The exclusion zone of protest outside our nations Parliament at Westminster has resulted in a most illiberal conviction.
Yesterday under Section 132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act a 25 year old woman was found guilty for reading out the names of the Iraq War dead at, wait for it, central London's Cenotaph. You probably know it, it is just down the road from Tony Blair's central London flat and it has a starring role every November when the Queen leads the tributes laying her wreath on its steps.
But it falls within half a mile of the Palace's of Westminster and therefore is subject to no protests, therefore it is hardly any wonder that Tony Blair cannot hear the voice of the people they are being kept up to half a mile away from him while he remains tucked up in the Westminster village.
What next: a motorist arrested for arguing with a traffic warden in Parliament Square? A tourist arrested for wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt while taking a picture of the Great Clock of Westminster?
Thursday, 8 December 2005
Jerry Springer: The BBC Soap Opera
Well the BBC have noticed blogsphere's widespread uproar to the Jerry Springer: The Opera DVD being removed by Sainsburys and Woolworths.
I appear to be getting what is appearing to be the standard reponse from Woolworths which did not even address my specifific questions. There are tell tale signs in the response.
My Email
To: customer.relations@woolworths.co.uk
Subject: Jerry Springer: The Opera DVD
Dear Sir/Madam,
I understand for press coverage that you have removed
the above product from your shelves because of 10
letters of complaint for a so-called 'christian'
group.
As a Christian myself I am apalled that these people
should want to ban anything which while secular in
origin contains a message of redemtion at the end. I
think this is one way that the Christian message can
be spread to a secualr world and have actively used it
in outreach to non-churched teenagers.
May I ask why this decision was made by your company?
Does the production breach the BBFC classification? Is
Woolworth's claiming to to be above the BBFC in its
decision of what it's customers including myself are
allowed a choice to purchase?
If Sainsbury's are removing this DVD because of these
'chirstian' saducees are they also complaining what
about lad's magazines such as 'Loaded', Women's
magazines such as 'Cosmo' which surely also violate
thier high moral stand point. If not, are they being
selective in their protest? And therefore have they
forced Woolworths to bow to selective protest?
I look forward to your response. Until then I shall be
shopping elsewhere as believe in the freedom in our
country for all people to have their say, without fear
of any religious group seeking to censure.
Yours
Stephen Glenn
Their 'Automated' Response
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for your email.
Please find below our Media Statement regarding this title:
WOOLWORTHS STOCKING THE JERRY SPRINGER OPERA
Woolworths is not a censor and does not wish to act as one. Like any other retailer, it is guided by government legislation with regard to film certification.
However, we also listen to our customers and their feedback. On this occasion we have received numerous complaints and it is clear to us that our customers would prefer us not to stock this product.
As a result it has been removed from sale.
Further information - Woolworths Press Office, 0207 706 5689
I can assure you that your comments have been noted and I hope you will reconsider your decision and shop with us again soon.
Regards,
Kerry Dover
Customer Support Advisor
Notice the gap after 'as a result it has been removed from sale' a sign that there was a pasted section above that.
I appear to be getting what is appearing to be the standard reponse from Woolworths which did not even address my specifific questions. There are tell tale signs in the response.
My Email
To: customer.relations@woolworths.co.uk
Subject: Jerry Springer: The Opera DVD
Dear Sir/Madam,
I understand for press coverage that you have removed
the above product from your shelves because of 10
letters of complaint for a so-called 'christian'
group.
As a Christian myself I am apalled that these people
should want to ban anything which while secular in
origin contains a message of redemtion at the end. I
think this is one way that the Christian message can
be spread to a secualr world and have actively used it
in outreach to non-churched teenagers.
May I ask why this decision was made by your company?
Does the production breach the BBFC classification? Is
Woolworth's claiming to to be above the BBFC in its
decision of what it's customers including myself are
allowed a choice to purchase?
If Sainsbury's are removing this DVD because of these
'chirstian' saducees are they also complaining what
about lad's magazines such as 'Loaded', Women's
magazines such as 'Cosmo' which surely also violate
thier high moral stand point. If not, are they being
selective in their protest? And therefore have they
forced Woolworths to bow to selective protest?
I look forward to your response. Until then I shall be
shopping elsewhere as believe in the freedom in our
country for all people to have their say, without fear
of any religious group seeking to censure.
Yours
Stephen Glenn
Their 'Automated' Response
Dear Stephen,
Thank you for your email.
Please find below our Media Statement regarding this title:
WOOLWORTHS STOCKING THE JERRY SPRINGER OPERA
Woolworths is not a censor and does not wish to act as one. Like any other retailer, it is guided by government legislation with regard to film certification.
However, we also listen to our customers and their feedback. On this occasion we have received numerous complaints and it is clear to us that our customers would prefer us not to stock this product.
As a result it has been removed from sale.
Further information - Woolworths Press Office, 0207 706 5689
I can assure you that your comments have been noted and I hope you will reconsider your decision and shop with us again soon.
Regards,
Kerry Dover
Customer Support Advisor
Notice the gap after 'as a result it has been removed from sale' a sign that there was a pasted section above that.
Kennedy Not Worried by Cameron
Charles Kennedy has said that the election of David Cameron will not affect the identity or ambition of the Liberal Democrats.
Critics have said that David Cameron would turn into a clone of Charles Kennedy's image with voters as a young family man. However, on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme the Lib Dem Leader said:
He stated real policy differences with Mr Cameron on issues such as the Iraq war, university tuition fees and the environment. He said:
He also ruled out the question of a coalition between the two parties as now being "redundant".
