Electric Friends

And for anyone still confused about the challenges we face due to climate change here’s a link to a video clip of former TV weather forecaster and motivational speaker (sic.), Tania Bryer explaining the science behind cloud damage



"...Perhaps the most disturbing effect is the disruption of rivers. This is footage of the River Euphrates flowing backwards. It looks like it's flowing forwards but only because we've reversed the film..."




This clip comes, of course, from Chris Morris’ spoof current affairs show Brass Eye which was made ten years ago. How time flies. The key message of the show, if any message was intended, is that you can always find a plentiful supply of celebrities willing to endorse even the most insane, most nonsensical campaign or cause. Celebrities who are ready to read any old crap off a cue card without any questions, like a parrot; provided they are convinced they will look good and the endorsement will further their careers or ego.

Something I saw on TV last week gave me cause to root out the Brass Eye back-catalog and watch it again for the first time in years. The show stands up pretty well and there is an aching need for the return of something that approximates to decent, toothy satire on British television.

The scene where agony aunt Claire Rayner reacts in disgust to a video supposedly taken from Japanese TV that shows people taking drugs through a dog is a minor classic..

Cannabliss!

as is the line repeated by another dickhead celebrity later in the show “This is a scientific fact. There’s no real evidence to support this but it is scientific fact”

Rumour has it that Morris might be doing a show on terrorism later in the year. I await the result with more than a little curiosity and trepidation.

The reason why I felt the need to dig out and re-watch old episodes of Brass Eye was seeing a former member of the band Blur on TV late one night advocating personal carbon trading as the best tool available for combating global warming.

There was something especially annoying about watching a bloke, whose claim to fame is that he played in a band that became successful posing as being working-class, walking around his farm in his green wellington boots preaching to the world that imposing a corrupt trading scheme on ordinary people will save the planet

There is nothing native-born Londoners love more than a Mockney, particularly a rich one who spouts shit

Blur in concert

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And whilst posting links to videos, here’s one that will only appeal to fans of either George Formby or Gary Numan – but if you happen to fall into the target categories it’s a treat…

Are Friends Electric – Ukulele version

You know I hate to ask
But are friends electric?
Only mine's broke down
And now I've no-one to love

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