Obviously, war is an unpleasant business. Depending on your viewpoint, being a prisoner of war could be better or worse than being on the front line dodging bullets. When it comes to being a prisoner of war, the Geneva Convention governs the way you should be treated. I have always assumed that countries just paid lip-service to the convention and the realities of war made battlefield adherence almost impossible. Obviously, with the detaining of prisoners on both sides The Convention is important in the Iraq conflict. But, who decides what is humane treatment (article 13) or respect for honour (article 14)?

While having a brief look at The Convention, I came across The International Committee for the Red Cross’ pages on their work in Iraq. It’s almost been overlooked – as news media scramble for their own (exclusive) view on the war – that there are some more impartial observers. In reality, of course, the good people who work for the Red Cross must have opinions on the war but their daily reports make an interesting, alternative reading.

On this day…

2004: Here We Go Again
2004: Live From The Red Carpet
2004: Riding The Top Coasters In The World

It must be an odd career being a politician – whatever you do somebody will disagree. After all, there is there is always somebody with a different coloured rosette. If your opinions are not being shouted down in some debating chamber due to political differences then you run the risk of being called self-serving. It’s one job where you know you will not be popular everywhere.

So is Robin Cook, former Foreign Secretary and now former leader of the House of Commons, a man of integrity or self-serving? I don’t know him so I can’t answer that. What I do believe is his resignation speach last night was one of the best speeches I have ever seen by a politician. It wasn’t bitter (although there was a sadness to it) and there were no personal attacks (even though he resigned because he disagreed with Government policy). He is not leaving his post because of some scandal but because he feels he can’t continue to serve in a Cabinet that supports a war he does not. With it he loses the trappings of office (house, car, staff?) and returns to the back benches.

I don’t know much about Robin Cook. I know that last night’s address was remarkable. He was eloquent and appeared to speak with a sincerity and conviction you do not see often in the modern politician. His argument (regardless of your stance) was delivered with a calm clarity that is, also, unusual. I admired the fact that he spoke to the House of Commons before the press and seemed, genuinely, to respect the workings of the British democracy. Isn’t it a shame more politicians don’t do that?

Now, some have suggested throughout the day that he was positioning himself for a role if all goes wrong for Tony Blair. But doesn’t taking a stance and having the integrity to declare when you believe something is right or wrong mean that you are positioning yourself. You can’t do anything about that. If he is proved to have been right then it’s only proper that people turn to him in the months to come. If he is wrong at least he has his integrity intact. If more of our elected representatives cared more for the policies than public opinion or their image and more spoke with the passion that Robin Cook did, I think British politics would be a better place.

Perhaps Claire Short should take another night to think about it.

On this day…

2005: Myths Perpetuated By Queer Eye

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Something about this story alarms me. Basically, somebody in the US has had the bright idea of renaming French Fries and referring to them as Freedom Fries in protest at France’s stance to the action against Iraq.

Sure, it could be a humorous aside to some very serious issues facing the world. It’s not the actual story that I find distressing but the ideas behind it. I suspect that I am exaggerating the importance and relevance of it but why do some Americans find it so hard to accept that other nations have a different take on events and may have genuine reasons for opposition? It doesn’t make other nations bad.

Similiarly, the suggested “restrictions on French participation in any postwar construction projects in Iraq” [Yahoo] already implies that the US will be taking over and running things should war happen and the Iraqi regime be toppled. I do not believe that’s in the best interests of anybody.

Elsewhere, A US appeals court has ruled that prisoners held at a US military base in Cuba do not have the right to hearings in American courts [BBC]. It is suggested that they are not covered by the US Constitution as they are not being held on US soil. This may be fine but surely the basis of a democratic society is that it affords basic human rights to all. That’s also one of the things that sets us apart from the terrorists. Yet we continue to hold these people without charge and without access to legal advice. The very things that are supposed to make us civilised democracies are slowly being eroded and it’s allowed because we’re presented with a scenario that is supposed to make us scared. This can not be right.

On this day…

2005: Festen

There seem to be a lot of rumours about Arsenal footballer, Freddie Ljungberg. I thought his stance in the papers was one of the better ways for a celebrity to say that he is not gay without being offensive:

“I know what I am,” he says. “My family know I’m not gay and my girlfriend knows. But I’m not offended. Gay men can be very fashionable.” [The Mirror]

“I’m not gay. But gay men can be very fashionable, so maybe it’s a compliment.” [The Sun]

Now a real-gay celebrity, George Michael, appeared on Top of the Pops last night with his anti-war protest song, a cover of Don McLean’s The Grave [Yahoo!]. Not sure what I think of pop-stars and politics, but it’s good to hear the George is back on the television. Can you believe he has not been on Top of the Pops since his Wham days? Seems sad that a lot of the coverage was about the what t-shirts the backing singers wore.

