One sunny afternoon in 2010, David Cameron and Nick Clegg announced to the uk that they planned to work together in coalition government, promising put the dark days of the previous government behind us and forge a "new politics." Fast forward to 2012 and its rapidly becomming clear that this "new politics" does not herald a brighter future for all.
Over the past year the government has used the media in a more odious way than New Labour ever managed during their time in office. Tony Blair and his cronies used the free press to spin stories in their favour, massaging the truth and burying bad news stories where they could. Of course all parties do the same, but no one had raised to an artform in the way that Alastair Campbell managed.
The current pattern is far less subtle, but considerably more brutal. The government make a policy announcement, usually regarding cutting back spending in the public sector, under the banner of increasing fairness for all, they refuse to negotiate with groups affected by the changes, and then go on the attack in the press, claiming that only their policy is the fair way, and labeling those trying to stand up for their rights as greedy and selfish. It has led to strikes by nurses, teachers, university lecturers and a mass demonstration by the police who do not have the legal right to engage in industrial action. Each group has been targeted with pension cuts, erosions of terms and conditions and had their ability to provide a high quality service hindered by poorly thought out policies.
Rather than focus on the real issues at stake, such as increasing class sizes, cuts to special needs funding, fewer policemen able to walk a beat and punishing hours for NHS workers in understaffed wards up and down the country, the government spins the story that its all about money and starts to get personal.
The have not's are pitted against the have littles as David and co, despite putting their own ministerial pension review on hold indefinitely, claim that its just so unfair that Teachers and Nurses and Doctors and Police get a pension when so many people out there don't have one, aren't we all in this together? they say, why should the public sewctor be entitled to a pension, when so many in the private sector have seen theirs devalue over the years?
This argument is specious, it assumes that the only truly fair state is if everyone has nothing, although of course the mainly private school educated cabinet will not be affected by any of the changes they are suggesting as their own bank balances are more than healthy enough to see them through very comfortably.
This week, the story has got even more absurd, with the Prime Minister singling out comedian Jimmy Carr and discussing his private tax affairs, branding them immoral. While it can be claimed that a minister has the right to discuss the motivations of large proffesional bodies, there can surely be no justification for an elected representitive to single out a private citizen in the press and discuss his personal financial dealings. Distasteful though Jimmy Carr's practice may appear, he has broken no laws, merely acted on the advice of an accountant who has taken advantage of a failing in the taxation system. Surely it is the governments job, not to expect citizens to make a moral judgement over what they are entitled to avoid paying, but to ensure that any opportunities to exploit the system are dealt with. Jimmy Carr has been shamed into paying a few hundred thousand pounds extra in tax, but this is nothing comapred to the millions being avoided by others in the same scheme that have not been highlighted.
Friday, 22 June 2012
Monday, 7 February 2011
Outcasts - first impressions
So the BBC have got a lavish new sci-fi show with a stellar cast of TV regulars, a big budget and some exciting filters on the cameras, possibly borrowed from the Top Gear production office, to lend an other worldly feeling to whichever backwater quarry was used as the location of planet "Carpathia". It seems that in the future, humanity has forgotten about iPhones, painted their guns orange and thrown out all the flat screen televisions in favour of something from Amstrad, possibly as a condition of Lord Sir Alan of Sugar's continued participation in annual idiotfest "the apprentice".
Throw in some ham fisted exposition as the cast try to engage the viewer in the backstory, and an unconvincing rivalry between the security and exploration factions and you have all the ingredients of a cult TV program. Unfortunately, Outcasts is too po faced, and takes itself too seriously to achieve this status, the time slot doesn't help it's cause either! Scheduling the programme at 9pm on BBC one creates high expectations that the impressive cast can't hope to meet, and no amount of pregnant pauses (it seems that in the future, a pause to add gravitas is an essential requirement of any sentence!) can rescue things.
Episode one of Outcasts was watchable but largely forgettable. It is too early to give up on this bleak post apocalyptic dystopia yet and it remains to be seen if the imminent arrival of Daniel from Ugly Betty can add anything worthwhile to the format.
