Sporting Politics

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I wonder, should we be surprised at the fuss caused by the appointment of Paolo di Canio as manager of Sunderland Football Club? His alleged political beliefs whether true or false have caused all sorts of outrage amongst the public and press and have led to Durham miners demanding the return from the club of a Trades Union banner (as though it were some sort of religious relic) and the resignation from the Sunderland board of the opportunistic ex-politician, David Miliband. It is all complete and utter nonsense but, no, we should not be surprised.

I’m afraid that this is just another example of our liberal national press whipping up a section of the population (usually referred to as a mob) into a state of righteous indignation at the thought that anybody with right wing leanings should achieve any level of power or influence. Such hypocrisy; and I thought we lived in a democracy!
Even if Di Canio is a Fascist- sympathising-Mussolini-loving-Roman-saluting crackpot with tattoos to match how on earth does that affect his ability to manage a football team?  Is he going to dress his players in Nazi uniforms and parade them, goose-stepping, on the pitch before each match?
No, of course he’s not. He is a football manager and nothing else. If I were a supporter of that football club I wouldn’t give two hoots about his beliefs unless, of course, he were to use his position to incite criminal activity. So far as I am aware, it is not an offence to harbour and express unsavoury beliefs no matter how far they might gravitate to the right or the left, though I have a sneaking suspicion that if his views were the latter rather than the former the fuss might not be so great.
Di Canio may or may not be a nasty bit of work with some wacko beliefs but if those beliefs don’t get in the way of his job shouldn’t we just leave him alone and judge him solely on how well he does that job? As for the press, haven’t they got better things to do? I understand there’s a bit of a crisis in North Korea at the moment.

Complementary Principles!

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I walked past a restaurant the other day (something that a large number of our obese population should try doing!) and noticed that it had a function room for hire, complete with its own bar, at competitive rates. What really grabbed my attention though was the final sentence of the advertisement which stated that the deal would include a “Complimentary DJ”. That’s nice, I thought, not only do you get a good deal on the room but you have the bonus of a polite and charming DJ!

Clearly, the person who drafted the advert meant nothing of the kind and was simply stating that the services of a DJ would be provided free of charge, as in complementary with an “e”. It’s a common enough mistake I suppose and typical of the poor levels of grammar and literacy we have come to expect in modern life.
There has been plenty of debate recently over government proposals to alter our education system in an attempt to improve standards in state schools. One suggestion was for the reintroduction of rote learning whereby children are taught (as my generation were) to learn tables and various formulas to assist in that learning. Some critics have scorned this idea but I think they are wrong.
To illustrate my point, I’ll provide a couple of examples. Firstly, the words “principal” and “principle”. The former is a person and the latter is a thing, as my old English master taught me during my first year at grammar school over 45 years ago! He taught me that the best way to remember the meanings of these particular words is the phrase “My pal is a principal” (princey – pal). It stuck with me and if I’m ever undecided I can summon it up instantly.
The second example is “stationary” and “stationery”. One means still or motionless and the other is paper or writing material, though the use of these words  often seems to cause confusion. Once more, a simple formula will solve the problem. If in doubt think of a stationary car and stationery paper, “ar” for c-ar and station-ar-y and “er” for pap-er and station-er-y.
These aids to memory are tried and tested and certainly, in my case, have withstood the passage of time. What harm can come of teaching these and similar to today’s school children? We should give it a go, as a matter of principle!

Alert to Danger?

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According to a recent survey by  the London transport authority, Transport for London, most teenagers regularly cross the road whilst using mobile phones or listening to music. In an attempt to reduce the number of casualties on the capital’s roads Transport for London have launched  a hard-hitting, graphic advertising campaign called “Stop. Think. Live”. One advertising poster shows a boy lying dead in the road with headphones still in place with the slogan “My friend heard the track. He didn’t hear the van”. It’s not just youngsters though, is it?

How often have you seen people, well past their teenage years,  talking on their phones or listening to music on their mp3 players as they walk down the street, cross the road, jog along the pavement or ride a bicycle all the while seeming oblivious to the traffic whizzing by them? As children, we were all warned of the dangers of traffic and told to take care whilst crossing the road. Children need to be told, but adults?
No matter how old you are, if your head is filled with music how can you possibly hear the sound of traffic or the warning shout of another person as danger approaches? How can you react to danger if you are not aware of its presence?
Maybe London’s road safety campaign should become national because it seems to me that many of us are just accidents waiting to happen. In a democracy we should always be free to choose how we lead our lives and free to choose the risks we wish to take. However, from time to time perhaps we need to be reminded of the dangers around us if only for our own good. Quite often in life “common” sense is anything but that.

