London Loop

Hello to Diamond Geezer if he is reading this. I like your blog.

****

I got into the habit of long walks during lockdown because I had to do something to keep myself from going crazy and more recently, as restrictions have eased and I could get a train back, I have started to head further afield. Now I am starting on a goal to walk the entirety of the London Loop, the 150-mile orbital footpath around the capital city. It's apparently "the M25 for walkers", but the M25 is nowhere near as overgrown in places or taking you through areas that seem to just waiting for the zombies to turn up.

So far, I have done:

• Section 22: Harold Wood to Upminster Bridge. I did this in reverse direction. This bit is awfully signposted and I added a good mile to my walk because I got lost midway through.
• Section 23: Upminster Bridge to Rainham. Walking through the site of the old RAF Hornchurch, this is by far the most accessible bit I have been so far and is pictured above.
• Section 24: Rainham to Purfleet. Seriously overgrown in places; I got cuts on my arms from brambles - you'd be insane to wear shorts doing these walks. There are an array of 'comedy pirate graves' along the river. Someone has clearly put a lot of effort into everything except the puns.
• Section 1: Erith to Bexley. The path doesn't go the whole way round of course; there's a river in the way and you can't walk across the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. At 8.7 miles including the connections to the stations at either end, it's something best done in two stages with a break for lunch in Crayford.

I'll post some photos from Section 1 below. Along with a video of a Class 465 Networker leaving Erith.

More information can be found here if you want to do this.

Afghanistan #3

So much for by next Saturday. It's over, the Taliban have taken over.

This is the biggest humiliation for the United States since the fall of Saigon in 1975, except the helicopter has two rotors this time. 

But crowing about it won't do any good. We need to be prepared for whatever happens next, especially if the place becomes a terrorist base again.

Afghanistan #2

Many analyses from even a few days ago are looking old; it is entirely possible that the Taliban could be in the centre of Kabul by next Saturday now. It depends on whether Ghani can get his forces in any form of order or there is some kind of brokered ceasefire where he stands down.

A full assault is likely to be a bloodbath on all sides. We're likely to end up with millions of refugees in any event.

Does anyone know any good charities I can donate to here?

Yes, but does it run Fortnite? (Review: 'Star Trek' 2.24, "The Ultimate Computer")

When arriving at a station, a Commodore arrives onboard the Enterprise to tell Kirk that his ship is going be involved in testing a new computer, M-5, designed to run a starship autonomously, with just a skeleton crew staying on board during a series of manoeuvres and war games. The computer has been made by the famous inventor Richard Daystrom, who has revolutionised computing and the M5 promises to make human crews in Starfleet redundant. So, what can possibly go wrong?

****

Computer technology has been a popular topic for science fiction over the decades, with the ethical issues about artificial intelligence and how to control it discussed by most famously Isaac Asimov[1].

"The Ultimate Computer" is a tale of what happens when you allow a scientific genius free reign and forget to peer-review his work, as the Enterprise find themselves in an escalating situation in a ship they don't control. The story was also written at a time when factory mechanisation was putting American workers out of a job.

It's definitely a very enjoyable episode - and a tightly contained one to boot - taking place pretty much entirely on the main ship with a few extra scenes clearly using the same set, done to save money[2]. I will say that it falls somewhat apart at the end, with the main threat resolved by a method that wouldn't pass muster to a modern coder.

The regulars are all present and correct; James Doohan even does two extra voice roles as the M-5 computer and an off-screen commodore. Spock in particular is on very fine form, getting in some excellent jibes at McCoy, particular in the final scene. Kirk's command decisions are mostly brilliant, although I wonder why he didn't threaten to put Daystrom in the brig for not doing as he was told.

Richard Daystrom is played by African-American actor William Marshall, who was deeply moved to get a role where he played a highly respected genius that even Kirk looks up to. His voice is brilliant (he did a lot of Shakespeare) and he does a great job portraying a character who is clearly falling apart. The fact that the Daystrom Institute becomes a fairly big thing despite the events of this episode suggests that some form of cover-up happened, but it is not made explicit. However, the 50 minutes overall is well-paced and not wasted.

A highlight of this episode is the action, which is a bit odd because there's very little of it actually shown on screen - stock footage was used in the original version and the CGI is fairly limited in the remastered one. Whereas today's Trek shows would show us all the detail in 4K, we're often reliant on the cast relaying the action by verbal report on the bridge, more akin to a submarine movie. It works remarkably well and more shows should use that instead of reaching for things like stock footage in my honest opinion.

Oh, and because this is TOS, a redshirt buys the farm as usual. Plus ça change...

****

Conclusion

A solidly good Star Trek story that kind of falls down a bit at the end, but is still enjoyable.

8/10

[1] During my writing of this, I learned that he was rather 'handsy' towards women at conventions etc. The fact that this was known and broadly tolerated by many speaks volumes of a world we have only partly left behind.

[2] Bottle episodes often are.

Afghanistan

The situation for the Kabul government is not, to put it simply, going very well. The loss of nine provincial capitals in a week to the Taliban with little or no fighting in some cases is creating a strong air of crisis as the Americans end their 20-year, $2 trillion operation in the country.

It is possible that Kabul will fall - it is also quite possible that it will not and if a fight is put up there, taking a city of 4 million people would be beyond the Taliban's capability.

What is clear that the current government has failed to gain widespread legitimacy among many of its people and as a result, much of the country will now be under a regime that thinks music is sinful. Ultimately, that is on the Afghan so-called leadership themselves. Sadly, we have not seen the last of that country's troubles.

Exit Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall

So, Jodie Whittaker is following the example of her three predecessors being doing "three seasons and out"; her final Doctor Who story will be broadcast next autumn. Chris Chibnall will be out of the door as well.

Jodie Whittaker is a very good actor and ultimately never got the material needed to fully shine as the Doctor. I hope she does some Big Finish, which very much redeemed Colin Baker in the eyes of the fandom.

Chibnall, while having done some good stuff in the past, like Broadchurch, ultimately proved out of his depth for the show. You need someone with strong fantasy/science fiction experience as well, which he ultimately didn't have. Some of the stories were a bit too preachy - while political commentary has a strong place in science fiction, it works best when it's subtle and wrapped in an entertaining story.

As to the next Doctor, I would definitely like another woman in the role.

Black Widow & Loki

Went and saw this last weekend. Definitely highly recommended, with a great story and excellent characters. Florence Pugh is worth the price of admission on her own and definitely deserves a long stay in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As always with Marvel movies, you should stay right to the end of the credits; there's a scene that is well worth seeing.

Also, Loki is well worth watching on Disney+; it very much fulfils its glorious purpose and while Tom Hiddleston is brilliant, Sophia Di Martino is the icing on the cake.

All in all, Marvel is doing very well at the moment and What If? in particular looks very interesting.

Coronavirus #31: To mask or not to mask

With increasing cases of the highly contagious Delta variant in the UK, there is concern that making masks voluntary on 19 July will simply make things worse.

Masks are more about protecting others from expelled virus than protecting yourself, but their impact is limited and they are not themselves a substitute for other measures like test-and-trace, self-isolation and physical distancing where possible. From my own observation, a lot fewer people are wearing masks than used to be and I am sure many of them don't have exemptions.

Public compliance and goodwill have largely gone; Matt Hancock's antics were a final straw, I would wager. 

For my part, I intend to do as Professor Chris Whitty has advised after the 19th; I will wear a mask when asked or when I can't physically keep my distance from others. I'm double jabbed anyway and also do twice-weekly lateral flow tests, which I doubt is common.

Coronavirus #30 - The final unlock?

This weekend, the government will decide whether to go to Stage 4 of the roadmap and eliminate nearly all the remaining domestic restrictions, although some like the self-isolation policy for red and amber list countries will almost certainly stay for a while - I can see an exemption for the fully vaccinated incorporated at some point there.

With the current case trajectory and a slight increase in hospital admissions, caused by the more infectious 'Delta' variant as we are now calling it, I feel there are grounds for a two week daily to 'Freedom Day' to double jab as many of the most vulnerable as possible.

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey

Got the latest DLC for this game and it's a huge upgrade, knocking Star Citizen, still stuck in Alpha after eight years, into a cocked hat.

It's nice to get out of your ship and walk around stations. I'm amazed at just how big my Krait, Coventry Speedboat II, actually is when I walk up to it.

Also, here's my commander, Stephen Hunter, out and about.

See you in the deep black! O7

Israel destroying the media building

It may well have been the case that Hamas was using that building to store equipment, but it was probably not a good idea for Israel to destroy it, even though they warned everyone to leave. People will be using that as an example of 'Zionist crimes' for years to come.

As for the popular narrative of 'the oppressed becoming the oppressor', there is a certain element of truth to that. If the Palestinians are doing what they are doing because of Israeli actions and a traumatic history, then the reverse is true. Arguably much more so considering the impact of the Holocaust.

Another round of violence in the Middle East

Hamas needs to stop its rocket attacks permanently. There is no self-defence justification for them whatsoever.

Israel needs to stop further settlement building in the West Bank and should frankly let those families faced with eviction stay.

Both sides should not do things they shouldn't be doing just because of the actions of others and those who seek to excuse terrorism need to examine their moral compasses.

VE Day 76

On this day, I can think of little more appropriate to do than to quote a well-known poem from 1914.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Let us work together to build a better world and show that we truly remember them.

So, that happened (Review: 'Star Trek' 2.23, "The Omega Glory")

There are times when I wonder what drugs the writers were using when they came up with a particular episode. Considering that this is the 1960s we're talking about here, when dropping acid was all the rage, you can certainly get some strange ideas.

But I am struggling to find a suitable drug to explain this one, which was penned by Roddenberry himself.

****

Approaching another planet, the Enterprise finds an abandoned Starfleet vessel. Beaming onboard, they find that the crew have gone... turned into piles of crystals. Warned by the last log entry from the medical officer, they beam down to the planet... discovering the ship's Captain and what may be a fountain of youth.

As well as a war between two civilisations that the Captain is interfering with.

****

This episode was initially planned for the first season, but ordered shelved by NBC as they thought the script was too weak. Roddenberry eventually produced it for the second over their objections.

