Today in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was opened for the first time. The following day, it was opened for the second time and it has been opening daily ever since.
The Eiffel Tower - an instantly recognisable profile
It was the brain-child of Henri Eiffel and named after his brother Gustave Eiffel, the man who chose the colour scheme. It was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 40 years and is the equivalent of a 81 storey building at 324m tall. It is continuously being painted, much like the Forth Railway Bridge, and takes 14 million litres of paint to cover top to tail. Workmen occupy the structure 24 hours a day in order to complete the task.
Workmen painting nearly 300m above the River Seine
Todays Topic: The 2nd Amendment - The Right to Bear Arms
The second amendment to the American Constitution confers upon its citizens the right to 'keep and bear arms'. In short, it allows you to tool up and get ready for some serious rootin' tootin' shootin'.
Large handguns - keeping granny happy
Americans have grown to love their guns. Around 25% of adults and 40% of all households in the U.S. possess guns. They never miss an opportunity to wave dangerous weapons around in inappropriate circumstances and, as a result, about 10,000 people end up getting killed by guns every year. Nice!
Originally, some states within the union were opposed to ordinary citizens being able to own weapons. For over 140 years, the state of Oregon refused to allow women to own weapons by insisting on a literal interpretation of the wording of the Second Amendment - giving them only 'the right to bear (ursine) arms'. This statute still remains in the Oregon town of Fredericksburgville - where the town's women march through the main boulevard on Veterans' Day, holding aloft the arms of locally shot grizzly bears.
Martha Vandenburg proudly holding her 'bear's arm'
The Second Amendment nearly didn't get passed at all. There was fierce disagreement between John Hancock, a signatory of the Constitution and die-hard quaker pacifist, and the second President, John Adams. Hancock proposed that, whilst the right to bear arms was undeniable, every effort should be made to discourage the carrying of guns in public places. He argued that an extra provision should be included, requiring that those wanting to bear arms should also have to carry a hefty watermelon at all times. He reasoned that the onerous nature of this requirement would act as a deterent, and that citizens would soon tire of carrying both guns and watermelons. As history records, Adams won the argument and now only gun-totting quakers fulfil this condition voluntarily.
Quakers - guns and watermelons
Approximately 10% of american presidents have been shot dead whilst some others have been shot and survived. No one can be certain how each of them felt about this, but one can speculate that their support for the second amendment was probably their last regret as they bled to death. Perhaps there was a time when a citizen's need to own weapons made sense - a country born out of revolution often does so by having a well-armed populace. However, it is less clear why this should be the case today. Except that they do love their guns. Guns... and freedom. You know, freedom - like the right to bear arms.
Next Time - The First Amendment - The right to annoy everyone by talking very loudly or, as they refer to it, 'free speech'.
I have seen street entertainers do back flips - you know, running at a wall, then up it and flip over backwards onto their feet again. But, could the same be done with a car? Perhaps. But have you ever seen it done? Here is a very short clip showing that it is indeed possible. Quite impressive really.
William Hague, as Foreign Secretary, has been in the forefront of the efforts to tip the balance against Colonel Gaddafi in Libya. There is nothing he wants more than for this little escapade to end in Gaddafi's departure from the world stage - and british forces are actively helping to bring about such a result.
The problem is not so much that they may fail to depose an evil dictator. The world is full of such people. We will always have to put up with them and learn to live with them, so one more will make little difference to our interests. The real problem comes when we succeed in such military conquests.
Tony Blair enjoyed military success early in his period as Prime Minister. In 1999, Serb forces had run riot in Kosovo, killing many thousands of innocent people. To be very fair to Mr Blair, his intervention, and the military action that followed, was necessary and justified and put a stop to genocide. In the end, it helped to liberate Kosovo from a brutal regime. All well and good.
The down-side to this campaign occurred when Blair arrived in Kosovo and was lauded as a hero. The scenes were dizzying - thousands jostled to shake his hand and he shared a stage with a children's choir dubbed the 'Young Toniblers', singing the american Band-Aid anthem 'We are the World'. In short, he was treated as a liberating hero - which, of course, he was.
