Kudos to the witty people who dreamt these up, here is my top 5 of the weekend ‘likes’:

5.     The awkward moment when you realise that Osama Bin Laden made 7 horcruxes

4.     Pippa Middleton is single – Prince Harry likes this.

3.     The nun who wore reeboks to the royal wedding (you need the link to fully understand this: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=824570441&ref=ts#!/pages/The-nun-who-wore-reeboks-to-the-royal-wedding/198523793518383?sk=wall&filter=12)

2.     It’s Amazing what the Americans can do when the PS3 Network is down

1.     A prince gets married, the bad guy is dead. It’s a real Disney weekend

Also it seems that Obama failed to pay attention to the words of a very wise man back in 2007. Had this man been dictating foreign policy, Bin Laden would have been found a long time ago:

In all seriousness though, it has been quite a positive Bank Holiday weekend for the western world, but no doubt we will begin to suffer the reprisals soon enough…

After weeks of slating the hype surrounding the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, I rather ashamedly turned on the television at 10.00am this morning and did not turn it off until 1.30pm.

The Oxford Dictionary definition of hypocrisy it would seem.

I honestly did not care who it was get married as when it boiled down to it, it was wedding . . . which is usually a nice occasion that any member of the public enjoys watching. Still, the O.T.T ‘die-hards’ sickened me, the monotonous commentary of Huw Edwards bored me, but the whole event brought a smile to my face and the odd chuckle . . . usually aimed towards a poorly dressed guest.

It did not make me proud to be British as to be honest there is little to be proud of when considering modern Britain. The wedding did not make me proud, but one particular aspect of the whole event did, if only glimpsed for ten seconds. Two objects of British military prowess, the work of some Britain’s greatest individuals: the ‘dam-busting’ Lancaster bomber and the ‘back-bone’ of the RAF of the 1940s, the Supermarine Spitfire.  Two aircraft that saved Britain in the face of evil. The low hum as the aircraft approaches and the roar as it flys overheard raises the hairs on the back of your neck.

I wish the married couple health and happiness and I do believe that this generation of the Royal Family may turn the tide of Republicanism that runs through elements of the British population. I am not yet a total convert but I guess this joyous and rather understated occasion is a start…

To view highlights from the wedding follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010x7lw

Louis Theroux: America’s Most Hated Family In Crisis

“One of the chief workers of iniquity in the whole history of man.”

Louis Theroux’s documentaries are both immensely enjoyable and infuriating, when it boils down to religion. If you happened to catch last nights “Most Hated Family in America in Crisis” you would definitely understand what I mean.

The most entertaining and infuriating moments in this episode were the Westboro Baptist Church‘s frequent picketing at funerals, universities and anywhere else they could be an inconvenience to the American people, singing ‘anti-gay’ chants to the tunes of ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ and ‘Poker Face’. I don’t whether I missed the point but ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’: Queen, Freddie Mercury, gay. ‘Poker Face’: Lady Gaga, LBGT supporter.

If “God hates fags”, wouldn’t he hate them singing ’fag’ music, even if they do turn every word of it into a homophobic slur? Surely God hates everything that comes from these so-called ‘fags’?

Although these are the right wing extreme of the extremist minorities of Christianity . . . yes that sentence structure is extremely poor . . . they fully demonstrate that religion cannot be a force for ‘good’. Fundamentalism can be, and has been, seen in many different forms but has never been dealt with in force. For Westboro, they can claim the First Amendment as a get-out clause! Even more ‘moderate’ religious groups advocate gender inequality and intolerance to others and get away with it, so no-one can be excused really.

Should modern civilisations still be dictated by the primitive laws of religions that were founded over a thousand years ago? Religions that allow individuals to ignore logic and rationality, the foundation of modern thought.

Back to the programme . . . Theroux’s approach is direct and often humorous, taking every insult thrown at him on the chin and somehow managing to avoid laughing in their face in the process. He makes no attempt to make them look bad . . .  as they don’t need any help in that respect. Unfortunately, by the end of this episode it seems that the title is in fact untrue. The Phelps clan is not in crisis . . . far from it, it seems. The dissenters have been forgotten about (condemned to a life of sin), they are continuing their attacks on the ‘fags’, the Jews and Barack Obama while preparing for the ‘secondcoming’.

They, just like religion in general, will not stop. But at least, a few ‘saw the light’ and got away . . .

Take a look at Louis’ article on his thoughts surrounding the documentary here: - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12919646

In this short space of time I have:

• completed my final year dissertation
• completed and handed in two essays
• turned 21!

Thus, the reason why I have neglected WordPress . . . for too long it would seem.

I have to just end this post by showing off an amazing keep sake I received from one of my very best friends for my birthday: -

Original Rolling Stone magazine: March 1990 . . . with Keith and Mick on the cover!

An insightful look at the Palestinian and Israeli struggles in the West Bank by the atheist Louis Theroux tonight on ‘Louis Theroux – Ultra-Zionist.’ It is remarkable how he manages to become so involved with both religious groups and develop, what it seems, fairly trusting relationships with some of the most despicable and delusional characters on this earth. Not only in this documentary but in countless others before it, conversing with neo-Nazis, convicts and drug dealers amongst others.

