Last night's ten o'clock news on the beeb showed the Taliban's grip on Afghanistan.
Viewers watched clips of a woman being stoned to death for adultery. When she didn't die, she was shot.
All we saw were glimpses but - trust me - it was enough.
To think that we share a planet with people who believe that it's right and OK to stone another human being for the 'crime' of adultery isn't just frightening, it's inconceivable.
We know this and many of those who live under the Taliban's rule know this.
So aren't we lucky to live in a country like Blighty where we can say what we want.
Or can we?
The Anglican bishop who was forced to recant his thoughts last year regarding the marriage of William and Kate will be forever haunted by his public slapping down.
And what did he say that was so terrible? All he said was that he didn't think it would last.
Ungracious perhaps but did he really deserve his verbal stoning?
Look too at the fate of Sky's er, former sports presenters Richard Key and Adam Gray. Their comments weren't flattering but did anyone die?
Whilst denouncing the inhumane in other countries, we need to make sure that we're not heading that way ourselves.
Don't get me wrong, every arsehole deserves to get their comeuppance.
If someone is insulting you and making you feel bad simply because they can, you will live for the day when life dishes to them the exact same treatment, but we have to allow ourselves to be human.
Because if we don't we might one day get bitten on the bum (or worse) by the very things we've agreed to.
Thursday 27 January 2011
How the posh govern Britain
We know the posh govern Britain - it's never been any other way.
And the only reason I say this is because Andrew Neil fronted a documentary last night called: Posh and Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britain.
It was fascinating and showed pretty much what most of know; that the 'Old Boys Network - what?' is alive and well.
But even if we weren't aware of it, it's pretty much in our face in the form of the Coalition.
Andrew Neil's take on it was why?
How is it, he asked that we have gone from having a (budding) meritocracy where a grocer's daughter (Thatcher) and a circus worker's son (Major) were voted into the highest position in the land to the current stranglehold of the Cabinet which is dominated by Old Etonians.
Well, said Jacob Rees-Mogg, an MP so posh that he lives in a "hice", these people were voted in because the electorate felt they had the aptitude for the job. Which is fair enough.
But that still doesn't explain why Eton and Oxford combined have produced around 24 of Britain's Prime Ministers. Are those who attend there groomed for power?
According to former students Andrew Neil spoke to, the answer was an obvious yes.
Oxford's debating chamber is known to be a mini-Parliament. You're encouraged to not just speak your mind but to stand your ground. There's also a degree in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) which is the starter point to a political career. The programme pointed out that Clegg, Cameron and both the Milliboys took PPE.
So viewers were given a glimpse into the cosy world of those who were 'born to rule' but it's a world, explains Neil, which would be very hard for anyone outside to break into.
But are we surprised and would we want to?
If your parents sent you to Eton, it's not so you can empty bins for a living - of course that's understood. But what is hard to grasp is how ability, talent and determination from the working classes can still amount to naff all.
Mind you, perhaps that's too broad a statement. Tory MP David Davies was brought up on a council estate while Labour's Alan Johnson was a former postie. These guys made it. And of course let's not forget Diane Abbott.
Unfortunately the programme didn't get round to speaking to her. Although she went to Cambridge, it would have been interesting to see if it carried the same 'breeding ground' for power as Eton and Oxford do.
Part of me thinks though - does it matter? I mean if there are those who are desperate for power, let them have it.
Real power is knowing that you're free to do whatever you want in a way that causes harm to neither yourself or anyone else. It's having complete peace of mind.
Although most governments are eager to wrap their tentacles around our lives, why not let them do the hard work while we get on with living.
I know that's a simplistic way of looking at it but if for the foreseeable future we're likely to have some form of government by people who are desperate to govern. Let them.
As long as we maintain a democracy and as long as we have what we need, let's work on a way of living that eliminates the need for government to meddle. That way those who feel they are 'destined' for greatness but who simply want to lord it over us will have been given an empty power.
