Principles vs A Quiet Life

This past couple of weeks my principles have been sorely tried on several fronts. Personally and politically, sometimes the two are inseparable.

Firstly, things appear to be changing in such a way that, if the road is followed to its logical conclusion, my knowledge and experience will count for nothing, and I will be no more than a shelf-stacking, till operator.

Next, I had a dreadful row with my sister and for a while thought it would be irreconcilable.

Then the row over the BNP; should they or should they not be allowed to appear on BBC’s Question Time?

The last seems trivial but drives to the heart of tolerance. I wanted to review a book called The Atheist’s Guide To Christmas. It might seem daft to most of you, but to someone feeling unable to say they try to be a Christian without seeing the looks that pass between colleagues, or at worst, being ridiculed, it’s a difficult matter. Made worse by the feeling that others have a protection I don’t. I have seen Muslims preach their beliefs without hindrance, yet at another time Christians moved on for theirs – both were anti-gay.

Why would that happen? Both have the right to their beliefs.

I’m not going to go into a religious or theological discourse, but I can say
that I sometimes I believe in God, and sometimes I don’t. I do believe in Jesus; he did exist. Given that he said things like turn the other cheek, blessed are the peacemakers, that we should help people regardless of who or what they are, I think his are pretty good principles to live by.

And that’s what I try to do. Not always successfully.

So why is it that of all the principles I hold dear, it is my Christian ones that people act to make me feel bad about. Would my review of the book been seen in any light other than an honest review? If I didn’t like it, would my beliefs be tabled as the reason why?

While I’m struggling with this dilemma, I read about the BNP and the row over whether or not they should be on Question Time, and I slammed into another principle; my belief in free speech. Generally attributed to Voltaire, but most likely a summation of his beliefs, at school I came across the quotation:

‘I may not like what you say, but I defend to the death your right to say it’.

Much hot debate, over many, many hours, ensued at school over this. If we live in a democracy, if lives have been lost in wars fought over freedom and democracy, then the principle of free speech cannot be trifled with lightly; it cannot be applied to some and not others. Given that Sinn Fein and the IRA were given a voice (albeit by actors at one time) during the height of the Northern Ireland ‘troubles’, that we give a voice to all sorts of vile, obnoxious people, both at home and abroad, then we cannot be hypocritical and say no to the BNP, no matter how much we dislike or despise their views. Driving these people off the air feeds their ability to recruit people to their cause. Public debate, where they have to defend their views, can do them more damage.

I’m a human being with all the faults, foibles, and shortcomings that come with that condition. There is much I would like to speak out about, but I have a family to feed and a roof to keep over our heads. Such is the nature of our democracy, that a humble worker can be silenced by fear of retribution, so I feel beholden to fight the corner on behalf of free speech when I can.
Political correctness and the current move towards State control, curbs and hinders debate on a great many issues that are festering underneath the surface of society. The BNP should have their place on Question Time; all religious, political, and social issues should be aired. It is only through honest and open debate that we can eliminate misconceptions, present the facts, and get a fair picture of what the public think and want.

The review will be published here tomorrow.

My sister and I are fine – forgiveness is hard but worth the struggle - I have the chocolates to prove it! :)

What A Speech...

...what a man.

Click on title to watch this 86 year old veteran advocate gay rights. Womderful.

Mumford and Sons

I discovered this band ages ago and have had to rely on the web for their music. Finally their first album is released, so guess where I'm going tomorrow lunch time!

Formed in 2007, the band played various pubs and clubs until they had a collections of songs which they took on the road, winning fans as they went, me included. You can hear the influences throughout their music, from blue grass to folk to country, creating their own special sounds, made all the richer by the sexy gravel voice of Marcus Mumford.

Frankfurt Book Fair Protest

The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's largest, and this year has invited the Chinese as guest of honour. An interesting choice, as China regularly bans hundreds of books, jails and tortures writers, and is amongst the world's worst for human rights abuses. Given the use and power of the written word throughout history as a means of protest and a catalyst for change, and the book industry's defence of 'freedom of speech' via the written medium, it is equally interesting that just one lone protester got through the heavy police presence. He held up a single sheet of A4 paper asking in German and Chinese Where is Huang Jinqiu?


