Categories: uncategorized
Date: 16 May 2005 12:57:40
When I launched The Greasy Pole, I stated that the reason for doing this was that I didn't have a very interesting life. So I decided I'd comment on politics, in the run-up to the election.
Some things have changed since, and some haven't.
Not changed: I still don't have a very interesting life.
Changed: The election happened.
So not only is my life not interesting, but politics probably won't be gripping either for a little while. That means that my readership would be limited to people who do very strange searches on Google (‘Sophie Raworth greasy and naked?' - sorry, wrong site mate. You'll be after www.newsreadersinflagrante.com ).
So this blog is now What Gentlemen Don't Discuss, after the proverb that gentlemen don't discuss religion and politics. This rather sensible social convention came about because of the situation in 18th Century Britain. Imagine chatting to a chap new to the area, and religion or politics comes up. Chances were that if you found you were on different sides of the political and religious divide, your grandfather had disembowelled their grandfather in the Civil War. You would feel obliged to put down your single malts and arrange a rendezvous with pistols at dawn the next morning. This made it wise to avoid the subject altogether.
There are people I have discussed religion and politics with where it's been tempting to adopt the above approach, I must confess. (‘You support the Anti-Terror Laws? I demand the satisfaction!') But generally neither subject puts you in fear of your life these days, and they're quite interesting to talk about. And that's what I'll be doing in this blog. Hope you enjoy.
By the way, if you want to see any entries made in the name of 'The Greasy Pole', you should be able to see it by clicking on the archive tab, or whatever you call it.