A "mindset" is a powerful thing.
Our thoughts and our background contribute to the way we think about so many things.
The
importance of finding ways to educate our children so that we can tease
out the most from a child irrespective of their talent has to be of
prime importance.
In the 50 / 60s, the 11 plus exam segregated those
who passed and those who failed into Grammar Schools and Secondary
Modern Schools. In this way the clever pupil was ensured of a good
testing education, developing and preparing the child for University. It
worked and our bright kids were the equal of any and our Universities
recognised throughout the world. The problem was, what sort of education
and what sort of prospects were on offer to the child who passed
through there gates of the Secondary Modern School.
In Apartheid
South Africa it was openly admitted that Black children were not to be
given the opportunity to progress through education because it was
Governments ideology to develop a two tier society.
It has to be
considered that whilst there is no evidence that there was an
ideological mindset to forgo the need to educate the less able child,
the actual content of the Secondary Modern School syllabus was far lower
than the Grammar School and there was no route out for late developers.
If a view had been taken that more resources should have been directed
to leaver up the under performing child we would have massively improved
the mindset of millions of kids who grew to lack, self esteem and
eventually swell the ranks of the unemployable which led many youth into
the short cut of crime.
Good teachers and substantial investment in
the methods of teaching, would have produced an opportunity to compete
with the likes of Germany and the US but our "class orientated mindset"
was not far short of that of the Afrikaner.
America is an enigma.
Our
common language and a historical connection makes us think we have so
much in common, that we our cousins in a family of nations.
If you
meet an American on their home soil one is usually captivated by their
self confidence and surety of purpose. They don't project the muddled
conflict that we seem to have on virtually everything. The self belief
and no nonsense approach comes from their catholic belief in being at
the head of the table and that their destiny has led them from the
isolation of pre second world war to a no holds barred position as
world policeman and arbiter of all that is good and just.
The
period of negotiation that went on between Churchill and Roosevelt to
convince America to join in was based, in some part on the Americans
distrust of the British with their claims to Empire and a history of
redrawing the political map. Isolationist, the American need look no
further than his front door to see the success of self contained
Federalism working to the common good, based on a written constitution
and economically healthy. The European ideal without nationalism.
From
the almost messianic faith of Roosevelt, "in the rights of men" to
today's unhealthy corruption of those rights when it is deemed in the
national interest. The Whistle blowers, Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden,
and the nearly forgotten, Julian Assange to the dreadful miss-justice
of Guantanamo Bay is a portrait of the corruption that unfettered power
brings.
The heavy handed military intervening in parts of the
world where fundamentally they have no business other than self
interest. The extremes of capitalistic avarice is seen in the boardrooms
and, even more fearful, in the Republican Party with its self serving
right wing agenda denying a whole swath of the American population
descent opportunity.
England, pre-war, loathed by Roosevelt has become the America of today !!!
Watching the
qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix one is struck by the invasion of
women in all the reporting of sporting events. Football is riddled with
female commentators who fill our screens with "crafted" insights on the
general event. You will understand the term crafted to mean that they
are learnt not from having taken part but from the info that the players
and past players bring to the party. The women who handle the
microphone are there for some other reason.
Glamour has to play a
part in what the media controllers feed us as part of a healthy diet but
when we need to know the technical reasons, or the experience of the
game, a man has to be called to give his opinion.
There are no
women, (other than the drop dead, gorgeous drivers girl-friend), taking
part in the business of driving a GP racing car. The designers the
mechanics, the drivers and management are all men. They are an
interesting and communicative lot so why do we have women in the mix at
all ?
I watched the female Cup Final the other day. It was
school-boy stuff and showed the gulf between the men's game and the
female equivalent and yet at a media level the girls are to the fore
with their pretty faces and long legs speaking a different language.
Feminism speaks for equality but it should always avoid tokenism.
Russia has
always been an enigma.
Through their history and their literature they
always seem so extreme compared to other European countries. Of course
their European connection represents only part of their landmass and the
stark nature of the Slavic character is influenced by the equally
extreme nature of the climate, the enormous size and sparse terrain.
The
tundra represents, in our mind, an inhospitable environment into which
the gulag expressed, in its worst form, the terrible mindset of the communists when
dealing with dissidents.
I was listening to old recordings describing
the launch of the first women astronaut, Valentina Tereshkova in 1963.
With marshal music, and dogged no nonsense delivery, the accented voice,
the crackly static background, all which emphasised our distance from Russia far from our relatively cosy island existence.
In
some ways we are cheated, these days from feeling this "foreign"
effect.
All the broadcasts are carried over the internet and could be
broadcast next door !!
