If you must oppose the Pope's visit...

Whilst I am not a Roman Catholic, I have to nail my colours to the mast and observe that I welcome the visit by the Pope to these shores.

As such, I regret the stance adopted by various famous atheists, such as Sephen Fry and Professor Dawkins who, it seems to me is becoming something of a professional, if not obsessive, proponent of his own godless creed, in noisily opposing the visit. They remind me of nothing so much as spoilt children throwing their toys out of their prams when they don't get their own way. I think it makes them look childish and small minded; which is why I fully agree with the opinion expressed by Ian O'Doherty in this article published in the Irish Independent.

It is plainly the opinion of a committed and convinced atheist; but whilst having that in common with Fry and Dawkins, his mature observations about the Pope's visit makes theirs look shrill and childish.

I would, my friend, Fernando...

According to a lawsuit filed today in America - where else - Britney Spears allegedly 'sexually harrassed' her former bodyguard.

Yeah, right, Fernando; you should be so lucky...

Ian O'Doherty and the sanctimonious Angelina...

My regular reader will be aware that I frequently link to articles written by the excellent Kevin Myers of the Irish Independent.

On this occasion, however, I am reproducing a section of the column published in today's Indo written by one of his colleagues, Ian O'Doherty, who in a few short paragraphs, gives the increasingly ridiculous and nauseatingly pious Angelina Jolie a richly deserved and wildly overdue fisking.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Suffer the little people

With a new movie to promote, the Pakistan disaster couldn't have come at a better time for Angelina Jolie.

Having never met a disaster she didn't like, Jolie was quick to head off to Pakistan -- in full, fetching, repressive head gear, natch -- to show the peasants that they might be starving, dying of cholera and typhus and suffering from chronic dysentery, but at least they can take succour from the fact that Lara Croft has deigned to use them as backdrop in a photo-shoot.

According to her: "I am very moved by them and I hope to be able to do something to help bring attention to the situation for all of the people in need in Pakistan. This is not just a humanitarian disaster; it is an economic and social catastrophe."

And, indeed, she is right.

Although her perch on the moral high ground is rather lowered by the fact that she has just splashed out $40m on a giant pad in Italy ...

How many of her beloved Pakistanis could have benefited from that type of money?

Answer -- probably none, because most of the aid money is being filtered away by corrupt politicians or the Taliban.

But hey, if it makes Angelina feel good about herself, that's all that matters, right?

Hear, hear, Ian.

Show a little respect, please...

Just a very quick one.

Watching the build up to England's match this evening against Bulgaria, I was more than a little disappointed to hear the first few bars of the visitors' national anthem being booed and whistled.

Such behaviour is simply unacceptable. It is downright rude and offensive and should not have occurred; visiting countries' anthems should be listened to in respectful silence (even the French), just as we would expect ours to be in their country.

One other interesting point here, though.

Every one of the Bulgarian players was visibly mouthing the words to their (rather long!) anthem, even if they were not actually singing it, whereas a number of England players made no effort whatsoever to join in with the rendition of GSTQ.

They could have done with turning round and following the example of the barrel-chested NCO stood behind them in the flag party, who bellowed out the words with such gusto they could probably hear him in Hertfordshire!

Well done that man, I say