I’m NOT even joking.

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Original Pinter Posse

Meeting Two

Pinter and Chips

A vanishing point beyond the conventional horizon of poetry

Or, as I can understand it, a segregation of narrative meaning from the poetic line.

This makes Fragmentary poetry – or New Modernist poetry – something of a more readerly poetry.

Every word or phrase or line or sentence must be understood to the best of the reader’s ability before he can move on.

As a result, the poetic line only has meaning in itself.

Which creates a chaotic poetry that is obsessed with obtaining meaning irrationally. 

How does a dictator fall? There is an old saw which states, with absurd optimism, that it is in the nature of tyrannies to end. One might as well say that it is also in their nature to begin, to continue, to dig themselves in, and, often, to be preserved by greater powers than their own.

Well, well, I mustn’t forget I’m only telling a fairy-story. My dictator will be toppled by goblinish, faery means. ‘Makes it pretty easy for you,’ is the obvious criticism; and I agree, I agree. But add, even if it does sound a little peevish: ‘ You try and get rid of a dictator sometime.’

A fairy story? Seems to hit the right note when you consider that even with an organised Rebel uprising and NATO air support it took months to oust Colonel Gaddafi.

And Syria? Consider Rushdie’s words: ‘to be preserved by greater powers than their own.’ Makes you wonder if Syrians would be looking at a very different future right now if  the UN or NATO or America or Europe or Russia or Israel had chosen to step in as some did in Libya.

Meanwhile, the Saudi regime finds it easier to head off unrest by announcing social and economic reforms totalling $100 bn. Indeed, this might sound a little peevish too, but, I guess, it’s easy if you have the money

Here’s this weeks Closeup.

The photographs capture more than a newsreel. There isn’t such a distance creating by the lens. What I mean is, a still photograph has a much stronger and personal effect.

When you see the fear in the face of the Rebel Fighter in Libya or the serenity and jaded beauty of the memorial in Norway or the serious face of the murder suspect standing a foot away from the police officer you can’t help but feel that these are real lives being affected by real situations.

I can believe this especially if my weekly bill of macaroni and cheese is anything to go by.

If you have a spare $370,000 knocking around for a new car, but don’t want to compromise on practicability then maybe this is for you. On the other hand I haven’t heard anything about it being released in the UK; sounds like something just for the Yanks.

Still, it could be worse. You could be Swiss.

UBS and Credit Suisse last week said that second-quarter earnings dropped 71%. And today their stocks dropped for the seventh consecutive day. It seems to be a consequence of the fragility of the Spainish, Greek and Italian economies and the debt limit lift over the Atlantic.  This could have an effect on other European banks that are expected to follow the trend.

I bet she’s a good mother, politics aside. But I can’t help wondering: What does Michele Bachmann teach all those kids about the importance of living up to your obligations?

Say, for example, that one of them owed some people, oh, about $14.3 trillion. Would Bachmann tell her children that a debt is a moral obligation that an honourable person will go to great lengths to pay if at all possible? Or would she tell them, Well, it all depends. Whether you pay back money that’s been loaned to you is a practical question. And if you calculate that you’d be better off reneging, then by all means do so. It’s perfectly O.K.

COMMITTEE MEMBER: Can you tell the committee why you resigned? Bare in mind we have read your report and you say there is no impropriety as to what has happened – that you feel you did absolutely nothing wrong.

POLICE COMMISSIONER: Precisely. I wanted to quit while I was ahead.

CM: You couldn’t possibly do your job if you didn’t know what was happening in the MET.

PC: Yes. You’re right.

CM: So you did know about the phone hacking inquiry.

PC: That’s not what I said.

CM: Was there not a situation that was inappropriate for any Police Officer to receive such substantial hospitality [from the Murdoch's]?

PC: Would you have turned it down?

CM: You had seventeen dinners with them.

PC: What can I say? I was hungry and they can get me into Heston Blumenthal’s new restaurant for free.

CM: Do you have any other information?

PC: If you asking me to hook you up with them, I’m sure I can try and make something work.

Just a mere increase of £3,200. That’s a snip!

Will the majority of Universities really charge £9,000? I mean, really? Tough cheese the regulator won’t let that happen. Sensationalising again?

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