy, Cleggy, Cleggy, Cleggy

Vince Cable says, “These guys just don’t want to win now. They wants to bury him, they wants to humiliate him, they wants to prove to the whole world that he was nothing but some kind of a… a freak the first time out. Theys gonna kill him till he’s dead.”

He added, “They’re dinosaurs, but they can inflict a variety of damage.”

A defiant Cleggy blasted, “It ain’t about how hard ya vote. It’s about how hard you can get votes and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

Cleggy plans to run up a large flight of steps before the debate on Thursday in an effort to stretch a bad Rocky analogy to breaking point.

Everyone loves an underdog story.




Thought Vomit #126: ft. Nick The Clegg Diddle Iddle Iddle Um

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

If the Lib Dem bounce in the polls is borne out at the ballot box, we could see one of the more stupid consequences of our electoral system. Labour could conceivably finish third in terms of total votes, but actually win an overall parliamentary majority.

A lot of this has to do with the giant, giant majorities Labour won in the past three parliaments – it’s easy to forget that Tony Blair’s New Labour Project was the most successful at the polls since the Second World War. And a lot of it has to do with the fact we’re not electing a President.

To be honest, if this bounce keeps a pair of empty Etonians with a sense of entitlement out of Downing Street, then that can only be a good thing.

Cameron Looks On

"Keep saying Change keep saying Change keep saying Change - hang on, who's that guy?"

But as John Rentoul points out, it does mean that the Labour manifesto suddenly has a lot more meaning – maybe they wrote it expecting defeat. In it, they promise to consult on “an open list proportional representation electoral system for the Second Chamber”.

That would mean a democratically elected upper house. Brill.

Trouble is, it won’t happen. Nick Clegg is famous for ballsing up second-ever national election debates. Last time he did the first-ever follow up leaders head to head, he ate a baby.