The Troubles

So, another 21 policemen have been injured trying to keep Nationalists/Republicans and Protestant/Orangemen apart in various cities during the Northern Ireland marching season – read about it here.

Some claim that these “parades” are representative of Irish culture. While it is true that some marches commemorate such things as men lost in the battle of the Somme in the Great War, most celebrate various victories/atrocities dating back to the 17th century such as the Battle of the Boyne and the Siege of Derry. Strange “culture” that.

So, while places like South Africa try and heal their wounds through bodies like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Northern Ireland continually rubs salt into very old wounds by marching to assert “control” over various parts of Northern Ireland or to remind “the other side” of past defeats.

Good idea! Perhaps we should declare our right to march through Berlin twice a year – the 8th of May and 11th November would be good for me. And we could perhaps stop off at Waterloo and/or Agincourt en route……..I’m sure our old enemies would welcome us with open arms.

Why do we allow such things to carry on in a supposedly modern and secular democracy?

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Michael Jackson RIP

Now I know that there’s not much to do in Bridgend, Wales, on a wet summer’s day but come on! There was something wrong with the reaction of two middle-aged Welsh ladies when Sky News gave them free tickets to the Michael Jackson Memorial Concert this morning – read about it here. They acted like eleven year old girls at a Take That concert.

I simply do not understand all the adulation. Yes he was a good singer. Yes he was a fantastic dancer. And, yes, he was a brilliant performer. But, despite his Jesus-like performance at the 1996 Brit Awards (God bless you Jarvis Cocker – see it here), and to quote Monty Python, he was “not the Messiah” but “a very naughty boy!” This is a person who blew a large fortune. This is a person who, allegedly, abused his body with prescription pills. This is a person who definitely abused his body through surgery. This is a person who seemingly could not accept his colour or the ageing process. This is a person who, at best, acted inappropriately with small boys. Hardly a role model.

I am always amazed how the public adore those of us who are most flawed. Michael Jackson has received Jade Goody cum Princess Diana-like adulation since his sad and untimely death. I am just hoping that today’s funeral and the Memorial Concert will be the end of it. And, I hope that someone is looking after the giraffes at Neverland.

Michael, thanks for the music and I hope that, now, they’ll let you rest in peace.

One very strange side-effect of poor Michaels’ demsie is the number of people who appear to be finding my blog using the search “La Toya Jackson nude” or “La Toya Jackson naked”…..glad to see the real fans are still out there!

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