Blair mobbed by a grateful crowd in Kosovo
It must have been very difficult to maintain a level head after that. He had pursued a military solution to a world problem, succeeded, and been taken upwards on a cloud towards living sainthood. The manner of his welcome in Kosovo must have left him light-headed. Who could have blamed him? Is it any wonder that he became seduced by his status as a hero, a world statesman deserving of a place in history? Is it really that difficult to understand why he became enthralled by military solutions to difficult situations? Then, along came 9-11 and George Bush...
The halo-ed hero - seduced by a place in history
The rest is indeed history. Tony Blair's eagerness to join in disastrous military campaigns will occupy the history books for many years to come. Not just the outcome of the Iran and Afghanistan campaigns - but the single-minded enthusiasm, distortions, and lies - all of which steam-rollered us into a full-scale military intervention. He has gone from hero to zero in many ordinary people's eyes and now looks like a man comfortable only in the company of the exalted.
Blair - From Hero to Warmonger
So, maybe if Gaddafi gets off the hook and William Hague finds that UN Resolutions and military options are not the quick fix, regime-changing solutions he once thought they were, that may not be such a bad thing. Maybe his path to being a great statesman lies in hard diplomacy - by persuading other leaders and by using non-military options to bring troublesome dictators into line. Perhaps he will learn that being in the history books as a statesman of great repute will trump being there as a warmonger. And just maybe he will learn that sainthood is rarely the preserve of politicians anyway.
The worst outcome for a potential gambler is to win his first bet. Winning first time around can be a dizzying experience and can be the catalyst for a lifetime of gambling. No! Sometimes, it is better to lose a few quid on that first horse - it may help you to keep your hands in your pockets in future. If Gaddafi does survive, then maybe the rush to military action in the future will be more considered and not seem like a glamorous quick-fix solution. Don't be down-hearted Mr Hague. You may end up choosing your battles more carefully next time. And while you're at it - and if you are at all interested in sainthood - perhaps you could stop selling these evil dictators military hardware in the first place. That might just make you my hero.
This is the very definition of hair-raising. These guys jump off a cliff wearing a wing-suit - a jumpsuit with nylon flaps which act as mini wings - allowing the jumper to 'fly' and steer as they fall towards earth. These jumpers enjoy skimming the cliffs and trees as they descend into the valleys below. They are just mad!
Watch carefully in the first ten seconds. You will see spectators watching from a roadside, half way up the valley. They whoop with delight as a jumper flashes past at over 100mph, just a few metres away from the cliff edge. If you want to watch the full screen version, click here for the video on Youtube.
What happens if you are a taxidermist and you have no idea what a lion looks like? Well, that's what happened here.
The story goes that, in 1731, King Frederick I of Sweden received a lion skin as a gift. The taxidermist tasked with mounting the lion had never seen a lion in real life and only had a vague idea of what one was supposed to look like.
I say 'hats off' to the man. That really is a splendid effort - it looks just like the 'king of the jungle'. I can just imagine the king's delight when he saw this 'teddy bear' staring back at him. Oh - if only I had a time machine. That unveiling would be near the top of my list.
The latest Old Firm match has taken place and it was an all-action affair once again. Celtic were meeting Rangers for the 23rd time this season and the result was one of the closest in years, with Rangers winning 5-4.
Billy King (Rangers) squares up to Ciarin O'Catholic (Celtic)
Rangers kicked off the scoring with the quickest red card this year. Willie McOrange saw red after just 12 seconds when he kicked Celtic's Mickie O'Papal in the face. So, Rangers 1-0 up in the first minute, but the action didn't stop there. Celtic levelled at 1-1 just a couple of minutes later when Paddy O'Rosary punched Edward Never on the back of the head just a few metres away from the referee.
Edward Never makes an impression on O'Toole
As half time arrived, Rangers were 3-1 up, but Celtic were level before the second half had re-started when two of their players were sent off in the tunnel having beaten up a Rangers ball boy. The cards continued throughout the second half with some genuine skill being shown by both sets of players. However, with just seconds to go, Rangers found the decisive opening, gaining their fifth red card with a slick little move down the right wing. Harry Presbyterian displayed some neat footwork to break left-footer O'Catholic's nose with a flying kick, but Celtic lost the chance to equalise when Mickie O'Papal took his time to launch his retaliation.
