MI5 gets the message on Scientific Advice... 40 years too late

I read today, with complete incredulity... that the British security service MI5 is recruiting a chief scientific adviser to ‘lead and co-ordinate’ its scientific work.

WHAT?? Does this mean that the British security services... in 2009... in the 21st century... hasn't had a 'chief scientific adviser'... for years already?? Unbelievable!!

But... there you have it... according to the Beeb's Science and Environment website... that's how things are with our spy catchers.

Despite being shown the way long ago by the likes of James Bond and 'Q' for over 40 years, (Q first appeared in 1962 in Dr No) our frontline defences on security have not had someone scientifically advising our spies... during all this time. Amazing!!

Ah well... better late than never I suppose one would say with typical British phlegm. I wonder what the cousins make of this??

Anyhow... apparently, the the job is being advertised on the MI5 website, with the successful applicant expected to use their expertise to thwart terror operations around the world! (You don't say!)

Candidates for the ‘unique and challenging’ role need to have ‘world-class scientific expertise and credibility’, ‘excellent strategic skills’, ‘outstanding influencing and communication skills’ as well as a successful track record of ‘managing critical projects and processes in a complex environment’.

The post will take up two or three days a week, the advert says. Hmmm... so only part time too! It gets better!

According to the Government's chief scientific adviser, Professor John Beddington, the new recruit will have to keep up with the latest scientific developments to ensure British intelligence stays one step ahead of the country's enemies.

If all this wasn't so serious... it would be laughable... well it IS laughable but... I'm still amazed... stunned!!

Here's something I strongly recommended to applicants... James Bond 007: Q Manual... and I would add to whoever is selected... the best of British luck to you mate... you're going to need it!!

Oh... I just had a brilliant thought! I do recall a very suitable candidate may have recently become available on the job market. I am led to believe this chap is apparently very good with poison (hmmm.. but not so good with computer literacy)! Perhaps our man at Westminster... the esteemed Guido Fawkes might like to offer a good letter of reference??

Read more on 'Q' and James Bond on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Search for more on 'Q' and James Bond at Amazon.co.uk

Film Review - A Prairie Home Companion

If you decided to stay in tonight and watch some TV... you probably noticed that there was not much on. That's how I felt earlier on anyway, when I did a quick flick through the schedule.... and pretty much gave up. But... I had missed a little gem hidden away, as often happens.

I'd been busy researching some stuff and didn't get round to supper till late. When I settled down to enjoy my late dinner, I had another flick through, as you do, and came across this great film hidden away late on BBC2.... and was immediately drawn into... 'A Prairie Home Companion'.

For starters, the film has an incredible cast... Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson, Lindsay Lohan, John C. Reilly, Kevin Kline, Virginia Madsen plus a few other well known names and faces! How's that for a cast?

Robert Altman (directs) and Garrison Keillor (who wrote the screenplay and plays a fictional version of himself) combine reality and fantasy in this smooth, ebullient take on the long-running Prairie Home Companion (PHC) radio show.

In a review over at Amazon, Doug Thomas saves me the trouble and explains the film perfectly:

Set during the show's fictitious last broadcast, the host station has been bought, the film has plenty of elements from the real PHC radiocasts, including a live audience and the sensational Shoe band.

The onstage program is mostly music numbers, a beguiling mix of standards and old-style country, with Streep once more showing her amazing range of talents, here singing as well as she did in 'Mama Mia', as does Lily Tomlin.

However, the show's usual comedy sketches are never presented, save for the commercial parodies. This may be a PHC show, but Lake Wobegon Days (also a book by Garrison Keillor) is never mentioned. Instead, the sketches are played out as backstage banter that features the Johnson Sisters (Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin), a harried stage hand (Maya Rudolph), a former listener turned angel (Virginia Madsen) and Keillor himself (a crusty alter-ego named simply G.K.).

A few characters from the real PHC are given life: the singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty and gumshoe Guy Noir are embodied by Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, and Kevin Kline, respectively. Old flames are fanned, stories are spun, new talents are found (Lindsay Lohan has a chance to shine as Streep's daughter) and everyone wonders if G.K. will do something to ebb the tide of cancellation, personified by Tommy Lee Jones as the corporate Axeman.

All of the actors do right as singers, and seem to be having the time of their life. Keillor's screenplay is perfect fodder for Altman's usual brand of storytelling, as characters babble on with the camera picking them up often in mid-thought.

The film originally appeared a few months after Altman received an honorary Oscar, and the director is still at the top of his game, creating this smile-inducing, song-filled time, ending with an ethereal last musical number.

