From top to bottom: Disused Tin Mine building, Sculpture in Barbara Hepworth's garden, View from Lands' End at Dusk, St. Ives Rooftops, Watergate Bay, Tintagel Castle Window.
Andrew
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Pretty Pictures
I've been thinking about my blog a lot recently and one of my conclussions is that I need more pictures. Today I've delved into my archives and found these pictures from a holiday in Cornwall two years ago.
From top to bottom: Disused Tin Mine building, Sculpture in Barbara Hepworth's garden, View from Lands' End at Dusk, St. Ives Rooftops, Watergate Bay, Tintagel Castle Window.
Andrew
From top to bottom: Disused Tin Mine building, Sculpture in Barbara Hepworth's garden, View from Lands' End at Dusk, St. Ives Rooftops, Watergate Bay, Tintagel Castle Window.
Andrew
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Give them enough rope...
On Thursday, the BNP leader will, controversially, appear on question time. Should he be allowed? Well, on balance, probably yes. The BNP somehow manages to stay the right side of the various laws which govern the line between freedom of speech of inciting racial hatred. In addition, they now have over a hundred councilors and two MEPs so they clearly speak for a section of the populous, however objectionable they may be.
While their views may be, at the very least, distasteful they cannot now be ignored. To do so would risk them continuing to spread their bile at low level, letting it fester and spread like a cancer. It has reached a point where they need to be faced head on. They need to be given some (limited) exposure, a spade to dig themselves a hole and enough rope with which to hang themselves.
With the right counter arguments, their views can be shown to be ludicrous. Appropriate questioning will reveal their true colours. Their love for Britain will be shown to be a veil for their hatred of other races.
The British, whom the BNP claim to defend, are not some homogeneous, pure race that have inhabited this island for centuries. Wave after wave of invasions saw Celts mixed with Norsemen, Vikings and Normans. In more recent centuries, we have incorporated further waves of immigration from Ireland, China, the Caribbean and India and Pakistan, amongst many others.
This diversity, and acceptance, is core to British values. While immigrant communities may not always have had it easy, without them we would not be the nation we are today.
So questions for the BNP to answer: In identifying the “indigenous population” who do the BNP seek to defend? Where do they draw the line - families whose routes trace back prior to 1950 or 1900 or some other arbitrary date? Or do they just mean white people?
Nationhood is a complex subject on which there are many different takes. Many people are nationalistic and keen to celebrate their identity. Many people have fixed ideas about what being British (or English, Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish) means and their place in the world.
Having a sense of identity and belonging shouldn’t be about denying others the opportunity to share this. Being proud of who and what you are shouldn’t be about superiority and exclusion. Expressing national pride shouldn’t be about denigrating others.
You can express Nationalism without being isolationist. You can be patriotic without closing the borders and keeping the country for the “natives”. Above all, Britishness is not about telling Natural Born Britons, or any other residents, they should participate in a voluntary repatriation programme.
Further questions: Where do the BNP draw the line in international co-operation – the EU, the UN? Who would be eligible for voluntary repatriation? Is the Black or Asian soldier less of a patriot than his white counterpart?
While I do not believe the BNP stands for a true definition of Britishness or a correct interpretation of what it means to be a Nationalist, I can’t really question their status as a party – even if clauses in their constitution currently run contrary to anti-discrimination legislation.
I hope that Thursday’s appearance by Nick Griffen on Question Time really shines a light on the true identity of the BNP. They may speak of a love for Britain and it’s people, but at the heart there’s nothing but hate. They may dress themselves up as patriots, but what they stand for is a white isolationist agenda.
Forcing the mask to slip and thereby revealing the truth is the only way to combat the lies, half-truths and innuendo of a party whose core beliefs are contrary to that of the overwhelming majority of true Brits.
Andrew
While their views may be, at the very least, distasteful they cannot now be ignored. To do so would risk them continuing to spread their bile at low level, letting it fester and spread like a cancer. It has reached a point where they need to be faced head on. They need to be given some (limited) exposure, a spade to dig themselves a hole and enough rope with which to hang themselves.
With the right counter arguments, their views can be shown to be ludicrous. Appropriate questioning will reveal their true colours. Their love for Britain will be shown to be a veil for their hatred of other races.
The British, whom the BNP claim to defend, are not some homogeneous, pure race that have inhabited this island for centuries. Wave after wave of invasions saw Celts mixed with Norsemen, Vikings and Normans. In more recent centuries, we have incorporated further waves of immigration from Ireland, China, the Caribbean and India and Pakistan, amongst many others.
This diversity, and acceptance, is core to British values. While immigrant communities may not always have had it easy, without them we would not be the nation we are today.
So questions for the BNP to answer: In identifying the “indigenous population” who do the BNP seek to defend? Where do they draw the line - families whose routes trace back prior to 1950 or 1900 or some other arbitrary date? Or do they just mean white people?
Nationhood is a complex subject on which there are many different takes. Many people are nationalistic and keen to celebrate their identity. Many people have fixed ideas about what being British (or English, Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish) means and their place in the world.
Having a sense of identity and belonging shouldn’t be about denying others the opportunity to share this. Being proud of who and what you are shouldn’t be about superiority and exclusion. Expressing national pride shouldn’t be about denigrating others.
You can express Nationalism without being isolationist. You can be patriotic without closing the borders and keeping the country for the “natives”. Above all, Britishness is not about telling Natural Born Britons, or any other residents, they should participate in a voluntary repatriation programme.
Further questions: Where do the BNP draw the line in international co-operation – the EU, the UN? Who would be eligible for voluntary repatriation? Is the Black or Asian soldier less of a patriot than his white counterpart?
While I do not believe the BNP stands for a true definition of Britishness or a correct interpretation of what it means to be a Nationalist, I can’t really question their status as a party – even if clauses in their constitution currently run contrary to anti-discrimination legislation.
