A Small Blow For Common Sense

I'm delighted to read that an American judge has ruled against the teaching of so-called "Intelligent Design" in science classes in publicly funded schools. Surely if this pseudo-scientific trojan horse creationism has a place to be taught at all, it's in religious education with all the other fairy stories.

Why am I bothered about this anyway? This case is over on the other side of the pond, but I've no doubt that we have plenty of our own bible-bashers who'd like to try the same trick here.

TOO LATE: A quick google has turned up this tale of near brainwashing in a city technology college :-(

Merry Christmas, Mr Blair ?

There's an opinion poll in this morning's Guardian which must have sent an icy chill through the corridors of 10 Downing Street. I think that the article sums things up perfectly - Labour's run out of steam. So what is the Labour Party equivalent of the men in grey suits?

C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est-pas Le Pur Sang!

I was entranced watching last night's Top Gear by the "race" between a Cessna light aircraft and the Bugatti Veyron.

That car is an engineering tour-de-force! There can't possibly be a petrolhead anywhere on the planet who wouldn't want to get behind the wheel of one, definitely including me...However, I don't think it should have been called a Bugatti.

I can forgive the fact that it's been made by Volkswagen, but what I have a problem with is the look of the thing. In their illustrious past, the "real" Bugatti company gave us the Type 57 Atlantique - surely one of the most beautiful cars there has ever been or will ever be. This wunderwagen is hideously ugly.

Actually, I reckon that VW have missed a chance here - they could have used one of the other brand names they own and proved for once and for all that Germans DO have a sense of humour. Skoda Veyron, anyone?!!

Paging Bruce Willis!

There's a small chance that an asteroid, Apophis, could collide with the earth in 31 years time. If it does begin to look likely, I wonder how long it would take the international community to decide on what to do - am I alone in being pessimistic about the chances of such decisions being taken without an interminable degree of wrangling?

"Klipped" Wings ?

I've just seen a report in the New Scientist suggesting that the European Space Agency will not invest funding in the development of Russia's new Kliper space-plane. This is, to my mind, rather shortsighted. There are real question marks over the chance that the US will ever fly the shuttle again and their proposed Lunar and Martian manned exploration plans may quite possibly not get off the paper they're written on, still less leave a launch-pad...

Enjoy It While It Lasts

The cold spell of weather we've had over the last couple of weeks seems to have gone and I woke up this morning to find a milder, but duller and damper morning. However, reading this article in today's Times, it looks like the cold could come back in the future with a vengeance, if the Gulf Stream shuts down.

So, whilst the rest of the world faces global warming, looks as if it's the big freeze for us....bl**dy typical!

Gone, But Not Forgotten

A year ago today, I lost my old border collie Kane. I still miss him and think I always will to some degree or other, but the pain did subside.

I'm more grateful than ever that I have got another dog, Rolo - the lummox! For all that dogs can tie you down a bit, not to mention the fun of walking them in the wet, I'd hate to live without having one around.

Truly, they are man's best friend!

Stargazer

I've commented from time to time about my interest in astronomy. Apart from the occasinal glimpse of the moon through a pair of binoculars, though, I've never done anything other than naked eye astronomy. Something I would really like to do is to see the rings of Saturn and every so often I seriously consider buying a basic telescope.

Mooching around the 'net this morning when I should have been working (sorry, Boss) I noticed this offer. Notwithstanding the fact that as telescopes go, it probably isn't anything to write home about, shouldn't the word be ASTRONOMY and definately not ASTROLOGY!

Make Your Mind Up Time

Today the few remaining members of the Conservative party who have yet to meet the grim reaper will receive their ballot papers to decide which of the two Davids on offer should become their leader. As a rule, I don't get all that worked up about Tory leadership changes - after all, we've seen quite a few of them over the last few years! This time, though I think it's rather more important.

Despite having won the election earlier this year, it seems as if Labour are imploding. We've seen Blunkett depart (again), the cabinet seem unable to agree about much of anything, even something as important about a smoking ban and, no doubt, behind the scenes the party seems far more interested in sorting out the succession to Tony Blair than the mundane issue of running the country.

