Travelling up to the National Theatre yesterday at 10am
to trade some Christmas Theatre tokens for £10 day tickets
to see 'Gethsemane' at 2:30pm at the Cottesloe, was very
productive.
The cast list includes the talented Tamsin Greig who
I recognised from TV's 'Love Soup' and Gugu Mbatha-Raw
who again I recognised from TV ('Spooks').
The plot concerns New Labour; Government; Cabinet; the Home Secretary's wayward
16 year old daughter, scandal (she slept with a journalist)
party donations quasi bribery, blackmail, wars, failure to resign
and a bit of religion.
The most memorable
piece of the latter came towards the end where the
daughter (Jessica Raine) made plain that her mother
and others couldn't even make their biblical quotations
accurate. She pointed out that Jesus' Gethsemane moment
was when he wanted the burden lifted from his
shoulders but carried on anyway whereas her olders
and betters were refering to that moment as if a new
begining change of direction was heralded.
Greatly absorbing and well worth seeing though
perhaps "The Road to Emmaus" might be more accurate a title.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas 2008 - Motley Thoughts
The Donhead Carols a week or two back following on from
the Sacred Heart Parish Advent Carols paved the way for
the spirit of Christmas this year.
The death of Harold Pinter playright and the death of
a soldier in Afganistan on Christmas Eve were sad stark reminders
of the huge depth, fragility yet flawed nature of the human race that
the baby Jesus joined. Channel 4 TV did well to decode the
tinsel and sentiment that has enwrapped the Holy Family
story over the years. Their conclusion that one
of the Magi did not come from Ethiopia was a surprise though.
Family gatherings were as usual, great fun and
jogging over frosty Wimbledon Common at dawn on Christmas Eve
and Boxing Day with the Headmaster, was a cold counter-foil to
the warming feasts of turkey and bubbly that took place in between.
the Sacred Heart Parish Advent Carols paved the way for
the spirit of Christmas this year.
The death of Harold Pinter playright and the death of
a soldier in Afganistan on Christmas Eve were sad stark reminders
of the huge depth, fragility yet flawed nature of the human race that
the baby Jesus joined. Channel 4 TV did well to decode the
tinsel and sentiment that has enwrapped the Holy Family
story over the years. Their conclusion that one
of the Magi did not come from Ethiopia was a surprise though.
Family gatherings were as usual, great fun and
jogging over frosty Wimbledon Common at dawn on Christmas Eve
and Boxing Day with the Headmaster, was a cold counter-foil to
the warming feasts of turkey and bubbly that took place in between.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A Grande Cafe in the Recession
The Woseley in London's Piccadily was the venue chosen by generous
Irish brother of Mrs maytrees, for a family pre-Christmas reunion lunch.
Having had a pre breakfast jog over Wimbledon Common, a light lunch
with some hyrdraulic refreshment to include lots of sparking water
as well as some warming wine was ideal. The unusual starter choice
featured on their menu as: "Chicken Soup with a Half Salt Beef Sandwich".
Unusual but delicious as were the moules frites but a highlight
apart from the Irish, British and Malaysian company, was the White Tip tea
I drank at the end - Chinese I think and the best tea I can recall
ever having tasted. Mrs maytree's bro kindly picked up all the
tab with some devalued £s - thank you N.
Most people on the still crowded Picadilly outside after lunch
appeared to be tourists and while mrs maytrees opted to to enjoy
some London window shopping, I enjoyed a stroll through a crisp
Green Park. Again tourists abounded with little sign of
London locals.
The recession did not seem to affect trade at the Wolseley -yet - but
without the influx of people from across the seas, I am sure it
and nearby streets would not be so prosperous looking.
Irish brother of Mrs maytrees, for a family pre-Christmas reunion lunch.
Having had a pre breakfast jog over Wimbledon Common, a light lunch
with some hyrdraulic refreshment to include lots of sparking water
as well as some warming wine was ideal. The unusual starter choice
featured on their menu as: "Chicken Soup with a Half Salt Beef Sandwich".
Unusual but delicious as were the moules frites but a highlight
apart from the Irish, British and Malaysian company, was the White Tip tea
I drank at the end - Chinese I think and the best tea I can recall
ever having tasted. Mrs maytree's bro kindly picked up all the
tab with some devalued £s - thank you N.
Most people on the still crowded Picadilly outside after lunch
appeared to be tourists and while mrs maytrees opted to to enjoy
some London window shopping, I enjoyed a stroll through a crisp
Green Park. Again tourists abounded with little sign of
London locals.
The recession did not seem to affect trade at the Wolseley -yet - but
without the influx of people from across the seas, I am sure it
and nearby streets would not be so prosperous looking.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
More on Moral Hazard
The UK government's attitude to moral hazard seems always to be
to feather bed the profligate at the expense of
the careful thus encouraging profligacy and deterring
prudence.