And the only reason I say this is because Andrew Neil fronted a documentary last night called: Posh and Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britain.
It was fascinating and showed pretty much what most of know; that the 'Old Boys Network - what?' is alive and well.
But even if we weren't aware of it, it's pretty much in our face in the form of the Coalition.
Andrew Neil's take on it was why?
How is it, he asked that we have gone from having a (budding) meritocracy where a grocer's daughter (Thatcher) and a circus worker's son (Major) were voted into the highest position in the land to the current stranglehold of the Cabinet which is dominated by Old Etonians.
Well, said Jacob Rees-Mogg, an MP so posh that he lives in a "hice", these people were voted in because the electorate felt they had the aptitude for the job. Which is fair enough.
But that still doesn't explain why Eton and Oxford combined have produced around 24 of Britain's Prime Ministers. Are those who attend there groomed for power?
According to former students Andrew Neil spoke to, the answer was an obvious yes.
Oxford's debating chamber is known to be a mini-Parliament. You're encouraged to not just speak your mind but to stand your ground. There's also a degree in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) which is the starter point to a political career. The programme pointed out that Clegg, Cameron and both the Milliboys took PPE.
So viewers were given a glimpse into the cosy world of those who were 'born to rule' but it's a world, explains Neil, which would be very hard for anyone outside to break into.
But are we surprised and would we want to?
If your parents sent you to Eton, it's not so you can empty bins for a living - of course that's understood. But what is hard to grasp is how ability, talent and determination from the working classes can still amount to naff all.
Mind you, perhaps that's too broad a statement. Tory MP David Davies was brought up on a council estate while Labour's Alan Johnson was a former postie. These guys made it. And of course let's not forget Diane Abbott.
Unfortunately the programme didn't get round to speaking to her. Although she went to Cambridge, it would have been interesting to see if it carried the same 'breeding ground' for power as Eton and Oxford do.
Part of me thinks though - does it matter? I mean if there are those who are desperate for power, let them have it.
Real power is knowing that you're free to do whatever you want in a way that causes harm to neither yourself or anyone else. It's having complete peace of mind.
Although most governments are eager to wrap their tentacles around our lives, why not let them do the hard work while we get on with living.
I know that's a simplistic way of looking at it but if for the foreseeable future we're likely to have some form of government by people who are desperate to govern. Let them.
As long as we maintain a democracy and as long as we have what we need, let's work on a way of living that eliminates the need for government to meddle. That way those who feel they are 'destined' for greatness but who simply want to lord it over us will have been given an empty power.
Wednesday 26 January 2011
What if gravity stopped working?
Forget climate change and the ozone layer, what if gravity ran out? OK so gravity (as far as we know) doesn't have legs but it could stop working at anytime. And it appears that no-one apart from me is giving this any thought.
If I'm wrong however and you're a scientist secretly working on a gravity plan, drop me a line. I promise I won't spill the beans to the feds.
But if no-one's thinking about this, maybe we should.
For should gravity lose its pull, will we simply fall off the planet? And what happens to Earth itself? Will it plummet to the bottom of the universe? And where is the bum of the universe anyway? It's gonna take more than a Hadron Collider to work that one out.
The only reason I'm thinking about this (apart from obviously having nothing better to do) is that I saw a burst of cherry blossom the other day and it's still only January!
What's going on?
Aside from the world warming up, could it be that the world is also speeding up?
Last year for example everyone I spoke to said the same thing: time felt like it was going way too fast.
Perhaps (like Malcolm Tucker) the planet is out of control?
And if so what are we going to do about it? Are we going to start ageing faster or will we find that ChristmasWintertimeYuletide Fest (or whatever we're supposed to be calling it now) starts in summer?
That would suit Marks & Spencers just fine. The little tinkers can hardly wait for the school holidays to be over before they're sneaking out the 2-for-1 mince pies.
Suffice to say I don't know what the answer is but a packet of Quavers to the first person who can formulate a plan of escape should the worst come to the worst.