Perhaps if the Tories were to break with their recent tradition and choose a leader who might make a credible prime minister in waiting - so that's you disqualified, Mr Davis - then it might light a much-needed fire under Labour, such that they could sort themselves out. If they don't, I guess we're in for a rerun of the John Major years - just what we need, I don't think...

Surely Not?

I've just read that the demented old bigot Ian Paisley is to become a Privy Councillor, entitling him to be referred to as the "Right Honourable". This one strikes me as rather odd, since I'd have said that the gent is question is neither of those adjectives...

Oxymoron

I've been quite interested watching the goings-on associated with the Tory leadership election. This is actually pretty important, Labour could do with an efficient and coherent Opposition party - something which has been lacking pretty much ever since 1997.

I'm also quite interested to hear what David Cameron hasd had to say - it's just possible that he's really serious about changing his party, which it rather needs. I was a little gobsmacked yesterday to hear him talk of "modern" conservatism however since, as far as I'm aware, the average age of party members is over 65...

iWant

Having dropped my 9-month old iPod into a bucket of water a fortnight ago (don't ask) I was delighted last week when my insurers supplied me with a brand new colour iPod photo as its replacement. As my soggy one had been the monochrome variety, this represented a welcome upgrade...

Now I find that Apple have upgraded the iPod and the new version, with video playback capabilities, is even more desirable. Don't think I'd get away with another accident, though...

Forever Autumn!

I was lucky enough last night to see the stupendous Mostly Autumn in concert. It's the fifth time over the last eighteen months or so that I've been to one of their gigs and they just get better and better.

If you've had a surfeit of X-Factor style manufactured pop-pap, why not see what real musicians can do?

Who Are You to Judge Me?

Finding myself with a welcome spare hour last night, I sat down to watch a BBC programme called "God and the Politicians", which concerned the rising amount to which various religious bodies are starting to involve themselves in politics.

I find this distrubing enough, but what really got up my nose was the implication from various people interviewed that without some kind of faith, you can't have a moral framework. This is arrant nonsense, I have a pretty secular approach to life and am very much non-religious, but I still know the difference between right and wrong.

Lookout, Outlook!

I'm delighted to read a report that Mozilla's excellent Thunderbird e-mail client is to have calendar facilities merged into it. Obviously, this will result in a worthy rival for Microsoft's Outlook - only it'll be free...

Fine, but...

I watched the Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday and was pleased to see Fernando Alonso become the new - and youngest ever - world champion.

However, there's no getting away from the fact that Formula 1 has become incredibly dull to watch. I can't help feeling that the new A1 Grand Prix series, which began yesterday with its inaugural race at Brands Hatch, would have been more entertaining. It's a crying shame that it's not being broadcast by anyone other than Sky Sports - I'd like to have watched it but already give far to much money each month to Mr Murdoch...

Hello Again

Last night I was outdoors and looking at the sky at exactly the right time to watch the International Space Station pass overhead - something I've not seen for a year or so.

No matter how many times I watch this brilliant point of light speed by, I still think it's an impressive sight. If you want to see it yourself, point your web-browser at the very helpful Heavens Above website - all you need to know is there.

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today...

That I went to the Wembley Arena to see Queen in concert. Of the three times I was lucky enough to see them on stage, this was the best gig.

If he was still with us, today would also have been Freddie's birthday - as we recently saw with the Live 8 gig, there's not another front-man in a group anywhere who could hold a candle to him...

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Is it just me, or is the crowing about 98% of GCSE students achieving a "pass" grade a load of nonsense?

It does sound wonderful, but as I read into it, another story emerges. Apparently, the statistic counts ANY grade at all as being a pass, which is not my take on things at all. When I sat my GCE 'O' Levels, a long time ago admittedly, A-C were passes, D-E were failures. Take the same measure to yesterday's results and you get a 61% figure, which is rather more realistic - if less headline grabbing...

