My 2011

After the Christmas hiatus - I've actually been in work over the holiday with very little to do and apparently nothing much to say here either - it's time to think about the coming year. 

To coin a cliche -  I expect the best of times and the worst of times:

Politically Cameron has already told us to expect the worst and grit our teeth  in his sanctimonious  state of   the nation podcast. But for those of us who had to endure Blairism and  the market-triumphalism of the 90's and 00's, we are seeing the best of times in the renaissance of activism. Although as one of those who reluctantly has to accept he is now part of the 'old Left', I have to temper my enthusiasm with a wariness that we are up to the task. At the moment Lefty-land is still  full of the usual internecine controversies - most topically the vying of three organisations to be the legitimate voice of the anti-cuts movement - and there is a danger that we will simply be by-passed by the Facebook New Left.

Personally - having AGAIN been fucked over by a big business client at work -  I am tasked in January with sorting out the consequences of redundancies and paring down. I'm not after sympathy here, I'm managing it not suffering it and I won't permit myself the hypocrisy of 'this will hurt me more than them' - but it is unquestionably the worst of times. The best of times is watching my kids coming of age - in every respect - but most of all in questioning and challenging the world into which they are now taking their place.

Watch this space...