Just when you thought there was a limit to political correctness, Channel 4 (the Channel that gave the world such delights as Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother) goes and proves you wrong.
Channel 4 consider the Queen's Christmas message to be far too conventional. So, as a change, they have decided to invite an overseas Head of State to give a Christmas talk. That in itself may be unusual but we're not talking President Sarkozy, Chancellor Merkel or even Prime Minister Putin here. Viewers in the UK will tomorrow be addressed by President Ahmadinejad, the same one who wants to wipe Israel off the map. There will apparently be an independent explanation before President A speaks. I am not sure that one will be needed.
Not for the first time, you really couldn't make it up !
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to all that have read this blog this year.
Posts have been somewhat light of late as the demands of work and a new baby son take their toll on "writing for pleasure" time.
Today was no exception as after being at work this morning I was in my local supermarket as it closed for Christmas. There is always a seige mentality around Christmas which is really strange as many of the shops will be open in less than 36 hours on Boxing Day morning with the remainder open a day later.
Nonetheless there is at least one day that remains free from commercial activity and I guess that has to be welcome. That day is tomorrow- Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas everyone......
Posts have been somewhat light of late as the demands of work and a new baby son take their toll on "writing for pleasure" time.
Today was no exception as after being at work this morning I was in my local supermarket as it closed for Christmas. There is always a seige mentality around Christmas which is really strange as many of the shops will be open in less than 36 hours on Boxing Day morning with the remainder open a day later.
Nonetheless there is at least one day that remains free from commercial activity and I guess that has to be welcome. That day is tomorrow- Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas everyone......
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Watching (bad?) television across the world
Christmas and New Year seem to bring a significant deterioration in the standard of television. Aside from the statutory James Bond and the occassional film that I would like to watch, there is little else of interest. Aging TV stars are wheeled out to perform with a less talented but generally better looking recent addition.
The aim is obviously "family entertainment" but the result is a brainless pastiche of light entertainment quiz shows, pantomine-like drivel and of course the now mandatory "reality" formats.
Not that things appear much better elsewhere in the world. I have spent the last two Christmas's in Russia and Ukraine respectively. While not all readers will agree with this (!), there the diet is similar if not worse. A plastic surgeon's dream of singing and dancing "mature" stars perform a mind-numbing endless series of plays, sketches and songs culminating in a 12 hour marathon of ignorance on New Year's Eve going into New Year's Day. The stars of yesteryear are lead by an exhausting 57-year old Russian diva, one Alla Pugacheva http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alla_Pugacheva. I suspect being deficient in the language probably improves matters from a viewing perspective.
Anyway, enough moaning about the standard of Christmas and New Year TV.
I hope to improve my language abilities in New Year and I have discovered a great website that gives "streaming links" to live TV from accross the world. Hopefully being able to watch live TV will both stimulate and encourage my language learning.
My focus is on Russia and Russian at the moment but last evening I was browsing and saw the following:
- A documentary about group of Swedes on a fishing boat
-A Thai sing song
- A Japanese business news summary
- A Ukrainian feature film
- An Iraqi drama where the plot line appeared to involve a member of the family performing a suicide mission.
It is an amazing insight into what people are watching in their living rooms accross the world. With the Iraqi offering particularly, perhaps I should be more grateful for the singing and dancing airheads we get treated to in the UK, Russia and elsewhere.
See http://wwitv.com/portal.htm for links to live TV from across the world. Depending on broadband connection, it may not be possible to access them all.
The aim is obviously "family entertainment" but the result is a brainless pastiche of light entertainment quiz shows, pantomine-like drivel and of course the now mandatory "reality" formats.
Not that things appear much better elsewhere in the world. I have spent the last two Christmas's in Russia and Ukraine respectively. While not all readers will agree with this (!), there the diet is similar if not worse. A plastic surgeon's dream of singing and dancing "mature" stars perform a mind-numbing endless series of plays, sketches and songs culminating in a 12 hour marathon of ignorance on New Year's Eve going into New Year's Day. The stars of yesteryear are lead by an exhausting 57-year old Russian diva, one Alla Pugacheva http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alla_Pugacheva. I suspect being deficient in the language probably improves matters from a viewing perspective.
Anyway, enough moaning about the standard of Christmas and New Year TV.
I hope to improve my language abilities in New Year and I have discovered a great website that gives "streaming links" to live TV from accross the world. Hopefully being able to watch live TV will both stimulate and encourage my language learning.
My focus is on Russia and Russian at the moment but last evening I was browsing and saw the following:
- A documentary about group of Swedes on a fishing boat
-A Thai sing song
- A Japanese business news summary
- A Ukrainian feature film
- An Iraqi drama where the plot line appeared to involve a member of the family performing a suicide mission.
It is an amazing insight into what people are watching in their living rooms accross the world. With the Iraqi offering particularly, perhaps I should be more grateful for the singing and dancing airheads we get treated to in the UK, Russia and elsewhere.