Throw in some ham fisted exposition as the cast try to engage the viewer in the backstory, and an unconvincing rivalry between the security and exploration factions and you have all the ingredients of a cult TV program. Unfortunately, Outcasts is too po faced, and takes itself too seriously to achieve this status, the time slot doesn't help it's cause either! Scheduling the programme at 9pm on BBC one creates high expectations that the impressive cast can't hope to meet, and no amount of pregnant pauses (it seems that in the future, a pause to add gravitas is an essential requirement of any sentence!) can rescue things.
Episode one of Outcasts was watchable but largely forgettable. It is too early to give up on this bleak post apocalyptic dystopia yet and it remains to be seen if the imminent arrival of Daniel from Ugly Betty can add anything worthwhile to the format.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Review: Miles Jupp "Fibber in the heat" - Cambridge Junction
In recent months, Miles Jupp has been making something of a splash on TV, appearing on Mock the Week, Michael Mcintyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Have I Got News For You. A regular performer at the Edinburgh fringe, his latest show “Fibber in the Heat” arrived at the Junction, Cambridge on February 1st. The theatre in the Junction is an appropriately intimate setting for the show, with the small auditorium allowing the audience to feel a real connection to the monologue Jupp presents.
Miles Jupp, erstwhile portrayer of Archie the Inventor in Balamory, leads his audience on a journey from the Oval to India on the trail of the English Cricket team as they tour in 2006. Jupp chooses not to cram his show full of easy belly laughs, striking a whimsical tone as he reflects on the series of decisions that lead to him attempting to blag his way into the world of the cricket journalist in order to watch more of the sport he loves. His conversational tone meanders its way through farcical attempts to get his hands on the holy grail (a press pass), chance meetings in the bar with his cricketing heroes, an unsavoury encounter with some roadside cuisine and finally the cathartic realisation that it may be better to be a fan than a journo after all. Along the way he is insulted, embarrassed and is singularly unable to produce anything that is ever likely to get published anywhere people are likely to read it.
Jupp’s charming manner and endearing pomposity warm the audience to him, and it is hard not to be drawn into his tale, laughing frequently at the absurdity of his self imposed predicament. As a fellow test match lover, the pace of the show feels similar to a cricket match with periods of frantic action, followed by more prosaic moments before the show bursts back into life at just the right time to keep the audience hooked.
A fabulous show by a comedian who is just beginning to receive wider recognition. Catch him next time he is in town!
Miles Jupp, erstwhile portrayer of Archie the Inventor in Balamory, leads his audience on a journey from the Oval to India on the trail of the English Cricket team as they tour in 2006. Jupp chooses not to cram his show full of easy belly laughs, striking a whimsical tone as he reflects on the series of decisions that lead to him attempting to blag his way into the world of the cricket journalist in order to watch more of the sport he loves. His conversational tone meanders its way through farcical attempts to get his hands on the holy grail (a press pass), chance meetings in the bar with his cricketing heroes, an unsavoury encounter with some roadside cuisine and finally the cathartic realisation that it may be better to be a fan than a journo after all. Along the way he is insulted, embarrassed and is singularly unable to produce anything that is ever likely to get published anywhere people are likely to read it.
Jupp’s charming manner and endearing pomposity warm the audience to him, and it is hard not to be drawn into his tale, laughing frequently at the absurdity of his self imposed predicament. As a fellow test match lover, the pace of the show feels similar to a cricket match with periods of frantic action, followed by more prosaic moments before the show bursts back into life at just the right time to keep the audience hooked.
A fabulous show by a comedian who is just beginning to receive wider recognition. Catch him next time he is in town!
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Netbook Review - HP mini 210
Having taken the decision to try and forge a career as a writer, or at least make a few extra quid writing (current career earnings: $0.28 Canadian!) it quickly became apparent that a tiny IPhone and a desktop PC with an irritating habit of crashing spontaneously at inopportune moments simply wouldn’t cut it, entirely justifying the decision to buy a brand new netbook.
After several hours of largely tedious research in which I learned that most current generation Netbooks have 1Gb Ram, Windows 7 Starter, the same Intel Atom processor and 160Gb or 250Gb of disk space regardless of make, model, colour and price, I hit upon the HP Mini 210.
