Have you read the local papers recently around Cardiff? If so was there actually anything significantly interesting in what now appears to be a publication for adverts? Recently I have found that certain local newspapers have descended from interesting and relevant local stories, to barely newsworthy tales. On top of that the number of adverts severely outweighs the number of articles. I can understand the purpose of the adverts, as a means of funding the papers but when you are left with 2 mid-sized stories squeezed in between numerous car show rooms and people who can fix your T.V. aerial you have to wonder if you can call it a newspaper anymore.
The few stories that are scattered throughout the pages aren't particularly interesting either. Yes there is the odd political article or serious crime which piques interest, but when one of the largest stories is firemen finding a bunny or explaining that shop has closed down with no additional information you can't help but feel they are struggling to provide the service they set out to do.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Internet infestation?
When I think back to my younger days, days where I spent most of my time being under 4ft, I marvel at how far computers have come. In those simpler days we were faced with nothing more complicated than the BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Amstrad and Acorn which would all do the same basic tasks of word processing, basic graphics and very primitive games. These days we have machines that are capable of editing high quality photos, editing audio and communicating with people on the other side of the globe, that, I think, it one hell of a leap forward in a couple of decades.
You do have to wonder though, wether or not this dependancy upon computers and the internet is a good thing and if we are sacrificing aspects of life long held dear to make room for this digital age.
Emma Thompson was reported today at being appalled at how people no longer seem to use proper language, replacing it with slang and basic vocabulary and many would agree. You could argue that the internet is to blame in part with shortened writing, as you would find in text messages, appearing frequently, as though to save space or in some cases it would appear, to make what they are saying so indecipherable that only the person receiving can understand it. Yes languages change over time, merge with others and bend to the progress of society but when children can't even spell session, because or what you have to consider whether or not language is regressing.
The internet has proven itself as an invaluable resource of information, discussion and progression in a wide number of fields, but should be discarding books to make room for the online word? You can pretty much find results for anything you care to think of when searching on Google, but when it comes to knowledge, books still hold sway. When a text is produced the first port of call is paper; people will then go and buy the book or borrow it from their nearest library, this process ensures that everyone can have access to the book and its physical nature means it does not depend upon a variety of other elements to read it. Online books needs to be regulated in regards to who has the rights to access them, who has the rights to put the book up and all that other legal malarkey. Then we come to the technical issues. First of all you need to own a computer which we all know can break, then you need the phone line for the internet then internet access itself. If any one of those elements is disrupted then access to texts is removed; much more complicated than going out to a shop or library and picking up the physical thing which doesn't even need batteries.
You do have to wonder though, wether or not this dependancy upon computers and the internet is a good thing and if we are sacrificing aspects of life long held dear to make room for this digital age.
Emma Thompson was reported today at being appalled at how people no longer seem to use proper language, replacing it with slang and basic vocabulary and many would agree. You could argue that the internet is to blame in part with shortened writing, as you would find in text messages, appearing frequently, as though to save space or in some cases it would appear, to make what they are saying so indecipherable that only the person receiving can understand it. Yes languages change over time, merge with others and bend to the progress of society but when children can't even spell session, because or what you have to consider whether or not language is regressing.
The internet has proven itself as an invaluable resource of information, discussion and progression in a wide number of fields, but should be discarding books to make room for the online word? You can pretty much find results for anything you care to think of when searching on Google, but when it comes to knowledge, books still hold sway. When a text is produced the first port of call is paper; people will then go and buy the book or borrow it from their nearest library, this process ensures that everyone can have access to the book and its physical nature means it does not depend upon a variety of other elements to read it. Online books needs to be regulated in regards to who has the rights to access them, who has the rights to put the book up and all that other legal malarkey. Then we come to the technical issues. First of all you need to own a computer which we all know can break, then you need the phone line for the internet then internet access itself. If any one of those elements is disrupted then access to texts is removed; much more complicated than going out to a shop or library and picking up the physical thing which doesn't even need batteries.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Gardening Galore
I have been living in my house for little over a year now and to be honest, the garden looked more like an afro than a place to admire and relax. At the time I could only find opportunity to mow the lawn before the infamous winter of 2009 set in and everything turned to ice. So, this summer, during the brief spells of warmer-than-freezing weather, I set about giving my tiny plot of land a much needed face lift.
You may think I simply did this because it had to be done to prevent weeds and grass reigning supreme and preventing me from reaching the garden shed but to be honest, I did it because I enjoy it and I have a strange sense of prize over my decorative piece of land because, as I said in opening, it is something that I admire and use to relax in. So after a £50 spending spree at my nearest gardening centre, the makeover began and things are starting to look infinitely better.
