To-day, May 12th 2008 I needed to relax and reflect and get myself back into a working momentum. I watch some films and TV programmes.
The most significant event of the day occurred in Westminster when the Chancellor with the Prime Minister at his side admitted that the decision to abolish the 10 pence tax rate was wrong because of the subsequent political consequences and announced he was borrowing billions of pounds to give all standard tax payers a one off additional tax allowance which be worth about £120. As the opposition pointed out this is a bribe to prevent the significant loss of the bi election caused by the death Gwyneth Dunwoody. I do not expect this to stem the political tide away from the government but it might quell for the moment the pressure on the Prime Minister to give way to a candidate able to compete in the country with the Conservative Leader who is able to walk on water at the present time. However the damaged caused by the publication of books by Lord Levy and former Deputy Leader John Prescott coupled with the threat by Frank Field all built up the pressure in what will appear to have been a panic attack in the country at large. Gordon has got to stop giving the impression he is doing one thing for reasons of national interest and political conviction and then doing the opposite when expedient for his political survival.
Yesterday I watched part of the first part of a portrait of the Duke Edinburgh, Prince Philip, born 1921 of the Danish, Norwegian and Greek Royal households before marrying Princess Elizabeth and the Queen. Unfortunately I fell asleep and missed the end, but this was made up by giving full attention to the second part tonight. He has always been someone who although very different in personalities and interests to me, I have admired. I thought he was guarded and unusually reserved as he drove Trevor MacDonald around the Sandringham estate and where he has taken the lead management responsibility as well as for Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Balmoral, and any other properties owned and managed by monarch and which are separate from those owned and managed by their children and grand children.
The programme was designed to present the picture of the man amazingly active given that he is over 85, that is sixteen years older than me, and who after a long life supporting the Queen in her official functions as the Monarch and with a family four children and grandchildren (great grand children?) and personal interests cannot retire and give his remaining years to doing what he would like and in the way he would like. Such was the price when he married Princess Elizabeth, but never expecting that he would be required to give up his naval career and traditional role as head of the household through the early death of her father. It was also designed to squash once and for all the allegations concerning his relationship with Princess Diana and with her death.
The film yielded some remarkable facts such as that he has made over 200 visits to over sixty countries, about three a year, on his own to the Commonwealth showing the flag in addition to accompany the Queen on her visits. I cannot remember the 100's of organisations where he has agreed to be patron and where the film evidence his unique and direct involvement in their affairs, giving support such as to injured troops and widows and families of those who have died, commiserating with those who have preserved the Cutty Sark and have to start again after the recent fire, reminding of what happened at Windsor castle, and continuing with his promotion of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme which has affected the lives of several million young people within the Commonwealth. He has also had his own interests from sailing and Polo which he only took up after joining the Royal Family, to his more recent carriage driving, where he has had three falls one of which was shown and where he got up and continued to finish the event. The programme uses the latest portrait by a young fashionable artist which I thought even through camera lens was brilliant and seemed to capture a man of great worldly experience and understanding with a wicked I can't stand those who take themselves too seriously humour. He came across as the kind of man who would get on with John Prescott and Ken Clark). The programmes did not attempt to covers some of the characteristics from his out of context comments which the media loved to use from time to time, to he and the Queen being strong character with their own views and having a traditional view of the man as head of the household and a Gordonstoun view of upbringing bearing in mind his mother was out of his life and appears to have had a distant relationship with him beforehand. Perhaps the insider's knowledge of public polls about him led to what I regard as the unnecessary attempt to portray a good image although I suppose it is required in days when an increasing percentage of the population have no idea of how the Uk and the its Empire has changed during last fifty years. When he married the future Queen Britain headed an Empire Commonwealth of two billion people.
