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Saturday 31 January 2009

Blast from the past - Visual Voicemail on iPhone gone crazy!

Can somebody tell me how this is at all possible? My visual voicemail is exploding with the following:





To make it even more strange, these voicemail are dated 1st January, 1970!:





How on earth is this possible?

Is it Dr Who?

Someone messaging me through time? Across the space-time continuum?
From an alternate reality?

The funny thing is these messages don't play either.

I wonder what it is?!

-- Post From My iPhone

Friday 30 January 2009

Examination Period January 2009 Overview



Examination period for January is over today. For me, it was over yesterday, a tough week and tough times revising, and the usual exam stress, sickness and delusion that usually comes with it!

Unlike most though, I only had 2 exams this period, compared to my 4 I will have in the summer.

Semester 1 : France under the 5th Republic (Tuesday) & Freed and Equality: Contemporary Debates (Thursday)

Semester 2: Philosophy of Mind, Philosophical Logic, Britain: From Blitz to Brown & The National Politics of Germany

There is also an exteded essay to do, 5,000 word research project for which I am centering on Republicism. The topic and the question it takes I am not sure yet, hopefully I have get my tutor to sign off on the following:

Is an Elected Head of a State a Human Right? Discuss with reference to the United Kingdom

This brings in for me, the Republicanism aspect of which I am interested in terms of my own domestic politics and personal convictions, and researching political human rights as I have so greatly enjoyed reading the works of Rawls.

But back to the topic at hand that I am discussing in this blog: The examination period is over. Stressful times, but a huge sigh of relief. Not much revision done for the second exam but by comparison,I found it easier in exam conditions (Freedom and Equality), thean in my other exam. French politics. On Tuesday morning it wasn't a case of not knowing enough, it was knowing too much. That and the exam being just an hour - the shortest exam I've ever had of any real significance - it was harder to get into the groove and there was a feeling that I felt a bit rusty, despite not being away from writing as I have been writing academic-esque, journalistic blogs over the past two months.

As regular readers may recall and other fellow students, I cocked up on the Freedom and Equality essay earlier in the year. I have considered, and shall attempt to take action take what I feel is an injustice. Ironic, considering the course module, it largely concerns Justice to a degree! What is unclear is whether I will have my marks substantially reversed, though I do feel that I was harsh;y penalised over my bibliography, which was no different from previous essays. Indeed, the feedback I got from such essays were comments that my bibliography was "good".

My other essay for French politics went really well by comparison and I was pleased in comparison with the mark. Having said that, the exams in question were a reverse really (though hopefully not as bad!); I felt I did better on Freedom and Equality (1700+words per question compared to 1300 for French politics). It's not the words but the content, but the word amount to an extent explains for me that I struggled with my frame of writing and articulating my ideas.

Still, I am more than confident to have passed, and with regards to French politics be very suprised to have got a 2:1, where I more than likely expect a 2:2.

Freedom and Equality on the other hand is a different issue. By the exam I hope to have safely passed the 2:1 mark, that I will be pleased with and regardless to the situation with the essay I will have passed the course, and ended up with a respectable 2:2 in that as well. Unless, by some miracle, the second marker sees my essay in a radically different light, a 2:1 is out of my reach (unless of course I have mastered the exam). A course colleague has also informed me that an good showing on my exam will mean that my essay mark will be bumped up on account of better reflecting ability to write. I am not so sure if this is true, but perhaps if it is then perhaps a borderline 2:1 is not impossible (I would hope).

But then, I never know with university exams. I was unable to get a 1st in any of my essay-style exams though in Introduction to Logic I got above 80, and came close in Comparative politics with a good 67. So there is no reason to beleive I do not have the ability, but results and time, will tell. I hope that I have passed and done well to help cure my disillusionment with the University of Manchester and my course as of late. Unfortunately I think I will have to wait some 6 weeks before I find out the provisional scores. Until then, I need to pull my socks up and get something going with the extended essay which is due in April, not to mention the extra workload of 4 course modules this semester as well.

For now though, this weekend at least and for the introductory week of the semester starting on Monday, I am going to relax, enjoy myself, and ease my way back into the scheme of things. The number one thing to look forward to is Chiodos on Tuesday night at the Sugarmill.

