Saturday, June 18, 2005
Worse things happen at sea
Ah, revision - isn't it such fun? Today has been a lovely, sunny day in Oxford and I have spent the majority of it sat in the library. Having exams in July is not good. To top it off, I popped into the College bar (on the way home from the library, drinking lemonade.....) to say goodbye to some friends who leave tomorrow (term finishes officially tomorrow - it seems the people who set my exams ignored that point) and they're all having a great time. B*****ds!
Three weeks time it will all be over and I'll either be delighted to have got them out of the way, or depressed at the thought of having failed them. There will be no one around then which means finishing will be a bit of an anti-climax - totally different to last year after Finals for my undergrad degree which involved flour, cream, beer, silly string, coloured hair-spray and a loss of memory (probably something to do with the beer).
But hey, I shouldn't complain too much, no matter how tempting it is. There are many worse places that I could be than Oxford and much worse stress than I could be under than exam stress. As the great Monty Python once sang:
If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten,
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps.
Just purse your lips and whistle.
That's the thing.
And...
Always look on the bright side of life.
[whistle]
Always look on the right side of life,
[whistle]
(For the rest of the lyrics click here)
Three weeks time it will all be over and I'll either be delighted to have got them out of the way, or depressed at the thought of having failed them. There will be no one around then which means finishing will be a bit of an anti-climax - totally different to last year after Finals for my undergrad degree which involved flour, cream, beer, silly string, coloured hair-spray and a loss of memory (probably something to do with the beer).
But hey, I shouldn't complain too much, no matter how tempting it is. There are many worse places that I could be than Oxford and much worse stress than I could be under than exam stress. As the great Monty Python once sang:
If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten,
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps.
Just purse your lips and whistle.
That's the thing.
And...
Always look on the bright side of life.
[whistle]
Always look on the right side of life,
[whistle]
(For the rest of the lyrics click here)
Friday, June 17, 2005
Mugabe marches on
Things go from bad to worse in Zimbabwe, yet the world continues to stand by and let "President" Mugabe get away with pretty much anything he likes. Which, to be fair to the rest of the world, is at least better than South Africa's stance, which involves condoning the stealing of elections and generally saying "Hey, that Mugabe? He's a nice guy you know."
Mugabe is a dictator. A dictator who has done everything he can to hold on to power and clearly intends to consolidate his position after his "victory" in recent "elections" (elections declared "free and fair" by South Africa, but condemned by pretty much everyone else.) Anyone who disagrees with him or opposes him risks their lives, while he still receives the support of President Thabo Mbeki. Any local media who are critical of him are silenced, while any foreign journalist risks being arrested simply for being there.
What can be done about this? The UN has done little except appoint Zimbabwe to its Human Rights Commission. The UK has made the right noises but has taken no action (and could take no action without a UN Security Council resolution or violating international law). It seems to be a situation that must be dealt with by Africa itself. However, there appears to be little appetite for attacking Mugabe, as demonstrated by the stance of South Africa.
While the world watches and wringes its hands, the people of Zimbabwe continue to suffer under the oppressive rule of a dictator. President Mbeki must rethink his position and condemn Mugabe's regime.
It seems that other countries are coming around to the UK's point of view on the EU budget: Europe turns on France as Britain wins new allies. Chirac and Schroeder are politically weak and increasingly isolated. Tony Blair has achieved what must have been his main aim for this summit (at least once the rebate was brought up by France), which was to get the CAP onto the agenda. It is being openly questioned by many, including the likely winner of Germany's elections in the Autumn, Angela Merkel, the leader of Germany's opposition Christian Democratic Union.
An interesting analysis article on the European "situation" by Anatole Kaletsky in The Times: Both Blair and Chirac need the battle over the rebate as a diversion for home consumption
Mugabe is a dictator. A dictator who has done everything he can to hold on to power and clearly intends to consolidate his position after his "victory" in recent "elections" (elections declared "free and fair" by South Africa, but condemned by pretty much everyone else.) Anyone who disagrees with him or opposes him risks their lives, while he still receives the support of President Thabo Mbeki. Any local media who are critical of him are silenced, while any foreign journalist risks being arrested simply for being there.