I hope that Thursday’s appearance by Nick Griffen on Question Time really shines a light on the true identity of the BNP. They may speak of a love for Britain and it’s people, but at the heart there’s nothing but hate. They may dress themselves up as patriots, but what they stand for is a white isolationist agenda.
Forcing the mask to slip and thereby revealing the truth is the only way to combat the lies, half-truths and innuendo of a party whose core beliefs are contrary to that of the overwhelming majority of true Brits.
Andrew
Monday, 19 October 2009
Blast from the past - and present!
Driving home from work tonight I took a detour away from Radio 4 and strayed to Radio 1. While there, I heard this, Sonique with "It Feels So Good":
I've never been a big fan of dance music but I've always really liked that song, along with her version of "I Put a Spell on You".
The next song they played is one of my current favourites - The Editors with Papillon. For my money it sounds like The Killers mashed up with an Eighties track I can't quite put my finger on - see what you think:
Andrew
I've never been a big fan of dance music but I've always really liked that song, along with her version of "I Put a Spell on You".
The next song they played is one of my current favourites - The Editors with Papillon. For my money it sounds like The Killers mashed up with an Eighties track I can't quite put my finger on - see what you think:
Andrew
British World Beaters
Jenson Button has been crowned the 2009 Formula 1 World Champion. Well, I say crowned, but there was no formal recognition of his achievement at Interlagos today. Instead, there were rather chaotic scenes as he celebrated with his engineers, family and the world's media while the race winner, Mark Webber, climbed onto the podium to distinctly muted response!
In addition to the Button's triumph, his team, Brawn GP also won, leading to some touching scenes as the perpetually cool and collected Ross Brawn let the emotion get the better of him. As well as thanking all the engineers and staff of the team, he also paid tribute to the work of 200 staff who had to be laid off early in the season, which was a lovely touch.
It has been a fairytale story - the team which was put up for sale by Honda just over a year ago storming into an early and commanding lead which no other team or driver could consistently match, with the clinching of the two titles with a race in hand. This story has also, however, been much rehearsed, so I shall move on...
There is another fairytale story, though. The story of a man who, in his previous 9 years in Formula 1 had won just 1 race. A man who, while showing great promise as a driver (including finishing 3rd in 2004 had never really had a car able to compete with the powerhouses of Ferrari and McLaren.
Formula 1 is a team sport, and a marathon. It is not sufficient to be a good driver or to have a good car. What is required is consistency - a car which can deliver the goods, a driver who is on form, slick pit-stops, insightful strategy. Luck plays a part, and many say that Jenson has had a number of lucky races. Over the piste, however, luck has a habit of working both ways and luck alone does not deliver world champions.
There are others who feel the title is less deserved as the bulk of Button's points came in the first 7 races when Brawn dominated. This is a weak argument - Usain Bolt's wins aren't less celebrated because he does the bulk of the work in the first 60 metres. Those people making that argument have no alternative. Indeed, the alternative method preferred by Bernie Ecclestone (head of F1) is a to select the winner based on most races won. That would make the 2009 champion.... Jenson Button!
His achievement makes him the 10th Brit to win Formula 1, following in the footsteps of past greats such as Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart and, of course, directly succeeding Lewis Hamilton.
So here's a toast (Cider, as he's a Somerset lad) to the latest British champ - and here's hoping for another one next year!
Andrew
P.S. Britain won another World Championship today - Beth Tweddle took Gold in the Floor event at the O2.
In addition to the Button's triumph, his team, Brawn GP also won, leading to some touching scenes as the perpetually cool and collected Ross Brawn let the emotion get the better of him. As well as thanking all the engineers and staff of the team, he also paid tribute to the work of 200 staff who had to be laid off early in the season, which was a lovely touch.
It has been a fairytale story - the team which was put up for sale by Honda just over a year ago storming into an early and commanding lead which no other team or driver could consistently match, with the clinching of the two titles with a race in hand. This story has also, however, been much rehearsed, so I shall move on...
There is another fairytale story, though. The story of a man who, in his previous 9 years in Formula 1 had won just 1 race. A man who, while showing great promise as a driver (including finishing 3rd in 2004 had never really had a car able to compete with the powerhouses of Ferrari and McLaren.
Formula 1 is a team sport, and a marathon. It is not sufficient to be a good driver or to have a good car. What is required is consistency - a car which can deliver the goods, a driver who is on form, slick pit-stops, insightful strategy. Luck plays a part, and many say that Jenson has had a number of lucky races. Over the piste, however, luck has a habit of working both ways and luck alone does not deliver world champions.
There are others who feel the title is less deserved as the bulk of Button's points came in the first 7 races when Brawn dominated. This is a weak argument - Usain Bolt's wins aren't less celebrated because he does the bulk of the work in the first 60 metres. Those people making that argument have no alternative. Indeed, the alternative method preferred by Bernie Ecclestone (head of F1) is a to select the winner based on most races won. That would make the 2009 champion.... Jenson Button!
His achievement makes him the 10th Brit to win Formula 1, following in the footsteps of past greats such as Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart and, of course, directly succeeding Lewis Hamilton.
So here's a toast (Cider, as he's a Somerset lad) to the latest British champ - and here's hoping for another one next year!
Andrew
P.S. Britain won another World Championship today - Beth Tweddle took Gold in the Floor event at the O2.
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Just a Minute Reloaded
Some time ago, I came across the following animation. Having recently been reminded of it, I thought I would share it. The narrative is taken from an episode of the Radio 4 programme "Just a Minute" and Paul Merton has been tasked with talking about Sudoku. Cue a typically surreal flight of fancy from Merton...
Enjoy!
If you liked that, then try this.
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