Of similar absorbing interest was a programme about three youngsters whose a parents are sacrificing their own lives to enable their children to achieve their dreams although why the youngsters had dreams and why the parents were making sacrifices in time, money and their own relationships was as interests as whether the youngster would make it in later life. What impressed me about the 12 year old Trombonist who won Young Musician of the Year is how normal he was and how normal and cohesive appeared to be his family. In tonight's programme there was a racing skier, a Wimbledon hopeful and a stage school performer. On the basis of the film I would be surprised if any made international greatness although the young skiers was the most likely
He was a likeable boy with a remarkable family. His father had potential as a skier but his family were unable and possibly unwilling to make the changes which are necessary if someone form GB is to become a professional racing skier. You have to live, train and compete in the Alpine countries and the racing season. To do this his father was giving up lucrative work as a stunt man to live with his son in the villa of friend while his mother looked after their daughter back home. What the parents were doing was to give the son the opportunity to understand what was involved in terms of training and competition if he was to make his dream a reality and what was evident is that despite the financial commitment said to be in the region of £40000 a season in terms of lost income and expenses, the moment the son changed his mind and said he did not want the life or found that he could never be good enough, the family would move on and both parents would know that they had said yes to the dream, and knew that the venture had been a great experience for the family. I hoped the boy make's it where almost no one from the UK has succeeded before. I also hope the efforts of the family will be recognised with popshop to ensure than money is no obstacle.
It may be that the fourteen year old with a single parent mum has the talent and drive to reach the top fifty world tennis players in which to make the kind of living to compensate for spending the great part of the time around the world with all its implications for relationships and family life. He was talented enough to merit a Lawn tennis Association grant of £5000 a year but which was only a token of the costs of training, travelling and accommodation which meant his mother struggling with the financial costs and unable to be with her son when he was competing. The young man frequently loses it on court verbally attacking judges and opponents in such a way that it was evident that this is more than aggressive competitiveness and was a problem which if untreated would end his chances prematurely. There was little evidence in the programme that he would overcome his self destructive temperament before he reached the adult tennis playing world.
Very little also emerged of the talent of the third young person featured although I was confused about the position. My understanding is that this one girl from a family of six girls attends full time an established London stage school with separate theatrical agency involving a daily round trip of three hours, added to which the child receives additional coaching presumably to make up for the lack of natural ability, added to which he mother assisted by he father were managing a cabaret event which involved some or all of the other daughters plus those from the stage school which involved rehearsing during the day and family rehearsing into the early hours in what appeared to be an endless day of activity from dawn until late night. This all appeared to arise because the mother's career as a dancer was abruptly halted through an accident and her belief that if she kept her daughters fully occupied they would not become teenage mothers, a misguided recipe like to have the opposite effect because if I was the any of lasses in question I would get myself pregnant to escape from the life my parents were imposing upon me. This may sound hard but what the young girl communicated is that she was doing all this not because she enjoyed it or wanted to be the best at it, but because she wanted to be famous and have a better life than she could otherwise expect. She was shown doing some work involving an acting photo shoot for one of those comic like books picture books which some parents allow their daughters to read rather than literature. I appreciate that in order to fulfil potential one has to work hard but the evidence is that one needs to be an educationally and culturally rounded individual if you going to reach the top and sustain our position. I feared for the future of this girl and her sisters.
On a clear day was the most enjoyable of the three films which followed on from the Full Monty in following how one man made redundant from a ship yard after three and half decades faced up to the rest of his life and hit on swimming from Dover to Calais as a form of Atonement for being unable to save one of his sons from drowning two decades before. This was not however a film about following a dream regardless of the cost but an attempt to find a future for himself and re-establish relationships with his son and grand children. Billy Boyd of the Lord of the Rings played his natural self as a friend from work, as did Brenda Blethyn as his wife who passed her bus driving test at a third attempt. This film is a blatant attempt to reassure the working class that they can survive the occupational mobility require by Britain's changing position in the world, but also did not shirk from showing something of the reality of doing so. It is a better film than some critics gave credit and the characters were honest with integrity and with some depth, despite the feel good ending.