What can be done about this? The UN has done little except appoint Zimbabwe to its Human Rights Commission. The UK has made the right noises but has taken no action (and could take no action without a UN Security Council resolution or violating international law). It seems to be a situation that must be dealt with by Africa itself. However, there appears to be little appetite for attacking Mugabe, as demonstrated by the stance of South Africa.
While the world watches and wringes its hands, the people of Zimbabwe continue to suffer under the oppressive rule of a dictator. President Mbeki must rethink his position and condemn Mugabe's regime.
It seems that other countries are coming around to the UK's point of view on the EU budget: Europe turns on France as Britain wins new allies. Chirac and Schroeder are politically weak and increasingly isolated. Tony Blair has achieved what must have been his main aim for this summit (at least once the rebate was brought up by France), which was to get the CAP onto the agenda. It is being openly questioned by many, including the likely winner of Germany's elections in the Autumn, Angela Merkel, the leader of Germany's opposition Christian Democratic Union.
An interesting analysis article on the European "situation" by Anatole Kaletsky in The Times: Both Blair and Chirac need the battle over the rebate as a diversion for home consumption
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Coffee and Naan.
Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General seems to be on the verge of quitting his post after revelations in a UN investigation into the Iraqi oil-for-food programme (see the BBC's Q&A for more info). The investigation has uncovered evidence that Mr Annan may not have been entirely honest when he said he was unaware of, and had no involvement in, a contract being awarded to a company that had employed his son, Kojo. BBC, UK: Annan in new oil-for-food probe
While the inquiry, led by Paul Volcker, an American and former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank, has so far made no specific allegations of corruption on behalf of Mr Annan, the evidence raises that possibility and, considering the special role of the UN Secretary-General and the need for the office-holder to be beyond reproach, it should surprise no one to hear that Mr Annan has contemplated resignation (The Times, UK). The overall context of the inquiry (and those being undertaken by the US Congress) should be kept in mind: Kofi Annan was a loud voice of dissent in relation to the Coalition invasion of Iraq. His removal from office may not be greeted with the popping of champagne corks in Washington, but it is also likely that the US government would not be overly upset.
Should he resign? On this, I am undecided. He has done much good work in the past, as evidenced by his Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. However past good deeds would not excuse corruption, if that is shown to have occurred. Perhaps for the moment, the best plan would be to wait for the UN inquiry to issue its final report, due in the next few months.
Other articles on this:
Guardian, UK: Annan faces new claims in oil-for-food scandal
The New York Times, USA: Investigators to review hint of Annan role in Iraq oil sales (Free registration required.)
Washington Post, USA: Annan says he will not resign from UN (Free reg also required.)
Full credit should go to my brother Charlie for the title of this post. I take no responsibility for it at all!
While the inquiry, led by Paul Volcker, an American and former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank, has so far made no specific allegations of corruption on behalf of Mr Annan, the evidence raises that possibility and, considering the special role of the UN Secretary-General and the need for the office-holder to be beyond reproach, it should surprise no one to hear that Mr Annan has contemplated resignation (The Times, UK). The overall context of the inquiry (and those being undertaken by the US Congress) should be kept in mind: Kofi Annan was a loud voice of dissent in relation to the Coalition invasion of Iraq. His removal from office may not be greeted with the popping of champagne corks in Washington, but it is also likely that the US government would not be overly upset.
Should he resign? On this, I am undecided. He has done much good work in the past, as evidenced by his Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. However past good deeds would not excuse corruption, if that is shown to have occurred. Perhaps for the moment, the best plan would be to wait for the UN inquiry to issue its final report, due in the next few months.
Other articles on this:
Guardian, UK: Annan faces new claims in oil-for-food scandal
The New York Times, USA: Investigators to review hint of Annan role in Iraq oil sales (Free registration required.)
Washington Post, USA: Annan says he will not resign from UN (Free reg also required.)
