Thanks again mate.....great programme that couldn’t be more correct in its reporting if it tried. But I must say, there are so many negatives.....but at the moment, for me personally they are outweighed by the positives.
As said before Staines that is a proper job mate I deal with large corporations and have done so for 30 years ... generally they use CSR to market themselves hence my cynicism levels as most problems in this world are within their powers to solve ... however money comes first and I feel ashamed at times to be a part of it
I was feeling the same Paul. 30 years at BA, hated my job, hated the backstabbing people I worked with, hated the bullying management........but loved the pay. My wages were double what I’m earning now but I was unhappy and felt worthless. Of course it isn’t all good in my job now but I’ll bet anyone that you’ll be hard to find a role that gives you the job satisfaction and excitement that I get almost everyday. It can be frustrating and stressful but I wish I’d made the jump years ago. Try it and you won’t be disappointed.
No won’t change now as did a lot period of volunteer work after a life melt down about 12 years ago ... gave everything away ... everything and started again. Got totally pissed off with charity work back then even did a stint at Samaritans working for free on their marketing and design ... executives were earning big and eating up the 10m of donations. Did lots of work for Africa as 5,000 died each day on that continent Guess what that figure is still the same! Ended up going back into art direction and design and ripping off as many corporates as I can ... what I make over the basic levels goes to Medicin Sans Frontier... that feels a lot better plus I see real work done by the mighty MSF Check them out then have a look at some of our UK charities
Just occurred to me that I haven’t watched Sexy Beast for a very long time, as I read that a TV ‘prequel’ series is planned, showing the earlier careers of Gal, Don and Teddy. Can’t say I think this is a necessary or good idea, but the original screenwriters are involved as producers so it might not be a total disaster. I read a few reviews of the original film and was much taken with this quote from the late celebrated US film critic Roger Ebert: “These are hard men. They could eat the Sopranos for breakfast, throw up, and eat them again”
I was a bit concerned too after the first one, but just watched episode two and thought it was superb.
Just used ‘watch again’ to see a new (I think) episode of Endeavour. I really enjoyed it, dark, well acted (Roger Allam is outstanding in everything) proper characterisation but without the gratuitous gore, violence and attempts to shock that seem so prevalent now. The Single death in this turned out to be an accident, though there was a *****philia sub plot.
American Gods Season Two released tomorrow - if the first season was anything to go on, it'll be great....
It's on Amazon Prime - the book was great, and the show is a pretty accurate telling of the story. Spreading it over three seasons is really getting the best out of it.
No response to my post about the Three Identical Strangers documentary, which is disappointing because I was hoping to discuss it with somebody. It does give me free rein to give my view without spoiling the ending for anybody, though. It's a documentary about triplets in the US that had been separated at birth (or more specifically at six months old) and put up for adoption. At the start of the documentary it seems like a feel-good story about the three brothers meeting up in their late teens, but it soon turns darker. It turns out that they were adopted (via the same agency) by three distinctly different families - one blue-collar, one middle-class and one affluent - in a sociological experiment around the nature v nurture question (none of the adoptive parents were made aware of this). When they are re-united they become celebrities and much is made of their similarities - they have the same mannerisms, smoke the same cigarettes, all took up wrestling and share the same taste in women - but this is superficial. We're tempted to suspect that their similarities are despite their different upbringings and that nature rules, but as more is revealed about the experiment the opposite becomes clear. Each of the sets of parents had previously adopted girls as part of the experiment, and their parenting styles had been monitored to provide the required contrasts. The focus is on the fathers, and the blue-collar father was a caring, attentive father loved by all (the re-united triplets would congregate in this house), the affluent father was rarely at home (away on business trips) and the middle-class father was an ex-army disciplinarian. All three of the triplets have psychological problems, but one commits suicide, one is damaged, and the third seems to turn out pretty well grounded. I'll leave you to guess which is which. The documentary is ultimately frustrating because the results of the study were never published, but it's fascinating, moving and ultimately very disturbing. I'm sure it can still be found on catch-up. Worth watching.
I’ve heard about this documentary and seen it on the list for on flight viewing, but my brain isn’t in the right shape for serious stuff in those circumstances. I assumed it was another ‘nature vs nurture’/‘genetics vs environemnet’ thing, which I have never been that interested in (answer always seemed obvious, bit of both, it’s not an either or question). This ‘study’ sounds deeply corrupt and sinister.
Definitely corrupt and sinister. There are still people out there who were part of the experiment - which has Nazi overtones - but don't know that they were.
I went to the ‘Bodyworlds’ exhibition today and would thoroughly recommend it, especially to anyone who has an interest in human anatomy, physiology and pathophysiolgy. It breaks down the body systems in an absorbing and interesting way and to actually see the organs of the body in true life and scale was an absolute wonder as I had only previously seen most in photos and diagrams in a book or on the TV. Spent a good few hours there and to be honest, could of spent longer. Well worth a visit.
As far as I’m aware it’s now a permanent exhibition in Piccadilly, where the old ‘Ripleys’ exhibit used to be. She’d love it I’m sure.
Really interesting programme on BBC1 about Eunice Kennedy Shriver (sister of Jack and Bobby Kennedy) and her massive efforts to get people with learning disabilities out of institutions where many were routinely locked up for life until relatively recently, including setting up the Special Olympics. Much of what she did was inspired by her own sister, Rose, who had learning difficulties made worse by her fathers decision to have her lobotomised without telling anyone.
The wife is between contracts at the moment, which means that day time TV is on. There is a programme called Good Morning Dagenham, about Dagenham Sunday Market, a huge affair which gets 15,000 visitors every week. The programme follows traders and the people who run the market. I love it, everyone in it is great, they work really hard, have a lot of fun, and have a real sense of community. Recommended.
Did anyone see Deutschland '83 a couple of years ago, about an East German soldier who infiltrates the NATO HQ in West Germany? Great TV, and they've now returned with Deutschland '86, covering a piece of modern history I wasn't really aware of, with East Germany smuggling weapons into South Africa whilst under a UN embargo, on behalf of West Germany, to raise funds for the Socialist Revolution. East Germany supported the ANC, and had ties with Angola and the MPLA. Intriguing, especially when Libya and Ghadaffi also get involved. Full series available on the Ch4 player app.
I saw the first one and really liked it....can’t really remember the storyline....looking forward to watching the new series when I get time
