Sitcom of the Week: Peep Show

Given my newfound fondness for watching TV through any medium other than actually useing a real television, it could only be a matter of time before I discoved one of Channel 4 on demand's special features - the archive. That's right, unlike boring old BBC iPlayer, 4oD allows me to download programmes from years before. As you can imagine, i'm up to my neck in old Dispatches and other Doc's that i've downloaded but am yet to actually watch.
Another programme that has made my acquaintance is Peep Show, a Channel 4 sitcom that has been going for several years apparently. It's got that lovely David Mitchell in it - often seen on panel games such as QI and HIGNFY. In Peep Show he plays a character called Mark Corrigan, someone I can very much identify with. The BBC has described this character thus:

"As Mark Corrigan, David reached out to all those middle-aged men in a twentysomething's body, who believe drugs are boring and systems are necessary if society is to function at all."

If only we had more people like myself and Mark Corrigan. I have often thought that making peace with the establishment is an important part of maturity and despise much of 'popular culture' - an oxymoron in itself. To my fellow twenty-somethings who wouldn't agree, well, you can stick two fingers up to "the system" as much as you like, but being rude doesn't pay the bills.

So the "slant-eyes" got it right?

I have somewhat mixed views regarding our Royal Family. While from a Leftist meritocratic point of view I naturally find their positions absolutely impossible to justify, I am nevertheless quite fond of them. Though hard for me to pick a favourate, at the moment Prince Phillip seems to be doing it for me. A television interview this week shows how he believes overpopulation has put too many pressures on the world (Times article). This is something i have long belived in.

Call me a neo-Malthusian if you like, but to me it doesn't take a genius to work out that this Earth of ours can only hold so many people. Yes, we can use technology to increase that number and cram more and more of us on this rock (actual quality of life being another thing entirely) but ultimatly there has to be limits to growth.

World population has rocketed in the last 50 years for the simple fact that people are still being born, but seem to be dying less often. Thats why there are (at time of writing) around 6,757,871,300 of us. That's 6.7 billion to be approximate., and rising rapidly - an extra 200 since I wrote the line above.

And when we reach the limit? A huge population crash, more devestating than any other man- made disaster, and it's likely we'll take the global ecosystem with us. So it's endangered? So what, i'm hungry. That's what it'll boil down to in the end. Since I first started reading about demographics, I have firmly believed that as a species we need to control our own fertility. The Chinese one-child policy is not a nice way for any nation to deal with the problem of too many people, but it is a necessary evil. I for one would be happy to see it rolled out across the whole African continent - the place where the population explosion is most horrific. Should that be successful, it could be rolled out across Latin America and the Middle East (excluding Israel obviously), possibly southern Asia too. With luck we could eventually see global population at 1900 levels.

Of course, it probably won't happen. No government in Africa is anywhere near strong or stable enough to implement such a policy. To have it forced upon the underdeveloped world by the developed nations - despite being entirely for their own good - would probably cause incredible PR problems such that no nation on Earth has the sheer guts to do it. The best we can probably hope for is a plateau at 9 billion in 2050. Though what sort of world it'll be, i shudder to think.

In the course up reading up on this subjuct, I stumbled upon the site of the Optimum Population Trust. Apparently, world population now stands at 6,757,874,151.

And before everything gets too serious, heres an old Duke of Edinburgh related clip from the classic that was Spitting Image.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IAGOIGVC_VU

Eco-Criminals disrupt fuel supply

Earlier yesterday morning, this story caught my attention. Apparently a bunch of self-righteous ecowarriors has taken it upon themselves to intercept a train delivering coal to a North Yorkshire power station. This act of trespass was made by members of imaginatively titled greeny group "Leave it in the Ground". Having climbed aboard the train, they proceded to use spades to empty its contents all over the ground nearby. Sounds more like on the ground to me.

