ISSUE #25 This Here... “...just shite. No debate. Shite. Period.” (C Connor) yelling “get off my lawn” at anybody younger than 102 EGOTORIAL really does show that death, or gafia, shall not release you. It’s in us, it’s a part of us, and I’ll draw the footy comparison ALL RISE unashamedly, wherein your team is your team, for good or ill and you never lose that inherent loyalty. A lot of people might think that I write everything under the influence of either drink of various and increasing strengths Part of that little preach was inspired by Dave Cockfield (see or a fierce fuckin’ hangover. Actually they might be right. locs), blessim! As well as the lazy post on FBF I’d also here like to thank So we had the birthday party last night, decent turnout, them as expressed the usual amazement that I got around to cooked half the day and was a grumpy sod until people another birthday, and in two weeks’ time I’ll have exceeded started showing up bearing gifts of drink, oh how so well my father’s span by two years exactly. they know me. Jen indulges my love of Indian nosebag (which she does not partake of), so my carefully curated I well recall (no, really) being amazed when I made it to 30, menu (under the influence of and quite honestly that drink) was a biryani-ish amazement was shared by a vegetable rice thing with lot of people who knew me Madras paste, Goan in my 20s, some to their cost, vegetable Xacuti, chicken but perhaps more than that korma, peas paneer (with who’ve remained friends, if Mexican grilling cheese with a note of wariness, to substituting for the this very day. unobtainable paneer - pro It’s undoubtedly cynical to tip) and cucumber raita observe that, yeah, while which is still in the fridge you’ll lose friends over the because I forgot to take it course of time, others come out. The assembled locusts in to replace them, but with ate the fuckin’ lot, including that there internet machine it’s been, for me fershure, “boring steamed rice” and a spinach dip Jen made because reconnecting with a long list of those with whom I socialized not Indian, and bijou naan bread and pickles, and pakoras and and had varying levels of good to great time, and not only papads, the latter two brought by Kathy Lawson from the them, but getting found by my eldest son Sean (it’s a long reliable Rani foods. story) who is the spitting image, a fine man and provider of I’m knackered just writing that. And hungry. grandchildren. I deem it irrefutable proof that blood is thicker than water, given that I’ve been an absentee father to In other news, Brexit happened, allegedly, and little dipshit both my lads (due to circumstances, long story ect ect), and orange fingers over here was anointed emperor-for-life. yet, and yet we’re all well solid. Funny old world. I’m 62 and three days old you know. This Here... is 25... This community that we’re a part of, the ‘Faniverse’ as I like to call it allows for a fair bit of coming and going, and I’d It’s all good. suggest that the re-engagement of a bunch of ‘70s oldpharts Nic Farey, February 1, 2020 THIS HERE... 1 THIS HERE... #25 five each in 1999 (Vijay Bowen v Sarah Prince - “who can TAFFNESSABOUNDS (4) blame them?”, also the lowest ever voter total at 91) and 2002 (Tobes v Magician - koff, falls off chair). What was the point of all those numbers? Ultimately, not much at all, because the fund will survive if only through sheer bloody-mindedness, or at least until all the remaining potential candidates Lichtman approves of (not Lloyd Penney, and should “candidates” even be plural?) have had a turn. There were a few comments scattered around FBF, though not on the TAFF page), one rather wishing that a particular previous candidate had run again, another describing this race as “unusual”, and a third opining “Hardly a race really”. The commenters may well recognize themselves, I can quite see why the administrators released the initial I’m not identifying them because I’ve got no clue how result without mentioning vote totals for Ann Totusek or public or otherwise their comments may have been, but of Hold Over Funds. After all Mike, who I’ve always said is a course they’re free to fess up in a loc... worthy candidate, deserved a moment in the sun, there. What was a bit puzzling, and bad optics if you ask me, was to give Mike’s and the “No Preference” vote totals, when RADIO WINSTON surely it would have been simpler to just announce his