Players marking each other
Sadly, the game produced very little in the way of football, with no goals being scored. Still, the fans went home happy after 9 red cards were handed out. Rangers boss, Robbie McNasty was on a high when he spoke to reporters after the game. "Where else do fans see as many as 9 red cards in one game? This is the best league in Scotland." Celtic manager, Fingal O'Ireland failed to appear at the press conference, but a hospital spokesman confirmed that he was in a stable condition at St Mungo's Hospital.
The four hundred and thirteen thousandth University Boat Race took place on the River Thames today. Thousands and tens of people gathered on the banks of the capital's river to cheer on the two teams with which each and every spectator has an unbreakable connection.
The teams approach the starting line - Old Harry's Pie Shoppe in Tooting
Oxfordshire University locked horns with Cambridgeshire University in the annual contest between american students studying makeshift degrees at the two ancient seats of learning. The capital was abuzz with excitement with most locals backing Oxfordshire to win the battle. Vicky Eel-pie and her husband Arthur were cheering on the local boy Hal P. Rickenbacker IV, a 6'12" oarsman rowing for the blues.
The Eel-pies
"Hal is a local boy", explained Vicky, pointing out that the Connecticut oarsman was born closest to the race venue. "We cockneys like to cheer on our own", continued Arthur, "we're with Oxfordshire all the way." "Like many people in the country, we have a deep interest in the outcome of this race because of the profound connection we feel with these two elitist institutions. I may not know anybody who has ever been to either university, but I'm sure I've heard of them both".
The tower of Mortlake Brewery stands proudly on the horizon
The bookies were backing the blues all the way too. "We have the blues at 37/19 on," said Euler Prime, a bookie who has covered the race for nearly two years. "One of these teams is bound to win, delighting the massive crowds in the process. Whether your team wins or not, it is a celebration of britishness".
Latest News
The result has just been received and the 'Blues' have won the race again. Congratulations the 'Blues'.
Hiding in his underground lair and planning the downfall of civilisation, William Hague turned 50 today. Never has the planet seen such a slippery weasel, a man so evil he makes Hitler look like a pussy cat and Stalin, a girl guide. He has risen to the rank of Foreign Secretary - oh, wait - to the rank of Leader of the Conservative Party, and then back down again to just Foreign Secretary. He points and laughs at the poor, drives his car over new-born babies and spits on blind people - just for fun - so it is alleged.*
Hague - without the make-up, or the cap
We've seen his sort before and we will doubtless see them again. In the meantime, we have to suffer this evil man and his evil ways. There are those that claim that the 'Anti-Christ' is amongst us and biding his time. Can anyone be in any doubt as to the true identity of the beast? I know who my money is on - the twisted one.
* These allegations are entirely without foundation. How much more proof do you need?
Just four short days ago, I posted that it was the 80th birthday of Star Trek legend, William Shatner. Well, today is the 80th birthday of his famous side-kick, Leonard Nimoy (aka Spock). How about that?
Leonard Nimoy - 80 today
So what, you may well obseve. I know that it is no big deal, but it tickles me anyway. Just four days apart in age, with Shatner the elder - after all, he was the captain. But although Kirk was the boss, I think that Spock has soaked a little more deeply into western culture and consequently pops up all over the place.
Commander-in-Ears
We mustn't forget that Star Trek has played its part in the shaping of western civilisation. It was more than just an intergallactic soap opera of the 1960's, with shaky sets and polystyrene boulders. During the latter part of that turbulent decade, amid huge cultural upheaval and civil rights blood-letting, the programme featured the first inter-racial kiss on U.S. television, when Kirk and Uhuru set american TVs to 'stun'. Although Kirk solved most situations by fighting hand to hand with actors in rubber alien masks, Spock, for his part, represented a more enlightened approach to cooperation across cultural divides.
Kirk & Uhuru - What happens in space can happen on Earth too
And one final point. There has long raged an argument amongst the sci-fi community, which can best be summarised as 'Star Wars or Star Trek - which is best'? I offer just one piece of evidence in this debate. George Lucas invented 'Jar-Jar Binks' as a serious offering to grace the Star Wars canon. If anything represents the pathetic drivel that Star Wars has served up over the years, then this grotesque character sums it up better than I ever could. Lucas designed it to have human eyes and a human smile in order to appeal to children and therefore be marketable as a doll. Can you imagine Gene Roddenberry doing that to any Star Trek character? I think not.