Huang Jinqiu is a writer, journalist, and internet essayist currently residing in one of China's prisons. He disappeared into the penal system for five months before his family were informed of his whereabouts. When the case finally came to court, it is reported that a verdict could not be reached for lack of evidence. Eventually Huang Jinqiu was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and four years' deprivation of political rights for “organizing, planning and carrying out subversive activities” and for writing “reactionary” articles on the internet .

It is believed that Huang was transferred to Pukou Prison, near Nanjing City and that here he was routinely ill treated and abused, denied access to books, and housed with criminals who were encouraged to mistreat him. Allegedly the abuse was so severe that Huang was at risk of a mental breakdown.

Unlike their walk out in September, this time the Chinese delegation did not leave the building. A public symposium was held in the middle of the month by the Book Fair organisers, entitled "China and the World - Perceptions and Realities", also the theme for the fair. When dissident writers Dai Qing and Bei Ling took to the stage, the Chinese delegation walked out. General Secretary of PEN, Herbert Wiesner took to the stage, calling after the officials: "That is the wrong signal!"

The symposium was supposed to dismantle prejudices.

Review: The Secret - Byrne

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

I picked this up to see what the fuss was all about and hoped it might be insightful in some way. I'm still no wiser as to why anyone would part with hard cash for The Secret.

If this is a centuries old secret, how did Ms Byrne come across it? Apparently she had "a glimpse of the truth through a 100 year old book". She then goes off "through centuries, tracing and uncovering a common truth that lay at the core of the most powerful philosophies, teachings and religions in the world."

Laws of Attraction, the Power of Positive Thought, common themes in The Secret, neither of which are such a big secret after all. Clever marketing and packaging has made this a seller, along with people's need for some sort of spiritual refreshment, and a speedy way to get what we want without the need for hard work.

No doubt people will say its worked for them, and that's fine. I'd say that if you are in need of some sort of spiritual, emotional, or psychological help, and want to seek advice from a book, then there are at least a dozen other books that actually are worth their price. NOT this one.

Review: He's Just Not That Into You - Behrendt & Tuccillo

He's Just Not That into You: The No-excuses Truth to Understanding Guys

by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

I’m not a fan of many of the self-help books out there, and don’t get me started on the rubbish in women’s magazines – this however is very different.

This is a real eye-opener of a book that I came across when tidying the shop at the end of the day. The book came out of a conversation between Greg and his fellow Sex and the City writers, and I’m glad I did. Every woman should read it, every mother should give one to their daughters. It lays out in plain English all those things we secretly or subconsciously know about men and realtionships, but just refuse to acknowledge. It explodes the myths we tell ourselves on the same subject.

If you’ve ever sat by the phone waiting for him to ring, or he’s not happy being called your boyfriend, or he keeps cancelling you for his friends then this book is for you. Every possible scenario, with every known female excuse is highlighted and answered, with insight and humour.

Read this book regardless of your relationship status, but I warn you, there will be embarassing cringe-moments when you realise what a fool you've made of yourself over a man. Stick with it, you'll be amazed at what you learn.

Review: The Faithful Tribe - Ruth Dudley Edwards

The Faithful Tribe: An Intimate Portrait of the Loyal Institutions

What I find intriguing is that the author, Ruth Dudley Edwards, is a Dublin-born, Roman Catholic. The expected response from her time with the Orange Order would be an exultant disparagement, what we get however is a sympathetic journey by a Roman Catholic writer who shows how the Protestant Orange Order has been ill-served by their leaders, is often misrepresented in the Press, but at its heart is not violently anti-catholic and they are certainly not as one review writes:

"nothing more than 1000 Ian Paisley clones marching down the street."

This is the confusion that all Protestants are Orangemen and that all Orangemen and Protestants believe the same as one man.