Stay Away

I'm less than delighted to hear that lunatic "cleric" Omar Bakri, less than 24 hours after fleeing Britain has announced that he intends to return. As I understand it, he's not in possession of a British passport, so I sincerely hope that he would be turned away.

One less bigot will make the country a better place.

Another Good Idea?

Whilst I wrote my previous post, it occurred to me that surfing te web with a laptop - which is what I'm doing - is not as easy as the same task when done with a desktop machine.

Why couldn't laptops have scroll-wheels built into them? It can't be technically difficult to do, and in these days when just about every mouse you can buy has a wheel, managing without one seems anachronistic and clumsy!

A Superb Idea

I was impressed to read in this morning's Sunday Times about a scheme to "prescribe" pets to the long term sick. It might sound rather unconventional, but I reckon that it could work...

I Was Afraid This Would Happen

I'm very disturbed by a report that racial attacks in Britain have sky rocketed since the London bombings.

Quite apart from the evil nature of these attacks, which I condemn completely and utterly, can't the lowlife scum responsible for them get their tiny little minds around the thought that the only people that this action will benefit are those who are responsible for the bombings in the first place.

FACT: Britain is a multicultural and multiracial society. We'd be all the poorer for the lack of this.

Fingers Crossed

Four weeks ago, London endured the 7/7 bombings. Two weeks ago it was the 21/7 failed attacks. Hope nothing happens today...

Houston, Have We A Problem?

I've just heard that NASA's grounded the shuttle fleet again - apparently the problem with the external tank shedding foam has been observed with Tuesday's launch. Unless there's a quick fix for this, which I doubt, then I seriously wonder if the shuttle with ever launch again?

Of course, it will have to fly at least once more as Discovery - my favourite, since it was on the pad when I visited the Kennedy Space Center in 1984 - is currently in orbit. Hope they all make it back home OK...

Round Two ?

It sounds as if there was another terrorist attack on London this afternoon, though this one appears to have failed. Exactly what do the perpetrators imagine this will achieve?. It sounds as if things are getting back to normal and if, or when the next attack occurs, I expect the same will happen then.

My upcoming visit to "The Smoke" next month, remains as scheduled.

A Pause for Reflection

It's a week since the London bombings, and I've just observed the two minutes' silence. As I did so, I couldn't help thinking about the families of the bombers. They don't appear to have had any inkling of what was going to happen and their lives will have been just as shattered as those of the victims' families.

Come to think of it, are they not victims, too?

Special Relationship My @rse!

I'm not hugely impressed to read that the Americans have ordered their military to avoid London and anywhere within the M25 in the wake of what's now being called "7/7". I presume that similar orders were given regarding New York after the attack on the World Trade Center. No? Thought not...

For the record, I have a visit to London scheduled to see my family later next month. Even if there are more attacks between now and then, I'm going.

UPDATE: Apparently, the ban's now been rescinded. I should think so, too.

Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner

This is what London Mayor ken Livingston had to say following yesterday's atrocities:

" I want to say one thing specifically to the world today. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at presidents or prime ministers.

It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old.

It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion or whatever.

That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith, it is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder and we know what the objective is. They seek to divide Londoners.

I said yesterday to the International Olympic Committee that the city of London is the greatest in the world because everybody lives side-by-side in harmony.

Londoners will not be divided by the cowardly attack. They will stand together in solidarity alongside those who have been injured and those who have been bereaved and that is why I'm proud to be the Mayor of that city.

I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life. I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society.

Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."

Says it all, really.

Oh Sh1t

Looks as if London's just been attacked, with explosions on the Underground and also a bus. I lived in London for the first 25 years of my life and can only hope that nobody I know will have been caught up in it...

Wish I Was There

I really enjoyed watching the coverage of Live 8 on Saturday. Being of a certain age, I still remember watching the original Live Aid gig and it's interesting to see how polished some of the performers were this time around, compared to the rock'n'roll raggedness of 1985.