The purchasing experience was not without incident. Having purchased on a Sunday from Very.co.uk with a 10% discount code and 14 months interest free credit, I was contacted by their fraud department on the Tuesday having been flagged up as a potential miscreant due to a high value item being purchased on a new account. While this was eminently sensible, the fact that by flagging my account the order was cancelled, meaning I had to start again, was slightly more irritating. Reordering the netbook proved problematic as I could no longer use my discount code online so I rang Very.co.uk direct. After 40 minutes alternating between soul crushingly tedious hold music and 3 separate employees, one of whom was back in the fraud department as they had to vet me again, I finally got things sorted with the 10% still to be applied after the item is delivered; I am still not clear on why this is.
Fortunately the netbook arrived the next day, 2 days before it was scheduled to be delivered but not without having received another phone call from the fraud squad. I felt slightly sorry for poor woman whose computer had rang me automatically, only for her to see everything had been cleared already, cue a grovelling apology for inconveniencing me.
So to the netbook itself. Initial setup was relatively straightforward with only one slight issue. On first boot up the machine only managed a blank screen, forcing a visit to the bios. The problem was remedied very simply by setting the boot device properly, but for the less technically minded it would have been a problem as there were no instructions.
After a few straightforward screens requesting registration details and wireless keys the computer was ready to use. So far having surfed the net, checked Emails and written the preceding words, it has performed admirably, if considerably slower than a desktop PC or proper laptop. The keyboard is comfortable to type on; it is easy to mistype due to the short travel on the keys, but they feel sturdy enough. On the subject of build quality, the whole netbook seems solid and well put together for the most part. Again there was one slight fly in the ointment, the plastic outer cover on the underside of the netbook was not quite sited properly, exposing the innards of the machine. It easily pushed back on properly and hopefully it will stay attached for the lifetime of the netbook.
HP ship the netbook with a stripped down operating system, allowing you to quickly boot and access Email or surf the web, this can easily be disabled allowing a slower boot into the more useful and far less clunky Windows 7 Starter edition. Personally I chose the disable option immediately as the benefit of quickly getting online is negated by the fact that the basic OS is awful!
Overall I am relatively impressed with my first foray into the world of portable computing, however the HP mini 210 I received has not been without its minor teething problems, and the touchpad seems to provide the cursor with a mind of it’s own. Having sorted most of these out I am looking forward to many happy hours of netbooking.
After several hours of largely tedious research in which I learned that most current generation Netbooks have 1Gb Ram, Windows 7 Starter, the same Intel Atom processor and 160Gb or 250Gb of disk space regardless of make, model, colour and price, I hit upon the HP Mini 210.
The purchasing experience was not without incident. Having purchased on a Sunday from Very.co.uk with a 10% discount code and 14 months interest free credit, I was contacted by their fraud department on the Tuesday having been flagged up as a potential miscreant due to a high value item being purchased on a new account. While this was eminently sensible, the fact that by flagging my account the order was cancelled, meaning I had to start again, was slightly more irritating. Reordering the netbook proved problematic as I could no longer use my discount code online so I rang Very.co.uk direct. After 40 minutes alternating between soul crushingly tedious hold music and 3 separate employees, one of whom was back in the fraud department as they had to vet me again, I finally got things sorted with the 10% still to be applied after the item is delivered; I am still not clear on why this is.
Fortunately the netbook arrived the next day, 2 days before it was scheduled to be delivered but not without having received another phone call from the fraud squad. I felt slightly sorry for poor woman whose computer had rang me automatically, only for her to see everything had been cleared already, cue a grovelling apology for inconveniencing me.
So to the netbook itself. Initial setup was relatively straightforward with only one slight issue. On first boot up the machine only managed a blank screen, forcing a visit to the bios. The problem was remedied very simply by setting the boot device properly, but for the less technically minded it would have been a problem as there were no instructions.
