Van Helsing

I have been watching vampire films for inspiration when it comes to being a Games Master and running Curse of Strahd. So I watched this as part of my homework.

What a terrible film. I had heard that it was a bad film, I should have listened, but a review of the sexiest film vampires had mentioned this, so I thought I would give it a try, but I should not have bothered. It had a few lines and ideas that showed a glimpse of what the film could be, but an overly complicated plot and terrible direction made this a film worth missing. It was not truly awful, the ballroom scene was beautiful, the brides are alluring, but cannot be compared to classics like Dracula, or From Dusk Till Dawn. 

This is a film I cannot see me watching again, ever. If you are ever tempted to watch it, don’t. There are loads of other films to watch instead. 

Pulp fiction

My son felt this film was overrated. My wife and I think that he was wrong.

I remember watching it when it first came out. I was apprehensive that I would enjoy it as much as Reservoir Dogs or True Romance.  Remember liking the film, until Uma Therman woke up. After that, I loved it.  As with all Tarantino films, it has great dialogue and memorable characters. While my wife and I disagree about other productions by Tarantino we both love this. Like any classic film, this is one I would watch again, and have done several times.  

I suspect that he will not like many of the films which I consider to be classics. I do not know if this is a generational thing, but time will tell. He is keen to watch Kill Bill, my wife hates it, so I will he watching it with him. It will be interesting to see if he wants to watch the second instalment afterwards. 

The Nobel Peace Prize, Trump and Gaza

Over the last few days, there has been speculation that Trump has ensured that a ceasefire takes place in Gaza so that he can win the peace prize. The idea of this is ludicrous, especially with how he has backed Israel since they broke the last ceasefire this year. Since then starvation has hit Gaza with the murder of those seeking aid after the UN was banned from helping those n Gaza.

What Hamas did on October the 7th was horrific but does not justify what is happening now.

I hope that this peace will last. I suspect that Israel will find an excuse to return to violence once the hostages are released though. 

Saying that, if Trump can force Israel to return to The Oslo Peace Accords, then he will deserve that prize. 

Kemi Badenoch, the current leader of the Conservatives

I almost feel sorry for Kemi Badenoch.  She is a woman in politics which means that she is under more scrutiny than a man would be.  She is a woman of colour which means that she will be judged on that.  Both however will not be overt, there will just be something off about her.

Some mistakes are not down to her, the most recent one (at the time of this being posted) being the chocolate bar with incorrect spelling.  Others are though, such as her comment about Northern Ireland and the Brexit vote.   

This may be her first and last conference as leader.  I imagine that she is hoping to last until Reform implode, infighting being an issue with Nigel Farage and his tribute acts in the past.  It may not happen, but I hope it does, as do those who have stood by the Conservatives.

For those who would like to listen to her in some easy interviews, I hope this post is of interest.

Is Keir Starmer complicit in genocide?

Two years ago, an attack was launched from Gaza that brought about a response from Israel.  The attack was intended to remind Jews in Israel what happened to Jews during the Holocaust.  Images were taken of Israelis being murdered and hostages (though not all of them being Israeli or Jewish) were taken.  Israel responded, initially with the backing of much of the world.  But Israel went too far and openly worked towards the Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza, its actions now being considered by many to be genocide.  

I do not think that there is any justification for the attacks two years ago, just as there was no justification for Israel breaking the ceasefire that had been previously negotiated and would have freed people on both sides.

Other than the production of parts for the F-35, I think that the UK should be offering no aid or support to Israel.  And the F-35 parts being produced can only be justified due to the role of the UK in the production of the fighter.  I think that I understand why Starmer has not cut off all support, I suspect this being that he can try to influence Donald Trump, the only man who can actually force Israel to stop the continued murder of so many Palestinians.  That and doing so may cause Trump to raise his tariffs on the UK. 

While the world is focused on the brutality in Gaza, it is important to remember how Palestinian land is being taken for Living Space (I know the use of this term will open me to accusations of antisemitism) by settlers in The West Bank. Palestinians have been attacked BEFORE the horrors of two years ago, little or no action being taken by the IDF to stop settlers from doing so. 

