Scientific-based governance

A scientisty type person

If you're like me, then you'll be frustrated with politics and how it works. It seems in this day and age (especially here in the UK), government is hell-bent on hurting as many people as possible – mainly poor people, but everyone else not in the highest / upper levels of society as well. I can kind of get behind the Labour slogan of 'for the many, not the few' – but I still don't trust what's going on with that party, and I can't trust those in the leadership who are supportive of Brexit. I mean, look how that's going.

I feel like politics at the moment is more about personality than ability. It's about getting to the top and acquiring power rather than using one's position to improve society. No one is immune, it seems, from the temptations of getting kickbacks in return for political favours and so corruption seems to always be present at the table of politics. And then there's the childish bickering and jeering between grown men and women, drowning out those they disagree with. Watching Parliament on TV is just like watching the school playground a lot of the time. I can't help but feel that this kind of adversarial politics distracts people from the work they should be doing to improve the lives of everyone.

Of course, I do believe that there are good and decent politicians out there working hard for their constituency and for their country. They put in long hours and make huge sacrifices, traveling to Westminster several times a week to have their say. The trouble is, I think, that the further up you go the more out of touch you become.

Personally I don't think our current system is very fair or conducive to today's modern world and it needs to change.

Interestingly, there is something of a growing movement towards having a new kind of governance based on scientific evidence. The idea is that rather than make up new policies in the hope that they will work, government uses research and facts to find out whether or not they actually do.

Finland is apparently dabbling in this idea, as demonstrated by its so-called Universal Basic Income pilot which made the headlines recently when the results were published. They supposedly set out to empirically test and research the concept of UBI (more about this here), but then the politicians got in the way. They didn't like the way it was going to be done and so changed the whole thing. It wasn't a genuine Universal Basic Income (ie regular government payments to citizens every month, no strings attached), it was a watered-down version only given to the unemployed with certain conditions imposed on them.

Interestingly, the results still showed that overall it improved people's lives (albeit for the short term while the programme was running), proving that putting money into people's pockets can make a simple but huge difference.

Whilst it's good to hear this, it's still frustrating that politicians won't let scientists do their job, because if our leaders want to have policies that actually work then it's a no brainer to actually test them and show whether or not they do.

That way they get to improve society, save money and look good.

Who wouldn't want that?

This week I have been mostly... wb 11/03/19

Week beginning 11/03/19

No. of evening meetings:1
Films watched: 2
Healthy eating: Average
Mental health: Good

It's been an entire month since my last weekly update, mainly because I have been insanely busy workwise. So, I'm trying to get back on track with my blog stuff.

This week has been fairly uneventful, with just normal life and work stuff going on.

Our fridge has finally been fixed - yay! After weeks of putting up with an overexpensive piece of Italian-made German junk not keeping our foodstuff cool we are back in the refridgeration game. Amazingly, we survived, but did have to throw out a lot of manky stuff and some milk did go off once. It actually wasn't too much of a chore not having a fridge. I was nervous about catching some kind of illness from room temperature food but that didn't happen thankfully. Maybe if our fridge had failed during the summer things would have been a bit different.

And then there's Brexit.

Well ... that was interesting.

I won't say much, but every time I read the news about Brexit I despair at how useless and pathetic our so-called leaders are. At least the terrifying prospect of a no deal has been taken off the table (well, that's how it looks anyway). I'm praying the whole thing gets called off – we just need someone with the balls to do it.

Oreo Easter Egg Review

Before the dust had settled from the gorge-fest and overindulgence assault that is Christmas, the great confectionists were already gearing up for the next holiday season. This is nothing new, of course, but there seems to be even more choice when it comes to small chocolatey Easter treats. And so, I came across these Cadbury Oreo Eggs – taking place next to their Creme Egg companions – and had to give them a try.

The little Oreo eggs in a bag have been around for a while, but I'm pretty sure these bigger ones are new for this year.

I've never been too fussed on Cadbury's attempt at cashing in on the Oreo brand, mainly because the creme doesn't taste like Oreo creme. These new eggs aren't anything new in that regard - just Cadbury Oreo Chocolate bar re-packaged in an egg-shaped guise. Yes, these little treats are edible, but they aren't Oreos and they aren't proper Creme Eggs. So, in my opinion, a bit of a disappointment. Boo!