In my eyes, the people who have carried out this act are no more than common criminals and should be treated as such. They have not only trespassed onto the railway lines, but effectively hijacked the train and stolen its contents - coal which they then used to despoil the surrounding land. They have caused inconvenience to many - not least other rail passengers whose trains were diverted, as well as rail staff and the poor workmen who no doubt have to clean up their mess.

If there is a silver lining in this incident, it is that the plant the coal was destined for will not be impacted and will operate "business as normal". Good for them.

I remember thinking at the time that these criminals (or 'campaigners' if you insist, though they don't deserve the positive connotations of the term) should be round up be the police and given a nice stretch at Her Majesty's pleasure. It was with glee that today I read a follow-up article informing me that police had removed all the protesters and that arrests went "into double figures".

"Those arrested face possible charges of conspiracy to obstruct trains, obstructing trains and railway trespass, police said."

Lovely.

That said, part of me had visions of militia moving in and dealing with each of them swiftly. One bullet each if you catch my drift. Still, i take my hat off to the police officers involved.

If you aren't happy about Britain's energy policy, there is an established and proper way to amend it. Either write to your MP, or if you really aren't satisfied; join one of the three main political parties, stand as an MP, enter the Commons, and influence legislation that way. Ok, if you're really angry, you can sign a petition. What we don't need is highly illegal activities carried out by greener-than-thou tossers which disrupt the ordinary flow of life and increase the tax burden (through higher police costs) on the average person.

Right, I'm off to burn some coal.

Are all cultures equal?

No

That's the short answer. The question comes up often enough, or the topic is raised. It has become oh so trendy in recent decades to label the cultural practices of far away lands as 'different but equal' to our own.

I don't know where this particular piece of loony left dogma comes from, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the culture of the self-hating westerner. After all, anyone growing up in modern day Britian knows that to be European is nothing to be proud of. Ok, so Europe may be the birthplace of democracy, freedom, civil liberties and humanism. It may be responsible for the greatest scientific and technological discoveries in history. It may also be the place where some of the worlds best artwork and literature was produced, but never mind all that. As any so-called intellectual will tell you, collective European culture is no more superior to that of tribal people living in mud huts and worshiping the sun.

This is the one part of New Age bollocks I tolerate least. It has given us one of the prime reasons behind the fragmentation of the British state - Multiculturalism. In general, multiculturalism is based on the premise that all cultures are equally 'good' and that all should be celebrated. This I won't stand for. Western Parliamentary democracy is so much superior to Islamic theocracy. Civil liberties and respect for the human being is far more intelligent than stone age 'Holy scriptures'. The great classical muscians are without doubt infinately better than the tribal drumming of darkest Africa.

So the next time someone tells me I should be more open minded about a society which still practices ritual slaughter, 'traditional' herbal medicine, or the genital mutilation of it's own children; my first instinct will be to tell them to piss off. Secondly, i will point out that as a European, I am heir to the greatest culture to have ever existed on Earth and that it is not chauvanistic or 'rascist' to remain true to that fact. Queen Victoria once declared that she wanted Britain to 'civilise the world'

If only we'd finished that job.

Cultures are not all equal - some are just better.

Green Lane Update

I've always been a bit of a fan of Ian Hislop, and the wonderful satirical organ that is Private Eye. Indeed, it was that fine publication that inspired an earlier satirical blog of mine. (Free subscription for the plug please Ed.)

And so it was from the current issue (No 1211) that I first saw an update on the Channel 4 dispatches programme i blogged about recently. If you remember rightly, having been shown the film that clearly showed the local religious loonies in full anti-West hate mode to the police, it was none other than the film-makers that were hauled before the court. The brains that are West Midlands Police (or more exactly Anil Patani) made a complaint that selective editing had unfortunately portrayed this particular group of hate filled theocratic nutcases intent on destroying British freedom and democracy - as hate filled theocratic nutcases intent on destroying British freedom and democracy.

Its not every day that you get in trouble with the CPS for actually telling the truth.