Jar-Jar Binks - proof that Star Wars was complete crap
Anyway, Happy Birthday, Leonard! I have always enjoyed the Star Trek franchises in their many manifestations and I have particularly enjoyed the contribution of Spock and Kirk. May you both keep boldly going for many years to come.
Hey everybody! Have a look at this. This is what they think of us. We're idiots.
Stupid
Yes, they think we are just plain stupid.
Last week, the UK government was in the vanguard of the great and the good, seeking a UN resolution to establish a no-fly zone over Libya. We had to stop mad-man Gaddafi from murdering everyone in Libya. It was for their good and it was not - I repeat - not about waging war on Gaddafi. It was simply a humanitarian mission - not regime change, OK?
So, the UN passed the resolution - with the added garnish that the coalition of the good could take 'any necessary action' to reduce the risk to the Libyan people. What a useful little phrase for the ambitious to ponder.
Today, however, after a week of all-out bombing in Libya, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke pipes up with an observation. Gaddafi, he reminds us, has sponsored terrorism aimed at us in the past. Remember Lockerbie! Well, now that we have taken part in smiting the mad colonel, is it not likely that he will do so again. You know, in revenge. What a puzzler, eh? What to do, what to do...
Clarke - pointing out the obvious
I think we know exactly what the suggestion is. We have disturbed the wasps' nest and now there is nothing left to do but to kill the wasps - to stop them from stinging us, of course. Clarke isn't actually calling for the NATO forces to deliberately kill Gaddafi, but we do know that's exactly what Britain and the U.S. would like to do. But how do you convince the british public - already cynical about war-mongering in the middle east - to accept the need to turn a humanitarian intervention into another war. Well, now we know.
Gaddafi - prepared to sting us back
Mind you, Clarke's musings shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. It's fairly obvious - if you don't want to be stung, then you shouldn't be throwing stones at the wasps' nest in the first place. Was this just some innocent and idle speculation on Ken Clarke's part, or was this the beginning of the argument to be made for further military action? Are Britain and the U.S. going to be content with anything less than Gaddafi's removal? Once again, we see the public being set up, waiting for the war to be first justified and then waged. We are being treated like idiots, again.
Still, we should be used to it by now. And, being british, we will just let it happen. Be prepared for the softening up process to begin. More politicians will start raising their concerns. 'What if we let him off the hook?' 'Will we be a target for his terrorist tendencies again?' 'Won't anybody think of the children?' It will be Bush and Blair once more. The world can do without that pair of comedians - or their successors. And we can do without being treated like idiots all over again.
Is anyone smiling now?
Footnote - The spell-checker suggests that I should be capitalizing the word 'british'. I'm sorry. I just can't bring myself to do it - for the people of this nation or for any other for that matter. It just feels wrong - too much respect, or something, being attributed to belonging to the state.
I was on a bus today - on my way back from Oxford. The bus had its usual compliment of passengers - divorcing couples, a nun with a guitar, a sick child travelling to get a kidney transplant (oh, wait - that's disaster movies). Well, it did have a very annoying guy, loudly sharing his personal life with everyone, the by-product of a mobile phone call he was engaged in. But to top it all, we had a woman who was coughing her guts up in the most violent way imaginable.
And when I say violent, I really mean it. Her whole body was convulsing and she was coughing so loudly, it was frightening pensioners on the pavement outside. I really believed that she was going to cough her lungs right out of her mouth and onto the floor of the bus. I had this mental image of her backing her way off the bus, dragging her lungs along the floor, still connected to her mouth by her trachea.
Now, I am genuinely sympathetic to anyone afflicted with a cough. Especially one as bad as this. However, the reason why the veins in my temple were throbbing so badly was that she felt it was unnecessary to cover her mouth at any time during this fit. This cough was not hers alone - it belonged to us all. She wanted to share it with everyone (in more ways than one). Charming!
