News that Ron Silver passed away yesterday is sad news indeed.
Silver will be most fondly remembered for his part as political guru, Bruno Gianelli, in the West Wing, but in endorsing Bush after 9/11, Silver committed career suicide and was ostracized amongst his liberal friends in Hollywood.
A committed liberal himself, his views clashed on neo-con foreign policy (something I can sympathize with) and in another real life meets fiction West Wing moment, came back to the show to help the moderate Republican Presidential candidate.
I could opine on the greatness of the West Wing, but will resist, however the depth of great actors, such as Silver, and the performances cameo actors such as him played, made the show something very special.
This seems to be a popular choice of clip (the one I really wanted was his advice to Sen. Vinick about wedge issues and re-uniting America, but couldnt find it)
Monday 16 March 2009
Monday 9 March 2009
The man that would have won the league for us last year...
13 mounths ago, Arsenal were top of the league by 7 points, still in the FA Cup and Champions league and Eduardo was on fire. Then a horror tackle that breaks Eduardo leg into 15 pieces (they only found the last shard of his knee cap a month ago somewhere near Llandudno) a tantrum from the skipper and a late goal. Le Arse fell apart, finished third and ended the season trophyless, a huge embuggerance all round and a important parable that one should never travel to Birmingham .
Still, the little Crozillian is back with a barely noticeable limp and is obviously so bored with scoring two conventional goals in his comeback, he has decided to start scoring with parts of the anatomy not previously thought of, starting with the heel of his left foot. We all look forward for what part of the body is next, possible his newly reunited left fibula.
James
Friday 6 March 2009
Can i have the guacamole....
Probably not true, but doesnt the story go something like, when Mandelson was visiting a fish and chip shop in his Hartlepool constituency, he saw the mushy peas and asked the proprietor for the guacamole...
Wednesday 4 March 2009
PMQs
Why can I not find it within me to like Harriet Harman.
Not that HH will lose much sleep over my endorsement, she certainly did well enough without my vote for deputy leader.
As much as anyone, I was shocked when she won, I had just assumed that everybody else was in on the joke, obviously not. But she is now favorite to take over from GB, surely, surely not?
I occasionally have a dichotomy when watching debates in the Commons, I like watching Tories like Hague, Pickles and Bercow, but agree with very little. However, with some on my own party's front bench, I just can't stand listening to them, they grind me the wrong way, Ball's, Alexander and Cooper etc, but when my teeth stop gnawing and my instant dislike of the hectoring, stilted, humourless, humanoid delivery subsides, the substance is there.
Unfortunately, I find HH intensely annoying, and disagree with almost everything she advocates (almost automatically now) she is everything we as a party we should avoid. 'Nanny state' is a horrid cliche, overused and a sign of faulty thinking, apart from when HH speaks of course. Has she ever seen a quota she hasn't liked?
Anyway, unfortunately, she did not pull off another win at PMQs today, and Hague was his usual self, funny, but bombastically wrong on many of the issues (the issues always seem to come second to his jokes anyway), although the over-rated Cable was pretty good today.
The real winner today was Miliband, the Foreign Secretary has a very awkward fake smile, no need for that fake smile today, he enjoyed Harman's performance very much.
Not that HH will lose much sleep over my endorsement, she certainly did well enough without my vote for deputy leader.
As much as anyone, I was shocked when she won, I had just assumed that everybody else was in on the joke, obviously not. But she is now favorite to take over from GB, surely, surely not?
I occasionally have a dichotomy when watching debates in the Commons, I like watching Tories like Hague, Pickles and Bercow, but agree with very little. However, with some on my own party's front bench, I just can't stand listening to them, they grind me the wrong way, Ball's, Alexander and Cooper etc, but when my teeth stop gnawing and my instant dislike of the hectoring, stilted, humourless, humanoid delivery subsides, the substance is there.
Unfortunately, I find HH intensely annoying, and disagree with almost everything she advocates (almost automatically now) she is everything we as a party we should avoid. 'Nanny state' is a horrid cliche, overused and a sign of faulty thinking, apart from when HH speaks of course. Has she ever seen a quota she hasn't liked?
Anyway, unfortunately, she did not pull off another win at PMQs today, and Hague was his usual self, funny, but bombastically wrong on many of the issues (the issues always seem to come second to his jokes anyway), although the over-rated Cable was pretty good today.
The real winner today was Miliband, the Foreign Secretary has a very awkward fake smile, no need for that fake smile today, he enjoyed Harman's performance very much.
Friday 27 February 2009
Boris, you're fired?
