Tuesday, 20 May 2008

If there’s no one to see it, has it really happened?

Aung San Suu Kyi
If a tree falls in the woods, and there's no one around to hear it, has it made a sound? If Channel 5 News has no pictures is it worth reporting? Judging from the few seconds afforded in one weekend report to the current crisis in Burma, the answer from a Channel 5 point of view would appear to be 'No'. In the same report they did thankfully manage several minutes on the China earthquake, they had endless pictures of collapsed buildings to perk their interest, but undermined their dubious credibility with a few minutes on a YouTube video posted by Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse (talented people wasting their lives always draws in the red-top readership).

If only Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had been born with her feet the wrong way around, or had an unusual eating disorder, then Channel 5 might have shown more interest. Shoddy television news reporting only encourages, and in their minds justifies, the isolationist tendencies of Burma's military leaders. As it is we are once again reliant on decent newspaper coverage to inform us of what is happening; it's a shame none of us read any more.

Saturday, 17 May 2008

I am the destroyer of (plant) life

As the time approaches for the return of Mrs R, the thought occurs to me that perhaps I should have done as asked and watered the various plants around the house. In particular the plastic containers positioned on every windowsill to catch the light, so that the seeds (of what I have no idea) have a chance to grow. I recall once renting a house for three months and only remembering to water the plants at the very end; it was as if I thought with enough water I could somehow bring them back to life.

Cheesecake
Trouble is I've been so busy putting discs in the DVD player, taking discs out of the DVD player, cursing the DVD player drawer for constantly sticking (they don't make cheap £20 supermarket DVD players like they used to any more), that it's easy to forget everything else. Tonight is my last chance to catch up on anything I'd like to watch without interruption, or indeed chance to watch anything at all. It's an opportunity to watch something intellectually stimulating or something puerile and fun... and there's a large vanilla cheesecake in the fridge... oh dear.

Thursday, 15 May 2008

In winter

Do I dare disturb the earth
Poke my head above the ground
Is it safe for me outside
Can I take a look around

Do I dare disturb a world
That once I would placate
Or breathe a safe existence
For a while and hibernate

Do I dare disturb a life
Though around me cold has come
Or tie myself in Gordian knot
For fear of being undone

Sunday, 27 April 2008

Mace Windu versus Samuel Pepys (Jedi Knight)

My seven year old daughter recently informed me of a startling similarity between Mace Windu (famous for his diary on a galaxy far far away) and Samuel Pepys (famous for starting the great fire of London by accidentally igniting a bale of straw with his light sabre); they were both bald.
Mace Windu and Samuel PepysI think you'll agree - the resemblance is uncanny.

Wednesday, 23 April 2008

Easy fixes

So I asked my daughter "What's your favourite film? ... Is it 'High School Musical'?" - I remembered seeing her once (or more) watching it before trying to back out of the living room unnoticed. "Is it 'Grease'?" – I knew that dancing was a key factor. She pursed her lips and then raised her hand to me as if to say "Back off, I'm thinking". After some careful deliberation she replied "I don't know Daddy. What's your favourite film?"

Un Coeur En Hiver
Considering she's only six I gave this far too much thought, and there are dozens to choose from, but I eventually told her "You know, I think it might be Un coeur en hiver"

"What does that mean?"

"A Heart in Winter" I said. "It's a French film".

"Can I watch it?"

"I'm not sure you'd like it."

"I would…" she said. "What's it about?"

"A beautiful violinist who falls in love with a violin maker, but he is unable to love her in return."

"Why not?"

"His heart isn't working properly."

"Why doesn't he see a doctor?"

"Good question…" I said, "I suppose some things aren't all that easy to fix."

Monday, 31 March 2008

Green is the colour

Carbon offsetting cartoon
What is the purpose of green taxation? I’m not arguing the importance of preserving the environment; I’ll take that as read. What I’d like to know is how a green tax helps in this respect? This sounds like a pointless question until you look at those taxes implemented to date and ask whether they’ve done anything to improve the situation.

Has the energy tax on power generating companies changed people’s habits?

Has a huge level of tax on petrol stopped people from using their cars?

Will a tax on air travel stop people from taking holidays abroad and is it fair?

The problem with many environmental taxes is two-fold. The first is that unless there is a way to avoid paying the charge whilst still obtaining the goal, they don’t actually achieve anything. I need energy to keep me warm in winter; an energy tax only hurts the poor and elderly. I travel to work by car every day not because I want to, but because there’s no viable alternative. Whilst an air tax might feasibly make travel abroad too expensive for some, in reality all that’s been achieved is to make such holidays elitist; leaving them firmly in the grasp of the middle classes who will appease their guilt over the next skiing trip by buying into some carbon-offsetting nonsense.

The second problem with environmental taxes is psychological; a lot of people seem to like paying them. It’s the equivalent of confessional time at the Church, you pay your tax and all is forgiven. It may make us feel better but it doesn’t actually do the environment any good. It hasn’t stopped me from driving to work, because I have to drive to work; I haven’t been provided with a choice.

Whilst the government may applaud people’s willingness to be fleeced of their money, this kind of taxation is dangerous as it encourages the public to continue with their non-ecological lifestyles, it might even make some feel better in the mistaken belief that their money is being put to good use. Green taxes have resulted in many environmental groups taking their eye off the ball and consequently the pressure off the authorities.

The real issue, as it always has been, is the requirement for integrated policy from central government. But an integrated transport policy, for example, would require a consistency of thought that doesn’t give itself easily to sound-bites and, judging from the mad re-positioning of the main political parties, doesn’t win votes. The real problem, as it always has been, is us.

Friday, 8 February 2008

It all came toppling down

Jenga
Many years ago, more than I care to remember, when I still believed in 'that kind of thing', Mrs R commented on how commercial Valentines Day had become. I distinctly remember her saying that buying flowers was such a waste of money considering how long they lasted.

Result, I thought. Somehow, purely by accident, I had a partner who would be able to recognise the real essentials of life; such as a flat screen television, multi-media PC and a subscription to the sports channels.

In my defence I did recognise my mistake, though it came far too late. In the spirit of originality, or perhaps desperation, I bought her Jenga. Whoops...