Verdict: 5/10

Films I've seen of late (Feb '18)

#9 Manchester-by-the-sea (2016)
A man with a tormented past must care for his nephew after his brother's death. This is a moving and emotional portrayal of grief and the burden of responsibility, with Casey Affleck giving a great performance. The ending is a bit disappointing ... not sure if it's the conclusion I would have liked, but still a great piece of work.
(9/10)

#10 The Post (2017)
Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep star in this period piece that explores the Washington Post's involvement in the uncovering of military secrets, proving the US Government lied to the public about the war in Vietnam over several administrations. A fascinating insight into government corruption and the struggle for the media to exercise free speech, this is a hugely relevent story to today's 'fake news' hysteria.
(8/10)

#11 The Disaster Artist (2017)
Hilarious biopoic of actors Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero as they set out to make Wiseau's movie off their own backs only for it to become widely regarded as the worst movie ever made. It's a fairly standard underdog story (Wiseau's initial failure takes a volte-face as his movie becomes a cult hit), but the Franco brothers' performances are brilliant (especially James as Wiseau) and it's kind of inspiring for anyone out there who wants to pursue their dreams.
(8/10)

#12 Inside Out (2015)
Pixar's attempt at exploring the psyche of a child going through a traumatic experience, which is very clever and worthy but doesn't really make sense if you think it through hard enough. This is one of my least favourite Pixar movie's mainly because I think it tries too hard to be deep and thought-provoking. Even so, a bad Pixar film is still a decent movie which says a lot about the team behind it.
(6/10)

#13 Ready Player One (2018)
This is one of those movies I can't help watching over and over. It's a solid guilty pleasure that doesn't hold up logically under close scrutiny, but the plethora of pop culture references along with Spielberg's steady hand make up for it. Whether it will hold up in ten or twenty years time is anyone's guess – but you never know...
(8/10)

#14 Oceans 8 (2018)
Enjoyable sequel to the male-dominated Ocean franchise, this time with an all-female gang (led by Danny Ocean’s sister) attempting to steal a $150m Cartier diamond necklace. Doesn’t quite have the same laughs and wit as the previous films but worth watching nonetheless.
(7/10)

#15 How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
I have always been a big fan of the first Dragon film. It's funny, witty, inventive and moving in equal measure. The sequel was OK ... and so was this, the third in the trilogy. The first film is just so good, it's pretty much impossible to repeat its greatness. There are some minor interesting moments in this final Dragons movie, but thankfully it ends well. It's a definite conclusion to the series and gives a satisfying sign-off for the inhabitants of Berk.
(5.5/10)

#16 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
I’m watching these Marvel films in a pretty random order but it’s not too difficult to figure out what’s going on. Cap has to go underground when it’s revealed that Hydra has infiltrated the top levels of government. He also has to deal with his former best friend-turned-super-soldier-assassin who's out to kill him. Mindless fun.
(7/10)

#17 Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
With a bit of help from James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez brings the eponymous Manga comic book to life with some impressive CGI and several great set pieces. It's let down by the 'uncanny valley' feel of the effects (they're still not quite perfect), which I suspect suffered as a result of the 3D production process. Christoph Waltz seems half-hearted in his performance, but Rosa Salazar is great as the heroine. There's too much reliance on a follow-up sequel but this is definitely the way to do manga right on the big screen.
(7.5/10)

#18 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawntreader (2010)
The third (and last so far from this series) Narnia tale for the silver screen, it actually stands up quite well despite the fact that the previous two films were more superior. The diffculty is that CS Lewis' book is not particularly film-friendly and there is an obvious struggle to reconcile the two formats. Even so, it's a decent attempt – no doubt well-steered by Michael Apted's directing chops. Enjoyable Narnian fun.
(7.5/10)

#19 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
If there's ever a sequel that had a lot to live up to, it was this film. The Lego Movie was near-perfect (aside from the gratuitous product placement), and so doing a follow-up was never going to be easy. It does struggle at the beginning, but it finds its feet eventually with some catchy music and slew of expected cultural references – all tied up in a plot that involves going to the Sistar System and confronting an evil queen (or something). Oh, and there's some time travel involved too. When all is said and done, though, this is not the first Lego Movie. Enjoyable, but disappointing at the same time.
(6.5/10)

#20 Lady Bird (2017)
An excellent teen coming-of-age tale that manages to capture the female perspective remarkably well - with humour, sensitivity and emotion. It's 'period' setting (2002) is fascinating, as is the lives of youngsters on the cusp of the smartphone / internet revolution. Saoirse Ronan nails it as the plucky teenager grappling with her mum's controlling parenting style while pining for freedom and independence but also desperate for security and comfort in the place she grew up.
(9/10)

This week I have been mostly... wb 11/02/19

Week beginning 11/02/19

No. of evening meetings: 2
Films watched: 2
Healthy eating: Poor
Mental health: Okay

This week has been fairly uneventful with bog-standard work stuff (filming in West Wales, editing, meetings) and mundane family-life goings on.

