They Don’t Like It Up ‘Em
I know Corporal Jones famous catch-phrase comes from less-political correct times, but this story from Burma shows how dictators get very annoyed at well-directed humour.
After all, humour is probably the sharpest weapon in the arsenal and it doesn’t generally kill people, but it might change their ideas. Or discourage others from following their evil ways.
Although, there is no record of what Hitler thought of Spike Jones‘s song, Der Fuehrer’s Face. My father had a few 78’s of his music.
So long may The Moustache Brothers in Burma be free to poke fun at one of the most evil regimes in the world. My only hope, is that they can retire quietly, after the regime has gone.
The Old Royal Naval College At Greenwich
The Painted Hall in the Old Royal Naval College is being restored. So I went and took some pictures.
In a few weeks time, they will be allowing you to get close to the work. I shall go again.
A Tale Of Two Young Women
Today we had the good news of Malala Yousafzai leaving hospital after being shot by the Taleban in Pakistan for speaking up for the education of girls.
But the student, who was raped and murdered in India hasn’t been as lucky. The latest news is here on the BBC.
What is it in the sub-continent about their attitude to women and girls?
But saying that, there is a surprisingly large number of Asian men in jail in the UK for sex offences.
Gerard Depardieu May Become Russian
Who’d have thought Russia would be a tax haven, but this story says that it only has a personal income tax of 13%.
Putin seems to be welcoming Gerard Depardieu with open arms, but then I don’t think the French actor is a man, to whom a lot of the principles that guide most of us apply. He certainly seems very selfish and looking at his personal life, women are just toys in his life.
Incidentally, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a film.
A Very Dangerous Religious Law
This story on the BBC’s web site, just shows that religious zealots are alive and well and living in Indonesia.
They want women to sit on a motorcycle side-saddle. What about women, who want to actually drive the bike?
Incidentally, I know several women, who’ve been on the back of motor-bikes side-saddle, as it was seen occasionally in the 1960s.
I think we’d all agree it’s not a sensible idea, but then in India and I suspect Indonesia, you see lots of people riding motor-bikes in unusual and to us dangerous ways.
The interesting last word is these paragraphs from the article.
The regulation has been met with criticism from well-known Muslim activists like Ulil Abshar Abdalla, who is based in the capital, Jakarta.
“How to ride a motorbike is not regulated in Sharia. There is no mention of it in the Koran or Hadiths,” he said on his Twitter account, referring to the second most sacred text in Islam after the Koran.
You could also ask, how crash helmets fit in with Muslim and other religious views. I think for instance in the UK, that male Sikhs who adhere to their religious views, also follow the crash helmet law or don’t ride motor-bikes. Or at least, I haven’t seen a Sikh in a turban riding a motor-bike in years. Perhaps, they wear a patka underneath like some Sikh sportsmen do.
The Sun Adds To The Words Over The Falklands
The Sun has taken out an advert in an Argentinian paper to put their version of the British view on the Falklands direct to the country.
It’s an interesting tactic, but I don’t think it will soften the Argentinian view that the Falkland Islands are theirs.
I think we are right to say that the Falkland Islanders have the right of self-determination.
On that basis, does that mean that say the Isle of Wight has the right to do what it wants? It might ban people from wearing yellow socks for instance.
That may seem a silly example, but various religions and political factions in this country, would like to create enclaves, where they do what they want.
Can we have it both ways?
Do People Pay Off Loans At The End Of The Year?
Looking at my Zopa figures it seems to show that more loans are paid up early around the turn of the year.
I can’t get any decent figures from my database, but it could be that at that time, people take a hard look at their finances and other factors might come in, such as parents paying off their children’s loans as a Christmas present.
Or it could be a one off effect this year as the Bank of England has said that mortgage lending has increased.
On the other hand, Zopa still seems to be lending money at the same rate, so perhaps the losers in this pincer movement are those providing traditional loans and overdrafts.
It’s That Mother Again!
The Standard today has yet another article, about the mother who doesn’t want her son to have radiotherapy.
I’m getting rather fed up with this woman.
it’s not news, but a personal tragedy for everyone involved.
We’re All QPR Supporters Today!
I’ve been travelling around London today, in my Ipswich Town hat and several have remarked to me, about what a good result Harry got with QPR against Chelsea. It’s here on the BBC.
I think it illustrates how most real football fans have nothing but contempt for clubs like Chelski and are not slow to rub it in when they lose. It was the same when I came back from Bolton a few weeks ago.
The Anonymous Widower 