(Un)Rul e (y) Brittania

Listening to: 'Ai No Corrida' by Rhythms Del Mundo [Rhythms Del Mundo, Cuba]

I just saw this article about two drunk British women who had tried to open a cabin door mid-flight on BBC. Wow, they're sure helping to cement the reputation Britain has for being a nation of alco hooligans. What I don't get is, why? Why does Britain have this reputation? Why is the country full of knife-wielding teenage chavs who spend their days and nights getting drunk on Tesco value vodka? Why does the UK supposedly have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe? Surely issues like juvenile delinquency and poor sexual health should be more common in less developed countries? Why is it that with so much opportunity for success in this country, a considerable number are pissing about at home and fudging benefit claims so they can drink the Treasury dry?

Why am I more bothered about this than the British themselves?

How do you like your tea?

Listening to: '4 Minutes' by Madonna, ft. Timbaland and Justin Timberlake [Hard Candy]

I take mine with two sugars, no milk...my cousin takes hers with milk, no sugar. To each her own. Some guys like good ol' fashioned missionary-style...Max Mosley likes BDSM. To each his own. Or not, as the present case may be.

The News of the World (I refuse to provide links to trash, Google it if you must) got footage of the FIA boss engaging in a role-playing S&M encounter with five prostitutes, and decided it was their duty to expose it as a 'sick Nazi-style orgy'. Judging by the descriptions I've read, there's no dead give-away that the role-play was Nazi-esque (they spoke in German, yes, and Mosley was a 'prisoner'...but there was no reference to Jews, and no Nazi symbols). Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't...but I don't think anyone can say without a doubt that it was. I believe in 'innocent until proven guilty', so I'll assume that it wasn't.

There are two things about this media exposé that bother me. The first, is invasion of privacy. Yes, Max Mosley is famous. Yes, he is in a position of responsibility. Are his extra-marital activities anyone's business but his and his wife's? No. Should we be concerned that he's getting cosy with prostitutes? I don't think so. I don't condone the behaviour, but it's his private life. As long as it doesn't affect his performance as FIA president, I don't think it affects the general public. There are plenty of men who've engaged in extra-marital activities while being in public office...have we persecuted them? No. So why Mosley?

This brings me to my second point, which ties into the intro to this post (yes, there was a purpose to the 'tea' analogy). BDSM may not be my cup of tea (hehe), but it's not my place to judge those who do enjoy it. What gives the NotW the right to call the incident 'sick'? Who are we to judge other people's likes and dislikes? As long as all parties involved are consenting adults, they shouldn't be judged.

Personally, I think the NotW's reason for bringing in the Nazi angle has more to do with Mosley's father (fascist union founder Sir Oswald Mosley), than anything else. The real issue (as I see it) is the tabloid portrayal of the BDSM scene as something deplorable, disgusting and unbecoming of a respectable official. It shows a level of ignorance and prejudice that one wouldn't expect in this day and age. It shows a lack of respect to those who choose to engage in BDSM, and a 'la-la land' view that all officials are examples of 'model' human beings.

Mosley is suing the pants off the NotW for invasion of privacy, and I think quite rightly so. Some would say that a man who's been cheating on his wife with prostitutes shouldn't be allowed to sue the people who found him out, but I think his fate regarding his infidelity should be up to his wife to decide (hint: she should divorce him and ask for whatever he gets from the payout ;-) ). Anyway, we shall see.

Mojo? What's that?

Listening to: 'Let's Dance To Joy Division' by The Wombats [The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation]

Scene I: Buying a doughnut at the Krispy Kreme outlet at Victoria station -

Him: "Hello, how are you today?"
Me: "Fine thanks, and you?"
Him: "Oh I'm fine, better now that you're here!" (...CRINGE!!!)
Me: "Hehe...so how much is a doughnut?"
Him: "That'll be £1.20 and a smile, please"
Me: [smiling on the outside, cracking up on the inside]

Scene II: Checking out clothes (yeah right...) at the Abercrombie & Fitch store -

Him: "Hi, how are you doing?"
Me: "I'm fine, thanks" [smiling on the outside, drooling on the inside]

I am such a muppet. A smart girl would've told the Krispy Kreme guy that she'd give him a smile if he gave her a free doughnut. What did I do? I paid him £1.20 and gave him a smile (because I couldn't keep a straight face). A smart girl would've told the very friendly (and drop-dead gorgeous) A&F shop assistant that she was looking for a pair of jeans and needed some help with the various styles. What did I do? I grinned like a complete jackass and giggled my way out of the store. A smart girl would've thought nothing of these two incidents. But in my case, the following thoughts were running through my mind -

"OMG did I just get hit on?!?!"
"OMG he's gorgeous. Turn away so he can't see your face!"