I thoroughly enjoyed it... and I hope you do too... during one of these slow nights on telly!

Whose Gibraltar? A documentary film on the Llanito Gibraltarian perspective

A few days ago I posted about a Gibraltar Documentary Film project that Garrett Wesley Gibbons, of Brigham Young University in the USA, was in the process of putting together.

To my surprise... and I must say, a lot sooner than I ever expected, I heard from Garrett today, telling me that his film has now been posted!

Garrett has kindly posted his film with the proviso that you understand it is still 'a work in progress'. The film, as yet, has no music and is not fully 'titled'. I am, however, very pleased to share it with you all here... for you to enjoy and in the hope that you offer Garrett your comments and reviews on his draft, (my comments below).

Anyhow... here's the film... for your delight and delectation:



Well, I don't know about you, but I thought this is an excellent documentary... I really enjoyed it... lack of music or finished 'title's notwithstanding!

Gibraltar Film Documentary Reviewed.

On the whole, I think Garrett has done a great job so far. He has produced a very accurate perspective, from a Gibraltarian viewpoint, about the Llanito identity. With, what I understand were difficult time constraints, he has managed to describe the history and particularly the political aspects challenging Gibraltar today, relatively well, if perhaps not as broadly as I would have liked to see.

Personally, I would like to see some more comment, especially from the other political parties in Gibraltar.

As it stands... the only political view expressed, other than those of my friend Dennis Beiso's, the Gibraltar Government Archivist, (who, I must say, does a very good job in his summaries), are those of the GSLP/Liberals Opposition parties. This, I think, is not a broad enough perspective.

The politics of Gibraltar always raises great passions in many quarters... not least in Gibraltar itself, naturally, and many have an opinion of where we came from, where we are... and most importantly, where we are going. For this documentary to be fully comprehensive, I think it is important that it shows a broader inclusive view, from all sides.

It is important, in my humble view, that there is at least some comment by the incumbent GSD (Gibraltar Social Democrats) Government, particularly from Chief Minister Peter Caruana.

I asked whether the Government was given the opportunity to participate in the documentary. Garrett has answered this and a number of other questions here.

I would also like to see some comment from Keith Azopardi and the Progressive Democratic Party.

Of course, if one is going to (unrestrictedly) endeavour to have the broadest perspective, no commentary on the politics of Gibraltar can ever be complete, without the participation of the British or Spanish Governments' views on the age old question of sovereignty of Gibraltar. After all... it's the nub of the whole damn historic dispute right?

In fairness to Garrett, I think we need to bear in mind he has produced this film as a school project. It's not a 'BBC Panorama' type documentary... or intended to be a comprehensive history on Gibraltar. It's just his perspective... on the curiosity that is being a Gibraltarian Llanito. People need to judge this film in that context... as it does not propose to do anything else.

Be that as it may, and appreciating the producer's obvious time (and other possible) constraints... recognising that he couldn't fit it all in, I think the political perspective the documentary offers, is fair and broadly that held by most Gibraltarians. No doubt I shall soon be corrected by those who feel this is not so! :)

My Conclusion

I think this is a very well produced piece of work so far. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and I think most Gibraltarians (possibly with the exception of fanatical GSD supporters, who may hate the sight of 'the Walrus' and cannot abide the sound of 'the pipsqueak'), will also enjoy watching this documentary.

Gibraltarians just love watching ourselves. Sometimes I think we must have ALL been born under the starsign of Leo... "all Leos are trendsetters, leaders and adventurers. Their weakness is their pride. This is one sign where the saying 'flattery will get you everything' applies"!

But seriously... with the slight constructive criticism about broader perspectives notwithstanding, I doff my hat to Garrett... and thank him for his interest and for a very well researched and explained documentary about our homeland!

One final point I would like to make. The music, as ever, may well enhance or detract from the power of the film so care will need to be taken on the choice of music and how it is edited... but, on the other hand... what do I know of producing a film!? Not a lot! :)

Having said that... and finally... finally... on reviewing Garrett's very interesting documentary, having offered him my thoughts, I have also taken the opportunity to offer a couple of little suggestions, small amendments for him to consider making. These can be seen on the Gibraltar Documentary page posted by Garrett Wesley Gibbons on Vimeo.

You may have your own thoughts you might want to add? I know Garrett will be very grateful for your comments and feedback too!

You may also like to know there is a discussion on this film going on at Gibraltar News Online's Discussion Forum here: Gibraltar Film Documentary just published

If you missed the link in the review above, you may also enjoy further reading about this documentary and Garrett's explanation of the how and why he created this film: Gibraltar Film Documentary > Why?