Some of the initial concepts are OK; the crazy captain, the immunisation effect of a planet, a post-end of civilisation world and the possibility of a fountain of youth. But then things start falling apart pretty quickly.

The regulars get some good material to start off with; Spock is in particular fine form during this episode. Sulu returns after a pretty long absence and is useful here.

Unfortunately, the guest cast let the side down badly; the natives are pretty much poor to a man and the two women in the episode are scantily-clad sex objects with very little dialogue. Alison Bechdel would not be impressed.

We also get multiple Kirk-Fu fights; while very much a part of TOS, it gets more than a bit ridiculous here.

What ultimately massively derails the episode is the revelation that the US Constitution and the Stars and Stripes are objects of worship. Quite how that managed to occur is never adequately explained and the episode truly jumps the shark when Kirk's recitation of the preamble to the former manages to win the way. He does make some good points about how the rights in the US Constitution need to be for everyone, something too often ignored by America's leaders - even its slave-owning Founding Fathers - but the sheer veneration that a human document is held up to here is ridiculous; and sadly, alarmingly mirrored in reality in some parts of that country's politics today.

(Shatner for his part, basically stopped caring at this point and went full ham)

Also, where did they get a copy of the Book of Haggai from the Old Testament?

Finally, while Star Trek often tries to be anti-racist, it doesn't always succeed and in some cases fails quite massively. A quote from Star Trek and History: Race-ing Toward a White Future is worth repeating here:

Like the Federation, the Comms have full command of the English language (although they speak with a homogenized 'Asian' accent). The beginning of the episode thus shows that those with white skin can be uncivilized savages and those with yellow skin can be civilized and rational […] This would be counter to the hegemonic representation of Asians in the United States media; that diverse collective of peoples are consistently constructed in film and television as a menacing 'yellow horde'." Bernardi goes on to say: "'The Omega Glory' is not, however, a counter-hegemonic episode. In fact, the episode not only reveals an unwillingness to be critical of the hegemony of racist representations, but also systematically participates in the stereotyping of Asians. As the story progresses, the Yangs are constructed as noble savages; their cause to annihilate the Comms is established as justified. The Comms, on the other hand, are constructed as brutal and oppressive; their drive to suppress the Yangs is established as totalitarian. This more hegemonic articulation of race is made evident when Kirk and Spock realize the extent to which the Yangs and Comms parallel Earth's civilizations. In this light, the Yangs are no longer savages, but noble warriors fighting for a just and honorable cause. They want to regain the land they lost in a war with the Asiatics. (pp. 57-58)

I think that's a good place to conclude.

****

Conclusion

The general view of this episode is that it's one of the worst episodes of the series. They're generally quite right.

3/10

Prince Philip 1921-2021

I've just watched the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, which I am glad to see that was tailored very much to his wishes and was done very well. I am sure that he will be very pleased with that.

It was also nice to see William and Harry talking together after the service. Perhaps that will lead to better things.

Rest in Peace, Your Royal Highness. You have been a great servant to his country and to the LORD.

Coronavirus #29: Exiting Lockdown 3

Had my first proper haircut since December today and next week I am taking a train into work for some stuff that I really can't deal with at home. I am particularly looking forward to eating in a restaurant again.

We're in a lot better place now with our vaccine rollout; while there are still concerns about the variants, none of them currently truly beats the vaccine. We need to be vigilant, but we can be confident - at present - that we are slowly coming out of this.

Coronavirus #28: Vaccine passports

I would support a limited use of vaccine passports while Covid-19 is still a significant thing in this country - which it currently. Definitely for foreign travel and big events, but not for pubs and shops. I also don't think it is really that discriminatory considering that we will all be getting vaccinated in the next few months.

I also see that the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab won't be recommended for under 30s going forward; the risk of the blood clots for that group is higher than being hospitalised for Covid-19. Which makes sense. Now we need more carrots to encourage people to get vaccinated - I would personally eliminate testing requirements for those with both doses.

Still hoping to go abroad this year, but Europe does need to hurry up with its jabbing...

Show Me More Of This Earth Thing Called Kissing 3: The Drinking Contest (Review: Star Trek 2.22, "By Any Other Name")

Among the many accolades awarded to the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 must be the one of "most hijacked ship in Starfleet" and today, we have another example of that occurring. We also have yet another example of Captain Kirk using the power of lurve to win the day.

I hope Picard isn't like this in TNG.

****

We're straight into the action here with a teaser seeing the main three along with two red shirts - well, a red dress in one case - beaming down to a flowery planet after receiving a distress call. We can go into full meme mode here:

IT'S A TRAP!

A bunch of aliens-in-human-form from the Andromeda Galaxy use a belt-mounted paralysis field generator to freeze the landing part in place. Their goal - to use the Enterprise to return to their galaxy, something that will take 300 years even with their modifications, then come back with an invasion fleet. This of course is something that Kirk cannot allow, but dealing with these people will be more difficult than just a prison break out. When they try that, Red Dress and Red Shirt get turned into plaster cuboctahedrons. The alien leader crushes one of them, killing Red Dress, while Red Shirt (who is also black) is turned back to normal.

So, they need another plan.