Do I think that he is complicit in genocide?  No more so than many other world leaders.  But I am fed up of people saying that he is.  There are actions that people can take on this matter, they can report Starmer and if he is guilty, action can be taken against him.  Will people do that?  I doubt it.  

When should direct action be limited?

Direct action has been part of protests in the UK for some time. The Suffragettes took part in direct action, some of which was more violent than others. This matter is in the news again because many have been arrested for protesting while supporting Palestine Action. My views on them and how they have “accidentally” supported Russia n the invasion of Ukraine have been posted before. 

This post is about if direct action is okay depending on the group engaging in it.

In August there was a story about how demonstrators had tried to enter a hotel housing asylum seekers to take part in direct action. Other actions have been taken since then, not just in Scotland, not counting the criminal damage that happened during the Farage Riots last year. Charities who have been trying to help refugees have reported abuse and intimidation by those who care about what they stand for. 

Palestine Action have also taken part in criminal damage, breaking windows of offices in Milton Keynes, but also targeting Jewish businesses in Stamford Hill. And of course there are the actions which have accidentally hindered Ukrainian efforts to defend against the invasion Russia. While there will be those who will say I am wrong to compare Kristallnacht to what is happening now, but many of those who are considered to be Jewish were concerned about history repeating itself, that being before the appalling murder of Jews in Manchester. 

I will finish on two points. Loads of organisations are protesting the brutal ethnic cleansing of Gaza and are staying within the law to do so. The other point is if it is acceptable for one group to engage in intimidation and criminal damage to bring about change, is it also acceptable for others to do so? 

A trip to Bristol

My wife, our son and I went to Bristol yesterday to see our daughter. Sadly, she and I are now unwell. While I would love to blame my daughter, I started to feel unwell in the morning before we left.

We are getting used to the drive and our son ensured we were entertained by talking to us and picking music to play on Spotify. As we approached her halls of residence Leia, our dog, realised where we were. The dog and my daughter were overjoyed to see each other. When there, we got to meet the two girls she stays with in her flat and later, one of the boys.

We went out for a meal (which was great and we will return), took down some items that my daughter wanted and after spending some much appreciated time with her drove back.  Unlike last time, the drive back was relatively event free, as usual, there was a lot of traffic on the M25 between the M4 and the M40, due to an accident this time.

It was after I handed over to my wife that our virus hit me. When at home, I went to bed, with a fever though later I did get to watch the Arsenal game, before passing out on the sofa!

Paracetamol and vaccines

The world we live in is becoming a joke.  A sad tragic one for many as they are to die sooner than they should.  People in power should not be claiming that paracetamol (Tylenol/acetaminophen in the USA) causes Autism when the overwhelming evidence states that it is safe.

But this is from an administration that is spreading lies and half-truths about vaccines.  And a president who commented about using bleach in bodies to cure COVID.  

Remember that thanks to misinformation that had been spread about COVID, more Republicans died of COVID than Democrats in the USA.  Also, in the UK, we have our own morons who have an 'interesting' view on science, let alone Farage refusing to accept that paracetamol does not cause autism.

Should Blair be a Middle East peace envoy

There appears to be hope on the horizon for peace in Gaza. I say hope, we had that before until Israel broke the agreement. There is an argument about the suitability of Tony Blair in this, but if he is involved in a just peace, so be it. 

It is a surrender by Hamas if they accept it, considering how the Palestinian Authority wanted to remove them by force in the past, when they had a democratic mandate, it will be an issue for them.  I am this will not stop the horrors in The West Bank. But it is a step to ending the ethnic cleansing in Gaza. 

Stay on target

Labour have the conference this week.  A lot has been in the media about a possible leadership challenge.  Labour are failing in the polls.  Labour have spoken out against the racist policies of Farage and Reform UK but I think that they are still sending the wrong message on immigration and that Labour should capitalise on the actions of Trump to attract highly skilled immigrants to the UK, in addition to others who can help our companies work.  