A very different film was Sun directed by the Russian Alexander Sokurov and part of a trilogy which looks closely into the personalities of Hitler, Stalin and Emperor Hirohito. It is a dark film in Japanese and attempts to get into soul of the man who was treated by his people as divine in the days before the use of atomic weapons (critic Mark Leaper showed his age by referring to nuclear) he was forced to spend his time in the bunker as the allies had successfully bombed the rest of his palace except for the equally fortified marine biology lab which was his interest. Although regarded as a God the portrait was of a man restricted and controlled by the ritual and outlook of the military and upper class establishment. With the film's Director making an interesting that Japan was a different culture from the rest of Asia just as Britain is from the rest of Europe because of our Island geographies, although as mentioned earlier it should never be underestimated the impact of the UK Britain effectively controlling a quarter of the world population from Queen Victoria through to the second world war.
I was struck by the differences in British approach to the German, Japanese and Russian Military in the second world war. The professional solders, airman and sailors of German were held in the highest esteem by British armed service professional throughout both world wars because they followed the same code. There was little respect of the Russians who used their population as cannon fodder and where the Japanese were regarded warrior fanatics, prepared to kill themselves than be dishonoured by capture. In this fil as in other and some histories, the Emperor is portrayed as a childlike innocent more interested in marine biology than what his generals were doing and imprisoned by a culture which regarded him as a God who had to eb protected to last drop of Japanese blood. I learnt that some historians have argued he was much more in control and willing supporter of Japanese imperialism than has been presented since his surrendeer to General McArthur.
The third film was also about World War 2 and unashamedly propogandist but designed for home consumption than influencing the enemy. The first message was that all branches of the American forces had essential parts to play in a whole team effort required if the war was to be won, and as insufficient point was made throughout the film Tyrone Power explains this in detail to the audience as the film ends. The second message was that the war task meant that men had to avoid emotional entanglements which might upset their ability to focus on their war jobs and for women to play fair and be loyal while their men were away and provide uncomplicated love and security when they came home on leave or at the end of hostilities. There was also a third message that if given the choice the older man should be prepared to sacrifice themselves for the younger, and a fourth that the previous standards and methods of warfare had to be put aside as the enemy was capable of using any and all means to win and that great courage and skill would be necessary by American forces. But the message was also optimistic in that follow the recipe and you will be successful in the war and come home to love of your life and the love of your family and the respect of your community.
The most significant event of the day occurred in Westminster when the Chancellor with the Prime Minister at his side admitted that the decision to abolish the 10 pence tax rate was wrong because of the subsequent political consequences and announced he was borrowing billions of pounds to give all standard tax payers a one off additional tax allowance which be worth about £120. As the opposition pointed out this is a bribe to prevent the significant loss of the bi election caused by the death Gwyneth Dunwoody. I do not expect this to stem the political tide away from the government but it might quell for the moment the pressure on the Prime Minister to give way to a candidate able to compete in the country with the Conservative Leader who is able to walk on water at the present time. However the damaged caused by the publication of books by Lord Levy and former Deputy Leader John Prescott coupled with the threat by Frank Field all built up the pressure in what will appear to have been a panic attack in the country at large. Gordon has got to stop giving the impression he is doing one thing for reasons of national interest and political conviction and then doing the opposite when expedient for his political survival.
Yesterday I watched part of the first part of a portrait of the Duke Edinburgh, Prince Philip, born 1921 of the Danish, Norwegian and Greek Royal households before marrying Princess Elizabeth and the Queen. Unfortunately I fell asleep and missed the end, but this was made up by giving full attention to the second part tonight. He has always been someone who although very different in personalities and interests to me, I have admired. I thought he was guarded and unusually reserved as he drove Trevor MacDonald around the Sandringham estate and where he has taken the lead management responsibility as well as for Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Balmoral, and any other properties owned and managed by monarch and which are separate from those owned and managed by their children and grand children.
The programme was designed to present the picture of the man amazingly active given that he is over 85, that is sixteen years older than me, and who after a long life supporting the Queen in her official functions as the Monarch and with a family four children and grandchildren (great grand children?) and personal interests cannot retire and give his remaining years to doing what he would like and in the way he would like. Such was the price when he married Princess Elizabeth, but never expecting that he would be required to give up his naval career and traditional role as head of the household through the early death of her father. It was also designed to squash once and for all the allegations concerning his relationship with Princess Diana and with her death.