After a few straightforward screens requesting registration details and wireless keys the computer was ready to use. So far having surfed the net, checked Emails and written the preceding words, it has performed admirably, if considerably slower than a desktop PC or proper laptop. The keyboard is comfortable to type on; it is easy to mistype due to the short travel on the keys, but they feel sturdy enough. On the subject of build quality, the whole netbook seems solid and well put together for the most part. Again there was one slight fly in the ointment, the plastic outer cover on the underside of the netbook was not quite sited properly, exposing the innards of the machine. It easily pushed back on properly and hopefully it will stay attached for the lifetime of the netbook.
HP ship the netbook with a stripped down operating system, allowing you to quickly boot and access Email or surf the web, this can easily be disabled allowing a slower boot into the more useful and far less clunky Windows 7 Starter edition. Personally I chose the disable option immediately as the benefit of quickly getting online is negated by the fact that the basic OS is awful!
Overall I am relatively impressed with my first foray into the world of portable computing, however the HP mini 210 I received has not been without its minor teething problems, and the touchpad seems to provide the cursor with a mind of it’s own. Having sorted most of these out I am looking forward to many happy hours of netbooking.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
10 O'Clock Live, might get better, currently disappointing
As i am using this blog to practise writing I feel I should experiment with different writing styles, as a result I will write this in the style of Charlie Brooker's inner soul, writhing with embarrasment and shame at seeking mainstream televisual approval by being associated with such low quality TV. 10 o clock live is great idea hamstrung by the inadequacies of modern television, it contains a veneer of naf pazaz where flashy graphics and overblown cuts from one presenter to another are used as a substitute for style, content and quality material.
That is not to say that 10 o clock live is a lost cause, Charlie Brooker himself was excellent, cutting to the bone in his brief sections and narrating monologues dripping with cynicism, bile and insight. Added to this, David Mitchell chaired 2 interviews, the first a nervy, shaky affair highlighting the live format and inexperience of the comedian and panel show guest, but the second allowed Mitchell's own brand of angry logic to flow in an interview where he took apart the coalition government's higher education policy. While not particularly funny,it was a braver and more insightful interview than most these days.
Sadly the remaining presenters were less inspiring, Jimmy Carr looked out of place as a serious satirist, resorting to the kind of cheap gags that work well in his excellent stand up act and frequent panel show appearances, but here seemed weak and tiresome. Lauren Laverne on the other hand was as vacuous and unexceptional as always, attempting to keep up with 3 genuine comedians she performed an embarrasing faux american showbiz review style sketch and added nothing else to the show. There are plenty of excellent female comedians, so why Laverne got this particular gig is beyond me, presumably at some point she entered into a faustian pact with satan and one day will get her firey just deserts after years of inflicting herself on the British public.
With a little more Brooker and Mitchell, better writing from Carr and considerably less Lauren Laverne, allong with a realisation that the flashy graphics and over enthusiastic audience add nothing to the format, 10 o clock live may redeem itself. TV needs a show like this, but serious changes need to be made if it is to survive beyond its initial run.
That is not to say that 10 o clock live is a lost cause, Charlie Brooker himself was excellent, cutting to the bone in his brief sections and narrating monologues dripping with cynicism, bile and insight. Added to this, David Mitchell chaired 2 interviews, the first a nervy, shaky affair highlighting the live format and inexperience of the comedian and panel show guest, but the second allowed Mitchell's own brand of angry logic to flow in an interview where he took apart the coalition government's higher education policy. While not particularly funny,it was a braver and more insightful interview than most these days.
Sadly the remaining presenters were less inspiring, Jimmy Carr looked out of place as a serious satirist, resorting to the kind of cheap gags that work well in his excellent stand up act and frequent panel show appearances, but here seemed weak and tiresome. Lauren Laverne on the other hand was as vacuous and unexceptional as always, attempting to keep up with 3 genuine comedians she performed an embarrasing faux american showbiz review style sketch and added nothing else to the show. There are plenty of excellent female comedians, so why Laverne got this particular gig is beyond me, presumably at some point she entered into a faustian pact with satan and one day will get her firey just deserts after years of inflicting herself on the British public.
