My blog - October 2003
Rubbish
October 30th 2003, 5:57pm
Here's another painting, this time inspired by the piles of rubbish on the ground by Mombasa Road, across which I used to walk to get to the BP cafe for lunch. (I walked across the ground, not the rubbish. There wasn't that much!)
2 comments - show comments
A Vote Of No Confidence?
October 29th 2003, 9:35am
I have no opportunity to vote either way in the Conservative's vote of confidence in their leader, since I am not a Conservative MP. If I was given a vote it would be a difficult choice though. Would I vote to keep Iain Duncan Smith and doom the Tories to failure, or would I vote to get rid of him, thus plunging them into a long, drawn out leadership battle, and dooming them to failure? The questions is, which vote would be the most damaging?
As it is, I have no vote and I'll have to leave it to the MPs to do the damage themselves.
6 comments - show comments
Comment posted by Matt at 9:35am on October 29th 2003
Well, it looks like it's going to be Mr.Nightshade (according to Anne Withoutacomb) to take up the reins of the Tory party. Not that I really care anyway.
Trevor MacDonald for prime minister!!
Comment posted by James Ots at 9:35am on October 29th 2003
With Des Lynam as deputy.
Comment posted by Matt at 9:35am on October 29th 2003
Des Lynam? He'd probably defect to Labour half way through his term in office!
Comment posted by James Ots at 9:35am on October 29th 2003
Actually, I was assuming Trev and Des would be in the Labour party to start with.
Comment posted by andrew at 9:35am on October 29th 2003
If either way dooms them then why don't the just vote me in or something?
When I'm Prime Minister there'll be free watches for everyone.
Comment posted by James Ots at 9:35am on October 29th 2003
Oh well, no long drawn out leadership battle.
At least having a strong opposition should stop Labour from getting complacent.
Add your comment
This blog is moderated. That means that your comment won't appear immediately - someone (probably James) will check it first before approving it to appear.
Your email address won't appear anywhere on this website - it's only there so I can reply to you.
Langata
October 24th 2003, 3:49pm
This is a painting I did earlier this week, which is based on Langata Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It doesn't look very good in the photo, because there's too much light reflecting on it and the colours at far brighter than in reality - it's actually a lot browner than that. Anyway, it's inspired by the colours of the dirt, grass and the slum by Langata Road. Which is why it's not much good when it looks all red and bright in the picture.
3 comments - show comments
Comment posted by Shay at 3:49pm on October 24th 2003
Very nice painting James
Comment posted by Maret at 3:49pm on October 24th 2003
most impressive, I didn`t know you painted.
Comment posted by Andrew at 3:49pm on October 24th 2003
nice
Add your comment
This blog is moderated. That means that your comment won't appear immediately - someone (probably James) will check it first before approving it to appear.
Your email address won't appear anywhere on this website - it's only there so I can reply to you.
Not a Matatu
October 17th 2003, 10:49am
While I was driving to Leicester yesterday to see my parents, I saw this van on the road in front of me. It looked so like a matatu, right down to the dents in the back, that I just had to photograph it.
While I was at home I saw this nice sunset, and managed to get a good photo of it by using the night landscape mode on my camera. I was surprised how well it came out. It was nicer a few minutes earlier, but I didn't think of taking a photo until my parents mentioned it.
5 comments - show comments
Comment posted by Andrew at 10:49am on October 17th 2003
Matatu?
Comment posted by James Ots at 10:49am on October 17th 2003
See http://www.jamesots.com/site/home.php?story=14#story14
Comment posted by James Ots at 10:49am on October 17th 2003
And some pictures of matatus: http://www.jamesots.com/site/home.php?story=97#story97
Comment posted by Shay at 10:49am on October 17th 2003
Lovely sunset
Comment posted by Andrew Faraday at 10:49am on October 17th 2003
Thanks for the enlightenment there, I also think it's a nice sunset.
Add your comment
This blog is moderated. That means that your comment won't appear immediately - someone (probably James) will check it first before approving it to appear.
Your email address won't appear anywhere on this website - it's only there so I can reply to you.