Most of us can say we have fond memories of sitting in a garden during a cool summers evening with friends or family, talking, eating or just being. Would such an experience have been as pleasant if you had to trample up and down the lawn beforehand to flatten a patch of earth upon which you could place a chair, or if you couldn't put your feet down because some thorny bugger had already laid claim to that space? I doubt it.
A well kept garden is a delight, a pleasure to behold and a sneaky source of exercise in its maintenance. Even on the gloomiest of days, when everything is dark and down, I just direct my eyes through a window and feel all that much better for seeing the colourful flowers, birds pecking away at the feeder and nicely trimmer lawn. To prove to myself that this effect was genuine I spent a week looking out from my study window, at the top of the house, over into next door's garden. In the year that I have been here, nothing has been done to that garden other than someone push some weeds aside to open the shed to remove a hammer. Unwanted vegetation dominates every visible inch, an unloved rose bush competes for space with a dying tree and garden furniture has become engulfed in 4ft grass. Every day of looking over this spectacle, I felt as grey as the weather and frustrated for not being able to do anything about that mess.
Perhaps as a response to this I doubled my efforts in my garden, lashing out at anything that may have spilled over from next door to induce some sense of control and perhaps to make the neighbours jealous of the beautiful arrangements I possess at the rear of my house. If anything, I have learnt that gardening inspires the judgmental side of me.
You may think I simply did this because it had to be done to prevent weeds and grass reigning supreme and preventing me from reaching the garden shed but to be honest, I did it because I enjoy it and I have a strange sense of prize over my decorative piece of land because, as I said in opening, it is something that I admire and use to relax in. So after a £50 spending spree at my nearest gardening centre, the makeover began and things are starting to look infinitely better.
Most of us can say we have fond memories of sitting in a garden during a cool summers evening with friends or family, talking, eating or just being. Would such an experience have been as pleasant if you had to trample up and down the lawn beforehand to flatten a patch of earth upon which you could place a chair, or if you couldn't put your feet down because some thorny bugger had already laid claim to that space? I doubt it.
A well kept garden is a delight, a pleasure to behold and a sneaky source of exercise in its maintenance. Even on the gloomiest of days, when everything is dark and down, I just direct my eyes through a window and feel all that much better for seeing the colourful flowers, birds pecking away at the feeder and nicely trimmer lawn. To prove to myself that this effect was genuine I spent a week looking out from my study window, at the top of the house, over into next door's garden. In the year that I have been here, nothing has been done to that garden other than someone push some weeds aside to open the shed to remove a hammer. Unwanted vegetation dominates every visible inch, an unloved rose bush competes for space with a dying tree and garden furniture has become engulfed in 4ft grass. Every day of looking over this spectacle, I felt as grey as the weather and frustrated for not being able to do anything about that mess.
Perhaps as a response to this I doubled my efforts in my garden, lashing out at anything that may have spilled over from next door to induce some sense of control and perhaps to make the neighbours jealous of the beautiful arrangements I possess at the rear of my house. If anything, I have learnt that gardening inspires the judgmental side of me.
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Stig is Dead, Long Live The Stig.
A secret perhaps more coveted than the meaning of life has come under threat these last few weeks and the potential revelation of this hidden truth threatens to shake the lives of millions: the identity of The Stig.
Even if you are not a regular viewer of Top Gear, most people will be aware of The Stig; that mysterious white clad figure, standing supreme over the Top Gear test track, faceless and silent. His identity has been one of the best kept secrets in television and it would be remiss to say that no one has ever pondered over who hides behind that white helmet.
Though wonder we have, it has to be said that half the fun of The Stig was not knowing who he was. It is doubtful that he would have possessed the same entertainment value if he was simply a man. Under that visor, he is whoever we want him to be, or whoever the Top Gear team decide to make him, but one thing is certain, that uniform made him more than a man.
With his identity under threat and potentially now out in the open, it is almost certain that the white Stig must die. For those who do not follow Top Gear, white Stig is the second one to have appeared since the series revival in 2002. The first, who was reveal to be racing driver Perry McCarthy, was killed off for revealing his identity in his autobiography. This black Stig, drove off the end of an aircraft carrier during a challenge seemingly to his death to be replaced by the white Stig, restoring anonymity to the character and starting afresh.
Now, with a strange repetition of the first scenario, The Stig appears to have been identified in another autobiography, though I cannot bring myself to use names lest the reality of the situation hit home. With this revelation, it may be some time before we discover whether or not a replacement will have to be brought in but it seems certain the world's most popular motoring programming is set for a shake up.
Even if you are not a regular viewer of Top Gear, most people will be aware of The Stig; that mysterious white clad figure, standing supreme over the Top Gear test track, faceless and silent. His identity has been one of the best kept secrets in television and it would be remiss to say that no one has ever pondered over who hides behind that white helmet.
