Poor Melania Trump is being compared to Taylor Swift

There are those on the right of US politics who are comparing Taylor Swift and Melania Trump.  I think it is unfair to compare a woman who has won a Grammy Award for album of the year four times (something no one else has done) to a woman who married rich (or not depending on who you believe).

There has been a degree of slut shaming, some pointing out or tweeting naked photos of the former First Lady, others referring to Taylor Swift’s record when it comes to romance, specifically, the number of men that she has dated.

I do know that I admire talent and hard work. Though to be fair to Melania, it takes a certain amount of hard work to keep a marriage going when your husband repeatedly cheats on you. 

I had to pinch myself

I would never have thought that Arsenal would have won as they did yesterday by such a big margin.  Needless to say, West Ham fans were quiet at work.  We can only play the teams which we are to play, if they do not play well, that is not our fault.  But whereas we would make it hard work to beat them, we took them apart, and more importantly, improved our goal difference. 

If we win all our games now, we can finish in second place.  But that is if we win all our games...

On a different note, on Friday, there was a 'pub quiz' which was held at the Rugby ground.  Two teams from work went, we beat the other team and came seventh out of 43 teams.  But at the end of this, two of the ladies went into town to continue to party.  They did ask the rest of us to join them and I declined.  Today, I found out that they did not get back until six in the morning!  My stamina for that is non-existent and all I could think about was how I was asleep by midnight!

American Fiction

This was another film which I watched, not knowing what it was about.  I had heard about it and my wife was keen to watch it.  I really liked it. 

It told a story, not often told, and while it was not the best of stories when told, it was well put together.  Today, there are many shows and films where characters happen to be black, sometimes the issue of racism is addressed, and example being Criminal Record. I love the characters, and it makes me consider visiting Boston if I ever return to the USA.

My wife loved it and I am very glad that she made me go to watch it with her.  

Defunding the BBC

There are those on the right who wish to defund the BBC.  Many, both on the left and the right consider the BBC to be biased.  It is hard for any news organisation to remain impartial, and while the BBC does engage in propaganda at times, it is less partial to this than other parts of the media which tend to parrot the messages of the right. 

The BBC is a way of projecting soft power.  The World Service is listened to across the globe and has been important in letting those in nations where the media is very controlled, another perspective on life. Cuts mean people are then listening to the media that states that Everything is Awesome, even when it is not.  Cuts have been made in the past, and that means the voice of our nation is not as loud.  

When people watch shows like Dr Who, they view the UK in a better light.  After Brexit that is even more important. 

Argylle

I try to know as little as possible when I watch a film.  Normally, I will want to know somethings so I can tell if I want to watch it.  My wife wanted to watch this and we went, me not knowing anything about the film.  

I enjoyed it. I would not say I loved it, this being more comedy rather than spy film.  I you are watching it expecting a film like Kick-Ass, you will be disappointed, but if you are after something like The Kingsman, then this is a film for you to watch.  

Would I watch it again?  No.  But it was nice watching it with my wife.  And I would watch any sequels.

Conscription, Trump and NATO

The issue of conscription has come up in the news.  The official reason is the threat that Russia poses. To be fair, Russia does not pose much of a threat at present. Most of its available troops are tied down in Ukraine.

But that is at present.  I think that Trump will be elected this year and I do not trust him to defend Europe if Russia decides to liberate the Baltic States in the way that it has with bits of Moldova and Georgia.  If that happens, the USA may or may not fulfil its obligations as part of NATO, that is of course, if it stays part of NATO.

The odds are that the conflict in Ukraine will be resolved if Trumps takes power with the surrender of yet more Ukrainian territory, and that means that Russia will then rearm and prepare for its next land grab.

Jess Phillips on Rwanda

As those who have read my views on this topic know, I am in favour of deporting those who cross the channel to Rwanda.  

This is once we have a system were asylum applications can be processed abroad in a quick and fair manner.  I would be stricter on some applications, one patient I have seen fled Iraq to come here after falling out with a family in the town he lived in.  I think it is wrong for him to come here when he could have moved to another part of Iraq.  To put things in context, the surgery I work in has lots of women who have had to flee relationships due to feeling unsafe, some of whom are still subject to harassment.  I do not see them claiming asylum in France etc.  I do think that it is silly that those in Afghanistan who helped UK forces directly, or by serving in the Afghan security forces before the Taliban took it over, are not given automatic rights to live here. So while I would make it easier for some asylum seekers to enter the UK, I would make it harder for others.  Also, it is silly that the UK government is not working with other countries across the globe to come to a fairer solution to this as this is not just a UK issue.

But Jess Phillips has communicated things so well in Parliament in a few short minutes.