A Job with a view!

If they are so high up, think about the guy who's taking the photo!!

A question of faith

I am not a religious person. I respect the rights of anyone who has a faith to be allowed to practise it, no matter what their persuasion is. I am strongly against religion having power over the running of countries though. It's all very well running a country as per the teachings in the bible. But what if you don't believe in that particular version? Or even that particular bible. I don't believe in any God. I find it incredible that in a modern age any one else does. Surely if such an entity exists, then the same must be true for the devil! Therefore he must have servants on earth as well. When are we going to start burning witches again?
What if I'm wrong? What if there is an all powerful deity running the show with an all seeing eye? Which one? There are so many to choose from. I fear if I did get into religion as a means of covering my self for the final judgement, I would go to all that trouble and end up backing the wrong horse.
I watched the news yesterday as events unfolded in a mining town in West Virginia. I can't imagine the pain of being told, your loved ones are safe and then finding out an agonizing three hours later, that they had in fact all died. I don't want to dwell on the actual situation but it did highlight a point that I wish to make. When they found out they were safe, the crowd praised the Lord and burst spontaneously into religious song. On hearing the tragic news, several raised doubts that there even was a god. "If there was how could he let this happen to us?"
The important part here it "TO US" There have been numerous natural disasters(acts of God) over the last year. The Tsunami, New Orleans flooding, Indian/Pakistan earthquake and many many more. Not all of which get into the news bulletins. I presume that for the folk of the mining village, the thousands upon thousands of deaths were all part of the lord's plan. And those in the firing line were just part of his bigger picture. But as soon as something happens in their community they question his existence.
I agree that having a faith can bring great comfort to the believer. The idea that when someone dies, you will see them again in heaven can ease the grief and help with the healing process. I do however liken this to having the same credence as, telling a child to place their tooth under their pillow, for a fairy to swap it for money, as a means of easing the truma of losing your teeth.
We all know as parents, that being good for Santa is a marvellous incentive for well behaved children from November onwards. We pull the wool over their eyes and get compliance in return.
Now If you were in charge of a body of people and wanted blind obedience, wouldn't it make sense to use a similar approach? Don't use Santa though. December is expensive enough. Make sure the gifts are promised for the after life. That way you wont get any complaints!
The last thing you want to see is members of a riotous crowd proclaiming " I asked for Subbuteo this Christmas and I didn't get it. I'm beginning to doubt there is a Santa! How could he do this to US?"

Reality TV

Reality TV

I’m sure Reality TV must be one of the most widely covered subjects on the blogging scene. It has an incredibly polarising effect on most people. You either, love them and watch them avidly to see what happens next. Or you hate them and watch them avidly, keeping your hatred levels topped up whilst watching to see what happens next. If you fall into the second category it is compulsory to proclaim your distaste for them with an evangelical zeal, whilst being able to recite at least 5 things that happened on last nights episode, which confirms your decision not to watch it.

Reality TV seems to be becoming quite a broad spectrum these days. They range from the original fly-on-the-wall documentaries, where normal people do their normal jobs and live their normal lives and we find them fascinating. Normal people living other people’s lives and doing other jobs that they are totally unsuitable for. We watch these to see people under pressure in minute situations, taking it all a bit too seriously. There is usually a load of tears at some point.
The most inflammatory of this type of programme has got to be Wife Swap/ Trading Spouses (I have touched on an extreme case in my previous posts) Who ever came up with this idea was clearly looking for a programme, which guaranteed tension every single time. Think about it. Take out the clucky hen from the nest. Replace her with a clucky hen who, disagrees with everything she stands for. (Invariably burgers and crisps) Let her run amok and introduce such bizarre concepts as fresh air and exercise. Terrorising the family into submission. Meanwhile the original clucky hen is starving to death on fresh vegetables and home cooked food.
I think the producers should introduce a stopwatch on the screen and time how quickly the mothers race to get things back to normal after they are returned to their own nests. “First thing I did when I got back was close the windows and light a fag. Now where are my kids? “

The real danger the mothers face is the prospect of the family preferring the other lifestyle. Imagine it, the middle class mum gets back to her comfortable semi and the kids are now demanding Findus crispy pancakes and tins of marrowfat peas with every meal. Disaster!

The other categories involve people competing in some way for a life-changing prize i.e. X Factor, The Apprentice.

Also there are the freak shows like Big Brother, Space Cadets

Then there are the celebrity versions. In these shows the definition of celebrity is stretched ever thinner with every show. Eventually there will have to drastic measures put in place. Andy Warhol said that everyone would have 15 minutes of fame. At some point this will become compulsory, like jury service. I half expect to receive a letter informing me that I am required to attend Anglia TV studios and spend two weeks taking part in game shows and Trisha style studio audiences. It’s the only way I can see of satisfying demand!!!    

New Years resolution

New Years resolution- I must update my Blog!!

I’ve started this blog recently and after the initial learning curve of getting it going, I’ve neglected it dreadfully. I even skim through other peoples blogs, bemoaning the ones with the first entry of “Hi welcome to my Blog” and then nothing! How terrible are those people? I’d never do that (nervous cough, staring at my shoes)

Verdict- Must do better.