With that. I'm going to listen to my favourite song of theirs - Baby, You Wouldn't Last a Minute on the Creek (lyrics here):

Thursday 29 January 2009

Buddhism: A Spiritual Philosophy?





After reading parts of a book over the Christmas period, "Destroying Emotions: A Dialogue with the Dalai Lama", and my initial knowledge of Buddhism, I have become increasingly curious about Buddhism.

I decide to do some research. Knowing that some call it a religion, others a "spiritual philosophy, I was interested into looking into the basic teachings and I can see where, arguably there is Buddhism as a spiritual philosophy, and Buddhism as a religion.

SoYouWanna's convert to Buddhism article deals with the basics and the crux of the Buddist ideal - I will refer it to as an ideal for now and return to the question of spiritual philosophy/religion later.

There are, it argues, and this corresponds to Wikipedia's various articles on Buddhism - I will discuss a few Buddhist concepts later - many different factions of Buddhism, just like in Christianity or Judaism or Islam, and the same for the "Eastern Religions" of Hinduism, Sikhism, etc. There is no central thesis, no bible, but there are guidelines. Also Buddhism does not, it asserts, deal with the question of a God of Classical Theism. So by right, it is possible to be a Buddhist and believe in a God. From this perspective I would call it "religious Buddhism".

Buddhism as a 'spiritual philosophy' is based on 5 precepts, and a 8-fold path, in order to eliminate bad thoughts, and promote the good. Here we find the classic thing when we think of as Buddhism - meditation. As a bit of education, I quote from SYW the 8-fold path and 5 precepts below. The 5 precepts should be thought of as guidelines, they are rules but given that Buddhism has no strict doctrine, despite many religious texts, they are guidlines in the aim of being mindful at all times in order to acheive enlightment. The 8-fold path, is the path we should follow.

5 Precepts:

  1. Don't kill - man or beast
  2. Don't steal
  3. Don't lie
  4. Don't cheat on your loved one
  5. Don't take drugs or drink booze
I would personally agree with all on the basis of acheiving mindfulness at all times, and at first glance it might appear that being a strict vegetarian or vegan is the way of a Buddhist. However, given the main aim of Buddhist ideals is to acheive enlightenment, I would not say that the killing of animals for food violates this objective.

Second, I would have to reexamine the 5th precept. As a guide of course, it is always a good idea not to drink excessively or take drugs. The 'Don't drink and drive' policy is the obvious one we can think of here. However some Buddhist of the spiritual kind might argue that some drugs and alcohol, taking recreationally is fine and can be used to acheive mindfulness. My father even calls real ale "brainfood", for one. The importance of the 5th precept must not be ignored, it is common sense not to drink too much that we lose control of our way of thinking, but in moderate amounts, recreational drugs and drinking can acheive happiness inone sense. It only becomes a violation when the 5th precept, I would argue, violates any of the other 4. I'm not a Buddhist scholar, but for me this is acceptable from a philosophical point of view.

The 8-fold path:

The whole reason for becoming Buddhist is to achieve happiness and become "enlightened." In order to do this, you must follow the Eightfold Path. Once you have accomplished all eight steps, you are officially enlightened:

  1. Right Knowledge: Strive to comprehend the first three Noble Truths. This might seem a bit circular, but language is a tricky thing, and the Great Seer wanted to make sure you had all your bases covered. The Noble Truths perhaps aren't as straightforward as they may seem at first. So you must strive to fully comprehend them.

  2. Right Thinking: Consciously dedicate yourself to a life in harmony with the Noble Truths elucidated by the Buddha.

  3. Right Speech: No gossiping, lying, backbiting, and harsh language. If you don't have anything valuable to say, keep your big yapper shut. Always good advice.

  4. Right Conduct: For lay Buddhists (meaning Buddhists who aren't monks), Right Conduct means following the Five Precepts (see below). If you're a monk, there are some more rules for conduct, but don't worry about them until you're ready to become a monk.

  5. Right Livelihood: Go peacefully into the world and do no harm. So choose a profession that's harmless to living things, and refrain from killing people.

  6. Right Effort: Conquer the flow of negative thoughts, replacing them with good thoughts.

  7. Right Mindfulness: Achieve an intense awareness of your body, emotions, and mental states. Quiet the noises in your head and dwell in the present.