The film yielded some remarkable facts such as that he has made over 200 visits to over sixty countries, about three a year, on his own to the Commonwealth showing the flag in addition to accompany the Queen on her visits. I cannot remember the 100's of organisations where he has agreed to be patron and where the film evidence his unique and direct involvement in their affairs, giving support such as to injured troops and widows and families of those who have died, commiserating with those who have preserved the Cutty Sark and have to start again after the recent fire, reminding of what happened at Windsor castle, and continuing with his promotion of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme which has affected the lives of several million young people within the Commonwealth. He has also had his own interests from sailing and Polo which he only took up after joining the Royal Family, to his more recent carriage driving, where he has had three falls one of which was shown and where he got up and continued to finish the event. The programme uses the latest portrait by a young fashionable artist which I thought even through camera lens was brilliant and seemed to capture a man of great worldly experience and understanding with a wicked I can't stand those who take themselves too seriously humour. He came across as the kind of man who would get on with John Prescott and Ken Clark). The programmes did not attempt to covers some of the characteristics from his out of context comments which the media loved to use from time to time, to he and the Queen being strong character with their own views and having a traditional view of the man as head of the household and a Gordonstoun view of upbringing bearing in mind his mother was out of his life and appears to have had a distant relationship with him beforehand. Perhaps the insider's knowledge of public polls about him led to what I regard as the unnecessary attempt to portray a good image although I suppose it is required in days when an increasing percentage of the population have no idea of how the Uk and the its Empire has changed during last fifty years. When he married the future Queen Britain headed an Empire Commonwealth of two billion people.
Of similar absorbing interest was a programme about three youngsters whose a parents are sacrificing their own lives to enable their children to achieve their dreams although why the youngsters had dreams and why the parents were making sacrifices in time, money and their own relationships was as interests as whether the youngster would make it in later life. What impressed me about the 12 year old Trombonist who won Young Musician of the Year is how normal he was and how normal and cohesive appeared to be his family. In tonight's programme there was a racing skier, a Wimbledon hopeful and a stage school performer. On the basis of the film I would be surprised if any made international greatness although the young skiers was the most likely
He was a likeable boy with a remarkable family. His father had potential as a skier but his family were unable and possibly unwilling to make the changes which are necessary if someone form GB is to become a professional racing skier. You have to live, train and compete in the Alpine countries and the racing season. To do this his father was giving up lucrative work as a stunt man to live with his son in the villa of friend while his mother looked after their daughter back home. What the parents were doing was to give the son the opportunity to understand what was involved in terms of training and competition if he was to make his dream a reality and what was evident is that despite the financial commitment said to be in the region of £40000 a season in terms of lost income and expenses, the moment the son changed his mind and said he did not want the life or found that he could never be good enough, the family would move on and both parents would know that they had said yes to the dream, and knew that the venture had been a great experience for the family. I hoped the boy make's it where almost no one from the UK has succeeded before. I also hope the efforts of the family will be recognised with popshop to ensure than money is no obstacle.
It may be that the fourteen year old with a single parent mum has the talent and drive to reach the top fifty world tennis players in which to make the kind of living to compensate for spending the great part of the time around the world with all its implications for relationships and family life. He was talented enough to merit a Lawn tennis Association grant of £5000 a year but which was only a token of the costs of training, travelling and accommodation which meant his mother struggling with the financial costs and unable to be with her son when he was competing. The young man frequently loses it on court verbally attacking judges and opponents in such a way that it was evident that this is more than aggressive competitiveness and was a problem which if untreated would end his chances prematurely. There was little evidence in the programme that he would overcome his self destructive temperament before he reached the adult tennis playing world.
