Shake me up Judy

Elon's shooting his mouth off like a teenager who's just lost his political virginity. His ego and wealth is elevating his discovery of politics to Columbus like proportions. He's a good lad but he's got lots to learn.

Been watching a lot of classic Westerns over the Christmas period. When I was a kid, sat with my pop and crisps in those Saturday matinees, Westerns were a simple and childlike moral universe. As I got older and the films became more complex and troubling, I realised that all human life was contained in the genre of the Western. All the great movie directors had learnt this long before I did. So I sat down the other day to one of my absolute favourites, True Grit (1969) with the Duke, John Wayne. [Not the poor remake with Jeff Bridges]. While it doesn't have any great psychological depth or thematic complexity it's a hell of an entertainment. Two beautiful bookends with Glen Campbell's lonesome cowboy vocal over the soaring theme that opens the film; and the very moving final scene in the snow covered graveyard before the blurred image of Wayne riding away on his horse into the mythical west. I shed a tear at this point. Glen is just along for the ride but the rest of the cast is superb: Robert Duvall; Strother Martin; Dennis Hopper; Jeff Corey; Kim Darby et al. The folksy dialogue is perhaps what really makes it, adapted from Charles Portis' wonderful novella, and very funny. Some beautiful big vistas too once the journey gets underway. I hope to watch it again before too long...

Heard this classic on Manx Radio's '70s show today. Well done Andy.

I've a hunch that the reason that the waters are being muddied here is precisely because of the shifting public mood and the collapse of the liberal centre ground. Mass migration has destroyed the old consensus in Germany, the U.K. and much of Western Europe.

Come off it John. That's a stupid comment.

Andy Wint is doing a fine job on the Sunday '70s show after the sad passing of Mike Buttell. Johnnie's show had become a bit stale in the last year or so and I think the producer had taken the reins because of Johnnie's ailing health. Good luck to him but he's very ill. Bob needs to freshen it up a bit and not go down the easy '70s Gold route. There was so much great music in the decade that never or rarely gets played. Andy at Manx Radio seems prepared to do that.

He's struggled this year with his health and that of his daughter in law Kate. I think the Queen's had her problems too. He's normally a very impressive speaker but after a great start last year this one was a bit low key.

No one on here knows what really happened or can judge any individual in this case. There are no winners here. Few of us could cope in that situation.

I'm still deafened by the silence from Tynwald on this. Where's the national debate in open forum ? Oldest democracy in the world ? My arse. This natural resource could be the Island's future in the way that mining and tourism once were. But we'll never know. Who's pulling the strings here ?

Bravo ! Great story that. (Wonderful set-up for a joke too. So many possibilities). You're right about religion. What starts out as collective consciousness is soon politicised, institutionalised and weaponised.

Good post Phantom. Very succinctly put.

That's because we've turned everything on its head and his 'right' to do what he wants trumps the rest of the audience. You see it in all sorts of contexts and institutions. Social responsibility, manners, etiquette, consideration, respect, tradition etc has all been chucked as passe and 'old hat'. It's progress innit ? The cult of the individual. I rarely go to live performances these days and won't be going to the Gaiety unless it's something really special. If some asshole spills their drink over me there'll be big trouble too...

'...and a partridge in a pear tree' Merry Christmas Albert. You're not wrong.

Can't be arsed reading through five pages but here's my take. It was a stupid idea. Pedestrianisation works where there is sufficient footfall and business to support it. It works in big towns and cities and areas of high tourism where there are big crowds. That's not Ramsey. Cars mean business and traffic flow through small towns is much more important for retail and access. They've already cocked the quay up in Ramsey with diagonal parking and the unnecessary Noddy-land that is now Market Square. Local authority politics continues to drag this Island down.