Of course, the highlight for me was watching Pink Floyd. I was lucky enugh to see them perform The Wall at Earl's Court in '81 and I'd forgotten just how good they were. I don't suppose there's much likelihood of them doing anything else, but if they do I want to be there...

The Farce Continues

Apparently, the teams which refused to race at the Indianapolis Grand Prix have been found guilty of bringing Formula One into disrepute - well, the FIA was hardly likely to charge itself, was it?

Interestingly, the sentence won't be announced until mid-September. No doubt when it is, the severity will depend on how much of a leg up is required by Ferrari...

Automotive Hara-kiri

I settled down to watch the US Grand Prix after a very pleasant day yesterday and I still can't believe what I saw. How can a "race" in which seven out of ten competing teams withdraw before the start have any meaning or validity whatsoever?

In their efforts to give struggling Ferrari a leg up - and what other reason can there possibly have been for not agreeing to allow the building of a chicane which would have enabled the Michelin-shod teams to compete - the FIA have clearly forgotten about the punters.

If this is what Formula 1 has come to, then it's time to start over. Hopefully the rival GPWC series which has been set up by the manufacturers for 2008 and beyond will fill the void...

(X&)Y Shouldn't I Rip It?

I've just bought a copy of Coldplay's new album. For convenience, I prefer to rip all my CDs to MP3, which can then be stored on my server PC. This is networked around my home so that I can listen to my music wherever it suits me. I do NOT file-share.

To my annoyance I found that the disc is copy-protected in an attempt to prevent me from enjoying music I've already legitimately bought and paid for. I really don't see what this is really achieving - there are copies of the album already floating around the 'net, so the only people suffering from this are the likes of me - who rather than sponging or stealing have put their cash up front.

Needless to say, I've got round the protection anyway and now have a high quality set of X & Y MP3s safely copied to my server...

Chutzpah

So Michael Jackson's been found not guilty. I'm not that surprised, mainly because what I've heard of the prosecution's case hasn't proved the allegations "beyond reasonable doubt". Had I been on the jury, I'd probably have acquitted him, too. That said, I agree with the view of one of the jurors, who stated the opinion that he probably had abused children, there just wasn't the proof.

I'm somewhat amazed to have heard that MJ's website is apparently comparing the acquittal with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release of Nelson Mandela. Clearly, the guy's only losely connected to planet Earth.

What's Been Going On?

I've been away on holiday for a bit and have pretty much been out of touch. Whilst I was incommunicado, it appears that the country has finally, undoubtedly gone completely barking mad...

The singles music chart has been an irrelevance for me for years, nevertheless I was stunned to discover that the chart topper is now a bl**dy ringtone, and an extremely annoying one at that. Is this really the best "music" currently available? I think not!

Finally Over

I was 12 years old when the first Star Wars film came out and being an avid sci-fi fan rushed off to the cinema to see it. Who would have realised that it would take another 27 years until I'd see the last fil in the series, which is what I did last night.

Revenge of the Sith was very good indeed. Given that you could pretty much work out what would happen, I really wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this one, but I needn't have worried! It formed a superb bridge between the "first three" and the new prequels and, perhaps best of all, even though Jar-Jar Binks was in it - briefly - he never spoke a word!

Moral Dilemma

I really do not like George Galloway MP. He's an obnoxious, self-admiring man with whose politics I do not agree. That said, I'm having a great deal of trouble not having a degree of admiration for how he verbally beat the living daylights out of the US Senate when answering accusations they'd made.

The big problem for me here is deciding which of the two sides I despise the most...

Idiot Box Indeed

I enjoy good television - much of which is provided, in my view, when the BBC is on form. Sadly, there's plenty of the other kind of programming too, much of which seems to stem from the current obsession with "reality TV". Incidentally, how much of this genre has anything to do with reality?

I think yesterday ITV managed to plumb new depths in their never-ending quest for pointless programming, treating us to "Celebrity Love Island". To be fair, I didn't watch this, so there is the possibility - albeit highly remote - that I may have missed a televisual treat. Somehow, though, I doubt it very much...