Gibraltar in popular culture

I've been trawling around the net recently, looking for any Gibraltar Blogs I may have missed. Disappointingly, it seems I haven't missed much. If you're interested, I have linked any I have found on my sidebar... those of any note anyhow. If you run or write a blog related to Gibraltar... then let me know!

However, whilst surfing about, I revisited a favourite page about Gibraltar on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, which includes loads of information about the politics, economy, history and culture of Gibraltar.

Poking about, I came across some interesting notes on Gibraltar... in popular culture and I thought I would share them with you.

Film

* The film The Silent Enemy was filmed on location in Gibraltar in 1958. It is a dramatisation of the period during the Second World War when Lionel "Buster" Crabb served as a mine and disposal officer in Gibraltar while frogmen of the Italian Navy's Tenth Light Flotilla were sinking vital shipping.

* The opening scene of the film The Living Daylights (from the James Bond film series) takes place in Gibraltar.

* In the German-language film Das Boot, a German U-boat struggles in its attempt to get past the British Royal Navy in Gibraltar to relocate to a base in the Mediterranean sea.

Literature

* Anthony Burgess's novel A Vision of Battlements (1965), chronicling the troubled love-life of the British soldier Richard Ennis, is set in Gibraltar.

* The satirical novel Gil Braltar by Jules Verne (1887) describes an almost successful attack by our famous apes on the fortress of Gibraltar.

* 'The Day of an American Journalist in 2889', an 1889 Jules Verne short story, also mentions Gibraltar as the last territory of a British Empire that has lost the British Isles themselves.

* Raffles' Crime in Gibraltar by Barry Perowne, a Sexton Blake story, is set in Gibraltar in 1937 (U.S. title: They Hang Them in Gibraltar).

* Scruffy by Paul Gallico is set on Gibraltar during World War II. It follows the steady decline in the size of the Barbary Macaque (our apes or monkeys) colony and the possible fulfillment of the superstition or legendary prophecy that Gibraltar will fall to the enemy if they disappear.

* As Molly Bloom is a native Gibraltarian, references to Gibraltar appear throughout James Joyce's Ulysses (1922). A sculpture of Molly Bloom as imagined by local artist Jon Searle is on display in the Alameda Gardens.

* Arthur C. Clarke's novel The Fountains of Paradise mentions the 'Gibraltar Bridge', a novel infrastructure connecting Europe and Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar. This is no longer so far fetched as plans are currently being looked at to build such a bridge.

* John Masters book The Rock is a collection of short stories set in Gibraltar: These range from a story set in prehistoric times to one suggesting a possible future for the Rock.

* In Maud Hart Lovelace's book Betsy and the Great World, the heroine goes on a cruise to Europe and makes a stop at Gibraltar, where she learns about its history and legends, and goes shopping.

Music

* In 1782 Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a fragment for voice and piano to celebrate the Great Siege of Gibraltar titled Bardengesang auf Gibraltar: O Calpe! Dir donnert's am Fusse.

* The Beatles' song The Ballad of John & Yoko identifies Gibraltar as the place where John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married.

* In 1952 American country singer Frankie Lane had a song called The Rock of Gibraltar, which made it to #20 in the US Top 40

Notable or famous Gibraltarians

Notable or famous Gibraltarians include:

* William George Penney was a physicist responsible for the development of British nuclear technology following World War II.

* John Galliano is a four time British fashion designer of the year.

* Albert Hammond is an international singer, songwriter and producer.

* Henry Francis Cary (1772 - 1844) was a translator and poet.

* Thomas William Bowlby (1818 - 1860) was a correspondent for The Times in Germany and China. He was captured and imprisoned by the Tartar General Sengge Rinchen whilst on correspondence duties in Tongzhou, Beijing.

* Frederick Stanley Maude (1864 - 1917) was a General who led the successful campaign in World War I to capture Baghdad over the winter of 1917.

* John Beikie (1766 - 1839) was a merchant and political figure in Upper Canada.

* Don Pacifico (1784 - 1854) was a Gibraltar-born Portuguese Jew, most famous for the Pacifico incident, as described in the book Don Pacifico: The Acceptable Face of Gunboat Diplomacy.

* John Montresor (1736 - 1799) – Gibraltar-born military engineer in the British service active in North America, his amorous exploits inspired the best-selling novel Charlotte Temple.

* Gustavo Bacarisas (1873 - 1971) was a Painter.

You can find more books, music, films and other items of popular culture related to Gibraltar by visiting our Gibraltar Online Book and Film Store or exploring the graphic links on the right sidebar here.