Last updated at 12:24, Thursday, 04 February 2010

It was Groundhog Day this week.

That’s when Americans and Canadians decide whether spring has arrived by the appearance (or not) of an overgrown hamster from its underground home.

It’s also the name of an excellent, misanthropic film where the self-centred hero repeats the same day over and over again until he changes his ways for the better.

The film is given a typically Hollywood ending where the lead man finally gets his girl in a finale far too sickly sweet for me.

Thankfully, it was just a bit of Hollywood froth.

I mean, imagine living in a world where the same stupid events keep happening over and over again, where the same dumb mistakes occur with headbanging regularity.

Like people expecting professional footballers to behave with the dignity we’d like our children’s role leaders to have.

Or believing a Brit could win a major tennis title (come on, he’s Scottish!), getting completely overheated about his chances, and then making all kinds of excuses in the inevitably disappointing aftermath.

Or how about expecting honest admissions or even some small voice of regret and remorse from someone who has led the country into a bloody, messy, ill-prepared and executed war?

Who would seriously believe Jordan could ever marry again (and again...) – or any newspaper or magazine to carry a headline featuring the name Brangelina, or Cowell, or Winehouse?

First published at 11:23, Thursday, 04 February 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk