2022The implications of civil disorder in North Africa and Arabia

As with the news media it has been difficult to know on which country to focus as reports of civil unrest and insurrection appeared from Algeria in west north Africa, Libya adjacent to Egypt and with Tunisia to the North, Jordan across the canal isthmus, the Yemen to the south of Saudi Arabia, in Iraq and Iran and then within the gulf itself Kuwait and Bahrain. It was quickly evident that the cause of the unrest or the form and extent of unrest was different although the precipitating cause was the success of what had happened in Egypt where mass civil disobedience protest had been successful despite the use of civil and private force, the apparatus of a police state and the stubbornness of delusional rulers.

I write this in an emotional and clear headed state because of the way events have unfolded over the last days.

Al-Jazeera UK provided an excellent account of what has happened in Egypt over the past three weeks, with the giant swings of emotions from expectations a week Thursday crushed in the political blindness and personal pride and obstinacy of the 30 years in power ruler as he and his vice president made one last hopeless call on the country to return to previous normality. They were met with a resounding angry no and renewed determination which led to the ecstatic celebrations a week Friday, renewed this Friday as with the approval of the Military Council, hundreds of thousands congregated around the country.

They were also there to remember the dead and to remind the Military Council of their expectation of the changes they require. The Military Police were present in the form of their band playing the national anthem and national songs and marches. Over the past week the Military Council has continued to issue communiqués saying that it will only continue in its present role until a new constitution and elections bring a new President and civil administration. It has said that existing treaties especially that with Israel will be honoured. It has arrested three former government ministers after placing two or all three under house arrest and frozen their assets. It has also taken action against one businessman amid reports that some of the most wealthy had already left the country in a fleet of private jets. It has called on the Commission preparing the new constitution to bring forward proposals within two weeks. It has said it will not field a candidate in the election for the new President. However it retains control of the Internal media and nothing has yet been reported which has come to my attention that the strict censorship controls are beginning to be lifted. Nor has there been evidence presented on the dismantling of the apparatus of the police state or the release of political prisoners. There is also no evidence that the tourists have commenced to return in any numbers. The stock exchange is yet to reopen. However there are no reports of violence or civil unrest. If the Military Council wanted any reminder of what will happen if it now fails to meet state commitments and timetables events elsewhere should keep them focused.

For a time the most worrying development appeared to be that in the small state of Bahrain, a collection of small islands with the largest of the 33 only 11 miles by 34 and an overall population of 1.2 million and where Britain had a major influencing control until the early 1970’s. And still has a base, together with the USA who uses the World Heritage site harbour for its Middle East Fleet. The Harbour area has also become the base for developing financial and commercial services and next month the International Motor Racing Grand Prix series commences as it has over recent years. The Crown Prince and his son are educated and enlightened men who have made important changes over the past decade and appeared unlikely causes of the decision to attack peaceful demonstrators in the middle of the night with the maximum force causing a a number of deaths and serious injuries. The shocked response of the USA President and British Foreign secretary summed up the fear that instead of learning the lessons of Egypt, forces within the country, perhaps under the influence of the Saudi’s had decided to try and tough it out

Bahrain is located next to vast Saudi Arabia with the other small gulf state of Qatar close by and where the longest connecting causeway is to be built, It sits midway in the Gulf with Kuwait and Iraq at the inner end, with Iran across the water and United Arab States and Oman at the mouth.

Iran has had and continues to have covetous intentions on Bahrain and other Gulf States and there have been previous uprisings in the part of the oppressed Shia majority and both these factors together with the movements in Tunisia and Egypt has made the regime and its Western Allies, notable the USA and the UK Jittery. The underlying problems are deeper and as elsewhere embrace the basic desires for democratic involvement and opportunities, freedom of expression, and potential for economic advancement.

The country has been ruled by the same family for 200 years and control and their ruler has been absolute although it does have a Prime Minister, uncle of the King and other family members hold the overwhelming majority of senior positions in ruling Council. It has developed a small Parliament which quickly became divided between Sunni and Shia religious groups seeking an Islamic state and when the voting went against the intentions to create a secular state in which women and Muslim interests were to be given roles.. Howver the Shia were largely excluded from government and other positions in the state by the Sunni minority and there was also significant corruption

It is my understanding that the regime did introduce recent improvements in wages and promised political and economic reforms in response to events in Tunisia and Egypt, but any good will was destroyed by the callous and brutal suppression of protesters on the roundabout area just outside the city centre. The government then accused the demonstrators of possessing guns and other weapons, refuted by eye witness reports from the international media.

As in Egypt the country has developed an educated and cultured middle class and the regime has supporters who benefited from government jobs and the profits from oil revenues and the older industry of pearl fishing. It was this middle class and often western educated and travelled section of society that is likely to have exerted influence on the King to control his relatives. It is also understood that the American president and British Foreign Secretary had direct contact with the crown prince after reports of 10 people killed and 500 injured. This immediately led to calls for the regime to be replaced.

However the Crown Prince appears to have intervened and in speeches in Arabic and an in English to CNN it is evident he is upset and determined to bring about change and investigate the events of the past days. The security forces have been withdrawn from the streets and protestors allowed to return and take control of the roundabout area setting up camp with food and medical supplies. It seems the absolute monarch has pulled back from the brink but whether this is enough to save him in the long term will depend on the action taken over the next days and weeks. Once you turn your guns on peaceful, albeit determined demonstrators, you are unlikely to be trusted again. The Crown Prince has to prove he was not responsible by arresting and prosecuting those who were responsible, even if they are also members of his own extended family.

The second flashpoint this week has been Libya, a socialist republic with a military dictator. This is a large country but with a comparatively small population of 6.4 million and where just over a quarter live in the capital city of Tripoli which remains the power base for the one of the most well known leaders in the world Muammar al-Gaddafi. For approximately 450 years 1551 to 1911 the country was controlled by the Turkish Empire and then by Italy until 1951 with substantial colonization by its people who formed 20 percent of the total. There was a substantial killing of the Bedouins who resisted with about half killed in battles or in camps. After a United Nations supervised independence led by its King a military coup in 1969 took place led by Gaddafi then a captain with other junior officers.

The Revolutionary Command Council of 12 came into being at that time and have remained in power. Unlike many Arab countries there is an established organisation of elected Local People’s congresses, some 1500 in total thus or one congress for every 4250. There are 32 regional congresses and the national Peoples Congress, There is considerable control over the media although criticisms are possible and initiated as a means of bringing reform. It is understood that the protests todate, which appeared small scale at first are calling for an end of the Gaddafi regime rather than for democracy. It is also a protest about who has power with the second city of Bengazi having been home for the opposition with the capital Tripoli being the power base for Gaddafi. Bengazi was where the monarchy had its palace nearby and the city has many of the institutions and organisations usually associated with a state capital.

Following the revolution Gaddafi closed the American and British bases and partly nationalised the oil industry. His approach was socialist rather than Communist but established close links with the Soviet Union and supported the Palestinian Liberation movement and other terrorists groups. In the 1980’s Libya was alleged to have been involved in a terrorist bombing in Berlin which killed two USA servicemen with the consequence that the USA undertook a bombing raid which led to several civilian deaths, including the adopted daughter of the Leader.

Over recent years the international issue has been the bomb in a USA plane in mid air over Scotland which in addition to the death of those on board the plane there were also deaths on the ground as well as destruction of buildings. Eventually a Trial of suspects took place in a trial of Netherlands and then the release of the only individuals convicted on grounds of terminal ill health, but after his return was greeted nationally in Libya he has remained alive. This issue created official tension between the USA and British Governments although in reality both the UK and the USA have been interested in developing relations with Libya because of its oil in land and off shore

The change in approach by the UK and USA took place after 9/11 and again following the action in Iraq Compensation has been paid to the families killed in the mid air explosion and those affected by the USA bombing. The regime has remained authoritarian with international concern on civil rights.

The latest information is that between 100 and 200 people have been killed with hundreds of other injured as the regime has announced it will not tolerate the protests. However in Bengazi the city administration, including the police and army units have sided with the protesters hence the decision of the national government to introduce its national guard/elite forces, including professionals bought in to try and ensure that the city remains within the regime. It may be threat the troops within their city military compound fear being over run and lynched and are therefore reacting with more and greater force defensively. It is difficult to see how the situation will end without further bloodshed.

The third flashpoint where deaths have been reported is the Yemen with its population of present 20 million and located at the end of the Arabian Peninsular. This is yet again a very different situation where there has been long standing problems between North and South Yemen

The country gained independence from the Turkish Empire in 1918 and established a monarchy until 1962. The North part of the country became a republic with the UK controlling the south and the port of Aden as a Protectorate. A communist form of government was formed in 1970 and the north and south became united only in 1990. The problem is that the Yemen has dwindling natural resources with 35% unemployed and an increasing and young population with 46% under 15 and a growth rate expected to result in an increase to 60 million by 2050.

Russia and China did provide help in the 1950’s. There was a return of over three quarters of a million citizens expelled from Saudi Arabia contributed to the unrest and civil war in 1994. There has been a close involvement between the Yemen and Somalia with 700000 Somalia citizens already in Yemen when another 100000 were accepted as refugees following their civil war and this may have matched the various moves of Yemeni into Somalia over previous centuries. There are also plans for a bridge linking the Yemen with Djibouti. The country contains several World Heritage sites.

