Kew the Ducks (in Kew Gardens) and Jimmy Carr on Tax

Now that February is with us I personally feel a little more energetic and energised - this w/e at Kew Gardens - really cold but looks like the gardeners have been very busy with many borders cleared and ready for planting.

Not all Orchids are White or cream

But some are

Spent a little time in Princess of Wales Conservatory which will shortly have Orchid show and it seems some Chinese New Year decorations (Year of the Dog- Feb 16th).

'Great Shot' says Ealing Gazette

It's a great place to take photo's and having been back in the local paper - I'm busy 'snapping again and as that picture featured 'Ducks' I'm keeping an eye on them.

Stepping out

Kew Ducks on Parade in Kew

Jimmy Carr

Room 101 the BBC TV show is (it seems to me) evolving into something more akin to a chat show, I'm conscious that there's a tendency to keep things light - no one suggests putting Stalin, Mao or other figures who persecuted and killed into Room 101 -the men responsible for so many deaths in the 20th Century are not a subject for banishment?

It was though good to see Jimmy Carr revisiting his own personal humiliation over 'underpaying/avoidance' of  tax ( but who likes paying more tax than they need to?)- should we expect a Comedian to be so much better than Politicians (or the UK's Queen)?

If it's wrong why not try and stop high earners from their Tax avoidance surely a job for Government?

Last days of 'Monument' by Susan Hiller at Tate Modern (1st Courage)

Being at Philosophy Class on Thursday was making me consider how we choose things - I chose to go to Tate Modern after the class ands saw something which made me think (and reflect).

Monument by US (but  London based) artist Susan Hiller  made me reflect even more on the ideas of Aristotle  about life- specifically  what is courage?

The work is a mixture of Monuments to those who lost their lives in heroic endeavours  and a taped commentary from the artist that one listens to while sitting in front of the commemorative statements (one for each year of the artist's life at the time she assembled it).

The work is on display until tomorrow!

Description of the work

Take a seat and listen.

Monument So sad - but also 'Heroic' and touching

And to look forward to

Deceit and Manipulation over 'Trade Deals' 

Okay - so what is it with Mrs May's visit to China that is so irritating to me?

I'll tell you - Mrs May doesn't make anything for export (as far as I know) - the impression that we're given by our Press and Broadcasters is that her visit to China is connected with Brexit and she's showing how a Britain outside the EU can jet over and sell items that the Brussels Bureaucrats are stopping up.



1) When you go and buy (for example a car) you make the decision I'd like that car and it's at a price I think offers a fair exchange - I won't be buying if from Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe (or German Chancellor Angela Merkel or whoever..) - a Trade Delegation can help reinforce a Country's status with the hosts but it's the product or service that's more significant.

2) The other point is that the UK is unable to make deals until the terms of the negotiations around leaving the EU are agreed - so deals are now under terms of EU.


No sure why this is not really revealed in coverage

I suppose in some ways the visit is about Brexit  but not the way the Conservatives would like you to think -the Tory Cabinet needs to sort out their stance and start leading their party ad more importantly the country.

[ Oh yes and good work from Mathew Parris in Today's Times and I'm not usually a fan of lots of people agreeing with each other  but some 'sense' being spoken in HoC here - Anna Soubry really is playing a blinder on this issue her speech very moving and shows - I think a decent woman doing what she thinks is right for her constituents - would that others too showed such courage and followed their conscience. ]

Reflecting on Philosophy and more

Yesterday and if it's Thursday it's Ethics/Moral Philosophy.

The timing of the session from 12:15 to two fifteen is great for me - Tube travel is good and the mornings/lunchtime I don't feel like nodding off.

It was a  pretty good turnout and included some time in smaller group discussion (which I like) - as usual the challenge is to keep above the detail of our own particular experiences.


There are a few good things that come from investigation of topics that are outside my comfort zone and as Ariel said at the onset this isn't necessarily easy, he does (I think) pepper the classes with some other nuggets too - he said yesterday that we don't learn much at 12 years (or so)  school but we learn how to socialise - and this I though has some truth to it. 

Looking more closely

Something I'm getting from these sessions (perhaps sometimes almost troubling) is a focus on the moral dimension - choices we make - so often  have  (if we choose it to be so).

I'm reminded, rather strangely  after the sessions of  when I came out of seeing Duane Hanson's sculptures at The Serpentine - when I'd been there and got on the tube I was staring really intently at people and with this 'project'  I'm finding that I'm looking more closely at actions and with more curiousty.

We looked at Aristotle yesterday and I do consider is ethical stance seems eminently practical - his focus was on society rather than the individual (unlike the way we live now perhaps?)

Next week we're going to be  looking at Ayn Rand which I'm a little bit excited about - I've often heard mention of her but don't know why she's a controversial figure.

After class saw some lovely Hare Krishna's who invited me to a free (?) meal - vegetarian sorry to say I instead proceeded to a meaty snack.

Eudaimonia and Tory Odds

Very pleasant today (although cold)  and as well as meeting a friend for a cup of coffee I spent some time looking at trees laid bare by the season.

Lovely trees (part 1)

And even more winter trees in Ealing

After this reflecting on 'Good Life' (useful as Thursday be looking at Aristotle and Virtue at City Lit Moral Philosophy class).

Sadly (in some respects) you can't (according to these smart Ancient Greek guys) have 'Good Life' (or more accurately  Eudaimonia ) without constantly working at it - but you can form 'good habits' and draw on 'Exemplar's  around you -

Some clips (each less then 10 minutes) here if you're interested.

1. Aristotle and Virtue Theory.
2. The Good life Aristotle. 
3. Aristotle on Ethics, Happiness and Virtue.

The Current Odds (advisedly)  in Next Tory Leadership Race..

So on this topic Tories are internally beating themselves up about their  leadership (party and Country)
If you're after some light relief on the topic ...

The Runners and Riders

Bookies  parading of  Tory Next Leadership Odds make one look like motorway  car crash  seeing that Jacob Rees-Mogg is favourite (perhaps not the right word?)  and that bringing up the rear are a plethora of  what could be described as 'outsiders' like the untroubled by reality Ian Duncan-Smith at 150-1  and the former UKIP leader Nigel Farage at 250-1, strangely comforting that reality takes a break here (we hope).

And fantasy land (we trust) - good to see Cameron ahead of Farage!