This blog is not closing down and will return to normal output shortly.
The heart problem that put me into hospital after New Year was “paroxysmal atrial fibrillation”. This seems likely to have been the cause of the lack of energy I had complained was afflicting me towards the end of last year. It can be controlled by drugs and I was in hospital for six days while they got it controlled.
On discharge I was ordered to rest awhile, but had three speaking engagements I was determined to honour. On 23 January was the Sam Adams Award at the Oxford Union, including a live videolink with Julian Assange, and a debate there the next day on “The American Dream”. In the daytimes I researched Burnes documents in Worcester College Library. Then the next day I flew overnight to Accra, arrived the morning of the 26 January and that night did the Immortal Memory at the Burns Night for Accra Caledonian Society.
I had picked up a sore throat in Oxford which I put down to too much public speaking. But by Sunday morning in Accra I felt absolutely terrible, and have been in bed the last four days with a flu, quite possibly swine flu (certainly the nastiest flu I can ever recall). For someone recently out of hospital with heart problems, that has been a bit scarey.
This morning I feel human again. I have quite a lot of work I simply must do in Accra, as I have no other way to feed my family, and funds are very low. But I intend to be home again on the 5th, as I have an echocardiogram appointment on the 6th.
I do intend to have the blog fully functional again as soon as I can, and stop these bloody health bulletins. I apologise for giving so much personal detail but I feel a need to explain why the blog has been cold.
Get well soon, Craig!
Craig, I greatly sympathise – I spent most of November and December coping several rounds of vicious cold and flulike cold and bad throat, which all seemed to follow on from each other. Treat yourself gingerly, and keep a battery of decongestants and throat lozenges close to hand.
get well soon Craig Murray
The blog has been kept ‘hot’ by a number of ‘spirited’ and telling contributors. Thank-you.
Good luck with your treatment, and you try to stay alive doing what prouds us as students and minds from International Relations, for us to stay believing for a better world. Greetings, your friend from Brazil.
Tiago
Many thanks. I was so shocked by the news from Santa caterina – I pray that none of our friends was there. I was not sure from the TV whether the club was in Florianapolis itself.
First and foremost, get well soon!
.
Secondly, according to our discussions with doctors, this year the flu bugs have been really nasty. Not swine flu nasty in terms of their lethality, just really persistent bugs that drain you of all energy. Seems everyone we know in London has been affected in some way… So, with the best will in the world, I hope it is this sort of flu that has afflicted you, and it is not something related to your other terrible health scares.
.
And on the “afib”, as I think the pros call it, two relations of mine who have been diagnosed with it have all found that the treatment of it involves a bit of trial and error, and that after 2 or 3 goes with different drugs/interventions, the doctors do a good job fixing it. (What can trigger a relapse is a big drinking session followed soon after by some testing physical exercise… so avoid a bender and then an intense game of tennis the next day, if you are ever so inclined!)
Glad you are OK Craig.
I thought of you when I heard that awful news and said:
28 Jan, 2013 – 7:52 am
The terrible tragedy in Santa Maria where 231 young people died happened not very far from Sao Paulo which Craig visited in May last year. He also visited Florianopolis. RIP all those good young people.
Rolling Stone
by craig on May 28, 2012 3:19 pm
Genuinely sad to be leaving Florianapolis. Wonderful place and lovely people. I haven’t liked a new place so much in a long time. I found my ideas very well received indeed. That seems increasingly to be the case in places as diverse as Brazil, Germany, South Africa and India. There genuinely seems a renewed interest in radicalism among young people. Wars of resource grab, state transfers of money to the bankers and the general lack of genuine democratic choice or deep media inquiry are bound to produce this kind of reaction. Otherwise the human spirit is dead.
It isn’t.
Signed hundreds of books. The publisher sold all the new copies brought down to Florianapolis, despite the fact that most of the copies I signed were brought along by the owners, already bought and evidently much read. It seems they get handed around, which is great. At book signings everyone wants a photo, which actually I find rather nice. It is always good to have an excuse to put a photo of a pretty girl on the blog to cheer everyone up!!
Off to Sao Paolo next, then home which I am really looking forward to. It is lovely here but I miss my family. One great advantage of being here is that I don’t have to see the war criminal Blair and his smarmy self-justification at the Leveson Inquiry.
~~~~
Best wishes.
Your health comes first Craig, the world can wait.
Excellent news – was quite worried about you old bean. KBO
There was a killer question at the end of PMQs for Cameron as he leaves for Algeria from George Galloway accompanied to a cacophony of groans. The party stooges do not like it up ’em. Cameron did not answer it of course as he prepared to scuttle off but could only offer the usual type of dismissive insult.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-212585391236: Ross Hawkins Political correspondent, BBC News tweets: Ooos across chamber as Galloway rises to speak
1234: Respect’s George Galloway asks what are the differences between jihadists in Mali and Syria. The PM responds that “wherever there is a brutal Arab dictator” he will have Mr Galloway’s support.
A point of order from GG followed questioning the use of the term ‘Noble’ which the Speaker applied when addressing the Member for Caithness etc. in the HoC. Thurso is a viscount, lately known as Lord Thurso.
“On discharge I was ordered to rest awhile”
Which you totally ignored.
“…have been in bed the last four days with a flu”
Which is resting awhile. Our bodies are sometimes wiser than we are.
