COVID and lockdowns

On BBC Any Question last night, the matter of lockdowns during COVID came up. Some idiots on the panel doubt that they were needed.

They ignore what happened in Italy, or Iran. While Sweden avoided a lockdown, they put Social Distancing guidance into place before we did. A few days before the UK went into lockdown, the Cheltenham Festival took place, 60,000 people in close proximity spreading COVID. 

Also they forgot to mention how unprepared the NHS was to face a pandemic, this despite Exercise Alice and Exercise Cygnus showing the problems being faced. 

The Tories are finally ending Mail Order Brides and Forced Marriage, unless you are rich

At long last, action is being taken on forced marriage which will essentially end this.  Until April 2024, couples will need the UK based spouse to earn £18,600. From then it will be £38,700.  This will also end the practice of mail-order-brides which I consider a morally grey area.  

Of course, this is going to affect many people in our country who do fall in love when abroad and could result in a brain drain due to love.

I think that the policy has promise, but it will harm loads and will also affect the attractiveness of the UK when it comes to encouraging people from abroad to work in the UK. 

If I called Stockton a shit-hole, I would admit it

I have no idea what Stockton is like.  I do know that I have negative views of a local town, that being Clacton.  I view it as being nice, until a certain demographic of the population wake up.

If James Cleverly described it using a term which is not a flattering one, he should admit it.  Instead, he has stated that he described the MP as being one.  

Should the British Museum only have items from the UK?

Yesterday, Rishi Sunak declined to see the Greek Prime Minister because he answered a question about The Elgin Marbles.

I understand the desire of Greece to have them back, but as has been pointed out, many nations want items in The British Museum to be returned to them.  I guess it can be argued that no nation should have items in a museum that do not belong to that country.  I am of the opinion that this is not of any use in teaching people about history of other nations.  I do think that there could be more sharing of the more mobile items across borders but when it comes to the treasures looted by The British Empire, they should stay.  

However, it is silly for Sunak to act in the manner that he did.  I would expect our politicians to speak to nations like China and Saudi Arabia about human rights.  I think it is right for the Greek Prime Minister to bring up an issue of importance to Greece.   

Leading and The Holy Land

I have listened to two amazing podcast episodes (47 & 48 if you wish to listen to them) on the current issues with Israel and Palestine.  

My views on them have been tempered by a good friend of mine, who while he agrees what is happening in Gaza is terrible, appears to have fallen for Israeli propaganda.  This is probably because of friends of his who live in Israel, who have to live in the shadow of rocket attacks from Gaza.  What was interesting was his claim, told to him by his friends, that such attacks have been launched from the West Bank.  Those who have read my other posts on this are aware that Labib Dumaidi was murdered when settlers attacked the Palestinian town of Huwara before Hamas went and murdered over 1000 Israeli civilians.  When I mentioned this to him, he said that it was wrong, but so were the rocket attacks on settlements.  He said it was not reported on due to the media in the UK being biased.  While no rocket attacks from the West Bank have taken place, attacks on settlements have occurred.

The podcast episodes do not look at how America and the Palestinian Authority tried to overthrow the (then) democratically elected government in Gaza, but they do look at how the chance of peace that was won in 1991.  I like how they did comment that while there are extremists on the Palestinian side, there are also too many in Israel.  What was interesting was a solution of a return to the Oslo Peace Accords but with the settlements remaining, but being under control of the Palestinians with Jews being allowed to live there. 

If you do get a chance, have a listen to them and let me know what you think in the comments below.       

Mafia Mamma

 

The best thing about this film was watching it with my wife, the scenery and the fact that she liked it. I honestly did not think that Toni Collette could be in a bad film. I was wrong. One review states the film is “Riddled with stereotypes, fatally unfunny, and a total tonal mishmash, Mafia Mamma is a criminal waste of Toni Collette." Rotten Tomatoes is right about this. It has made me want to visit it again, maybe next year… 

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

First of all, Arsenal are top of the league again. I am going to enjoy saying this at work tomorrow. I had said that I thought that David Raya (on loan from Brentford) is the better goalkeeper but that Aaron Ramsdale was the more reliable. Yesterday he tried to prove me wrong on this matter. But we still won. It took a late goal, but it is the three points that count.

As for the film, we all watched it as a family. My son had wanted to watch it last weekend, but we said no due to his mock exams which he is going through. We all liked the film. I had a few issues with so much land not being used for farming in a world riven by hunger, but it was enjoyable. When it is out on streaming, I may watch the entire series again.