Crazy Eights

I have been tagged for  a couple of memes by two of my favourite blog authors, Amy and Ev.  They are both well worth visiting, so, if you don’t know them do take a look.   One meme is Crazy Eights, which consist of a number of sets of eight facts about myself.  The other is a straightforward eight random things about me.  These memes do seem to pander to the egocentric among us don’t they!  Anyway, since the two memes have the number eight in common, I thought I’d combine them……

Eight things I’m passionate about.   That’s a very good question. When, for example, does mere enthusiasm become passion?  I ask the question but I offer no answer.  I shall just give  eight responses and tell you that as far I cam tell, I am passionate about them

1 – My family.  Ok, boring answer, but true for all that.

2 – History.  Specifically British history.  The subject fascinates me, and I read about it as much as I can. I don’t believe in  reincarnation or past lives, but there are some periods I can almost feel what it was like to live then. 

3 – London.  No matter where I live, or how far away, London will always be my city.  I adore the place.

4 – Jazz.  Real jazz, I mean. The stuff that first appeared (can sounds appear?) in 1917, and existed until swing came along in the mid-thirties and started to ruin everything. I posted about that once upon a time, and you can read here what I said if you like.  I listen to real jazz all the time. I don’t listen to anything else, in fact. I have changed from being a fan, to an aficionado, to an authority, to an expert.  I have thousands of tracks on CD, tape, vinyl and shellac that most people won’t ever even have heard of.

5 – Censorship.  I’m against it.  In all its forms.  I utterly loathe the idea of people deciding what you and I may read, see and hear. The bastards -- how dare they?  This insidious cancer has a strong hold over broadcasting and publishing, and that’s why I am against all forms of censorship of the internet. Yes, there is a great deal in its many billions of web pages that is objectionable, but we must just put up with that as the price we pay for keeping the interfering scum at bay.

6 – Having as few prohibitions as possible in one’s private life.  Life shows us that they simply do not work. So as a start I believe that marijuana should be legalized for adults to use in private.  It makes no sense that I can buy a bottle of whiskey, that will get me drunk, and a pack of cigarettes, that will give me cancer, quite legally, but smoking a bit of dope will land me in prison.  Tell me the risks, forbid me to drive after using it or to give it to children, and then let me smoke it at my peril. No need to involve the entire justice system.  The only people who derive any benefit from this prohibition are organized crime. Every time they hear some moronic politician blathering on about “The war on drugs” (which will never be won) and calling for tough sentences, the Mafia must jump for joy.

7 – Books.  I love them. I hate to part with one. I hoard them jealously like a bookworm miser. Each one on my shelves is either the memory  of an adventure it has imparted to me, or the prospect of enjoying a story as yet untold.

8 – Free universal healthcare.  I know there are people who will disagree with me. “Co-pays are a good thing.” they will say, “Deductibles are good, letting people die if they can’t afford medication is a good thing. Chasing people with collection agencies  and making them bankrupt if they can’t pay hospital bills is the mark of a superior society.  Freedom depends on throwing people out onto the street if their insurance runs out.” they will cry.  But I do not agree with them.  To me medical treatment is a right not a luxury.  If, to take an example, a child goes missing, the police will pull out all the stops in looking for her, no matter what the cost. No one presents the parents with a bill afterwards.  The services of the police and other agencies involved in finding the child are paid for by taxation.  If that same child needs medical treatment, all of a sudden it becomes a matter of money.  And the ridiculous thing is the number of people who have been brainwashed by the very powerful vested interests who profit (the applicable word) from the lack of a civilized system for dispensing healthcare, into believeing that somehow their personal freedom itself would be threatened by the availability of medical treatment as a right.

Eight things I want to do before I die    So many to choose from…

1 – Visit every country in the world.   As I type that I know it is impossible, but I’d like to go to as many as I can.  I have been to only twenty so far. That is just scratching the surface. 

2 – Publish more books.  I don’t want to specify a particular number, so I’ll stick with “several”.

3 – Re-learn how to play the clarinet.  I can remember how to hold it, which end to blow into, and which holes and keys to use to make the various notes; and I can still read music.  It’s a question of disciplined application, I guess.