Full credit should go to my brother Charlie for the title of this post. I take no responsibility for it at all!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
On the back-burner
One of the other likely consequences of the "no" votes in the Dutch and French referenda is that Turkey's membership of the EU will at best be shelved for a significant period of time, or at worst scrapped altogether. EU expansion, especially in relation to Turkey, is unpopular in Germany, as well as France and Holland. The main reasons seem to be the shear size of Turkey, in terms of population, and the fact that it is an overwhelmingly Muslim country.
The size of Turkey disturbs those in France and Germany who harbour hopes of ever closer union. The admission of such a large country, with a population of 73 million compared to Germany's 83 million, would make it virtually impossible for the EU to ever become a federal state. It would be too widespread and diverse a body for that to occur. The fact that it is a Muslim country should be of no issue, but Holland is having a crisis of confidence over multi-culteralism and the "no" vote there could be due to concerns about the potential expansion.
Would Turkey's membership be a good thing for the EU? I think it would be. It would mean the EU would be more likely to be what the British people were lead to believe it would be when we voted to be a part of it in the 1970s - a free market rather than European state. It would demonstrate to the world that there is no necessary conflict between Muslim and Christian values: Turkey demonstrates that democracy and Islam are not mutually exclusive.
There are, of course, some important issues to address in relation to Turkey's admission to the EU. Firstly, there is the issue of human rights: Turkey does not have a good record on human rights. While the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attempting to bring in reforms to address this, the country still has some way to go. The second issue is that of Cyprus: Turkey does not formally recognise the Greek Cypriot government of Cyprus. As the internationally recognised southern part of Cyprus is a member of the EU, it would be a necessary condition of Turkey' membership to recognise the Greek Cypriot government. This could lead to a final and lasting settlement over the future of Cyprus in general: some sort of agreement between the Turkish north and Greek south. The UN and EU backed efforts there appear to have stalled for the time being.
If Turkey is the unfortunate casualty of the "no" votes, and it sees its membership of the EU being kicked into the long-grass, it is possible it will start looking elsewhere for allies: to neighbours Syria and Iran, for example. That would not be a welcome result for the world, let alone for the EU.
An article in the Guardian on this topic: France blocks Turkey's path
Also, an interesting article in the New York Times: Turks, nervous about European prospects, turn to US (Note: I think you have to register (free) to read this.)
It seems eBay
have had a change of heart as regards live 8 tickets.
And this is just plain odd.
The size of Turkey disturbs those in France and Germany who harbour hopes of ever closer union. The admission of such a large country, with a population of 73 million compared to Germany's 83 million, would make it virtually impossible for the EU to ever become a federal state. It would be too widespread and diverse a body for that to occur. The fact that it is a Muslim country should be of no issue, but Holland is having a crisis of confidence over multi-culteralism and the "no" vote there could be due to concerns about the potential expansion.
Would Turkey's membership be a good thing for the EU? I think it would be. It would mean the EU would be more likely to be what the British people were lead to believe it would be when we voted to be a part of it in the 1970s - a free market rather than European state. It would demonstrate to the world that there is no necessary conflict between Muslim and Christian values: Turkey demonstrates that democracy and Islam are not mutually exclusive.
There are, of course, some important issues to address in relation to Turkey's admission to the EU. Firstly, there is the issue of human rights: Turkey does not have a good record on human rights. While the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attempting to bring in reforms to address this, the country still has some way to go. The second issue is that of Cyprus: Turkey does not formally recognise the Greek Cypriot government of Cyprus. As the internationally recognised southern part of Cyprus is a member of the EU, it would be a necessary condition of Turkey' membership to recognise the Greek Cypriot government. This could lead to a final and lasting settlement over the future of Cyprus in general: some sort of agreement between the Turkish north and Greek south. The UN and EU backed efforts there appear to have stalled for the time being.
If Turkey is the unfortunate casualty of the "no" votes, and it sees its membership of the EU being kicked into the long-grass, it is possible it will start looking elsewhere for allies: to neighbours Syria and Iran, for example. That would not be a welcome result for the world, let alone for the EU.
An article in the Guardian on this topic: France blocks Turkey's path
Also, an interesting article in the New York Times: Turks, nervous about European prospects, turn to US (Note: I think you have to register (free) to read this.)