Actually keeping an unique identity from both Labour and the Conservatives will not be too hard going on the performance at PMQs yesterday.
Critics have said that David Cameron would turn into a clone of Charles Kennedy's image with voters as a young family man. However, on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme the Lib Dem Leader said:
"You will see very clear differences of policy and of substance between ourselves and the Conservatives"
He stated real policy differences with Mr Cameron on issues such as the Iraq war, university tuition fees and the environment. He said:
"The one policy decision on Europe that the new (Conservative) leader has announced is that they're going to withdraw from the Conservative grouping in the European Parliament their British MEPs, so that's an isolationist approach and that's not the real world.
"On tuition fees [Mr Cameron] doesn't share with us the opposition to tuition fees."
He also ruled out the question of a coalition between the two parties as now being "redundant".
Actually keeping an unique identity from both Labour and the Conservatives will not be too hard going on the performance at PMQs yesterday.
Wednesday, 7 December 2005
Queen's Carol's Mother Taken to Hospital
Just two day's after Carol Thatcher was crowned Queen of the Jungle in the fifth series and the day after David Cameron becomes the fifth sucessor to her mother, Maggie Thatcher has been take to hospital after feeling faint. A number of tests have been carried out and she is being detained at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital overnight as a precausion.
Not a Fantasy Shadow Cabinet Anymore
Well how did my selection of the Fantasy Shadow Cabinet get on now that the major positions have been filled.
Well I got the leader right young David, who clearly benefited from the long campaign to win over the Conservative party members how he will do in the country we have yet to see.
I was right on bringing William Hague back to a prominet role, although I had him as Shadow Home not Shadow Foreign Secretary.
I may have shunted George Osbourne off to the Chairmanship prematurely however I expect him to possibly be there in 2008 to oversea the election bid og DC. he is for now remaining as Shadow Chancellor.
David Davis has remained as Shadow Home Secretary and not fulfilling my fatasy of shadowing Gordon Brown.
Other candidates in the leadership bid fared less well. Liam Fox made way for Hague and has taken on the defence brief. No word yet on Rifkind or Clarke.
Well I got the leader right young David, who clearly benefited from the long campaign to win over the Conservative party members how he will do in the country we have yet to see.
I was right on bringing William Hague back to a prominet role, although I had him as Shadow Home not Shadow Foreign Secretary.
I may have shunted George Osbourne off to the Chairmanship prematurely however I expect him to possibly be there in 2008 to oversea the election bid og DC. he is for now remaining as Shadow Chancellor.
David Davis has remained as Shadow Home Secretary and not fulfilling my fatasy of shadowing Gordon Brown.
Other candidates in the leadership bid fared less well. Liam Fox made way for Hague and has taken on the defence brief. No word yet on Rifkind or Clarke.
Jerry Springer: The Opera An Alternative Christian Perspective
Many of my fellow bloggers have mentioned that Woolworths and Sainsbury’s have banned the Jerry Springer: The Opera DVD from their shelves. Some are blaming Christians for the limited outcry over this issue, as a Liberal Democrat, a Christian and a dramatist here is my take on this issue.
Most of the Christians who are upset about this DVD have never seen the show, or at least I think have not seen all of it. Also if they are upset about the language and people used in the show they would be equally as shocked as some of the people who listened to some of Jesus parables when they were first told.
The second half of Jerry Springer: the Opera is surely about redemption isn’t that the central ethos of the Christian message. As someone who has written Christian material for a non-Christian audience I know how difficult it is to get any message across in that theatre, however I applaud Jerry Springer the Musical for at least asking the questions in a way that gets noticed. I’m sorry that some other Christians do not see it in that way.
Most of the Christians who are upset about this DVD have never seen the show, or at least I think have not seen all of it. Also if they are upset about the language and people used in the show they would be equally as shocked as some of the people who listened to some of Jesus parables when they were first told.
The second half of Jerry Springer: the Opera is surely about redemption isn’t that the central ethos of the Christian message. As someone who has written Christian material for a non-Christian audience I know how difficult it is to get any message across in that theatre, however I applaud Jerry Springer the Musical for at least asking the questions in a way that gets noticed. I’m sorry that some other Christians do not see it in that way.
Monday, 5 December 2005
I've Outgeeked Will Howells
Will Howells aka No Geek is an Island is hiding in shame as a bad geek due to his poor result of books read in the best geek novels since 1932 published in today's Guadian.
Therefore I'm not sure whether it is with some pride or shame that I have read the following half of the top 20 listed.
1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams 85% (102)
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell 79% (92)
3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley 69% (77)
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick 64% (67)
6. Dune -- Frank Herbert 53% (54)
7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov 52% (54)
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov 47% (47)
9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett 46% (46)
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks 34% (35)
16. The Man in the High Castle -- Philip K Dick 34% (32)
If you add on that I have read the entire series of 1,7,8 and 9 does that make for bigger geekdom?
Therefore I'm not sure whether it is with some pride or shame that I have read the following half of the top 20 listed.
1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams 85% (102)
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell 79% (92)
3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley 69% (77)
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick 64% (67)
6. Dune -- Frank Herbert 53% (54)
7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov 52% (54)
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov 47% (47)
9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett 46% (46)
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks 34% (35)
16. The Man in the High Castle -- Philip K Dick 34% (32)
If you add on that I have read the entire series of 1,7,8 and 9 does that make for bigger geekdom?
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