Green and Political Matters

 A good RSA call earlier in the week on the topic of the Green Economy.

Speaker was  Per Espen Stoknes and title was   How to Create Healthy Green Growth  (another book I think) - I liked the upbeat presentation and Per came over as a very likable person - Why is that folks from Nordic countries generally have such well balanced approaches  and are so capable in non-native languages?

 And in UK politics there have been reports that the BBC are actively avoiding calling out PM Johnson’s lies and I am afraid that I’m of the school of ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ in terms of a report on the Tory Government's handling of Covid -19.

 When I learn that Matt Hancock is now denying that there was a shortage of PPE I do scratch my head in wonder (but it is good to see that the UK flag is no longer in every ministers 'home office').

 

Heroes

 The conditions we're in has given me the opportunity to watch 'Films' (albeit on DVD) the most recent 'Classic' we watched was Gaslight and a great reminder of where the bandied about term Gaslighting comes from.

The film was not the greatest transfer and it was decidedly  short on explosions and CGI but it packs a punch and the man who wrote the play it was developed from was  Patrick Hamilton who wrote a few great novels and plays (Rope made a film by another Hollywood great, Hitchcock)   - I read a  biography of Hamilton some time ago, he was it seems not a happy soul a heavy drinker (reminds me of Patricia Highsmith who I've read a recent biography of  and it's back to Hitchcock again).

Anyway I'm straying from the point two of the other films we've watched are the ' Classic' Sunset Boulevard  and Fedora both from the Director/Writer Billy Wilder (a hero for sure) who I've recently read a biography of (Nobody's Perfect) and the fictionalised re-telling of the making of Fedora  'Mr Wilder & Me' by  Jonathan Coe (possible another hero- for me a great contemporary writer).  

So I'll try and get back to my point - as you find out more about your heroes, inevitably there's a reveal that they're not perfect, the things you like about them are part of them - for Wilder I liked that he'd escaped Austria/Germany ahead of WW2, worked as a Gigolo ( rather disappointingly I discovered that here the term was more a dancing partner to  wealthy women) was a collector of Modern art (and  something of an artist himself) he stood with John Houston against McCarthyism and made great films of various genres (from Film Noir Double indemnity to the  iconic Rom-Com The Apartment) but he was human, he  recognised he was a guilty party in the failure of his first marriage .

So it's important to cut ourselves some slack when we try to be our own heroes and realise that we are none of us without fault. 

What's the big issue? (or issues)

 Yesterday I was on an RSA  'Zoom' call about  ‘Supercommunities’ – I thought at first it was a bit slow but reflecting on it today I realise that it had real  value, it was about the 'Nuts & Bolts' , the mechanics that are needed to  make the bigger plans work. Seems these days the regular stuff is belittled in favour of flashes and bangs but if we don't keep an eye out for what makes things happen the whole circus can fall apart - perhaps there's an element of that with  Brexit happening, taking for granted the mechanics means that when they start to struggle we are wrong footed.

I’m intrigued by how much of a pull Winston Churchill’s character with some sections of the English –remains,  some say as well as a wartime leader I get the impression he was a difficult man heavily dependent on Alcohol who felt rejected by the British electorate at the Ballot box after WW2?

Was he a racist? Almost definitely even by the mores of his own  time  but seems  it  is sacrilege to say this and to consider that as a country we should look critically at the collective past. 

My reflections following 2020’s Museums Association ‘virtual’ conference – BLM was very much a live issue and the cultural implications were being looked at by the sector of course  – personally  sympathies were with those who I heard saying that context was all – we need to explain the histories of those benefactors who benefited from Slave trade (and indentured labour too) but not deny their existence.

 

Not expecting to go back to the previous Normal

 On a recent Zoom call  looking at how images of materials and lessons can be delivered it was  very informative on some of the challenges educational establishments are facing,  seems that both Zoom and Teams have their own strengths and  advantages.  For me having seen and used the two I find that from my limited knowledge Zoom handles 'breakouts' well  and it feels quite intimate but of course there are inherent delays in all these applications causing some talking over one another - always good to mute when you're not talking and if you're not needing to be seen then bandwidth should be surrendered.

Gather Zoom is not so secure but has some areas of advantage for people who are located in China. 

I was quite heartened by the commitment educationalists are showing and I must say it  angers me to hear the Education Minister (Gavin  Williamson who continues to deserve the Frank Spencer nickname)   indulging in ‘Culture Wars’ agenda rather than supporting Teachers &  Students in the crisis  but I suppose it’s what we might expect.

The Woman presenting  made the statement that she was   ‘Not expecting to go back to the previous Normal’ and for me it’s probably worth keeping in mind across the board.