A Primary school has been forced to axe a musical on evolution, called Darwin Rocks about the scientist Charles Darwin, over complaints that it mocked religion and its representation of Christian views on science 'wasn't accurate'.
As an all inclusive Blog, far be it for me to mock religion so maybe we should look closer at what those Christian views on science are so we start at the beginning with God creating the World and everything in it within six days approximately 6000 years ago.
On the sixth day, he rolled together some earth into the shape of a man and blew life into his nostrils after which he removed one of the man's ribs and created a woman.
Throwing them out of paradise after being fooled into eating forbidden fruit by a talking snake, they then began populating the Earth until Adam died aged 930.
So the Christian view is pretty simple, God made the Universe and us humans as we are today six days later and there is no room for evolution and for Charles Darwin to explain it.
Nope, can't see anything mock-worthy in that at all.
Sunday, 10 February 2019
Turing Most Important Of 20th Century
BBC Two has been running a great programme over several weeks where viewers were asked to vote for the 'most important and influential person of the 20th Century' and the Finalists came down to Alan Turing, Nelson Mandela, Ernest Shackleton, David Bowie, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Muhammad Ali, and Pablo Picasso.
The words 'most important and influential' makes for some easy dismissing and i don't think anyone could argue that Bowie and Picasso were 'more important' than the remaining five.
Shackleton may have been a great explorer but i can't put him above Turing, Mandela, King or Ali who all had a greater influence on the 20th Century.
Dr Martin Luther King Jr gave his life for his beliefs and although he was mainly influencing Americans, his influence on race relations worldwide was immense while Nelson Mandela's refusal to accept his countryman's fate ended apartheid in his country although it cost him 27 years of his life which were spent in a prison cell and then in magnanimous brilliance, refused to show bitterness towards his captors.
Ali's pacifism cost him the World Boxing Title and the best years of his career but for most important and influential i would have to go with Turing whose mathematical genius led to modern computers which dominate our lives today.
That he was treated so atrociously by the British Government for being homosexual after doing so much to win the Second World War that he ended taking his own life is shameful and it doesn't even begin to make up for it that the British Public agreed and voted him first.
The words 'most important and influential' makes for some easy dismissing and i don't think anyone could argue that Bowie and Picasso were 'more important' than the remaining five.
Shackleton may have been a great explorer but i can't put him above Turing, Mandela, King or Ali who all had a greater influence on the 20th Century.
Dr Martin Luther King Jr gave his life for his beliefs and although he was mainly influencing Americans, his influence on race relations worldwide was immense while Nelson Mandela's refusal to accept his countryman's fate ended apartheid in his country although it cost him 27 years of his life which were spent in a prison cell and then in magnanimous brilliance, refused to show bitterness towards his captors.
Ali's pacifism cost him the World Boxing Title and the best years of his career but for most important and influential i would have to go with Turing whose mathematical genius led to modern computers which dominate our lives today.
That he was treated so atrociously by the British Government for being homosexual after doing so much to win the Second World War that he ended taking his own life is shameful and it doesn't even begin to make up for it that the British Public agreed and voted him first.
Saturday, 9 February 2019
Venezuelan Protesters Good: French Protesters Bad
Funny how protesters against the elected Government in France are condemned while the ones protesting against the elected Government in Venezuela are backed but defending democracy worldwide is a messy and complicated business.
While France is a lovely nation with many amazing buildings and monuments it isn't sat on an ocean of oil which Venezuela is and that's where it gets suddenly far less complicated.
Led by the US Government cheerleading for regime-change in Venezuela, the call now is for an 'orderly transition' from the Presidency of Nicolas Maduro to a new US friendly government led by Juan Guaido.
US Vice-President Mike Pence has made an appeal to Venezuelans to come out onto the streets to protest against the Government but not so much support for the French citizens protesting against their Government.
The USA has tried to oust the democratically elected government of Venezuela ever since Hugo Chavez was first elected president in 1998. Four years later, the brief coup against Chavez in April 2002 had Washington's fingerprints all over it although that backfired spectacularly and only made Chavez more popular.
The problem America had with Chavez was that he nationalised the Oil and used the money to fund a regime of change in Venezuela rather than the profits go into the oil companies bank accounts so the truth is, this is nothing about democracy just as it wasn't in Iraq or Libya despite the lies that it was.
It is all about America trying to control and make vast profits from the natural resources of Venezuela, the largest oil reserves in the world, and Trump and his Government wants those to be taken over by American companies which is exactly what Juan Guaido has said he would allow if he becomes President.
US President Donald Trump throwing his support behind Guaido and calling on Maduro to step down is in order to gain access to Venezuela’s vast natural resources for American companies which means short of the French protesters discovering oil beneath the Champs-Élysées, they are on their own.