clear IT’S DIFFERENT FOR GIRLS win on the first round of voting and leave the sordid stats “Radio Winston and your later comments suggest to me until a minute later? that you have poorly developed musical tastes - or perhaps I’m assuming that Ann voted for Mike (given her egregious it’s me.” platform), so five people either didn’t get the memo or (Leigh Edmonds) wickedly cast a protest vote (nevertheless, thank you five, It’s you. whoever you were, for supporting the fund), but she did I’m more than willing to engage in discussion, banter and cover the spread against ‘Hold Over Funds’, while such in any genre you got, but here, as in the RW group equalling the lowest vote total ever for any candidate (Bo itself (and with old scrote G Charnock up in there, we have Stenfors, 1966, a four-way race). It would be interesting to to police this a bit) it’s considered “not done” to put the hear from voters willing to reveal their choice and rationale boot in on someone else’s tastes, and I do not consider it at behind it. all paradoxical that I’m vociferously critical on certain We can conjecture whether the voter total (fourth lowest in topics up in here. So let’s engage on this one, Leigh. the fund’s history) was influenced by the two obvious As you’ll see I’ve said later on in loccol comment, the factors of (1) a non-competitive race and (2) the very “argument” that because you don’t get or understand healthy state of the fund. I’ll note that in the very lopsided someone else’s tastes in music (or sport, or whatever) 1996 race (Tudor v Simo) there were 149 voters, and Simo doesn’t give you license to trash them. To your immense got 9. credit, you do check out music that gets mentioned (eg I’m not surprised “Hold Over Funds” didn’t get a lot of Jackie Mittoo lastish), and from that point on you make traction, and although it’s never been a popular option the your own informed decision, which you properly describe, four of us who favored it this year have been outnumbered on whether or not it’s your cuppa. What you don’t get to do five times previously. Fifteen voters (of 169 total) in 1982 is piss on someone else’s tastes in ad hominem fashion, and I thought neither Kevin Smith nor Rog Peyton ought to get will grant you that, occasional remark like the above aside, the trip (14 of them from Europe! What did they know, and that is a sin you tend to avoid committing. when did they know it?). The second top score of 12 (of Circling back, we’re a well diverse lot in RW, and not 513!!) was in 1985 which was won by the Neilsen Haydens entirely averse to taking the piss on occasion, as in my own and complicated by Margaret Beck’s write-in campaign (an contrarian views on, oh, Dylan, the Moody Blues, Santana, option since outlawed, and in any case despite her North Bob Marley (the list goes on) which inevitably get mocked American majority of votes, she got fuck-all off Yoorp). Ten by other members. And that’s quite all right - I get to worthies in 1989 didn’t care for either the Mighty Robt equally eye-roll at Don Miller and his adoration of Yello, Lichtman or Luke McGuff (and it’s so tempting to say “who some of the dodgy garage band stuff Rich Coad can blame them?”, utterly unfair but ey, a cheap larf) and 2 THIS HERE... THIS HERE... #25 occasionally punts, and half the weird stuff put up there by The ‘Rule of LAWS’ may yet prevail in some category or the very scary Gary Mattingly. another (although there’s no logical reason why it should for Graham James credits me rather generously with some the year under consideration), but I still suggest that U4E expertise on old ska and reggae, and it’s probably the case (‘Ulrika for Everything’) has a ton more merit. Of course, that I’m at least as well-informed on those genres as you, given my abject result in advocating for ‘Hold Over Funds’ Leigh, might be on Chopin. And that’s all good! in the recent TAFF race... eh, well, maybe I got a better argument here? Following up from Jackie Mittoo, it’s worth a mention that there were definite “headline names” of the era, often Voters have four slots in each category, and every vote has credited as “with” mostly the Skatalites (Tommy McCook equal weight, so I’m just going to suggest one or two names and Don Drummond as prime examples) but also Vin and titles, and identify the U4E slate contenders, because I Gordon (with the Upsetters) and Val Bennett (usually want to be clear about them.