Monty Python - I Like Chinese

To help us take this lock-down in our stride a wee bit of forgotten Monty Python to entertain!

Deep Purple: New Album "Whoosh" due out in June

The new album from Deep Purple, Whoosh! is due for release on 12th June. It's a CD + DVD & digibook package so will cost a little bit more as a result. I did get their last album "Infinity" on vinyl which I started playing a 33rpm only to discover it should be played at 45rpm. I have no idea whether the vinyl version of their new album will be the same, but please check before playing!

This video is the first track I've heard from the new album.

Further info from: www.deeppurple-whoosh.com 

Covid 19 and the suspension of politics

Photo: By Duncan Harris from Nottingham, UK - Fox Trot, CC 

Given the nature of the current crisis over the corona virus  it's hardly surprising that all other political discourse has come to an end. Even the pubs are now closed something that never happened at the height of the Blitz. the Briton was entitled to his pint.

No more it seems. Drink at home alone or with the family. Avoid all others.

About the only political activity still taking place (and will it ever end) is the Labour party leadership contest which some of Corbyn's supporters tried to stop even though most members who are going to vote already have except those whose ballot papers have (coughs) ""gone missing".

More incompetence rather than conspiracy. the result should be a foregone conclusion. If it isn't there will be questions.

Meanwhile the Government have continued to do their job without the panic that has erupted in some quarters. Yes questions need to be raised where necessary but the gradual close down of the country has been marred more by panic shopping rather than any failure on the Government side.

The statesman-like response of both Boris and Rishi Sunak has been measured and in the national interest. It's not 100% perfect but then no society can do everything. Some people no matter what they do will lose their jobs and have problems. People will still fall ill, that can only be partially controlled. It's up to the rest of us to co-operate.

The whole world has virtually shut down but there are still those who take advantage by promoting ridiculous conspiracy theories. It didn't take long for the Jews to be fingered though an escape from a Chinese Laboratory is probably the one a lot of people believe even though the most likely explanation is the virus jumped species.

Meanwhile while the NHS struggles to cope and supermarkets strain to keep us supplied one far-left newspaper Solidarity decided this was the right time to "open the borders" and let untold millions of "refugees" into not just this country but Europe as a whole.  It shows how out of touch their ideology is with reality and why I'm thankful their ilk around Corbyn are not in charge and hopefully never will be.

We will come out of the crisis at some point but the time has come for a quiet reflection on where our politics does go next and at some stage that discussion needs to take place. For the time being such debate is suspended.

What for me began as a "campaigning month" has become a virtual lock-down. The Free Tibet demo was the last one I (or anyone else) will be attending for a while. From time to time I will continue to blog as there has been an audience, albeit small in the grand scheme of things for the articles by guest writers and myself, but as I sit at home reading, listening to music then there may be more posts of a non-political nature.

Stay safe everyone.

Shalom Aleichem,

Howie

Dutch band Delain: Apocalypse & Chill

Photo: By S. Bollmann - Own work, CC

Given that we have seemingly entered a world lock up where political activity has been suspended for the duration then it's time to consider what books and music to read and listen to.

Last night I recommended a Doctor Who novel and one of the records I was listening to (I know it's a CD but I'm old fashioned) whilst reading was Apocalypse & Chill which was released last month. If you are a fan of Within Temptation (another Dutch outfit) then this is for you having been formed by David Westerholt and Johanna Wessels former keyboardist & vocalist respectively.

This is a Symphonic Metal/Goth Metal band who have produced yet another highly listenable sixth studio album. There are 16 tracks on this CD of which the last 3 are full orchestral versions of Masters of Destiny, Burning Bridges and Vengeance.

Doctor Who and the Krikket Men The Lost Adventure

Doctor Who and the Krikket Men by James Goss (BBC Books/Penguin) (£16.99 Hardback/£8.99 Paperback)

Not a new book but one I missed whilst in hospital back in 2018. Written by James Goss by based on one of those "lost adventures" that were never made by the BBC this has has Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy written all over it. The reason being this was a Douglas Adams script and you'll find many a nod to the late authors best known work in this novel's pages.

There are 42 chapters...

The Doctor has promised to take Romana to the end of the universe and yet despite ending up at a cricket match in a round about way his promise has been kept. And the Doctor has put a tie on so this must be a very important cricket match. Of course Romana groaned very much as:

"At least a dozen races had given "cricket" as their reason for attacking the planet. It went a long way to explaining why most invasions began in the Home Counties"

Still it might rain. Of course we all guessed it might be a lot worse than that. Clouds? bring on the killer robots who materialise in a Cricket Pavilion chasing after the trophy decapitating and exterminating all who get in the way and don't just because they can.

These are the Krikkett Men. An explanation of times past, millions of times passed in fact of when they first appeared in the Universe so don't skip the first Chapter as if you would. There is a need to keep up.

The Ultimate weapon is at stake, when isn't these days. The fate of all creation is treated so the Doctor has kept his promise. Romana may yet see the end of the universe but not quite the way she expected to.

Did I mention a super computer with the brain the size of a planet. On the spoilers and misdirection. It's a lot of fun but outside any form of continuity or "canon" as Whovians tend to call it. Sad really. It's a book.

And don't forget your towel. Oh wait that's the other story isn't it? My bad....

The distasteful legacy of Corbynism

As an active trade-unionist for several decades including being a Branch Secretary for some 12 years or so in the Civil Service trade unions starting with the CPSA and ending with prospect before my illness and retirement I naturally supported the Labour Party. Then along came Corbyn and that became impossible.

Overnight a mixture of the far-left including those who had long drifted out of organisations or simply turned up shouting slogans on demonstrations along with others, inexperienced an young in the main looking for an alternative gained control of the party.

The whole nature of the party changed overnight. In the past like most major political parties Labour was a coalition of differing views, factions and interest groups competing but mostly co-operating in order to achieve a common aim. This was a broad based party with views from democratic socialists, social democrats, trade unionists and others.

There were arguments, there were disagreements. Sometimes they could be sharp. there were always some on the hard left sniping about "sell-outs" and calling for solidarity with dodgy regimes such as Cuba or hanging around with the terrorists of the IRA and sometimes Hamas. For the most part these people were contained rather than expelled. The exception being the parasitic Militant Tendency, a party within the Labour Part and in complete breach of the rules let alone aims.

They were kicked out yet it happened again albeit in a different form. Corbyn and his hard-line followers organised around Momentum and some other smaller factional groupings started a purge of all those that that didn't fit their ideological aims.

It became nasty beyond belief. The rest was history. Vile abuse, misogyny, racism in the form of anti-Semitism and even threats against female MP's in particular. There was never the "Kinder, Gentler, Politics" that their Messiah promised. It was vicious to the core and remains so as the meme from Weaver Vale Labour Party shows above and some group of socialists show below.

The socialist experiment has failed once again, but the battle is far from over. Even though Kier Starmer is likely to win these people are still there. Plotting, planning hating

Corbyn's legacy will be remembered not just as one of failure, anti-Semitism but just a figurehead of a movement of hate.

A Tribute to Roy Hudd with The News Huddlines

Photo: By Hydrafoil - Own work, CC

I was saddened to hear that Roy Hudd one of the true comedic greats passed away. His humour and affability made him a true star of his age and my youth. One of the shows I remember with great joy was The News Huddlines.

What better way to remember the man and his work that to listen to one of his shows.

Enjoy the humour from one of the last of a nearly disappeared generation of real family entertainers.