And Labour communication is terrible.  Labour have gone a lot, but a lot more needs to be done.

But, Labour are only a year into their term.  I would emphasise that and stress that a lot of damage needs to be undone.  Rachel Reeves is right to talk about the cost of borrowing, something that people forget. I do think that an asset tax should be considered, but taxing the income of the wealthy (as many on the left want) can lead to capital flight and a reduction in how much money taxation brings in.  

Things look bleak now, and the message of Labour should reflect that, but also how things are going to get better later.  So just like the rebel pilots at the end of Star Wars, no matter now hopeless things seem, we have to have faith that Labour will be able to deliver more and also that people will appreciate that.

Would JK Rowling join Your Party if Zarah Sultana leaves it?

Since my post yesterday, I have found out about some of the differences between Zarah Sultana and the Independent Alliance MP’s who may become part of Your Party. One of them is about TransRights and I suspect that I am on the side of the Independent Alliance MP, Adnan Hussein, who tweeted his views on the matter. 

For those who do not know, I am a transphobe. I consider a TransWoman to be a TransWoman, not a woman, just as I consider a TransMan to be a TransMan and not a man.

Cisgender individuals do not spend their lives experiencing Gender Dysphoria the way that those who are non-binary do. Men need to be taught not to rape, something that is not as much of an issue for TransMen who are more likely to be raped than rape. A TransWoman has to grow up with a penis, this brings about experiences that a woman will not have. Equating the experiences of someone who is non-binary with a cisgender individual minimises what that person has had to go through. Yes, in addition to this, there are the UK statistics about how prisoners who are TransWomen are much more likely to be sex offenders than cisgender men or women, but this population does not reflect the transgender community at large. 

The transgender community face discrimination and worse, action being needed to address this, but the rights of women should not be eroded by such changes. 

I doubt that JK Rowling, despite her left wing views will support Labour again while Keir Starmer is in charge, due to the way that Rosie Duffield was treated, which means that a gender critical left wing party may be who she ends up supporting. So long as they do not turn out to be a sexist boys club and they respect LGB rights. 

Your Party, the Judean People's Front and The People's Front of Judea

Getting back from work late, I as not aware of the fiasco involving some of the left of British politics. I watched BBC News on BBC One to find out what happened with the second visit of Trump to the UK this year.  And then the story about Your Party was mentioned.

At the time of posting this, I am watching the video below. I suspect that few will ever know the truth of what has happened between Corbyn and Sultana, politicians who I respect and who would be great in leading a utopia, but sadly we do not live in one. In an ideal, I would want the government of the UK to be more left wing, to make more radical changes, but we do not live in an ideal world. Labour under Starmer have had to make a series of bad decisions, trying to pick which one is the least worst option. They have had to sacrifice what they would ideally like to do, due to the economic constraints that the Conservatives left for the national. The difference between Labour now and the Tories of 2010 is that the Conservatives used the world wide economic crash to justify austerity, that and be effective in blaming the predecessor for the economy. 

Jeremy Corbyn, despite being a decent and honourable man, presided over a Labour Party riven by infighting and which created a toxic environment which drove many away.  It appears the same has happened with Your Party.  Personally, I do not see the need for Your Party. I think that the left would be better suited by backing The Green Party instead of fragmenting into different parties. Corbyn and Sultana as part of the Green Party would make it an even more powerful electoral force.  

While I do find this hilarious, it is sadly predictable as noted by Monty Python in The Life Of Brian. Many groups on the left split as they seek their own vision of Socialism rather than working together for the betterment of the people.  

I just hope the same will happen (again) to Reform UK. 

Athletic Bilbao

Another game and another victory. Watching the highlights, it appeared to be an easy game, at least until the substitutes came on.  It is too early in the season to comment accurately on how it will end, but victories like this are important for team morale. 

