I am slowly catching up after four weeks absence. The post wasn’t piled up behind the door because a helpful neighbour came in every day and kindly stacked it in a cupboard – it looks slightly less intimidating when ‘filed’ neatly. Amongst the many different sized, different shaped, multi-coloured envelopes, all designed to catch my attention and failing, there were four back copies of The Week; having previously admitted that I read these from cover to cover I am now assiduously working my way through the backlog.
I have lived these last few weeks in the world according to Sky News, the range of channels available at sea being very restricted. It is an odd view of events; ‘expert’ opinion, supposition and speculation is endlessly regurgitated and dressed up as ‘news’. How often do these ‘experts’ have their track record examined; and while we are on the subject, when Sky (and I am sure others) next devote so much air time to IMF growth forecasts perhaps they could display an accuracy graphic for the preceding 12 quarters. “In-depth reporting” is limited to intrusive hounding of individuals haplessly caught up in the latest ‘major’ news item.
Bearing in mind that everything I am reading at the moment is 2-3 weeks out of kilter, I was prompted to write this after enjoying James Corrigan’s assessment of Europe’s chances of retaining the Ryder Cup This is an extract from The Week’s synopsis of his Daily Telegraph article written before the event:
Europe hold another advantage. Ever since he was appointed US captain Davis Love III has been “feted like the Queen of Sheba”, and the tournament built up as “some sort of homage to the great man”. The last time that happened was in 2008, when Nick Faldo turned the occasion into an “overdue memorial to his golfing brilliance”, taking just one assistant (most have three), and filling the tea-room with pictures of himself. It didn’t end well; that was the only Ryder Cup the US have won this century. If Love follows Faldo’s lead expect him to be “announcing how proud he is of his losing team” on Sunday.
As speculation goes, that’s probably as good as it gets. There must be vacancies at Sky News for such a talent.
In the company of the good Sir Colin, today was my first round in over four weeks at my home club, Allendale. It was good to be back home.
northumbrian : light 
Welcome home! Interesting and well written article 🙂
best regards, Tj
Thanks Tj it is always good to be back even after such a long and lazy trip. New York, New England and Canada in the Fall were spectacular. Apologies for the xenophobic references in the post – it only ever applies to golf e.g. one of my greatest heroes is Dan Gurney – this in Wiki – Gurney’s popularity caused Car and Driver magazine to promote the idea of him running for president of the United States in 1964. This effort was abandoned only when it was “discovered” that Gurney was too young to qualify as a candidate for President. The campaign is periodically resurrected (usually every four years) by his friends and fans.
Now it is catch up time, a long slow process.
Ah – as seen on http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickdown/203192072/in/set-72157594311280250 (the snide reference underneath relates to the previous incumbent…)