Shave and a haircut, two naira! (Review: 'Doctor Who', "The Story & the Engine")

That would be a spectacularly cheap haircut considering the current exchange rate.

80 years since VE Day

I found myself wondering earlier this week if the people who fought Hitler should even have bothered, looking at the state of the world. Some people with distinctly fascist inclinations will celebrating the triumph over fascism, devoid of any sense of irony at their actions. It also definitely feels that we are seeing a return of beliefs we'd hoped were on the way out, especially among the young, where Holocaust denial and antisemitism are becoming unpleasantly common. 

We are seeing Israel now very much the abuser; they may not be the modern Nazis, but they are definitely not a beacon for good in this world and I would support their banning from Eurovision. Russia - well, there is something deeply rotten there - and I hope their war machine collapses first to avoid Ukraine having to make some deeply unpleasant choices. Then there is the electoral success of Reform in the UK.

It's not like we even saved Poland by declaring war in 1939 - it still ended up losing a sixth of its population and became a communist state for over forty years; countries that appeased Hitler or quickly acquiesced actually fared better in many regards.

Yet, what would have happened if we had left Hitler to carry in 1939? He would have probably gone after the Soviet Union eventually, with a plan to basically destroy the Slavic peoples in the name of living space. Perhaps the Soviet Union would have stopped him, but it would have been at an even bigger price and then likely left Europe in an even worse state than it was in 1945.

Resistance against evil is not an easy choice. Sometimes you have to take difficult decisions and pick your battles carefully to avoid hurting the people you are trying to protect. Bullies don't always run away when someone stands up against them, sometimes they will go after you or others as a gesture to keep people afraid and protect their fragile egos. It will definitely not be stress-free either.

Even defeating Hitler required the deaths of millions of Allied soldiers and the destruction of many of Germany's urban areas, with the survivors on all sides carrying the horror to the end of their days.

What gives me hope is that we are not going gently into the good night with democracy; there is considerable pushback against Trump, whose popularity has slumped. Poland chucked out its authoritarian-inclined government and Hungary might well do the same. Canada and Australia have definitely rejected Trumpism. Reform will hopefully prove themselves an utter clown show in local government and hurt their general election chances.

However, the fight will not be easy and it may well get bloody. I just hope the fight is short and as painless as possible, because while war might be necessary, it should be a last resort. 

We can also not defeat these people by stooping to their level, be it by fake news or outright murder. We can and must offer a better way, because otherwise we're just replacing one bad system with another. Let us persuade with love, not hate, as Jesus did.

To those who have gone on and those who are left, thank you for your sacrifice. Hopefully we can still honour you.

Woke? Most definitely. That's a good thing too. (Review: 'Doctor Who', "Lucky Day")

I was tempted to call Ruby Sunday a Wish.com Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that's really not fair.

Not quite a damp Squid (Review: 'Genius Game' 1.1)

Don't mind me, I'm just here for David Tennant...

Well? That was rather good (Review: 'Doctor Who', "The Well")

In case you're wondering, which you probably aren't, I do these posts after I've watched the show, but before I've had the time to go on the forums and discuss the show in further depth.

I get the feeling this one will be quite popular though.

Pope Francis 1936-2025

I think the main thing that will stand out for me about the late Pope, who died this morning, is his humility. He lived in the papal guest house, not the palace. His coffin will be a simple one, not the three-layered one of his predecessors. He very much shunned the grandeur that many of his predecessors had, continuing the practice of John Paul II.

He was a passionate advocate for the poor and downtrodden. I imagine he would have dressed down the US Vice-President himself about the treatment of undocumented migrants if he had been able to do so.

He could have gone further on some issues like contraception, but he has very much changed the Catholic Church for the better.

I hope that one day he will be known as Pope Francis I, with others taking the Francis regnal name.

Rest in Peace.

Easter 2025

I was thinking about Pontius Pilate when doing my nightly Bible reading a couple of days. How he was basically a morally corrupt politician, willing to murder an innocent man to maintain his popularity and prevent problems that could bring down the wrath of his superiors on him.

Unfortunately, we have plenty of Pilates in the modern world. I can think of one leader of a major state in the Western Hemisphere that I could arguably apply that label to, not to mention one in the Eastern Hemisphere. I think it will be obvious which ones I am talking about.

Jesus was crucified as it was politically convenient to remove someone who challenged the wealth and power of those at the top of society. But that was not the end of the story and he rose again to clear the way for us to go to heaven.

One day he will return and all the Pilates will be held to account. Presidents and Kings should be warned of this, because one day there will be justice for all.

Happy Easter!