Respect

I've been very interested to read about Mr Blair's recent comments regarding a lack of respect in society and, for a change, I find myself very much in agreement with him.

What I can't imagine, though, is how he's going to fix this. If a poll was taken, I've a feeling that politicians would be one of the least respected sections of the community, so who's going to be listening to them anyway?

Not An Easy Choice

It's election day and, at the end of what's seemed a particularly dull and lacklustre campaign, I shall shortly pop down to the polling booth and cast my ballot. I live in a constituency which is in no sense marginal and since I don't support the party of our current MP there is a question as to how valuable my vote really is.

Of course, the important issue is that by casting it, I earn the right to spend the next 4-5 years moaning about whoever does get in!

The King is Dead?

I was enthralled by the second half of yesterday's San Morino Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher was in top form, starting from thirteenth place on the grid and moving up to second place, but try as he did, he wasn't able to pass Fernando Alonso who won what is onbe of the most enjoyable GPs I've watched in years. Could turn out to be quite a season...

POSTSCRIPT

To the ITV bozos who elected to run an ad break during the very last few laps until just before the finish - Thanks very much... I don't think.

Happy Birthday

The Hubble Space Telescope is fifteen years old today. Like most teenagers, it's getting a bit stroppy - mostly as various components wear out, particularly the gyroscopes. In the wake of the Columbia disaster, NASA abandoned plans for another servicing mission to the 'scope, so there's every likelihood that its remaining lifespan is short - perhaps another couple of years or so.

I find this a real shame. The science achieved using the HST has been outstanding, but better yet has been the imagery - just look at how many beautiful images have been photographed with it.

Cretin !

I've just returned from walking my mutt around a rather wet park to see a BMW driver reach a new nadir in driving standards!

As I waited to cross the road, a bloke in a 5-series drove by. There's nothing wrong with this, except that strapped to his dashboard was a portable DVD player. It wasn't sat-nav kit or anything of that nature and I can be sure of this because I recognised the film he - and there wasn't anybody else in the car - was watching!

The car might have been the ultimate driving machine, but the ultimate driver? I think not.

Nice One, Auntie !

Having distinctly geekish tendencies, I was very interested to discover that this year's Reith Lectures have the series title "The Triumph of Technology" and I'm very keen to hear them.

Unfortunately, they're not being transmitted at a time which is convenient to me, so I'm rather pleased to find that the Beeb are making them available in MP3 format for download. Better still, the've made them available via "Podcasting", which means that I can schedule a program on my PC to download them to my home server as they become available, so that I can listen whenever it's convenient.

Could we have some more programmes made available this way please, Auntie?

How Primitive

I dropped my car into the garage for its annual service today and, as usual, picked up a courtesy car. Unlike my own car, this one had a manual gearbox - something I've not used for two or three years - and that took me a bit of getting used to again.

I have to say that the idea of stirring a little stick around to change gear seems a bit old fashioned, compared to just letting the car do all the work. I know some people say that if you drive an automatic then you're missing the driver experience, but I don't believe that's true. Guess I'm just getting lazy in my old age!

How Soon We Forget

Originally, I wasn't going to write anything regarding the death of Pope John Paul II, having of late written enough about religious matters, but a programme on BBC1 this evening looking back over his papacy has led me to change my mind.

I'm no fan of the Roman Catholic church, profoundly disgreeing with it on many issues, but I'd be the first to admit that this pope was a very impressive man. What the programme reminded me about was John Paul II back in his prime, long before he became a sick old man.

He'd travelled all over the world, is reputed to have met more people than anyone else - ever - and beyond doubt played a major role in the fall of communism. That's not a bad CV and whatever one's religious views surely nobody would disagree that he'll be a hard act to follow.

Swords and Sorcery

When I was about half way through my time in junior school, my class was given several books to read - perhaps half a dozen in total. I can still remember what several of these were - Born Free, The Sundowners, and Treasure Island, but the one I enjoyed the most was "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin.

