Celebrity charity-a-thons – who needs them?

comic reliefI was watching the UK’s annual Comic Relief extravaganza last night. So far they have raised £74.3m and I’m sure there is much more to come before the final total is confirmed. Very laudable and worthy, of course, but why do we need it?

I’m always amazed by the charity of the ‘ordinary man in the street’ but I just can’t seem to get my head around why Joe and Jane Bloggs have to be cajoled, brow-beaten and badgered, over a whole evening’s broadcasting, to put their hands in their none-to-deep pockets to try and make a difference to the abject poverty in Africa and other countries, not to mention closer to home in the UK.    Continue reading

Fat kids. Whose fault is that, then?

obesity in childrenYet another report from the wise old sages at the top of the UK medical profession has said that obesity among children is growing at an alarming rate, and they are urging the government to do something about it before it’s too late. As if the words ‘government’ and ‘do something’ have any form of correlation.

At particular risk, it seems, are children aged two to four. Children? Aged two to four? How many of that age group are capable of making their own decisions on what is good for them? All they care about is how sweet it is and which cartoon character is on the packaging.    Continue reading