Though wonder we have, it has to be said that half the fun of The Stig was not knowing who he was. It is doubtful that he would have possessed the same entertainment value if he was simply a man. Under that visor, he is whoever we want him to be, or whoever the Top Gear team decide to make him, but one thing is certain, that uniform made him more than a man.
With his identity under threat and potentially now out in the open, it is almost certain that the white Stig must die. For those who do not follow Top Gear, white Stig is the second one to have appeared since the series revival in 2002. The first, who was reveal to be racing driver Perry McCarthy, was killed off for revealing his identity in his autobiography. This black Stig, drove off the end of an aircraft carrier during a challenge seemingly to his death to be replaced by the white Stig, restoring anonymity to the character and starting afresh.
Now, with a strange repetition of the first scenario, The Stig appears to have been identified in another autobiography, though I cannot bring myself to use names lest the reality of the situation hit home. With this revelation, it may be some time before we discover whether or not a replacement will have to be brought in but it seems certain the world's most popular motoring programming is set for a shake up.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Woes of Wales
I like to think that I am a little ahead of others who are in a similar situation as myself. I write for several publications, I am capable of working in a variety of media fields and am multi-skilled and possess numerous interests which I actively engage whilst remaining dedicated to my writing; but there are a couple of flaws which seem to keep people such as myself in a perpetual state of searching and disappointment in regards to employment.
The first is the lack of positions. A quick search through the sites which list media positions shows that the only opportunities available are either strange and irrelevant, or are positions high up in the organization so you have no hope of jumping straight into it. There is nothing in Wales. Even branching outside of media you find there is nothing. I have been turned down for several positions in shops etc simply for being over qualified and for not being willing to sacrifice my extra activities in essence, they want me to drop everything including uni to come perform menial tasks for them.
Secondly, a lot of companies only seem willing to take on people who have had many years experience in the field, even if the positions advertised is entry level or states that training will be provided. I know there are graduate schemes and opportunities but the number of graduates applying for these overwhelms the places they have offered, meaning the larger percentage of young people applying still end up with nothing.
On top of this there are the endless issues I have with the new government, who seem to plan to cut Britain's debt and better the economy by making people unemployed, abolishing organizations and taking money away from the ones that are left. It may make perfect sense to them, but taking jobs away from people and decreasing the number of opportunities would logically make people worse off and it is these people who put money back into the economy.
It may just be that I am frustrated and impatient today, but these are issues that have been welling up in the back of my mind for some time and I know plenty of friends and friends of friends who find themselves in the same predicament, several of whom are immensely more qualified than I could ever boast to be.
The first is the lack of positions. A quick search through the sites which list media positions shows that the only opportunities available are either strange and irrelevant, or are positions high up in the organization so you have no hope of jumping straight into it. There is nothing in Wales. Even branching outside of media you find there is nothing. I have been turned down for several positions in shops etc simply for being over qualified and for not being willing to sacrifice my extra activities in essence, they want me to drop everything including uni to come perform menial tasks for them.
Secondly, a lot of companies only seem willing to take on people who have had many years experience in the field, even if the positions advertised is entry level or states that training will be provided. I know there are graduate schemes and opportunities but the number of graduates applying for these overwhelms the places they have offered, meaning the larger percentage of young people applying still end up with nothing.
On top of this there are the endless issues I have with the new government, who seem to plan to cut Britain's debt and better the economy by making people unemployed, abolishing organizations and taking money away from the ones that are left. It may make perfect sense to them, but taking jobs away from people and decreasing the number of opportunities would logically make people worse off and it is these people who put money back into the economy.
It may just be that I am frustrated and impatient today, but these are issues that have been welling up in the back of my mind for some time and I know plenty of friends and friends of friends who find themselves in the same predicament, several of whom are immensely more qualified than I could ever boast to be.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Personal Poop
A more personal blog I think today considering most of my recent entries have been of a journalistic/ranting affair.
Not much has happened recently. I have sent out over 100 C.V.s to a variety of media and journalistic companies in the hopes of finding some form of employment with them with part-time or as a replacement to my university course which more and more people seem to be unhappy with. The writing continues, with many a band being mocked or praised by my hand in order to provide some scintillating material for the multitude of people I write for.
Recently my sanity has been maintained through a series of events which have distracted me from my summer prison, I say summer ironically, this is Britain, the sun is illegal. Apart from my birthday occurring at a point I shall not disclose, I have HMS Pinafore to look forward to tomorrow as well as the Proms which will last 2 months and provide me with much entertainment and recording/editing opportunities. Other than that is sit in wait, praying for a small moment in which the rain will cease and I can lunge at my garden with the mower, strimmer and rake to subdue it's wild nature!
Not much has happened recently. I have sent out over 100 C.V.s to a variety of media and journalistic companies in the hopes of finding some form of employment with them with part-time or as a replacement to my university course which more and more people seem to be unhappy with. The writing continues, with many a band being mocked or praised by my hand in order to provide some scintillating material for the multitude of people I write for.
