Sunday

I had to meet a client yesterday so we arranged to catch up at the restaurant at the De La Warr pavilion so that I could see the Brigid Riley exhibition. It was a nice day, cold wind off the sea and occasional boiling sun - but the exhibition itself was actually a bit dull. There were really only 2 paintings with multiple versions of each - and it all got very repetitive - there was nothing to break it all up. Even a single coloured wall somewhere woul have helped. I'd been looking forward to it - but was a little underwhelmed. Don't let that put anyone off.

On the way there I attempted to buy a new annual travel card so that I can get discounts, there was a large queue behind me (including a group of about 10 men on their way to a stag party in Brighton dressed as great White Hunters and one man - presumably the groom - dressed as a lion) - when I got to the window - I asked to buy a ticket to Bexhill and if I could renew my travel card, the man behind the counter refused, gave me a form to fill in, and made me stand aside  - I didn't have time to join the back of the queue and the long queue at the machine meant I nearly missed my train. I managed to calm down eventually.

On the train, a couple got on at St Leonards. She looked about 45 - but could have been much younger. It was about 10am but she was already clearly very drunk, totally wasted and looked as if she had spent the last 20 years ravaged by life and alcohol. He was about 30, well built and good looking - but clearly just as wasted. They were obviously a couple and despite the fact that they were totally fucked and barely coherent - there was a lot of tenderness between them. It was pathetic and heartbreaking at the same time.

I need to clean the house today. I've just read the papers (so you don't to have to - I'd give them a miss if I were you). There are a lot of pointless and silly articles about the return of David Miliband. His churlish petulance over the last few years has convinced me that he is absolutely the last person to lead labour. Wanting to run the country out of spite is hardly the motivation we need. He's the past and should stay there - he wouldn't have won anyway. It's just early silly-season.

I'm fascinated by the story of Rachel Dolezi. The young woman who has become a civil rights activist by apparently presenting herself as black, rather than white - which she has revealed to be. I've always been fascinated by people like this. The woman who became a very well know public figure after 9/11 who pretended to escape from the Twin Towers (she was nowhere near) and the numerous fantasists who have presented themselves as Holocaust survivors. Even on a more domestic scale - the old men revealed to have bought their war medals on Ebay and boasts in the pub covering up for undistinguished, or quite simply non existent military careers. None of the news reports have mentioned this directly - but she does appear to have been very good at her job. The thing is, she could have been anyway - the fascination is why and how she pretended. A lot of the commentary has been bollocks - no, she's not the same as a transsexual, that's ignorant and crass. She clearly chose to adopt a new persona and built a new reality of who she wanted to be. Most of us spend their lives pretending to be something we are not - that's human nature and just the way society works. If you ask anyone to describe us as they actually see us - we may be surprised and probably disappointed at what they say. People adopt and adapt themselves to suit their surroundings and who they want to be, it's just what we do. There is a crime here - of sorts, whiles she is willingly and gleefully able to consciously and with some skill and effort change her history and physical presentation to segue from black to white and hide her heritage to 'pass' - it ignores the suffering and frustration of the many, many innocents who have been reluctantly forced to attempt to pass as white rather than black to simply have a better chance at life. That's the real crime.

Talking crimes, Tim Hunt - the rather bumbling and elderly septuagenarian academic who made a bad joke has been torn to pieces by the internet 'community' and apparently had his life and career ruined, mostly by people who have achieved absolutely nothing in their lives - and have failed to actually address or scrutinise what he said. Every office I have ever worked in - people get into relationships and it causes problems. Generally - men get frustrated and angry, women get frustrated and emotional. I say generally - I've also seen men cry and some very, very aggressive women.

I read today that the fashion chain 'New Look' are planning on separate store entrances in their larger properties - one to be geared towards menswear - this has caused yet another storm of protest on the internet - and that babbling fool Mary Portas - who is NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AT HER JOB AS SHE TELLS YOU - is indignant - saying that couples will have to split up to go shopping. What's wrong with people??? New Look has a very small menswear offer - only about 2%, so even a tiny increase will be classed as significant and could make the difference in them retaining the offer. More men shop alone than ever before - and I can tell you, walking into a department store and having to fight through a maze of dresses, bras knickers and bikini's to find a pair of socks really puts you off. It's not segregation, it's simple sensible retail strategy. Focus your menswear offer around one door and you will increase sale, men will be able to find what they need faster and be far more likely to spend more - couples shopping will just continue exactly the way they already were.

I watched a documentary last night about the case of a strange, working class family from the north of England who manufactured fake art and antiquities in their garden shed. It was fascinating - can't wait for someone to make a film out of it.

I didn't win the £92,000,000 Euro millions. Just so you know.

All the vegetables I bought at the supermarket on Friday had gone off by Saturday.

Ebay is full of time wasters. I already knew that - but it's getting worse. I have one bloke constantly emailing trying to 'do a deal' on something. Someone else wants me to deliver something to SW2 that is clearly marked as 'collection only' . Strangely - despite the numerous excellent items I have offered at knock down prices - there is a bidding war over an old door handle.