So, I've got a bit going on the next few weeks. Thought I'd update you lovely folk with my impending itinery.
30th May-8th June - Holiday in the US of A with Chrissi.
14th-15th June - Trip up to Durham to visit folk before they disappear for the year.
16th June - calling in on Leeds on the way back to visit Mark.
An action-packed set of weekends then.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Edge of Extremism
This week, common sense and progress won. But only by a narrow margin.
In a controversial series of votes, some people with their own agendas used a weakened Prime Minister and divided party to try and introduce some amendments to the parenting, embryo and abortion laws this week.
Considering the implications, the votes went the right way. But it was a lot closer than it should've been. In my mind, some of these were the thin end of the wedge. Either you have policies put in place by science, or you don't. You don't justify using rhetoric.
Those who attempted to cut the abortion limited with no scientific or medical backing had no justification. Considering how often people in this country have sneered across the Atlantic at similar policies, to have the retained law passing by a narrow majority is disheartening.
The 'father figure' IVF vote had the potential to be just as bad. Clad in concern for 'traditional' society, this was only going to affect all-female couples. Whether or not the intention, the homophobic undertones of the message were clear. I'm unsure whether this act itself would have been legal under discrimination legislation. Again, it was defeated, with the phrase 'supportive parenting' correctly applied. But not convincingly.
Both votes here went the right way. But it spells worrying messages for what the next government might bring if this is what they're displaying.
In a controversial series of votes, some people with their own agendas used a weakened Prime Minister and divided party to try and introduce some amendments to the parenting, embryo and abortion laws this week.
Considering the implications, the votes went the right way. But it was a lot closer than it should've been. In my mind, some of these were the thin end of the wedge. Either you have policies put in place by science, or you don't. You don't justify using rhetoric.
Those who attempted to cut the abortion limited with no scientific or medical backing had no justification. Considering how often people in this country have sneered across the Atlantic at similar policies, to have the retained law passing by a narrow majority is disheartening.
The 'father figure' IVF vote had the potential to be just as bad. Clad in concern for 'traditional' society, this was only going to affect all-female couples. Whether or not the intention, the homophobic undertones of the message were clear. I'm unsure whether this act itself would have been legal under discrimination legislation. Again, it was defeated, with the phrase 'supportive parenting' correctly applied. But not convincingly.
Both votes here went the right way. But it spells worrying messages for what the next government might bring if this is what they're displaying.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Less Dimensions, More Meaning
So, last night I saw Persepolis at the cinema. I'm not a rabid cinema-goer, and this is probably the first time I've gone for a good eighteen months.
For those of you who don't know the backstory - it's the story of a girl growing up in Iran, throughout the period of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq war that followed.
It was well worth seeing. The film was absolutely superb. It's one of the more bizarre mediums on the face of it - telling the tale of a revolution, war and repression through a two-dimensional animation (mostly in black and white, to add to that). But it's fantastic, beautifully written, with comical touches and for such a serious subject, incredibly warming.
It's impossible to explain it for what it is. But the oft-referred to scene of the anatomy art class of a woman in a burkha provides a wonderful touch that exhibits so much about this film. The clip of men 'pushing' casettes of western music illicitly is also beautifully done.
I really recommend that you try and find somewhere that's showing and go and see it. It's well worth it.
For those of you who don't know the backstory - it's the story of a girl growing up in Iran, throughout the period of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq war that followed.
It was well worth seeing. The film was absolutely superb. It's one of the more bizarre mediums on the face of it - telling the tale of a revolution, war and repression through a two-dimensional animation (mostly in black and white, to add to that). But it's fantastic, beautifully written, with comical touches and for such a serious subject, incredibly warming.
It's impossible to explain it for what it is. But the oft-referred to scene of the anatomy art class of a woman in a burkha provides a wonderful touch that exhibits so much about this film. The clip of men 'pushing' casettes of western music illicitly is also beautifully done.
I really recommend that you try and find somewhere that's showing and go and see it. It's well worth it.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Politics Idol
The best example of the trivialisation of politics has become the extent to which it has been another reality TV show. Candidates' answers on what their favourite food is or similar mundane irrelevancies are more likely to make viewers' minds up than the average policy.
Living on the outskirts of London and commuting further towards the official outskirts every day, I've naturally received a lot of coverage of the London mayoral elections recently.
I've been really impressed throughout this of the excellent coverage - ironically - of the freebie papers, the Metro and LondonPaper. Both have been strictly unbiased, not promoting a favoured winner, and featuring equal coverage of all four main candidates (unlike most major TV debates, newspaper updates and so forth who have frozen Green Party candidate Sian Berry out). This is a standard of media coverage that the rest of our press could follow.
This race is though, once more going to be a fight over personalities and perceptions. It's again refreshing that both Livingstone and Paddick have been effectively refusing to talk at all about their personal lives, maintaining that it's nothing to do with the elections. And of course they're right.
The problem is Boris.
Boris comes into it with the perception as a loveable buffoon. It is indicative of how important experience and knowledge rank that his BAFTA award for his inept performances on Have I Got News For You take higher credence in his qualifications for the post than his experience as editing The Spectator or being Shadow Arts Minister - neither demanding tasks.
Compare this to Livingstone, with eight years of experience as mayor, and has been closely involved in London politics since the days of the GLC in the 1970s. Or Paddick, a successful head of the Metropolitan Police.
In real terms, this experience is far more crucial for running a thriving city like London than anything on Johnson's CV. But this is where I fear the Politics Idol factor. Reality TV will triumph, people will vote for the person who made them laugh on TV for bumbling his lines, and the politicians will lose.
And London will be the poorer for it.
Living on the outskirts of London and commuting further towards the official outskirts every day, I've naturally received a lot of coverage of the London mayoral elections recently.
I've been really impressed throughout this of the excellent coverage - ironically - of the freebie papers, the Metro and LondonPaper. Both have been strictly unbiased, not promoting a favoured winner, and featuring equal coverage of all four main candidates (unlike most major TV debates, newspaper updates and so forth who have frozen Green Party candidate Sian Berry out). This is a standard of media coverage that the rest of our press could follow.
This race is though, once more going to be a fight over personalities and perceptions. It's again refreshing that both Livingstone and Paddick have been effectively refusing to talk at all about their personal lives, maintaining that it's nothing to do with the elections. And of course they're right.
The problem is Boris.
Boris comes into it with the perception as a loveable buffoon. It is indicative of how important experience and knowledge rank that his BAFTA award for his inept performances on Have I Got News For You take higher credence in his qualifications for the post than his experience as editing The Spectator or being Shadow Arts Minister - neither demanding tasks.
Compare this to Livingstone, with eight years of experience as mayor, and has been closely involved in London politics since the days of the GLC in the 1970s. Or Paddick, a successful head of the Metropolitan Police.
In real terms, this experience is far more crucial for running a thriving city like London than anything on Johnson's CV. But this is where I fear the Politics Idol factor. Reality TV will triumph, people will vote for the person who made them laugh on TV for bumbling his lines, and the politicians will lose.
And London will be the poorer for it.
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