Democracy. According to the people who make the rules.

I'm sure I'm far from being the only person in this situation, but I've recently had an internet forum post rejected by the site host. Ooh gah, I hear you cry; how unusual. Call out the National Guard. OK, fine, but there is this: Since then, every comment I've tried to leave, however innocuous, has just magically disappeared into the ether. I've burned my boats, it appears. At least with this particular website. Why?

I responded to an announcement that a certain conductor had been appointed to the post of Music Director of a certain swanky orchestra. I've worked with this bloke before and find him a fraud. I'm not alone, far from it. I implied in my post - not terribly discretely I must admit - that orchestra managers should maybe, just for once, look beyond the usual collection of talentless left-leggers. My submission was never posted and everything I've written since has just disappeared into thin air, despite my having a solid history of contributing to the site. I wrote to the site host personally, asking for his view on this; we'll see if I get a reply.

I appreciate that the host doesn't want any lawsuits provoked by his readership, but why flush everything else I contribute down the loo? Democracy and free speech are all very well as long as you don't say anything stronger than Macdonalds' mustard, it seems i.e. that you effectively say nothing at all. Keep your trap shut and you will have a sparkling future. We know all this, but it's dreadful all the same. As Churchill said: Democracy is all very well as long as you don't give it to the people. Well there you go, Winnny; your wish has come true, not that that's any surprise to anyone still alive in 2013.

Happy New Year 2013

Here's wishing all those straying onto this blog site in the search of pictures of Deauxma being taken from behind a very happy and prosperous New Year. Hope your Christmas was fun, too, and that you all went easy on the moderation.

Greece my palm. It's the only way.

This afternoon, we finished piano rehearsals for a diabolical production of La Belle Hélène, Offenbach's witty operetta about Helen of Troy, Menelaus, Agamemnon and the rest which, like any decent work of its genre, should be sprinkled with current events-related jokes. This particular production is notable for possessing none of the following: charm, wit, humour, style, relevance and sparkle. How we manage to spend three hours in Greece without one single mention of the Euro is beyond me, but there you go. In fact, it's probably the worst production I've ever seen, let alone been involved with. Hell, it's not even sexy (and a good operetta should be)…Quite how it's managed over the years to find seven buyers in France is beyond me. Must be incredibly cheap. In any case, it has no business being in our theatre. What's more, there were four weeks of piano rehearsals, a quota you only normally get for a complicated premiere, not a tacky provincial reprise. To say it was like pulling teeth is an understatement. I don't know how the audience, used to high quality Christmas fare, is going to react to something this shabby, but we'll see. OK, I've said enough.

Don't come and see it. Vote with your feet. And look at this picture, instead:

We object to…EVERYTHING!!!

An important part of living in France is realising that people in this still rather desirable patch of earth are never happy. Cycling to and from work today, I slalomed round a number of vociferous gatherings but couldn't work out whether or not they were connected. Back at Château Fingers I typed Manifestations Toulouse 17 novembre into a search engine and waited for enlightenment. Ready? Here goes:

1) Allées Jean Jaurès: Demonstration in support of Palestine. For a change.
2) Place Esquirol: Demonstration against gay marriage and adoption.
3) Saint-Cyprien: Demonstration against the expulsion of squatters and repatriation of Roms. By the Etat bourgeois, of course. It's there in black and white; you couldn't make it up.

Have a look. They're all cheesed off.