Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Have taken Leia out for her walk today and have finished watching Godzilla: King of the Monsters.  Overall, it was a bad film and is not one that I would pay to watch.  As to if I would have been disappointed if I had paid to watch it, I am not sure.  The film was bad at points, terrible in others.  But once I remembered that this was a film set on an alternative Earth, where the rules we have do not apply, it became more bearable.  It had good special effects, but a predictable plot.  For its genre, it was an okay film.  Much better than some of the other terrible films that I have watched this year, but overall I would have to say, not even average in quality.

Anyway, I have to iron, mow the lawn and assemble some flat pack furniture before the final tonight.  I believe!  

Luca

This was our family film yesterday.  And I liked it.  Yes, I would have paid to watch it at the cinema if this was available without the plague being about.

There was a discussion in the house about if this was a 'gay film' or not.  I argue that it is not, but rather is a film where there is a bromance, but there is also friendship between the boys and a girl.  It is unusual for a Disney film in that there is no romance other than that of the parents, but the bromance between the two is just as 'gay' as that between Woody and Buzz, or Maverick and Goose.  

It did bring a tear to the eye of my wife, but she and I are watching the film from a different perspective to our children.

But it was great to watch it as a family together.  Something that is happening less often as the children grow older. 

Great opera in it, and the children did not complain when they listened to it! 

Patriotism is more than saying you are patriotic

I was disgusted this morning.  I took Leia for a walk after she woke me up early in the day.  I was knackered, but following our amazing victory over Ukraine I was in high spirits.  I had intended to take her through the town centre to Castle Park and then to the duck pond that she loves so much.

But, there was so much broken glass about.  Issues of patriotism have been discussed before this match and was a topic on Any Questions.  I am sure all who talked about it would agree that patriotism is not getting drunk watching England and smashing up bottles on our streets afterwards.

An idiot sends abuse to a young girl seen crying on television when her team loses.  A patriot does not.

A patriot accepts that England has a team that reflects the multicultural nature of our nation, and does not seek to divide based on skin colour.  

I am hoping our fans behave better on Wednesday night, if we win or lose.

   

Good on paper

As soon as I saw this, I knew this would be a good film. I have watched many of the YouTube video’s of Iliza Shlesinger and had watched one where she had told this story.  

The film did bring it to life more.  In the original video, she had brought across the angst  of her relationship with this man very well.  This film adds to it, for it is not just about how she gave herself to a man (who proved himself to be a turd), but it is also about friendship.  

After the last film I watched, this was great. I loved it, though I am not sure how much it will appeal to those who are not her fans, or those of Margaret Cho.

PMQs and the legacy of Jeremy Corbyn

Okay, I did not think that Jeremy Corbyn was the best Labour leader. He, the party and the nation were let down by too many who supported him but did not listen to his call for Kinder Gentler Politics.

One of the many good things that he did was to use human examples when it came to Prime Minister’s Questions.  Today, Keir Starmer asked questions about Matt Hancock.  Basically I follow social distancing at work and I have to complete declarations of interest forms.  I have not worked on an issue with Carpal Tunnel treatment services as a colleague in my other job provides them, unlike Gina Coladangelo, hired to a post paid by the tax payer where he had to scrutinise him.

The Prime Minister refused to answer them, even the one about Ollie Bibby.  Working in healthcare, I understand why the hospital followed the rules it did. But the family and hospital obeyed them.  Matt Hancock did not, and initially, this was deemed resolved by the Prime Minister who later took credit for the resignation of the man he said did not need to.

We will find out if the mantra of answering difficult questions by talking about the vaccine roll out works in the Batley and Spen by-election tomorrow.

Is it coming home?

We won!!!

I never thought I would be happy beating Germany as I was in 2001 when we beat them by five goals to one.  Initially when it came to this tie, thought that we were doomed, but then I remembered to believe.

Of course, I am concerned about the next tie, especially as favourites in matches have lost so many games, but we have yet to concede a goal and our strike force may be back on form.

I live in a nation with gun controls, we still have guns.

Living in the UK, we have legal firearms here.  My job includes providing information on licences to the police who are responsible for the decision to issue them.  I have no issues with legal firearms being used for hunting and also for sport.  

I type this due to two videos recently released in the US about the lack of gun controls. 

 

In the UK, in 1996, following the mass shooting in a school, a ban on handguns was imposed. Before this, following a mass shooting in 1987, semi-automatic weapons had been banned. Since then, we have had incidents where the murder of more than one person has occurred, but these have been relatively rare, one example being, how Derrick Bird killed many innocent people, followed by the murderous rampage of Raoul Moat. But this was in 2010 and while mass murder has occurred since then on several occasions, firearms have not been used as frequently to kill as many as occurs in the USA. Gun crime exists here, but the rates are far lower than in nations like the USA, just like how the overall murder rate in the USA is higher than in other developed nations. 

 

The call in the USA by many is for assault weapons to be banned. Those who are against it cite the second amendment to the US constitution which allows the right to bear arms. But this was made in a time when a well trained person would take almost a minute to shoot three times. I have discussed this with my wife, and she is of the view that nothing will change in the USA. And to be fair, she may be right. Despite the murder of many young children in Sandy Hook, assault weapons are still legal, and this is probably due to the campaign contributions made by organisations like the NRA to protect the right of Americans to have assault rifles, though this has meant the continued murder of children in schools. Something that does not happen anywhere near as often outside the USA.

There is an argument for firearms to be used to defend schools in the USA, but they forget how Scot Peterson was the "Good Guy with a Gun" at the Parkland mass shooting affecting the Stoneman Douglas High School.

Others point to mental health being an issue, not guns, but we have mental health issues in the UK and other nations without mass shootings.  Also the party in the US associated with fighting against Gun Controls, has also worked to limit access to healthcare.

Thoughts and Prayers will not reduce the level of gun violence in the USA, action to bring in sensible gun controls will.