A few of my very favourite things came together this week.
One of the radio shows I listen to is called the Infinite Monkey Cage. You might remember I went to see a related live show called the Uncaged Monkeys a few months ago. It's about all sorts of aspects of science and is just brilliantly clever and amusing.
You can find it on the Radio 4 page on the BBC (here) or download the podcast from itunes. I really can't recommend it enough.
One of the guests this week was the writer Alan Moore who wrote two of my favourite comic books ever in V for Vendetta and the Watchmen. Those of you who actually know me will know that I have a tattoo round my wrist that says 'quis custodiet ipsos custodes?' which roughly translates as who watches the Watchmen (or who will guard the guards)?
The answer to that question of course is that it is we, the civilian population, who are meant to keep the police honest. I got that tattoo done when I lived in Belfast which is a place where nobody trusts the police, and for very understandable reasons. It was to remind me of the place.
After I left Belfast and moved to Liverpool to do teacher training though, it began to mean something more to me. It was more about trusting any person with a position of authority. I was now the figure of authority and had to take that very seriously. As it's on my wrist sometimes a pupil would see it and ask what it means and I would explain it to them and tell them that it also means that they are the ones who need to keep me honest. I don't have all the answers and will on occasion get something wrong and it's absolutely necessary for them to tell me when that happens.
Anyway, listen to the show but more importantly go and buy the comic books - the films aren't awful but they haven't done the source material any favours at all.
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