Take care… I hear what you say about having to put food on your family and all that, but a damaged health won’t do them any good either. Sounds like your body is telling you it needs much more rest – you need to listen to it.
The ex controller of BBC Scotland who found a niche in the Electoral Commission has just said that the question for the Scottish Referendum was too loaded.
Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?
is changed to
Should Scotland be an independent country?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/9836634/Electoral-Commission-rejects-biased-Alex-Salmond-referendum-question.html
Hi Craig,
Speedy recovery! We have LOTS of work to do…. we need to get together soon. In the meantime, forgive me a bit of self promo, our trailers (with you in one of the main roles) have now reached no less than 104.000 HITS. Who said that Mr Karimov has managed to ‘kill politics’ in Uzbekistan?!
On your sick bed, read this one, you will like it, I promise,
http://www.fergananews.com/articles/7608
HEADLINE
“What is good about Karimov? That he only had TWO (corrupt) children….”
http://www.fergananews.com/articles/7608
Please free to share, thanks
If you’re adamant about going (and I rather agree with Glen) planes can be quite good to relax on, at least – and some sun probably won’t hurt either. But please tread lightly, Mr Murray. Thanks very much for that Assange letter, btw.
Craig – as Bob says, your health comes first, to which I would add ‘followed by your family’. So take it as easy as you can . Having said that, I’m glad to hear you’re recovering. Very best regards!
Sounds like you could use a break, Craig. Starving family or not. No excuses- do it! Somewhere you aren’t interested in the politics, maybe. New Zealand?
@ Mary at 13h17 : yes, I think the Electoral Commission was quite right.
The formula “Do you agree that…” contains a whiff of direction, it seems to invite an affirmative answer, whereas the reformulated “Should Scotland be an independent country” doesn’t, and is completely neutral.
BTW why do you use the expression “….who found a niche…” to describe the former controller’s appointment to the Electoral Commission. A more usual firmulation would surely have been “…who was appointed to…”.
Here we go, again.
They have all found niches amongst all their other placements. Who do you think selects and ‘appoints’ these people? Look at the NHS Commmisioning Boards, PCTs, OFCOM, any public body you choose. The chairman of the PCT in my area came straight out of the Navy as a Vice Admiral and immediately came into head the hospital management. The Chief Executive is ex Cabinet Office. etc etc etc
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/about-us/how-we-are-run/the-commissioners
PS I do not intend to reply again and hope that this new thread of Craig’s does not resemble the previous one.
“A more usual firmulation…”
I knew it. You’re Mark Lawrenson.
The chairman of your PCT, Mary, is a qualified navel (sic) officer. His expertise in that small field is probably second to none. If Habbabcuk does not know how these things work, he should take out a subscription to Private Eye and discover the system of revolving doors and mutual backscratching which trump ability or talent in the inaccessible world of power. Alternatively he could study the irresistible rise of Comrade Mandelson et al.
And I, Mary, hope that in this new thread of Craig’s you’ll continue to provide interesting information shorn of the little digs and insinuations which in my opinion mar some of what you post.
BTW – has it ever occurred to you that some of those people might actually be better qualified for the job than your local fireman, shopkeeper or refuse collector? The job of Vice-Admiral for instance – now that there are more admirals than capital ships and that those remaining do little or no fighting – consists largely in management.
@ MJ : soory about the typo! Who is Mark Lawrenson (genuine question!)?
I’m afraid it’s time to cut out the alcohol, Craig.
I’m sorry to hear that Craig. I do think you should heed the wise voices on this blog and take a break. Pushing yourself too far will only end in more trouble and you deserve a rest. The corruption and stupidity of our rulers will still be here when you get back, I do assure you 🙂
best
Julian
Carol,
Thanks, but fortunately my liver seems one of the few bits of me that works properly!
Most days I don’t drink alcohol at all – which has been the case for a great many years. What I do like to do is occasionally get drunk, but only if at an occasion. At home most days I don’t drink at all, and when I do it’s just a glass of red wine with dinner. But if out at a dinner, I will drink the whole bottle.
@ Komodo : actually, I am a regular reader of Private Eye and have been for decades (although not always in real time, so to speak).
Look, it’s a good read and digs up a lot of dirt. No doubt about that. But you must admit that by its very nature and function it will focus on what goes wrong, what’s not quite kosher, what’s corrupt and so on. That’s correct, isn’t it?
But these things have to be relativised and it’s not sensible to assume that the “dark side of life” Private Eye specialises in is the norm or even the major part of life. I would suggest (to take an easy example) that for every case of corruption in the handling of a public works contract there are 100 which are perfectly above board. If I can make a further point : you castigate the system of pantouflage (the revolving door) – but in the case both you and Mary mention, who’s to say that the retired admiral wouldn’t be a better manager than a brilliant doctor in that health area.
Using expressions like “found a niche” clearly indicates disapproval and – at least indirectly – conveys the thought that the guy’s not up to it. That is too Manichean and I feel constrained to comment.
…”I feel constrained to comment”
Don’t we all? All-Bran often helps…
I envy you your cosy certitude that no graft is involved in 99% of government – private transactions. And re Osborne having had not one but two very friendly meetings with Murdoch this month, I’d say it’s getting more blatant by the day.
Pffft.
http://politicalscrapbook.net/2013/01/tory-donor-given-peerage-and-ministerial-job-john-nash-education/
All you need is cash.