Arsenal and the victory on the weekend

I managed to watch the highlights of the Arsenal game. It was great to win again, even more so against the old manager of The Scum. Our second position in the league is on goal difference. I know I should be grateful that we have finished second, a position other teams would love to have finished in, but I cannot help but be envious at the trophies other teams have won. 

True patriots accept that our nation is multicultural

When Djed Spence played for England, I had mixed feelings. I was glad to see the first Muslim player take the field, and annoyed that a Spurs player was on the pitch.  When we were in Bristol on the weekend, the hotel we stayed in hosted the England (Women’s) Rugby team. There was no racism about them representing our nation. The Union flag and the flag of St George was flown outside the hotel as it has been for ages, but the roundabout near it had lampposts adorned with Union flags, but like with many places in the country, due to where they are, it is like they are at half mast.

On the weekend, there was a far right march. While the march for Palestine Action had more arrests, most were for peaceful protest. On the weekend, the far right decided that Blue Lives don’t matter and they attacked the police, the arrests being for violent conduct. 

The Union flag is one of inclusion, taking in languages other than English, the same with the flag of St George. Those who insist that only English is spoken on our shores are not aware how Cornish is a native language along with Scottish Gaelic and of course Welsh. Yiddish and Hebrew have also been an important part of our nation, with speakers being back on our shores in large numbers since the 19th century.

The flag of our nation represents values and ideals that people literally risk death to be part of. It was welcomed refugees for centuries and intolerance to them has been present in darker parts of our history as it is now. If you like the music of Queen, remember that Freddie Mercury was a refugee. Rita Ora, singer and actress, was a refugee as was Mika, another singer. And of course, our nation has Christian values, and Jesus was a refugee from The Middle East.  

I have met some Asylum Seekers. Many have terrible tales and we should accept those, but I have met a minority whom I would argue could seek refuge within their nation, with no actual need to travel to the UK. A change in European law is needed to ensure that those who need to come here do, while those who do not have to are not given asylum, for there is no doubt that our generosity is being abused.

Last of all, we housed the homeless during the COVID pandemic. It is right that we offer shelter to asylum seekers, but we should be doing the same to the homeless as well. 

Back home

We are back at home after our drive back. We checked out of the hotel after breakfast, delivered our last item to my daughter and took her for a coffee while we heard about her first night in university accommodation.

After that, we met up with friends who travelled from Wales whom we have not seen in a long time. It was great to meet in person and to catch up. My wife took a bit of pleasure showing pictures of Tony and I from his 50th birthday. Both he and I honestly could not remember them until they were shown to us. 

And then it was our drive home.  And it rained and rained. When we started off, it was not too bad, and then it got worse. When my wife and I swapped over it started to rain a lot more. Traffic was so bad, we had to drive the wrong way around the M25. My son was amazing, he kept us entertained with music and now we are back at home resting. 

Daughter drop off

Another exhausting day. My daughter is now dropped off and hopefully is enjoying her first night at University. Taking her to university was easy, it was getting a few items that my wife felt was needed which made things worse, that and a lunch that never came.

However, we have had dinner at a restaurant called Nadu, one my son, wife and I would recommend and hope to return to. All in all, a productive, but as noted before, an exhausting day. 

Soon to say goodbye

We are in Bristol. My daughter moves into university accommodation tomorrow. My wife booked a hotel for us to stay in, she has been here before, this being when we had come for an open day. Then she used the spa with a friend.

This turns out to be the hotel the England Rugby squad are using, but I have no idea who the star players are as I don’t watch rugby that often and have not watched any of the women’s games.  I will be letting one of our friends know as his daughters play rugby and he loves the sport having played rugby himself when younger. 

We are all going to miss her, but I am also envious and excited that the next stage of her life is to begin. 

Charlie Kirk and the costs of school shootings

Let me start by saying that the murder of Charlie Kirk is wrong.

I have listened to The Newsagents discussing the murder of Charlie Kirk. On the day he died, another school shooting took place in the USA, but this was not discussed.  This is because yet another school shooting in the USA is no longer news.

