Today’s pick is the latest Leonard Cohen collection, Essential Leonard Cohen.. What’s amazing about this collection (considering they span 30 odd years) is the shear quality & consistency of the songs.

Well after a pretty hectic spell of work since the new year, I’m taking the opportunity to get out of England for a week of canoeing in the Florida Everglades :-) Check out this site for some nice photos & account of peoples travels in the everglades.

Iraq

A nice topical tune for the day, (sing to the ryhthm of “If you’re happy and you know it”)

If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.
If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq.
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq.

If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq.
If we think someone has dissed us, bomb Iraq.
So to hell with the inspections,
Let's look tough for the elections,
Close your mind and take directions,
Bomb Iraq.

It's "pre-emptive non-aggression", bomb Iraq.
Let's prevent this mass destruction, bomb Iraq.
They've got weapons we can't see,
And that's good enough for me
'Cos it'all the proof I need
Bomb Iraq.

If you never were elected, bomb Iraq.
If your mood is quite dejected, bomb Iraq.
If you think Saddam's gone mad,
With the weapons that he had,
(And he tried to kill your dad),
Bomb Iraq.

If your corporate fraud is growin', bomb Iraq.
If your ties to it are showin', bomb Iraq.
If your politics are sleazy,
And hiding ain't that easy,
And your manhood's getting queasy,
Bomb Iraq.

Fall in line and follow orders, bomb Iraq.
For our might knows not our borders, bomb Iraq.
Disagree? We'll call it treason,
Let's make war not love this season,
Even if we have no reason,
Bomb Iraq.

Picked up a copy of Hanif Kureishi’s “Midnight All Day”
and have barely stopped reading since….This is the first of his books I’ve read, but I’m already wondering what his others are like.

• Vienna: Art & Architecture:
  An informative analysis of the history of art & architecture in Vienna,
  accompanied by fantastic illustrations
• Ealing Comedy:
  Four of the best comedy films ever made
• Death and the Penguin:
  A slightly surreal (one of the characters is a depressed penguin!) satire set in the post Soviet Union Russia.