I've become ever more cynical about the whole Valentine's day thing the more I've aged (because it's just a commercial envy guilt-trip) and fittingly me and Wifey didn't really get to celebrate it as I was working away and she was ill with a horrific cold. I'm not too bothered, seeing as we had a nice lunch date to celebrate my birthday on Monday.

The one thing that has dominated our lives this week (well, mine anyway) is our malfunctioning Smeg fridge freezer. It started going on the blink a couple of weeks ago, and when we got an engineer to come in and look at it he declared that he couldn't fix it but someone else could (and it would be very expensive). After then getting that someone else to look at it, he indeed confirmed it would be pricey and would take ages for the part since Smeg are useless.

Our fancy pale blue fridge freezer was bought on a whim after we'd received some inheritance money and I've regretted it ever since – even moreso now we have to pay a small fortune to fix the damn thing, and wait weeks in the process. Don't ask why I'm going ahead with this. Just don't.

Living without a functioning fridge freezer is not fun, such is the first world problem that it is. I am constantly worrying about food going off, having stuff that should be cold which isn't and generally paranoid about encouraging the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Ironically, whatever amount we end up spending on repairs could have bought us a brand spanking new unit (admittedly in boring white, but at least it would be functioning). Arggghh!

Maybe we deserve Brexit?

I am opposed to Brexit.

I am distressed about the mess we seem to be finding ourselves in politically, socially and economically – all thanks to an ill-informed magical unicorn fantasy about 'taking back control'.

The UK is edging closer to the cliff edge and nobody really knows what's going to happen, but the general consensus (even from the Brexiteers) is that it could be pretty bad.

That said, I wonder if maybe we deserve it.

You see, there's this thing in the Bible called 'generational sin'. It pops up every now and again mostly in the Old Testament and my understanding is that it's this idea that when someone sins against God the consequences of their behaviour aren't necessarily limited to the duration of their lifetime but can have an impact on their descendants, sometimes for several generations.

So, here we are in the midst of the biggest UK crisis in recent history and I'm thinking about our national past.

Sadly, a lot of this Brexit insanity is based upon some misguided nostalgia about the British Empire, sort of like saying 'Make Great Britain Great Again'. The problem is, the British Empire is long gone. It was even beginning to fade before World War Two broke out. And it is not something to be proud of (see 'Five of the worst atrocities carried out by the British Empire' www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/worst-atrocities-british-empire).

As we face up to an event which could plunge our economy into recession for an entire generation, I feel like we've brought it upon ourselves. Our forebears screwed over half the world, and now their descendants (us) are paying for their sins.

I recently read a story on Twitter that kind of confirmed my theory: a British guy was chatting to his Kenyan-born taxi driver who said he voted for Brexit. When asked why, he explained that he wanted to hurt Britain. His country had been ravaged by unbridled colonialism and he saw Brexit as a way of getting back at his country's former oppressors. He wanted to see us suffer.

A bit petty perhaps? Maybe, but who can question the motives of someone who has grown up oppressed by British rule? Can anyone honestly say they'd do things differently if it was them?

I know I can't. I guess it proves there's some justice in the world ... unfortunately it's not so great when you're on the sharp end of that justice.

This week I have been mostly... wb 04/02/19

Week beginning 04/02/19

No. of evening meetings:1
Films watched: 5 (probably my personal best)
Healthy eating: Poor
Mental health: Not great

So I'm getting older. Still. Damn these mortal husks!

This week has been dominated by my birthday, which indicates I have completed forty four circuits of our solar system on this ball of rock known as 'Earth'. Yay.

My birthday celebrations have been a fairly damp squib, however, thanks partly to being forced to work on the actual day of my birthing (something I always try and avoid if at all possible, but when there's work I usually can't say no) and thanks also just to the overwhelming sense of time slipping away from me as I tread closer and closer to the time when my body eventually ceases to function.

Oh I'm a barrel of laughs aren't, I dear reader?