****

The title of this episode indicates where we are going here. After another plan fails and they cross the energy barrier around the edge of the Milky Way (first I've heard of that one), they realise that their captors have taken human bodies... but are not used to human sensory inputs.

Thus, we get a massive distraction operation. There are two lady aliens, both dressed in backless outfits more appropriate for Love Island and Kirk decides to basically seduce one by repeated kissing on the lips. This one is massively trope-y and arguably the weakest part of the episode, because it has been done at least twice before.

Spock plays 3D chess, McCoy gives an alien stimulant injections... and Scotty, in a manner that goes into Scottish stereotyping (although to be fair, heavy drinking isn't limited to that culture), engages one in a spot of binge drinking with the aim to put him under the table. This last is actually the funniest part of the episode, but all the regulars bar Sulu (who again isn't in it) get good material.

The aliens, except for the sexy female, are well played and they pose a real threat, making the way the situation is dealt with more satisfying.

Eventually, Kirk manages to drive the alien leader into a jealous rage and after some more Kirk-fu, persuades him of the need for a peaceful solution.

There's a lot of standard Trek tropes here, but this episode - which was extensively redrafted from the original darker concept - uses most of them well. Most of them.

****

Conclusion

While not the most original episode by a long chalk, this is largely well done, fairly tense and pretty enjoyable.

8/10

Easter 2021

I must admit that coming up with angles on Easter is difficult; sermons and preaching are not my strong suit. The Lord has given me other talents and I am hopefully using them for his glory.

So, I will happily use someone else's work to showcase the meaning of Easter:

(This video will be removed after Easter, so watch it while you can)

This was a dramatic human story that touched the lives of not only those present, but countless billions afterwards. Jesus' death and resurrection has shaped our world, arguably for the better. I definitely feel that I am a better person because of my Christian faith and I hope my example shines through to others in the way I conduct my life.

Perhaps you want to give it a try? You won't lose anything and you may gain a great deal.

Happy Easter to you all.

Coronavirus #27: The variants

The UK's case rate appears to be levelling off, with an increase in cases among schoolchildren offsetting falls in the wider population as the vaccine rollout continues, albeit at a somewhat slower pace than previously.

There is a concern about variants that might "escape" the vaccine and so render us back to square one. At the moment, these concerns appear to be somewhat overblown. While some variants do seem to be less impacted by the vaccine, none of them seem to be completely successful in escaping it to the point they are causing hospital admissions among the vaccinated.

This doesn't mean we should throw caution to the wind and we need to remain vigilant, but frightening people unnecessarily is something that the media in particular should not be doing. I somehow doubt they'll stop though, sadly.

Space Mission: Impossible (Review: Star Trek 2.21, "Patterns of Force")

I'd like to start this post by extending a belated Happy Birthday to William Shatner, who turned 90 yesterday. 

****

Mike Godwin didn't come up with his famous 'law' until 1990, but a variant of it as that as any science fiction franchise continues, the chances of a discussion or comparison to the Nazis increases. It only took Doctor Who two stories - the Daleks are very much a Nazi metaphor - and now we have a very explicit Star Trek comparison, symbology and all.

Indeed, this episode was not aired in Germany until 1996; there is no ban on the use of Nazi symbols in television and film for dramatic purposes, but the German networks just chose not to broadcast it - it was after all only 23 years in the past and a felt bit too early for the subject to be covered in light entertainment.

****

Heading towards the planet Ekos to pick up a cultural ambassador who was one of Kirk's instructors at the Academy (he knows a lot of people, our Captain does), the Enterprise gets shot at by a nuclear missile. This is successfully dealt with and it is clear that something has gone badly wrong with Ekos, even more so after Kirk and Spock beam down to discover the place is basically Nazi Germany, with a plan to exterminate another race in the same system.

****

This doesn't exactly win any awards for subtlety. You've got a Nazi government planning a Final Solution against a planet called Zeon, whose people in the planet have names like Isak and Abrom. It's also worth pointing out that Shatner and Nimoy are/were Jewish - wearing SS uniforms is an interesting experience for anyone, but I'd imagine it is more so if you're a member of that particular people. As indeed is Walter Koenig who plays Chekov - his family fled Lithuania because of antisemitism.

The Ekosians are costumed in uniforms literally pulled out of the Paramount wardrobe department (they made a lot of war films) and generally with mis-matched insignia. Indeed, this episode was filmed in Paramount's offices with the corridors redecorated.

Kirk and Spock end up getting captured, losing their shirts and getting whipped with some unconvincing looking injuries; I suppose that the network wouldn't have allowed more realistic whipping. We do get a rather funny scene where Spock has to stand on Kirk's injured back to create a laser using a lightbulb... it's a pretty ridiculous scene in general, but I'm glad they thought of that detail. The leads all get good material.

The main characters then end up working with the resistance to infiltrate the Chancellery to get at the former ambassador who has now become another Hitler, although his deputy is now pretty much running the show. The overall reveal of his motivations for doing this is a bit unconvincing in the light of further historical analysis of Nazi Germany - it wasn't as efficient as thought - and to be honest, could have been written better. I get a feeling that this whole episode is a bit rushed - indeed it was trimmed in the edit - with key bits skipped over. Brevity is not always the soul of wit.

