Yesterday was Alternation again and despite the massive turnout last week; this week was a serious let down. At one point I looked out from the DJ box and there was no-one to be seen, that was down the few people making the effort to come out going out for a smoke, for some reason everyone goes out at the same time. Last week people were allowed out the fire exit to have a cigarette, but this week were told that they couldn’t, which hit bar takings and numbers. The smoking ban is enough of a deterrent to club/pub goers without making people go downstairs into the beer garden when they could just step outside onto the terrace; have a cigarette then come back in and buy another drink or dance. But the bottom line is that in the current climate of smokers being marginalised in a public environment starting a new club night is damn hard work, even the bigger more established clubs/nights have been hit hard. I went to JFK’s shortly after the smoking ban came in; and it looked dead compared to normal, went out to the back lane (which has been designated a smoking area) and found several hundred people. Nothing has been said officially about the survival prospects of the night, but I just have a feeling that the night could be coming to an end at the end of this month. Maybe the night could become a monthly event, on the first Wednesday of every month when everyone has just been paid. I don’t really want to continue DJ’ing if things continue as is; I don’t enjoy DJ’ing to next to no-one. Last night I was on my own as well as Steve was ill, which is fine; and the extra money came in handy. By the end of the night I gave up completely, cued up a few songs that I knew would get people dancing and walked away from the DJ box and talked to my friends Teri and Tommy.
England have finally beaten Sri Lanka in the subcontinent for the first time in 20 years to seal victory in the one day international series with a game to spare. England now have a unassailable 3 – 1 lead in the series with one match to play. It was another fine performance from the England bowlers to restrict Sri Lanka to 211 in their 50 overs. James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom took three wickets each, Stuart Broad took two and skipper Paul Collingwood took one wicket. The two players that I have been saying should be dropped for their non-performances in the previous three one day internationals built the foundations for England’s victory in the fourth one dayer. Alistair Cook knocked up 80 runs and Kevin Pietersen hit an unbeaten 63. It’s a shame that skipper Paul Collingwood couldn’t do anything with the bat being caught LBW for a golden duck by Dilhara Fernando; but that didn’t matter as England coasted past the finishing post with 19 deliveries to spare.
I have always advocated peoples right to free speech, being able to express your opinion is a fundamental right. Obviously there is a point where expressing an opinion becomes threatening and aggressive behaviour. Now I have just read this story and I find it rather disturbing, not that he has an opinion on the universities policy, although he does seem a troubled young man! But the fact that certain US educational establishments allow students to carry concealed weapons. What place does a gun or knife have in a school? You don’t carry a knife or gun unless you intend to use it! I am glad that I live in a gun free society, well maybe not exactly gun free, but it is illegal to have a firearm in your possession in public or your home. The only exception is if your firearm is stored away in a firearms club and isn’t allowed to be taken off the premises. In the US, it’s easy for anyone to buy a lethal firearm, just go into a gun shop; fill in some forms and after a ‘cooling off’ period, suddenly you are an owner of a firearm, and frankly that scares me; yet I still want to go to the US!