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. 

When you forgive, you in no way change the past, but you sure do change the future

Am still at work so I do not know how the exam of my son has gone.

When it comes to politics, Labour have welcomed a member of the right wing ERG into the ranks with the defection of Natalie Elphicke, the MP for Dover.  She is famed for defending her then husband who has been in jail for sexual assault (she has now apologised for this), as well as her comments about Marcus Rashford (she has also apologised for this) who worked successfully to have children fed during the pandemic (as well as a reaction to her comments). 

I have to be honest, if someone told me about her and that she was to defect, I would have thought that she would have joined Reform like Lee Anderson.   

Quite rightly, people are now talking about how Diane Abbott should be readmitted to the party, and others have said the same about Jeremy Corbyn.  The bottom line is that if we are to forgive Natalie Elphicke for her previous views and comments, we should do the same with other MP's who share much more in common with Labour than a reformed Conservative.   

Waiting for tomorrow

My son has his first written exam for his GCSE’s tomorrow. Needless to say we are all nervous, him more than us. And we are all hoping everything goes well. 

The Zone of Interest

Before I comment on the film, I managed to watch the Arsenal game on Match of the Day yesterday. I think that we were lucky to get our penalty and also not to give another one away. It makes a difference to have decisions go our way, but I do feel sorry for Bournemouth.

Anyway, the film. Needless to say, my wife did not want to watch it. Films like this are not what she likes, but then, it is strange to say that this is a film people can like. In some ways it has relevance to what is happening today in Gaza. In the film, people try to live normal lives, while unimaginable horror occurs on the other side of the wall.  While what is happening to the people of Gaza is not as vile as what happened in The Holocaust, it is still wrong, and people on the other side of the barrier would be able to live a life in blissful ignorance, if not for the unjustified continued attacks on civilians by Hamas. Ignoring what is happening now, it is a good film to watch. We should never forget what happened in the past and should ensure that we do our best to ensure that nothing like that happens again, even though it has.