Very little also emerged of the talent of the third young person featured although I was confused about the position. My understanding is that this one girl from a family of six girls attends full time an established London stage school with separate theatrical agency involving a daily round trip of three hours, added to which the child receives additional coaching presumably to make up for the lack of natural ability, added to which he mother assisted by he father were managing a cabaret event which involved some or all of the other daughters plus those from the stage school which involved rehearsing during the day and family rehearsing into the early hours in what appeared to be an endless day of activity from dawn until late night. This all appeared to arise because the mother's career as a dancer was abruptly halted through an accident and her belief that if she kept her daughters fully occupied they would not become teenage mothers, a misguided recipe like to have the opposite effect because if I was the any of lasses in question I would get myself pregnant to escape from the life my parents were imposing upon me. This may sound hard but what the young girl communicated is that she was doing all this not because she enjoyed it or wanted to be the best at it, but because she wanted to be famous and have a better life than she could otherwise expect. She was shown doing some work involving an acting photo shoot for one of those comic like books picture books which some parents allow their daughters to read rather than literature. I appreciate that in order to fulfil potential one has to work hard but the evidence is that one needs to be an educationally and culturally rounded individual if you going to reach the top and sustain our position. I feared for the future of this girl and her sisters.
On a clear day was the most enjoyable of the three films which followed on from the Full Monty in following how one man made redundant from a ship yard after three and half decades faced up to the rest of his life and hit on swimming from Dover to Calais as a form of Atonement for being unable to save one of his sons from drowning two decades before. This was not however a film about following a dream regardless of the cost but an attempt to find a future for himself and re-establish relationships with his son and grand children. Billy Boyd of the Lord of the Rings played his natural self as a friend from work, as did Brenda Blethyn as his wife who passed her bus driving test at a third attempt. This film is a blatant attempt to reassure the working class that they can survive the occupational mobility require by Britain's changing position in the world, but also did not shirk from showing something of the reality of doing so. It is a better film than some critics gave credit and the characters were honest with integrity and with some depth, despite the feel good ending.
A very different film was Sun directed by the Russian Alexander Sokurov and part of a trilogy which looks closely into the personalities of Hitler, Stalin and Emperor Hirohito. It is a dark film in Japanese and attempts to get into soul of the man who was treated by his people as divine in the days before the use of atomic weapons (critic Mark Leaper showed his age by referring to nuclear) he was forced to spend his time in the bunker as the allies had successfully bombed the rest of his palace except for the equally fortified marine biology lab which was his interest. Although regarded as a God the portrait was of a man restricted and controlled by the ritual and outlook of the military and upper class establishment. With the film's Director making an interesting that Japan was a different culture from the rest of Asia just as Britain is from the rest of Europe because of our Island geographies, although as mentioned earlier it should never be underestimated the impact of the UK Britain effectively controlling a quarter of the world population from Queen Victoria through to the second world war.
I was struck by the differences in British approach to the German, Japanese and Russian Military in the second world war. The professional solders, airman and sailors of German were held in the highest esteem by British armed service professional throughout both world wars because they followed the same code. There was little respect of the Russians who used their population as cannon fodder and where the Japanese were regarded warrior fanatics, prepared to kill themselves than be dishonoured by capture. In this fil as in other and some histories, the Emperor is portrayed as a childlike innocent more interested in marine biology than what his generals were doing and imprisoned by a culture which regarded him as a God who had to eb protected to last drop of Japanese blood. I learnt that some historians have argued he was much more in control and willing supporter of Japanese imperialism than has been presented since his surrendeer to General McArthur.
The third film was also about World War 2 and unashamedly propogandist but designed for home consumption than influencing the enemy. The first message was that all branches of the American forces had essential parts to play in a whole team effort required if the war was to be won, and as insufficient point was made throughout the film Tyrone Power explains this in detail to the audience as the film ends. The second message was that the war task meant that men had to avoid emotional entanglements which might upset their ability to focus on their war jobs and for women to play fair and be loyal while their men were away and provide uncomplicated love and security when they came home on leave or at the end of hostilities. There was also a third message that if given the choice the older man should be prepared to sacrifice themselves for the younger, and a fourth that the previous standards and methods of warfare had to be put aside as the enemy was capable of using any and all means to win and that great courage and skill would be necessary by American forces. But the message was also optimistic in that follow the recipe and you will be successful in the war and come home to love of your life and the love of your family and the respect of your community.
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