Nice Guns, Nice Blood

Even the Daily Mail can’t resist taking the piss out of SOFEX 2012, comparing the beards, dark glasses and oversized military peaks on prominent display to Sacha Baron Cohen’s Dictator film. I still feel let down though, as these guys just aren’t putting up enough bling. More gold braid and tinsel please gents, you look like de-feathered cockerels compared to the glorious Ruritanians of past ages.

And, as a nice counterpoint, Femail continues its breathless reportage on the spectacular air balloon rise of the Middleton family now that Sis is assimilated into The Firm. Let all that be some consolation even if, as a mere brood mare, Kate will forever have to face being relegated to an inferior position at events, behind the likes of Beatrice & Eugenie, who as ‘blood princesses’ - ie real princesses, not yer poncy middle class nouveaux - must, naturally, be shewn all reverence due to their royal blood as it trickles down from Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. Yes folks, this really does matter!

Graceful Illusion

A couple of very interesting reviews of Adam Curtis' latest offering, "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace", one on The Politics of Well-Being and another over at Media Ecologies.