Recently my sanity has been maintained through a series of events which have distracted me from my summer prison, I say summer ironically, this is Britain, the sun is illegal. Apart from my birthday occurring at a point I shall not disclose, I have HMS Pinafore to look forward to tomorrow as well as the Proms which will last 2 months and provide me with much entertainment and recording/editing opportunities. Other than that is sit in wait, praying for a small moment in which the rain will cease and I can lunge at my garden with the mower, strimmer and rake to subdue it's wild nature!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
I enjoyed that, I won't watch it again.
I was once informed by a script writer that when people love a film, they will watch it again and again. I replied to the contrary, stating that if I love a film I will watch it as little as possible, to which he seemed puzzled and probably considered spraying me with acid for being the exception to the rule.
Anything I enjoy in general I will avoid as much as possible, quite simply to prevent overexposure. If there is a particular chocolate you love then eating it day in day out will surely ruin the occasion and you would become sick of the stuff. The same applied to me with films. To watch a film I love is a special event, something to set time aside for and to cherish. I have not watched The Hustler in about three years simply because I enjoy it so much, and by the time I get around to watching it again enough of the details should have faded from my mind to ensure that it will still be as exciting, thrilling and dark as the first time I laid eyes upon it.
Though logically if I came across a film that was so good it induced orgasm, I would probably never watch it again.
Anything I enjoy in general I will avoid as much as possible, quite simply to prevent overexposure. If there is a particular chocolate you love then eating it day in day out will surely ruin the occasion and you would become sick of the stuff. The same applied to me with films. To watch a film I love is a special event, something to set time aside for and to cherish. I have not watched The Hustler in about three years simply because I enjoy it so much, and by the time I get around to watching it again enough of the details should have faded from my mind to ensure that it will still be as exciting, thrilling and dark as the first time I laid eyes upon it.
Though logically if I came across a film that was so good it induced orgasm, I would probably never watch it again.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Culture killing cooking?
Last night I had a delicious meal of pork chops, fresh from the butcher, new potatoes and a salad made up of mange tout, sugar snaps, peas and lamb's lettuce. After my brain had finished exploding from the pleasure, I got to thinking about how little we cook as a nation.
After pondering it for some time it dawned upon me that it is the way our society works that prevents us from engaging in more home made meals. The standard working day in the U.K. is 9 to 5, and what a way to make a living! Take travel time into account and you probably won't be getting home until around 6ish. Now factor in the fact that there may also be children to feed as well as your other half and the situation escalates to where you are trying to prepare a meal for 4 or more people, something you may not feel up to coming home tired from work.
It's no wonder that take away and microwave meals have become so popular. Even the things you take as being harmless, like fish fingers or boxed up burgers are a convenience which allows us to escape cooing from scratch. Now on the whole it is said that cooking with fresh and varied ingredients is healthier than reaching into the freezer for the closest meal-in-a-tub, it also provides greater options, but I understand why it is so appealing to slap something quick on the grill or in the microwave and munch away.
In France, their fairly flexible working week has some companies allowing employees Friday afternoons off, or finishing early if they do not take their lunch hour whereas in the U.K. you would be hard pressed to find such generosity. I could continue in a lengthy ramble about how this also cuts into the time with children or how such our working life seems to detest the concept of having a family but I still restrict myself to the cooking for now. Yes we have to work, but why should our lives outside suffer? People who eat well tend to be healthier, more active, live longer and feel better about their lives, which logically would make them better workers, but as it stands, it seems that work must be everything and our lives beyond those office walls must suffer to suit them.
After pondering it for some time it dawned upon me that it is the way our society works that prevents us from engaging in more home made meals. The standard working day in the U.K. is 9 to 5, and what a way to make a living! Take travel time into account and you probably won't be getting home until around 6ish. Now factor in the fact that there may also be children to feed as well as your other half and the situation escalates to where you are trying to prepare a meal for 4 or more people, something you may not feel up to coming home tired from work.
It's no wonder that take away and microwave meals have become so popular. Even the things you take as being harmless, like fish fingers or boxed up burgers are a convenience which allows us to escape cooing from scratch. Now on the whole it is said that cooking with fresh and varied ingredients is healthier than reaching into the freezer for the closest meal-in-a-tub, it also provides greater options, but I understand why it is so appealing to slap something quick on the grill or in the microwave and munch away.