It seems eBay
And this is just plain odd.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Big news day
Well, Michael Jackson is found not guilty on all counts. Not particularly surprised (see my comments here). The case against him was weak, with the defence successfully undermining the prosecutions main witnesses: the boy and his mother. Listening to the jury was also interesting, giving an insight into their thoughts. They seemed pretty united behind the decision and also seemed pretty united in their dislike of the mother! I am still uncomfortable with the idea of the jury being allowed to talk to the media about their thoughts. Clearly, it reduces the mystery of the jury room and in this case perhaps shows the public that they went about it in a methodical manner, not letting the fact that they were dealing with celebrity get in their way. However, it is open to abuse for those who want to make a name for themselves. This jury has released a statement saying they all want to be left alone to get back to their normal lives. It will be interesting to see whether or not that happens (there is talk of one of the jury having a book deal, though that is just a rumour).
What now for Michael Jackson? Because of his mounting debts and extravagent spending habits he needs to earn money. His last album was a flop by his standards (selling a "mere" 6 million copies). Suggestions I have heard/read have included: singing in a Las Vagas casino, reuniting with his brothers to reform the Jackson 5, moving to South Africa.... Who knows? Hopefully he will be able to put this case behind him, get better advisers so that he doesn't leave himself open to such allegations in the future and get on with his life. I've already seen a lot of comment on the internet from people who believe he "got off" or that this was "another OJ Simpson". This case cannot be compared with OJ's trial as, in my opinion, the case against Jackson was very, very weak.
The Rebate Wars continue to rumble on:
PM warned over "national egotism"
Europe turmoil as treaty collapses
It is clear that the diversionary tactics of the French and Germans (ie diversion from the main issue of the referendum defeats in France and Holland) are working, though less so over here as the media seems to be well aware of where the main problem lies. I think the Government is perfectly right to demand a full-scale revision of the EU budget in return for the scrapping of the rebate. France has to wake up to the modern world. The CAP sits uncomfortably with the World Trade Organisation's ideal of free trade and with the G8 discussions concerning aid to Africa.
The oft heard argument from the French and Germans is that it is unfair for the poorer countries of the EU to fund the UK's rebate. Surely it is unfair for the poorer countries of the EU and the rest of the world to continue subsidising French farmers? Surprisingly, neither President Chirac nor Chancellor Schroeder have mentioned that.
Finally today, the BBC report that eBay are happy to allow auctions for tickets to live8 to take place on their site:
'Auction website eBay said while it would not prevent people from selling tickets online, it would make a donation to Live 8 "at least equivalent to the fees we collect from the sale of Live 8 tickets".
"The reselling of charity concert tickets is not illegal under UK law, so eBay will allow these tickets to be sold on the site," a spokeswoman said.
"eBay believes it is a fundamental right for someone to be able to sell something that is theirs whether they paid for it or won it in a competition," she added.
Live 8 organisers said eBay had been "very helpful", adding the concert's lawyers would take action against anyone trying to sell tickets.'
(Taken from Live 8 gig gets 2m texts)
What now for Michael Jackson? Because of his mounting debts and extravagent spending habits he needs to earn money. His last album was a flop by his standards (selling a "mere" 6 million copies). Suggestions I have heard/read have included: singing in a Las Vagas casino, reuniting with his brothers to reform the Jackson 5, moving to South Africa.... Who knows? Hopefully he will be able to put this case behind him, get better advisers so that he doesn't leave himself open to such allegations in the future and get on with his life. I've already seen a lot of comment on the internet from people who believe he "got off" or that this was "another OJ Simpson". This case cannot be compared with OJ's trial as, in my opinion, the case against Jackson was very, very weak.
The Rebate Wars continue to rumble on:
PM warned over "national egotism"
Europe turmoil as treaty collapses
It is clear that the diversionary tactics of the French and Germans (ie diversion from the main issue of the referendum defeats in France and Holland) are working, though less so over here as the media seems to be well aware of where the main problem lies. I think the Government is perfectly right to demand a full-scale revision of the EU budget in return for the scrapping of the rebate. France has to wake up to the modern world. The CAP sits uncomfortably with the World Trade Organisation's ideal of free trade and with the G8 discussions concerning aid to Africa.