His comment about how it is “worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment” is a price many advocates of Gun Rights do not pay. Sadly, this price was also paid by students at Evergreen High School, and I suspect that like many Americans, they did not agree with the price to pay for “Gun Freedom” in the USA.

I do feel a bit sorry for Charlie Kirk and the huge grief his loved ones feel, but my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the school shooting that day, and the many other Americans who were murdered by gun violence yesterday, the deaths of whom are not getting the coverage of Charlie Kirk. 

Trump, the Epstein Birthday Card and the image that is meant to be a woman.

Trump is someone who loves being the centre of attention.  I try not to post about him too much (now) as there is so much to post, and while he is getting our attention, his government is taking advantage of the distraction to cause chaos elsewhere.  But, this image has to be commented on.  Many are saying it is the image of a woman.  It is not.  It is the image of a teenager, and a young one at that.  The allegation is that Trump sent it to Epstein.  This means that if true, Trump knew that Epstein had an interest in underage girls because that is what he drew for his friend.  

The released documents do not just affect him, others, including our ambassador to the US have been named in it, though our ambassador admits it is him and regrets his association.

 

Organising a drinking meeting in a brewery

It is surprising that Your Party has yet to launch.  There are those who have commented at the chaos around its launch.  There have been two interviews, one with Jeremy Corbyn, the other with Zarah Sultana.  What surprises me more than the delay is the statement that they are "not creating a party that was just about winning elections. "

The quote may be taken out of context, but the power to change things comes about by winning elections.  Being pure to the core did not work in 2017, it did not work in 2019.  All it did was give the Conservatives more time to make things worse for our nation.  Saying that, it is unlikely that Labour are to win the next election, and if that is the case, at least the members can campaign for the country they want, even if that country rejects them, again.   

Vaccines and Darwinism

There has been some debate about vaccinations thanks to Reform UK.  There are many who argue that they are spreading fake news (they are) and that this is a bad thing. My view is that I respect the right of people not to be vaccinated, and that I am more than happy for Reform UK supporters to decline vaccines.

During the heat of the COVID pandemic, vaccines were developed and given.  Not all decided to take vaccines or engage in social distancing.  As a result, more Republicans died of COVID than Democrats.  If Reform UK wish to repeat that in Great Britain with COVID and possibly other conditions, that is up to them.  

For those who watch the video's, the COVID vaccine was never intended to stop people catching COVID, the outcomes were a reduction in death and hospital admissions. 

Sadly, the downside of reduced vaccinations will be more dead and disabled children.  Working in the NHS, I have seen the consequences of not being vaccinated.  But that has been happening before the latest story.

A night at a wedding

Yesterday my wife and I went to a wedding reception in London. The day was a bit tense at the beginning, her hair appointment ran over and I had not used to time to iron. We had decided to stay over in London and I had to hunt for our parking which my wife pre-paid for. I took a guess about which car park it was, today finding out that it was the right one. The hotel was great, my wife noting that outside each room it had a clock, the time indicating which room was which. 

The reception was amazing, the bride looked beautiful, and there was an open bar. No cocktails, but free flowing alcohol. It was great to meet up with those I had not seen in a while, and it we had time to let our hair down and relax. The best man did a speech but sadly it was lacking as he was very nervous, spoke too quickly and mumbled. The sister of the bride did the best speech, the groom following close behind.

A memorable night and a relaxing day with my wife.  Cannot really ask for more. Though the video of me drunk dancing being sent to my kids could not have been recorded… 

Why I admire Angela Rayner

Sadly, Angela Rayner has had to resign. I have a lot of respect and admiration for her with what she has overcome to become deputy PM. One of the many things that won me over was her scum comment, and while I can understand the offence it caused, I still love her for it. Comparisons have been made with Nadhim Zahawi’s tax issues but she did not issue a legal threat to The Independent to try to stop her tax revelations from being discussed. My wife said that she should have known that she was going to be a target and should have taken even more precautions than other MP’s, an example of this being when she was accused of being a temptress to Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister with numerous children from numerous affairs. 

This will not be the last we have heard from her. I wait with interest to see what she will say in the future. 