This was a fantasy tale of wizards and witches and good against evil, somewhat in the style of The Lord of The Rings or, more recently Harry Potter, and I enjoyed it so much that soon after I invested my pocket money in a copy of my own, together with the two sequels. I've read them may times and they're still part of my library.

A couple of months ago I was delighted to read that the first two books had been adapted for TV by the Sci-Fi Channel and, better still I could buy the DVD now, rather than wait for the series to air. I've just sat down and watched it and whilst I'd be the first to admit that there are some major liberties with the original works, I still found it all rather enjoyable.

If you like a bit of swords and sorcery fantasy, why not give it a whirl? Better yet - go read the books, which I've only just discovered are now four in number.

Not a Kind of Magic

When announcements were made that Brian May, Roger Taylor and Paul Rodgers would tour as Queen, I hoped that it would work out and very seriously considered buying tickets for one of the gigs. In the end I didn't do so and I'm afraid that it looks as if this was the right choice.

I've just "found" on the web some MP3s of four tracks they played at an AIDS benefit yesterday in South Africa and I'm afraid that it just didn't work. Obviously, Freddie Mercury is an impossible act to follow and no Freddie = no Queen.

Why?

Apparently yesterday the local mosque in my town was set alight. Fortunately it was discovered in time for the fire to be extinguished and the building's still intact.

Inevitably, there's been plenty of speculation as to why this happened, but there seems to be a possibilty that it may have been more arson/vandalism than racially motivated. I totally and completely deplore this crime and can't help hoping that it was "just" mindless vandalism. I happen to know some of the town's moslems - Islam is the religion of my ex-wife's former employer - and I really hope that they aren't being targetted by any bigotted nutters.

Sit!

As a confessed dog-lover, I sat down last night and watched the first night's TV coverage of Crufts. I'm actually getting quite bemused by the whole idea of dog shows - what point is there to them - does it really matter how tall a particular breed is, or what colour of fur they have, or even the shape of their ears?

My dog Rolo is a crossbreed - half labrador/half golden retriever so I imagine that he'd be anathema to the "pot-hunters" who infest these shows. However, he looks lovely - not just my opinion because people have been known to stop me in the street and say so - and he has a very appealing nature. Now that we've done some training, he's also starting to behave very well. As a friend of mine pointed out this morning, some of the show dogs were pulling on the lead...

If this sounds like a rant against show dogs, it's not. In fact Rolo is descended from a show line, his great grandad was a champion labrador. My problem is with the idea of dogs as "objects", not forgetting the damage caused to so many of them by the chronic inbreeding their lines have suffered.

Dogs are for enjoying the company of, not for display as some kind of furry artwork!

To View or Not to View, that is the question

The Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix. If the season's going to be anything like the last few, ie mostly a succession of Michael Schumacher parading round at the front of the race for lap after lap, I can't really be bothered to watch - certainly I won't be getting up at 01:55 to see it live!

On the other hand, maybe this could be the year that Ferrari cease to dominate the sport? It's rumoured that Montoya has settled in very well with MacLaren, so perhaps the Prancing Horse may stumble...

Brrrr

The cold snap's continuing and, apart from yesterday, which offered the unlovely combination of being both cold and wet, I really haven't minded it. About the biggest problem I've faced has been the radiator in my office, which doesn't actually appear to be working...

This being the case, I was more than slightly nonplussed when I popped up to the canteen, bought a bar of chocolate, unwrapped it, and promptly found that it had melted! Shame some of the excess heat up ther couldn't be directed to the are of my poor cold toes!

Religion Again

I'm still much preoccupied with matters religious. This time, this is due to a court decision supporting the right of a muslim schoolgirl to wear a jilbab gown.

It now seems to me that all religion is does in this country is to cause strife and division and I feel we've reached the point where it's out of control.

It seems to me that we'd be much better off if Britain took the plunge and became a secular state. Ideally, I'd welcome a situation whereby you could believe in anything you like, but could not expect any state support in doing so - for example, no state supported faith schools. Surely then we could see a person's private beliefs become a matter for them and a concern of nobody else.

The Scent of a Rodent?