  8. Right Concentration: Learn about (and practice) various kinds of meditation, an important booster rocket on the launch pad to enlightenment.
None of these, I think are unreasonable and I think everyone could learn something from these from a philosophical point of view.

Taking the 8-fold path and the 5 precepts into account and following them would lead us to become enlightened and therefore we would becoming a Buddhist in its spiritual philosophical form.

As various Wikipedia articles will show and as SYW points out, there are various strains, concepts and beleifs that fall within Buddhism that one might not strictly call philosophical, but rather religious. This includes (among others), the ideas of rebirth, and as I have already pointed out, the neutral stance on the idea of a creator. It could be taken either way from a philosophical point of view.

Though the philosophy of Buddhism from its spiritual perspective is something I largely agree with, the argument has to be made that Christianity or Judaism could be seen as a philosophical, spiritual teaching rather than a religion. Religions attest to a certain way of living, a doctrine tyhat we ascribe to in order to acheive some utlimate goal or good. Buddhism becomes this when Buddhist texts and teachings regarding the issues of rebirth are taken. It is a rather religious beleif, the more philosophical (and perhaps, realistic) may want to stand more rather neutral on the issue: In the end, the basic philosophy and teachings given here are to live a good life, something all religions do.

I can therefore only see that simple subscription to one religion, philosophical or given doctrine's moral values are spiritual, not religious. Religion is about worship, the Spiritual about fulfilment. Of course, these two can intersect and perhaps to be religious you cannot have a spiritual dimension. However you can merely ascribe to spiritual ideals and not be religious, if religion is thought to deal with primarily worship, before all other doctrine on how to live. The 10 Commandments is a classic example here to demonstrate this point - the first being: 'I am the Lord your God and no other God may be worshipped before me'

It is possible therefore, to be a spiritual Judeo-Christian, or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or Jew or Christian, taking in the basic philosophical teachings as a guidline rather than a law of life that we live or die by. This is what chiefly characterises the religious - if we do not follow the teachings of Jesus, God in the bible as explained to us by the Pope in the Roman Catholic religion (if we cannot think, understand or have any direct view in the Bible we can read from - such as the use of IVF, use of contraceptives regarding AIDs, etc) - we are either destined for Heaven or Hell. From the spiritual side, accepting morals given by a doctrine as guidlines as a way of life and being open to the question of a supreme deity is not religion. This is where the two differ and it is entirely possibly to be a spiritual Buddhist and exercising restrain with regards to the 5th precept to acheive Enlightenment; or a religious Buddhist through accepting given teachings such as the samsara (rebirth).

So then, for those of us that may not subscribe to any religion I propose the following: Not Agnosticism, but Spiritual Philosophy. If we ascribe to any agree to more than one code of conduct (say the 10 Commandments in Christianity and others from other religions, or indeed perhaps even philosophical views, political-philosophical views or that of a "civil religion" (if we choose to accept this - think Robert Bellah's argument that America is a civil religion, or the idea of fanatics and supporters of a sports team that that sport is a religion and the stadium is the 'place of worship'), then we are spiritual philosophers. If we strictly adhere to a religion and that religious teaching, then we are of that religion - be it Christianity, Judaism, etc. Finally, no strong convictions on religion or philosophical views, if we do not concern ourselves with either because we feel it is not important; is Agnosticism.

From my own personal viewpoint I cannot argue and agree more with what I have said about my take on Buddhist philosophy. It would of course be a bit weird if I didn't agree with myself! From the 5 precepts and the 8-fold way of life, they are good guidelines for a way of life. Furthermore, the fundamentals of the religious teachings of which I was brought up in (Christianity), I do not reject, nor take too seriously. The aim is to live a good life, or in philosophical terms, Kantian summum bonum; living life for a higher good. For that, I beleive, whether there is a God or not I cannot say, and I would not argue that any religion is inherently wrong though I find some views suspect as I did with the 5th precept. In my view, if there is a supreme being, a creator, then if I have lived a good life (of which many philosophical texts are influential and good, including justice as fairness, Kantianism, Buddhist philosophy, Judeo-Christian 10 Commandments), I will be judged on the value and the basis of that. If God were to make worship to him is paramount to access to heaven, it seems reasonable to suggest that we would all be born with this knowledge of Him. God-worship is not the most important, though it can be a good tool for some in order to live a good life. For me, the synthesis of theological teachings, philosophy and life experience I feel will lead me to live a good life and be judged on the basis of that conviction. For that I call myself not a religious person, a Catholic, or any more an agnostic (of which I have labelled myself), but a spiritual philosopher.