Where the episode does work is in the whole espionage/skulduggery department; I am very much reminded of 1960s Mission: Impossible, which of course Leonard Nimoy was in. Moles, infiltrating an enemy headquarters in purloined uniform and getting past the guards through sheer bluster, is the classic bread and butter of these sorts of stories - I generally enjoy them a lot. The climax is pure Mission: Impossible; the IMF would rarely kill their targets directly, but getting them to shoot each other was perfectly fine.

The episode ends in a rather perfunctory manner and it's left assumed that the hatred engineered against the Zeon people will magically go away. History tells us that really isn't the case.

****

Conclusion

Distinctly average and perhaps too unsubtle. This might have worked a lot better as a two-parter too.

5/10

Did Someone Order Ham? (Review: 'Star Trek' 2.20 "Return to Tomorrow")

The original form of Sargon (Photo by Сергей Орловский on Unsplash)

It's been a while since I've done one of these - I was watching Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery, which has very much grown the beard or (rather the braids) with a major step up in quality. Then, following its release on Amazon Prime, I watched the excellent Star Trek: Lower Decks animated series. Beckett Marinier would be great to see in the actual flesh.

So, now it's time to go back to 'Those Old Scientists' or the 2260s...

****

The Enterprise is, for a change, actually going somewhere where no man has gone before, when they encounter an M-class planet that has been dead for half a million years (quite how Spock figures that out so quickly from space is unclear). Or so it seems. Another space entity hijacks the ship - they should really get better firewalls - and gets the crew to beam down to a deep cave where the three survivors of their race are now energy contained in glowing spheres. They want to have bodies again and need to borrow some of the crew to make them, in return for giving them their technology.

****

Now Bill Shatner is known for chewing the scenery as Kirk. When another creature possesses him, it's an excuse to chew even more of it than usual, as Sargon, the leader of these three survivors, really appreciates a new body in 'excellent condition' - although this tale doesn't have Kirk's clothing get damaged this time. The use of 'booming audio' to distinguish the character is a fairly cheap device but it works.

Nimoy also gets a chance to ham it up good and proper as Henoch, another creature from the opposite side of a war that destroyed their civilisation. When it turns out Henoch has an ulterior motive, it's not really that surprising. Nimoy does a great job being evil.

The body swap lot isn't exactly a new one and you'd have thought that the Enterprise crew would be a bit wary about going into the whole deal - beware of Greeks bearing gifts and all that - but only McCoy really shows any questioning of the whole thing. "What's the catch?" is a question that should always be asked when anyone comes along with offers of superior technology - as many an ethnic group on this planet has found out to its cost. The twists and turns of the whole thing are OK, but nothing I've not seen before and arguably better.

The third survivor is Thalassa, Sargon's wife, who gets to use the body of a previously unseen female officer, who gets introduced with romantic music and of course ends up snogging Kirk. Not exactly the most feminist episode, that's for sure and a fairly major black mark for me.

The underground cave set with the balls is well done though, but you'd have thought they'd have added labels in some alien language.

The ending is straight up "deus ex machina", where some hitherto unrevealed power turns out to save the day and the reset button is duly pressed on the whole situation. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Conclusion

Giving a chance for more than one regular to chew the scenery, this is otherwise some very average Trek. It's been done before; it will be done again.

5/10

Coronavirus #26 - PTSD

This is our 'world war' - the impact on this country in terms of death is worse than the Blitz was. A lot of people have had loved ones taken before their time and much of the rest of us have endured months of separation, along with continuing uncertainty.

We are all going to need a lot of help to recovery psychologically from all this. Physical help will also be needed for all those with "long Covid" when it's seriously long-term as opposed to a few months of smell and taste problems.

I seriously do not want another lockdown as long as I live.

Coronavirus #25 - Ending restrictions

Many of us, after eleven months of restrictions on our daily lives due to this pandemic are getting impatient for an end to it all. I know I am; video meetings and home working have completely lost their appeal. Masks are unpleasant and rob people of their humanity; I appreciate their necessity and do wear one, but I can't say I like it.

Ultimately an end to restrictions should be governed by the science - and that's all the science. Not just epidemiology, but mental health, behavioural science and the economy. These necessary restrictions to protect the NHS and save lives should last as long as needed - and no longer.

We will likely not be able to eliminate Covid-19 entirely, so restrictions should be minimised once the most vulnerable are vaccinated. We should still keep a wary eye out for mutations, but the media should not inflate every mutation to being a vaccine beater when they almost certainly won't be. The newspapers have a lot to answer for their role in causing fear during this pandemic.

I look forward to this being a bad memory.

'The Investigation'

I can highly recommend this excellent dramatization of the investigation into the murder of Kim Wall, available in full on iPlayer. In particular, not featuring the murderer at all, even by name, deprives him of the oxygen of publicity and puts the spotlight where it firmly belongs, Kim Wall herself.

iPlayer link

It's well worth four and a half hours of your time; I would definitely want to see more of this.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2021

Today we remember the victims of all genocides. This includes the possible one against the Uighurs by China, where they are at least trying to destroy their culture and may be engaging in mass sterilisation. The international community needs to take action here.