After the civil war in the Yemen the International Monetary Union provided help to make fundamental economic reforms. The country was an ally of Saddam’s Iraq and backed the 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

It is has a democratic structure with a seven year term President, a 301 seat six year Parliament where the Prime Minster has to command two thirds support. The is universal suffrage at 18 but only Muslim’s may hold elected office. The first President elected in 1999 was re-elected in 2006 with international observers confirming that there had been some violence, violations of press freedom and allegations of election fraud. There is a religious based independent judiciary. There are also reports of corruption.

More recently there have been indications of just how volatile the country has become with an insurgency in he South in 2009 and an incident where official information is limited where either USA directly or the Yemen military under direction dropped bombs or rockets of what was believed to be an Al Qaeda training camp in the country in which 60 civilians, including 28 children were killed.

There are an estimated 70000-80000 Yemeni in the UK, with a quarter of this number in France. As with many fo the Gulf and North African states the population is divided into tribes as well as religiously between Sunni 52% and 46% Shia. There is a gulf between the ambitions of its constitution, Internationally agreed civil rights and everyday practice.

So far the protests have been on a massive scale and the number of death comparatively small, caused not by the intervention of government forces but from clashes between different interests. Whereas Egypt and to some extent Bahrain has the economic and financial base in which to address unemployment, poverty, and civil rights, it is difficult to believe progress in the Yemen will be possible without substantial foreign investment and financial help, unlikely while there is support for extreme Muslim beliefs and the worst of a Muslim state where women, critics and non believers have no rights and are severely discriminated against.

I was pleased to hear the USA Ambassador to the UK confirm my understanding and the reports of responsible commentators that there is not conflict or contradiction between having concern about Muslim extremists and having added worry over what will happen as more and more Arab countries become politically and socially unstable, and welcoming the of the general population to want to engage in democratic processes, to have an independent judiciary, a non political police, army and internal security services, in wanting an open media, equality between those of different and mixed genders, of providing equal opportunities for citizens regardless of their beliefs or lack of belief systems and so on.

I was interested by a recent Fox Chanel programme although drawing different conclusions. The programme wanted to warn everyone against encouraging movements supported by Shia adherents because some, notably the present controllers in Iran appear to have taken aspects of their bible teachings literally. The basic premise of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths is a resurrection after life of heaven and where there is a hell for those who whose life has involved acts of evil and which is controlled by devils. The Christian/Muslim/ Jewish literalists therefore see human earth world existence as a test period leading to an eternal post human existence in heaven or hell and that helping to bring the coming/second coming is to be encouraged.

All the three religions which originated within a small area of the Middle East and North Africa have their book of Revelations and period of the Apocalypse with the four riders heralding war, famine and death. There is the call of the martyrs for vengeance followed by earthquakes and natural disasters of increasing severity.

The angels then sound the trumpets to mark the destruction by fire, the poisoning of rivers and springs, plagues of locusts and a war in which a third of the population of earth are destroyed.

There is then further chaos and destructions in which the sun scorches the earth in great heat, the is a great earthquake and the final physical battle between the forces of good and evil where the rivers flow with blood.

There is victory by good over evil so that the devil is imprisoned for 1000 years, he escapes makes war but is then defeated. There is the last judgement where is settled those who are to be cast eternally into Hades and the lake of fire and those to are enter a new heaven replacing the old as God is revealed or words to this effect.

What this all mean in practice has been the subject of continuous interpretation by individuals since the words were first written or said, not by the originals such as Christ or Mohamed, but by subsequent followers. Unfortunately one of the most literal believers now has supreme power in Iran and therefore the sooner he is removed from his position the better for all of us and most of all for the majority of Muslims, just as there needs to be proportional action including war on those who seek to promote their own power and influence by exploiting situations of extreme poverty, religious suppression and intolerance in the name of a God and assisting in bringing about the end of human days by promoting chaos and destruction

The behaviour of the USA, the UK, Russia, China, Germany and other nations in the past, and recent past in countless instances towards Arabic and African nations and in to the colonization of Asia and Central and South America had contributed to the distrust, the suspicion and fear.

One can therefore be hopeful and fearful by the events this week in North Africa and Arabia.

2021 Midweek final update of films and TV 17.02.2011

For the third night in succession I went to bed late and this occasion although a woke at regular intervals at 13.20, 1.20 and 3.30 and could assume a similar pattern for the rest of the night it was 6.59 and the decision taken not complete yesterday’s swim and go downstairs to commence work, a combination of writing and work on the annual financial affairs and written records review. I switch on the TV and news programme while drinking my first cup of coffee and the day plan had to be altered, given an interesting analysis of the Christ and Anti Christ of Christianity from Revelations and the similar division within the Koran of the Muslims, the Shire and Sunni divisions, on Fox TV. I was immediately struck by my previous analysis and understanding and the links with the philosophy and political use of the synthesis arising from the interaction of the thesis and antithesis.

I have decided on the next three pieces of writing. First catch up while making notes on TV reports for the second piece which will be an update on the situations in Egypt and Tunisia, In Bahrain, in Libya and Iran where deaths among peaceful demonstrators have been reported as will as the impact on other Arab/muslin countries. I will renew my cricket subscription for another year and complete the writing update before engaging in other activities.

I begin with a film which I presume was made for Television called Saigon: Year of the Cat starring Judy Dench as a senior official in a bank in the capital who appears to have been there for years if not a decade or more and establishes a relationship with a USA embassy official over the last year before the abandonment of the capital to the north led communists. To date I can find no reference to the film on the Internet despite being written by David Hare and with Dame Dench. I am not surprised because it is an odd film, British colonial in style, perhaps intentional, in which the principle characters live in their own world, playing bridge at the club, insulated against the reality of the war and the life of the majority of the people. You feel that the character portrayed has been living a better life than she would have experienced at home and that she is experienced in serious physical relationships with men.

Her lover in this instance prepares a report on the situation in the south which indicates that the war is effectively lost and that every effort should be made to o take to safety all those who have assisted the USA. The Ambassador sits on the analysis because defeat and withdrawal is not an option and he believes that the provision of more funds will turn the tide and secure the south.

There is an excellent account of those last few days and hours as panic spread in the city. There is a shot of records of contacts being left in the embassy as the staff rush to exit taking basic personal possession with them. There is also a shot of someone who was promised to be picked up, still waiting but getting no answer.

The scene however was brilliantly exploited theatrically in the stage musical Miss Saigon which I saw in London three or even four times. I must check sometime. At one level Dame Judy does not appear have the figure and personality of someone to have passionate all absorbing sexual based affairs with men, married or single but I return to my experience where as a young social worker I was asked to deal with the children left behind with a severely disabled mother after the husband had run off with the wife in another family. The running away couple were a most unlikely pair in terms of their physical appearance and lifestyle. In terms of my own experience when I was a young man in work at sixteen there was a secretarial office worker ten to fifteen years older than myself who was known to be having a relationship with a much younger man working in the same office. Nine years later when I went into the staff restaurant at an East Anglian local authority where I was commencing a summer practical work placement of three months, I met the same individual who in today’s jargon, hit on me offering the use of her car on hearing that I was getting about the large county using public transport. I did not take up the offer, although with hindsight this was more because I did not fancy the woman rather than any morality question.

I was more engaged by the second episode of Mad Dogs, a Sky new drama contribution set in the extractive Spanish Island of Majorca which I have visited once and had a memorable time.

Four middle aged friends, two declared married with children, one a corporate lawyer and another a financial adviser, a third a lecturer in psychology, the fourth unemployed, accept the invitation for a short holiday with a fifth who has an isolated villa with grounds and swimming pool. Interestingly they accept the invitation without their partners or families. The five go off into the city centre for a night out clubbing during which one of the four, married, with children brings back and spends the night with a holiday maker. His behaviour angers one of the four our of proportion to the behaviour suggesting the man has significant problems in his own life. In fact all four emerge as having problems in their lives in the UK and being unsettled which goes some way to explaining their willingness to participate in such a gathering. The reason for the holiday is that the fifth (Ben Chapman) is giving up his Spanish Mainland property development business to live a life of pleasure on the Island. There is no reason given why he is on his own.

They go off on a fishing diving trip on a yacht which only after departing does it emerge has been borrowed, The Yacht is left in as isolated cove under the cliff and they use a dingy to go ashore and then hike back over the hills to the villa. They realise their host is up to something and using them and they demand explanation after the evening meal

A height challenged man enters wearing a large face head mask of a grinning Tony Blair and shoots Ben in the head splattering blood over those closest and all over the table when the man falls across.

The killer, who is wearing white gloves then uses the weapon to establish one of the four as the killer with his DNA and goes off in a siren sounding police vehicle. The four react to the situation in accord with the personalities revealed so far revealed, some saying they must go to the police after contacting the British embassy, some pointing out they will be implicated in the killing and the stealing of boat. They decide to bury the body in the grounds and remove all traces of the killing in time for the arrival of the cleaner housekeeper who they say is not needed for the day. Another police car arrives this time with a young attractive police woman seeking the whereabouts of the villa owner. They say he was suddenly called to the mainland. She is evidently suspicious but departs.

They then decide to remove traces of their presence from the yacht but while there another group arrive with £3 million Euros in exchange for the on board heroin. They are rebuked for no being at the agreed rendezvous and told to do better on the next run. Back at the villa a local dog disturbs the surface of the shallow grave so they decide to take the body to the Yacht. In the midst of this the police arrive again seeking to interview the four because of the owner of Yacht has been murdered.

The four men are interviewed separately providing inconsistent answers about their knowledge of the villa owner. One admits he had met with the owner when he visited the UK the previous month, a fact not revealed to the other three. Another, the financial adviser says he wants a lawyer present when asked if he has ever given financial advice to the Villa owner.

