Underblog.co.uk

I had pledged to blog today about human rights abuses in Uzbekistan. Unfortunately some unforeseen work-related stuff has come up denying me the time to do the issue justice. I shall post something soon. Promise.

A telephone conversation:

Woman: {something in spanish}
Underblog: Do you speak english?
Woman (in a snooty posh accent):This is the British consulate.
Underblog: Err, right, yes. Is this the consulate in Valencia, or Alicante?
Woman: This is the British consulate in Alicante, there is no consulate in Valencia. We have an agent in Valencia.
Underblog: Oh, OK, it’s just that—
Woman: What is this concerning, please Sir?

It’s strangely comforting to know that a member of the British establishment is still able to make one feel massively inferior with the merest flick of inflection.

Yeah, I know I’ve been away. I was all blogged out after reading hours a day in the run-up to the election. Then I was busy with some other stuff, and now I’ve just got back from two weeks in Spain for the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim. Yes thank-you, it was great.

Christ! What’s happened to the BBC? Is there nobody that can save us?

For this election, poll cards were delivered to me at both my home and university address. As I understand it, people with two adresses are allowed to vote in both places in local elections but only once in the general election.

I went to the polls in the morning at university, and then went home to vote in the county council elections there as well. When I went to the polling station at home, I pointed out that I should not be given a ballot for the parliamentary election, because I’d already voted in it. An official warned me very sternly, “You will be breaking the law if you exercise your right to vote in this constituency”. I thought this a slightly strange thing to say; it can’t be my “right to vote” if do so would be breaking the law! Anyway, if had I been intending to break the law I could have done so quite easily without bringing it to their attention. I asked if I was able to vote in the county council election, and at first the guy seemed slightly uncertain, but eventually said to the woman handing out ballots “He can have a yellow one”, as if giving me the benefit of the doubt over a point that was debatable.

I’m now not sure that I should have voted twice, because both my addresses are in the same county (but in different divisions). So does anyone know if I broke the law after all, and if so what I should do about it? Read the rest of this entry »

Reports are emerging of an explosion at the UK consulate in New York. Be sure to READ THIS.

Read some stuff, if time allows.

Watch this.

Realise that Labour are going to win this election, “possibly with a majority of more than 100″.

Get angry.

Calm down.

Think.

Vote.