One of the true heroines

I posted some time ago about Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

And today was heartened to find this story posted on my facebook wall.

It is amazing to hear her speak and not just read an interview.

Although the guardian interview by the wonderful Polly Toynbee that I read of hers was very thought provoking, also.

I love the positivity that she has and the strength and confidence she has in her thoughts and feelings.

Truly, an inspiration.

When will the British press learn to handle terrorism sensitively?

Ok, the title here is a little incendiary and there are some papers that manage not to use the words 'Gotcha' when referring to death and destruction, but some of the reaction to Bin Laden's death has been as looney as Muslim fundamentalists themselves are preported to be.

I am not supporting the repression of women or the destruction of western civilization, but neither do I really want to gloat about anyone's death, no matter how evil they are supposed to be.

Plus I'm sick of hearing reasoning that throws all Muslims into the same category.

We can not talk of how Muslims are anymore than we can talk about how Christians are.

Both religions are broad and encompass many different views and levels of strict adherence.

I certainly do not consider any of the Muslims I know to be in any way akin to Bin Laden, because they are not and to even loosely suggest that they are is wrong and stupid.

As for the Bin Laden killing, vengence is a dangerous thing and rarely brings a positive result.

The White House seem capable of being considered, why not the media at large.

Since when was encouragement immoral?

I was looking on youtube to find some uplifting music and I came across this.

It shocked me and so I went to the site.

And it turns out that it's promotion for a Bret Easton Ellis novel.

I was going to leave it there, but there was a game attached, so I had a look.

Evil encouragement

I was even more perturbed to discover that for having 'encouraged' the actress in the clips I was marked for having made an immoral choice.

Is there something morally wrong with encouragement?

I always thought it was a way of helping people find their own confidence.

I'm sure the book is a good one and the way it has been advertised is innovative, but I'm still confused as to why saying good words to someone is a bad thing.

The world wouldn't be a good place if we only threw insults at everyone...

The BSkyB merger is NOT a done deal

The decision is not yet made on the BSkyB merger.

It is possibly the most significant thing happening to the media in this country at the moment.

The campaign against it, or at least to make it properly considered and unbiased is still going on.

I am biased.

I'm biased against bias.

Watch just one single clip of Fox news.

It is surely not what any sane person would want.

Even if you agree with every word a broadcaster said, would you really want everyone else to only ever hear that point of view?

Honestly, would you?

I don't want to hear my point of view all day, it would drive me nuts and I, would, learn, nothing.

Please sign the petition, add your own perspective, write to your MP or just send the template.

Please.

This is so important.

Also, Big Up to Polly Toynbee for her great comment pieces and taking my flier, I am rarely so star struck.

To no-fly or not to no-fly...

The eruption of open activity in the Middle East left me shocked, in a hopeful way.

The crackdown that I feared is howling in Libya.

So, what do we do?

In all honesty I didn't feel qualified enough to comment.

An article in the guardian on the issue of a no-fly zone has given me the confidence to form some kind of opinion.

Have a look if you're feeling a little at sea.

It won't make you an expert, but it will make you feel a little less clueless.

I'm probably not going to post on it, but my thoughts are also with those in Japan.

And then there was Saudi Arabia

I can't quite believe this is all happening.

It just doesn't seem real.

I really hope this is the beginning of something good, but it's scary.

For calm engaging analysis turn to Radio 4.

Many more posts in the offing, but I just had to say it, to anyone who's reading.

If I prayed I would pray, but I don't so just know it's on my mind.

Black Swan

Black Swan has been lauded by everyone it seems and it has a lot going for it, but I'm not sure it deserves quite the level of praise it is getting.

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a committed member of a ballet company who are about to put on Swan Lake. The role that she wins proves to be the start and not the end of her problems.

Her insecurities run wild and spin her into destruction.

Portman puts in a brilliant performance as both sides of Nina that I would struggle to fault, but the film overall doesn't quite seem to deliver on my expectations.

What is being played out is all too clear and the characterisations are truly wonderful, but at times it is simply too brash and stilted.

It is hard to put my finger on exactly what I didn't like about this film, after all the supporting actors are perfect and the characterisations life like, but I just wasn't left as wowed as everyone else seems to be.

I guess I just feel it's almost there, but not quite, ironic in the extreme for such subject matter.

It seems to want to be as much horror as drama and I'm not sure it works.

It doesn't help that Swan Lake has never been a favoured plot of mine.

I prefer Coppelia, the woman is still standing at the end of that one.