Earlier they had agreed a plan to hide the moeny in a hire car left at the airport. The female detective, or is she, spots the keys of car and asks where it is, it is said to have been left in town on the night out before the alleged party at the villa.

Although they deny knowledge of the boat the police detective returns for her glasses, and they allow her to enter a room unaccompanied and she has time to look at he video camera to see them joking about going out for the day on the boat trip.

As she arrives they pretend they cannot find the keys to open the gates during which time they try to hide the body in the freezer, finding they need to cut off the feet or the head to do so. A task for the next episode.

I kept an eye on Question time where there was brief reference to the developments in the Middle East in terms of the need to the UK to continue to sign up to Human rights and the European Court which was set up to act as beacon for those primarily in countries overtaken by Communist dictatorships at the end of the Second world war. The reason was the he decision that those added to the Sex Offenders Register in the UK should have the right to appeal against continuation on the register after completion of judicial punishments if they can show that they have changed their lives. The decision is the right to appeal not to be automatically removed from the register. As with some other serial crimes whose nastiness is such that the possibility of reform appears remote, I share the anxiety of many, I suspect with the majority that any reduction of monitoring and surveillance carries with it great risk. no principle can ever be absolute in the sense that some exceptions can never be justified. However in the balance between removing all risk and giving up basic freedoms I veer on the side of taking risks. I feel this about the threat of international and national terrorism. It was in my view an odd choice of first subject.

There has been a lot happening this week politically. The most significant decision was that the House of Lords pulled back from the brink to agreed to let the Alternative Vote Referendum be held on May 5th. While the Labour Party is split and the Conservatives overwhelmingly against, the championing by Nick Clegg means that the no vote is likely to predominate without the inclusion of a minimum 40% of the electorate voting. I was delighted that the 40% required was dropped because all that would been required is for the no votes to abstain to win as even with a 75% turn out in a general election government have not achieved 40% of eligible electorate in recent years. Given Labour’s success together with the extreme right wing in turning Nick Clegg into to the chief villain, his championing of the cause could be counterproductive. Much as also been made of the decision to drop the proposal to sell off some government controlled forests, notably the Forestry Commission held Kielder here in he North East as a means of raising money and reducing public management costs, Labour had done so quietly over the past decade without ensuring protection of public use and rights of way. Michael Heseltine made the good point that if a government never changes its mind under pressure it is attacked for being too tough and if it does respond to pressure it is then attacked for being too weak. The programme also confirmed by prejudices against Yvette Cooper who appears never to give an inch to the Government on any issue, finding fault in everything it does. There was praise in unusual quarters, Nigel Farage for one for Ian Duncan Smith’s plan to scrap the thirty benefits which cover the unemployed with a single assessment and payment system will ensure that it always pays to work if available than live on benefits. His measures will take two Parliaments to fully implement but it is to be hoped his will be one proposed change that worked. I cannot remember if it was during Question time or this week that the point was well made that only about one in five major change reorganisations work out well as intended.

Now for something very different. I have been fast forwarding through American Idol the present series without Simon Cowell after nine years in preparation for his new series based on the British successor. Randy Newman is still there with two new faces, Jennifer Lopez and the less well known Stephen Tyler, rocker looking led singer, song writer and instrumentalist of Aerosmith. No more the delicious Paula Abdul. I fast forward the auditions just to listen to those who can sing and from whom there is the possibility of finding the three or four who will eventually complete for the title. I take similar action with the Hollywood round now underway, avoiding the group singing stage because it tends to show the worst side of people and while it can eliminate some of those whose basic anti social traits were kept hidden, the consequence can be on others who will need protection for their talents to flourish. I guess this segment is showing that you have to possess considerable commercial potential to cope with the demands required by the corporation machine industry that developed. Over 300 went to Hollywood where the week’s events conclude on British TV tonight with 60. These sixty were then taken to a single destination Las Vegas to sing Beatles song to be reduced to forty. The judges then reduced this number between themselves to 20 which this year is going become a sudden death audience selection for the final teen, the five most successful male and females. It will be interesting to see if any of the excellent 15 year olds are successful.

2020 A day of furstration after La Boheme, Arsenal 's win against Barcelona and Tortilla Soup

The sun shone bright and needing to go into town for some ink cartridges this afternoon I decided to save a little on petrol and car parking by only taking the car to the bottom of the hill and walking along ocean road into King Street. I continue to marvel at the ability of such a concentrations of eating houses and small bed and breakfast hotels to survive. There are over 50 places for food and entertainment just along Ocean Road plus 25 Hotels and over 60 if you includes those in King Street and the Market Square and 70 if you include those leading to the station from the junction separating Ocean Road and King Street, including 9 public houses (one closed), nine night clubs or late opening bars, three Subways and the famous fish and chippy where three different fishcakes will set you back just under £14. There are two other less expensive eat in or take out fish and chippies in the same street and the Chinese and Indian takeaways will also make you an offer. If need be I prefer those on the sea front a short walk further which serve in cartons wrapped up in white paper, gone are the days of the newspapers.

The Italian Da Vinci now has a sponsored menu booklet available from a small holder by the entrance. There are 18 starters from the Soups of the Day, Bruschetta or mixed salad at £2.95 to three King Prawn dishes at £ 5.95. If you fancy King Prawn as a fish course or main dish there are four alternatives at £10.95. There are four other fish dishes £1 less. 12 chicken dishes between 8 and 10 pounds, six steak dishes £10-12 with a choice of sauces £2 more. 12 Pizza £5-£6 and 16 Pasta from £4 to -£6 they obviously ran out of advertising at this point because there is no reference to puddings or drinks.

I speculated on the impact of the new Morrison’s large restaurant cafe on those immediately nearby, especially the Museum and Art gallery. Some establishments are closed including Fleurette’s which was under offer over a year ago with the starting price for the three floor modern building close to I million. I was successful in my mission only being charged £15 for 8 cartridges, 5 Black, 2 Cyan and 1 Yellow with the consequence that I now have two each of the colours and seven black in stock.

Noteworthy from the walk is that Franks’ Floors has now opened at the first floor former linen store that has been vacant for a couple fo years. I wonder what kind of business assessment plan was made given that the there are already two good size stores in the town, one with excellent parking a short way towards Jarrow/Newcastle from Asda and Mill Dam and the other along Westoe Road towards Cleadon and Sunderland. Whe I visited both were without customers

Earlier in the day I had a good swim but no sauna although I was late to bed deciding to watch episode 3 of Blood Brothers where the subject was diplomatic immunity. There was a sudden spate of attacks on young woman, sexual assaults with one a rape and serious other injuries requiring hospital care. The team are able to identify a vehicle whose owner is the divorced wife of a South American diplomat with immunity. The evidence points to the college student son. The father is called in to discuss waving immunity and the young man agreeing to his DNA being taken. Father falls for the cup touching trick so his DNA is checked and suggests the son will be a match with on the victim. The country refuses to give approval and the situations appears stalemate.

The detective notices that the boyfriend of one of the victims has the same Tattoo as the prime suspect and on pressing the boyfriend reveals that he was responsible to for the attack on his girlfriend as an initiation activity where he was required to remove an undergarment trophy. However the son of the diplomat who led the group had gone wild and raped and hurt the girl he had chosen at random. The team work out how to get the DNA from son after exerting pressure on his mother and then find that it proves that the son was guilty of a similar crime back in his home country. They persuade his father to wave the immunity rather than see his son forced to return to his homeland and face imprisonment there, far more dangerous and challenging experience than in the USA. This I find difficult to believe or that the authorities in the home country would not want to pursue the charges in any event. However it serves to make the point about the issues of diplomatic immunity and the quid pro quo approach of not wanting to create a situation where USA nationals face retaliation when they get into difficulties when visiting other countries.

There was an excellent football match between Arsenal and the best football playing team in the world at the present time :- Barcelona. They beat Arsenal last year at the quarter final round 6 3 on aggregate with a four goal haul their centre forward Lionel Messi. They now have acquired Villa who like the rest of the team has great skill making perfectly weighted passes which cut through the best of defences. The thing about Barcelona is that they do not spend their time looking for defensive holes but enjoy having defences closely marking so that they can exhibit their skill and outplay. Their other outstanding ability demonstrated time after time on this night was to place themselves just on the line between being in play and offside and then because of the accuracy and timing of passes and their natural seed they are able to break forward to score.

Arsenal opened well on the night taking the game to their visitors but this time it was Messi whose pass put Villa through on his own with the flag rightly held down for him to score. At that point Barcelona moved up a gear and had several opportunities the best of all falling to Messi who again put through and with only the goal keeper to beat was marginal inaccurate so the ball crept past the far goal post and the stadium let out a collective sigh of relief. Had they scored at that point one feared that worse was to follow. However Arsenal held out and had chances themselves but always under pressure none came close. Twelve minutes from time Van Persie who had failed a couple of times before struck one of those amazingly angled shots and it was all suddenly Arsenal and with time running out Ashavin who had come on as substitute struck the ball with force into the opposite corner from where the goal keeper was positioned to take the score to 2.1. The match is still in favour of the Nou Camp home side who have only to score once to take the tie on the away goal advantage. However this is the first time Arsenal have beaten the team they try to emulate and the opportunity is there to write the history book. The previous night Tottenham had scored a vital away goal to win 1.0 against a very noisy Greek home crowd.