It seems that Sir Alan is being touted by some to take on Boris for the Mayoralty next time, this news hasn't gone down well with some, thinking this a desperate grab for celebrity.
The thinking behind the Sugar approach seems to be that Boris won because he was a celebrity figure, which I think is only half the story.
Boris was for some a celebrity vote, but without the anti-Ken, anti-Labour and pro-change feelings last year, celebrity or not, he would not have won.
There is a growing 'anyone but Ken' feeling, and without another credible candidate, it seems natural that people will look outside Parliament.
Celebrity for celebrity's sake is not what is needed, but if a businessman such as Michael Bloomberg can make a decent stab at running New York, then that should be no bar to Sir Alan. However, has he got a political bone in his body (has he got a Labour bone in his body?)
The pickings next time round are slim, Politicians such as David Lammy, Oona King and Tessa Jowell all tick some boxes, and perhaps if we could pick and mix their differing pro's then perhaps.
Young candidates such as Chuka Umunna, Rushanara Ali and Stella Creasy are all great hopes, but they will probably want to get elected first before thinking about the Mayor's office.
Local candidates such as Mayors Jules Pipe and Sir Robin Wales would be a safe pair of hands, Assembly Member John Biggs has been having great fun ripping into Boris in the GLA, and Claude Moraes is a good speaker and very likable, but none of the above have the broad appeal or name-recognition.
As with contenders for the party leadership post-Brown, there are plenty of candidates, but all with drawbacks.
We may need to look to those outside the political world, but perhaps we shouldn't select a man best known for the catchphrase "you're fired" when people all over the capital are losing their jobs.
I'm trying to think of other celebrity Labour backers, Sir Alex Ferguson...Mick Hucknell...Ross Kemp...oh dear.
Ken, all is forgiven.
James
UPDATE
I have seen the current betting for this and obviously forgot about Jon Cruddas, probably better placed as most. However, I have also thought of a couple not on the list. Alan Johnson is a genuine 'lahndoner' and would be instant front runner if he wanted it, a more leftfield candidate could be Alistair Campbell, his web 2.0 efforts, TV and charity work are going some way to detoxifying him, worth a punt?
The thinking behind the Sugar approach seems to be that Boris won because he was a celebrity figure, which I think is only half the story.
Boris was for some a celebrity vote, but without the anti-Ken, anti-Labour and pro-change feelings last year, celebrity or not, he would not have won.
There is a growing 'anyone but Ken' feeling, and without another credible candidate, it seems natural that people will look outside Parliament.
Celebrity for celebrity's sake is not what is needed, but if a businessman such as Michael Bloomberg can make a decent stab at running New York, then that should be no bar to Sir Alan. However, has he got a political bone in his body (has he got a Labour bone in his body?)
The pickings next time round are slim, Politicians such as David Lammy, Oona King and Tessa Jowell all tick some boxes, and perhaps if we could pick and mix their differing pro's then perhaps.
Young candidates such as Chuka Umunna, Rushanara Ali and Stella Creasy are all great hopes, but they will probably want to get elected first before thinking about the Mayor's office.
Local candidates such as Mayors Jules Pipe and Sir Robin Wales would be a safe pair of hands, Assembly Member John Biggs has been having great fun ripping into Boris in the GLA, and Claude Moraes is a good speaker and very likable, but none of the above have the broad appeal or name-recognition.
As with contenders for the party leadership post-Brown, there are plenty of candidates, but all with drawbacks.
We may need to look to those outside the political world, but perhaps we shouldn't select a man best known for the catchphrase "you're fired" when people all over the capital are losing their jobs.
I'm trying to think of other celebrity Labour backers, Sir Alex Ferguson...Mick Hucknell...Ross Kemp...oh dear.
Ken, all is forgiven.
James
UPDATE
I have seen the current betting for this and obviously forgot about Jon Cruddas, probably better placed as most. However, I have also thought of a couple not on the list. Alan Johnson is a genuine 'lahndoner' and would be instant front runner if he wanted it, a more leftfield candidate could be Alistair Campbell, his web 2.0 efforts, TV and charity work are going some way to detoxifying him, worth a punt?
Wednesday 25 February 2009
Ceasefire
The extremely sad news that Ivan Cameron died last night, should see, I hope, the best of politicians in the UK.
PMQs has been canceled, replaced by the deputy leaders and the PM reading statements.
I hope, indeed woe betide, any politician who even teeters on making a political point during this time.
The grief and sympathy from all sides should come naturally and be respectfully, and an opportunity for Gorden Brown to put aside his feelings toward Cameron and help him through.