If I'm wrong however and you're a scientist secretly working on a gravity plan, drop me a line. I promise I won't spill the beans to the feds.
But if no-one's thinking about this, maybe we should.
For should gravity lose its pull, will we simply fall off the planet? And what happens to Earth itself? Will it plummet to the bottom of the universe? And where is the bum of the universe anyway? It's gonna take more than a Hadron Collider to work that one out.
The only reason I'm thinking about this (apart from obviously having nothing better to do) is that I saw a burst of cherry blossom the other day and it's still only January!
What's going on?
Aside from the world warming up, could it be that the world is also speeding up?
Last year for example everyone I spoke to said the same thing: time felt like it was going way too fast.
Perhaps (like Malcolm Tucker) the planet is out of control?
And if so what are we going to do about it? Are we going to start ageing faster or will we find that ChristmasWintertimeYuletide Fest (or whatever we're supposed to be calling it now) starts in summer?
That would suit Marks & Spencers just fine. The little tinkers can hardly wait for the school holidays to be over before they're sneaking out the 2-for-1 mince pies.
Suffice to say I don't know what the answer is but a packet of Quavers to the first person who can formulate a plan of escape should the worst come to the worst.
The news in turmoil
Evening Standard columnist Sarah Sands finally admits what the public have surely suspected for some time; namely that "reporters thrive on turmoil". Who'd have guessed?
This isn't to criticise the media - we're lucky to have one even if half of it is owned by cuddly old Rupert Murdoch - but most of the big scares (swine flu, bird flu, man flu) have been created or at least fuelled by journalists.
But can you blame them? Good news - unless it's dramatic and different like the Chilean miners' rescue - isn't stimulating to national/global reporters.
To illustrate, a few years back newsreader Martin Lewis observed that there was too much bad news on the airwaves and that perhaps it might make a change if we focused more on positive stories. He couldn't have been more pilloried if he'd been caught burning baby bunny rabbits.
Did he have a point though? I think so.
There IS a lot of positive news out there but it doesn't get reported because it's seen as un-newsworthy ie dull.
And yet we need it more than ever - not just worthy items but news that makes us laugh and realise that yes life can be hard but there are real moments of bliss.
Still, we humans love a bit of drama and that's why soaps are so popular. We might have huffed over the cot death and misery plot in Stenders but we can't pretend we weren't gripped by it.
So an editor's job is not only to ensure we've grasped the issue of the day but more importantly - seeing as how his/her livelihood depends on it - it's to make sure we're grasping/buying the paper that they're selling.
Imagine for example that you're the editor of The Sun, would you really want Rupert Murdoch's cold breath breathing down your neck? Exactly.
So will we ever have an end to hysterical news? I doubt it. Who knows, perhaps in the year 2511, we'll have grown out of the need for turmoil journalism. Until then, look sharp, no doubt there's hospital virus on the loose that turns your genitals inside out.
This isn't to criticise the media - we're lucky to have one even if half of it is owned by cuddly old Rupert Murdoch - but most of the big scares (swine flu, bird flu, man flu) have been created or at least fuelled by journalists.
But can you blame them? Good news - unless it's dramatic and different like the Chilean miners' rescue - isn't stimulating to national/global reporters.
To illustrate, a few years back newsreader Martin Lewis observed that there was too much bad news on the airwaves and that perhaps it might make a change if we focused more on positive stories. He couldn't have been more pilloried if he'd been caught burning baby bunny rabbits.
Did he have a point though? I think so.
There IS a lot of positive news out there but it doesn't get reported because it's seen as un-newsworthy ie dull.
And yet we need it more than ever - not just worthy items but news that makes us laugh and realise that yes life can be hard but there are real moments of bliss.
Still, we humans love a bit of drama and that's why soaps are so popular. We might have huffed over the cot death and misery plot in Stenders but we can't pretend we weren't gripped by it.