There was a piece published in today's Sunday Times which claimed that the cost of converting households to DTT (Digital Terrestrial TV) or Freeview, in other words, could be as much as £955! Given that I bought a box for 55 quid, plugged it in and that was all I needed, this rather surprised me.

Of course, the penny rapidly dropped: The Sunday Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who of course also happens to have Sky TV - which is rather suffering in terms of new subscriptions to its rather expensive offerings, thanks largely to Freeview I suspect - in his rather extensive media holdings.

Quality journalism - don't think so...

Love One Another?

As some of my recent posts have indicated, I'm getting more and more fed up with the antics and mouthings of some of the country's more demented religious fundamentalists. Chief nutcase of these is one Stephen Green - director of "Christian Voice".

Mr Green, did not the son of your god call upon you to love one another? If he did, and I'm sure this is mentioned somewhere or other in the collection of fairy stories that you spout on about, could you please explain your organisation's stance on the Hindu festival of Diwali?

Your article appears to say that Hinduism is Satanic, which not only fails to show the "love thy neighbour" attitude but, I suspect, could possibly be classed as Incitement to Racial Hatred. This is illegal in this country under the Race Relations Act 1976.

Christian Voice? More like the British National Party at prayer I reckon.

60K for a Sparrow on a Stick?

I usually defend the BBC, but this is challenging me a bit! I'm not sure that £60000 for this particular artwork is what you could really call value for money...

Who The Hell Do These People Think They Are?

I'm absolutely furious to have discovered that a lunactic christian (?) pressure group have managed to stop a £3000 donation to a cancer charity. If that's what christianity's about, then we'd be better off without it.

Infallibility? Don't Think So

The Pope has apparently, in his latest book, compared abortion to the Holocaust. This is plain ridiculous and leads me to wonder exactly what right, save I suppose that of free speech, this elderly celibate cleric has to pronounce that what must be one of the most agonising decisions any woman can face is in any way comparable to genocide.

Am I Certifiable?

It's rather cold outside at the moment, there's a light dusting of snow on the ground and the wind's blowing straight from Siberia and has a sharp edge to it. Despite all this, I think it's rather nice outside...though you wouldn't want to stand still for long!

Just Say No

Apparently George W appears to have tried marijuana. Well, there you have it - proof that drugs really do screw you up...

Vulture

Last Friday saw a tower crane collapse on a building site at a school not far from where I live which, sadly, caused two fatalities. Yesterday evening I went past the scene and it is an unpleasant sight - the carne involved was still there and looks as if its jib was made of spaghetti.

To my disgust, one woman was standing over the road looking at it all and busily taking photographs. Judging from the kit she was using, she wasn't a press photographer, so I can only assume the pictures were intended as some kind of macabre souvenir. Sick...

Fine, now give them a break

I've just heard that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles are going to marry in a couple of months' time. Personally, I've no particular feelings about this one way or the other, but I can't help thinking how nice it would be if the reptiles of the press could keep their tabloid noses out of the marriage.

Fat chance...

What a Difference a Week Makes

I've been off work for most of the last week with a short-lived, but particularly virulent, form of 'flu. Today I've gone back to earning a living, which will have pleased my dog as it means that he gets a quick walk around the local park before I slip along to the salt-mine.

I was delighted to see that, before we finished the walk, daylight had began to appear. It makes life so much easier when you can actually see what your faithful hound's up to...

Shame on Us

For our last General Election, in 2001, only 59.4% of us could be bothered to turn out and put our cross on the ballot paper. In all probability, when we go to the polls next time - perhaps May this year - the turnout is unlikely to be significantly higher.

Contrast this with the election held yesterday in Iraq. Would-be voters there faced the very real possibility of injury or death - over 40 people did die in attacks. Despite this, the turnout figure there is estimated at 57%...

Dignity

I happened to catch the news coverage last night of the last four British prisoners from Guantanamo bay last night. It gave me much to think about: for a start, were any of them actually guilty of anything? Surely if this was the case, then the Americans would have charged them...