She quotes the Worshipful Master of one Lodge:

“The Orange Order is not bigoted... It is a religious order there to protect the beliefs of Protestant people. In the opening pages you pray for your Roman Catholic Brethren. I don't dictate to the Catholic man where he should go to church . . . I'll not condemn any man's religion except Paisley for he's divided everybody.”

Whether they are bigoted or not - she points to the disputes regarding the parades and suggests that had it not been for the Republican and Nationalist PR machine presenting them in the light of violent sectarian bigotry, the parades would have continued on the road they were heading down - becoming smaller and more centred on the band concerts and family day out with a picnic.

This may be contentious, but when she also highlights the fact that the Parades Commission took no action against the Gaelic Athletic Association parades, with its nationalist and republican political background, waving the Irish flag and playing equally provocative music, you can at least understand the reaction of the Orange Order. Unlike the IRA and Sinn Fein who embraced the use of PR, Orangemen foolishly didn’t, and as a result they have consistently suffered in the media, so this book goes someway to redressing their demonisation.

Whilst the author covers the pressures that have brought a reaction in which militant and violent people have come into the organisation and who serve the republican cause by their behaviour, I do not feel she address this problem or the unease felt about them. We are, however, taken past the cartoon image and into a culture that feels frustrated, betrayed, and at worst, under siege.

Review: The Gravedigger's Daughter - Oates

The Gravedigger's Daughter

It isn’t often I give up on a book, but this one did not capture my interest at all. Highly recommended from my reading group, I took it up with pleasure as I had not read any of Joyce Carol Oates before.
The main character is Rebecca, the daughter of German-Jewish immigrants, living and growing up during the 1930s and 40s. This is a world of abject poverty, made worse by prejudice, and a tyrannical father who fears the world. He is a bitter man and instills some of that fear in Rebecca. "Hide your weakness from them and one day we will repay them! Our enemies who mock us."

She marries, has a child, there's a tragedy - I found it tedious in the extreme. It was suggested that because the writer is American maybe those of us who disliked it, didn’t like the American style and idiom. I considered this, but I read far too many American authors for that to be the case.

No, for me this book was awful, and while the characters started as mildly interesting, what little appeal they had was lost as I read on with interminable boredom. I’m sure that those who love Oates will have much to say on the merits of the book, but dull, dreary and exasperating, just about sums it up for me.

Review: The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Albom

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

I’ve had to have a good long think about what to write because Albom’s book could be so easily dismissed. It is in great part very sentimental, but does that make it less of a good read? I say not.

The premise is that the five people you meet in heaven all have something to tell you about your life, to help explain it to you. Everyone’s heaven is different, and the five people are not who you might necessarily expect to meet. That was certainly the case for Eddie, the main character. Albom cleverly takes us through Eddie’s life by means of visiting his birthdays down the years; we learn so much in such a small amount of writing.

It is a fascinating exploration of the many and diverse effects people have on each other, whether they have met or not; and of how connected we are without realising it. This isn’t one of the greatest works of fiction ever written, but it’s definitely worth reading.

Is it life-changing? Maybe. Maybe not. What I can say, is that it certainly made me stop and think about how I and my actions might affect others. Read it and make up your own mind.

Review: Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

Aubrey has been left home alone but no-one knows. At first she enjoys the freedom, but we know that whatever has happened to bring Aubrey to this situation, she is hiding away - the truth is just too painful for her to face. Eventually her grandmother arrives and takes Aubrey back home with her, and as Aubrey settles slowly into a new life, going to a new school, and making new friends, we learn what has happened.

Through the painful process of coming to terms with what life has thrown at her and adapting to a new environment, Aubrey writes letters to an imaginary friend, keeping her close to Savannah, her sister, and helping her deal with the anger and confusion. Supported by her grandmother, new friends and teachers, Aubrey learns to move on and build a new life, realising that whatever has been taken from her, she hasn’t lost everything.

Love, Aubrey could easily have slipped into a quagmire of self-pity, woe and misery; what saves it, is the writing. Told in the first person, through the innocent naivety of eleven year old Aubrey, LaFleur writes brilliantly about grief and loss. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funny, always keeping hold of my attention, Love, Aubrey is a book I couldn’t put down. A superb read that I would recommend for adults as well as , and I recommend it for adults as well as children. Excellent.