Seriously though, I am trying to overcome my melancholic tendencies – but things like birthdays seem to make it a lot harder. I'm sure I'll snap out of it though. I won't be dancing around gaily like some mad loon, but I will eventually return to some semblance of normality I'm sure of it.

This week I have been mostly... wb 28/01/19

Week beginning 28/01/19

No. of evening meetings: 2
Films watched:3
Healthy eating: Poor
Mental health: OK

Plague, Balls and Welsh Cakes

This week I have been mostly working from home with the odd venture out into the open. This is partly because I have had to keep an eye on number two son who has been off school with a cough. I’m not very sympathetic on these occasions sadly as I always default to suspecting the patient is not as ill as they say they are (especially if it means missing school and watching TV for most of the day). Number one son was off later in the week as well ... copycat phantom illness maybe??

One outing I had to make was the local hospital for a slightly embarrassing ultrasound on my privates. I’d had some funny pains 'down below' around Christmas time and thought I’d better get them checked out. It took a few weeks to get a scan but when I did it was a relatively quick and simple process. It was a bit embarrassing having some old dude slap some gel on my bits and rummage around with a scanner but he declared it was all clear so that was a relief.

On Saturday I ended up doing a ton of craft activities with number two son – such is his keen interest in making creative stuff – but we also spent some time making Welsh Cakes (thanks in part to seeing something on Twitter about them and being inspired to do some baking). I suspect my ardent nationalism may have been inspired by these little round treats. Yum.

Films I've seen of late (Jan '18)

#1 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)
An inauspicious start to my year of film watching admittedly. This sequel to the food-based animation (which I haven't seen BTW) is decent enough. The concept is kinda weird, but you probably need to see the original to truly get it. Some funny ideas and good performances (although it feels like some concepts have been ripped off other films) ... but forgettable all the same.
(6/10)

#2 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
I revisited this after watching Infinity War, and enjoyed it more than the first time I saw it at the cinema. It's good to see the Avengers working properly together as a team, and good to see early threads of the Thanos storyline slowly coming together. Good clean fun.
(8/10)

#3 I, Daniel Blake (2016)
A worker with a heart condition is cruelly forced to look for work in order to receive money from the state, but the system is up against him even though he's done nothing wrong. This is a deeply distressing account of life on welfare in 21st century Britain, and tragically things don't seem to have improved since this film was made. The only glimmer of hope is the small moments of kindness and generosity that permeates this story from the ordinary men and women without any real power.
(9/10)

#4 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
Based on the German stories from the 19th century, the titular Baron comes out of retirement – in the middle of a seige no less – to set the record straight about his wild and fantastical exploits. Notorious for its out-of-control budget, this final film in the unofficial 'imagination' trilogy of Terry Gilliam is full-on spectacle and weirdness with some great set pieces and memorable performances from the likes of Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman (in her first movie role) and Eric Idle.
(8/10)

#5 Bird box (2018)
Sandra Bullock takes on an unseen enemy in a world where demonic-like creatures have invaded the earth causing people to commit suicide if they see them. What could be a fairly by-the-numbers post-apocalyptic thriller is actually quite nuanced and moving as the heroine struggles to keep herself and her family alive in a world where they must cover their eyes whenever out in the open. A refreshing piece of work.
(8/10)

#6 Fyre (2019)
This documentary about the ill-fated festival is both tragic and hilarious. The sheer ignorance of the organisers about what it takes to run a successful festival is mind-boggling. Even so it's kind of funny to watch a load of millenials rock up to a building site in the Caribbean and effectively turn into cast members from Lord of the Flies because they have to sleep on water-soaked mattresses in disaster relief tents.
(8/10)

#7 Free Fire (2016)
Disappointing comedy thriller that starts well but ends up just being an extended shoot-out. Interesting idea and a great cast but it’s a one-trick pony with no depth.
(5/10)

#8 A Quiet Place (2018)
Aliens have invaded earth and their one weakness/strength is that they can only hunt their human prey using their highly-developed sense of hearing (so, what - they can't smell?). In the resultant post-apocalyptic world, a family struggles to survive whilst under the constant threat of these baddies coming along should the slightest loud noise be made. An interesting and well-crafted tale, its only letdown is the slightly flawed logic surrounding the beasties as well as the confusing choices made by some of the characters during the course of the film.
(6/10)

Orange Cardiff Buses - Yay!

A looooong time ago I blogged about Cardiff's buses and lamented the fact that they weren't orange anymore. They had become mostly green with a slight orangy bit somewhere and plastered with ads that made them roving billboards with people inside.