The oft heard argument from the French and Germans is that it is unfair for the poorer countries of the EU to fund the UK's rebate. Surely it is unfair for the poorer countries of the EU and the rest of the world to continue subsidising French farmers? Surprisingly, neither President Chirac nor Chancellor Schroeder have mentioned that.
Finally today, the BBC report that eBay
'Auction website eBay said while it would not prevent people from selling tickets online, it would make a donation to Live 8 "at least equivalent to the fees we collect from the sale of Live 8 tickets".
"The reselling of charity concert tickets is not illegal under UK law, so eBay will allow these tickets to be sold on the site," a spokeswoman said.
"eBay believes it is a fundamental right for someone to be able to sell something that is theirs whether they paid for it or won it in a competition," she added.
Live 8 organisers said eBay had been "very helpful", adding the concert's lawyers would take action against anyone trying to sell tickets.'
(Taken from Live 8 gig gets 2m texts)
Monday, June 13, 2005
1984 and all that....
I'm not sure about anyone else, but this seems to have strong Orwellian undertones to me:
Children studied for criminality
Children studied for criminality
Carr chase
This article in the Guardian caught my eye today:
Home Office fury at Carr tabloid tales
While I understand that the Soham murders were, and clearly still are, a very emotive subject, I do find it slightly sad that a woman who did no more than lie to protect the man she loved is being hounded by the press and certain members of the general public. She is not a murderer. She is not a threat to anyone. Yet she lives in fear of her life because certain members of the public deem her to be evil, fueled by the tabloid media who are more concerned with selling papers, and hence sensationalising everything, than they are with responsible journalism. Yes she was wrong to lie and she would no doubt accept that. But those girls did not die because of her. Their murderer is locked away.
Thousands and thousands of pounds of taxpayers money is having to be spent protecting Maxine Carr from vigilantes, money that could be better spent actually trying to catch dangerous criminals. Why can't the tabloid press let the woman get on with her life?
Great to see Jack Straw taking the fight to the rest of Europe over the EU budget:
Straw goes on EU budget offensive
And similar points raised in the Sunday Times:
Britain's rebate haunts European negotiations
Home Office fury at Carr tabloid tales
While I understand that the Soham murders were, and clearly still are, a very emotive subject, I do find it slightly sad that a woman who did no more than lie to protect the man she loved is being hounded by the press and certain members of the general public. She is not a murderer. She is not a threat to anyone. Yet she lives in fear of her life because certain members of the public deem her to be evil, fueled by the tabloid media who are more concerned with selling papers, and hence sensationalising everything, than they are with responsible journalism. Yes she was wrong to lie and she would no doubt accept that. But those girls did not die because of her. Their murderer is locked away.
Thousands and thousands of pounds of taxpayers money is having to be spent protecting Maxine Carr from vigilantes, money that could be better spent actually trying to catch dangerous criminals. Why can't the tabloid press let the woman get on with her life?
Great to see Jack Straw taking the fight to the rest of Europe over the EU budget:
Straw goes on EU budget offensive
And similar points raised in the Sunday Times:
Britain's rebate haunts European negotiations
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Disassociated
Having not been out to buy a newspaper today and having spent a large part of the day with the computer and radio off while working, I'm feeling slightly disconnected from the world. I've only followed vaguely via the net what's being going on "out there" and worst of all, I've not had my daily dose of su doku. This is not good. What the day has shown me is not only should I probably see someone about my su doku addiction, but also the importance to me of knowing what's going on in the world in order to feel part of society and that my primary source of such information is the newspaper.
I don't enjoy feeling like a disconnected individual. I think I'll be buying two newspapers tomorrow.
To follow up on my post yesterday about writing a book, this article from the Guardian shows you the process which a book goes through in order to reach the bookshop. Thanks to Gary for pointing it out.
I don't enjoy feeling like a disconnected individual. I think I'll be buying two newspapers tomorrow.
To follow up on my post yesterday about writing a book, this article from the Guardian shows you the process which a book goes through in order to reach the bookshop. Thanks to Gary for pointing it out.
