Dad

I’m really gutted that Dad hasn’t been selected to be part of the Olympic Torch Relay next year.  I think the organisers have really missed a trick here.  If it comes to ranking people of this nation who are most appropriate and deserving to carry the torch surely Dad should have come somewhere near the top – he has that perfect mix of being a former Olympian and having devoted his life to helping, supporting and encouraging children and young people.

Does a day go by without Dad taking a coaching session, or teaching the kids from church, or running a community group, or spending ALL his spare time planning these things and reading up how to do them better?  No!  And that doesn’t even include the day job.

I think it would have been fitting for Dad to carry the torch but it wasn’t to be so I just thought I’d indulge myself and honour him on my blog instead.

A Very Proud Son.

Plotted downfall of Montenegro

Oh, my beloved Montenegro. I am truly filled with sorrow at your demise. You have fallen at the final hurdle in a campaign that saw you beat Bulgaria, Switzerland and Wales and achieve two draws with the ‘mighty’ England.

I am convinced it is a conspiracy. UEFA don’t want the minnows in thhe tournament so they make sure the likes of Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro cannot draw each other in the play-off. But thaat is by the by.

Montenegro you were valiant and punched way way above your weight. But, this year, it is not to be. The Falcons will be back.

Nirvana

Like the true bandwagon hitchhiker I can often be, I’m really enjoying Nirvana live on BBC4. The music is truly awesome, watching them is intriguing. I really am neither an expert nor a genuine fan but there is something powerful about Nirvana, 20 years on their legacy lives and I am sure they continue to influence.

The trouble is, although we can all be motivated by a bit of non-conformist showmanship, there is something about the music, the demeanour, the hair, the cardigan, the voice that gives me a chill. I don’t know what Cobain stood for but the guy is a global hero. He is lifted up, his attitude to be emulated. Maybe the point is he stood for not standing for anything in particular.

And what disturbs me is that there are kids these days who may or may not have heard of Nirvana but are still so disenfranchised from society that their anarchy and rebellion oozes out of them. Smells like teen spirit.

Nirvana sound great but they offer no hope. The cult icon is dead. Though his influence lives on it has done him no good.

We have to give the kids a hope. Something to believe in.

P.S. I am totally qualified to pass these sweeping comments because I never owned Nevermind but did have Bleach.

USA holds UNESCO hostage

OK, so UNESCO is all about promoting peace and justice through countries working together to protect and celebrate culture, science and education.  Right?

So why, why, why, why, why is the United States employing bully-boy tactics and removing one fifth of UNESCO’s budget as a reprisal for UNESCO accepting Palestine as a member?  Palestine is a member of FIFA but you don’t see the United States boycotting the World Cup!

If the United States really cares about what UNESCO is all about – education, science and culture – then they wouldn’t turn it into a massive political game for spoilt children.  I honestly think this decision by America to try and hold the world hostage is deplorable.  Their decision will effect the development of education for children, the progress of science for preventing diseases and the loss of protection for some of the world heritage sites.

And worse than the United States is the cowardice of the United Kingdom.  We abstained in the vote to accept Palestine! It seems our conscience wouldn’t let us vote ‘no’ but we were to scared of the good old United States and Israel to vote ‘yes’!

Sorry for the rant I just think this is horrific.

Parents: Be Sparky

At the end of Danny the Champion of the World Roald Dahl adds a page with a special message.  The message is addressed to children but is clearly a plea aimed at the parents.  I wanted to spread the word and pass it on…

A MESSAGE

to Children Who Have Read This Book

When you grow up

and have children of your own

do please remember

something important

a stodgy parent is no fun at all

What a child wants

and deserves

is a parent who is

SPARKY

Today’s the day

12 months ago Rada and I made the exciting train journey down to Wembley and to experience the most exciting 0-0 I ever saw.

Tonight is the re-match and I’d settle for a 0-0 again.  It would be a dream for Montenegro to qualify for Euro 2012 but last month’s defeat to Wales has severely damaged a terrific qualifying campaign that saw the Falcons peak at 15th in the world rankings.  Not bad for a country of less than 700,000!

Maybe I’ve got my patriotism all screwed up but I’ll be longing for victory for the men in red and gold tonight!

Justice in the Riots

All this violence and anarchy gets my sense of justice swinging from one extreme to another.  I see the pictures of kids running wild with utter disrespect and self-indulgence and my anger gets my mind thinking about corporal punishment and retribution.  Then in my calmer moments I think of the individuals within the masses and the neglect that must have gone into their lives to send them to such actions.  Are we not all to blame?  And we not reaping the harvest of allowing the values of society to evaporate?

Part of me wants to cage them all like the animals they are acting like.  Leave the cages out in the elements for a few months in the middle of town.  Let the public mock them, beat them, humiliate them.  We might feel better for a while but it ain’t gonna heal the hurts of the community.

What would justice look like right now?

The Riots

It’s time for the nation to unite.  We’re on the brink of anarchy because of the actions of the minority.  We need to stand together to stop this.  I don’t know what we can do but I do know we need to be united.  Politicians, please don’t bicker or go for easy shots.

Part of me wants the army to take the streets – and maybe that would be the solution for now.  But it would be more powerful for the peaceful masses to take to the streets?  I do belief that peace will overcome violence.  Is there anything we can do to stop this for tomorrow night?

And then once the emergency is over, what are the consequences?  What should be done to those who have been caught?  Will it do any good to throw the book at them?  Probably not long term.  Our communities need serious restoration and reconciliation.  We need to pray for wisdom for our community leaders and our politicians to sort this mess out and to work out what needs to be done in the future.

This is bad bad stuff that’s going, we have got to use it as a catalyst to transform this country.  The perpetrators are out of order and need to face justice but they’re the victims too.  These kids are the victims of decades of policy that has alienated them from the police, schools, politicians and worst of all their parents.  We are one messed up society and for too long we have been blinded by our superiority complex.  We have looked around haughtily at other countries – called them animals for the atrocities they have committed.  Are we any better?

God help us.

 

RIP News of the World

It was so sad to see the last ever edition of the News of the World sat there on the counter in the newsagent. :’(

Fortunately we are still left with inspiring weekly publications such as The Sunday Mirror and The People. Their respective headline stories today are about a bloke called Dereck who is upset that Cheryl is taking Ashley back, and about the number of children that Will and Kate hope to have. It’s a relief to know the quality of the tabloids are still with us despite the tragedy that has struck the rock of integrity that was the News of the World.

What strike?

I have sympathy with people losing out on pensions they’ve been working towards….

…but I didn’t notice the strike at all.  I may have been the exception but f it wasn’t for the news I wouldn’t even have known the strike was on.  At work I had contact by phone, email and face to face with quite a few public sector workers so they can’t have been on strike.  And Anya’s school stayed open – thank you to the headteacher and all the staff there – you deserve praise for working today that can’t have been an easy decision.

It made lots of news but did anybody else feel much impact?