While France is a lovely nation with many amazing buildings and monuments it isn't sat on an ocean of oil which Venezuela is and that's where it gets suddenly far less complicated.
Led by the US Government cheerleading for regime-change in Venezuela, the call now is for an 'orderly transition' from the Presidency of Nicolas Maduro to a new US friendly government led by Juan Guaido.
US Vice-President Mike Pence has made an appeal to Venezuelans to come out onto the streets to protest against the Government but not so much support for the French citizens protesting against their Government.
The USA has tried to oust the democratically elected government of Venezuela ever since Hugo Chavez was first elected president in 1998. Four years later, the brief coup against Chavez in April 2002 had Washington's fingerprints all over it although that backfired spectacularly and only made Chavez more popular.
The problem America had with Chavez was that he nationalised the Oil and used the money to fund a regime of change in Venezuela rather than the profits go into the oil companies bank accounts so the truth is, this is nothing about democracy just as it wasn't in Iraq or Libya despite the lies that it was.
It is all about America trying to control and make vast profits from the natural resources of Venezuela, the largest oil reserves in the world, and Trump and his Government wants those to be taken over by American companies which is exactly what Juan Guaido has said he would allow if he becomes President.
US President Donald Trump throwing his support behind Guaido and calling on Maduro to step down is in order to gain access to Venezuela’s vast natural resources for American companies which means short of the French protesters discovering oil beneath the Champs-Élysées, they are on their own.
Universal Basic Income Experiment Results
I have always had deep reservations about the Universal Basic Income (UBI) and Europe’s first national government-backed experiment in giving citizens free cash has ended and conclusion is that it wasn't that great.
Finland held a two year basic income trial where 2,000 people aged 25 to 58 were paid £475 a month to see if the guaranteed income might incentivise people to take up more low-paid or temporary work but surveying the results, Finland’s minister of health and social affairs, Pirkko Mattila, said that based on the the first year’s data the impact on employment 'seems to have been minor' but it did mark an improvement in positiveness, health and happiness of the recipients.
The idea of UBI seems to be appealing to the left who see it as a way to cut poverty and inequality especially in an age where automation threatens many jobs but i can't see how any nation could afford it.
Finland’s government’s have now scraped the plan to expand the trial and i can't see anyone else rushing to give it a go either.
Finland held a two year basic income trial where 2,000 people aged 25 to 58 were paid £475 a month to see if the guaranteed income might incentivise people to take up more low-paid or temporary work but surveying the results, Finland’s minister of health and social affairs, Pirkko Mattila, said that based on the the first year’s data the impact on employment 'seems to have been minor' but it did mark an improvement in positiveness, health and happiness of the recipients.
The idea of UBI seems to be appealing to the left who see it as a way to cut poverty and inequality especially in an age where automation threatens many jobs but i can't see how any nation could afford it.
Finland’s government’s have now scraped the plan to expand the trial and i can't see anyone else rushing to give it a go either.
Friday, 8 February 2019
Devil Or Aliens
2004 was the year of Shaun of the Dead, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and electrical appliances catching fire in an Italian town.
Experts came in from all over to investigate exploding DVD players, fridges and TV's and arson was ruled out as was faulty equipment, dodgy electricians and power surges so they jumped to the only logical conclusion that there must be something supernatural going on.
Naturally, being a God Fearing nation the Italians were satisfied with the explanation that Beelzebub was behind their video going up in flames and the Vatican even endorsed the theory with the Chief Exorcist explaining that it is actually quite common for the Prince of Darkness to come and tinker with our toasters, him being evil and all that.
The Italian Government, and remember that this was headed by Silvio Berlusconi at the time, commissioned a full investigation of the phenomenon and two years and a million Euros later they concluded that it wasn't the handiwork of the Devil after all, because that's just mad, the fires 'were caused by a high power electromagnetic emissions which were not man-made' and put the blame squarely on aliens.
All which means that either the Alien invasion has begun and their first act of war is to start setting minor fires to electrical appliances in Italy or the Devil is taking the time to stick metal items into your microwave but if your DVD Player goes up in smoke then you might want to grab a Bible along with the fire extinguisher just to be on the safe side.
Experts came in from all over to investigate exploding DVD players, fridges and TV's and arson was ruled out as was faulty equipment, dodgy electricians and power surges so they jumped to the only logical conclusion that there must be something supernatural going on.
Naturally, being a God Fearing nation the Italians were satisfied with the explanation that Beelzebub was behind their video going up in flames and the Vatican even endorsed the theory with the Chief Exorcist explaining that it is actually quite common for the Prince of Darkness to come and tinker with our toasters, him being evil and all that.
