Miss Kolka

I will admit its a bit late to be wondering what happened to Britain's once omnipresent Prime Minister. Still its always interesting to learn something new. And clearly I didnt know much about his early and unplanned retirement. Paul Mitchell´s "The Blair Decade" opened my eyes to the cowardly and sleezy way his own finance minister and number two forced Tony Blair to give up the top seat. There can be said alot about Blair and his way of ruling Britain, and the world but its wasn't really his involvement in the Iraq war, his close relationship with W Bush, his unpopular Universities reform or a loss in national elections that pushed him out. The fall was maneuvered by his own party and his closest collaborators. Brown was so eager to take his place that he got his own supporters to sign a letter informing Blair that they wanted him out, sooner than later. And at the labour convention a few weeks later he announced he was stepping down. And the gloating of Gordon Brown that same day was sickening: The Chancellor praised Mr Blair's achievements as "unique, unprecedented and enduring", not being able to wipe the smile of his face, so eager to take over. Was Blair really ready to leave downing street in 2007? In retrospect, was it the right choice?

I remember being at work that day - we knew he was stepping down, the date had been announced in advance - but boy what did we know really? Not half of the story and how he was betrayed by Brown and company. Alot can be said about Blair´s skills with PR and Spin (which seems to have become a necessary tool in today´s politics) , but Mr. Brown.. maybe you should have paid a little more attention? Or you wouldn´t be in the mess you are today

"Barely one voter in seven now believes [Brown] is fit for the job of prime minister...
However none of his likely replacements - including David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary - would save the party from an election humiliation at the hands of the Conservatives, the poll finds.
The poll's findings throw into sharp relief the dilemma facing the Labour Party as they consider whether to force Mr Brown to stand down. It shows that none of the Cabinet ministers who might seriously challenge him would improve Labour's standing with the electorate."

And Tony has only been gone for less than a year. Maybe Labour should have thought it through a little bit before launching the attack...

so along with a big belly, an uncontrollable appetite and kicks coming out of me at any hour of the day, now I also have extremely vivid dreams. About what.. well about alot of things, yesterday it was about Iraq. Not your typical pregnancy dream I guess but I am pretty sure it was triggered by a video sent to me by a friend on Facebook (Oh yes I finally gave in, considering I have the best excuse in the world to join the webcommunity.. staying at home all day and allowed 20 minutes walking max - what else can I do??) So what do you do with FB? Not much really, finding old aquintances, keeping in touch with work collegues (without talking about work, its quite smart) and looking up pictures of the beautiful Kolka cousins with their offsprings. Its entertaining...for 15 minutes... then ideally I would take up where I left in my interesting book of the moment. Unfortunately, these have been conspiracy theories, thoughts on propaganga, how the media does not do its job properly and assholes in the workplace. Not very positive all that.. no wonder I dream about war. I almost felt guilty when I thought about all these people who live about their daily lives, not knowing if their spouses or children will be back in the evening and how it must be terrible to be so close to violence every day.  All this brought on by our governments, well at least not stopped by those who can. Do people care anymore? They get angry when soldiers die at war - a war that we have triggered ourselves. Civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq die everyday and they didnt even enlist in the army. Isn´t that unfair? 

I think its pretty clear ... I need to lighten up before this baby comes! Do some broderie and look up more muffins recipies..or its doomed to look worried all the time, like its mom did when she was 2.

More on this election because its all I hear about at the moment, and perhaps because Mr. Sarkozy hasn't done anything too scandalous recently (What's going on?) although that might change at any time. I have the feeling I will get some bad news, the French government adding new taxes here and there but mainly here and with my luck, Im sure its going to fall on my back. Perhaps a tax for people having a good salary, but on sick leave, that don't own anything and owe alot in student loans abroad and that will have a child in 2009. why not call it the "lets-ripoff-kolka -law" - that would be easier. 