Free speech and Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage has been over to the USA to complain about free speech in the UK.  I thought he was charming and composed himself well, but he lied and distorted the truth when there. 

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, which has banned Nottinghamshire Live from speaking to them, has complained about free speech in Britain. 

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK which has threatened The Independent with a ban, has complained about free speech in the UK. 

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, which banned Byline Times from its 2024 conference, has complained about free speech in Great Britain. 

Nigel Farage who has called for the police to investigate a comedian over a joke, has complained about free speech in UK. 

This last part is important as Graham Linehan has been arrested over a tweet made in April and this may have been because of incitement to violence. The difference between him and Lucy Connolly is the length of time that passed before the tweet and the arrest, and also, one called for arson during a time of civil disobedience when arson was taking place. Needless to say, he had mentioned both as infringement of free speech, but remember, Lucy Connolly admitted her guilt even though she had planned an excuse to get away with her incitement to arson. 

We should not be ashamed of our flag

Today, my wife told me about an act of true patriotism. A centre for Muslims has decided to display the flag to remind people that you do not have to be white to be British. 

Our flag is one that has values which inspire people to risk death to reach.  I would never deny that our history, like all nations, has a toxic element, but overall, I would argue that our nation has atoned for some of its sins.  

I am glad to live in a nation that is diverse.  I wish more would appreciate that diversity and inclusiveness is a good things.

The Naked Gun

A different film compared to the others I have watched recently. Sadly, I do not think it is as good as the classics of its genre, notably the original Naked Gun, or even Airplane. Saying that, I love the homage to the original. 

As a family, we were discussing watching a film, but could not agree on one. I noted that this was an option that dogs could be taken to, so my daughter and I walked into town to watch it. When there, I met a friend and his dog who had decided to do the same, the two dogs loving the treats given to them at the cinema. During the film, someone else’s dog decided to bark at the celluloid dog on screen, but that added to the experience.

Going back to the film itself, it was enjoyable, but the main reason it was not as good as the original was the lack of things going on in the background, something noticeable in Airplane and the original Naked Gun. I do think it is worth watching, but unlike the films it aspires to be like, there is no reason to watch it again. 

The Thursday Murder Club

My wife and I watched this on Netflix, she had been looking forwards to watching it having enjoyed the book. She certainly enjoyed it more than I did, but this is more of her kind of film. I am glad I did not pay to watch this in the cinema but saying that, it was an average film, one that I doubt I would watch again. The all star cast brought the characters to life and will hopefully stay together do so in the sequels to come. In summary, worth watching, but there are better films out there. Especially as I do not know why the first cold case was being investigated. 

Crime and being transgender

Sadly, there was another mass shooting in the USA, two children were murdered in Minneapolis in the USA. Some have felt the gender identity of the murderer is important, others have focused on the mental health issues. The obvious cause is simple, that is the availability of guns in the USA, an issue which I have posted about before. Basically, many people in the USA value lax gun controls over the lives of children. Also, it appears that being transgender makes it less likely that an individual will be the perpetrator of a mass shooting. It is my view that transwomen are more likely to be the victim of crime than the perpetrator. 

However, it is also important to note the figures about transwomen in UK prisons. That is that they do pose a greater risk to women than men do.  I mention this as it has been claimed that this is not the case. 

It is a shame that these awful murders are being used to demonise those with mental health issues. It is also wrong to blame the transgender community for the murders, facts and statistics show what risk they do not pose when it comes to mass shootings. 

Oppenheimer

This film was both better and worse than I expected. I watched it with my daughter, both of us having not watched it in the cinema and both of us wanting to see it. We would agree that at times, it is a male film, but considering the characters, it would be. Watching it at home, we missed out on the audio experience a cinema would give, and in that, this was not as good as I thought it would be.