4 – Become a Member of Parliament.   Since I don’t live in Britain right now, that doesn’t seem very likely. It has been an ambition of mine since I was at school, though, and it has been reinforced recently when I saw that two of my school contemporaries, including one with whom I had a brief punch up, have been making names for themselves in Parliament.

5 – Skydive, hang glide, bungee jump.  At the moment these are all forbidden to me by spousal decree!  But maybe one day she can be persuaded…

6 – Appear on stage.  Not impossible. I’m working on it.

7 – Have my own radio show.  See #4 in the list above and you’ll get the idea.

8 – Receive a knighthood. 

There are several more sections to this meme, but I’ll leave them for next week..

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Comments

[Smiler]

Nice to see you're not above the odd meme here and there. Admit it, they're quite fun once you get into the spirit of the thing aren't they? Interesting list by the way. I would definitely like to have seen every country before I go. It must be doable, but I think I need to specify that where possible I'd like to travel with comfort and amenities.

[amypalko]

OK, now I really want to know which MP you had a playground dust-up with! Very intriguing!! I am so glad I tagged you, Nicholas, and that you decided to give it a whirl. Your answers were all so well-considered and just fascinating. Oh, and I think a little controversy is no bad thing - especially when I agree with it all!

[Wylie Kinson]

Do you think #10 Downing has enough bookshelves for your vast collection?? ;)

I used to play clarinet (yet ANOTHER thing we have in common). In fact, I betcha I could still squeak out Variations on a Korean Folksong if pressed.

Yes to healthcare - your arguement is completely logical, btw - and to little/no prohibitions on (consenting) adults.

I'm on the fence on censorship, only because I'm a mother bear. If all parents did their jobs (like monitor television watching, as one example - but I could site many more), then I would completely agree, but there are some really stupid people in the world...

[PJ]

All hail The Right Dishonourable Sir Nicholas! I'd like to relearn the saxophone, and I agree with your argument about pot. I think a podcast is the next best thing to having a radio show...

[Melissa]

On re-learning the clarinet, the best advice I can give (since I re-learned the cello) is to just pick it up and start. It really comes back pretty fast if you let it. But you have to be relaxed about it.

Hope you had a fabulous Christmas!

[Ev Nucci]

This is brilliant...just brilliant Nicholas! Let's see...what are my favs? Knighthood, Parliament, books, radio show. With you on marahoochoochi, censorship, skydiving, bungi jumping, and London. I adore London...I absolutely love it. It's one of my favorite cities in the entire world. As much as I love New York...I love London.

Hubby will not allow skydiving either...I'm determined to parachute one day before I die. I have a mendacious list...the question is will hubby be able to stop me? So far he has!!!! LOL...

[EuroPosh]

universal healthcare? to me, that's the ultimate measure of how humane a state is: if you can translate the value of human life into the amount of copay, that's what I call 'reaching the bottom'... humanistically speaking. American healthcare system scares me.

my father came to visit me here from Europe, and before his trip he purchased a full medical insurence policy. he said he doesn't want to take any risks with the American system. sad, but true.

legalizing weed? ............ are you dreaming?

[Emily]

This sounds like fun... I might steal this later on this week. :)

[Matthew James Didier]

Re: #8

Hmmm... we apparently think alike.

Note #4 at...
http://doubledeckerbuses.org/blog/index.php/2007/07/19/thursday_thirteen_the_third_from_me_thir

...and scroll to the lower bit of...
http://doubledeckerbuses.org/blog/index.php/2006/12/31/

These pointed out, I'm sure I'll be left off the honours list AGAIN this year...

Heck, I haven't even gotten my notice for a lousy Order of Canada!!!

[marilyn]

I used to play the guitar... I should dig it out again.

I agree with you about healthcare, censorship, personal lives, books... I'm on the fence about pot because of some personal experiences I should probably blog about, but it has ruined fewer lives than booze. I like Jazz, but I know nothing about it... and I kinda like swing so I'm probably clueless.

I've never been out of the country, and hence never to London. I don't think I'd make a good member of parliment, congress, or the PTA.... hmmm I guess some of do like to talk about ourselves. ::grin::

I'm glad your wife won't let you kill yourself, and you could do the Blog Talk Radio thing. I'd listen.