I found an interesting article on the BBC website today:
It traces a bit of the history of leap years, and asks whether people paid monthly should work on 29 February or not.
What I want to know is: why February? Why not March?!
Monthly Archive for February, 2008
On the BBC website today I read this article: Children 'damaged' by materialism. It is particularly aimed at advertisers who specifically target children.
The Children's Society said adults had to "take responsibility for the current level of marketing to children".
Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of the society, said: "A crucial question raised by the inquiry is whether childhood should be a space where developing minds are free from concentrated sales techniques.
"To accuse children of being materialistic in such a culture is a cop-out," he said.
Reitemeier said: "Unless we question our own behaviour as a society we risk creating a generation who are left unfulfilled through chasing unattainable lifestyles."
And Rowan Williams said:
Children should be encouraged to value themselves for who they are as people rather than what they own.
The selling of lifestyles to children creates a culture of material competitiveness and promotes acquisitive individualism at the expense of the principles of community and co-operation.
There is even a suggestion that 'commercial pressures' may cause psychological problems in later life.
The report is rather terrifying, but not perhaps surprising. The relentless drive to have more and own more pervades our entire culture. Our economic system of capitalism relies on human desire as its driving force. More and more companies are becoming skilled in manipulating that desire through slick advertising, so that we desire things we don't need.
Somehow, as Rowan Williams said, we have come to value ourselves more in terms of our prosperity, our possessions, than in our value as people.
This story hit a nerve with me this morning because I have just read Luke 12, in which Jesus says this:
Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of one's possessions.
Luke 12.15 (ESV)
Jesus then goes on to tell the parable of the man who stored up crops for himself saying, 'relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God took it all away from him that night, and he had nothing. Rather, Jesus says, seek the kingdom of God, and store up treasure in heaven, where it cannot be stolen or destroyed.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12.34 (ESV)
This is rather a good story, about a sports car made almost entirely out of wood. Sounds very suspect, and it doesn't look like it will go into production, but it's a fascinating idea!
My favourite movie trilogy of all time has been involved in lawsuits pretty much since it was finished - or rather, the company that made it (New Line) has been.
The twists and turns are followed by this article. It is sad that people have had to resort to litigation, over what appears to be 'unabashed and insatiable greed' on the part of the studio.
The latest lawsuit has been filed by the Tolkien family, but not simply for their own gain:
The Tolkien suit may prove to be especially troublesome for New Line, if only because it has the earmarks of a public relations nightmare. The plaintiffs include a charitable trust that is overseen by family members of the author, who died in 1973, and includes among its beneficiaries worthy organizations like the Darfur Appeal and the World Cancer Research Foundation.
It seems that the studio may have been involved in some 'accounting chicanery' that has been 'cheating' others' out of their fair share of the gross profit from the movies.
The saga continues...
Along with many others (I suspect) I have been following with interest the race for the Democratic presidential candidate in America. It seems that Obama is building momentum - although Clinton is only a few delegates behind him, and wins in Texas and Ohio would put her back in front. Rarely is democracy actually exciting!
Obama's main policy seems to be 'change'. 'Under me things won't be like they've been before.' As a political weapon it is potent indeed: he's running against the wife of a former president, and looks like he will battle it out with McCain, who has run before.
We have seen a similar thing in this country with David Cameron and the Conservatives. They have long been claiming to be 'fresh' and 'new', that they will change things. But when the dust settles from the excitement they generate, the question is begged: what are they going to change, and to what are they going to change it?!
To be fair, the Conservatives in this country have been suggesting some policies recently. Obama would do well to learn their lesson; Labour spent two years hammering Cameron and his Conservatives, even casting him as a chameleon, because his message of change had little substance.
If he hasn't already, I hope that Obama is coming up with some concrete policy changes, which he will be able to go into detail on if (possibly when) he wins the Democratic nomination and goes head-to-head with McCain.
This made me laugh a few days ago:
'Brain Training' slammed by 'Watchdog'
Apparently the computer game (which claims to train your brain) can't recognise northern accents. So if you shout 'yeller' instead of 'yellow' at the console, it tells you that you're stupid.
Ireland deserved to win. You won't often hear me say that.
The French were brilliant in the first half, but faded away in the second. I thought O'Gara and O'Driscoll played so well in the second half, after a few mistakes in the first, and deserved at least to get a try at the end to draw the match.
After that, I think France will get the Grand Slam - Wales were ok today, but Scotland are a poor side at the moment, and Wales made a catalogue of errors that a better side would have punished them for.
I'm looking forward to seeing England play tomorrow - I hope we can be a bit more expansive, like the games that were played today.
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