With a little more Brooker and Mitchell, better writing from Carr and considerably less Lauren Laverne, allong with a realisation that the flashy graphics and over enthusiastic audience add nothing to the format, 10 o clock live may redeem itself. TV needs a show like this, but serious changes need to be made if it is to survive beyond its initial run.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
The BBC's quiet revolution
BBC Television in the naughties was defined by speed, in comedy, My Family and Two Pints of Lager were popular programs produced by gag factories whose output was prolific, but lacked subtlety. Drama series like Spooks and Hustle consisted of tense soundtracks, fast cuts and ever more outlandish story lines, held together by a slick style that hid the lack of real substance.
Recently however there has been a quiet revolution taking place, where series are allowed to be more thoughtful, scenes are given space to breathe and the jokes are more subtle and engaging as a consequence.
The first time I noticed this was in the excellent second series of Reggie Perrin, Martin Clunes played the straight man amongst a cast of semi ludicrous imbeciles, allowing him to dispense ascerbic wit, without resorting to easy gags. This was followed by the excellent Coogan and Brydon vehicle "the trip" an incredibly brave effort featuring the two comic actors as grotesque versions of themselves. Largely improvised and centred around a series conversations over dinner, watching these two comedians at the top of their game as they tried to out impression each other was a delight.
Finally in the drama stakes I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the exploits of detective "Zen". Beautifully shot in Rome and featuring a multinational cast (mainly the women, all the Italian men seem to hail from Ireland or Yorkshire) Zen is the absolute antithesis of the slick high paced action drama of recent years, scenes are allowed to draw out and dialogue flows naturally with Zen, played by Rufus Sewell often umming and erring his way through interrogations and conversations. The action is richer for the slower shots in between the more pacey scenes.
While the likes of Lucas and Walliams will continue to produce over the top television, the BBC is a richer experience for the recent more thoughtful shows.
Or maybe I am getting old?
Recently however there has been a quiet revolution taking place, where series are allowed to be more thoughtful, scenes are given space to breathe and the jokes are more subtle and engaging as a consequence.
The first time I noticed this was in the excellent second series of Reggie Perrin, Martin Clunes played the straight man amongst a cast of semi ludicrous imbeciles, allowing him to dispense ascerbic wit, without resorting to easy gags. This was followed by the excellent Coogan and Brydon vehicle "the trip" an incredibly brave effort featuring the two comic actors as grotesque versions of themselves. Largely improvised and centred around a series conversations over dinner, watching these two comedians at the top of their game as they tried to out impression each other was a delight.
Finally in the drama stakes I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the exploits of detective "Zen". Beautifully shot in Rome and featuring a multinational cast (mainly the women, all the Italian men seem to hail from Ireland or Yorkshire) Zen is the absolute antithesis of the slick high paced action drama of recent years, scenes are allowed to draw out and dialogue flows naturally with Zen, played by Rufus Sewell often umming and erring his way through interrogations and conversations. The action is richer for the slower shots in between the more pacey scenes.
While the likes of Lucas and Walliams will continue to produce over the top television, the BBC is a richer experience for the recent more thoughtful shows.
Or maybe I am getting old?
Saturday, 15 January 2011
The Devil Wears Prada
Unlikely girl is hired for job, fails to fit in, fails to impress boss, tries harder, impresses boss, betrays boyfriend in the process, realises boss is a bitch, quits job, feels better, gets boyfriend back. The Devil Wears Prada is a writing by numbers affair pumped out by the Hollywood movie machine, the backdrop is the world of the high fashion magazine but the same tired story has been made many times before. Perhaps this accounts for the surprisingly enjoyable experience this film provided, all the mistakes have been made before and the well worn path this film treads is mostly charming in it's predictability. Meryl Streep puts in a laconic performance as bitch in chief and Anne Hathaway convinces as her naive assistant for the most part although never quite sells herself as a frumpy Ugly Betty alike at the beginning of the film!
While an instantly forgettable experience, The Devil Wears Prada is well presented, well acted and warmly delivered. By no means a classic, it is not an unpleasant way to spend an evening on the sofa with your partner
While an instantly forgettable experience, The Devil Wears Prada is well presented, well acted and warmly delivered. By no means a classic, it is not an unpleasant way to spend an evening on the sofa with your partner
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