Teenage lack of angst revisited

Everything's depressing me at the moment - the latest grim news from Israel, the proclamation of a new Caliphate, the shocking verdict on Rolf (OMG, Rolf!!!), accidentally hearing Ed Balls on The World at One, and coming across Eddie Mair's baby jingle thing for the umpteenth time on PM - so that's the reason why I'm cheering myself up this evening by listening to Morrissey and The Smiths. 

(I could have chosen Leonard Cohen but, no, Morrissey will do.) 

I've actually been listening to 'The Smiths' Greatest Hits' for the last three days (he confesses, in time-honoured blogger style), rediscovering my teenage self - or, more accurately, not rediscovering my teenage self, as I didn't like The Smiths back then. (I liked things like 'Japanese Boy' by Aneka). 

I'm now quite liking the The Smiths though: 'The Boy with the Thorn in his Side', 'Panic', 'How Soon is Now?', 'Bigmouth Strikes Again', 'Ask', 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now', etc. (Most of you will probably still side with Aneka, and Morrissey remains a mass of pleasant/unpleasant contradictions of course.) 

Here's 'Bigmouth' in Tel Aviv back in 2012, flying the flag for Israel (to the disgust of certain people):

I see tonight that Douglas Murray is reporting the claims of Labour MP Khalid Mahmood that 1,500 "British" Muslims are now fighting in Syria - three times as many as are serving in the British Army. (I'm betting that starting statistic won't be be conspicuous across the BBC). Is that one for 'Panic' or 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now?' Both, I think. 

Oh dear, I'd better put on some more Morrissey....

But, it's also good to heed the wise words of Sparks: "Lighten up Morrissey"...and lighten up Craig.