On yer bike, Samir

The headline was in quotes…

…and the online version of the paper didn’t reveal who said it:

“Mick [Philpot] was a good father.”

Obviously, being a good Dad no longer rules out dousing the house your kids are sleeping in with petrol, lighting it, and causing them to asphyxiate in their beds.

The essential tragedy is being marginalised because all the reporting seems to have some sort of bias: ‘see what happens when they go on the telly’; ‘see, we told you we had to do something about the benefits system’. The fire brigade pulled out five dead kids and the sixth died in hospital a short while later. Finding an angle to attack a story like this isn’t necessary. The story stands up for itself, just tell it.

Two boys two bans

“Ay. Gringo. I need a lift to community service later.”

“Not this Gringo, Carlos. The speed-trap detection on those sat-navs Kolo and Yaya’re selling don’t work so good.”

“Can I borrow your bike?”

Not sure what community service Tevez can do? Is there a frightening small children branch alongside the litter collection and railing painting details?

Thimar

An unusual, mellow, sparse, beautiful jazz album. Today’s listening. Anouar Brahem, John Surman, and Dave Holland. Oud (similar to a lute), soprano sax and bass clarinet, and double bass. On the tin, it says a fusion of jazz and classical Arabian music. On the headphones there’s much more to it than that. The trio’s instruments are clearly and distinctly mixed, the compositions melodic and strong, evocative, painting pictures without ever becoming corny or resorting to cliché.

Dave Holland seems to be one of those lucky guys who never gets associated with a duff project.