What this particular documentary demonstrates is the destruction caused by religion on whole countries, towns, villages and even families. Religion has incited hatred for thousands of years and, obviously, continues today. Yet apparently we live in a modern, educated world but still we hear of:

• Jews fighting Muslims
• Muslims fighting Christians
• Christians fighting Jews

If there was/is a God why would he/she allow this to happen?

I urge you to take a look at this brilliant documentary, as it really highlights how senseless this all is and that clearly “religion is the root of all evil”…

BBC iPlayer link: – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00g2kjm

Our banter usually focusses around two of New Jersey’s greatest exports: Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi.

Yes, much debate surrounds who, in fact, is the greatest asset to the rock scene of the past thirty to forty years . . . with myself arguing for the latter.

However this conversation occurred a matter of days ago, which led to a bit of thinking:

Friend: (girlfriend) has just been watching Glee whilst I was doing something manly (like hammering nails whilst drinking real ale and swearing) and I happen to hear a Bon Jovi song. Surprisingly I’ve yet to hear a Springsteen song. Probably because he would never lower himself to selling his songs to an American teen comedy show.

(debate ensues)

Friend: Glee is the death-knell for good ageing rock music

Through the magic of wikipedia I then discover that Glee has in fact covered a Bruce Springsteen song and the debate ends.

However does he have a point? Will or has Glee brought about the death of cool classic rock music? Does the opinion of a rock band such as Bon Jovi or an artist such as Bruce Springsteen change when the artists’ songs are covered by a bunch of outcast teens in a high school glee club? One could argue it does as it brings their music to a mass audience. The importance of the lyrics or the music itself can be lost when a song is covered. Yet this is also the same for such hyped up shows like X-Factor where the whole audition process through to the final itself sees its contestants only covering major pop songs.

Then again isn’t good that these songs are being brought to a mass audience, albeit not in their original format?

I am one of the minority of heterosexual men who watch Glee and for myself it has helped to expand my musical library and tastes. However I never buy the Glee cover, only the original for those reasons mentioned above. It has led me to buy other tracks or albums by the same artist also. For example: Kiss, Aerosmith, The Doors and yes, even Bruce Springsteen.

So . . . answers on a postcard, is the “Glee-ification of rock music good or bad?

1. Get at least a 2:1 in my degree to get me on a good PGCE course
2. Celebrate my 21st in style in Las Vegas with friends
3. Hire a convertible and drive out into the desert

Yes the last one is a rather strange and simple goal but it has been one of my aims in life for a very long time:  to drive out into the remote desert to watch the sunset and hopefully having some sort of epiphany in the process. I don’t know why but I have some strange fascination with the American desert. Such is the reason behind the selection of the Monument Valley landscape on my blog . . . maybe I was a Navajo in another life?

As the famous West Side Story song goes: “I like to be in America!” And if I get to “be in America” this year then I will truly be happy.

Happy New Year to all!

Each week I am persuaded by my university lecturer to join the fight against the ConDems and show solidarity by joining the protests in London. And every time it falls on deaf ears.

Why would I want to be associated with the scum who deface national monuments and hang off Union Jack flags?

Why would I want to be one of the many who say they are proud to fight against the rise in tuition fees but feel the need to cover their faces up to hide their identities?

I am in no way a patriotic person, I am not necessarily proud to be British but when I see  pictures such as these below it certainly makes my blood boil.

Student "remembering" the Glorious Dead

Men my age and younger died to save democracy, to allow us to have a free education, to maintain our human rights. They were never able to have a privileged university education but instead died far from home in a foreign field.

And this is how they are remembered . . .

The student’s response to this was that he did not know what the monument was?!? Did he not see the words “the Glorious Dead” engraved on it? Seems like he is as thick as shit for a “privately educated” young man.

It is at times like these when I begin to feel that we should be charged more for our education. Why should we have it all on a plate for free? That is what a lot of people in this country seem to want.

And maybe thats what we need as well . . . another major war . . . so then we will realise what hardship really is. And maybe get rid of some of this scum in the process.

Leslie Nielsen as Lt. Frank Drebin

An absolute comic legend has passed away.

Leslie Nielsen, star of “Airplane” and “Naked Gun”, sadly died yesterday at the grand age of 84. His films have pretty much formed my taste in film today. Certainly modern films such as “Anchorman” and “The Hangover” have gained cult status during this decade but many of Leslie Nielsen’s films manage to entertain generations thirty years or more after they were released. His deadpan humour and his ingenious one-liners are what make these films such hits.

There will not be another comedian like Leslie Nielsen!

Here is just a small collection of some of my favourite Drebin one-liners: -

• “Que sera sera . . . You do speak French don’t you? Drebin: “Unfortunately no . . . . but I do kiss that way”
• “Doctor, but we’ve got a long road ahead of us. It’s like having sex. It’s a painstaking and arduous task that seems to go on and on forever, and just when you think things are going your way, nothing happens.”
• “Looks like the cows have come home to roost”
• “Like a blind man at an orgy, I was going to have to feel my way through”
• “The truth hurts doesn’t it, Hapsburg. Oh sure, maybe not as much as jumping on a bicycle with the seat missing, but it hurts”

Here is a very fitting Youtube tribute to the great man himself: -

Off the top of my head that is all I could think of. However it is a good start if you want to learn the language of my neck of the woods. Enjoy!