Of course, being a british bus, everyone just sat there shifting uneasily in their seats, including the student who was sitting directly in front of her (such a wonderful display of british stoicism - he probably had to de-glue his hair when he got home). No one said a thing. I am sure we were all thinking the same thing. How does someone have such poor manners and so little consideration for those around them that they would fail to cover their mouth? Has she never seen the posters - which have been around for longer than she has - advising people to cover their big fat germ-spewing mouths when they cough? Unbelievable. Well, actually, quite believable. These people are everywhere these days.
With plenty of sunshine and good temperatures predicted, it was time to get out and about. I hopped on a bus and headed into the Vale of Oxford to one of my favourite places. It didn't let me down.
The Wittenham Clumps are three chalk hills near Wallingford, about 8 miles south of Oxford. The hills are each topped by a clump of trees and one of them is an ancient hill fort with a pronounced ramp and ditch fortification. From the top, you look across the beautiful Vale of Oxford, with the Chilterns stretching across the horizon to the east, the Berkshire Downs to the west and Oxford to the north. Didcot Power Station also sits large in the foreground - not ugly, but adding some character to the scene.
It is beautiful walking country. The slopes were populated with buzzards, riding the thermals and gliding gracefully in circles just a few metres above my head. Occasionally they would swoop down onto the grassy banks aiming at whatever small mammals live on the ground. It was still a little hazy today - it was not possible to make out Oxford, but the picture-postcard village of Dorchester-on-Thames was well within view just a mile or so away, on the far bank of the River Thames.
The walk to Dorchester takes you across the Thames at Days Lock, beyond the water meadows and ancient dykes, and on towards the 12th century abbey (above). The village boasts more pubs and eateries than one might expect in such a small place and the Fleur-De-Lys happily furnished me with half a pint of Stowford Press cider (though they expected some money in return). Then it was on to Oxford - fighting my way through the tourist-packed streets - before returning to good old Reading.
A little slice of heaven and it is just 10 miles from here on a bus. If you're ever in the area, give it a go. Or better still - ask me to take you there. Lovely!
Homeopathy makes my knee-caps cry. My knee caps are particularly sensitive to all sorts of nonsense. Last year, my knee caps felt vaguely uneasy when William Hague was appointed Foreign Secretary. And boy, were they right to fell that way. What a complete waste of space he has turned out to be.
Uneasy knee caps - caused by William Hague
No, they have definitely been all squishy since I first realised what was involved in homeopathy. I know that if I explained it all to you that you might experience some uneasiness too - especially if I were to tell you that this fairy tale is still being funded by the NHS, in this, the 21st century.
So here's the story. Settle down, this is a hum-dinger of a fairy tale. Get yourself comfy and prepare for a good laugh along the way. Let's say you have a fever - and you want to take something to cure the fever. First, you must find something that might cause a fever. If you have a very small dose of this stuff, it will cure the fever - yes? No? Well, of course it will. Where were you when they were teaching science at school? A small amount of a fever-inducing substance will cure the fever. Obviously!
A sore shin - what to do?
It does work. Let me give you an example. If you bash your shin on a coffee table - which is what we all do from time to time - what is your first instinct? Yes, you gently rub the shin, easing the pain in the process. A little bit of 'contact' has helped cure a bigger bit of 'contact'. See. It really works. And, let's face it. You wouldn't want to rub your shin vigorously, would you? No, the gentler, the better. So gentle, that you hardly realise you are doing it.
And so it is with homeopathy. You take your fever-inducing 'stuff' and you make it as gentle as possible. By diluting it. And then diluting it again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. In fact, the more you dilute it, the more potent the 'medicine' becomes. Hell, why stop at weak, when you can have non-existant. Yes, the solution keeps getting diluted until none of the original fever-inducing stuff remains. At all. And then, you have yourself one mighty powerful anti-fever medicine. Wow!
What a load of crap!
Some actual homeopathy
The water in which the 'stuff' has been diluted retains the memory of the 'stuff' - which is why it is so potent. Somehow, the water doesn't seem to retain the memory of anything else it has been in contact with. Like poo. Amazingly, it only retains the memory of the stuff they want it to. Good, obedient water.
