Sunday January 27 - February 03, 2008 The
Observer
A good week for
...
Prince Philip Our favourite consort was on
splendid form. When Cate Blanchett told him at a function that she worked
in films, the brilliant self-parodist asked whether she could nip
round and mend
his DVD player and play with the leads
while she was there. Sir, we salute you.
Jérôme
Kerviel The very much ex-banker with plenty of
explaining to do after the Société Général affair is now a hero of the
French left and something of a style icon. T-shirts bearing the
legend 'Jérôme Kerviel's girlfriend' are already on
sale.
Greg Mulholland Just when we were starting to
doubt whether any MPs were trustworthy, the Lib Dem MP was heard to
describe Health Minister Ivan Lewis as an 'arsehole' when the
minister refused to give way to
Mulholland during a Commons debate. We deplore the course
language, of course, but it's good to have a touch of plain
speaking. And some feeling.
Daleks Footage of a Dalek making a
joke - we're not quite sure whether it involved Germans or mother-in-laws
- has had to be dropped from a DVD because rights are owned by the estate
of their creator Terry Nation, which insists with force: 'They don't
do comedy.' Just funny walks, and glorious high tragedy,
obviously.
Scouts The association has been
referred
to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for requiring members to
swear to love God. The complaint came from those terrribly watchful folk
at the British Humanist Association since some people - especially those
of a Nietzschean bent
- say He's dead. Dib dib, dob
dob.
Punk Loyd Grossman is back. Clearly craving a break from
manufacturing small glass jars of pasta sauces, the TV chef with a funny
drawl is reviving his 1970s
punk band Jet Bronx and the Forbidden, at the Blackpool Rebellion festival
this summer. Anarchy!