Chopped Pork and Ham
October 14th 2003, 3:03pm
I just had a look through the log files on my mail server and discovered than in the last month and a half, 3183 emails have been sent to me, which is an average of 69 a day. 1805 of those email were automatically deleted by my spam filter, and out of the other 1378 which got through, I reckon probably about a quarter of them were still spam and had to be deleted manually. Which means overall, around 68% of the emails sent to me are spam. It's about time someone invented a better email system.
1 comment - show comments
Comment posted by Andrew at 3:03pm on October 14th 2003
Pitty there aren't some young, skilled and willing computer programmers who are likely to make one.
Add your comment
This blog is moderated. That means that your comment won't appear immediately - someone (probably James) will check it first before approving it to appear.
Your email address won't appear anywhere on this website - it's only there so I can reply to you.
Church Lunch
October 13th 2003, 8:36am
Yesterday after the church service we had lunch in the Boys' Club (that's where we meet for church). Soup and sandwiches as usual. It's nice to have food provided, but it does mean I don't get to go and have a real meal at a pub. Fortunately I got to go to Barry's birthday dinner later, at the Shahi Palace, where I had a really nice Chittagong Fish Supreme with the best Peshwari Naan I've had. I'm sure you were dying to know that.
Meanwhile, I thought you might like to see this photo of a local purveyor of fine clothing.
0 comments - show comments
Add your comment
This blog is moderated. That means that your comment won't appear immediately - someone (probably James) will check it first before approving it to appear.
Your email address won't appear anywhere on this website - it's only there so I can reply to you.
Berkswell
October 11th 2003, 2:43pm
This morning I got bored of sitting at home so I went out for a random drive, and ended up in Berkswell. I stopped to take some photos because it looked quite nice there. As a result I have my first set of photos in the England section of the photos pages.
I also discovered that the road from Meriden to Fillongley is really nice for driving - just the right amount of bends to make it interesting, but also plenty of visibility to make it possible to drive at the speed limit without being dangerous. I used to like to drive around the Stoneleigh area, but there are too many people pootling around at 40mph which just gets irritating after a while.
0 comments - show comments
Add your comment
This blog is moderated. That means that your comment won't appear immediately - someone (probably James) will check it first before approving it to appear.
Your email address won't appear anywhere on this website - it's only there so I can reply to you.
Pie In The Sky
October 4th 2003, 9:06am
"The Tories would tax people less than Labour if they won the next general election, Iain Duncan Smith has said.
"The party leader claimed the goal would be achieved by cutting 'bureaucracy and waste' in public services." - BBC News
Unfortunately for Iain, we haven't yet forgotten about the bureaucracy and waste the Tories created last time they were in power. And I prefer the Lib Dem's system of being honest and saying they'll increase taxes to pay for better services. I particularly like them promising to get rid of the Council Tax, which is one of the most unfair taxes ever created.
The problem with politics is it doesn't matter how great your policies are; if they don't appeal to people's greed you won't get voted in.
2 comments - show comments
Comment posted by Shay at 9:06am on October 4th 2003
I agree that the Liberal Demorcrats are better than the rubbish 2 parties who keep getting power. I encourage you to vote for them - and if enough people do, and Blair doesnt fix the election like Bush did, then we may have a different colour scheme for the BBC office.
Comment posted by Shay at 9:06am on October 4th 2003
What is 'bureaucracy and waste' in public services? Or is that a private question. (And how can they accelerate what the Federation are doing now?) I pray that I never need any serious help from the state.
Add your comment
This blog is moderated. That means that your comment won't appear immediately - someone (probably James) will check it first before approving it to appear.
Your email address won't appear anywhere on this website - it's only there so I can reply to you.
Comment posted by Maret at 5:57pm on October 30th 2003
Your hidden talents are finally being exposed.
Comment posted by Andrew at 5:57pm on October 30th 2003
Very artistic.
Skip comment form
Add your comment
This blog is moderated. That means that your comment won't appear immediately - someone (probably James) will check it first before approving it to appear.
Your email address won't appear anywhere on this website - it's only there so I can reply to you.