Vanity Rules

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Bill Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest men and also one of its greatest philanthropists, recently said that capitalism is “flawed” since more money is spent on research into minor ailments than on diseases and conditions that kill millions each year.

He used the example of male baldness and said that more money is spent researching the prevention of hair loss than on finding a cure for malaria, which kills more people worldwide than any other disease on the planet. I had to stop and read that line again and maybe you did too.
According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, some £1.3 billion was spent last year on research into male baldness. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation says that just over a quarter of that (£361 million) was spent on malaria research.
Each year, malaria is responsible for the deaths of millions of men, women and children mainly in the poverty-stricken and undeveloped parts of the world. By contrast, as far as I am aware, nobody has ever died from hair loss or baldness.
That tells me two things, one that we in the West are more concerned with matters that directly affect us than things that do not, no matter how trivial. Secondly that we place personal vanity above death and suffering in the third world. Whichever way you look at it, it is a pretty sad indictment on modern society. 

English Anthem

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I watched the Wales v England rugby massacre (sorry, match!) on television  last weekend. It was a momentous occasion and the sound of the passionate Welsh crowd singing their hearts out to their national anthem brought tears to my eyes and I’m not even Welsh – although by the end of the ensuing eighty minutes I almost wished I had been!

The English by contrast, dutifully sang, as they always do, the British national anthem, God Save The Queen and there’s the rub. They sang the British national anthem, the anthem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which, of course, comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Now the non-English members of the Union (who for the purposes of simplicity I will henceforth refer to as the Celtic Nations) are members completely equal in every way to their English brothers in all but the physical size and population of their countries. As such they surely have a right, equal  to the English, to sing the British anthem, God Save The Queen, at sporting events in which they participate, but of course they do not.
However when the Celtic Nations join with England to represent the United Kingdom or just plain Great Britain (this must be so complicated for foreigners!) they all sing along heartily to God Save The Queen, the British national anthem. What therefore, I wish to know, gives the English the right to use the British national anthem as their own property?  In particular, how condescending and patronising  of the English to sing it when playing sport against the Celtic Nations. It is as though we English are saying, this is our anthem but we’ll gladly share it with you when we all represent the United Kingdom together. Is there any wonder so many Celts feel the way they do about us? Arrogant English? In this respect, probably so.
I am proud to be English and when I see an England team competing in any sporting event I want to hear the players and crowd sing an English anthem, an anthem peculiar to and exclusive to England. There are several candidates for an English anthem and any one of Land of Hope and Glory, I Vow to Thee My Country, Rule Britannia or Jerusalem would do. My own choice would be the former but whichever one we choose, it has to be ours and ours alone. Just think of the additional pride this would create and who knows, maybe it would even spur one of our sports teams to go on and actually win something!

St George of America?

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It was St Patrick’s Day yesterday, that worldwide celebration of the Scotsman who became the patron saint of Ireland, although it’s probably best to keep quiet about the last bit. Having experienced, on several occasions, the celebrations across the pond I have no doubt that Irish Americans would be distraught at the thought that the saint was not born in the gently rolling mountains of the Emerald Isle.
St Patrick’s Day is a huge deal in the USA, probably ranking alongside Independence Day and even Thanksgiving celebrations for a sizeable proportion of the population, and why not, who could object to the enjoyment of a fun-filled  party?

On my recent US trip I walked into a bar (I always was clumsy!) one early evening, some nine days before the actual Day, to be greeted by the sound of two kilted pipers and a whole host of people all dressed in green T shirts, wearing green beads and hats, cavorting around to “Paddy McGinty’s Goat” and “MacNamara’s Band”. There was one guy wearing a huge green top hat and false brown beard and, frankly, the only things missing were a couple of leprechauns and the aforesaid goat!

Yes, there’s something about Ireland that causes the average Irish-American (defined in many cases as somebody whose grandmother once consumed a pint of Guinness!) to turn all misty-eyed with dreams of a green-draped land of fantasy. Fantasy it certainly is since the vast majority have never been to Ireland nor ever will. They still call themselves “Irish” however and many true Irish people to whom I’ve spoken on the subject declare that Irish-Americans are more “Irish” then the Irish themselves.