Unless its the truth about religion of course. Or more exactly, about Islam.

An old friend of mine once complained that while you could say whatever you liked about Christianity, Islam seemed to be protected by a collective vow of silence. While i didn't entirely sympathise with him - believing that you should indeed be allowed free speech with regards to Christianity - the hypocracy is quite apparent. In the documentary, the invariably bearded sociopaths (i.e. preachers) expressed multiple times thier anti-semitism, homophobia and mysogyny. Were any true British citizen to express such backward opinions (backward for the civilised world at least) they would surely have their collar felt.

Quite rightly so, but if Jonny Imam says it, the Old Bill 'respectfully' tiptoe away. Wouldn't want to offend muslims would we - even if it comes at the cost of condoning murder, domestric abuse and treason to the British state. Sometimes it feels like there's a little game of minority Top Trumps going on - maybe the police have a pack so they know who should be offended under which circumstances.

If West Midlands Police were doing their job properly, Green Lane mosque would have been closed, its preachers of hate locked away for a very long time indeed. Anil Patani would be thrown out on his heels for not realising that there can be no greater threat to 'community cohesion' than a bunch of deluded man men preaching hatred in our own back yard.

With Policemen like this, who needs Al Qaeda...

You're the one who needs counselling!

Northern Ireland assembly member Iris Robinson has just added herself to my long list of religious tossers by calling for all members of the LGBT community to seek psychiatric help. She believes that homosexuals can be 'turned around' with the help of 'a very lovely psychiatrist ' she happens to know.

Well then. I'll begin by stating the bleeding obvious. Homosexuality is NOT a psychiatric disorder. If you don't agree with that try asking the Royal College of Physicians. If anything, it is Mrs Robinson's blatant bigotry and irrational homophobic hatred that is the disease. Prejudice is the disease of the mind. In the case of Mrs Robinson (and her 'lovely' psychiatrist friend) it probably stems from christian 'principles'. Stone age desert cults are what we, as a society, could do with being cured of - not our innocent fellow humans.

As for turning homosexuals 'back' into heterosexuals, well, utter BS. Firstly, it would suggest that sexuality is a matter of choice. Anyone with half a brain cell would realise that this isn't and could never be the case. When LGBT people across the world are openly persecuted and discriminated against, can anyone really suggest that being gay is a choice anyone would make? It's also obvious that Mrs Robinson feels that being gay must mean you have something wrong with you - that Heterosexuality is 'the norm', and that anything else is somehow 'deviant'.

I mean, really? Why do we still put up with such self-righteous religious bigots like Mrs Robinson. That this woman is in regional government should be scary. The people of Northern Ireland, of all people, must be aware by now that religion and politics don't mix. Trying to 'cure' people of being gay?!? While you're at it, why not have a go at curing those people who happen to prefer tea to coffee! Lets remind those that favour dogs over cats of the error of their ways! How dare anyone have a different sexual orientation to that of Mrs Robinsonk, or to the recommendation of her favourite 'holy book'.

Before i go, i may just book an appointment with that counsellor. Not for me of course.... for Iris. Poor woman is clearly quite deranged.

Atheists aboard the Milibandwagon!

Following the disastrous (for the Labour Party at least) Crewe bye-election, there has been open speculation on the future of our Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Will the Torys win the next General Election? Will Brown survive as leader until the next General Election? Who will succeed Brown as Labour leader and Prime Minister?

Naturally that has been the order of speculation, with attention now turning to the third. Polically minded people across Britain are now eyeing up Brown's cabinet to see who would make a half decent Prime Minister. And so the Times has turned its attention to the young (42) David Miliband, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs - a job he has held since the June 28th 2007 reshuffle. Miliband has apparently declared that he is willing to "save New Labour".

I don't know about anyone else, but I seem to recall that this is what Brown was supposed to do? Back in June 2007, weren't we told that Gordon would rid the party and the government of the worst excesses of the Blair years? That it would be the end of spin, the end of sofa government? Admittedly, Brown has been more a victim of circumstance than anything else. Current economic problems are global (or so i am led to believe). Nevertheless, it is the government which must carry the can when finances go tits up.

