Saturday, November 23, 2002


I'm writing this from the ground here at the TUC, the Trade Union Congress of the UK, where I'm speaking and performing this evening. The biggest story in the UK today is the firefighter strike, which means that press is swarming all over the site here, and the conference itself has become almost frenzied with media seeking sound bites and opinion pieces--I've been asked twice for commentary so far, and it is difficult to sound like a coherent, informed citizen and at the same time admit that you don't really know the width and breadth of UK labor history because...well...I don't.

Our hosts have been wonderful, and we're right off of Tottenham Court Road, so we're hoping to see the British Museum, which I love, and do some window shopping. Tonight we are hooking up with friends in London who're coming by the conference and they say they have picked out a restaurant that doesn't suck, which from my long association with British food will be a real achievement.