Earlier I watched a light hearted and warm offering for Valentine’s week released in 2001 and based on an original Chinese production called Eat Drink Man Woman, written by Hui-King Wang, Ang Lee and Jams Schamus. This film version Tortilla Soup is story of an American Latino cook Martin Naranjo who has lost his sense of taste and smell and has left the Restaurant where he was the boss with a partner who has taken over. As a widower of 15 years he has successfully brought up three daughters into adulthood although imposed who own values and dreams for their futures.

The eldest Letica was a Catholic who has becomes an evangelical Christian ands who teaches chemistry at high school. She is full of sexual guilt and has become even more conservative than her father. She resists pressure from her sisters to go adventuring. She begins to break out with a domestic plate smashing rebellion against their parent’s continuing control over their lives. She is also attracted to the school baseball coach who she thinks is responsible for a Valentine card and love poems, actually sent by students. He is shocked at first when she decides to respond but they quickly realise their passion and decide to go to Las Vegas and marry after beginning a sexual relationship. Father responds well as the film develops looking forward to a visit with his new son in law to the Dodgers although he eschews the offer of sausage dogs and cola for his own snack creations.

The middle daughter is successful in business and reached the point of leaving home buying a new Condo which is still in the process of being built. She is then offered a well paid job in Barcelona which she decides to take saying she will rent out the Condo. Her real passion is cooking and wanting to have her own restaurant. She makes it to the airport where father gives her some of his cooking knives which she is about to take as hand luggage in this pre 9/11 film. She changes her mind and at the end of the film she has her own restaurant and has the now extended family at a table.

The youngest is aggressive, angry with herself and the world and uncertain of her future, She is due to go to college but after a row with her father she moves into the small flat of her new boyfriend without asking him and then reorganises the flat and his life without seeking his views. When he expresses his reservations she reacts and leaves. The precipitating cause is some papers which he subsequently admits he had hidden away because he had applied to the college in order to be with her. They make up and go off to college together.

Entwined with their stories is food, glorious Mexican American food dishes always banquet style even for Sunday lunch let alone for special occasions. At one meal father is called away to his old restaurant because the outer covering of a baked pears dish has burnt. He works out how to use the pears into a coupe with great success. When he finds the daughter of a family friend is not enjoying her lunches he provides them for her in secret, at least for a while. He find it difficult to cope with his lack of taste and smell and this is affecting quality of the food he is preparing at home

The friend of the family is a young divorced and when her mother comes to visit she has immediate designs on Mr Naranjo. When is former partner suddenly dies and all three daughters are about to embark on their separate loves he announces at a family gathering with everyone present, including grandmother, mother and daughter that he has decided to sell the family home and all its past associations and but a new home large enough for everyone to come and stay. He is of good health and then proposes marriage to the daughter rather than the grandmother, the daughter is about the same age as his eldest daughter. She accepts and in the final scene at the restaurant of his doors, his wife is evidently pregnant in this everyone happy ever after story. He even gets his taste and smell back.

Thursday has been a day of frustration. I stayed up late again watching La Boheme from the London Coliseum, home of the English National Opera with the Jonathan Miller production first night. Nothing unusual about that except that the opera was being shown on both channels with the option which I chose of the live (recording) of the behind the scenes documentary which followed the on stage action on a small screen with the full sound but with overplays of interviews with the performers as they went on and off the stage including chorus and actors, scene shifters and production staff and the orchestra including during the intervals. The landlord of the tenement in which the bohemian 1930’s era setting gap year quartet lived appears for a few minutes in the first act and then in the third during which time he said he was able to relax, listen to the opera including while he had a supper in the restaurant. It was enthralling.

The consequence of going to bed late is that there was only one during night getting up, waking for only the second time just before 5 am. I decided to stay in bed until fully awake with the consequence I went to sleep again waking at 5.40 and a great rush to get up and get to the Hotel for my swim arriving just before 6.20. I decided on joining the other regular in the pool and commenced a what appeared to be a good session when we were joined by two hotel guests around 6.45, a rare event. As they are staying for nine days it means having to share the pool for the period unless their appearance was a one off, unlikely as both were better and more energetic swimmers than me. However the session was cut short because the chlorine levels needed to be adjusted. I checked later and it had been sorted so I will try and make the effort tomorrow to completed the session when it had been planned as a day off.

I managed to finish the shopping for the week after forgetting milk and needing some fruit I returned home before nine and felt like relaxing before commencing work for the day and then could not find the mobile phone used each day to message that I had survived the night. I could not find the phone which should have been my jacket pocket. It was under the brake handle in the car. Then I decided to change my glasses back having used the older pair with the right eye lens slightly damaged the replacement after the original pair was lost had caused a problem with the nose bridge. I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon checking the car and one of the four drawer filing cabinets, the most likely places without success and then the rest of the house. If the case has been lost it contained my name address and telephone number. The search reminded that I was not sure where I put my London Oyster card and although the next London trip is six months away I conducted another search again without success. There are two remaining possibilities, one requires removing books and artwork files from five storage units in the downstairs work room. I will do this when in the mood as the units require a clean and a dust. The rest of my day was affected.

2019 Sleep in work day and three films

After three days of early rising swimming, two with sauna today Tuesday 15th February 2011, I slept in until 7.10. I will use this to catch up in several outstanding matters, the out tray, work up dating, my overall financial position updating, a little writing, some communication issues, and some housework. The writing will be spread over two, perhaps three days unless.

I was hearted to learn late night that the military regime in Egypt has announced that the new constitution will be announced within a matter of weeks and that a referendum will be held within two months. There is growing action in Bahrain where the police and security authorities are taking very hard aggressive action as elsewhere although the protestors are not responding. The heavy aggressive approach appears to be the response of several of the countries where the Egyptian movement is being copied. This reminds how quickly the situation can change. I watched the Thursday late night This Week political magazine with Andrew Neil and Michael Portillo discuss the current then negative situation in Egypt on Friday after Mubarak dad departed. Is this genuine people power or is their the hand of organised deep placement sponsored opposition working on genuine grievances and discontent. I found Thursday’s TV Question Time, although watched later as usual, dissatisfying as a multiplicity of disconnected but prepared views with little genuine discussion and spontaneity because of the BBC requirement for balance and the insistence to be popular and participative. However I was sympathetic to the woman who pleaded for the Egyptians to be left to resolve their aspirations their way but feared for the outcome. Bet she danced around the room when the good news came.

I am continually amazed and delighted by the valuable findings produced in the antiques road show, especially the mother and daughter who reluctant produced an exquisite small Russian looking bowl which they thought was perhaps a loving cup brought to the UK by a Russian relative many moons ago. The expert was clearly excited and pleased to tell them it was by Faberge with colourful enamel on silver and that a similar piece had been auctioned for over £20000. He suggested they took a taxi home. There were two other finds of a similar order in the programme.

I have fritted away a couple of hours playing games, thinking, uncertain without focus or intent. I have developed a programme fo activities but my heart and soul is not committed. I will do some filing and set updating over glass of Pepsi. It is 9.35 10.05 a confidential set completed. 10.10 two household accounts sets completed, 10.35 two general communication sets completed. 10.55 three personal communication sets completed. 11.14 six My space and Google Blog signature index cards completed but no new set completions. Five new culture sets completed and commence work on work on second volume of Egypt people Power indexing. But I am hungry and enjoy a cuppa soup French Onion before two salmon fishcakes with tomatoes and baked beans. Will also watch a midday film recently recorded after checking the news desks for any further people power developments.

2.40 The film was naff but relaxing and more on that later. Enjoyed lunch which included a banana and then completed the second volume, comprising sex sets on Egypt and people power. The new volume will cover developments in all the affected middle east countries. Will need to create two new Blue boxes for this development after finishing a new index card for the next volume and also doing one for the Telegraph football manager game where the results have been disappointing after the early successes. 15.00 completed making up sets and indexing and will make up the blue boxes.
5.50 Blue boxes completed. Tea comprises crackers with a whisky marmalade, 101 games of level one chess and 5 of level 2. And time to write up recent films before finishing the out ray is the schedule for the rest of the day while watching European football, at present a boring 0.0 away to a Greek side in the knock out last sixteen as the full might of Man City attempt to win something after yielding the Premiership championship as two horse race between Man United and Arsenal. Later Arsenal Tottenham are away to AC Milan while Newcastle travel to Birmingham City. It has got colder as darkness covers but I have not needed he heating on until now.

I stayed up last night to watch Missionary Man with Dolph Lundgren in the title role as a mystical, (is he a human super hero) bible reader when he is not achieving judicial slaughter.

The scene is a North American Indian reservation which is dominated by a Mafia style warlord terrorist who in addition to drug running and trade has done a deal with a New York mob to run a Casino. Guilt legislation, won’t bother to look up when, was passed in the USA which made it legal for native Americans to operate Casino’s on their reservations adding to the tourist attraction options. The Chief has done a deal with the local terrorist boss which see the alleged drowning of the of the reservation Councillor in opposition because he believes they can make more money and avoid the negative potential by operating the Casino themselves without outside help. His funeral is the occasion for the arrival of Lundgren called Ryder in the film.

Before arrival to read a passage from the bible to the gratitude of the man’s wife, teenager daughter and son and grandfather he run into the men of the local warlord beating up a drug addict for the money he owes. The local sheriff and his deputies are afraid of the mobster and tend to do what he requires, as does everyone else with any sense of survival. After paying his respects Dolph makes himself at home drinking Tequila and riding about in his 1970’s Harley Davidson. The mobsters fail to find out the relationship between Dolph and the dead man and keep a close eye on his movements.

