I recently stubbled on 7 by Eddie Izzard [DVD] which is goes on sale today and contains his seven live shows (including the most recent Stripped).

I was introduced to Eddie Izzard by my good friend Simon and have loved him ever since. Here are some short random clips off youtube.

I’m intending to order the box set as a Christmas / Yule gift to myself.

Write soon,

Antony

Observant readers will notice I have added some new blogs to my Blogs of Interest. Here are the new additions and why I’ve added them:

Amber Benson’s Offical Blog, Amber Benson is well known for her role as Tara in Buffy, but she’s also a talented writer and director. I love reading Amber’s view of the world it’s kind and honest.

Boing Boing, a random blog. Lots of pictures and videos, love the randomness.

Over Your Head is a blog from a gay guy in London. He blogs about anything he sees as relevant so it’s quite eclectic. A good read.

Stephen Fry’s blog, OK not a new read for me! I’ve been reading Stephen’s blog for a while. Like his critical eye on the world and his informed well-thought-out views.

So if I’m not updating enough to feed your blog fix, please visit one of the above blogs.

Write soon,

Antony

I have decided that we in England live in a Nanny State.

Nanny State Definition

patronizing government: a government that brings in legislation that it considers is in the people’s best interests but that is regarded by some as interfering and patronizing

(From http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561505575/nanny_state.html, Last Accessed: 28th November 09)

I say England because I am aware that Scotland and Wales have their own parliment and I can’t really comment as I have only lived in England.

I’ve thought this for a while, but it’s become more apparent to me after digesting the recent Queen’s Speech a few weeks ago. The government decides what is acceptable and not acceptable in society by legislation, which is ever increasing. This legislation is usually around capitalism and helping capitalists make money.

If we look at the Banks as a recent example following the capitalism model. They’ve become vast money-making machines making billions of pounds doing dodgy deals. When they messed up, individual bankers who’ve made millions of pounds in bonuses aren’t bothered. They simply came cap-in-hand to government, knowing they’d have to bail them out. And somehow they’ve got away with it, how did that happen? If you or I as individuals had messed up our own finances, would the government of bailed us out? Probably not, we’ve have had to go to court and potentially prision.

While we are on this topic – does anybody remember bailing out National Rail a few years back? The private train companies had been making millions of pounds in profit and then all of a sudden didn’t have the money to pay for maintance to the rail network. We the tax payers bailed them out too, but I’ve never heard that they paid any of the money back? But I have heard that they are making millions of pounds of profit again recently in the news. Everybody just seems to have forgotton about that.

The common denominator seems to be that the few people in power politicians (who usually have stakes in big businesses, if not own them) can bend, change or ignore legislation to suit them. Giving them the power to do what they like with no accountability. Indeed they’ve set up systems and processes that work for them. The regularatory bodies (such as the Financial Services Authority for banks) have no power. And in the political system in order for an MP to advance their career they have to vote for legislation that may not be in the best interests of the people they supposedly work for (the tax payer). They have these “chief whips” people who state that they will let MP’s sit on certain committee’s (to advance their carrer) if they vote for certain legislation. These systems and processes need to be changed, but this isn’t going to happen when it suits the capitalists and the pro nanny state politicans.

All these systems and processes seem to disempower the average person from making a difference and making changes for the better to their local community. They also seem to have created a culture of as long as I’m ok. The legislation also helps to supress freedom of speech and our option to voice our honest thoughts about things. We are less likely than ever to stand up and say: Hey I think that’s wrong.

Of course we can’t blame it all on the government and legislation. The mainstream media plays it’s part too. Always negative and with it’s own slant. How come we never see anything positive in the media? Is it perhaps another way of trying to control or suppress expression of our opinions? Over the last few years several people have been branded racists, homophobic, etc. for using a politically incorrect term. I often feel sorry for these people. Usually they have used the wrong words to make their point (a thing we can all be guilty of at times?), but their intention was not in anyway to be racist, homophobic, etc. Surely we need to look at their intention rather than the word they have used that might of offended a minority?

In summary two phrases come to mind:
“Devide and Conquer” and “Power to the few”

Is it just me who feels this way? Perhaps if we all get together we can make a positive change?

Thinking Politically,

Antony

A while ago I blogged about Hope for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. I had some positive comments from readers (thanks guys & galls).

I recieved a response from the email I sent to The Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital it read:

“Hi Antony,

I apologize for the delay in response, our clinical research coordinator has been on medical leave for the past month. Unfortunately, we do not keep track of or comment on other trials. Thank you for your interest and please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you!

Take care,
Rabia Malik”
(From: Email, Recieved: 13th October 09)

I doubt they don’t keep track of other clinical research trials, more likely with the litigation in America they are unwilling to recommend a trial incase it goes wrong and I take them to court. What I liked about their trial is that they are dealing with the cause not the symptoms of the disease.

So I did a Google search to establish the cost of diabetes for the NHS and found this article from The Guardian: Diabetes costs NHS £1m an hour, charity says. Now wereas it includes Type 1 diabetes (my type) and Type 2 they are often bunched together by the media. According to the article:

The total cost to the NHS equates to £9bn-a-year.
(From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/08/nhs.diabetes, Last accessed: 14th November 09)

So with this in mind, it makes financial sense for the Government to commision research in to a cure for diabetes. So I’ve set up a peitition at No. 10 Downing Street, please go to: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/diabetescure/ and sign it.

Many thanks & hugs,

Antony

This weekend some close friends were invited round of a Psychic Party and House Warming. A friend Kay and I prepared the living room/kitchen, see photos below:

(Altar prepared with things for the games.)

(The kitchen.)

(The living room 1.)

(The living room 2.)

(The living room 3.)

A good time was had by all (see photos below). They had the grande tour on their arrival followed by drinks. We then did some Numerology, aura sensing and energy transfer. These activities were followed by food (pizza and nibbles) and then we did some more games: pendulums, tarrot cards and What’s my future game.

Kay and I gave them a gift of a small silver bag with crystals that had been charged with positive energy before they left, which was at twenty-past one.

Kay and I stayed up chatting for an hour after they’d gone and then shattered went to bed. The party was such a success that I intend to hold a psychic party annually.

Write soon,

Antony