31 Dec 10 Goodbye 2010
To say it wasn’t the best year of my life so far, is an understatement, and yet of course, there is always someone worse off. I could have made some better choices. Still, we’re at where we’re at, at any given time, because our life’s decisions have put us there.
The year started out OK, and now, it seems like it was ten years ago, and not twelve months.
I’ve moved twice in 2010, and not across town - the first move was across the country, and the second was across the world.
I can’t say I didn’t enjoy a southern Californian summer; the weather was rather wonderful. I’m quite happy with the heat, and it was a welcome change from the humidity of the Carolinas.
Still I missed much of the social scene of Charleston; I had after all, lived there for six years, so felt quite at home there – although I always felt at home in Charleston, from the first time I visited. I’m glad I had the experience of living in the lowcountry.
Would I do it again? Undoubtedly.
California? Yes, I think so too. I wasn’t actually living there long enough to feel truly at home, although I loved the mountains and the high desert landscapes. Although I can’t pretend it was a happy, settled and contented time there for a number of reasons, I can’t say I didn’t like California itself. I fully understand why it’s a popular place to live for so many.
Still, while it’s good to sometimes take a brief look back, and take stock, such as at a year’s end, I’m not one for doing that too often. The future is ahead for living, and the past has already been lived in.
I’ve got a number of plans for 2011, and it’s just a question of everything coming together, so that they come to fruition.
Happy New Year!
Tags: best year of my life, choices, decisions, desert landscapes, first move, fruition, happy new year, high desert, humidity, lowcountry, mountains, southern californian, stock, twelve months, understatement, weather
07 May 10 UK Parliament Hung – What Next?
So, what does happen now?
As no one party has an overall majority (326 seats or more), some wheeling and dealing probably needs to go on.
Gordon Brown and David Cameron are both making overtures to Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats to come to an agreement for support, or even a full coalition.
However, the Liberal Democrats are not the centre party of yesterday; they are politically to the left of the Labour Party, and there may be little real common ground that they can agree on with the Conservatives.
If Gordon Brown cannot get such an agreement with the Liberal Democrats, then he will almost certainly concede to David Cameron in any case, who would be invited by the Queen to form the next Government.
The Conservatives could, in theory, go it alone, as a minority party. However, they are likely to find it very difficult to conduct much business in the House in the way they would wish to.
My own personal view, is that there is likely to be another General Election in the UK within the next twelve months.
Read more on the Hung Parliament at The Guardian
Tags: common ground, conservatives, david cameron, general election, gordon brown, guardian uk, labour party, liberal democrats, minority party, nick clegg, overtures, personal view, queen, twelve months, uk parliament