I'd always liked the fact that Cardiff's buses had a distinct colour (bright and highly visible), much like London's.

I have begun to notice, however, that the iconic orange bus has made a reappearance on our Cardiffian roads – which I am very pleased about. Here's a pic to prove it.

This week I have been mostly... wb 21/01/19

Week beginning 21/01/19

No. of evening meetings: 1
Films watched: 2
Healthy eating: Very Good (except for the weekend!)
Mental health: Good

This is my first diary entry of 2019 after a bit of a blog hiatus.

This week I have been mostly obsessing over kitchens, trying to think positive and mulling over work challenges.

We are in the process of getting a new kitchen. Our current one is literally falling apart and came with the house when we bought it ten years ago. I dread to think when it was actually installed.

Our loverly cupboards ... note the wrecked flooring too

Having been to a couple of kitchen vendors (I won't name names), I am astonished at the list price of a bunch of wooden panels cobbled together with screws and glue. Buying one without any discount will easily set you back tens of thousands of pounds, and yet when you haggle (which is never challenged) the quote is a fraction of that. There is something morally questionable about that, I feel. Thanks capitalism...!

I have started a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course and it has been going well. The stuff we've looked at so far seems to centre around managing your thoughts and trying not to let your mind wander into a spiral of negativity. All good stuff, but not necessarily easy peasy in practice, especially when you start reading the news (yikes!). Still, I feel like just the act of going to a group sepcifically to help me wrestle with my low-level depression has helped enormously.

Work continues to be a challenge – not in the work itself but more the continual worry about where the next job is coming from. Last autumn I was pretty much out of work for two months and that meant we took a huge hit financially. Things have picked up since, but I really need to find a more secure extra stream of income to help us when things do slow down.

I am trying to write more short stories at the moment and will be posted them here in this blog – watch this space!

Hurry up with the self-driving cars already!

I occasionally get to drive rental cars because of work, which means I often drive different makes of car. I never get my hands on any luxury vehicles, though – none of that bourgeousie nonsense for me, oh no.

Usually they're mini cars like a Fiat 500 or small compacts like a Vauxhall Corsa i.e. cheap and chearful 'runabouts'. Even though they are cheap, they usually come with basic – but in my opinion vital – features like DAB radio, a USB connection, power steering, parking sensors and cruise control.

One thing, I've noticed, however, is that these cars can be really distracting – which is pretty dangerous.
 
I guess this applies mainly to rental cars, but when you first step inside a new car you have to familiarise yourself with all the different controls. Granted, the basic stuff – gear stick, wipers, indicators etc. – are usually pretty much the same whatever you end up driving. But when it comes to things like the climate controls or stereo system they're all completely different.

This is really annoying because you have to re-learn how to do something as simple as changing a radio station (because you do it in your own car all the time, it's second nature). Even if you spend some time getting to know your car's controls before setting off (something I often don't really have the luxury of having), it still means prodding a screen or twiddling knobs until you get used to them.

And that's the dangerous thing – you shouldn't be looking at a screen or down at the fan knob, you should be looking at the road. In that split second when you're trying to figure out where the DAB radio settings are, or trying to stop a gale force wind blasting your face, you could miss someone walking out into the street.

What's worse is that these controls are rarely intuitive. Entertainment systems often employ a UI that may look funky but is badly thought-through in terms of logic or clarity. I've even spent time stabbing the plastic rectangle in front of me, assuming it was touch screen when it actually wasn't.

The gear stick is relatively universal. There's little variation from car to car and most people don't have to consult an instruction manual to use it. Why can't entertainment systems be standardised in a similar way?

This dashboard from a Vauxhall Adam I drove recently is a great example of bad design. The touchscreen is quite low to start with, so if you need to look at the sat nav your eyes have to look right down away from the road. Worse still, the vent and air con controls are tucked away at the bottom with the gear stick in the way. Plus, the symbols for the knobs are too small. It looks nice, but you're gonna have a bad time interacting with it.

Apple's CarPlay is sort of a step in the right direction but not everyone has an Apple phone (they could use Google's rival option instead of course, if they're on Android, which I've not tried), or – shock, horror! – they might not have their phones on them when driving.

CarPlay does have big app buttons and it's Siri-enabled, but it's still like having a bigger version of your phone on the dashboard. Again, a seriously bad distraction especially when text messages or Whatsapp messages appear onscreen.