I have suggested to various American friends that since their history and heritage is predominantly English (and when they disagree I ask them the name of the language they speak – Irish?) that they should also celebrate St George’s Day. They look at me blank faced, in fact, the same expression that many English people put on when facing the same suggestion. That’s the sad part, we English don’t even celebrate our own national day. Some of us do though and I’m sending out the invitations to my annual St George’s Day lunch today.

St George’s Day is April 23rd, in case you didn’t know. You could at least buy a red rose!

Smart Phones Again

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Further to my blog on the lost art of conversation (February 1st, 2013) I thought I would share a nice illustration of my point about the worldwide obsession with mobile phones. Still on my US travels, I was in a restaurant the other day, well in fairness it was more like a cafe, when I could not but help observe the behaviour of a couple sat at a nearby table. They were  young to middle aged and both, as soon as they sat down, took out their smart phones and began pressing away as though their lives depended on it.

The attentions of the waiter seemed almost an intrusion as they quickly glanced at the menu and made their order whilst avoiding all eye contact, so focused were they on their screens. Their starter arrived and I detected a little mumbled conversation in between their hurried mouthfuls, though not for one moment did either one of them release the grip on their gateways to cyberspace.
Eventually, they were joined by three teenagers, presumably their children, who promptly (yes, you’ve guessed it!) took out their smart phones and began tapping away at that infuriating speed  that us older folk can only look upon with wonder and envy.
It was all building up to a glorious finale and when the father of the family suddenly took out another smart phone and simultaneously began operating one smart phone in each hand I felt like rising to my feet in loud applause cheering Bravo! I wish I could have taken a photograph but unfortunately, I’d left my own smart phone back at the hotel! What a dinosaur I am!

Proof of the Pudding

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I’ve often wondered why public service organisations feel the need to spend money on advertisements telling us what they do or rather what they are supposed to do when it’s pretty obvious to anybody with at least half a brain. I’m currently working in the USA where police cars display slogans describing the fantastic service they provide to the populace.

Yes, in the USA  vehicles have phrases  like “Professionalism with respect”, “Courtesy with efficiency”, “Caring for you with pride” and other such sound bites pasted on their sides just to keep everybody bang up to date. It’s all complete nonsense, of course, since all that matters at the end of the day is how well they do the job that they are paid to do. The job of the police the world over is to protect and to serve the public. Quite simple really so why waste money on adverts?
It happens in the UK too. Whether it be a recorded voice on the telephone or an advertising slogan on the side of a van we are forever being told of the efficiency of both public and private organisations, including our own police. We are told that they offer us quality and a professional service and that customer satisfaction is their number one concern when the reality is that, in many cases, nothing could be further from the truth.
Talk is cheap and whilst marketing and advertising in skilled hands can be a very impressive and potent tool it all goes to waste if the product itself fails to come up to scratch. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and no matter how eloquently the cook describes his wonderful dish it all goes to waste if it leaves a lousy taste in your mouth.

North Korea

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So, the United Nations has imposed further sanctions on North Korea following that country’s continued nuclear missile tests. All well and good, so you would think, but will those sanctions have any effect?

Clearly, the United Nations has to do everything it can to prevent international conflict (that’s why it was set up in the first place) and there is no doubt that a renegade state such as North Korea presents a potentially significant threat to world peace. The utterances from Pyongyang, the nation’s capital, have hardly been conciliatory and the new leader seems to be no better balanced than his late father.
The world has always had problems with megalomaniacs, from Genghis Khan to Adolf Hitler, and inevitably the threat has always been neutralised but only after a catastrophic loss of human life. North Korea’s baby-faced leader may well have no dreams of world domination but the danger of his owning a nuclear weapon is the equivalent of allowing a small child to play with a live hand grenade.
At least North Korea’s long standing ally, China, supports the new sanctions so perhaps there is some hope for the world. Let us hope so and, more to the point, let us hope that the small child fails to pull out the pin to the grenade.

Morally Bankrupt

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Last week I read that the Royal Bank of Scotland, in spite of making further losses of £5.2 billion, still paid its clearly useless “top” executives annual bonuses amounting to £607 million.

In the same newspaper I also read that a 92 year old World War II hero, Wing Commander  Bransome Burbridge, who shot down 21 enemy aircraft in the defence of his country, is to sell his war medals to cover the cost of his care home fees. 
What is wrong with us?