Wednesday 28 January 2009

Aston Vanilla: Title chasers?


A football blog, for once. Thanks to Aston Villa beating Portsmouth 1-0 in their Premier League yesterday, (of which, I predicted & expected) - they now move up into 3rd in the Premier League table:

Barclays Premier League Table 27 January 2009
P GD PTS
1 Man Utd 22 29 50
2 Liverpool 22 22 47
3 Aston Villa 23 14 47
4 Chelsea 22 29 45

5 Arsenal 22 13 41

6 Everton 22 4 36
7 Wigan 22 2 31
8 West Ham 22 -2 29
9 Hull 22 -13 27
10 Fulham 21 1 26
11 Sunderland 23 -8 26
12 Man City 21 9 25
13 Tottenham 23 -4 24
14 Portsmouth 22 -13 24
15 Bolton 22 -8 23
16 Newcastle 22 -9 23
17 Blackburn 21 -11 21

18 Middlesbrough 22 -15 21
19 Stoke 23 -18 21
20 West Brom 23 -22 21


Arsenal are due to play Everton midweek, so its fairly possible that with a draw Aston Villa could be looking for a lucrative UEFA Champions League spot. Coming up in February are some winnable games for 'Vanilla', until they meet Chelsea on the back end of the month.

Unthinkable, maybe, but if Arsenal fail to beat Everton and Aston Villa begin to keep winning, could a win over Chelsea transform the title race into an unexpected 3-legged horse race between Manchester United, Villa and Liverpool?

It is perhaps no suprise for some that Manchester United lead the Premier League table but Liverpool are in touching distance despite a recent slip in form. Villa could yet gatecrash the party and they face a dauting task that will ultimately decide their Premier League fate this season with Liverpool and United back-to-back away games in March/April. It's a little too early to specuilate maybe which is why no journalists seem to be giving any ideas that Villa could make a surge for the title.

I would not be too suprised if they did - I personally felt they would finish 5th this season ahead of Everton, despite Manchester City's riches (and look where they are!...). What is more probable though is that Villa could ultimately twist the title race or decide it - Especially as their game comes straight after the supposed "title decider" at Old Trafford between United and Liverpool. I don't think that will indeed be the title decider - United have Manchester City, Arsenal, Villa, and Everton to get through who could all trouble United.

I would hope that people start to sit up and take notice at the great work Martin O'Neill has done at Villa Park - even when my local side Stoke managed to beat them early on in the season. Football is indeed a funny game.

As for Stoke, there are just 4 games of the remaining 15 games that arguably they can expect to lose: the games against Villa, Manchester City (given their talent), Arsenal and Everton. Every other game Stoke could conceivably nick a point, and if they are lucky maybe 2 points out of these 4 as well. A point per game would leave Stoke with a finish of 38 points - below the 40-point benchmark of recent seasons to stay up. Given 8 of these are home games, and Stoke have won over half of their home games this season, Stoke could win 4 of these games but it still leaves them short. Even winning all of their remaining home games would probably only just see Stoke stay up. Out of 12 away games, Stoke are the only team other than Fulham yet to win away, and Stoke have a poorer record: just 3 points out of a possible 36 in away games so far.

Given Stoke's record over the season, we can expect them to get close to the 40 point mark but they are going to need to pick up points away. I, along with many saw Stoke as whipping boys this season but they've outshone the god-awful Billy Davies/Paul Jewell's Derby side and the Sunderland sides (twice!) of recent times.

Whatever Stoke's outcome, they can be proud of themselves.Like with Villa it is too early to really know what their outcome will be. Crucially, if Stoke can win a couple of away games then they are right in the thick of it and it's game on.

It's the best football season I can remember.

Tuesday 27 January 2009

Tru. that...


Why is Truphone better than Fring?


I've been using Fring for quite some time on my mobile because it lets me connect to MSN. Yahoo and Skype all at once. It's good for that, but all too often lately I've been getting crashes.