When the teenage daughter presses the Sherriff to investigate her father’s death because although he was said to have bought a case of beer, got drunk and fell into the river he was teetotal, the Sheriff says there is nothing further he can do. The mobsters then roughly threaten the girl having warned off the younger brother. Dolph arrives and gives the men a sound beating, smashing up their 4 x 4 and making them run off with their trousers around their ankles.

When the reservation Chief is forced to veto the Casino project because of the wishes of the widow and her daughter the situation is ready to explode. Meanwhile the warlord has a plan to rob visiting Mexicans of their drugs without handing over money. There is a killing sequence during which the the young drug taker, previously rescued by Dolph escape with a gunshot injury and makes his way to the homes of murdered Council members for assistance. This is the cue for large gang of motorbike heavies from the North to arrive to assist the warlord in ridding the town of Dolph and the family opposing his interests. By this time the Sheriff and his deputies have come on side with the consequence that the two deputies are killed. After he has killed all the baddies he rides off.

His rescuing of the daughter results in she having a crush on him and is upset when she and her brother are taken to safe place by grandfather on instructions of Dolph. She comes into town despite this fearing the worst on learning of developments and believing that she will not see him again. She arrives to see him riding off on his bike.

There was a slight connection between Missionary Man and the disappointing lunchtime view called Iron Eagle. There was much flying of an Eagle over the reservation. As the title suggests the Iron Eagle is a USAF jet plane armed to the hilt. I was attracted to this film because among those listed as participating was Poirot Davis Suchet and story appeared to be that of a pilot son rescuing his father who had been take prisoner after his plane has been shot down.

What I quickly discovered is that this was the first of four other films in a series of adventures of a high school boy who is one of those unbelievable normal characters, good son to young brother and sister, has girl friend, open topped fast car and has close network of other vase kids as well as contact with their pilot dads, is allowed to spend hours in flight stimulator prior to Air academy and appears to gave his own light plane which he is able to use at will.

He learns that he has not been accepted at the Academy because of poor general grades and tendency to get into fights and any trouble that is going around, on the day that his father on a routine mission flying over disputed zone between unnamed Arab nation and a friendly nation when they are attacked and he is downed, taken prison and put on immediate trail and sentenced. The anticipation of the USA government is that this was a bargaining move by the Arab nation and therefore they will wait for the negotiating demand. What they do not appreciate is that action has been taken by a rogue command Airforce warlord who wants to prove himself against the world power.

Frustrated by the satiation and fearful for his father the young lad used his friends on the base to gain all the intelligence ewquired for a special mission to rescue his father. That he is able to do this must be worrying for the USA authorities given the apparent ease. He then persuades the friend of his father who appears to be the station commander to go on the mission involving a two craft strike. After the initial skirmish when their planes are detected despite radar jamming and flying low, the professional and experienced pilot commander is hit and has to abandon his plane in the Mediterranean sea while the just graduated, end fo year Prom failed cadet entrant carries out the mission on his own. This involves lots of blowing things up on the ground, fights with enemy Russian built jets and persuading the warlord to bring his father from prison and place him at the end of the runway on his won. This is a trap and a marksman tries to kill the father but manages to only to injure him so he is able to get on board the aircraft and using a special fire bomb prevents the attacking ground military vehicles and security forces stopping them take off. Just when they are being overwhelmed there is a flight from home to forces the remaining MIGs to return to base the mad warlord type of commanding officer having been blown up by the lad. By this time I had worked out that this no more than a video game with incredulous ending as the two man rescue is told that no action will be taken because of the international bad publicity that would emerge and the boy is given his place in the academy and all three, father, son and commander are flown home on the Presidential plane to be greeted as heroes by their friends, family and national media.

As with Iron Eagle I also fast forward a lot of Love with a proper Stranger in which Steve McQueen is a musician with the occasional work allocated during sessions at the Union Hall. He is paged by a one night stand Natalie Wood who announces she is pregnant. He cannot remember her. He is a typical foot loose and fancy free musician with a girl friend dancer with whom he appears to use her flat as his own. She is really a good girl from an immigrant family who would like her to marry a nice neighbour who is a cook. She works not he fifth floor of Macey’s. He raises the moeny for an abortion but when he finds the “doctor” is not qualified he does not allow her go through with the termination, something which she also is in agreement. He offers to marry her but she wants a genuine loving relationship and rejects the offer much to the horror of her family. She begins to go out with the nice cook but also accept the subsequent request from Steve to see how things are going inviting him to Sunday lunch and providing a mini buy of drinks. Everything that could go wrong does and she asks him to leave suggesting the relationship is not to be.

In the last scene he appears outside the store on a busy sidewalk with a placard and playing the banjo with bells symbolising romantic love for her and among the crowd they embrace happy ending. The subject of this 1963 film was considered daring despite the accepted morality which followed. The films was nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes without success. It was an appropriate showing for Valentine’s Day.

For the evening meal I enjoyed three small pieces of smoked mackerel and a little salad followed by a dish of cold rice covered with cinnamon. Newcastle won 2.0 at Birmingham scoring early on in both half’s while Spurs won 1.0 late in the their game. I forgot to record the Chinese are Coming but managed to catch some which concentrated on the impact upon the USA, the move to protectionism, China’s aggressive military development in the Pacific and USA counter measures.

2018 Egypt latest, The British Academy Film awards 2011, and four films

This has been a good weekend of watching important events continue to unfold in the Middle East/North Africa, of reading newspaper reflections and on weekend news programmes such as the Andrew Marr show. I find that Al Jazeera and Press TV are the channel with the most up todate and extensive coverage although at times the number of demonstrators appear on the high side against other estimates. As the Square is cleared the TV cameras will return home and rely on bureau reports for future information. It is hoped that the International media will maintain contact with the demonstrators who provided them information and interviews over the past three weeks. The signs are that the Military Council is genuine in meeting the aspirations has announced the intention to draw up a new constitution with a couple of weeks and to hold a referendum with a view to giving up power as soon as possible after six months. It has abolished the old constitution and ended the fixed Parliament. Their have been street activity in support in Iran banned by the ruling religious dictatorship and in other states, often met by thousands of security police and militia.

It has been a weekend of he British Academy awards and a number of good films: The left hand of God, The Man in Black, The Woman in Green and the Wrong Man. I have separately written on the sport. I enjoyed my food making a stir fry on Saturday after cooking a piece of Turkey Breast. On Sunday I enjoyed lamb chops and then Shepherds Pie having also had three sausages with mash for breakfast. Today I had two bacon roles having obtained some excellent bacon rashers for £1.50 a pack. I needed some prawns in shell and found three packs with reduced price tags to £3 from £4. For lunch I enjoyed a good salad and this evening cooked a second turkey breast slice with a Balti Curry and mushroom rice. I have also enjoyed a couple fo glasses of red wine from my final bottle in cabinet, which has remained to be drunk for the past year.

Last night the British Academy Awards took place at the Royal Opera House. The King’s Speech carried off all the major awards with one exception, that for Direction. I was particularly pleased that Geoffrey Rush took the BAFTA for best supporting actor as did Helena Bonham Carter who also played the Queen of Hearts in Alice. The films not only one the Best British Picture but also the Best Picture over all, I was also pleased that David Seidler was awarded for his screen play. He was similarly afflicted as a young person and was influenced by the struggle of the King. He write to the Queen mother to say that he wanted to wrote the screenplay but she responded saying please not in my lifetime. He kept his word and then the struggle was to find the finances for a film which although cost under £10 million was regarded as not having great appeal even though a fantastic cast was lined up as willing to participate, The film also won best music and fo course it became quickly clear that Colin Firth would win the Vest Actor as he had the Golden Globe. And can look forward to a knighthood in later life.

Talking of knighthoods the academy awarded the exceptionally frail and exceptionally talented Sir Christopher Lee, now aged 88 years with its Fellowship. He had appeared in more films than anyone over 250 from hammer horrors, to the Lord Summerisle in the Wicker Man, Scaramanga in James Bond as the man with the Golden Gun and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings. Natalie Portman Herslag is a remarkable Israeli American
who has a degree is psychology from Harvard and for the Bafta and Golden Globe winning Performance in the Black Swan, under her stage name of Portman, swam 1 mile every morning for a year while she trained as a ballet dancer

The Social Network about Facebook Social Interaction and Inception, about dreams and reality, were also rewarded. For various reasons I decided against seeing any of these films in theatre but look forward to seeing them in about two years time on Sky. I did see Alice in Wonderland which won two awards and will see True Grit which also won an award and where I have viewed the originals in the past week. Interestingly the young girl is played by a young girl in her first film role. There was also an honourable mention for Made in Dagenham with Miranda Richardson for support actress for her role as Barbara Castle.

I was disappointed that no way was found to honour Pete Postlethwaite who died during the year although his performance in the Town was included as best supporting actor. There is always a moving list of those who have died over the year and every year there are an increasing number of those whose work I have enjoyed, sometimes loves and whose personalities became well regarded with Tony Curtis perhaps the most well known. Norman Wisdom had his exceptionally funny moments along with much that was silly. Susannah Yorke was an English rose and a political radical while Patricia Neal made fine films. Leslie Neilson was not everyone’s cuppa of tea and much was silly while Dennis Hopper had a good history. Ingrid Pitt was perhaps more notorious than brilliant. I will catch up with the others when the a similar list is remembered at the Oscars.

Another disappointment is that the Kids are Alright where Annette Banning and Julianne Moore were nominated for leading actress did not win in other categories. Girl with a Dragon Tattoo made in Swedish won Best Foreign film and is on my wish list. Other nominated films which I also wish to see are Another Year Mike Leigh and Jarvier Bardem in Biutiful. I have no inclination to see 127 hours which is about a man who had to cut off his arm in order to live and did so.