See http://wwitv.com/portal.htm for links to live TV from across the world. Depending on broadband connection, it may not be possible to access them all.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
A strange new hobby,,,,,,,,,,,,
Very few posts this week as regular readers will have noticed.
The reason is quite strange for me- I have been busy at work !
In addition to a Christmas Party, there's been interviews to hold, reports to write and plans to make.
Now barely two weeks from Christmas, I am Hong Kong bound for 10 days. A 12 hour flight awaits me tonight. Somehow I got busy at the wrong time of year, after quite a calm year.
Hopefully there will be some opportunity for blog updates from an Eastern perspective.
For now, ciao.
The reason is quite strange for me- I have been busy at work !
In addition to a Christmas Party, there's been interviews to hold, reports to write and plans to make.
Now barely two weeks from Christmas, I am Hong Kong bound for 10 days. A 12 hour flight awaits me tonight. Somehow I got busy at the wrong time of year, after quite a calm year.
Hopefully there will be some opportunity for blog updates from an Eastern perspective.
For now, ciao.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Merry Christmas Shoppers !
The weather has just changed in London. We have had a long warm summer and autumn. However in the last week the nights have turned frosty, ice has been left on car windscreens and we have a taste of winter.
At the same time Christmas (in its commercial sense) is being aggressively pushed by the shops. Horrific adverts for Woolworths fill our TV screens. The agenda is the same as ever. We should all buy from the shops to show we care for our family and friends.
We can buy with cash, card or on credit but this one day now becomes the focus of all commerce. The aim of all advertising is to extract as much money as possible from us. The consequences can wait until New Year (a mere 8 weeks away).
This of course is a long way from the real meaning of Christmas which is to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. Christmas has of course become a festival that has meaning in family life, the life of friends and our working lives. Everyone attaches their own meanings to Christmas time.
However it is worth sometimes remembering why we started celebrating Christmas. If that means nothing to you, then why not party at a cheaper time of year- Yon Kippur, Eid or Diwali for instance. The prices will be lower and you will look more original !
If Christmas really does mean something, then remember that God's only son was born as man and maybe remind yourself of some more details to this story. There is however no need to go into debt at Woolworths or Harrods.
Christmas Day is normally a blur of late rising, an enormous meal and bad television. Boxing Day often comes as a relief but perhaps I am Ebeneezer Scrooge. I have found some relief from spending the last two Christmas's in the Orthodox World so 25 December is just another day there with the focus on January 6. The date does not seem to matter too much but the over-powering commercial build-up to December 25 seems to get grosser every year.
Somewhere along the way, the Christmas mask slipped for me. I saw the crude commercialism, the contradiction between Christmas Past and Christmas Present and realised I didn't really like what I saw.
Of course I am still obliged to "show willing" by buying a few presents for nearest and dearest. But this normally waits until at least 23 December.
When it comes in 7 or so weeks, I wish you all a happy Christmas. However I hope that Christmas Future will be less commercial and not send us all into debt. There is no point in paying for one day of excess until the middle of the next year.
I fear that my Christmas Future may just be a dream !
At the same time Christmas (in its commercial sense) is being aggressively pushed by the shops. Horrific adverts for Woolworths fill our TV screens. The agenda is the same as ever. We should all buy from the shops to show we care for our family and friends.
We can buy with cash, card or on credit but this one day now becomes the focus of all commerce. The aim of all advertising is to extract as much money as possible from us. The consequences can wait until New Year (a mere 8 weeks away).
This of course is a long way from the real meaning of Christmas which is to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. Christmas has of course become a festival that has meaning in family life, the life of friends and our working lives. Everyone attaches their own meanings to Christmas time.
However it is worth sometimes remembering why we started celebrating Christmas. If that means nothing to you, then why not party at a cheaper time of year- Yon Kippur, Eid or Diwali for instance. The prices will be lower and you will look more original !
If Christmas really does mean something, then remember that God's only son was born as man and maybe remind yourself of some more details to this story. There is however no need to go into debt at Woolworths or Harrods.
Christmas Day is normally a blur of late rising, an enormous meal and bad television. Boxing Day often comes as a relief but perhaps I am Ebeneezer Scrooge. I have found some relief from spending the last two Christmas's in the Orthodox World so 25 December is just another day there with the focus on January 6. The date does not seem to matter too much but the over-powering commercial build-up to December 25 seems to get grosser every year.
Somewhere along the way, the Christmas mask slipped for me. I saw the crude commercialism, the contradiction between Christmas Past and Christmas Present and realised I didn't really like what I saw.
Of course I am still obliged to "show willing" by buying a few presents for nearest and dearest. But this normally waits until at least 23 December.
When it comes in 7 or so weeks, I wish you all a happy Christmas. However I hope that Christmas Future will be less commercial and not send us all into debt. There is no point in paying for one day of excess until the middle of the next year.
I fear that my Christmas Future may just be a dream !
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