So I looked for alternatives - obviously still w anting to use Skype - but then I found a better alternative: Truphone. It's cheaper than Skype and you don't need to be in a Wifi zone to make a call through it, as they trick the phone networks into routing it through a local number.

Altogether as well, the interface looks much nicer and Truphone is even adding Skype capabaility and other instant messaging networks soon as well.

Fring has now been relegated to the last home screen on my phone, my "useless apps" page. I could just 'delete it' but it might come in handy. So far I've not had a single problem with Truphone, and the voice connection is much, much better than Skype as well.

Monday 26 January 2009

All nighters

Exam in the morning. Luckily I have this for the night:





Here's hoping it helps for tomoro French exam, keep all things fresh in mind...
-- Post From My iPhone

Sunday 25 January 2009

Coachmakers Arms - Dragon Smoke






Beowulf - Dragon Smoke - 4.7%ABV





I needed it. ****/5
-- Post From My iPhone

Saturday 24 January 2009

Handjobs!









Look close enough, it says the BEST HAND JOB IN TOWN


... Just one of the many wonders of Stoke-on-Trent.

Need to get a picture of the Cock Inn in Leek next!...





-- Post From My iPhone

Friday 23 January 2009

The next Terminator!







Arnie, now Governer of California!







Doug. If Terminator drinks, that is...


-- Post From My iPhone

I'm a Sven Lookalike






Sven-Goran Eriksson, former England Football manager, now Mexico Football Manager





Me. I look like Sven with a hat of course...

-- Post From My iPhone

Coachmakers Arms - Old Raby Ale





Village Brewer - Old Raby Ale - 4.8%ABV






***/5. creamy!

-- Post From My iPhone

Thursday 22 January 2009

Illegitimate Presidency



The talking points surrounding the Inauguration meant that Barack Obama was NOT officially POTUS after taking the oath, as the wording was wrong. Now rectified, the agenda to close Guantanamo Bay has been ordered and the top US official post of Secretary of State has been confirmed : Hilary Rodham Clinton


Guantanamo Bay has been the main talking point, where Obama has ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay, the "gulag of our times".

It seems pretty clear that there were some forces behind the Bush Administration's inability to close Guantanamo - the stubborness of one Dick Cheny (suprise, suprise), and the fact that the Bush administration started the operation in the first place. John Bellinger, an advisor to Condeleezza Rice, shares his regret and frustrations over Guantanamo.

It would appear, I would expect, that Obama has retook the oath before signing the executive decision to close the detention centre. Though the era of change has begun, I fear that this is all a little more than symbolism by the Obama Administration.

If a 'perfectly logical' plan to set up the centre in the first place descended into such controversy where torture was used and accepted, if Bellinger's words are to be beleived, then we cannot ignore this possibility again. I can't fathom personally how the religious neo-conservatives can resort to such violence and inhumane nature - surely God judges at the end of the day.

The infamous legacy that this leaves behind will remain with Bush administration though I do not feel that the anti-Americans out there will see it that way. There is a history of US interventionism and dare I say 'imperalism' over the course of the twentieth century.

Having argued for a new era of openness from his administration and the closure of Guantanamo Bay, this is a good start by the Obama administration. Torture is indefensible - there are moral imperatives and all humans have rights - not simply those kept to and enshrined by national constitutions, bills of rights. The BBC is even asking readers, "Do you agree that Guantanamo prison should be closed?"

The bottom line is, people would say anything under torture to make someone stop. Its an involuntary human reflex, like jerking your hand away from something that's too hot. How anyone can ever justify something like this is beyond me.

Wednesday 21 January 2009

Coachmakers Arms - Lionheart





Milestone - Lionheart - 4.4%ABV





***/5. I enjoyed this beer so much I had it twice over!

-- Post From My iPhone

Tuesday 20 January 2009

Bring Home the Revolution: Obama, Hope, Progress, Change

5,000 tickets sold in less than a minute for the Obama Inauguration. Barack Hussein Obama, legally president at noon on January 20th before he took the Presidential Oath of Office, has now ushered in a new era of 'remaking America', an era of change.

Gone is George W. Bush and the neo-cons - now...

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."