Let us all work together for a world free of hate and prejudice.

Donald Trump's last trump

In just under three days' time, Donald Trump will cease to be President of the United States, after a term of utter failure. He has been even worse than feared for the country, with his mishandling of the pandemic resulting in the worse mass death in the US in a single year since its creation.

And he topped it off with basically inciting an insurrection by refusing to accept that he had lost and claiming voter fraud with no actual evidence. His second impeachment is right and he should be investigated criminally in connection with this.

Good riddance.

Coronavirus #24: Enter the vaccines

There are signs of us turning the tide in this pandemic; the recent data on numbers of new cases is suggesting that they are starting to drop and Tier 4/lockdown has been having an effect.

The reason that is arguably not having as much of an effect is that we're facing increasing non-compliance with restrictions from a significant minority of society, who are happily bending or outright breaking the rules. Some of this is down to outright exhaustion with all the rules that for many don't seem to make a huge amount of sense, arbitrary enforced and broken by the so-called great and good. For others, it's belief in dangerous conspiracy theories and misinformation, while others are just selfish.

Ultimately, the vaccine rollout is the best way of getting out of this situation; with around 2.5 million having had their first dose as of time of writing. We may well get a million jabs done this week and every one will help, especially if it does indeed stop transmission. We need to go even faster; three million a week should be our goal.

But we still have a difficult few weeks ahead of us - the NHS remains under great strain with around 35,000 hospitalised with Covid-19 and around 750 deaths a day.

So, people need to heed the restrictions and avoid unnecessary social contact, wear a mask etc. It will keep the numbers of people who get this before they can be vaccinated down and so save many more lives.

Doctor Who: "Revolution of the Daleks"

It's been ten months since the last televised episode of Doctor Who and a lot has happened since then. In fact, the controversial "The Timeless Children" aired on 1 March, a few weeks before things got really bad Covid-wise.

This episode was in fact filmed with Series 12 before lockdown, which means that the large crowd scenes filmed were done when we didn't have to worry about that sort of thing... However, aside from the editing, this also means that it reflects the quality and experience of that Series.

(Some spoilers ahead)

The Daleks have been heavily used throughout the show's history, arguably overused and it's getting somewhat difficult to find new stories to tell with them... so, credit to Chris Chibnall for something involving humans exploiting Dalek technology. In fact, it might have been even better without any actual Daleks. The actual Daleks were a bit on the dumb side, but frankly they generally are these days.

The story itself is a decent one, holding my attention for 70 minutes, although it isn't one that I'd likely return to again and again. 

Jodie Whittaker does a great job as the Doctor, engaging in a subtle and nuanced performance with some nice quirks of humour, like using Harry Potter as a bedtime story to herself. She's got no plans to go after Series 13 - at present - and I am glad she is sticking around.

Yaz is underwritten here and with the departure of her two other companions, hopefully she will have more to do here. Mandeep Gill does her best with the limited material and acts as a great foil to Captain Jack.

Graham and Ryan get a good send-off, with the possibility of Big Finish audios being set up. Bradley Walsh was a brilliant addition to the TARDIS in particular and I wish Tosin Cole well in his future endeavours.

Captain Jack is always worth the price of admission and John Barrowman has the part down pat - it's very much him playing himself - with some great call backs to past adventures. In fact, the whole alien prison sequence was great and could have easily justified an episode in its own right.

Robertson... wasn't hugely keen on having him back in the first place and wouldn't be overly keen on having him back for a second time, but he was suitably slimy. Got to hang some good lampshades on things too.

The self-serving government minister... well in the light of some stuff that's been going on, that seems pretty plausible.

Conclusion

By no means a classic, but definitely an enjoyable festive episode. Shame we're only getting eight episodes this year because of the pandemic...

8/10

Coronavirus #23 - Real pressure on the NHS

New records are now being recorded frequently for detected coronavirus cases in the UK and while we are possibly not at the real levels of infection that we had in the first wave, we are definitely heading that way. Even Tier 4 and the schools currently being closed - they should not go back at all on Monday - does not seem to be keeping R below one. A significant minority have stopped complying with the rules and the more infectious strain is making things harder.

The NHS is now under real pressure and it may well end up overloaded at least on a regional level. The only way we can reduce the hospitalisations and deaths now is to vaccinate as fast as possible.

Welcome to 2021

Well, that was one horror show of a year. No firm plans for 2021, but when we can start freely travelling again, I may well be doing some bits on train types I haven't been on before.

Also, expect a Doctor Who review at some point this week. Might as well...

I just want this pandemic to end... I think everyone does.

Stay safe; don't become a victim before your vaccine.

Christmas 2020

This will be the most difficult Christmas of many people's lives, unable to see friends and family because of restrictions deemed necessary for public health. Yet there is hope in the form of the vaccines.

Jesus didn't exactly have an easy life, becoming a refugee pretty much as soon as he was born. His time on Earth saw him face opposition from the authorities that led to his crucifixion, as well as the thousands of other difficulties that someone growing up in his time and place would face.

Talk to God about your worries at this time. He understands.

And things will get better. Jesus has promised that.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Coronavirus #22: Tier 4

Well, that's Christmas pretty much cancelled for much of the country. Frankly the hope shouldn't have been held out in the first place.

