The police, prisons and the party of Law and Order

Today, the police, who the Conservative Party defunded, apparently have been told not to lock as many people up. The solution to our overcrowded prisons is not to ensure that we reduce reoffending rates, or put in decent community sentences, but rather to let crime go unpunished. 

Could've Been

We did really well this season, but it was not to be, again. However, we kept going until the last minute. The league is won over a season and it is our own fault that we did not win it. It would have been a victory for football if the team that cost less that that of The Team That Rhymes With City won the league, but ultimately, the better (and more expensive team) won the league. Not that I am bitter. If I had been told at the beginning of the season that it would come to the last day, I would have taken it, and also not believed it was possible! 

Yes, part of me is disappointed, but most of me is proud of what the team has managed to do this season. 

The Fall Guy

We watched this yesterday l when I said we, I mean my wife, daughter and me. My son did not want to join us but at the end of the film, my daughter started to get stressed about the time she had taken away from it. She had spent Saturday studying at the university, my son had been in the library in town.

I do not understand how it got bad reviews. I did not expect to enjoy the film, but it was a good film to watch. When it is available on streaming, I am probably going to watch it again. It had decent acting, the plot can be described as average, but it was produced well.  While this film is not going to be a world beater, it was a comedy and it was put together well.

I recommend this film for anyone who likes American comedy. Not everyone likes it, but I do not care. 

The Imitation Game

I watched this late last night. I got back from work and found that this had just started. It is a film that I have wanted to watch but never got round to it. Enigma has fascinated me and I have loved other films based on this.

I thought it was a great film which dealt with how unfair it was, that a man who did so much to save lives through his work, was criminalised by whom he was attracted to.

Respecting Transgender Women

JK Rowling is being rude. I agree with her about gender identity, I agree with almost everything she wrote about in a famous blog post. I disagree with misgendering transgender women. I thought that she was wrong to do so with India Willoughby, but considering the vitriol between the two, I could see why she did so. But she has been tweeting about a transgender football manager who used to be a referee.

I am sorry, but I consider this to be bullying. I understand the issues about keeping women’s sports competitive for women, I understand the issues about women not having a penis in areas which are considered to be safe spaces, but I have no idea why JK Rowling picked on this transgender lady. 

The Day of the Triffids

I can still see! Last night, I watched The Northern Lights with my daughter. Sadly my son and wife were asleep but may get the chance to watch it later tonight. And even better, unlike The Day Of The Triffids, I am still able to see! It was like watching a heavenly curtain and while it looked amazing, the photos are better than what we saw. Anyway, back to Eurovision! 

Eurovision and Israel

I am against the inclusion of Israel in Eurovision for the same reason that I do not think that Australia or Armenia should be in it.

This year, I think Israel should be banned for the same reasons that Russia should be banned.

Let me say that I want a Jewish state to exist. Unlike Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas, I want a two state solution, one based on the Oslo Accords. I think that the attacks of October the 7th 2023 were evil, and after that, I backed Israeli military action in Gaza. But Israel has been ‘overzealous’ in what they have done and the human cost went what could be termed acceptable ages ago.  We rightly have imposed sanctions on Russia for what it is doing, and while I do not call for the same with Israel, while the nation acts in an appalling way to Christians and Muslims in the manner it is doing, I think we should have similar sanctions imposed as we do for Hamas.

But while I am not going to boycott Eurovision, I will not knowingly buy anything from Israel for now.