Brexit voters are real…

Mike Grist Life, Politics Leave a Comment

In the last few days I’ve been having a few Brexit discussions on Facebook, after a childhood friend posted a pro-Brexit stance. I approached it in the softest, most respectful way I could, and got pretty respectful responses back. It’s made me think. Not to change my Remain position, but to actually respect the pro-Brexiters. 2 and a half years ago, the Leave vote came as a shock. I, amongst many, couldn’t believe it. ‘You want to do what to us? But why?’ WHY? No good answers ever came, as far as I could see. Why do this? I don’t …

Boris Johnson sighting!

Mike Grist Life, Politics Leave a Comment

This morning coming in to work I saw Boris Johnson at Euston Square station! That wild yellow hair is so distinctive. My first instinct was to cat-call him somehow, but I restrained it, which I’m glad of. He looked so vulnerable there – surrounded by largely-liberal Londoners, a few of whom were goggling and wondering if it was him. Maybe if I’d thought more, I would have asked for a selfie! But if had cat-called him, what would I say? Probably something about whether his fantasy dream of Brexit is coming true. Close your eyes and wish upon a star, …

Boycott the clickbait Trump news

Mike Grist Life, Politics Leave a Comment

I had the hope that US media would start reporting Trump’s ridiculous nonsense differently after the mid-terms, but it’s pretty clear they still can’t resist. No doubt, the more outrageous things he says, the more people click it. Yes, so that is our fault – the readers who fuel their advertising budget. We are amplifying his message with our insatiable curiosity. He knows this. He’s playing the Twitter outrage game with the media, and we are all playing along. So we have to stop. We are his megaphone. We must stop clicking on clickbait BS articles and take the temperature …

Praise be reality!

Mike Grist Life, Politics Leave a Comment

Thank reality, the fever in America last night showed signs of breaking. The Democrats won the House, and while the Republicans strengthening their hold on the Senate will present plenty of problems, this feels like a massive step forward, and a huge relief. I am extremely hopeful the rhetoric is going to get turned way down now, or be far more ignored, or both. I, like many others I’m sure, have become sick of hanging on every word Trump says. The man is an idiot. He won an election by the skin of his teeth, which he didn’t even want …

Re-evaluating Peep Show – is it misogynistic?

Mike Grist Life, Politics, Reviews, TV 3 Comments

I have always loved Peep Show – the story of two lovable uber-losers Mark and Jeremy (Jezz) living in a flatshare in Croydon, struggling to make their way in the world today. The humor is almost entirely built on their pathetic, small-minded pettiness, often combined with their very English sense of embarrassment. It’s done knowingly, of course. I always wanted to cheer these affable sadsacks, even as you wince along with them. For example, Mark accidentally kills a person’s dog – but can’t ppossibly admit to that. He tries to dispose of the body by burning it, but fails. He …

London march for a People’s Vote on Brexit!

Mike Grist Life, Politics Leave a Comment

Su and I attended the People’s Vote March in London today – it is my first real bit of activism. Actually I went to the trump protest march a while back, when they flew the Trump blimp, but I could stop by as I was on a lunch break at work. 700,000 people went today, apparently. We felt it as soon as we exited Marble Arch station around 1pm, an hour after the march was supposed to have set off for Westminster. It was totally backed up, no movement at all, and people were spreading off the street and onto …