The Italian Government, and remember that this was headed by Silvio Berlusconi at the time, commissioned a full investigation of the phenomenon and two years and a million Euros later they concluded that it wasn't the handiwork of the Devil after all, because that's just mad, the fires 'were caused by a high power electromagnetic emissions which were not man-made' and put the blame squarely on aliens.
All which means that either the Alien invasion has begun and their first act of war is to start setting minor fires to electrical appliances in Italy or the Devil is taking the time to stick metal items into your microwave but if your DVD Player goes up in smoke then you might want to grab a Bible along with the fire extinguisher just to be on the safe side.
Thursday, 7 February 2019
Finding The Right Part Of Hell For Brexiteers
The EU negotiators seem to have hit upon the theme that anyone promoting Brexit would have a place in Hell reserved for them although they haven't said which circle of Hell they should be placed because there are nine and each is reserved for a different sin.
The First Circle is an inferior form of Heaven where the virtuous non-Christians and unbaptised pagans go so safe to say they won't be going there.
The Second Circle is for people who sins include Lust, which seems perfect for Boris Johnson although he could also call home the Third and Fourth Circles which are for the sins of Gluttony and Greed
The Fifth Circle is where the angry, wrathful and sullen are punished for their sins while heretics populate the Sixth Circle and murders, rapists and others who were violent go to the Seventh Circle.
Fraudsters, seducers, thief's, flatterers are in the Eighth Circle along with corrupt politicians so i think we may have found exactly where the Brexiteers will be landing. This Circle is full of stony ditches with bridges between them.
The Ninth Circle is for the sins of Treachery but the Eighth Circle seems ready made for those politicians who are willing to throw the whole nation under the bus for their own personal gain.
Theresa May and her clan had better make sure they take their hiking boots with them because an eternity crossing bridges and stone filled ditches is going to call for some sturdy footwear.
The First Circle is an inferior form of Heaven where the virtuous non-Christians and unbaptised pagans go so safe to say they won't be going there.
The Second Circle is for people who sins include Lust, which seems perfect for Boris Johnson although he could also call home the Third and Fourth Circles which are for the sins of Gluttony and Greed
The Fifth Circle is where the angry, wrathful and sullen are punished for their sins while heretics populate the Sixth Circle and murders, rapists and others who were violent go to the Seventh Circle.
Fraudsters, seducers, thief's, flatterers are in the Eighth Circle along with corrupt politicians so i think we may have found exactly where the Brexiteers will be landing. This Circle is full of stony ditches with bridges between them.
The Ninth Circle is for the sins of Treachery but the Eighth Circle seems ready made for those politicians who are willing to throw the whole nation under the bus for their own personal gain.
Theresa May and her clan had better make sure they take their hiking boots with them because an eternity crossing bridges and stone filled ditches is going to call for some sturdy footwear.
MAD then But Just Mad Leaders Now
My fellow Generation X'ers must be having quite the feeling of déjà vu as we watch the World become less safe over the past week after the United States pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed in 1987 by Washington and Moscow which was a pivotal moment in the Cold War.
With Reagan and Gorbachev having been replaced by Trump and Putin, the USA has suspended adherence before formally withdrawing from the pact which prompted a predictable response from Moscow that they were also quitting the treaty and claiming that they would be developing new intercontinental missiles.
Throw into the mix the nuclear-weapons-of China, North Korea and a nefarious Israel then it seriously ratchets up the chances of a nuclear confrontation.
With the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, (START) which limits nuclear weapons, due to expire in 2021, things are looking pretty grim again after a woefully short period when the dream of a nuclear free World was starting to look plausible.
Generation X may have already been there as we shared our formative years under the shadow of the Cold War but then we had the doctrine of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) but looking at the current leaders holding the red buttons in 2019, MAD seems a very apt description for them.
With Reagan and Gorbachev having been replaced by Trump and Putin, the USA has suspended adherence before formally withdrawing from the pact which prompted a predictable response from Moscow that they were also quitting the treaty and claiming that they would be developing new intercontinental missiles.
Throw into the mix the nuclear-weapons-of China, North Korea and a nefarious Israel then it seriously ratchets up the chances of a nuclear confrontation.
With the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, (START) which limits nuclear weapons, due to expire in 2021, things are looking pretty grim again after a woefully short period when the dream of a nuclear free World was starting to look plausible.
Generation X may have already been there as we shared our formative years under the shadow of the Cold War but then we had the doctrine of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) but looking at the current leaders holding the red buttons in 2019, MAD seems a very apt description for them.
Tuesday, 5 February 2019
Not A Racist Says The Racist Liam Neeson
It's always the racist ones who insist that they are not racist before saying something blatantly racist so it is that we have Liam Neeson refusing to accept that he is one although he admitted going out of his way to try and kill a black man.