So, the manufacturers produce this obedient water and mugs poorly people take it in the form of a wee tablet and they feel better (the manufacturers, that is). That's because they have just sold some 'water' for a lot of money. And, to make themselves even richer, they have persuaded the NHS to buy their water tablets too.
High water rates
But does it work? There is a short answer and a long answer. The short answer is 'no'. The longer answer is 'noooooooo'. You might as well eat your underpants for all the good it will do you. But here we are, in the 21st century, and people are still peddling this nonsense whilst retaining a veneer of respectability. Thank goodness for the likes of Mitchell & Webb. Here is their take on homeopathy - transferred to a situation none of us would wish to end up in - Homeopathic A&E:
What does the City of New York do with its rolling stock when the carriages have reached the end of the line? Believe it or not, they end up getting buried at sea. How bizarre!
UK Chancellor George Osborne has announced a raft of measures designed to set the economy alight. In his speech today, he announced a tiny fraction of increases here and some tiny decreases there, in a move that will make absolutely no difference to anyone.
Budget-Boy
"I'm 24p a week better off," announced a delighted commuter at St Pancras Station. Peter Nobody, a shop assistant from St Albans, was eager to get home to discuss the bonanza with his wife. "I think we will be getting that second spatula", he continued, grinning from ear to ear.
Peter Nobody - 'New Spatula'
But not everyone was happy with Osborne's changes. Unemployed chiropodist Leslie Gerund complained at her misfortune. "I have already been hit hard, what with being unemployed and that. I stand to lose out nearly 13p a week under today's changes. I'm devastated."
Leslie Gerund - 13p down & devastated
Economist Arthur Hack offered a sober analysis of the Budget. "The country was broke before it and it is still broke today. If you are poor, you're stuffed whatever happens. You may pay a few quid less in petrol, but you will be spending a bit more on something else." George Osborne is a waste of space and for that, I blame William Hague.
Events in the Libyan Crisis took an unexpected turn yesterday when Colonel Gaddafi turned up at an X-Factor audition in a bold attempt to win popular support for his leadership. X-Factor supremo Simon Cowell was shocked when Gaddafi took to the stage, but the expression of awe soon changed to smiles as the beleaguered Libyan leader turned in a masterful performance of Elton John's hit song 'I'm Still Standing'.
Gaddafi - 'I'm still standing'
Gaddafi wowed the audience with a note-perfect rendition of the song he has been singing for over 40 years. New X-Factor judge, Silvio, took to his feet and applauded the Libyan leader and urged fans to vote for Gaddafi to keep him in the competition. Simon Cowell was impressed with his voice, but complained that the song choice was poor, blaming it on Louis Walsh.
Silvio - urged fans to vote for Gaddafi
Not all of the judges were won over. World Statesman William Hague was not as forthcoming with praise, complaining bitterly that Gaddafi's hat looked ridiculous. However, Simon Cowell interupted Hague's comments to suggest that he was just trying to maintain his 'Mr Mean' image. "Don't listen to him Muammar", urged Cowell, "Willie once wore a baseball cap that everbody laughed at".
Hague - 'Did you see his hat?'
The X-Factor gossip mill has suggested that although Hague's comments were uncomfortable, Gaddafi should survive into the next round. "I can take the flak", promised the Libyan leader after the show. "I have had more worthy opponents than Willie Hague and he doesn't scare me".
Attention will now turn to next week's show to see if Gaddafi can survive. The bookies have suggested that he is odds-on to make it through, with little confidence being expressed that Hague has the power to stop his progression. There will be fireworks over Tripoli tonight to celebrate - the night sky has been lit up for the last few days in anticipation of his continued success.
Meanwhile, Willie has been defending his baseball cap image from his days as Tory leader. "That cap made me look cool and I will not take lessons in headgear from a murdering tyrant. I'll ask Sebastian Coe instead".
Ex Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten, has chosen to work for the International Fur Trade Federation. Oaten voted against Fox Hunting - a fairly typical response from a Lib Dem - but has raised eyebrows by joining an organisation that most Lib Dems wouldn't touch with a barge-pole.
Then again, with the recent departure of the Lib Dems from the left of british politics, nothing would surprise me about any of their MPs. After all, I never would have predicted Nick Clegg would become a member of David Cameron's Cabinet. Maybe, all Oaten is doing is living up to the standards of his party colleagues.