What is wrong with me? Why can I not muster up the courage to talk to fit guys? Sigh. I'm not just a muppet; I am a mojo-less muppet. Sigh and yes, I do go to the A&F store when I'm in London, just to check out the guys. There, I said it.

Vamos Rafa!

Listening to: nothing

Undeniably the best tennis match I have ever seen. Arguably one of the best tennis matches the world has ever seen. Undeniably two of the best tennis players I have ever seen. Arguably two of the best tennis players the world has ever seen. And thankfully, at least one of my hopes was realised.

Wimbledon would not be Wimbledon without rain delays, and well there'd clearly been far too much sunshine this year, so the gentlemen's final had to have not one, not two, but three rain delays.

Roger Federer is possibly one of the greatest tennis players ever, and for someone who hadn't dropped a single set all the way up to the final, losing in straight sets just wasn't an option now, was it? And so we had the third set tie-break. And the fourth set tie-break. And thanks to Rafa missing his first two Championship Points, a fifth set. But it was Rafa's day, and he managed to turn the fifth set into a contest of 'who could hold serve the longest'. The winner was Rafael Nadal.

6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-7(8-10), 9-7. What an epic. I had my fingers and toes crossed for pretty much the entire match. I am knackered, but extremely happy. Commiserations to Roger Federer, who I think is still the best player in the world. Congratulations to Rafael Nadal, who has shown that he is a winner not just on clay, and that he is improving his grass court performance with every match he plays. And hats off to them both, for providing us with such an entertaining final, and for being such great sportsmen, both on and off the court.

The lady doth shop too much, methinks.

Listening to: Radio 1

Two pairs of shoes and a pair of cropped jeans. In one afternoon. Now that might seem like nothing for a 25 year old girl. But this is someone whose wardrobe consists of 90% hand-me-downs, 5% gifts and 5% sale purchases. I think over the past 3 months, I've spent more on clothes and accessories that I had spent in the preceding 3 years. And it's not like I have the space for any of it either!

This. must. stop. Or at least slow down. I need to save, not spend!

That said...I am quite pleased with my stash :-)

I've got Wimble Fever, and there ain't no cure

Listening to: 'Back To Black' by Amy Winehouse [Back To Black]

And so here we are: the final four days of Wimbledon. The most glorious Grand Slam of them all. And apart from yesterday, the weather's been perfect for tennis (apart from the wind, perhaps). This is so unlike Wimbledon! Still, who am I to complain?

The gentlemen's singles have gone pretty much to plan, apart from bad boy Safin beating the crap out of Djokovic. To be honest, it'd be foolish to assume that Federer's gonna walk all over Safin in the Semi...but then we are talking about Roger Federer, the greatest player of this decade, possibly longer. Attitude-wise, it's gonna be like McEnroe v Borg all over again (or so I've heard). I'm hoping for another Federer v Nadal final, and this time I'm going to be rooting for Rafa. Yesterday's annihilation of Andy Murray was so clinical, it was unbelievable. If anyone can challenge The Fed, it has to be Nadal. Vamos Rafa!!!

The ladies' singles, on the other hand, have been turned on their head. Maybe the Beeb spoke to soon with this article about Serb dominance of the circuit, but now we're left with the Williams sisters (unsurprising really), Elena Dementieva, and the proverbial giant-slayer, Zheng Jie. I really don't want to see another Williams v Williams final. I mean all credit to them, they play well...but it's like watching a men's final! The women's game used to be more graceful than the men's, and I was grateful for that. The Williams girls are anything but graceful. However, the only way I see any chance of a more interesting final is if the wildcard can continue her amazing run. Beating Serena Williams will not be easy, but I think Zheng Jie has more of a chance than people would care to admit. C'mon Zheng Jie!!! (I guess I don't need to say that I think Venus is gonna tear Dementieva to shreds)

So there we have it. Rafael Nadal and Zheng Jie - my hopes for Wimbledon 2008. And if that doesn't work, Roger Federer (which wouldn't be so bad) and probably one of the Williams sisters...*groan*.