The new more infectious strain is concerning and we now need to vaccinate as fast as possible to get out of this.

John le Carré 1931-2020

The seminal spy novelist has died aged 89

One of my favourite authors, even if I didn't always agree with his politics, his spy novels created a tradition of gritty literature in their own right that stood as a proud counterpart to the likes of James Bond. He was a big influence in my own writing.

Rest in Peace.

Advent 2020

It's been a difficult year to put it mildly, but we have hope... from events 2000 years ago when Jesus Christ came into this world to save us sinners.

As a raised Christian, I have held the Christmas Story told many times and so a fresh take is always welcome. I have one to share with you.

The Hornchurch Passion Play, which I am involved in (it was due to be performed in April, but you know what has meant a delay until 2022), have posted a series of short monologues on their YouTube channel.

You can find it here:

Hornchurch Passion Play

I would highly recommend it.

Have a good Advent as possible in the circumstances.

Brexit deal

This weekend we may know if we'll get a Brexit deal or end up with a No Deal in January. Or we might not. Some compromises are going to need to be made on both sides.

Let's sort this out; the uncertainty is bad for everyone.

57 Years of Doctor Who

The show has not had a brilliant year. While Series 12 was pretty strong, the finale proved divisive. Series 13 has only just started production and will be just eight episodes because of the extra precautions necessitated by the pandemic. 

But the lockdown has not stopped some excellent additional material from coming out, although I admit I haven't really experienced much of it. I have too busy catching up on Big Finish audios, where the show's vast history is the source for excellent stories; Derek Jacobi's War Master in particular. 

We have a Christmas special, which will give us some escapism in what has been a difficult year to put it mildly. 

That's what Doctor Who has served to be for many people over the years. A break from an unpleasant world... and an inspiration for those seeking to create a better one.

Happy anniversary.

Donald gets Trumped - thoughts on the results of the US Presidential Election 2020

It's all over bar the shouting; Trump's lawsuits are going nowhere due to the fact that he can't actually provide any evidence for his wild and crazy claims of voter forms.

So, some thoughts on how this has all turned out.

1. It's a fairly standard election in some regards - unpopular incumbent doesn't get re-elected.
2. Of course, it wasn't in others. Being conducted in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the way people campaigned. Biden was essentially confined to his home, not holding the kinds of big rallies that Trump did (and which left a trail of virus cases in their wake). This arguably helped him as it limited the risk of him making damaging gaffes.
3. Trump getting Covid-19 was very much the "October surprise"; the way he handled it was shocking even for those used to him being awful. It's very likely the bad handling of this pandemic and the huge numbers of American deaths that result will be his biggest legacy; far more than getting America into any disastrous overseas wars, he has brought the equivalent of five Vietnams to American soil.
4. The record levels of mail-in ballots also led to a record turnout - this is likely to become routine for many voters as it is a much easier process than long queues at a polling station. It also was something a lot harder to intimidate against.
5. The Georgia Senate run-offs will be pretty close and who can turn out their voters better will ultimately win there.
6. 538 were correct in that Biden could survive a 2016-size polling error, which is basically what we got. It's looking like Republicans were under sampled, with a real reluctance to engage with pollsters by hardcore Trump supporters and Democrats being very keen to make their feelings known.
7. There were a fair number of ticket-splitters; those who voted Biden for President and Republican down-ballot. Biden outran lower-ballot Democrats across the board, essentially meaning that he had no coattails. With a 50-50 Senate the best possible outcome for them, Democrats have some cause for concern.
8. Taking the "Latino vote" for granted - indeed assuming there is a monolithic Latino vote in the first place - was a big mistake for the Democrats and could have cost them a closer election. Texas is now a swing state, but it's unlikely to flip unless there is a seriously popular Democrat running.
9. "Law and order" remains a strong driver of Republican turnout; riots scare voters.
10. Biden is very likely a one-term President due to his age. Kamala Harris has four years to work on her overall public image as Vice President if she wants a chance at the top job come 2024.
11. Trump will probably try to run in 2024 if he is capable of doing so; even being imprisoned doesn't legally stop you as Eugene Debs demonstrated in 1920.
12. Biden is going to need a lot of political skill to get any major policies passed in a divided Congress; he arguably has it.

It's going to be somewhat of a return to normality. Only somewhat though.

Coronavirus #21 - The end of the beginning

We have a vaccine. In fact, we are likely to have more than one, as we're waiting for the Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines to report back, which they should do in the next week or two.

The main challenge now will the logistics of rolling out the vaccine to millions. This will take a couple of months and the winter will be challenging.

This why it is important to keep wearing a mask and doing the other things. Don't be the last person to die in this war.

Disease and war - Remembrance 2020

This year's commemorations of the end of the First World War and our annual remembrance of those who died for the peace and freedom we enjoy today are rather different. For one thing, we're not exactly enjoying a great deal of freedom at the moment, with heavy restrictions on our lives to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

The very existence of that pandemic should serve as a reminder at this time that disease is very much a part of war. The 1918-20 pandemic came about at the tail end of the First World War, with efforts to fight it hindered by the extensive censorship imposed by the belligerent nations. The unsanitary conditions of the frontlines helped spread the sickness at a time when many had weakened immune systems from wartime deprivations.

