For Baby Boomers the question is, 'Where were you when you heard Kennedy had been assassinated?' For us GenX/Xennials, it's Princess Di or 9/11. As of Thursday 30th May 2024, GenZ has its own generational moment.
So, where were you when you heard Donald Trump had been convicted of thirty-four counts of falsifying business records? I was - as you might guess if you've read my previous blogs - scrolling on my phone, waiting to see if the jury were about to clock off for the day. But then... they rang the bell! They'd reached a verdict! There was an agonising half-hour wait while they filled in the paperwork, but it was over. When the thirty-four guilty verdicts were read out by Jake Tapper (other news anchors are also available) I was dizzy. Finally some accountability. For that guy? Wow.
It's still not the end for the former president/convicted felon. There'll be sentencing, appeals, campaigning, and then his other court cases for his other alleged crimes. But look, this is pretty sweet. And whilst other parts of the world continue to burn with the disgraceful acts of people in charge, the fact that one of them has been held accountable for his crimes, is a cooling quench amidst the rage. The guy whose Muslim travel ban made me attend my first political protest, whose family separation policy saw me get on a train and march through London... that awful guy has been made to face the consequences of his actions. We should definitely remember where we were for that.
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| Ngl, this was a really nice read. |
For the past week, I've had an insight into the life of a social media manager. Kinda. Staying on top of reviews as they come in, is hard! I've been sharing them on my Insta stories, screen-shotting them for Facebook, Threads, and Twitter, and trying not to forget to add the link to buy and encourage more reviews in the process. They're also ticking over on Amazon too. That's the main place to get them to build up. The book tour lasts another week, so I'll keep doing it until that's over. Then it'll be time to think about something else. In related news, I've just ordered an academic diary for 2024/25 so I can plan the next year of my writing life. Exciting!
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| Ewan McGregor as Renton. Iconic. |
It was because they've remastered the film and cleaned up the original. Something like that, anyway. But last Tuesday my local Odeon showed the 1996 film, Trainspotting. I've seen it before, obvs. I've written about it before too, but it had been a while. As I rewatched Renton, Spud, Begbie, Sickboy, and Diane, I wallowed in the nineties-ness of it all. That soundtrack bangs. It could have been the soundtrack to my entire sixth form college experience. My Tudor History A' Level might as well have been scored by Underworld. Anyway, I felt eighteen again. Two nights later, I watched T2: Trainspotting - the sequel from 2017. Bam! I was back to the (almost) present day; feeling my age but glad of all the marvellousness that I'd experienced in between. Where did the time go? Thin air, that's where. Thank goodness I had some cracking fun along the way.
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| Anchovy straws...mmmmm |
Oh my. Let me tell you. This popped up on Insta and I immediately left the house to buy the ingredients. Anchovy straws! My anchovy habit is kept in check by my one-tin-a day consumption. That means I just add them to whatever I'm making at the time. But for these bad boys, the anchovies are the hero ingredient. Rolled out pastry, layered with anchovies, parmesan, and paprika. I also added some spinach leaves for a bit of health. Cut them into thin strips, and bake. What could be easier? I made a mountain of them, then ate far too many with a bottle of fizzy pink. Bestest evening ever.
Out and About
We're heading into festival season. And as much as I love watching Glasto on telly, my days of camping and standing for hours are over. Happily, that does not preclude me from the smaller, one-day-only fests. On Saturday, I was at the Rainford festival where I saw, amongst others, Boyzlife. Yes, the musical hybrid of Westlife and Boyzone were headlining the shebang. It was proper fun. Mates, beers, and choonz under a gazebo. Absolute larks.
Things feel good right now. Feedback for the book is giving me a spring in my step, and the carefree wind-down towards the summer holidays resists, no matter how long ago I left teaching. I'm sure doom and gloom will descend soon enough. But what with legal decisions in the US and the optimism of a change of UK government in the air, could this be... what's it called now?... it's been so long... could this be... hope? Nah, don't be daft. Let's not get carried away by silly talk.
Have a lovely week, folks.
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