But otherwise, it was amazing. Yes, its special effects were good (okay, amazing), but the film was produced and directed so well. Having an all star cast means nothing, we saw that with the disaster which was the Twilight film franchise, but here the quality showed. It dealt with so many issues at the same time and I can see why it was nominated for so many awards. I do not want to say too much as I think that if you are to watch it, it is best not to know too much, but it is a film worth watching, and I may watch it again. That is if my wife decides to watch it, but I am not sure she knows it is three hours long! 

Protect our women and girls

Listening to The Rest Is Politics they raised a very good point about the recent protests to protect our women and girls. Basically a large number of those engaging in protests have been felt to be a danger to women themselves. 

The Newsagents had addressed the matter of how the protests seem to be happy to ignore threats to women and children from white people, and it is right that this issue is raised properly. 

The Pathways Horizon project

One of the many things said about Starmer and gender issues is that he is the enemy of transgender people. Those who say that forget his spat in PMQ’s with Rishi Sunak from 2024. In addition to his comments on bathrooms, they cite restrictions on care for transgender children (or those aged under 18 who consider themselves to be transgender).  However, thanks to Starmer and the Labour government, The Pathways Horizon Project is to take place to look into this to see if this is safe or not. In the UK at least, concerns have been raised over the care provided to those under eighteen by those working in the services. 

Despite the Cass review calling for more research into this, there are those who feel no more research is needed into this topic on both sides of the debate, one stating that it is safe, the other stating that it is unsafe and should be banned. Which means that Starmer has united both sides of the debate again! 

The Map That Leads to You

This is a film that we watched as a family yesterday.  I really liked it.

First of all, my daughter and I went for a walk earlier in the day with our dog, the dog loves it the more people walk her. After that, I rested before taking the two children to Freeport to get some shoes and trainers. The kids did spend money, but we returned without either.

Arsenal played well but our injuries will make the game next week even more daunting. Our striker scored, and a fifteen year old looked amazing! But it is early days and The Scum have almost the same record as us. 

Now for the film. It was enjoyable and I think it was worth three out of five, as opposed to the two stars given by The Guardian. Watching it as a family, we could talk to my daughter who has spent parts of this year travelling. Yes, the ending is predictable, but it is a sweet tale which I will compare fondly to my memory of a similar film which I watched many years ago.  I doubt I will watch it again, but it is worth watching, despite what those with a stone heart may say. But unlike the review on the image, it is not a good enough to be unforgettable. 

Materialists

This was meant to be a date with my wife, and then a family film out as both children wanted to watch it. In the end my son did not come as he felt ill. We started experiencing the film when eating our dinner in the foyer. A couple met, the man bringing in roses, the woman not being pleased with this. After drinks, he was trying to be nice, she left, for a bit, taking her coat and leaving the flowers. She did return stating “I don’t know why I came back.” 

The film, allegedly a rom-com was one that I liked. For an American film, it was shot really well. For a man, I thought that it dealt with dating really well.  This is a film I would certainly watch again, and like we all did, this includes watching until the last credits have finished. The reviews are interesting but while they rate this three out of five, I am tempted to give this four. It was funny in bits, but I would not call it a romantic comedy. 

Lucy Connolly and Ricky Jones

Lucy Connolly has been released from prison and people are making comparisons between her and the case of a Labour councillor who had called for the throats of the far right to be cut. Personally, based on what little I know of both cases, I would have found both guilty, but only one of them said they would use mental health issues as an excuse for their actions. 

I know there will be many who argue that she was exercising her rights to free speech, but all nations have limits on free speech, and even Nigel Farage agrees that limits should be in place. 

How Starmer shows that we have More in Common

Everyone appears to hate Starmer. This report is from The Guardian and was published on the 8th of August, describing how In Altrincham, Greater Manchester, protesters and counter-protesters were separated by a busy road outside the Cresta Court hotel. In a rare moment of unity, the far right began singing “fuck Keir Starmer” to the tune of Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes and the anti-fascists joined in. 

The title is disingenuous as at this time, I consider Labour under Starmer to be the best of all the other options. I wish they had done more in some areas and less in others. One example of this is with communication as few know the UK is the fastest growing economy in the G7, meeting the campaign pledge made in 2023.