almost witty

So David Duchovny has just been admitted to a clinic for sexual addiction, joining a list of other male Hollywood celebrities who have admitted to a similar condition, including Michael Douglas and Russell Brand.

But at least these people could presumably get sex from wherever they wanted. I mean, Duchovny’s married to the gorgeous Tea Leoni, Douglas to the beautiful Catherine Zeta Jones.

What happens if you’re ugly, poor *and* have sexual addiction? Or is it something that only rich handsome men (poor them!) seem to get?

In 2008, as America faces an economic downturn and recession with military forces overseas, America seems to have two choices. To stick with the current administration that’s now governing over the recession, or go for an unusual candidate promising radical change, including a withdrawal of military forces.

In 1983, as Britain faced an economic downturn and recession with military forces overseas, Britain had two choices. To stick with the then-administration (Margaret Thatcher) that was governing over the recession, or go for an unusual candidate promising radical change, including a withdrawal of nuclear military forces. Britain voted overwhelmingly for the then-current administration.

There are - obviously - huge differences between the two situations, not least of which that Michael Foot was as old as John McCain at the time, and Margaret Thatcher was as significant as Barack Obama in terms of unusual background for a political leader.

Or there’s this comparison:

In 2008, in an environment where there was a perceived need for change, Barack Obama, the leading opposition candidate for the forthcoming election took to the stage in a huge sports arena, preceded by a rally with performances from key celebrities and music artists. The speech had huge media coverage.

In 1992 Britain, in an environment where there was a perceived need for change, Neil Kinnock, the leading opposition candidate for the forthcoming election took to the stage in a huge sports arena, preceded by a rally with performances from key celebrities and music artists. The speech had huge media coverage. Labour went on to lose an election many commentators had thought they would win.

I just cannot see an electorate that voted for Dubya twice in 2000 and 2004 voting for a black man, no matter how charismatic and invigorating he is. Plus, even I have to cut’n'paste his name from a news article to get the spelling right, lest I confuse him with another infamous character with a similar name Or am I underestimating the American public from 6000 miles away? Who knows…

As part of the media megaopolis that will be MediaCity in Manchester (where the BBC and other media companies will have a rather substantial presence), there are plans by Metrolink trams to extend one section of the line by a whopping 400m, in order to ensure that commuters to MediaCity won’t have to walk too far.

When you see how close the other Metrolink stations are around Salford Quays, this will just make a farcical journey even worse. Are people really that afraid of walking these days? Even in lazy London, people will routinely *walk* between stations, so why can’t we expect Mancunians and transplanted office workers to do the same thing?

While I was around there for the weekend (before my car was rudely broken into and the PIN-locked satnav device stolen by two teenagers), I filmed a quick video to show the commute…

From the hypocrisy and you-couldn’t-make-it-up department: Nike have enlisted the help of the Chinese government to track down a blogger who made anti-Nike comments.

So freedom of speech? Human rights? Naaa, who needs it when companies use Communist-era government controls to stifle people’s thoughts?

An email flew across UK new media types today, exhorting people to take part in a flashmob to celebrate 20 years of acid house. Or as most people would term it, acccieeeeeeeeeeeedddddddd - courtesy of D-Mob’s We Call It Acieed, which was probably the closest mainstream charts got to it.

But to hear people twittering and muttering about it, apparently everyone was simply getting on down t’acid house in the second summer of lurve (1988). Except unsurprisingly, I was trapped in my parents’ bedroom probably not doing much except watching TV and imagining that simply every cool kid was getting on down t’Acid House in the big cities. And they probably were.

Personally, out of D-Mob’s ouevre, I preferred D-Mob & Cathy Dennis - C’mon get my love. And to think she went on to write some of Kylie’s greatest hits. Ahhh, the 1980s…