I'll give the new Dr. Who series a thumbs up. Good casting and a proper special effects budget are a good start. The storyline was as corny as ever but, hey, that's part of the fun. It's now firmly on my agenda for Saturday nights. Episode 6 is entitled "Dalek"!
All part of a proper education for the children...
I was shocked the other day when I converted some US funds into pounds sterling. The exchange rate was 1.92!
The dollar continues to plummet due to American spending junkies. In FY04, the US spent $322 billion on interest payments. The US debt is up to $7.7 trillion. I honestly think we're creeping up to some major instability in the world finanical system. Financial instability leads to political instability.
Accidently came across this superb documentary on BBC 4 while flipping around the channels.
"Why We Fight" is actually the title of a series of US propaganda films made in 1942 justifying the war effort. This film starts there and looks at the forces that shapes and propels America's militarism. America developed it's military-industrial complex during WWII and maintained it because of the cold war. Dwight D. Eisenhower recognised the danger in his farewell speech in 1961:
"This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society."
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."
"We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."
The film exposes the collusion between the White House, Congress, Think Tanks and the Military-Industrial Complex. Essentially, we now have that "disastrous rise of misplaced power" as illustrated with the Iraq War. War is a profitable business.
George Bush has dramatically increased military spending. From $288 billion in 2000, the budget request for 2005 is $420 billion. This is almost the same as the rest of the world combined! It is 8 times more than China which is the 2nd biggest spender. By comparision, all the programmes and agencies of the United Nations cost a paltry 10 billion.
Why does America need such a huge military? It doesn't but the film provides plenty of insight to how it got that way and how ready America is to use it.
A survey of 23,500 people across 23 countries shows widespread support for a stronger UN. I totally agree. The UN needs teeth. Most favoured the idea of adding Germany, India, Japan and Brazil to the organisation's Security Council and enabling the Security Council to override the veto power of the permanent members. Yes! Yes! Yes!
Otherwise the UN is will continue to be hamstrung by the national self-interests of the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia. All the major economies should be represented and one single nation shouldn't be able to scupper important resolutions. But do you really think the permanent members would support such reforms?
Roger is a hopelessly cynical advertising copywriter with a razor-sharp wit who believes he has mastered the art of manipulating women. But Roger's seemingly foolproof world of smooth talk and casual sex unravels when he tries to help his desperate 16 year old nephew lose his virginity one night in New York.
Excellent script. Fine cast and acting. Unconventional cinematography. But above all, the dialogue really carries this film. An award winning independent film that's well worth watching.
A weird snippet from this months excellent The Ecologist magazine:
"A US chef has developed a range of paper meals. Using a special ink created from liquidised food, Homaru Cantu prints edibles pictures of actual meals on sheets of soya bean and potato paper."
I searched around the Internet to find out more. Turns out he uses a Canon i560 inkjet printer. He's got more idea's too. Personally, I think mixing chefs with technology is a bad idea.
And the longest domain name...
http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/
Jenny and I really enjoyed watching Jamie's School Dinners even though we only caught two of the four episodes. I think it was absolutely fantastic that Jamie did this and it's totally spot on that junkie school dinners should go. Interesting to see that the astute Tony Blair has caught on to this issue and promised to act.
This kind of advocacy programme is one of the very best uses of television. It also illustrates the kind of nasty profit driven uncaring impovished solutions that are often provided by outsourcing to a big corporation. As a school governor and parent, I'd love to see the Scholarest contract dumped and a school kitchen put in place.
Unfortunately, both the local Infant school and Junior school don't even have a kitchen! So K* usually takes a packed lunch.
Wouldn't it be great if all the food was provided by local organic farms too? There could also be great educational value in school/farm partnerships at a primary school level. Win/win.
What a great little idea! Find your local Freecycle Community and use it to "find homes for stuff too good for the land fill". The rule is that it's got to be for free. If you want to sell, use ebay, a local paper or go to a car boot sale. If you can't sell it, give it away. If you can't give it away, recycle it. Free your inner packrat!
Locally, I've discovered a pretty active East Berkshire Freecycle Group.