I do like the fact that Will Young claims record bosses have told him not to mention he is gay if he wants to crack the US [Annanova] but do wonder how on earth that is going to be kept quiet over there given the publicity surrounding him on the web and in the press over here. It’ll be an interesting story to watch but I am not sure it can be in Will’s best interests.

On this day…

2007: I’m Silent. You Are Not.
2004: Defining Your Own Space
2004: Similarities At BBC Radio
2003: And The Years Pass

Years pass very quickly, don’t they? PY and I went to dinner last night with some friends. We have been friends since our university days and, last night, the old photographs came out. We all sat around having a laugh at the state we were in for four years. When you look back, in many ways, they were much more carefree days and I got to wondering where the time had gone. It was more-or-less ten years ago when we all left and headed out with hopes and dreams into the big wide world. Life has been good to me but I do note that, back then, I had no clue about what was coming up in my life. I had no clue that the internet would change the way I do a lot of things.

What shocked me most, of course, was the realisation that it actually was ten years ago. It seems much less and that’s what set off the chain of melancholy. Have I regretted anything over the last ten years? No, I can honestly say that I haven’t. I enjoy my life and feel very privileged to have good friends and colleagues. Nevertheless, ten years has passed and that is a long time. It reminds me that our years here are limited and I must continue to make the most every day. Funny, how these thoughts enter your head.

On this day…

2007: I’m Silent. You Are Not.
2004: Defining Your Own Space
2004: Similarities At BBC Radio
2003: Freddie, Will and George

Last night I went to dinner with a good friend and we went to a very decent kind of fish restaurant. The evening was great – and not too much drink was consumed – despite the stand off in the street with a taxi convoy heading in one direction (I am sat in the back of the second taxi) and a car in the other direction refusing to move so that the trail of cabs could pass.

The most amusing thing of the evening was, however, the comment of one our fellow diners. The very well-dressed lady accompanying the gentlemen at the next table was heard to say,

Of all the men I go out with each week, you are the only one where I don’t look at my watch during the evening.

Now, each to their own and no judgement shall be passed on their relationship. I just found the line amusing and quite sorry for the other men who clearly bore her.

On this day…

2004: It Was 20 Years Ago

Looking at the referrer logs for this site, a lot of people are getting here thanks to my mention of Ben Affleck in tight leather (I assume in my Daredevil review). If you really want a picture of Ben Affleck in tight leather, go here, here or here.

The official Daredevail site is here. Enjoy

On this day…

2005: More Politics
2004: St David's Day
2003: Haunted Castle

Here we go again. Following on from the 23-mile traffic problems on the M4 and the Chancery Lane tube crash, the South East of England was hit by a snow storm. Not an unexpected event in January and one that the weather forecasters got right two days ago. Nevertheless, snow on the ground brings the South East to a halt. Even the Underground was hit (strange, but true).

I was in a taxi on my way home last night from central London and many of the main routes seemed to have been missed by the gritting teams. Still, my taxi driver was able to get me home safely which is more than the poor souls on the M11 who spent upwards of twenty hours trapped on a snow-swept, frozen motorway going nowhere [BBC].

Why is it that weather treats commuters so badly? Wrong leaves, wrong snow, frozen points, iced snow-blocked roads? Not one of these weather conditions should be a shock to the transport planners. Sadly, I don’t understand. I suspect bad planning (incompetence, even) and I doubt things will change. Has the past week been exceptional or is this really how it is and I have just got to the point where I feel I should write about it? Let’s hope next week brings relief from public transport woes.

On this day…

2004: Maybe Somebody Was Listening
2004: Forgotten Credits
2004: Supporting Greg
2004: Where In The World
2004: Desert Drag

I’ve been thinking some more about my current blog theme – transportation. What is it that makes people so selfish when it comes to transport? How many times have you been pushed out of the way on the trains or tubes by other commuters who feel that they have some kind of right to be on a train before you? How many times have you been stuck in a traffic queue because some selfish driver is blocking a side road, box junction or hogging the middle lane of the motorway – all to get them a precious few seconds nearer their destination? How many times have you wanted to pull the headphones off a fellow commuter because they refuse to turn down the volume? How many times have you seen an idiot holding their mobile in one hand and trying to turn the wheel, single-handed, round a corner missing you by inches because they are not in control? New research says that even hands-free kits are no good: Drivers who use a mobile telephone, even with a “hands-free” device, suffer from a kind of tunnel vision that endangers themselves and others [Source: Reuters]. What is it that makes people behave this way and, more importantly, why do I find it so frustrating to witness?

On this day…

2006: Happy Birthday