So an editor's job is not only to ensure we've grasped the issue of the day but more importantly - seeing as how his/her livelihood depends on it - it's to make sure we're grasping/buying the paper that they're selling.
Imagine for example that you're the editor of The Sun, would you really want Rupert Murdoch's cold breath breathing down your neck? Exactly.
So will we ever have an end to hysterical news? I doubt it. Who knows, perhaps in the year 2511, we'll have grown out of the need for turmoil journalism. Until then, look sharp, no doubt there's hospital virus on the loose that turns your genitals inside out.
Why Old McDonald has no qualms
You've got to admire the pluck of Sir Trevor McDonald.
He's reached a stage of well-earned retirement yet this veteran reporter insists on visiting the world's grittiest hotspots to expose customs and practicies for viewers back home.
His latest missive is 'The Secret Mediterranean' which follows hard on the heels of 'The Secret Caribbean'.
Sure, to us viewers, it must seem like a luxury especially since in this Age of Austerity, we're left wondering if a daytrip to Bognor will break the bank.
But be under no illusions, travelling about in the sunshine looking for secrets in the Med and the West Indies cannot be easy. So hurrah for Sir Trev - no wonder he refuses to retire. Would you?
Having said that, before he hangs up his notepad for good, perhaps he could investigate the following:
Are luxury cruise ships contributing to climate change?
Sir Trevor hops aboard the Queen to Eygpt to uncover the truth for himself. Travelling VIP class of course. But all in the name of fearless journalism.
Is the grass on the world's top golf courses organic?
Dangerous ground this. Could the likes of Tiger Wolf be competing on grass that is less than free-range?
How much of the world's petrol are cities like New York, Paris, Tokyo and Milan using?
Sir Trevor visits these gas-guzzling hotspots to see for himself the level of oil used.
Are the world's finest restaurants serving customers their 'Five a Day?
Could it be that our gastronomic geniuses are serving gourmet food rather than fruit and veg? If true, will Sir Trevor be able to stomach it?
Gold: Just why does it shine so and what makes it yellow?
Sir Trev visits Fort Knox and Abu Dabai to view for himself the metal of the sun.
He's reached a stage of well-earned retirement yet this veteran reporter insists on visiting the world's grittiest hotspots to expose customs and practicies for viewers back home.
His latest missive is 'The Secret Mediterranean' which follows hard on the heels of 'The Secret Caribbean'.
Sure, to us viewers, it must seem like a luxury especially since in this Age of Austerity, we're left wondering if a daytrip to Bognor will break the bank.
But be under no illusions, travelling about in the sunshine looking for secrets in the Med and the West Indies cannot be easy. So hurrah for Sir Trev - no wonder he refuses to retire. Would you?
Having said that, before he hangs up his notepad for good, perhaps he could investigate the following:
Are luxury cruise ships contributing to climate change?
Sir Trevor hops aboard the Queen to Eygpt to uncover the truth for himself. Travelling VIP class of course. But all in the name of fearless journalism.
Is the grass on the world's top golf courses organic?
Dangerous ground this. Could the likes of Tiger Wolf be competing on grass that is less than free-range?
How much of the world's petrol are cities like New York, Paris, Tokyo and Milan using?
Sir Trevor visits these gas-guzzling hotspots to see for himself the level of oil used.
Are the world's finest restaurants serving customers their 'Five a Day?
Could it be that our gastronomic geniuses are serving gourmet food rather than fruit and veg? If true, will Sir Trevor be able to stomach it?
Gold: Just why does it shine so and what makes it yellow?
Sir Trev visits Fort Knox and Abu Dabai to view for himself the metal of the sun.
Questions that may never be answered
Think you know the answers then drop me a line:
How much is money really worth?
What would happen if gravity stopped working? Would we simply...fall off the planet and would our solar system plummet?
How the hell did Piers Morgan get the CNN gig?
Is Ricky Gervais becoming a real David Brent?
