Bleating and Babbling

More from Mr Cake now, and I for one think he is really getting into his stride here. Thanks Don.

In 2009 it was reported that Scottish seafood was being transported to China for processing and then returned to Britain for packaging and sale. A round trip of 10,000 miles.


Before the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003, British troops were tutored by BP in maintaining and running the oil-fields.

In June this year it was noted by ITN that Vodafone had paid no corporate tax the previous year.

Last year, according to The Daily Mirror, one third of Britain's public libraries were due to close because of government cuts.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

For an effective magic trick, you need to mis-direct the audience. You don't want anyone around who knows how tricks work. Yuri Geller refuses to perform in front of professional magicians.

Our current economic system, our preposterous teetering ramshackle cathedral to Mammon, can only stay standing if everyone is made stupid enough to put their backs up to it and keep it up and swaying for longer. On no account must people be encouraged to ask, "Why?" or check, "How much?" or demand description or explanation from the people in charge. And certainly the bishops don't want anyone re-building it.

"This a test of lower-order thinking for the lower orders." - Professor Kelly, inventor of the multiple choice test, talking about multiple choice tests.

If profit is your motive, then a test that can be marked by a computer is very clearly the way to go. Who cares about communication, the only thing we do? In the fascistic environment of a corporation, the required skills are the ability to follow orders and not to ask your superiors for explanation. Keep your head down, don't rock the boat, and you will receive the rewards the system offers. And one of those rewards is entertainment.

In 1979 the following films were released: Alien, Being There, and The Life of Brian.

The first was a popular classic that owes much of its success to its originality of script and design. The second is a great essay on the poverty of our ability to communicate with each other. With laughs! The third was a magnificent parody of the stupidity stemming from religion. With huge laughs! The big movie studio refused to fund it. Fortunately, a top pop-star with a sense of humour wanted to see it. Hard to see any pop-star getting involved with something like this today. Not good PR.

In 2012, we get the following celluloid treasures with seemingly un-limited budgets: Prometheus, (an attempt to milk the Alien franchise) Expendables 2 (Big men shoot people who disagree with them.) The Avengers (Big men who are big famous brands destroy aliens in an entertaining fashion in a story meant for 14 year-old boys.) And, most damningly of all, The Amazing Spider-Man (where we are supposed to be amazed at a film that is a re-boot of a film from barely ten years ago that was based on a comic targeted at 14 year-old boys.)

"Monsanto, a chemical company, produces 90% of the world's genetically-modified seeds. Its GM crops need to be sprayed by a special chemical produced by.... Monsanto"

"Monsanto's aggressive tactics encourage farmers to turn each other in for using non-copyright seeds."

"Monsanto produced Agent Orange."

- Greenpeace.

If we must give our seed to Mammon, it becomes essential that nothing gets in the way of profit. Everything becomes subsumed to profit. Our systems and institutions naturally fall into step. The corporate institution can effectively only care about short-term gain, it is legally obliged to seek profit for its share-holders. What else can we expect? If we encourage a psychopath to go after money should we be surprised when non-performing environments, cultures and people get mown down before the money-harvester?

So, perhaps we need some new institutions? Some better ideas?

Except, the ability to consider new ideas through describing and explaining and asking and checking has fallen under the maniac's thresher.

And the most marvellous thing in the universe!

The most amazing thing in the universe!

The thing without which we are nothing, the source of all our pleasure!

A huge amount of time effort and money is expended to encourage us to... pour beer in it .

For the human brain is public enemy number one.

I expect The Avengers will be after it in the sequel.