In France, their fairly flexible working week has some companies allowing employees Friday afternoons off, or finishing early if they do not take their lunch hour whereas in the U.K. you would be hard pressed to find such generosity. I could continue in a lengthy ramble about how this also cuts into the time with children or how such our working life seems to detest the concept of having a family but I still restrict myself to the cooking for now. Yes we have to work, but why should our lives outside suffer? People who eat well tend to be healthier, more active, live longer and feel better about their lives, which logically would make them better workers, but as it stands, it seems that work must be everything and our lives beyond those office walls must suffer to suit them.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
TV Trouble
An article I came across today detailed how Stephen Fry feels somewhat disillusioned with the current state of British television, and I have to agree with him! British television these days seem to be saturated with Joe Public programmes, where everyone and anyone can come along, make an arse of themselves or become a huge success, for the few minutes in between them wining and the next programme coming along.
There is the odd programme that I will follow avidly, Doctor who and Merlin strangely being two of them and the two Fry praised whilst claiming they were aimed solely at children, but beyond them there seems to be a significant lack of innovation or inspiration, with successful formats being recycled and repackaged for the nation to lap up again.
There is one thing worse than this dusting off of TV garbage and passing it off as a fresh show, and that is that we let it happen. Too many people seem content to accept and revel in these substandard shows time after time and until we as a nation decide to get up and stop feeding the problem, I fear I will still be complaining about this situation in 5 years time, as Britain's Got Talent tries to find contestants who haven't already appeared on a talent show.
There is the odd programme that I will follow avidly, Doctor who and Merlin strangely being two of them and the two Fry praised whilst claiming they were aimed solely at children, but beyond them there seems to be a significant lack of innovation or inspiration, with successful formats being recycled and repackaged for the nation to lap up again.
There is one thing worse than this dusting off of TV garbage and passing it off as a fresh show, and that is that we let it happen. Too many people seem content to accept and revel in these substandard shows time after time and until we as a nation decide to get up and stop feeding the problem, I fear I will still be complaining about this situation in 5 years time, as Britain's Got Talent tries to find contestants who haven't already appeared on a talent show.
Friday, June 4, 2010
You sweat, I laugh.
The summer is finally setting in, and it is at this time of year that people notice that I do not perspire normally, rather I feed off the rays of this yellow sun like some lizard or Kryptonian.
I do sweat, just not at the same pitiful temperatures as the rest of your humans. The summer warmth has reminded me though that we spend a mere 4 or 5 months in this rare weather, the rest of the time we are treated to the bitter British cold, depressing grey skies and excessive electric and heating bills are we stave off the frosty lows.
Under normal circumstances, I would blame the government for this outrageously lopsided approach to the weather, along with the poor air quality, their obsession with turning any patch of grass into more houses and their endless promises to improve health care yet we still have to wait six months to go into hospital for a problems we have today.
This time though I shall blame it on Murphy and his enduring law; the law that states that "what can go wrong, will go wrong", and it seems to be very concentrated in this country.
Now you may think that I am being unnecessarily unfair towards these United Kingdoms, but during my several hundreds years of watch people come and go and times change, I always feel that this nation is, as Top Gear would say, "ambitious but rubbish".
I do sweat, just not at the same pitiful temperatures as the rest of your humans. The summer warmth has reminded me though that we spend a mere 4 or 5 months in this rare weather, the rest of the time we are treated to the bitter British cold, depressing grey skies and excessive electric and heating bills are we stave off the frosty lows.
Under normal circumstances, I would blame the government for this outrageously lopsided approach to the weather, along with the poor air quality, their obsession with turning any patch of grass into more houses and their endless promises to improve health care yet we still have to wait six months to go into hospital for a problems we have today.
This time though I shall blame it on Murphy and his enduring law; the law that states that "what can go wrong, will go wrong", and it seems to be very concentrated in this country.
Now you may think that I am being unnecessarily unfair towards these United Kingdoms, but during my several hundreds years of watch people come and go and times change, I always feel that this nation is, as Top Gear would say, "ambitious but rubbish".
Friday, May 14, 2010
Preventing Piracy Impossible
Today Francis Keeling at Universal Music stated that the music industry will probably never be rid of piracy completely. When considering this against the long, beautiful history of music, the image of a man growing old springs to mind.
Like the music industry, life started off perfectly, no problems, nothing playing on your mind, a care free existence you might say. But as time went by, the worry lines traced their way across your brow and now every time you look in the mirror you are haunted by the every expanding forest of nasal hair.
Like it or not, these hairs are the piracy we will never get rid of. You can snip away at the edges, push everything backwards or rip it out at the root but no matter measures you take it will always come back.
In this case, technology has been its own downfall. Gone are the days of vinyl records where the innocence of music took its last stand. From the advent of the tape recorder things changed forever. These days you don't have to sit there waiting for the tape to finish playing as the other tape in the dual deck recorded every precious piece of magnetic information, today you download, copy and paste or select and burn.
True the industry, in the future, may introduce copying protected hardware or digital rights will prevent you from modifying or transferring files, but when it comes down to the bare basics, anyone with a speaker output, a microphone input and a bit of audio cable can sit in their room making illegal duplicates to pass on to the Blackbeards of sound.