How come we keep allowing the government to take the piss?
Justin Bieber....WHY???
How come Cate Blanchett didn't win an Oscar for Elizabeth?
How come Catherine Zeta Jones won for Chicago? Was she really that good?
How cool is the lovely Sian Williams from BBC Breakfast?
And when will Adrian Chiles admit that he's the secret son of Benny Hill?
Why were reporters so shit-scared of Liam and Noel Gallagher?
How will you know when you've died?
And how do you know if you're mad?
Oh and if you've got any other impossible questions like how come George Osborne's face is so bloody smug? Jot 'em down.
Who knows, we might end up helping to put the world to rights.
How much is money really worth?
What would happen if gravity stopped working? Would we simply...fall off the planet and would our solar system plummet?
How the hell did Piers Morgan get the CNN gig?
Is Ricky Gervais becoming a real David Brent?
How come we keep allowing the government to take the piss?
Justin Bieber....WHY???
How come Cate Blanchett didn't win an Oscar for Elizabeth?
How come Catherine Zeta Jones won for Chicago? Was she really that good?
How cool is the lovely Sian Williams from BBC Breakfast?
And when will Adrian Chiles admit that he's the secret son of Benny Hill?
Why were reporters so shit-scared of Liam and Noel Gallagher?
How will you know when you've died?
And how do you know if you're mad?
Oh and if you've got any other impossible questions like how come George Osborne's face is so bloody smug? Jot 'em down.
Who knows, we might end up helping to put the world to rights.
Footie commentator gets a kicking
Sky Sports' Andy Gray (not that he's with them anymore) is on the front page of The Mirror shrieking that he's been set-up.
In case you haven't heard, Sky felt his language was too free and easy when it came to women, so now like an old crisp packet, he's been kicked to the kerb.
Perhaps him and his namesake Andy Coulson should start a support group - especially since a third one Andy Burton has also been suspended.
Sheesh it's not been a good week for sporting Andys has it?
And what did this third Andy do? He asked if a female linesman (or should that be lineswoman? linesperson??) might have been a bit of alright.
No harm in asking a question but it was the unfortunate Mr Gray who suggested that she wasn't. Turns out that evidence on YouTube shows he's got form.
But what does all this mean in the scope of everyday life?
Does it mean that normal banter is finished and that from now we're going to be walking on broken glass?
It shouldn't do. Not if you know how to treat people. My motto is:
"Don't hurt others and you won't hurt yourself"
It's OK to observe and it can be fun to tease (often the sign of a relaxed friendship) but if your comments are venonous, spiteful or disparaging, then that's where you're likely to come a cropper.
Interestingly a tweet yesterday suggested that if Andy Gray and Richard Keys (the other Sky commentator caught up in the row) were to lose their jobs, then in fairness ITV's Loose Women panel would also have to go.
But these are the times we live in where it's perfectly OK to rip the piss out of a bloke and not expect him to complain about it, yet when the shoe's on the other foot, some women (rightly so others might argue) complain.
Tory MP Dominic Rabb (as in bab or barb?) has given the opinion-formers summit to sink their pens into by claiming all "feminists are bigots" and that the ball - and I'm assuming he's not referring to one of his own - has swung too far the other way.
We could be here all day debating this.
Suffice to say that for me, the question I ask myself is why be a feminist when it's more fun to be a woman?
In case you haven't heard, Sky felt his language was too free and easy when it came to women, so now like an old crisp packet, he's been kicked to the kerb.
Perhaps him and his namesake Andy Coulson should start a support group - especially since a third one Andy Burton has also been suspended.
Sheesh it's not been a good week for sporting Andys has it?
And what did this third Andy do? He asked if a female linesman (or should that be lineswoman? linesperson??) might have been a bit of alright.
No harm in asking a question but it was the unfortunate Mr Gray who suggested that she wasn't. Turns out that evidence on YouTube shows he's got form.
But what does all this mean in the scope of everyday life?