What next? Will Vince Cable announce that he is off to spend his summer vacation clubbing baby seals in Canada? Nothing will surprise me about the Lib Dems anymore. What a disappointment!
First up - the Good. Bruno Ganz, 70 today, is a swiss actor whose performance as Hitler in the remarkable 2004 film 'Downfall' earned praise from every corner of the globe.
Ganz - The Good
His fame has spread to the interwebs as many have used the famous outrage scene to create their own videos - purportedly showing Hitler's outrage at any number of targets including Tiger Woods, Roy Hodgson, Ryanair - you name it. Here is one such video - Hitler expressing outrage at Fernado Torres' transfer to Chelsea. If you haven't seen the original film, I urge you to do so. It is quite brilliant. Nice one Bruno - and Happy Birthday.
Next up - the Bad. Canadian William Shatner is 80 today. Happy Birthday William. He will forever be associated with his role as Captain Kirk, though he has also made a deep impression on some folk playing veteran police sergeant, TJ Hooker. He has always had a difficult working relationship with the other actors on Star Trek, who found him a tad arrogant. Although his star faded somewhat after Star Trek, he has enjoyed critical success in a number of ventures since, not least the Star Trek movies. He is currently starring in a TV sitcom, '**** My Father Says' which has proved to be very successful in the U.S..
Shatner - The Bad
However, he is also celebrated by those who appreciate just how bad his musical career has been. His records are spoken rather than sung - and they are just awful. Here is one of the best of these - his interpretation of the Beatles' 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'. Happy Birthday William.
And now the Ugly. Today is the 81st Birthday of Pat Robertson - a deeply loathsome human being - who is an american christian fundamentalist and TV commentator.
Robertson - an ugly hate-filled man
He has railed against everyone and everything over the years and he even ran for the Presidency in 1988 - though even the Republicans saw him as a liability. Deeply homophobic and anti-semitic, he regularly uses his TV slots to blame natural disasters on the victims' apparent tolerance of anything he disagrees with. He has had business dealings with truly monstrous human rights violators like Liberia's Charles Taylor. I could go on. It is probably enough to state that he is seen as an embarrassment by many on the american right.
Here is a clip of the man himself spouting all sorts of hate, and twisting christianity to support his particular brand of anti-jew, anti-muslim, anti-gay, anti-women hatred. What a scumbag! I can only apologise to Bruno Ganz and William Shatner for herding them into the same bit of cyberspace as this evil man.
I do like a good comedy. Whenever I go onto sites like BBC iPlayer or Channel 4 On Demand, I always click the Comedy option and scroll through the best that these sites have to offer. In my book, Channel 4 is ahead of the BBC in terms of the comedy it produces. The likes of 10 O'Clock Live and The IT Crowd are amongst some of the best new comedy around.
IT Crowd - Brilliant, and on C4
The BBC can produce good comedy too, but with one subtle difference. What they produce, they repeat and repeat and repeat. Now comedy works if it is well written and well produced, but it starts to lose its shine when you have seen it many many times before. I was having a look at what was on the schedules for last week:
The first two are genuine BBC titles - I am not making them up...
Have I Got Old News For You - a repeat
Mock The Week Again - another repeat
You need to remember that these two programmes are 'topical' news programmes and they are both repeats. Then there is:
Never Mind The Buzzcocks - a repeat
Lead Balloon - a repeat
Reggie Perrin - a repeat
Dad's Army - a repeat
Two Pints of Lager... - a repeat
Mrs Brown's Boys - first screening
So that's it. One screamingly awful sit com being screened for the first time and everything else being repeats. Is that really it? Is that the best that the BBC can offer us?
Very Old News
This is appalling. It's bad enough that virtually their entire comedy output is nothing more than repeats, but it takes the biscuit that two of them are topical news programmes that are now out of date. Pathetic!
Still - I did leave out that the BBC screened many hours of live 'comedy' TV this weekend. Well, not quite. Comic Relief (Red Nose Day) is laughable only because this tiresome burbling is described as comedy (I know it's about charity but it's still third rate entertainment). I mean, Lenny Henry - need I say more?