Remember that warfare helps spread disease by the destruction of facilities for sanitation. Until the World Wars, you were far more likely to die of disease than actual violence. Even the World Wars had widespread epidemics, most notably of typhus in the Nazi concentration camps. Infected wounds could kill you just as surely as the wounds themselves, especially if you had no access to antibiotics. Cholera outbreaks remain common in wars today, such as in Yemen.

So, at this time, remember those who fell not just from gunfire, but germs. And work for a more peaceful world, because that will be a healthier world. 

That's President-elect Sleepy Joe to you

When the polls closed on Tuesday and we saw the initial swings in the suburbs of Florida, it looked good for Joe Biden. Then Miami-Dade went heavily for Trump and people started to get rather nervous. The 'red mirage' turned out to be real... and it slowly dissipated.

Very slowly. It has taken nearly four days for the winner to hit 270 electoral college votes, due to the sheer number of mail ballots and several states banning them being processed until the polls closed. This process needs to be very much reformed.

Donald Trump, demonstrating that just when you think he can't go any lower he does it anyway, is completely denying reality, making spurious allegations of fraud with no evidence, as is his campaign. This sort of stuff is dangerous and it is fortunate with all the weapons being carried around that no-one has yet been killed.

President-elect Biden will have several tough challenges on his plate... including dealing with the Trump cultists.

US Election Prediction for 2020

 OK, here's my prediction for Tuesday. I may be wrong on some or all of these.

• Biden will win the popular vote by 5 to 10 percentage points, probably on the higher end of that range.
• It will be clear, but not 100% confirmed, who has won on the night.
• Biden will get 351 Electoral Votes, picking up Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. (My full predictions can be found here)
• He will just miss out on Ohio and Texas. 
• Turnout will be at its highest since universal suffrage.
• The Democrats will win both Houses of Congress.
• Trump will privately concede, but publicly not do so.
• Expect multiple criminal investigations into Trump as soon as he leaves office.
• A lot of Republicans will not take this lying down and the next four years could be pretty tense.

Lockdown 2

The government should have implemented this back in September, but were clearly too scared of being seen as a failure. Now a lot more people will die and we will face a lot more economic damage.

I also upset at the selfish minority who cannot obey simple instructions and have helped bring about the rise in cases that means I will have to spend the next four weeks at home.

Shame on the lot of you.

Sir Sean Connery 1930-2020

The first cinematic 007 has died aged 90

Arguably one of the greatest actors of his generation - and for many Scots, a national legend.

Rest in Peace.

Polish court criminalises abortion

The decision by Poland's top courts that abortion due to foetal defects is unlawful as it violates their constitution is manifestly wrong.

I'm not the most comfortable with terminations for social reasons, but I believe that a ban does more harm than good. However, if the foetus is so badly deformed that their life will very short if they survive at all, I would support a termination without hesitation. It's not fair to make any woman give birth to a dead child like that.

Poland is slipping into autocracy and reaction. The EU must act.

Coronavirus #20: On circuit breakers

With cases continuing to rise in the UK, calls have been made for a temporary "circuit-breaker" lockdown to 'reset' the pandemic back a month and create an opportunity to fix Test and Trace. Here are my thoughts on this: 

• I am not sure how fixable Test and Trace actually is; there is a fundamental lack of engagement with the system from much of the public. But there are things that can be done.
• We need to stop cases rebounding after any circuit breaker ends.
• There are highly different rates of infection in different parts of the country, although there are rising cases in all of them.
• A circuit breaker in the worst affected areas would be justified at the present time, especially with Halloween approaching. However, how much compliance there would be with it will be is unclear.
• Money will be key in securing compliance; I am not sure how affordable this is considering the damage to the economy from the national lockdown.
• Shutting schools would likely get R down below 1 on its own. A four-week half-term, with subsequent juggling of the rest of the school year to catch-up, would majorly reduce cases, with the added bonus that it would force many people to work from home.
• A circuit breaker over Christmas would be very unpopular. One just before, however might just fly.

I would support a circuit breaker over October half-term, but we need something for beyond that.

Coronavirus #19: Trump in hospital

I'm not taking anything the White House takes about Trump's condition at face value. I believe he has it, but I'm wondering just how bad it actually is as you don't go from positive to hospital that quickly.

Also, the "72 hours" comment at the press conference today raises massive questions about what Trump knew and when, because he was campaigning on the days before Friday.

Coronavirus #18: The long game

We are likely to be at this whole social distancing for a while yet. The vaccines are making good progress and I think we will see at least one approved in time for Christmas.

However, roll out will take a good while longer as at-risk groups are rightly prioritised. I can see March before I can get a jab - and I will get one - with social distancing measures lifted gradually over the course of Q1 2021. At which point patience will have run out - it's already getting pretty thin.

Getting the world vaccinated will likely take longer; the manufacturing capacity just isn't there. It may easily be 2023 or 2024 before we get global 'herd immunity'.

During which time people will continue to get this illness and die of it. The WHO representative who estimated two million global deaths yesterday is being sadly realistic.