Cleggers and Loud Bikes

This entry will be jumping to the defence of Nick Clegg, just to warn you. Firstly, let me say that I did vote Lib Dem in May, but not because of Clegg - it was a local thing. I know, tar me with the tactical voter brush etc...this is all irrelevant anyway.

Basically, he's getting a bloody raw deal from the press, and I'm not entirely sure it's merited. People seem to think that the coalition will ignore the Tory majority and do everything Clegg, Cable et al had promised during the run-up to the election. Sorry folks, it doesn't work that way. Nicky was always going to be Cameron's bitch, with the only decision for which he'd be responsible being whether to spit or swallow (and even then there'd be considerable pressure from Mr C). However, better that than the spearhead of the angry 3rd party, to whom nobody ever listens, receiving occasional scraps of patronising allusion by the Tories and Labour. Whatever you may think of the coalition, at least he's actually in a position to MAYBE change things, unlike before. If he can't, fine; no-one really expected (I mean really) Clegg to influence things all that much. Even this London Oratory thing isn't really his fault - everyone knows Miriam rules the roost chez Clegg, so Catholic education will be the way to go, no matter how much he postulates about his atheism. Call him hypocritical if you must, but remember the limits of his choices in both his political and his personal life. After all, he's even more autonomous than Lassie.

There's something rather odd about the yoof of France, at least certainly the ones I've spoken to. Ask the boys what they're interested in, and the answer is invariably some combination of video games, motocross and football. Ask the girls, and it's art and reading. Gender stereotyping much? It's as if they combined the most polarised examples of the male/female divide and shoved them all into one school. Of course there are some exceptions (one boy liked guitars, had long hair and wore a Dirty Pretty Things T-shirt), but on the whole that's the trend. However, if you drive your stupid unsilenced motocross bike along normal roads, I reserve the right to think of you as a complete pillock. I don't care how nice you may come across, any respect I might ever have had for you will disappear instantly, replaced with nothing short of loathing. Please, please please please, wrap it around a tree.