Come to the circus; fun for all the family

[azekeil]

Argh. I've just come back from going to see the circus in Cheltenham with kissycat1000, ev1ldonut and Tianna. Next time I will choose not to go to that sort of circus. Not because I didn't have a good time, which I did, but because I don't want to support acts that I feel are unnecessarily dangerous. I'm talking about the high-wire act the circus had, which the three performers did without any wires or safety nets. About 5 seconds before they went on the wire for what turned out to be their finale, I had a sudden specific feeling that something bad was going to happen. The finale involved one performer jumping over another who was holding a balancing pole, 40 feet or so in the air. He missed and saved himself by grabbing the wire with his hands. The music went dead and after regaining his breath, he traversed back to the platform and lay there recovering on his back, breathing heavily.

Circuses differ from films in that films are pre-determined (except for a funny few which play one of a set number of endings). This is all well and good but I don't personally feel my enjoyment of the act would have been dampened at all by their using some sort of safety device during the act. In fact, I think I would have been able to relax more and therefore enjoy it more. I get that the performers might get a thrill out of choosing not to use a safety-device. But it is also my choice not to support their act by not paying and not going to see it. Call me a fuddy-duddy, but there you are. If my position makes me one, then I gladly accept that. Hypocrite I will not accept. My choosing to ride a motorbike was a very carefully made decision, judged on personal experience and measured risk. I don't, for example, ride without a helmet, even when I could get away with it.

Anyway, the precognition of the event was scarey enough. That's why I'm sat here typing this entry to get it out of my system before I try to get some sleep to make up for my last two nights' broken sleep.

As a footnote, choosing to not go to those sorts of circuses in future is rather like choosing to vote, or who to vote for. I have never voted in an election because I have not felt I had enough knowledge or preference to choose any party. This time however, Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrat party, has seen fit to represent the Lib Dems as against the war in Iraq. I have always been against the war and now I will get a chance to show my disapproval. They are also pro-Europe, which I feel after the initial prejudice is probably going to be a good thing on balance.

Now I must go and have a shower and try to get some sleep.

Comments

Interesting

[lazrus-armagedn.livejournal.com]

Food for thought concerning personal responsibility with regard to the World at large

*dons paid-up Lib Dem membership hat*

[diffrentcolours]

If you want to keep an eye on what the Lib Dems are up to, it's worth subscribing to libdems_news for statements and speeches. For general policy documents, the Policy Briefings section of our website is good, as are the Manifestos.

I think you'll like Charles Kennedy's speech on Tough Liberalism - it seems to go down well with security-conscious geeks.

[gerald_duck]

Are you sure the guy didn't fake the fall? It's common practice to include feints in such acts, to try and heighten the perception that it's dangerous. Being an incurable cynic, I reckon the music having stopped tends to confirm my suspicion — why would it have stopped if they hadn't known it was going to happen?

Then again, I'm also cynical enough that I care not a jot for the well-being of a complete stranger who's made an informed decision to risk their life in some particularly stupid way. I'm even pretty dispassionate if it was an ill-informed decision — I love the Darwin Awards, for example. (-8


The LibDems. Yeah, I may have to vote for them, too. I think my opposition to the war in Iraq possibly eclipses all other current political issues combined, and then there are identity cards, attempts to abolish trial by jury, indefinite detention without trial, RIP, and so on.

However, it worries me that, although those issues are important to me, they may not be important to the LibDems. I'm not in favour of any level of integration with Europe greater than is needed for free trade — just some competition laws, a shared set of technical standards and a lack of import and export duties would do the trick. Maybe locking exchange rates is also a good idea, but I see no need to make the step from that to a common currency — it destroys hundreds of years of heritage, for the sake of an issue that will be largely irrelevant in a decade's time anyway, once any cash desk this side of Ouagadougou can ring up the price in whatever currency you like.

I'm also opposed to Proportional Representation, as I feel disproportionate representation favours governments that are able to get things done. It also raises the hurdle for extremist parties.

Right this very moment, with Blair destroying long-standing constitutional safeguards left, right and centre, treating the entire nation as his personal plaything and being accountable to nobody, I'm very tempted to say fuck it, and sign over control of the country to Europe. However, I fear that Blair may be a mistake we regret for a decade, where Europe could be a mistake we'd regret forever.

Nonetheless, at this time, in these circumstances, voting LibDem makes a lot of sense. Let's do it!

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the fake fall. As to the LibDem argument I'll do whatever I can to get Blair out of office, even if that means risking an inexperienced LibDem government. Change is not always bad etc...

[flannelcat.livejournal.com]

As to the LibDem argument I'll do whatever I can to get Blair out of office, even if that means risking an inexperienced LibDem government.

A fake fall? *Wry*