A special award went to the creator and the film makers of the Harry Potter series for their contribution to British cinema and to national income! More on Harry Potter another day although the series failed to engage to same level as Tolkien.

The Left hand of God has a great screen play for a moving story of the power of faith. This 1955 film was one of those which took my birth and care mothers together with their elder sister to the cinema as I reached adolescence and went to work at the age of sixteen and discovered live classical music, traditional and modern Jazz together with Swing, cycling and of course sex. There was the opportunity see the film once more, experienced at least once previously on the small screen. The story, based on a book by William Edmond Barrett, is that of an American Pilot who crashed in China during World War II and who is rescued by a Warlord who treats him as a trusted friend but also as a prisoner. When a replacement Catholic missionary priest Father O’Shea is killed by one of the men, the former pilot, Jim Carmady, played by Humphrey Bogart, takes his identity as a means of escape and goes to the mission for sanctuary until the next protected caravan will take him to the coast and freedom.

The Missionary post comprises a clinic hospital with an all purpose doctor and his wife who runs the school, and a nurse played by Gene Tierney, a young widow. The doctor has become cynical and anxious because of the local villages have stopped bringing their sick, the country is approaching civil war and anxiety about the warlord who so far as left them and the nearby Anglican mission alone. He and his wife feel there is something not quite right about their new man and becomes even more concerned when the nurse begins to show indications of reacting to the new arrival as a man.

It is evident that the arrival is a Catholic with a knowledge of the church in that he can give a blessing, and a sermon, but evades saying mass or giving the last rights saying he has lost his vestments and other essential kit which will have to be replaced. His live in assistant advises that some forty marriages and thirty christenings have accumulated. He begins to have an impact by asking to be blessed by the oldest man in the nearest village, by being able to speak Chinese and proving he is a man of the people with their interests at heart. On one hand he begins to like the role but on the other realises the potential damage he is doing. Unknown to everyone he manages to get a letter through to the Bishop in which he reveals the situation and the needs of the community. When he gets word that two priests are being sent by caravan he decides to tell Tierney the truth the night before their arrival.

Previously, his whereabouts becomes known to the Warlord who descends on the village threatening to burn it and the neighbouring Anglican parish to the ground unless Bogart returns. Bogart offers to play dice for his and the village freedom giving himself up for a further five years if he loses. He wins twice to save his and then the Anglican parish. This makes him a local legend. The priests arrive and tell Bogart that he will remain as a priest until he reaches the Bishop. Bogart has offered himself to be subject to the discipline of the church in exchange for responding to the needs of the local community. The senior priest is impressed by the genuine affection the community has for the departing man and Bogart leaves we are given the impression that the priest will write the kind of report to the Bishop suggesting that Bogart should be trained for the priesthood. Tierney has also rediscovered her faith as the situation becomes clear to her. The Doctor and his remain in ignorance but they too have found their calling reinforced.

Bogart is not as convincing in the role of the priest as Richard Burton in his role as the Whisky priest but has far more authenticity than say Bing Crosby in The Bells of Saint Mary. Lee J Cobb is also convincing as the Warlord and a good script and al round good acting make this film memorable if not a classic.

Also memorable but not as convincing is The Man in Black. I do not mean Valentine Dyall from the radio but Conrad Veidt who plays a submarine Captain Hardt who is sent on a mission to gain intelligence by making contact with local agents in the Orkney Islands before making an attack on the British Fleet at Scarpa Flow. This 1939 film portrays the German Navy at their home port in the same way as British Officers rather than as Nazi controlled Germany. This is very odd.

The film has a clever device in which Valerie Hobson plays two roles as Frau Tiel the German spy who gets to the Orkney’s to take up the post of a school mistress, and as Jill Blacklock the school mistress appointed to the post. The twist in the tale will come later as Jill is kidnapped on her way to the Islands and replaced by Frau Tiel who distances herself from the local vicar and his wife who suggest she should take lodging rather than live on her own, given the nature of the community full of naval officers and ratings on shore leave. She successful passes the strict security system which is enforced before anyone is allowed to get on the mainland ferries, and also on the island and interestingly the expectation of security is that there will be spies.

The twist in the tale is that in fact Hobson is not playing the German Spy but a British Intelligence agent after the spy has been captured. She also develops feelings for the Submarine Captain who is clearly a man of honour trying to do his duty. Similarly the British Naval officer who has been passed over and is providing the Germans with the intelligence of British fleet location is in fact another intelligence officer and I cannot remember if he is the brother or husband of Valerie (as intelligence officer pretending to be spy pretending to be the school teacher). To add to potential confusion about who is what or actually not as they seem the Valerie Hobson school teacher has a fiancée who is a Vicar, and who gets permission to visit his wife to be, only to find that she is not but he cannot hide his reactions in time so he is kidnapped but manages to escape and goes off to rescue his future partner.

Veidt also escapes and on the ferry back to the mainland on which Hobson is also travelling are also German naval prisoners of war. Veidt manages to release these and together they take over the ferry. The ferry is shelled and sunk by the U Boat but the passengers escape in the life boats. Part of the British fleet is on hand to sink the submarine so they are available to pick up the passengers, Veidt and the prisoners.

The great Bernard Miles plays a German Barman and Graham Stark as a hotel bellboy. Sebastian Shaw plays the naval intelligence man and Marius Goring plays Lt Shuster, the second in command of he Submarine who we see in Germany with Veidt before the mission commences and who takes over command of the sub. The interesting and commendable aspect of this film is that is not a black and white propaganda film but shows two sets of officers trying to do their duty for their respective homelands. This was a Michael Powell directed film produced by the great Alexander Korda and with the script written by Emeric Pressburger along with Roland Pertwee and J Storer Clouston who wrote the original novel. Powell and Pressburger went on to make 20 films together. I have seen this film before in television and may have seen the original in theatre.

From the Spy in Black to the Woman in Green, a 1945 Sherlock Holmes tale with Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr Watson. I must confess to never being fully comfortable with anyone else in these respective roles.

There are a succession of murders in different parts of London in which young women are murdered and one fo their fingers surgically removed, but why? Scotland Yard is baffled much to the anger of the head of detectives so Inspector Gregson, I do prefer La Strange of latter years, calls in Holmes for help who is also baffled. They go for a drink in a night club (unlikely) where Holmes sees Sir George Fenwick out with a very attractive young woman. She invites Sir George back to her flat where her maid is expecting them and where Sir George is then served a night cap. He cannot remember what has happened when he wakes up the following morning but then finds a severed finger from the latest murder in his coat pocket which upon discovering he buries after visit his female friend who can shred no light on the situation saying that he left early.

The man’s daughter comes to Holmes for help and Homes notes that she is being followed. They rush to the house of the girl only to find that her father has been murdered. She witnessed her father burying something in the garden which she digs up to find the severed finger.

It at this point that we learn, as also Holmes work out, that the reason for the murders is that the fingers have been planted on other men who are then blackmailed. And the organiser of this terrible crime? Well of course it is Moriarty.

Watson is called out to a former patient, something he has not done for sometime as he has to find and dust his medical bag. While away Moriarty calls to tell Homes to back off or Watson will be killed. Holmes appears to agree and Watson returns unharmed. Holmes then foils an attempt to kill himself by telling Watson to go over and shut the open window in the empty house opposite. When Watson does this, he believes he is too late to stop a sniper killing his friend. However Holmes has followed him into the house and explains that he put a bust of Julius Caesar behind the lighted window to give the impression that he was at home. Do you notice, he asks Watson .that all great men appear to have long noses? The sniper has been hypnotised. When they discovered the body of Sir George Fenwick he was clutching in his hand a match folder from the nightclub. The sniper is then himself killed as he is being led away. What is surprising at this point is that Homes is also not killed in the same event.

Holmes then makes friends with the woman he saw at the nightclub and she takes him back to the house where his drink is spiked with a sedative which makes him amenable to being hypnotised. Moriarty enters and arranges for Homes to write a suicide note and then go out to the ledge on the apartment balcony and jump to his death. Watson and the police arrive to arrest the criminals. Holmes has only pretended to by hypnotised having taken a drug to give the impression of being under the influence. Moriarty tries to escape but appears to fall to hid death from a pipe which gives way, Moriarty falls to his death three times in this series but manages to survive and to appear again. The film lasts less than 70 minutes and would have been regarded as a made for TV series in more recent times.

And now tot he final film for past days The Wrong Man, a lugubrious film with an excellent performance from Henry Fonda and Anthony Quale as his lawyer with Vera Miles as the wife who becomes also catatonic with her sense of personal failure.
What interested me is that the film is based on a true story which was published in the book by Maxwell Anderson The true Story of Emannuel Balestrero and also Life Magazine June 29th 1953. I have not been able to confirm if the film is accurate.

The beleaguered hero is a musician who plays at the Stork Club and he and his wife have constant money problems. When he goes to get a loan on the life insurance to pay for dental treatment his wife needs, staff call the police because of his likeness to the man who has robbed the counter staff twice and not been caught. He is unable to provide an alibi especially when no one is able to confirm that he stayed at a small hotel on a fishing trip on one fo the days when a robbery took place. He is able to get the names and addresses of two of the three men also staying at the hotel at the same time but finds that both have since died and the third name cannot be found. His lawyer does his best to make the case for mistaken identity and his interrogation of one witness upsets a juror who speaks out that forcing the course to determine a retrial at a later date.