Back to business, The republican convention's over.. it got alot of attention but I dont know whether its good or bad press. Listening to the "Maverick's" speech you can seriously question his crowd that shouted "USA, USA" again and again.. whatever he was saying, whether he was talking about his VP , his experience as a  prisoner of war (that he milked for at least 20 minutes) or that he was the change Washington needed. So now McCain that has been a senator for over 20 years represents change? I also found the buttons curious that were waved all over during Sarah Palin's speech saying "the hottest VP in America from the coolest state". Typical that people make a statement about her looks.. and they say its the press that is sexist! (questioning her qualifications and dubious use of power in Alaska). Palin compared herself to a pitbull with lipstick.. ok...  She also thinks the war in Iraq has been commanded by god.

I dont think there is any doubt what party I would vote for if I was American. Lets hope for the rest of the world that they can make the right choice.

OUff.. Im glad my pregnancy is not making the headlines all over the country. That I am reckless and "god-help-us" not married to Pan, the father of my baby. But then again My mother is not running for the vice presidency of the United states and I don't think she intends to, but I could be wrong.

I really don't know what to think about the media circus surrounding Sarah Palin and her family, actually Im not sure what my view on teen pregnancy is in general. But I think that this poor girl did not have a choice. She had to keep the baby and now she HAS to marry the father. There is no way that if she would have wanted to have an abortion that her Pro-life mother would have supported it and I can just imagine the pressure from the image consultans of the Republican party for conventional values to be upheld. Its easy for pundits and radio host to sit there and criticize and be scandalized over some poor girl who like so many others was probably not careful enough and now has to marry the father of her baby and "do the right thing". What were her parents thinking?" might be heard or "Did they not teach them anything about contraception?"

But I am not sure that much of the discussion is being tackled from the right angle. Of course this is a personal matter - And as Republicans are eager to repeat, it does not belong in the political debate. (How hypocritical that this comes from those who so viscously attacked President Clinton in his time or were grining when Edward's affair was revealed - the tides changes quickly). The fact that Palin has a pregnant teenage daughter makes her not more or less of a politician. What should be discussed here is
1. the fact that Republicans have been lecturing Americans on family values and how the American family "is supposed to be and bladibla" and many hard-core right wing politicians believe that abstinance is the way to go and that teenagers should not receive ANY sex education! So that's a great example... and also

2. Palin has worrying views on abortion, stem cell research, climate change, health care, evolution and gun-laws and she is in no way representing family values or values that seem to be, according to polls, close to women's hearts. The belief that she will get many of the Hillary Clinton supporters to back the Republican party is very optimistic at best. They are not so stupid to vote for a woman just because she is a woman. Let's believe it is still about the issues.

Another thing.. remind me how old McCain is again? What are the odds that Palin, mother of five, amongst which are a young baby with a down syndrome which needs alot of care and a very young mother, will have to assume the role of being the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES sometime in the 4 years to come? Ultimately it was her choice to accept the ticket of course.. but what does that tell you about HER family values and priorites?

I find it worrying. And I would like to point out that I also would if she was a man and father of five.
The republicans have to stop lecturing people about what they do in their home or with their life.. and then maybe,maybe what their politicians decide for themselves personally and their families would not be dominating the political debate.

See more on the Huffington Post

So yes - Hard to blog and try to keep a big secret. I have managed to stay off the personal zone for 5 months and now I think its time - since I will not be able to blog about the workplace for a little while, I need new inspiration. And there are some funny and less funny things that happen around me that I dont mind sharing.

So over 5 months pregnant - If all goes according to plan we (the boy that wouldn't grow up, let me call him Pan, and I) are having a boy or a girl in january- its a surprise actually (people tend to forget that some people do not want to know the sex) So dad still has his role to play in the announcement. I got, and still get all the attention with the pregnancy so its only fair that he gets his fair share. He could always say: "Its a baby" , that's a safe bet.

I have to say that I was contemplating just taking a good 9 months break from the blog  - And who knows.. If I have no sense of self-censorship it might well come to that. If all that baby-talk makes me (and you) sick there will also be plenty of interesting non-baby related events in the near future I can comment on  - My body may be in overtime but my brain is still working! Although I heard somewhere that future mothers were 50% less reliable during their pregnancy. I keep hearing so many nonsense things about pregnant women though. For example:

If you like salty food, its going to be a boy

If you like sugar, its going to be a girl.  

And if you like both and you eat all the time? Well, there is no mystery.. you look like the picture above.

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