Right … I think panic or pickyness has done something!
Yes: it’s meant I’ve got up ten minutes before my alarm went off.
Which is mildly ironic.
I slept through it, yesterday … !
~≈⏰≈~
Yep: I officially had dinner with my nephew, last night.
After he made another video.
Feel free to hit the like button!
~≈🎥≈~
I follow the news, every-so-often.
You’d possibly guessed, haven’t you?
At any rate, something that floated across my attention, yesterday, was this piece: one that tells us an unnamed male celebrity is seeking to prevent publication of serious allegations by ITN and The Guardian.
Some of which are of a sexual nature.
Medical evidence submitted by the man says that he will attempt “… to take his own life”.
Hmmm …
I can understand someone not wanting to be named in these sorts of proceedings.
But … ?
I would also say that threatening suicide in this situation is …
Is an attempt to blackmail the court into behaving as the celebrity wants: rather than in the interest of a public who’d feel it should be reported … as a prelude to the man’s trial for whatever he’s done.
OK: if the unnamed celebrity is already undergoing trial, himself, I can understand a non-publication injunction happening.
Reports like this could prove prejudicial to someone’s defence.
But to ban publication because “I’ll kill myself if you do”?
Strikes me as an attempt to silence the press, as an attempt at blackmail … and just downright offensive.
Have you heard of a comedian called Russell Brand?
Well, I say comedian, but I’ve never found the man especially funny.
At any rate?
Over the past few years, he’s been accused of various sexual offences: and is now undergoing trial.
But, in-between accusations of impropriety, and the start of the trial?
He’s converted to Christianity: famously getting baptised in the Thames.
I like the line from that Guardian article:
“Thames Water is no longer responsible for the biggest piece of shit in the river.”
Which struck me as appropriate.
At any rate … did you ever hear the phrase, “on the swerve”?
If I’ve got it right, it means whoever the phrase is applied to, is trying to dodge a bullet, trying to avoid punishment: usually by making themselves look good.
Donating to charity, say.
Making a public apology.
Or converting to a new religion, in a desperate effort to look like a good person.
Rather than a potential rapist, undergoing trial.
Personally?
That’s what I’m thinking Brand’s doing.
He’s doing a public — and false — conversion, in an attempt to avoid trouble.
Right … it’s hopefully going to be a quiet Tuesday, today.
But … ?
I can take a certain amount of pride in a fact.
Yes: I’ve actually lost some weight, this week.
Four hundred grams: about fourteen ounces, in other words.
That’s not much.
But every little helps!
~≈⚖️≈~
If you ever wondered how right-wing the Reform party are, the latest news should tell you.
In a recent announcement, they’ve said they will close down the UK’s asylum system for a full parliamentary, should they be elected.
Outside of any humanitarian considerations?
I think that won’t work.
It won’t stop the boats: just as leaving the EU didn’t.
I can’t swear to this second thought: but think keeping the system as it is, is going to be cheaper than stopping it.
There’s another thing.
Reform frontbencher, Robert Jenrick, is reported to have said that — should Reform win an election — their government would deploy both the Navy, and the Royal Marines, to the coast.
With orders to use lethal force if necessary.
I know it’s a temptingly easy option.
But I’ve always felt that killing people in cold blood is not something I could do.
Nor, given that, is it something I could ask others to do for me: marines, soldiers or otherwise.
I’ve found out, this morning, that there’s an upcoming film version of The Magician’s Nephew: the first book — chronologically — of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia books.
Which was possibly my favourite of the books.
The fact Greta Gerwig is directing the thing is no problem: she’s an authentic Oscar winner with a ton of talent.
I think what’s going to cause a problem is one of her casting decisions.
She’s cast Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan, one of the book’s central characters.
In case you didn’t know?
Lewis was a devout Christian: and made it perfectly clear Aslan represented Jesus Christ.
Which is why, in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the character is sacrificed on the Stone Table: the scene is supposed to parallel the Crucifixion.
So … ?
I’m twitchy about the casting choice: and I’m not especially religious.
So I’m aware that others, more devout than me, will have problems.
One such objector was speaking on Radio Four’s Sunday show, this morning.
There’s something else, as well.
Apparently, Aslan is to be presented as a lion, as a male of the species.
I know Meryl Streep’s good: her string of awards tell us that!
But …
I don’t know if those gongs will help her play a male lion!
9th October, 2026: The Nightmare Before Christmas.
It’s officially official: it’s rained this morning.
And it’s going to rain, again, later today.
We need it … but as I’m planning a trip to the high street, later?
I’d better wear a hat … !
~≈🧢≈~
The USA allows the death sentence: both federally, and at state level.
It’s also got a fine tradition of botched death sentences: as Death Row inmate, ChristaPike, will no doubt tell you.
Personally?
I don’t like the idea of capital punishment.
I feel it’s too easy to botch the execution, it’s even easier to convict the wrong person — English history shows us that! — and sentence them to death, and frankly, from the little I know of the figures?
It’s cheaper to give someone a life sentence, than execute them.
Again, from the little I know, Death Row inmates have little to no funds of their own.
So their repeated appeals are publicly funded, and cost the tax payer much more than a hanging.
Should the US keep executing prisoners?
I, personally, don’t think they should: I wouldn’t want my tax dollars being wasted on the process.
I also think the country could make the death sentence morally worse.
By making executions public.
Nidal Hasan, who shot dead 13 unarmed US soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009, is due to be executed by firing squad.
And?
Pete Hegseth, the US Defence Secretary, has announced the execution will be live-streamed.
Would, effectively, be public.
How on Earth do you justify that?
Well, Hegseth says “People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things”.
Given capital punishment in the US really hasn’t stopped people committing murder, I don’t see how Mr Hegseth can justify that!
And, given public executions are possibly the most immoral things going … ?
Hegseth could only make this execution more immoral, more objectionable, by selling t-shirts at the event.
These include notes with either King Charles 3rd, or his late mother, and with Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, J. M. W. Turner and Alan Turing: depending on the denomination.
They’re … handy.
Especially if you’ve got a lot of them.
But … ?
The historical figures are due to be replaced with assorted fluffy animals.
I get why.
Replacing people with animals is being done because the King’s supported many Green campaigns, over the years.
This shows his interest in the subject: and, more importantly, allows the printers of the notes to update the security features.
Which is the important bit.
But … ?
On a personal front, I’m mildly disappointed.
I’m something of a fan of the late Alan Turing: seeing him replaced by a hedgehog is …
I just know I have to stay in, this afternoon, as I’m due my annual gas safety check, this afternoon!
~≈💨≈~
There’s been a bit of talk, recently: after Andy Burnham, the UK’s current PM, announced that Labour were thinking about a second Brexit referendum into their next election manifesto.
Having voted Remain, back in 2016?
I’d welcome the chance to correct something I view as a massive cock-up.
But any options on the ballot would need to be carefully thought out, and not the Leave/Remain options in 2016.
I’m no economist, no expert: but I’m aware that the pound — along with the US dollar, the Euro, and the Japanese Yen, amongst others — is a reserve currency, acceptable in international trade.
Whilst it may not give us much clout?
It gives us some.
So, given those three options?
I’d want to go for the third: re-joining the EU and keeping Sterling.