Fortunately the actual robbery commits another hold up at a store and is apprehended. In the film teh detective who arrested Fonda sees the man being brought into the police station and makes the connection. I would not be surprised if in reality the man admitted to the previous offences and this resulted in Fonda being cleared. However the sub story that the impact fo all this on his wife as she becomes so depressed because she feels she is responsible by not managing their budget more effectively and being the cause of his visit to the insurance office for the loan. Her illness is such that the doctor feels she needs a sympathetic peaceful environment so he arranged for her to be treated in a small residential institution. When the credits role they tell the audience that it was a further two years before she recovered. The film also makes the point about the danger is using identity parades alone to make a prosecution especially because there was a time gap between the robberies and his visit. The film was produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock and therefore has a well scripted element of suspense for those unfamiliar with the story

2017 You win some, you lose more

After all the emotion of the past two weeks as the drama of Egypt unfolds it is time to concentrate for a short while on sport over the past two weeks,

Football British and American style takes pride of place and Newcastle United and their midfield player Cheik Tioti who scored a technically brilliant scorcher at a distance on the volley to level the game against Arsenal 4.4. As to day Saturday 12th 2011 I was spoilt for choice with wall to wall sporting options to watch on TV or listen on the radio. Newcastle were playing at hone and the attention was on how they would cope following the most expensive transfer of British born player, some £35 million to Liverpool as the last day of the January Transfer period.

I had my suspicions that Newcastle born Carroll would be sold following his rapid rise to attention, not just because of his goal tally but his all round team supporting play and given the paucity of England forwards his call up to the international squad was deserved but created greater interest. I suspect that had Liverpool not made their interest clear other clubs, notably Spurs or Sunderland might have shown public if not private interest. The young man has been injured and his off pitch activities which led him into being a defendant in the magistrates court, not once but twice also suggested that a move out of the area might be in his best interests, although not for Newcastle who were also suffering because of injury to also Newcastle born Shoala Ambiobi.

Before moving back to the game, the transfer madness was headed by the transfer of Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea for the amazing fortune of £50 million the highest transfer fee paid in the UK and the third highest in world football. Newcastle were said to have refused the first and second bids from Liverpool and claimed that the transfer took place only after the player put in the request to move. He alleged that he was told to go but on examination the story appears to be that in order to stay he wanted to negotiate contract from his £30000 a week that is £1.5 million a year to the £90000 £4.5 million being offered by Liverpool.

Back to the game Theo Walcott scored for Arsenal after 44 seconds. Disappointing but not a disaster. However when Arsenal scored not one but two more within the first ten minutes it was game over, and definitely over when a fourth was scored before half time. There was a trickle of fans who had enough and made their way to the bar or home. Oh yes of little faith, although I admit I turned the radio off at this point. I did not turn it on until towards thee end of the game with the score 4.3. I watched the Match of the Day highlights and what happened is that an Arsenal lost his temper following a Joey Barton tackle which although forceful won the ball. The arsenal player reacted and struck out at Barton and then a Newcastle player who tried to calm the situation. The player was sent off with two yellow cards. Afterwards the Arsenal Manager argued that Barton should have been sent off for the tackle, accepting that his player should not have reacted as he had.

Of the three goals before I switch one two were penalties and of these one was a good and clear cut decision and the other was questionable. Before the third goal Newcastle had one disallowed which upon analysis should have been credited. By this time the atmosphere at St James Park had become electric. Then there was a free kick about thirty yards out which was headed back out and Tiote caught the ball on the volleyed and successfully aimed into the left corner of the goal into the net. No team in the history of the Premier League has come back from being 4.0 behind to draw.. Arsenal did managed to get the ball into the net in the time added because of previous delays but it was a good offside decision. There was a great party on the street and in the bards and clubs in the city as if the game had been one. All fear of a quick slide into the relegation zone banished.

This week Newcastle are away at Blackburn, a club which I have visited more than once, certainly supporting Newcastle, and possibly Sunderland as it is possible to get there and back in a day about three hours using A1M and then the M62. Some 4500 Newcastle fans made the trip making great noise and in the first half their team had the best of the play with at least two good chances to score, one hitting the bar. For the rest of the game for long stretches Newcastle did everything but score. The goalkeeper Paul Robinson was buy throughout and in the first half made saves from Leon Best and Fabricio Coloccini. In the second half Newcastle controlled the play but somehow managed to not connect or shoot accurately to the numerous opportunity which came their way. At one level the 0.0 draw is acceptable but this keeps them anchored in the midcult of table, a point closer safety but still 5 points behind Sunderland who are yet to play this day.

Sunderland went to visit their second team Stoke, second team because six former Sunderland players are in the Stoke squad, and three were on the field of play. It was a good game but disappointing because Stole scored the winning goal 3.2 after Sunderland had scored through Phil Bardsley within the two minutes only for Stoke to equalise although the goal was offside but very difficult for the match officials to see. Sunderland went ahead and the Stoke scored with yet another controversial goalmouth scramble. The winner was the only goal that should have been valid so in the vernacular we was robbed. Their match against Spurs was also on the TV but ESPN which I listened to on the radio in early evening

Sunderland had a great start with the opening goal from Gyan, now leading the line in the absence of Bent, the club as did Newcastle fail to find an adequate replacement to fill the number shirt. And for the next ten to fifteen minutes it looked as if this start would result in at least one more goal for the home side. However Spurs with their on ambitions of playing in Europe once more remain a good side and commenced to match the effort and the skill and just before the end of the second half they equalised. They went ahead in the second and although Sunderland tried hard to at least gain a point, they failed

Another aspect of the last weekend of Premiership was the number of goals scored some forty on the Saturday with a couple more on the Sunday with Chelsea at home to Liverpool and losing to the away side 1.0, a game which I part watched on Sunday late afternoon. As a consequence fo the result last weekend Man United reinforced their position at the top of the table with realistically only Arsenal and Man City with the prospect of catching them up. Their win at lunchtime in the Derby with Man City brought them seven points clear until the afternoon kick offs. Although Man City like Chelsea are now more concerned about keeping their European League position than realistic challenge for the title. The Liverpool win meant that they pushed Sunderland into seventh spot one point ahead with the same games played. The appointment of Kenny Dalglish has prompted a return to the Liverpool organisation and spirit of former times and they have rapidly moved from the lower reaches of the division. Newcastle are now 10th with a batch of teams so that a couple of wins or losses could see them in touch with a European place or falling into the relegation misery. Sunderland, despite their loss remained 7th but above them Spurs replaced Chelsea in the top four a situation unlikely to remain.

England were away to Demark in a friendly on Wednesday. Friendly’s are like practice matches and it amazes me that so many people pay to watch. England did win 2.1 but so what.. The football event of this week was Wayne Ronney’s overhead scissor kick which went like a rocket into one corner of the net.

It was in the early 1980’s that I discovered American Football and became a supporter of the Chicago Bears. For Christmas someone gave me the shirt of the San Francisco 49ers so I also supported them. Watching meant staying up late although twice I went to Wembley to see pre seasons games and when a British league was established with a team at the Gateshead stadium I went to some home games. I also acquired a primitive computer game play, Over recent years I had tended to watch only a live game here and there although SKY TV now covers the regular season and what is now the ESPN sport channel, College Football. The reasons for reduced interests is the combination fo taking a more general interest in Football and my other interests and activities.

I have watched the Superbowl most years, previously live, but over recent years video tape recordings and this year he Sky box provided an HD recording. I chose the BBC version because they do not impose their own advertisements on the USA ones although this did not eliminate all advertising because the game commentators include product placement. And the cost of an advertising slow of 30 seconds, $3 million. So given the length of the game, the build up and the long half time, and the end of game razzmatazz, as well as the stop start nature of the game play I would be surprised if the total advertising revenue was not between $200 and £250 million dollars.

It was also an excellent game given that both teams who had not great seasons or ended as divisional champions, were known for their rock defences. The Game was between the Green Bay Packers who had won back to back and one triple Superbowl in the past but not for sometime and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Green Bay is also the smallest city among the two divisional teams. Both are used to cold and snow but not North Texas but there were piles of snow outside and artificial surface ice cold. This $1.3 billion stadium built two years ago has it critics although for this game the roof was close creating a warmer indoor atmosphere for which ticket holders gad paid upwards of £1000 and a hardy few also paid $200 dollars to stand in the cold outside the stadium to watch on large screens. The matched build up is along one with the teams introduced and then an award made by the children of legendary Walter Peyton for the player who had made the greatest contribution off the filed, this to charitable work within and outside the USA. Lee Michele who I knew not of sang America the Beautiful, the equivalent of our Greensleeves and the Christine Aquilera sang the Stars and Stripes unaccompanied with perhaps the longest held note climatic ending of all time. There was not one but interruptions of universal applause, not for her singing but shots on screen of serving members of the USA army in Afghanistan as they waited to view the match from heir fields of blood.

It was after 23.30 British time and 90 minutes since the programme commenced that a ball was kicked in he official play. It was midnight and the first quarter was drawing to a close when Green Bay took a gamble on the third and quarterback Rogers managed to throw the ball 29 yards to Jordy Nelson for touchdown goal with conversation and 7.0. Then a few minutes later Green Bay’s and Nick Collins manages to evade the bemused defenders to go from the 37th all way and suddenly from appearing to be a low score defensive bore, the Packers end the quarter 14.0. Someone comments that no one gets back more than 10 points at half time or was it first quarter! This was not in the script.