Does it mean that normal banter is finished and that from now we're going to be walking on broken glass?
It shouldn't do. Not if you know how to treat people. My motto is:
"Don't hurt others and you won't hurt yourself"
It's OK to observe and it can be fun to tease (often the sign of a relaxed friendship) but if your comments are venonous, spiteful or disparaging, then that's where you're likely to come a cropper.
Interestingly a tweet yesterday suggested that if Andy Gray and Richard Keys (the other Sky commentator caught up in the row) were to lose their jobs, then in fairness ITV's Loose Women panel would also have to go.
But these are the times we live in where it's perfectly OK to rip the piss out of a bloke and not expect him to complain about it, yet when the shoe's on the other foot, some women (rightly so others might argue) complain.
Tory MP Dominic Rabb (as in bab or barb?) has given the opinion-formers summit to sink their pens into by claiming all "feminists are bigots" and that the ball - and I'm assuming he's not referring to one of his own - has swung too far the other way.
We could be here all day debating this.
Suffice to say that for me, the question I ask myself is why be a feminist when it's more fun to be a woman?
Tuesday 25 January 2011
A betamax of a blog
Like the sad old dad who insisted that betamax video was the way to go, I resisted having a blog.
Despite sending emails several feet long to long-suffering mates, it didn't occur to me to do what I do naturally and waffle my thoughts on line. So here I am. Least but hopefully not last.
I've got a blog got damn it. Christ I feel cool!
Now the only thing I need to do is write summit interesting but not libellous.
That's the thing nowadays, you can't fart without someone taking offence. Granted, perhaps not the most effective metaphor. After all if you're in a tight, clammy lift and someone rips a ripe one, you ain't gonna be too pleased.
But you know what I mean. We seem to be evolving into a species that takes offence at everything. And yet the things we should be angry about, we let slip...like the aforementioned fart.
Look how meekly we accept the increase in transport fares.
We get a shit service and pay through the nose for it.
What we should be doing is taking to the streets to cannabalise Boris Johnson, the only MP whom one could roast on a spit. Cor imagine the crackling on that!
And of course it's not his fault but he is accepting the public shilling so (until he lets Ken take over) it kind of is.
Unfair? Of course. Life can be totally unfair and what's why I write. It keeps the insanity at bay. I think.
Of course, if I was really mad, how the hell would I know?
Mad people never get approached precisely because people are terrified of them. So they never get old what needs to be said. This is how Sarah Palin has managed to convince the gullible that she's a serious politician.
Anyway, I don't want to bore you with my first post so let me away. Until the next time.
Despite sending emails several feet long to long-suffering mates, it didn't occur to me to do what I do naturally and waffle my thoughts on line. So here I am. Least but hopefully not last.
I've got a blog got damn it. Christ I feel cool!
Now the only thing I need to do is write summit interesting but not libellous.
That's the thing nowadays, you can't fart without someone taking offence. Granted, perhaps not the most effective metaphor. After all if you're in a tight, clammy lift and someone rips a ripe one, you ain't gonna be too pleased.
But you know what I mean. We seem to be evolving into a species that takes offence at everything. And yet the things we should be angry about, we let slip...like the aforementioned fart.
Look how meekly we accept the increase in transport fares.
We get a shit service and pay through the nose for it.
What we should be doing is taking to the streets to cannabalise Boris Johnson, the only MP whom one could roast on a spit. Cor imagine the crackling on that!
And of course it's not his fault but he is accepting the public shilling so (until he lets Ken take over) it kind of is.
Unfair? Of course. Life can be totally unfair and what's why I write. It keeps the insanity at bay. I think.
Of course, if I was really mad, how the hell would I know?
Mad people never get approached precisely because people are terrified of them. So they never get old what needs to be said. This is how Sarah Palin has managed to convince the gullible that she's a serious politician.
Anyway, I don't want to bore you with my first post so let me away. Until the next time.
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