Great Event - Gary Walker

We have Gary Walker, from the 1960s pop trio The Walker Brothers, talking about his book, at the Firestation. Back in the mid 60s, their fan club in the UK was larger than that of the Beatles.

Gary and John decided that, with so much written about themselves and the group, it was time to set the record straight. Their book is about what really did happen and what life was like as members of one of the biggest bands of the 60s.

Get your tickets from the Firestation.

Here is a the goup singing 'Take It Easy' and a Simon Dee interview with Gary in 1965, I believe.

Back Again

It was my intention to finish the reviews, blog, tweet and generally get up to date whilst visiting my family in Salisbury. What would have been helpful, indeed vital, was packing my laptop's power cable. So after two hours or so, lappytoppy was dead.

*sigh*

I am even further behind than before, now. At least I had a nice relaxing time...almost all the time. A late-night-early-hours-of-the-morning trip to A&E with Daughter The Second was necessary, but knocked everyone sleep out of kilter. A very cute doctor though - DTS was impressed.

Still, I have today and tomorrow before I face working for my living again. Reviews will be written, tweets twittered, notes blogged, and housework done. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, in among all that I'll get a chance to work on my book and relax. Ha!

Eternal optimism - alive, well, and living in my house!

Review: Bruno, Chief of Police

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker
How often can you say that a crime novel should come with a ‘shop first’ warning? Well this one should, in the best possible way, but more of that later…

I love this book! Bruno Courreges, our eponymous hero and local policeman, proudly draws you in with a charming Gallic arm around your shoulder, and shows you the small town he has chosen to make his home. Before you know it, you’re sitting down, glass of wine in hand, in cosy camaraderie with the inhabitants of St Denis, as their life gently unfolds around you.

To begin with a simple police report and then launch into a description of a policeman and the peculiar, tangled, personal contents of his small white van is a strange start, but it is so universally appealing that you have to read on. Within a couple of pages you are wishing yourself in France and cheering on the locals as they battle with EU Hygiene Inspectors. However, this rural idyll is shattered by a brutal murder that, by appearing to be racially motivated, unleashes an invasion of Police Nationale detectives, bureaucrats from Paris, TV news crews, and a mob of National Front thugs who cause a riot in the town.

Around this Bruno uses his vital local knowledge and connections to skirt the main investigation and reveal the wartime roots of the killing. Martin Walker has written a fine mystery - funny, sad, and eccentric with a smattering of love-interest and a great reflection of life in rural France. It is also a pacy and utterly compelling story in the best traditions of British crime writing.

A word of warning - this story is awash with food so be prepared - shop for wine, baguettes, pate and such like…as this is also a gastronomic delight! (Where does Bruno hide his recipe book?)

Review: Wasted by Mark Johnson

Wasted by Mark Johnson
‘Misery memoirs’ are not for me. One or two have been worth the pain and anguish of reading; clearly shining a light into dark corners society would rather remain hidden, but too many are jumping on the band wagon, however cruel and heartless that may seem. While they are no doubt great therapy for the writer, quite what the reader is meant to gain I’m not sure. So when my reading group presented me with two books, I ended up reading Wasted only because I disliked the alternative too much.

Words like raw, brutal, and agonising, spring to mind in describing this book, but so do tender, brave, and honest. Mark doesn’t take us on a full journey through his life from childhood, through addiction and rehabilitation to the ‘green pastures’ he now finds himself in. He doesn’t pull his punches but writes simply and honestly about his years of abuse, addiction and offending. Although I have had experience in talking about drugs and addiction, I have never understood the attraction. No-one has ever been able to give me an explanation as to why the buzz is so attractive - until now. Mark’s vivid description of a high, made me sit up and take notice. So that’s how it feels – that’s why they go back for more.

This is an amazing book. Every parent, social worker, teacher, probation officer, in fact anyone who works with for and on behalf of children, should read it.