So no, we will probably never be rid of piracy, with all of its legal struggles and artist's loosing money, but is that the price the industry now has to pay for the advancement in technology it has so encouraged and utilized over the years?
Like the music industry, life started off perfectly, no problems, nothing playing on your mind, a care free existence you might say. But as time went by, the worry lines traced their way across your brow and now every time you look in the mirror you are haunted by the every expanding forest of nasal hair.
Like it or not, these hairs are the piracy we will never get rid of. You can snip away at the edges, push everything backwards or rip it out at the root but no matter measures you take it will always come back.
In this case, technology has been its own downfall. Gone are the days of vinyl records where the innocence of music took its last stand. From the advent of the tape recorder things changed forever. These days you don't have to sit there waiting for the tape to finish playing as the other tape in the dual deck recorded every precious piece of magnetic information, today you download, copy and paste or select and burn.
True the industry, in the future, may introduce copying protected hardware or digital rights will prevent you from modifying or transferring files, but when it comes down to the bare basics, anyone with a speaker output, a microphone input and a bit of audio cable can sit in their room making illegal duplicates to pass on to the Blackbeards of sound.
So no, we will probably never be rid of piracy, with all of its legal struggles and artist's loosing money, but is that the price the industry now has to pay for the advancement in technology it has so encouraged and utilized over the years?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Traffic light terror.
Near my house there are a set of pelican crossings, traffic lights with red, green and amber lights and a jolly old green man to let pedestrians cross when the fancy takes them. The purpose of my rant today is not that these lights are near my house, it's more how they seem to hate the pedestrian and worship the car.
Some common sense notions to get things rolling. First off, some crossing have lights that will change to red when a pedestrian presses the green man provided a certain amount of time has passed; other will let people cross after a certain period of time. The latter is what I am faced with nearby. Secondly, the green man is meant to be up with the traffic lights red for a certain period of time to allow people to cross and ensure that the road is clear for the traffic flow to continue. Right, now these facts have been established I can get on with moaning.
Too many time I have been stood at those lights waiting to cross. The road they find themselves placed on is very busy one, connecting a supermarket to the main roads that run through the town. Yet I never expected to find myself wasting 5 - 10 minutes of my life every other day feeling like a chicken in a bad joke. At time I have found myself there long enough to notice that each of the three junctions has been from green to red twice before it lets me have my walking way. On a normal straight road this would mean you would have to wait 6 cycles before being allowed to pass. The car certainly seems to be the favourite of these lights then, with the pedestrian being considered a nuisance that only has to be dealt with now and then.
The second problem I have with these lights is how long the green man stays up for. I am by no means a slow walker, I have given my girlfriend chest pains as she tries to keep up with me, so the other day I timed how long it took for me to cross at one of the sets of lights. Six seconds. Now that may sound like an ok time to get from one pavement to the other but consider this; when I got to the other side of the road the green man had gone and the traffic lights had been green for quite a few seconds. I find myself left at the mercy of the patient drivers who have to wait for me to disembark their turf before pulling off.
There are quite a few elderly people near where I live, so I managed to take the opportunity one afternoon to watch one woman trying to make it across the same section of road. If I am unable to do it in six seconds, I had to wonder what hope she had. Thirty seconds she took, and yes you may think of me as a little evil for watching her rather than helping her across the road like a good boy scout but I have a point to prove! In the time it took her to make her journey, the green man was gone before she was a quarter of the way across, and the traffic lights were screaming go by the time she was half way.
It seems to me then that this system is both biased and dangerous. Why the people who installed these lights favour the car so much is beyond me, it may be some silly method of trying to cut CO2 emissions by having them get to places sooner, it may be to get them into the shops quicker to feed the vampire of a council we have around these parts, or it may be an attempt to keep the people on one side from breeding with the people on the other. Whatever the cause, I may one day be writing to you from a hospital bed with the impression of a radiator grille across my chest and a wing mirror up my bum.
Some common sense notions to get things rolling. First off, some crossing have lights that will change to red when a pedestrian presses the green man provided a certain amount of time has passed; other will let people cross after a certain period of time. The latter is what I am faced with nearby. Secondly, the green man is meant to be up with the traffic lights red for a certain period of time to allow people to cross and ensure that the road is clear for the traffic flow to continue. Right, now these facts have been established I can get on with moaning.
Too many time I have been stood at those lights waiting to cross. The road they find themselves placed on is very busy one, connecting a supermarket to the main roads that run through the town. Yet I never expected to find myself wasting 5 - 10 minutes of my life every other day feeling like a chicken in a bad joke. At time I have found myself there long enough to notice that each of the three junctions has been from green to red twice before it lets me have my walking way. On a normal straight road this would mean you would have to wait 6 cycles before being allowed to pass. The car certainly seems to be the favourite of these lights then, with the pedestrian being considered a nuisance that only has to be dealt with now and then.