Second quarter Sean Suisham has a successful 33 yard field goal at an angle for the Steelers. Just before 00.45 am Green Bay Intercepts and Greg Jennings makes the subsequent 21 yard catch to take score 21.3 and we ask is this going to be a rout? No , as the Steelers being their come back when veteran Hones Ward goes over with conversion 21.10 and this brings the half time with losts of talk here to cover for the prolonged adverts before the Black Eyed Peas did OK but no more than OK given some fo the recent great acts.

1.42 and the gap closes another 7 points with the second Pittsburg touchdown and conversion. Suisham then gets the chance of a field goal from 52 yards and is not close. Is this the turning point in the game? The pressure begins to tell with Sacks and a Fumble. After the latest Sack and loss of yardage Green Bay score their fourth Touchdown as Pittsburg open up. The number of turnovers against the Steelers has its impact. Steelers fight back and their third touchdown they go for 2 points rather than kick conversion and make it taking the score to 28-23 and within one more strike( I know that’s baseball jargon) to take the lead for the first time in the game. This is not to be as Green Bay get a field goal from 23 yards out after Ziggy Hood has taken down the quarter back. And that is that and despite all the effort 31-23 is the final score and Green Bay get their hands on the Vince Lombardi trophy. It was 3.30 when stay up watchers could go to bed. Me? I watched the game over lunch.


I have been to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff twice to watch Newcastle United in FA Cup semi finals. They lost both. England played Wales this year with the stadium roof closed on Friday evening 4th February and the memory that it eight years since a win on Welsh soil. However the Welsh side as the English have had their problems and a close game was expected. The outcome was a 26 to 19 win for England with Chris Ashton scoring two tries. Which Toby Flood converted as well as kicking three penalties. Johnny Wilkinson, the hero of the last minute drop kick which won the World Championship but who now plays his Rugby in France also scored the other Penalty kick, Morgan Stoddert scored the try for Wales which was converted with four penalty kicks.

There was talk of Italy being no push over as they have been in the past for England’s game at Twickenham this Saturday. Twickenham is a very different ground today from that which I would pass on the way to Richmond when I lived at Teddington in the late 1960’s. I always had in mind to watch an International but was then too occupied with commitments and other interests. Well what does the scoreline of 59 to 13 suggest? England scored 8 tries with Ashton 4 and the others by Cueto, Tindell, Care and Haskell Flood converted 5 with a penalty and Wilkinson converted the other 3. Wales beat Scotland at Murrayfield 24-6. France. France had beaten Scotland 34- 21 and Ireland in Italy 13-11. This left France to travel to the new Aviva stadium which has replaced that at Landsdown Road where the home side have only been successful twice in twenty years. As I type away the match is being closely fought with France just ahead by 25 points to 22 and with less than 9 minutes to play. Ireland had the opportunity win the game in the closing two minutes but just short of the line a player dropped the ball and France regained possession to close out their victory. They are now second to England because of the superior number of points amassed

There has also been an extraordinary opening day of the Rugby League first division with all the teams playing their games over two days at the Millennium stadium. The opening game saw Warrington defeated 28-18. I was appointed the first District Social Services Director for Warrington after the local government reorganisation in 1974 when Warrington lost its Lancashire County Borough status and was transferred to the New Cheshire County Council. This was the largest District in Cheshire which led to a substantial increase in income, however the opportunity came to become the chief for more than double my previous earnings and the rest they say is history, but having held meetings with all the voluntary bodies and prospective staff and toured the district I have retained interest in the town’s sporting achievements as with Wakefield where I lived for a year when working for the Yorkshire West Riding and whose Rugby League team has had mixed fortunes over recent decades. Wakefield also lost to Castleford. The European Super League includes the French team from Perpignan, the Catalan Dragons and the Harlequins not to be confused with the Rugby Union side who confusingly play at the same ground, the Stoop Twickenham. The Celtic Crusaders are a Welsh Team playing at Wrexham, a friendly town which I used to visited went living at Cheshire and Bromborough and when supporting Sunderland Football club.

I have never been a Horse Racing fan although took an interest in the Derby which is held on partially open common land at Epsom and which I once attended travelling there on my cerise bicycle when I was still at school. I would also watch the Grand National on TV and still do along the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge. I did take an interest a couple of time in trying to forecast winners but only for fun and which proved that betting on horses is a mugs games unless you have inside information. I mention horse racing because of a tragic accident on Saturday when two horse were electrocuted to death in the pre race mounting enclosure. It appears that as a consequence of recent maintenance work and underground cable was brought sufficiently close to the surface so that a charge was transmitted via the metal shoes. A third horse was affected but survived. Although the first race before continued, the rest of the meeting was postponed as an inquiry commenced no doubt with one eye on liability and compensation.

2016 Egypt Time of joy, to salute and to learn

I was away from the television when it happened but I heard the roar as I came downstairs and heard and saw signs of the wildest jubilation equal to the day when victory in Europe was announced in 1945 or the sight of citizens in Berlin helping each other to tear down the wall which divided their city. It was good to be alive and share in the tears of joy, especially when less then 23 hours earlier there had had been such disappointment as first President Mubarak and then his recently created Vice President explained that in reality everything would continue as before. It appears that the King of Saudi Arabia had offered to bank roll the army if the USA pulled out their financial support as it appears was being threatened behind the scene.

It is possible that aspects of the truth will emerge in time although the process of presenting particular versions of these historical events to suit individual and national prejudices has already commenced as we are all Egyptian democrats now. But I run in advance of myself.

What happened is that yesterday as dawn broke in Cairo and elsewhere in the country the population returned to the streets in staggering numbers so that the whole square was filled and then people moved in substantial numbers to surround the heavily guarded main TV and radio station, overlooking the River Nile and then the boundaries of the large Presidential Palace complex between two and three hours walk from the city centre. There was some attempt by a few of the protestors to go over the barricades and the razor wire which the army had put up but in general the protestors were satisfied with the chants for the President and the regime to be brought to an end. The announcement by the vice President lasted only 20 seconds that the President had stepped down and it was later said he had gone to stay at his Palace home at the Red Sea resort.

The Army Council had been asked to take over, something which those organising the demonstrations called for.

It is pertinent to ask the extent to which the President and Vice President volunteered or were required by the Army. Subsequent unconfirmed reports suggested that the army had pushed under pressure from the United States, although there are also reports that the army had been unhappy with their President because of what happened in the 2005 elections and also his plan to make his son his successor. The Swiss government has immediately frozen the funds of the family and it is assumed that similar measure will be taken in London where the son is presently with his family and possible the wife of the former President. Certainly given the suggested size of he fortune making him one of the richest men in the world, a return of the funds to the Egyptian economy will go a significant way to fill the whole caused by the past three weeks.

At the moment the leading protest organisers and others to have appear on TV are talking terms of moving into the new chapter, looking forward rather than on the past, thus avoiding revenge attacks neighbour against neighbour which is often the consequence of a revolution where the existing frameworks of law and administration are just swept away without considered replacements.

The organiser say that something like 10 million people joined the protests and that half the population came out onto the streets in celebrations which went well into the early hours. It is reported some people feinted while other had heart attacks in their excitement and from the those interviewed the joy was abound as well the delight of the commentators who had been with them for the past three weeks, who had seen the horror of the attacks, witnessed their courage, their disappointment and frustration and then the ecstasy. Men in their thirties and forties said they had difficulty in expressing their feelings about being feel for the first time in their lives about their sense of achievement and about their love for the fellow citizens and their country. Art one level it was unbelievable, even Hollywood could not have dreamed up such a reality, yet reality and believable it was. The latest news us that there is to be another day of celebration to day and then they will return every Friday, a day like our Sundays, to celebrate and to ensure that their country moves in the right direction. This again struck me as a very sensible and enlightened approach to continue the sense of being one, to ensure people did not feel left out as the process of rebuilding their country and its economy continued

The entire International Community has welcomed the development with the exception of Israel. At one level I understand and sympathise with Israel because of the history of its people. You may have become paranoid but they have been out to get you. At the same time the response of recent governments to making progress in relationships with their Arab, Muslim and political neighbours has left a lot to be desired. So while understanding their caution they will need to adopt a different stance if they are not to find their position unproductive and counterproductive.

The response of most governments that has been quoted has the same effect as that of former President Kennedy as the Berlin Wall, We are all Berliners now. Most of the European spokesmen and the USA appeared genuinely delighted with the development mixed with relief. There is also caution about two major issues. The first is the role the Muslim Brotherhood. They have said they will not have a candidate for the Presidency but will contest for seats in the Parliament. They had won 88 seats in the last General Election before being stripped of them as their party was outlawed. There has to be concerned because of what happened in Iran and in Gaza where the local branch won the election because of the genuine support for their constituents proving a network fo social services as well as spiritual consistency and political radicalism. As I have repeated stated in previous writings. I have much admiration for fundamentalist in their ideology and spirituality except where they develop structures and regimes in which opposition and difference is not tolerated and everyone is required to support or be treated as the enemy. In Iran and in Gaza having gained power they then set about created a one party one religion state, eliminating the opposition or potential opposition by hitting on the educated middleclass and given power to the educated and irrational; who signed up for the system. While there is a need for caution my impression is that those who organised the peaceful revolution in Egypt have no intention of surrendering their hard won sense of freedom to anyone within or without.

There has also been early recognition of the task ahead and the need to work together to achieve a consensus and the part the international media has to play in keep a watch over what happens and be there if the need should in the future.

There is concern that young people in non democratic as well as democratic countries including the UK will be inspired and potentially exploited to serve the interests of others in this situation

Overall I share in the joy salute the bravery and I am now optimistic whereas within the last 48 hours I was apprehensive and disappointed. The young people of Egypt have a lot to teach us all.