There is an international appeal to the Obama presidency and the powerful role of the United States plays in our world. It is, a notion that we here can share at home in the United Kingdom of failed politics.




As a member of Republic, I received an email from Republic: Campaign for an Elected Head of State, an organisation that I have been a member of for the past year and attended their annual conference back in October. Graham Smith, campaign manager of Republic is calling for increased membership and the launch of 55 in 5 campaign - a drive to establish a elected British head of State within the next 5 years. This is all very optimistic, and the state of the Monarchy in Britain is pretty low after the recent revelations of Harry making racist remarks on a video and Prince Charles (heir apparent) stating he wants to play a more hands-on role.

It reminds me of the old joke about the optimist and the pessimist:

Pessimist says: "It can't get any worse."

But the optimist says:

"Oh yes it can!"

American politics, British politics, democracy in general is as I can see it: Broken. There is discontent in UK political circles over the question of Scottish Independence (for one), and the political apathy as of late puts the major parties in a dead heat. In the latest opinion polls, (9th January in the Sun/YouGov), Conservaties are 41% to Labour's 34% and Liberal Democrats at 15%. The 7 point gap is not too massive, and I would argue that the polls taken in the Sun has arguably a right wing bias anyway. There is a reality, I feel that there could well be a 'hung parliament' at election time. What does this mean for UK Politics?

It means that no party can command a majority and so it is to the Monarch's discretion who to ask to form a government. The Monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, an unelected official could decide the legislative destiny and direction of the UK Parliament in the 21st century. Though the monarchy, some might argue has little importance (all she ever does is wave, see video below...) This threat is very real and very damaging to the notion of democracy.



Barack Obama spoke in his inaugral address of "remaking America". America is a country founded on the back of a bill of rights, on democracy, freedom from religious and political tyranny with liberty and justice for all. With the inaugration of a African-American as president, it is a sign that the social attitudes of even a country like America are shifting. They have elected a liberal as a President. With a Muslim middle name. Who is also mixed race. If America can see the error of their ways after the Bush years then I would argue there is hope for humanity yet. The notion of 'remaking America' has a personal touch to the Americans but it has a wider and global appeal. It is not Americentric. Instead. it is about the ideals for which the United States stands for, and exporting that to the world. Freedom for all people, the French have done it (5 times), the Germans, the Italians... and it is about being able for the people to govern themselves - either by proxy in a centralist government with representatives or small communities of direct democracy.

Of all the systems of government, as Winston Churchill once remarked "Democracy is the best of the worst" (or something to that effect). The system we have in the United Kingdom is not, if there is a hung parliament, a democracy at all. If no majority is found in a general election and the Queen chooses of her own accord who to form a government, then this is clearly going against democratic principle that the people have freedom. Freedom means choice.

We do not have that, here at home, with the realities of the British Constitution.

In 'remaking America' - 'America' being a system of ideals rather than a singular identity (see Jonathon Freedland - "Bring Home the Revolution") - we can take the inspiring message of hope, of change, of progress, of Obama, to the United Kingdom, and the rest of the world.

Monday 19 January 2009

Coachmakers Arms - Black Pearl






Milestone - Black Pearl - 4.3% ABV





Epic Stout ***/5

-- Post From My iPhone

Sunday 18 January 2009

Cast Lead

The Arab-Israeli conflict has been well documented, most recently in a 22-day conflict on what the Israeli's called "Operation Cast Lead", in order to give more security to the south.

The conflict in the Gaza and the dispute over the Holy Land (Israel) has been one of the big pressing issues since the Second World War.

The solution, as I see it, is something similar to the UN Partition Plan drawn up and approved in 1947 (see wiki entry here)

The UN Resolution is mentioned in the Israeli declaration of independence. I would argue though, if the Israeli's could do that, then why can't the Palestinians do the same? It is not a straightforward matter I admit, and something that hopefully will be addressed by Barack Obama. There are still fundamental problems in the region, and as one blogger argues, I'm sure come 21st January the phones in the White House will be ringing and an 'era of change' can begin.