The second problem I have with these lights is how long the green man stays up for. I am by no means a slow walker, I have given my girlfriend chest pains as she tries to keep up with me, so the other day I timed how long it took for me to cross at one of the sets of lights. Six seconds. Now that may sound like an ok time to get from one pavement to the other but consider this; when I got to the other side of the road the green man had gone and the traffic lights had been green for quite a few seconds. I find myself left at the mercy of the patient drivers who have to wait for me to disembark their turf before pulling off.
There are quite a few elderly people near where I live, so I managed to take the opportunity one afternoon to watch one woman trying to make it across the same section of road. If I am unable to do it in six seconds, I had to wonder what hope she had. Thirty seconds she took, and yes you may think of me as a little evil for watching her rather than helping her across the road like a good boy scout but I have a point to prove! In the time it took her to make her journey, the green man was gone before she was a quarter of the way across, and the traffic lights were screaming go by the time she was half way.
It seems to me then that this system is both biased and dangerous. Why the people who installed these lights favour the car so much is beyond me, it may be some silly method of trying to cut CO2 emissions by having them get to places sooner, it may be to get them into the shops quicker to feed the vampire of a council we have around these parts, or it may be an attempt to keep the people on one side from breeding with the people on the other. Whatever the cause, I may one day be writing to you from a hospital bed with the impression of a radiator grille across my chest and a wing mirror up my bum.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Picking a Political Party Pickle
So the debates wage on, the leaders verbally abuse each other in their own special high-brow manner, and the nation becomes divided over where their loyalties lie.
As the day draws near where we, the people, will have our chance to select who we will be grumpy with for the next few years, I find myself becoming firmer in my decision as to who to vote for. Normally I wouldn't divulge such information until after the election, or if I knew I was in a room of complete political security and tolerance, if there is such a thing, but this time round I feel I shall make an exception.
It was somewhere around 1922 that we last had a Liberal Prime Minister, don't quote me on that but I know it was somewhere around that period. Since then, it has been an eternal tennis match with the power being hit back and forth between Labour and Conservative. With two parties holding such dominance for such a length of time, you can't help but notice an almost undeserved sense of security between them; the knowledge that if their party doesn't get in, the other will and that the Lib. Dems. are never really in the running.
For me, this certainty gives them a backing which has allowed the true drive and passion to serve the nation to wither and rot. Given that they 'know' it's between one party or the other, politics seems to have sunk into a popularity contest where the winner is the one who is hated the least, not the one with the better agenda or ideas for the future. I wouldn't be surprised if Simon Cowell managed to turn it into something new for Saturday night TV.
Over the last few weeks, the Lib. Dems. have come across as a kid in a playground with a great idea for a game, but going unheard because they are shorter than everyone else; and if you haven't guessed yet, I'm going to be voting for Nick Clegg.
Not just because I find myself attracted to some of his policies, but also because it would be the kick up the arse the other two parties need to get them thinking about why Labour and Tory have become words said through gritted teeth.
So far I have lived through four Prime Ministers, Thatcher to Brown, and John Major is the only one I liked, but I think that was more for his looks. I hope the next five years will change that.
As the day draws near where we, the people, will have our chance to select who we will be grumpy with for the next few years, I find myself becoming firmer in my decision as to who to vote for. Normally I wouldn't divulge such information until after the election, or if I knew I was in a room of complete political security and tolerance, if there is such a thing, but this time round I feel I shall make an exception.
It was somewhere around 1922 that we last had a Liberal Prime Minister, don't quote me on that but I know it was somewhere around that period. Since then, it has been an eternal tennis match with the power being hit back and forth between Labour and Conservative. With two parties holding such dominance for such a length of time, you can't help but notice an almost undeserved sense of security between them; the knowledge that if their party doesn't get in, the other will and that the Lib. Dems. are never really in the running.
For me, this certainty gives them a backing which has allowed the true drive and passion to serve the nation to wither and rot. Given that they 'know' it's between one party or the other, politics seems to have sunk into a popularity contest where the winner is the one who is hated the least, not the one with the better agenda or ideas for the future. I wouldn't be surprised if Simon Cowell managed to turn it into something new for Saturday night TV.
Over the last few weeks, the Lib. Dems. have come across as a kid in a playground with a great idea for a game, but going unheard because they are shorter than everyone else; and if you haven't guessed yet, I'm going to be voting for Nick Clegg.
Not just because I find myself attracted to some of his policies, but also because it would be the kick up the arse the other two parties need to get them thinking about why Labour and Tory have become words said through gritted teeth.
So far I have lived through four Prime Ministers, Thatcher to Brown, and John Major is the only one I liked, but I think that was more for his looks. I hope the next five years will change that.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Brown Going Down?