For the sake of argument, leds imagine that the Labour Party has, en masse, called for Gordon Brown to resign. Gracefully, though not to pleased about it, he does so. Then what? Numerous names have been thrown in the air, other than that of Miliband, are Jack Straw, Alan Johnson and James Purnell. Naturally no one will currently admit wanting the job:

Alan Johnson on the chances of him leading Labour into the next election: "None whatsoever, absolutely none".
David Milliband: "I'm not in the market for any job other than the one I've got at the moment"
Douglas Alexander on Brown: "I don't think there's anybody better qualified "
Ed Miliband on Brown: "He's the right man for the times" Naturally things may change.

To quote the Times "Among the ministers said to be ready to desert Brown are Alan Johnson, the health secretary, Ruth Kelly, the transport secretary, James Purnell, the work and pensions secretary, Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, John Hutton, the business secretary, Hazel Blears, the communities secretary, Jack Straw, the justice secretary, and Tessa Jowell, the Olympics" and "Brown is also losing the support of Alistair Darling, the chancellor." That would leave quite an empty cabinet one would imagine, seemingly made up of Harriet Harman, the Miliband Brothers, Balls and Cooper, Denham, Hoon, Alexander, Browne, Benn, Woodward and Murphy, as well as a lot of hastily promoted backbenchers.

"I'll get my coat"

Assuming the Times' prediction is correct, and that Brown has just left Number 10 (possibly taking notable Brownites such as Harman, Darling and Balls with him). Is it possible to imagine a leadership contest? For the first time in 11 years, the Party hasn't had a leader in waiting. No one potential Prime Minister looms out over any other. Let's suppose the ballot of Labour Party members has opened and the choice is between either David Miliband or Jack Straw.

All other issues aside, I'm actually quite fond of one of these candidates. Miliband is an Atheist like myself. While the Daily Mail naturally sees this as a bad thing (Godless PM! Shock Horror!!) I feel it could only be a good thing for Britain. The UK needs an Atheist government, secularism needs to be strongly defended against constant attack. If the recent debate over abortion has taught us anything, it's that right wing christian fanatacism is on the rise. Across the country, there are people who will argue that discrimination is ok if it's based on faith.

Once PM Miliband has sorted out our economic problems (perhaps with a little help from Chancellor Byrne?) there are a few areas of national policy i'd like to see him sort out:

-End any privalege accorded to minority groups on the basis of religion
-Close down ALL faith schools, be they Christian, Muslim or whatever
-Ban religious dress in schools -End worship in schools -Force schools to teach evolution in science classes
-Enforce a decent standard of sex education in schools
-Kick the 26 unelected bishops out of the House of Lords -Enable police forces to seriously investigate hate crimes and incitement from religious groups
-Protect the right to criticise religion
-Block all attempts to lower the abortian time limit
-Bring in tough anti-homophobia laws
-Legalise marriage for homosexual couples
-Maintain the equality of all citizens under the law (No to sharia).

The Rt Hon. David Miliband, PM?

I can only hope that as a Prime Minister, David Miliband would be as openly proud of his Atheism as Brown has been of his Presbytarianism and Blair is of his new Catholicism. I should probably point out that Jack Straw has been almost as committed to secularism, having at one time asked Muslim women in his constituency to remove their veils when talking to him - before being forced to back down by a party that depends quite heavily on the muslim vote in its inner city constituencies. As long as Ruth Kelly doesn't get the job, there's enough homophobic right wing nutters in the Tory party, we don't need one in charge of Labour.


All said and done, I sincerely hope that Brown survives the current blip in the polls. But should the writing really be on the wall for the Brown era, I'll be there on the sidelines cheering on fellow godless heathen, David Wright Miliband.

'Ciderite'