Regardless of guilt or innocence, I was most struck with the quiet and dignified behaviour of Azmat Begg, father of one of the detainees. Would I have been as calm in the same circumstances? Somehow, I rather doubt it.

Thanks for Sharing That

Apparently, some under-occupied academic has determined that next Monday will be the worst, most depressing day of the year.

Not for me it won't - it's my day off!

Put Your Own House In Order

I was rather bemused to read that US ISP Verizon has blocked email from Europe in an attempt to fight spam. I receive around 100 spam emails per day and almost all of them either come from, or certainly promote products from, the United States...

Maybe they should be looking a little closer to home?

Sour Grapes?

With today's rollout of the Airbus A380, the Boeing 747 is no longer the world's largest airliner. Reading about this new aerial behemoth, I was interested to discover that Boeing have complained to the World Trade Organisation about Airbus receiving illegal government subsidies.

Given that the 747 was developed form the earlier 707, which was a variation of the KC-135 tanker aeroplane, is it not possible to argue that Boeing received huge subsidies courtesy of the USAF and therefore the US government?

I Like It

I'm currently contemplating the purchase of an Apple iPod - though as I've just received my credit card bill for Christmas, it might have to wait a bit.

Being currently of a pro-Apple frame of mind, I'm very interested in the new "affordable" Mac. As an email/surfing machine, it might be rather lovely. Imagine - looks stunning, has the stability and security of a unix based OS, and the Mac OSX graphical user interface is absolutely gorgeous.

Of course, given the strength of the pound against the dollar, I do hope that when the mac Mini appears over here, we don't see any attempt to rip off us poor Brits...according to my calculations, the US price of $499 equates to just £267. YES PLEASE!!

UPDATE: I've just read that the Mac Mini will retail here for £339 - we're still being taken for a ride, but not as much as I'd expected.

No Thunderbolts Then?

Well, after the furore last week I made a special effort to watch Jerry Springer - The Opera, and I'm still here without even a whiff of brimstone!

I personally thought it was a very clever and extremely funny parody - the tap dancing KKK troupe towards the end of the first act had me laughing so much that it hurt. Yes, there were plenty of swearwords, but none that I've never heard before - anyway doesn't the "real" Gerry Springer Show have a fair number of bleeper moments?

My thanks must go to Mediawatch UK for drawing my attention to this work - I'd have hated to miss it!

One last thought, with regard to whomever made the alleged death threats to the BBC executives. Assuming this was one of the Christian fundamentalist nutters - yes, I am talking to you, Christian Voice - doesn't your god call upon you to "Turn the other cheek"? Come to think of it, I've a feeling that there may also be something in the bible along the lines of "Thou shalt not kill"

Turn Over Then

There's a nice little furore developing about the BBC's decision to show "Jerry Springer - the Opera" this coming weekend. Apparently the show contains numerous expletives with a dash of blasphemy thrown in for good measure, which appears to have wound up the usual bunch of god-botherers and self-appointed nannies...

The worst of these groups, MediawatchUK, have stated that "Licence fee payers do not expect the BBC to be pushing back boundaries of taste and decency in this way."

This is a bit odd, because I'm a licence fee payer, and I really can't recall being asked for my opinion. For the record, I have no issues with this programme being shown - I wasn't aware of it, but may well make a point of watching it just to get up the collective nose of the Mary Whitehouse-wannabes.

To those offended by the show I suggest either a: watch something else, or b: switch the box off altogether and get a life instead...

K I S S

No, the title's nothing to do with matters romantic:

Keep It Simple Stupid!

This is good advice and particularly applicable in the IT industry. Last night I went round to see a friend of mine who's just been given a PC. She's never really used them and is finding it very confusing.

This has made me think: To the likes of me - and I spend all day in front of a computer - they're very easy to use. However, to a beginner, PCs are incredibly complex. All my friend really wants to do is surf the web, send and receive email, and write the odd letter. Why can't we have simple easily-used consumer oriented PCs which are specifically designed for this sort of thing ?