The actor said in an interview with the Independent, that he walked the streets with a weapon around 40 years ago, hoping to take out his anger on any black man, or black bastard as he called them, that he could provoke after someone close to him was raped by a black man.
'I was trying to show honour to my...to stand up for my dear friend in this terrible, medieval fashion but i'm not a racist," he said.
If roaming the streets trying to find a random, innocent person to kill based on the colour of their skin is not racist then i would love to know just what DOES constitute racism.
Hopefully career suicide will now shortly follow because i'm not sure people will be flocking to see the Irishman's films anymore.
The actor said in an interview with the Independent, that he walked the streets with a weapon around 40 years ago, hoping to take out his anger on any black man, or black bastard as he called them, that he could provoke after someone close to him was raped by a black man.
'I was trying to show honour to my...to stand up for my dear friend in this terrible, medieval fashion but i'm not a racist," he said.
If roaming the streets trying to find a random, innocent person to kill based on the colour of their skin is not racist then i would love to know just what DOES constitute racism.
Hopefully career suicide will now shortly follow because i'm not sure people will be flocking to see the Irishman's films anymore.
Monday, 4 February 2019
Dickensian Diseases Resurgent
As we approach eleven years of ongoing austerity from this Conservative Government, the NHS has described how there has been an increase of Dickensian diseases such as gout, whooping cough and scarlet fever.
There has been a sharp rise in hospital visits for diseases that were common during the Victorian era since 2010 which is being put down to cuts to local authority public health budgets, which experts say have resulted in the services that protect against illness being scaled back.
The Royal College of Nursing described the findings as concerning and said that the Government was 'failing the most vulnerable in our society'.
Scarlet fever cases have trebled, whooping cough has increased by 59%, malnutrition numbers have gone up by 38% as continuing austerity cuts make our society sicker.
The Governmental Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We’re committed to ensuring everyone gets the same great health care no matter where they live, which is why our long term plan for the NHS puts tackling health inequalities at its heart'.
Obviously the plan isn't working as people suffer a resurgence of conditions associated with a bygone era due to a criminal lack of funding of our Health Service.
There has been a sharp rise in hospital visits for diseases that were common during the Victorian era since 2010 which is being put down to cuts to local authority public health budgets, which experts say have resulted in the services that protect against illness being scaled back.
The Royal College of Nursing described the findings as concerning and said that the Government was 'failing the most vulnerable in our society'.
Scarlet fever cases have trebled, whooping cough has increased by 59%, malnutrition numbers have gone up by 38% as continuing austerity cuts make our society sicker.
The Governmental Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We’re committed to ensuring everyone gets the same great health care no matter where they live, which is why our long term plan for the NHS puts tackling health inequalities at its heart'.
Obviously the plan isn't working as people suffer a resurgence of conditions associated with a bygone era due to a criminal lack of funding of our Health Service.
Sunday, 3 February 2019
The Day The Music Died
Fifty years ago today three musicians climbed onto a plane and if you know the song 'American Pie', you know what happened next although the lyrics don't mention underpants which is the reason why music died that day.
While on the Winter Dance Party Tour, the organisers added a last minute date on February 2 and Buddy Holly moaned that he had been wearing the same outfit for days and had run out of clean underpants so Holly suggested he and his band charter a plane to get to the next city early to find a laundrette.
In an early Final Destination type moment, Buddy's bassist kindly gave his seat to the Big Bopper Richardson as he had a cold and Ritchie Valens won a coin toss with Buddy's guitarist and took his seat.
Due to a combination of adverse weather conditions and an inexperienced pilot, fate stuck it's oar in and within minutes of taking off the scene was set for driving your Chevy to the levee to join them good ole boys drinking whisky and rye singing this'll be the day that I die.
Being the most famous of the three, Buddy Holly is the one usually most remembered for dying that day and we will never know just how well he would be viewed today if he hadn't died so young but how different it would have been if only he had brought an extra pair of underpants with him on that tour.
While on the Winter Dance Party Tour, the organisers added a last minute date on February 2 and Buddy Holly moaned that he had been wearing the same outfit for days and had run out of clean underpants so Holly suggested he and his band charter a plane to get to the next city early to find a laundrette.
In an early Final Destination type moment, Buddy's bassist kindly gave his seat to the Big Bopper Richardson as he had a cold and Ritchie Valens won a coin toss with Buddy's guitarist and took his seat.
Due to a combination of adverse weather conditions and an inexperienced pilot, fate stuck it's oar in and within minutes of taking off the scene was set for driving your Chevy to the levee to join them good ole boys drinking whisky and rye singing this'll be the day that I die.
Being the most famous of the three, Buddy Holly is the one usually most remembered for dying that day and we will never know just how well he would be viewed today if he hadn't died so young but how different it would have been if only he had brought an extra pair of underpants with him on that tour.
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