Yes, I admit you should have certain settings turned on so you don't receive messages while driving – but I think maybe these should be active right from the start rather than us having to remember to implement them.

With all of these distractions, I can't help thinking we need self-driving cars as soon as possible. At least that means we can be distracted with music, text messages, videos and phone calls without careering into a lampost or a bus stop full of people.

Finally Star Wars makes sense

Warning: slight spoilers here!
Having watched The Last Jedi recently, I was reminded of the fan backlash it generated and all the moments in the film that people derided. Granted – it's not a perfect movie, but I enjoyed watching it again having been able to slightly distance myself from all the negativity when it was released. I am, however, trying to grapple with the reasons why people have such a problem with it.

I know one of the main reasons: it's because it didn't go the way people wanted it to. They wanted Luke to come in and kick the First Order's ass with some super-duper Jedi moves (a la Phantom Menace's Darth Maul fight scene). Instead, they got layered messages about the industrial war complex, failure, pride and the inevitability of repeating mistakes made by those before.

Of course, people are entitled to their own opinions ... but the way the backlash exploded across the internet by entitled fans was sad. If only people could channel such energy into making the world a better place, huh?

A long-lost documentary about The Empire Strikes Back surfaced recently on YouTube (https://youtu.be/YeB-uXGGaEU) and it featues a snippet from director Irvin Kershner who said something very telling: "Science fiction has certain qualities, you have to respect. All kinds of scientific jargon. We've eliminated all scientific jargon. We've almost none. Just a touch, like salt and pepper. It's not a science fiction movie."

That was a bit of an 'a-ha' moment for me. No, not one where I fantasised about Morten Harket. Rather, I was able re-frame Star Wars in my head not as science fiction but fantasy. It's not 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I think one of the reasons people are struggling to appreciate TLJ – other than the fact that it didn't suck up to fan pressure to stick to the tired old routines – is because they fail to see it for what it is:  a space fantasy for kids. It's about space wizards with laser sword, for crying out loud!

Of course, I kind of always knew this. I mean, you can't hear sound in a vacuum (so Star Wars space battles should technically be silent), and being able to magically lift inanimate objects by the power of thought alone is pretty far-fetched. I've always taken things in Star Wars with a pinch of salt ... but it helps to not see it under the sci-fi banner. Yes, it has space ships and robots in it but those things are secondary.

Like any good story, the focus should be about the characters and their journey from the beginning of the film to the end. There needs to be learning, progression, redemption ... something that changes in the character or characters over the course of the movie. Everything else (including TIE fighters, alien cantinas, blasters, laser swords etc.) is just set dressing.

Saying all that, I still think the prequels are garbage.

Looking forward to 2019

Happy New Year!

Not wanting to sound overly dramatic but 2019 is potentially going to be a big year for me.

Big – as in lots of changes and significant stuff happening, rather than I'm going to get a massive record contract or I'm going to cure cancer. Sorry to raise any hopes.

Firstly, we have some house renovations to do. We are planning to extend our upstairs area by converting our attic into a new room, adding a shower and expanding the existing top toom. Also, we are going to get a new kitchen. This is sorely needed as we have doors literally hanging off their hinges and flooring with great chunks missing.

We have two trips to France planned for this year. One to celebrate Wifey's brother's wedding and one to celebrate my mum's 70th birthday. Hopefully our travels won't be adversly affected by Brexit.

Ah, Brexit. That big, fat, country-sized turd of spite and selfishness that is making HM Government eat itself. As an ardent remainer, I have watched with bewildered morbid fascination at the Brexit Bunch jumping over themselves and stabbing one another in the back in order to keep their self-destructive fantasy on the wobbly rails. It's worse than car-crash telly.

Our leaders are fudging governance so badly it may lead to civil war, Russian annexation or worse (being Trump's 51st state?). And that's after we crash out of the EU with no trade deals or agreements whatsoever with anyone. An island adrift, tready to be devoured by voracious states or immoral multinationals.

So, I hope I look back on this and am able to laugh at my silly pessimism and thank the Lord that common sense prevailed.

As for the rest of 2019, I am mulling over the idea of crowdfunding a short film, researching new ways of expanding my freelance business and doing some more work on scripts and ideas I've been working on.

We are also going to explore fostering in earnest this year, once we have done the work on the house. This may take a while, so I have no idea how long it will be before we are ready to start – but this will be another big change in the JC household.

It's hopefully going to be a fairly creative year – even while the world comes crashing down around me.