That time has come again, and some would say it's been too long in the waiting. Gordon Brown announced at the start of this week that a general election will be held on May 6th 2010 sparking the proclamation of pledges, plans and prosperity by the three main parties scrambling to take the throne for the next few years.
The Labour Party has come under a great deal of fire during their time in power, with the Iraq war continuing to claw at their backs, Tony Blair stepping down after poor election results and with the more recent expense scandal, you have to wonder, is Brown going gentle into that good night?
Honestly, after listening to what people near me have to say about the government, local councils and politicians, I get the distinct impression that whoever takes the reigns of prime minister next will be drowned by the voices of discontent. During the height of any political battle, the news will be inundated with people criticizing a party's plans or performance, and any positives only seem to be presented as a defense case.
One thing is guaranteed, whoever is voted in will have some high expectations to meet and I feel no matter how hard they try, it seems certain they will be struggling to keep up their popularity next time the voting season is upon us.
The Labour Party has come under a great deal of fire during their time in power, with the Iraq war continuing to claw at their backs, Tony Blair stepping down after poor election results and with the more recent expense scandal, you have to wonder, is Brown going gentle into that good night?
Honestly, after listening to what people near me have to say about the government, local councils and politicians, I get the distinct impression that whoever takes the reigns of prime minister next will be drowned by the voices of discontent. During the height of any political battle, the news will be inundated with people criticizing a party's plans or performance, and any positives only seem to be presented as a defense case.
One thing is guaranteed, whoever is voted in will have some high expectations to meet and I feel no matter how hard they try, it seems certain they will be struggling to keep up their popularity next time the voting season is upon us.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Michael Manslaughter for Murray
It has been almost a year since Michael Jackson's death and still the circumstances surrounding the events that lead up to his passing are somewhat unclear.
His former doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, who is currently charged with involuntary manslaughter, has been the centre of attention as the possible cause for the stars demise for some time now, with a piece of evidence recently being criticized for being inconsistent. The evidence in question, given by Mr. Alvarez, Michael Jackson's logistics director, states Dr. Murray halted resuscitation and delayed calling in the paramedics. A lawyer representing Dr. Murray claims that the evidence is inconsistent as it fails to match up to a statement previously given to the police by Mr. Alvaerz.
It was a shock to all when it was revealed the singer had passed away last June, and since then there has been some debate over the circumstances surrounding those events, with some people reporting ghostly sightings of the star, the most prolific of which was recorded by CNN.
April is when the next hearing has been scheduled for Dr. Murray, but many fans have stated that they simply wish for a man who had a troubled life in later years, to have a peaceful death, something that remains illusive almost 10 months on.
His former doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, who is currently charged with involuntary manslaughter, has been the centre of attention as the possible cause for the stars demise for some time now, with a piece of evidence recently being criticized for being inconsistent. The evidence in question, given by Mr. Alvarez, Michael Jackson's logistics director, states Dr. Murray halted resuscitation and delayed calling in the paramedics. A lawyer representing Dr. Murray claims that the evidence is inconsistent as it fails to match up to a statement previously given to the police by Mr. Alvaerz.
It was a shock to all when it was revealed the singer had passed away last June, and since then there has been some debate over the circumstances surrounding those events, with some people reporting ghostly sightings of the star, the most prolific of which was recorded by CNN.
April is when the next hearing has been scheduled for Dr. Murray, but many fans have stated that they simply wish for a man who had a troubled life in later years, to have a peaceful death, something that remains illusive almost 10 months on.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Obama-Lama Drama
President Barack Obama met the Dali Lama, and China seem to be very angry about that. The long standing political debate over the relationship between China and Tibet, where the Dali Lama is the president-in-exile, and the apparent dominance China has over the country and the Buddhist religion would have escaped the notice of few in the world, but for a man who advocates peace, leads a religion and has no military might, the Chinese government do appear to be acting like a child who dislikes the game because they are not winning.
The U.S.A. have made it clear that this is not private rather than a political events, though how are we to know what took place behind closed doors. The reaction to the meeting though has raised the question, how long will China continue to hold this somewhat strange stance again the Lama and Tibet itself? Relations between the United States and China have been more publicized of late due to the recent Google row in which China was accused of instigating cyber attacks against the well known search engine but their response to the meeting between these two political figures seems as important as condemning a murderer for stealing a chocolate bar.
The U.S.A. have made it clear that this is not private rather than a political events, though how are we to know what took place behind closed doors. The reaction to the meeting though has raised the question, how long will China continue to hold this somewhat strange stance again the Lama and Tibet itself? Relations between the United States and China have been more publicized of late due to the recent Google row in which China was accused of instigating cyber attacks against the well known search engine but their response to the meeting between these two political figures seems as important as condemning a murderer for stealing a chocolate bar.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)