US TV newsreader Walter Cronkite dead at 92

The legendary US television anchorman Walter Cronkite has died today at the age of 92. Walter Cronkite was very much an American icon. I remember commenting about him once (after watching a clip of Walter Cronkite reading the news in a movie we were watching) to my English husband and he looked blank. Of course, he had never heard of Walter Cronkite! I remember being shocked that he didn't know who Walter Cronkite was. And then I felt silly because of course he wouldn't know about an American newsreader just as Americans don't know about British newsreaders. Walter Cronkite had a reputation as "the most trusted man in America", and I think in so many ways he was. His distinctive voice and his sense of authority always gave weight to his words and it was always comforting to hear him end his reports by saying, "and that's the way it is". President Barack Obama called him the "voice of certainty in an uncertain world". That's exactly how I felt when I listened to him. He was one of a kind.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: movie review

I can't remember the last time I've been so excited about a movie - probably when the last Harry Potter movie was released. Honestly, I couldn't stop grinning in anticipation of going to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince today. And I wasn't disappointed. I have two words to say about it: Bloody brilliant! Daniel Radcliffe's acting improves with each movie and I think he is outstanding in this movie. And Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley is excellent as always (I love his facial expressions and his comedic timing). Emma Watson as Hermione Granger is quite good too although I thought she was better in the previous movies. It's uncanny how some of the actors seem like they were born to play the characters such as Evanna Lynch portraying the eccentric and quite endearing Luna Lovegood. I can't imagine anyone else playing the part. The same is true of course for the part of Severus Snape played so perfectly by the brilliant actor, Alan Rickman. He is perfectly cast as the dark and menacing Hogwart's teacher who bullies his students in Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Another dark character is Bellatrix Lestrange as played by Helena Bonham Carter who is exceptional as one of the evil Death Eaters. Another outstanding performance is by Tom Felton as the wicked Draco Malfoy. The story involves more than the battle against dark forces. This movie is also about the trials and tribulations of young love. And there are some very funny moments mixed in with the very serious story. And even though I have read all the books, I still nearly jumped out of my seat at one particular scene and felt quite choked up over another. Seriously, I think it's the best movie in the whole series so far. A must see movie even if you've never read the books.

The Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill

I've been glued to the TV this afternoon and evening watching the MPs as they are discussing amendments to the the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill. The Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill transfers 4,500 HM Revenue and Customs officers to the UK Borders Agency and introduces a requirement for immigrants to earn British citizenship. It's also making important changes in the law to give British nationality to people born before February 1961 whose mothers were born in the UK. This is the part of the bill that will directly affect me since my mother is British and I was born in the USA before 1961: Children of British mothers - proposed changes to law on citizenship A person who has a British mother currently has a right to register as a British citizen under section 4C of the British Nationality Act 1981 if: he or she was born between 7 February 1961 and 1 January 1983; and he or she would have become a British citizen if women had been able to pass on citizenship in the same way as men at that time. The Government has proposed changes to the law, to allow people born before the 1961 date to British mothers to be registered as British citizens. These proposals are set out in the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill which is currently being debated in Parliament. If successful, this Bill will extend the provisions of section 4C of the British Nationality Act 1981 to those born before 1961. This amendment should correct this discriminatory law, however in reality, it doesn't since there is a registration fee of £540 to claim my British citizenship by descent. If my father had been British and/or I was younger, I would automatically have been granted my British citizenship (without paying a fee) so why should I have to now pay a fee to claim what should be my right? The bill is very convoluted with a lot of different issues, not just the particular one that I'm concerned about. The bill is so huge that it should have been divided up into separate bills. And there should be much more time allowed to discuss each point properly, rather than trying to rush through the reading in one day. Phil Woolas (Minister of State for borders and immigration) outlined his proposals for the "transitional arrangements" for those already with Indefinite Leave to Remain (or having applied for ILR). The commencement date for the changeover from the present system to the new "probationary citizenship" pathway is July 2011. He proposed that those on ILR (or having applied for it) at that time will be able to apply for citizenship under the old rules. I noticed that Chris Huhne (Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department) made some very scathing remarks about this bill: "This bill proves that quantity does not equal quality" "...inaccessible and ill thoughtout" "...a pudding without a theme" "...it's piecemeal legislation that results in many anomalies and inconsistencies" "...jigsaw puzzle legislation" "Another trust me, I'm a minister bill" "...a hotchpotch of provisions." And Damian Green (the shadow immigration minister) said there was "Severe disappointment" about this bill. Indeed, I agree with that view! This is the third reading of this bill. I listened intently to the discussion and after all that time and effort, at 10pm the speaker announced that there isn't supposed to be debate after 10pm. So it looks like they will have to continue the debate another day. It was obvious that they were really trying to rush the bill through today. It sure doesn't seem like the right way to go about making changes to laws. Related post from my blog: Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill: Children of British mothers (lots of comments from people in the same situation)

ID Cards: the political spin about scrapping them

The recent announcement by Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, that the Government would be scrapping plans for compulsory ID cards, was welcome news to just about everyone. And I think most people assumed the Government had seen sense at last and believed that it really was the end of the ID cards scheme. However, people seemed to forget that their personal details would still be stored on the National Identity Register when they obtained or renewed a passport (and almost everyone in Britain has a passport). And today an article in The Guardian by Mr Johnson, reveals the real view of Government: We need identity cards, and soon Identity fraud costs the UK £1.2bn, and untold misery, each year. ID cards are a cheap and effective way of fighting back [Really? How does an ID card fight identity fraud? It's based on a central database and the Government doesn't exactly have a good record with keeping data safe!] and in the article, Mr Johnson declares that "...despite the headlines that would have readers think otherwise, I'm not scrapping identity cards...". So there you have it. The real story is that nothing has changed - apart from saying the cards will be "voluntary" - and personal details will still be stored on a National Identity Register. Edited to add this update: This is an excerpt from PoliticsHome News today (Monday, 6 July, 2009) The Home Secretary has insisted that rather than scrapping ID cards, the government is accelerating the introduction of the scheme, saying it would be "completely ludicrous" to abandon the plans. "We haven't scrapped cards. What we're doing is acclerating their introduction," he said. And please read the comments following the article. I agree with the comment that it is absolute madness for the Labour party to go ahead with this very expensive scheme in the midst of a recession. I also agree with the comment about how this is a spiteful policy by the Labour party to get the ID cards/database in place so that the Conservative Party who are against the scheme, will be forced to waste the money when they get into power and scrap it as they have promised they will do.