The Newsroom
This is a wonderful new HBO television series of the standard of the Wire, The Sopranos, ER and, most significantly, The West Wing. Its writer, the legendary Aaron Sorkin, also writes and produces The Newsroom. Official website here.
Emily Mortimer
It is beautifully done and sows so many seeds of so much plot and character potential in its first episode – and it gets even better in the second.
Emily Mortimer is gorgeous as the female lead. It amuses, irritates and then enrages me that this delightful British actress plays the noble American “land of the free” story but at least she doesn’t feign any accent and it’s clear she’s a Brit.
It starts as the Gulf of Mexico disaster is breaking news and it has a great, inspirational philosophy too – do you remember when we used to regard journalists as heroes and seekers after truth?
The Newsroom is exciting and very special.
Watch it.
The Higgs Boson
They found the Higgs boson sitting under a tree in paradise smoking a joint.
She said “God? Yes I know him. Try some of this and you will too.”
ITALIA!
Brilliant Balotelli
I hate football.
But I love international sport, whatever it is. When the hearts and souls of nations are concerned then it becomes an uplifting and enthralling experience.
It is acceptable, almost healthy to despise the Germans in sport, even if we have a sneaking admiration for their efficiency and strength.
The Italians are deceptive and cowardly when we are playing them but artists, expressing great flare and style when beating the Germans as they did so gloriously tonight!
Truly, international sport is an excellent replacement for war. We should get the Iranians to the ping pong table.
What I noticed was that before the game, every Italian player sang his heart out with his anthem while the Germans were less than enthusiastic.
Football is so much better when it behaves like rugby.
Banker Robbers Must Go To Jail
Bob Diamond, Chief Executive, Barclays
Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect any bonus, not even a toothbrush.
Five years minimum plus a £10 million fine please.
Then we might be able to say that we’re just beginning to redress the balance.
David Cameron Is A Bully
A spoilt, incompetent, rude, hypocritical posh boy.
(Cameron, that is)
Although Jimmy Carr doesn’t come out of this smelling of roses, he’s definitely the victim and it’s a massively clumsy mistake by Cameron.
When is our despicable, third form sneak going to talk about the morality of Goldman Sachs or Barclays?
The United Kingdom 2012
We Love Our Queen!
The truth about the Diamond Jubilee that will shine throughout the world.
God Save The Queen!
I think the Queen is a wonderful woman who deserves enormous respect. Disrespect her and you disrespect the whole of Britain. The Royal Family is an excellent institution that is fantastic value for money as well as having proved itself to be the most effective head of state in the world.
I’d like someone to point out a better model for government than ours.
It’s far, far from perfect but I see nothing better anywhere else.
Look at the US, even with a written constitution and elected President who’s obviously a pretty cool guy as an individual, Guantanamo is still open, the DEA and CIA are international gangsters, corruption, mass incarceration and human rights abuse prevail.
No one is a fiercer critic of our government than me but there’s no better alternative anywhere that I see.
British Spirit
Crimewatch On Prohibition
It’s not my favourite programme. It’s the BBC doing tabloid exploitation and sensationalising crime. Since Fiona Bruce was kicked off for being “too old” it’s lost all semblance of any dignity. I watched it tonight though and was struck how three out of four of the vile. disgusting crimes featured were all, quite obviously, the product of prohibition.
The first two were characterised by levels of risk or violence totally out or proportion to the potential gain – crack or smack heads in need of a fix or a pipe. The third was clearly a punishment attack over drug debts.
These evil crimes are the product of government policy. I make no apology nor claim any excuse for the scumbags that committed them but if prohibition was ended, the criminal markets were undercut , then there would be no motive for such evil. Those few that wished to destroy their lives could do so without being forced into crime against those innocents who choose a more productive and decent life.
It is the most absurd idiocy of modern government that this moral retribution against those who err is the cause of most crime in our society.
Is it not time that we opened our eyes and employed a touch of common sense?
Ol’ Tone Sets The Standard
I’m certainly no Labour party supporter and I don’t believe ol’ Tone is a perfect human being but he makes Cameron, Osborne and Clegg look like the useless muppets they really are.
Tony Blair is a class act and British politics is diminished by his absence.
Peter Reynolds 