For example the government
created a pension contingency panel to assist in bailing
out bankrupt pension trusts but funds the panel from
the pension trusts which have been careful enough to maintain
sufficient cash to pay their pensioners.
Politicians invariably keep an eye on their own positions
and re appointment/election prospects so are apt to take
decisions based more on those than on what is right.
Church leaders who have no such potential for personal gain have
no such excuse. I suppose their resounding silence on the moral hazard
aspects of the nation/global financial crisis might be explainable
with reference to the fact that national/world financial regulation is more a
matter for Caesar's laws than God's but the same cannot be said
of such moral hazardous issues such as Catholic adoption agencies
being disenfranchised from the Catholic Church by
government imposed secular principles being given precedence over
Catholic ethos. Earlier generations of Catholics within the UK
died rather than accede to such government dictat.
Where is the view of Catholic leaders in answer to the
points raised during the summer holidays that(courtesy BBC):
"Accord, a new coalition of secular and religious figures, wants the government to stop state-funded schools engaging in what they say is "discrimination".
It argues that all children should have equal access to good local schools and that segregating them on religious grounds harms community cohesion."
Secular government leaders in the UK seem weak on moral hazard issues
at the moment but this would not be so bad if the UK Catholic
leaders in England anyway demonstrated more strength and
a willingness to insist publically that Catholic institutions
must not have their religious ethos diminished by the secular state.
to feather bed the profligate at the expense of
the careful thus encouraging profligacy and deterring
prudence.
For example the government
created a pension contingency panel to assist in bailing
out bankrupt pension trusts but funds the panel from
the pension trusts which have been careful enough to maintain
sufficient cash to pay their pensioners.
Politicians invariably keep an eye on their own positions
and re appointment/election prospects so are apt to take
decisions based more on those than on what is right.
Church leaders who have no such potential for personal gain have
no such excuse. I suppose their resounding silence on the moral hazard
aspects of the nation/global financial crisis might be explainable
with reference to the fact that national/world financial regulation is more a
matter for Caesar's laws than God's but the same cannot be said
of such moral hazardous issues such as Catholic adoption agencies
being disenfranchised from the Catholic Church by
government imposed secular principles being given precedence over
Catholic ethos. Earlier generations of Catholics within the UK
died rather than accede to such government dictat.
Where is the view of Catholic leaders in answer to the
points raised during the summer holidays that(courtesy BBC):
"Accord, a new coalition of secular and religious figures, wants the government to stop state-funded schools engaging in what they say is "discrimination".
It argues that all children should have equal access to good local schools and that segregating them on religious grounds harms community cohesion."
Secular government leaders in the UK seem weak on moral hazard issues
at the moment but this would not be so bad if the UK Catholic
leaders in England anyway demonstrated more strength and
a willingness to insist publically that Catholic institutions
must not have their religious ethos diminished by the secular state.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Zimbabwe in Advent 2008
Father Tim Curtis SJ made a timely urgent appeal at Mass this morning for
help to alleviate hunger, suffering and cholera in Zimbabwe.
Jesuit Missions run schools hospitals and mission stations there so he
was able to recount first hand, the suffering from the oppressive, repressive and cruel dictatorship there.
The maytrees' household having only yesterday paid £100s for a new dishwasher
made me feel how we in Europe take our privileges for granted. Father Tim
recounted how students in Harare spend all week ends simply
fetching and carrying water - their fight is for basic survival while we
not only have running water but can buy machines to use it to clean the dishes we have enjoyed meals from. Many people of Zimbabwe have so little food that dishes where used are likely to be licked clean anyway.
Speaking with Father Tim after Mass he predicted that Mugabe's reaction
to the spreading Cholera crisis will be to call upon Gordon Brown to resign.
How tragically absurd - I am no friend of UK Labour led by Gordon Brown but if the UK
Govt was to now to try to coordinate others with the UK to take military action
to oust Mugabe, I would on the lesser of the two evils, basis, give such
decision full support.
help to alleviate hunger, suffering and cholera in Zimbabwe.
Jesuit Missions run schools hospitals and mission stations there so he
was able to recount first hand, the suffering from the oppressive, repressive and cruel dictatorship there.
The maytrees' household having only yesterday paid £100s for a new dishwasher
made me feel how we in Europe take our privileges for granted. Father Tim
recounted how students in Harare spend all week ends simply
fetching and carrying water - their fight is for basic survival while we
not only have running water but can buy machines to use it to clean the dishes we have enjoyed meals from. Many people of Zimbabwe have so little food that dishes where used are likely to be licked clean anyway.
Speaking with Father Tim after Mass he predicted that Mugabe's reaction
to the spreading Cholera crisis will be to call upon Gordon Brown to resign.
How tragically absurd - I am no friend of UK Labour led by Gordon Brown but if the UK
Govt was to now to try to coordinate others with the UK to take military action
to oust Mugabe, I would on the lesser of the two evils, basis, give such
decision full support.
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