The Boy and The Coconut Tree

According to our chancellor, the British and our politicians will have some soul searching to do following the government's defeat in  parliament last night. Soul searching to do? The British people have a soul and they expressed it yesterday via their parliamentary democracy. We are not cowards, we are not racists, we are not helping the enemy but we are tired of imperialism masked as intervention, of regime change masked as "emergencies" and we are tired of helping out the USA, being the fig leaf to its naked militarism of recent times. The soul of the UK remembers that we helped create the international laws and conventions that we were about to break. We want international interventions to be backed by the international community, most of it not some of it and we want to do the right thing for the people here and in the world's worst places and our politicians cannot accuse us of being cowards or traitors for not wanting to attack Syria. And since the...

As the end of October approaches and the stores already have their Christmas displays up, my mind has turned to Christmas and Christmas gifts. When I was a kid, and relied on my pocket money, it was easier to buy gifts for my parents, sisters and grandparents, now that I have a bigger budget and access to bigger and better stores (online and high-street), I am stumped .  Feeling festive yet?  As an uncle to 2 nieces and 2 nephews I always want to be the cool uncle, buying good gifts but not being too lavish as not to spoil them or push noses out of joint. It is bloody hard!  This year I am going to Paris for a Christmas shopping trip in the hope that French style, French prices and the rudeness of French shop assistants will inspire me?  If anyone has a good idea what to buy for a Dad then please comment. He is the hardest individual to buy for, especially as he doesn't drink or smoke.