Things you don’t expect to see in Harlem

So I was wandering through Harlem (New York) when I saw this sign. I did a double take. Checked my surroundings. Re-checked. Yup, still in Harlem.

No – the letters on the sign haven’t been mischievously rearranged

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It’s all here – cheese, politics, a Gandhi joke and the best headline of all time

Thanks to Virus Comix for the cheese.

Politics time now.

This is not about rights and wrongs – but analysis of the raw data. In the US mid term elections, who swung the most from the Democrats to the Republicans? Kevin Drum at Mother Jones has this to say:

First things first: In 2006 Democrats won the popular vote for the House of Representatives by about 8 points. In 2010, Republicans won the popular vote by about 6 points. That’s a shift of 14 points. There are plenty of broad structural explanations for this—the economy, dislike of health care reform, whatever—but beyond that, we’d also like to know if there were any specific groups that helped power this Republican victory. Was it the youth vote? The evangelicals? What?

To find out, you have to look for groups that swung by substantially more or less than 14 points. So here they are. Based on a comparison of 2006 and 2010 exit polls, here are the demographic groups that showed the biggest swing into the Republican column this year:

• Nonvoters from 2008 (+56)

To see ourselves as others do…

You will join the Tea Party. Ah go on. Ah go on go on go on go on....

To see ourselves as others do is a concept that can be overrated. You’ll get nowhere if you’re constantly looking over your shoulder, worrying about what other people think. Why give head space to the knee jerk doubters who oppose anything new almost as a matter of principle. Or as the Irish saying goes – “F**k the begrudgers”. (It’s not one you find on decorative tea towels. Nor does it include the Fr Teddish “feck“. But I find it comes in handier more often than the road rising to meet you and being in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.)

Then again…

Seen from Europe the Tea Party phenomenon seems to be fizzing with crazies, bigots, racists, ex witches, anti masturbators, science deniers, the deluded and opportunists.  But

There are places my annoyances will never reach

When I compare me to the galaxy,

My troubled soul begins to see

I’m a grain of sand on the biggest beach

And there’s places my annoyances will never reach.  (Watercress – “Stars Shine On“)

OK everyone. So things did not go entirely to plan on Thursday. And by everyone I mean you, Cultural Snow. And by things I mean the UK general election. (And the BBC’s TV coverage too. And in that case for not entirely to plan read pointlessly expensive and confusing to the extent of undermining the case for the licence fee, and in the case of the online swing displays, simply wrong. If only Andrew Neil‘s boat, The Silver Sturgeon, had sprung a leak.) So calm down everyone. Including me.

And watch this…

When political advertising goes wrong…

Wait till you see the other one...

Just another election poster, you might think. But I think it’s hilarious. Hilariously cack-handed. And possibly illegal. But mainly funny. You really need to see it alongside the other one to get it…

A ridiculous party political broadcast

There is nothing in human affairs that is a true subject for ridicule. Beneath comedy lies the ferment of tragedy; the farcical is but a cloak for coming catastrophe. (from Clochemerle by Gabriel Chevallier)

But the risk, or even the prospect of catastrophe seldom stops us plunging headlong regardless into the abyss. Especially at general election time.

So here’s a party political video from the current UK general election that caught my eye. It’s short, sweet (well, there’s a baby involved), funny, simple and effective. And not stinting with the ridicule.

The biter bit (or when political interviews turn nasty)

Blues Brothers remake - in Jordan. As seen on the My Treasure blog at kinziblogs.wordpress.com (She writes about abuse, families and Jordanian life.) Or click on the pic for the original fail site

Politicians are in the firing line in the UK. The general election campaign is underway so some are just weeks away from being fired. (Except for those sneaky quitters who are retiring, thus denying us voters the chance of kicking them out. Drat them.)

Respect for politicians is so low that other disdained groups might think they’re in the clear. Not so.

Here’s a ferocious clip in which the biter gets bitten…

Election fever reaches boiling point

Vote early. Vote often. (Once per election naturally.) Vote for whoever you want… as long as it’s not the BNP.

This came from Mark McGregor guest posting on Anthony McIntyre’s The Pensive Quill. Good blog in Belfast. Worth regularly dropping in on it.

I may not really be this cynical or realistic. But it’s cold, damp, dark and dreary – with no imminent prospect of change.