The US, if it wishes to see itself as a higher moral authority and a beacon to the world, should look no further than their own constitution as a guide for their foreign policy. The continued supply of weapons and goods to Israel in a volatile region, does not agree with what the country was founded upon: freedom from tyranny, religious persecution and equality among men, including others. The failure to provide the Palestinians with a safe haven to live in only serves to cause further violence if they are not allowed to govern themselves as they wish to do so. Who is to say that the State of Israel will do a better job? The state is only state in the world that is Jewish, but there is no reason why religious tolerance, secularism and people from all other walks of life cannot live in harmony with one another.

It is time, I feel, to give the Palestinian people what they wish: a safe haven. I do not beleive that they are a terrorist group, though some of their actions are certainlly questionable and morally suspect. Perhaps history has taught us that the best form of revolution is passive resistance - the civil rights movement, Ghandi, among others - the sectarian violence in Ireland is still a big problem.

I am not arguing here that religion is a cause for violence, just an excuse. There is no reason why religious tolerance and freedom to worship whatever religion we wish (or not) cannot be practised. Permanent revolutions on this scale are never realised without some degree of bloodshed.

If as Josh Lyman in the West Wing argues:

"Islamic extremist is to Islam as the KKK is to Christianity"....

then the State of Israel is the equivalent to Judaism.

Controversial, maybe? But fighting never solved anything. The UN too, needs to get its act together as well because failure to follow through such resolutions as I mentioned makes the point of a global diplomatic institution meaningless. A state for a religious people is a noble idea, but there are examples around the world - the UK, US, among others - why religions cannot be tolerated in a secular state. And I would like to pose the following question:

If the Israeli declaration of independence justifies itself on the UN resolution in 1947, the failure to realise the terms of the resolution makes the state of Israel illegal, surely?

In an ideal world, there would be one country, one state, governing the whole of Israel and Palestine and accepting Jews, Muslims, Christians as equals and there would be no violence. Something that the Tony Blair Fath Foundation hopes to acheive. It seems an impossibility considering the history. but I think it is change that we can beleive in.

Saturday 17 January 2009

Port Vale v Shrewsbury





Piling on the pressure in the first 15 minutes!





1-0 to Vale, Steve Thompson!






1-1! They already one fan escorted from the ground!

Second half, two players sent off, one per side. Kyle Perry for Vale and subsitute Marc Pugh for Shrewsbury.

Exciting game, but Vale stopped playing the good football after 20 minutes and Shrewsbury looked deadly on the counter and on the right wing. Still Vale never looked like losing. Steve Thompson was MOM for a cracking 20 yard goal into top right hand corner. A deserved point.


-- Post From My iPhone

Friday 16 January 2009

Bush: Smart, Articulate, Successful

So said Bob Tuttle, US Ambassador to the United Kingdom in the Telegraph.

What successes, I wonder? The Iraq debacle will always be his 'legacy', in my mind, and the global crisis that has soured the end of his second term.

Not to mention he is the most unpopular outgoing President (ever). The sooner Obama is sworn in, just a few more days come Jan 20th, the better.






Can't say I blame Connecticut, to be honest.

One thing, if anything I agree with Tuttle on, is that we should keep close ties with our American cousins. It is important for them, and important for us. I wouldn't have thought Sarkozy and France, Merkel and Germany would be too comfortable with us having a major role in European Politics, particularly as we weren't one of the founders of the Rome Treaty in 1957.

That is not to say I am a Euro-skeptic, far from it. Recent events in the financial crisis have shown that we do have an important role to play in International Affairs. Even though it was a big gaffe for Brown saying he 'saved the world' regarding the financial crisis... Even though he seems to be leading the way.

The only thing is... I'm not so sure if Obama and Brown will be best of friends, even if Obama thinks Cameron is a 'lightweight'.

It will be interesting to see how relations and UK impact on the foreign stage will play out in the next decade.


-- Post From My iPhone

Thursday 15 January 2009

Blogs versus Essays

I got an essay back today for French Politics and I passed this time doing much much better than what I did in my failed essay I reported on a few weeks ago.
Link

It would appear my style in essay writing lacks a certain, clarity of expression.

My essay, though received a far better mark, still to this criticism.

And it came to my mind that my form in blog writing is much better according to some observers so its something to learn from.

Perhaps then I can do better when it comes to my next essay and also my project on Republicanism, a research project of 5,000 words that I need done. Need a question though. Hopefully I can go full steam with this soon, get something going. I mighht well write some features as items in the news comes up.