I hope Brown's own personal experience will be, if wanted, privately offered to Cameron, on how to deal with suffering such a loss and see light the other side.
PMQs has been canceled, replaced by the deputy leaders and the PM reading statements.
I hope, indeed woe betide, any politician who even teeters on making a political point during this time.
The grief and sympathy from all sides should come naturally and be respectfully, and an opportunity for Gorden Brown to put aside his feelings toward Cameron and help him through.
I hope Brown's own personal experience will be, if wanted, privately offered to Cameron, on how to deal with suffering such a loss and see light the other side.
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Who wants to be.... a millionnaire???
The success of Slumdog Millionaire has been fantastic, not only for the British film industry and arguably our best director, Danny Boyle, but also in demonstrating the fusion that can be possible between western cinema and other cultures.
However, the film has also garnered criticism from Indian and British commentators, mostly for the treatment of the extras and the child stars. The producers have been at pains to point out their treatment of the children. They got paid a very decent sum (3x the average adult wage) as well as the establishing of a school and a trust fund set up for when they complete their education. I can't fault the producers efforts to make sure they have treated the children well, but does this not have undertones of western hectoring?
Did Steven Spielberg provide the same scheme for Drew Barrymore in ET, her troubles throughout her teenage years prove that she was not well cared for after being thrust into the limelight. Did the cast of Bugsy Malone have trust funds set up? Gary Coleman is now a security guard after being the best paid child actor in the US, and whatever happened to Rolo from Grange Hill??
Child stardom brings about various pitfalls, but rarely do producers get criticised for giving starlets the opportunity.
Why do we feel that Slumdog have to do this, do we feel that the actors family's cannot be trusted (Gary Coleman sued his parents for taking his salary)?
If the producers have paid a good wage, which few people can argue they did not do, then what further duty of care do they owe?
The makers of Borat royally screwed the local inhabitants of Glod, paid an alleged £3 for their humiliation,a derisory figure. But, Slumdog did not.
In the future, when plucking a select few lucky locals for extra work, what should filmmakers do? This scheme has set a precedent, but shouldn't missionary work should be left to charities? Filmmakers should concentrate on just that, film-making. The liberal intelligentsia should not expect producers to improve the community of foreign countries, we don't expect that when filming is done in poor communities in the US or UK.
As it stands, I think Danny Boyle has down a wonderful thing for those children, a lucky pluck from the crowd has changed those 6 kids lives forever, I'm sure in a positive way, but we should not look down our noses at other communities in an inverted snobbish manner, that, for me, is more insulting than anything Slumdog has done.
James
(BTW, the lack of posting in the past few days is due to a well earned holiday, not through disappointment that I haven't turned into Iain Dale overnight)
However, the film has also garnered criticism from Indian and British commentators, mostly for the treatment of the extras and the child stars. The producers have been at pains to point out their treatment of the children. They got paid a very decent sum (3x the average adult wage) as well as the establishing of a school and a trust fund set up for when they complete their education. I can't fault the producers efforts to make sure they have treated the children well, but does this not have undertones of western hectoring?
Did Steven Spielberg provide the same scheme for Drew Barrymore in ET, her troubles throughout her teenage years prove that she was not well cared for after being thrust into the limelight. Did the cast of Bugsy Malone have trust funds set up? Gary Coleman is now a security guard after being the best paid child actor in the US, and whatever happened to Rolo from Grange Hill??
Child stardom brings about various pitfalls, but rarely do producers get criticised for giving starlets the opportunity.
Why do we feel that Slumdog have to do this, do we feel that the actors family's cannot be trusted (Gary Coleman sued his parents for taking his salary)?
If the producers have paid a good wage, which few people can argue they did not do, then what further duty of care do they owe?
The makers of Borat royally screwed the local inhabitants of Glod, paid an alleged £3 for their humiliation,a derisory figure. But, Slumdog did not.
In the future, when plucking a select few lucky locals for extra work, what should filmmakers do? This scheme has set a precedent, but shouldn't missionary work should be left to charities? Filmmakers should concentrate on just that, film-making. The liberal intelligentsia should not expect producers to improve the community of foreign countries, we don't expect that when filming is done in poor communities in the US or UK.
As it stands, I think Danny Boyle has down a wonderful thing for those children, a lucky pluck from the crowd has changed those 6 kids lives forever, I'm sure in a positive way, but we should not look down our noses at other communities in an inverted snobbish manner, that, for me, is more insulting than anything Slumdog has done.
James
(BTW, the lack of posting in the past few days is due to a well earned holiday, not through disappointment that I haven't turned into Iain Dale overnight)
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