Hypocrite Watch; Closet gay Bishop #1

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=50017 is a letter to the Church Times written by closet gay Bishop Lindsay Urwin

As a gay man, he is nonetheless using his position to oppress other gay people.

He is a hypocrite and is suffering from internalised homophobia.

He thus deserves to be outed

Organ donation

Organ donation is an area of medicine which has greatly expanded in recent years. Despite the attempt to publicise organ donation cards, still many organs are lost simply because there is no knowledge of whether the person consents to donation or not.

I strongly and passionately support the proposed change which will ensure that organs can be used unless the individual opts out of donation. No doubt the usual religionist cries will be heard (and they are supposed to be 'pro-life'...don't make me laugh) but they have a simple remedy - be selfish and opt out if it offends their delicate little religionist sensibilities.

For those not encumbered by delusion, this is an opportunity to really make a difference and to give people genuine quality of life. I hope it is passed by parliament as soon as possible.

Capital of Culture 2008

Well, it came as something of a surprise to find on the doormat this morning, two free tickets to Liverpool - The Musical, at the new Echo Arena. I applied for them weeks ago and assumed that they weren't to be forthcoming...anyway, we felt that missing a unique event like this would be daft, so we ended up spending the evening there, despite my bad back and David's minor operation yesterday...

It was good fun. The stadium is impressive. the seats are comfortable and large, the views are excellent, and the sound quality good too.

Capital of Culture gets off to a good start.

Repeal SOCPA

Just been drawn attention to the Government consultation on the repeal of SOCPA - The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005

The deadline for responses and some useful information can be found on the website calling for its repeal.

http://www.repeal-socpa.info/

Nuclear Power

When Gordon Brown became leader of the Labour party, I thought about re-joining. I hoped that some of the excesses of the Blair years would be in the past - and, indeed, I am pleased to see that faith school expansion has been placed on the back burner, and that there seems to be a distancing from the US government's foreign policy

But the announcement that nuclear power stations have been recommissioned is something which makes it far less likely that i could vote Labour next time, let alone rejoin the party. The links between nuclear weaponry and power are obvious - we recognise that to be the case with Iran. The question of nuclear waste is something which no-one has an answer to. And how about active development of clean coal technology and alternative energy sources - all put on the backburner in the name of the military-industrial complex?

I recall a t-shirt with a slogan which read:
The earth is flat, pigs can fly, and nuclear power is safe.
Nothing has changed.

Bloody Chickens

This week, we have been treated to a barrage of propaganda about chicken welfare by Channel 4.

Now, I usually buy free range. Simply because it tastes better.

But I am all too aware that many people aren't in the financial position to be able to afford free range - which is something in the region of three or four times the price.

So, the unedifying sight of posh boy Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (clearly of council tenant origin) lecturing single mums as to why they should buy free range - what planet does this bloke live on? Same with the future Lord Oliver. He is a multi-millionaire - its easy for him to advocate free range.

When it comes down to it, cheap food for people is more important than chicken welfare.

So, other developments

The world of politics and religion has proved interesting.

I suppose i should comment on Mr. Tony's joining Vatican plc. No surprise and given that his family are members, quite logical. Amusing to see the conservative catholics get so angry. They always hated him anyway and the fact that he has been welcomed without an insistence that he publicly denounces all he did in Parliament which they didn't like amuses. I wouldn't touch Rome with a barge pole but its his business, no-one else's.

As for Michael Nazi-Rally, bigoted homophobe and Roman Catholic son of a convert who manages to be an Anglican Bishop too, he is clearly positioning himself to be the British head of the breakaway conservative Anglican communion, gaining publicity by some well placed alarmism about Islam which he loathes with the typical zeal of the convert - even though he shares much more with their ideas than he would with me. Almost a mirror image - he also appears to think it is the job of Government to promote Christianity! Now, it is clear enough that without immigrants, church attendance would be lower still than it is now, but he cannot expect a secular democratic state to make his religion look attractive when he so clearly fails to do it himself every time he opens his mouth.

The US elections: Barack Obama's success is an encouragement - I hope he goes on and wins the Democratic nomination.

In Las Vegas, with the neon lights....

Well, where can one start? Its quite a place. Unique, in fact, and whilst I don't think we will be regular visitors, its certainly a lot of fun. Its quite the most profoundly extravagant and over-the-top place I have ever visited. Where else has a fake Venice, a fake Eiffel Tower, a fake Pyramid - its all quite hilarious. And fake, but in such an in your face way that you can't help but smile.

Highlights of the trip. The food. Its excellent, and the exchange rate meant that we could do some fine dining at reasonable cost. The days we spent exploring the valley of Fire National Park, and the Red Rock canyon, both of which are curiously beautiful, albeit in a bleak, lunar way. Barry Manilow, who we went to see at the Hilton - a great self-deprecator, acknowledging that he has left the world with songs murdered nightly in karaoke bars everywhere. And the show Le Reve, which was stunning - imagine 18 Dermot O'Leary lookalikes in swimming trunks for a start (Gary Mac, if you are reading this, put it down - now!)

We travelled cattle class with BMI. Not ideal. They have a system where you can request seats and then they go ahaead and totally ignore your requests. Its a bit like a longhaul version of Easy jet - not even a free gin and tonic.

We also managed to spend opur time there without gambling at all - is that a record.....

Try it for yourself.

just to say hello....

Back from Las Vegas a couple of days ago. Will be fully updating the blog in due course.....watch this space.