If you watch the broadcasts from RT, the
Russian overseas service or Aljazeera the Middle Eastern service, they
are indistinguishable (apart from the ideological content) from CNN, SKY or the BBC.
Youthful presenters and studio sets resemble each other, one could be anywhere and sadly no a
static to create the mystery !!
One of the pleasures, (apart from the weather), of living over here is the rich archive of programs that BBC 4 supply.
Yesterday I watched a piece on Anita O'Day the legendary jazz singer.
She rates right at the top with Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Holiday with
a supreme control of rhythmic counter-play to the other instruments in
the band. She pitched her voice, trippling up and down the scales,
glissading like a slalom skier going to the edge and then at the last
moment, changing direction to regain the backing group. When she sang
with Oscar Peterson, who plays at a phenomenally fast tempo, O'Day
matched the speed and virtuosity with her voice, they were like ice
skaters duelling in perfect harmony (if that's not an oxymoron) and then
returning to the musical theme.
Black
musicians like Ella have always prided themselves with a special
insight into the songs they sing with that extra feeling, the pathos
which, it is suggested the white musicians don't instinctively have.
Anita O'Day, who is white, is right up there with them. Her voice, often
projected from the back of her throat, as she throws the sound around
in her vocal joust with the other musicians.
She sang for years with
Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa, a period of magnificent big
band jazz that, in my youth I was lucky to hear and see as the UK took
advantage of the music unions lifting the ban on American musicians
coming to England. We sat and marvelled at these greats performing in
concert halls up and down the country. The Modern Jazz Quartet, Oscar
Peterson and Ella, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and so many more. We
were mesmerised by the sound, the infectious spontaneity and
creativity.The BBC 4 program brought it all back as they interlinked
with each other tossing the shuttle back and forward between the
vocalist the sax the trumpet, piano and drums.
Listen to O'Day, by
using the superb catalogue of music that companies like Spotify provide,
it makes the need for your own CD pretty superfluous.
Etiquette is the name of the game.
The
definition, "a code of behaviour that delineates expectations for
social behaviour according to contemporary, conventional norms within a
society or social class".
Years ago the English were at the top of
the game. Noel Coward epitomised the sense of manners, the dance between
correctness versus bawdry behaviour.
The Victorians/Edwardians set
the bar, which transferred across the world, through Empire and the
"drawing rooms" where one was judged by the way you held your knife and
fork. We seem to have drifted far from those norms, with the
democratised world we now live in, the modern Brit leads in a very
different way these days.
His/her antics, in, or out of the pub
every weekend and particularly on holiday is a sight to be missed and
I'm sure, causes great embarrassment to most of us.
This laddish display is seen in the actions of people like
Bradley Wiggins (cycling), Carl Crutchlow (motor bike racing) and a
whole range of footballers who throughout the season can be seen to ignore all but the basest behaviour.
I suppose when Prince Harry strips off in party mode what can we expect.
Our
continental cousins from Europe, the politically correct Americans, the
impassive Asians all seem to display "self control", at least when
projected in front of camera.
Is it a
case of people over here, having been pummelled with an individualistic,
win at all costs and to hell with my neighbour approach, have lost sight
of good manners, which perhaps a deference to a strong family bond can bring, especially the respect of a nations tradition.
I suppose we haven't yet taken to biting like South American, Luis Suarez !!!
I'm an
optimist. Today I took the covers off the caravan as a prelude to
camping. We have just had, or are having the worst summer in 50 years
and the overcast sky seems to provide no let up in sight. The weather
certainly dampens the spirits and whilst I would philosophise that not
having to go out to work means that I stay dry and warm, the four walls
become claustrophobic after a while.
Once you have made up your mind
to hitch the caravan onto the trailer and to hell with the weather half
the job is done. Where to go, and for how long can be a stumbling block
but try spinning the route finder (the sat nav') and let it take
responsibility for where to go. At the next turning turn right !!
You
never know where you will end up but as you connect up to the electrics
and put the kettle on on the first night you sleep the sleep of angels,
the sounds of the countryside, the fresh air and the tranquillity lead
to a deep refreshing rest.
The morning smell of bacon and eggs and a mug of sweet tea is enough to fuel the anticipation that new surroundings brings.
Keep
it simple Where is the nearest pub so the evening can be enhanced with
local banter. Take the camera and see what tickles your fancy but don't
plan too much let it all unfurl, open yourself to opportunity and the
chance encounter. Pop into the butcher and buy a nice piece of steak for
a barbecue and a half jack of rum to go with the coke. Turn the
portable to your favourite music program and chill.