Also thinking of some ideas and perspectives to give this blog a bit of direction and readership. Stayed tuned on that one...

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Little's Disease goes Dancing on Ice!



A True Story:


Anyway. This morning I need to get to Manchester to get books. I got outside and it felt like I was on ice. I thought about turning around and forgetting the whole ordeal, but instead I called for a taxi.

I have Cerebral Palsy, which affects my mobility. To my extent, I have zero balance so it can get quite entertaining.

The taxi came but even though it was just a few steps away, I knew I'd have a job on my hands getting in. This proved to be the.case, as I skated my way to the car but fell, nearly ripping off the guys mirror in the process. Fun!

He was convinced I was drunk, which reminds me of a certain Josh Blue joke about the drunk tank.




"Nobody is on the road. They all gone home! Black ice!" He says in his Asian accent.

"Yeah it's like dancing on ice out there. I gotta get to Manchester. Hope I don't fall over again." I replied.

"Well I don't know you nearly broke my mirror. It's loose!"

"Im sorry" I said, nearly pissing myself laughing.

"I always tell people not to drink, I don't know." says the driver.

I nearly burst out in more laughter, but I didn't bother explaining I have Little's Disease (CP).... It seems my Stevie Wonder 'blind man' shades didn't serve as a warning either... Shame.

To make matters worse, it feels like I've wet myself. Turns out my can of relentless exploded on impact when I fell over! So I smell of energy.

I'm glad there was no one around to see it. Though it certain was worth paying to see!





EDIT: Also, after getting to University Library, I discover that my glasses are broken (again), presumably by the fall from getting into the taxi.

FUN!


-- Post From My iPhone

Tuesday 13 January 2009

Privacy: The biggest, most fundamental issue of our time





Privacy, or the need for it, has come to light to me lately. My brother gave me some very good advice a few weeks ago:

"Don't worry about what you can't control"

This is very true, of course and very good advice.

Not long ago I posted a blog focusing mainly on Facebook: Social Networking or Spy Networking?

One of the main things Facebook does unbeknown to you if you are a computer novice is it will send out information to your friends - things like what you post to other people in the public domains (or their, "walls").

Targeted advertising is another one - if you are a university student you will get adverts offering student discounts and the like. Its a scary thought what information you can give out on the internet.

Targeted advertising is something that we cannot control at our own will. But I would not be surprise if one day this issue comes up in the media one way or another.

So back to the first point: Don't worry about what you can't control. We have the rights to report photos if we do not give our prior consent to publication, or report people posting or discussing our lives as a form of gossip that may be damaging to our reputation.

Facebook does indeed provide this facility, and people can be excluded from even the most minute of details - whether you are single, in a relationship, whether when you break up with your girlfriend it becomes public knowledge or not. It is not at all uncommon for people, even if it is friends out of curiosity, to "comment" on an issue, but then everybody else on the host;'s friend list can see this. With Facebook privacy settings you can do this. You can limit your friends to being able to do nothing but message you if you so wish.

It is, I believe, within our rights to know whats going on in our surroundings and to know what people may know about us which we might wish to withhold from them for whatever reason (be it job, personal privacy, dislike of nosiness, etc).

It is therefore, reasonable to expect to know what we might encounter at any given time. Living in a somewhat public residence (private bedrooms/communal ground floor), it has becoming increasingly familiar to me and important to me to understand and know that people could be in close proximity at any given time and I may not expect this to be the case if I were living in a private home elsewhere where I could expect privacy.

When in the public domain - whether Facebook or in the real world - we deserve to know what to expect and be respected with a certain level of privacy. Facebook, though it provides the possibility for this, is not so outgoing with its privacy policies and I think that they could do more to educate current and new users on privacy control. In the real world, reality, it is unfortunately, sadly a different matter. The most scariest of things is that even living in the most public of places, people are in such close quarters that they could, unwittingly, unknowingly, or God forbid intentionally invade privacy or violate their privileges of use of such a communal area.

Anybody could be walking around. Anybody could turn their back. It's not paranoia. We live in the 21st century and the information age, people just don't leave their doors unlocked anymore out of a sense of naievety. It is about protection, being safe. Knowledge is power.

I'm just glad I have a lock on my door.

Unholy Urine?



Having downloaded a great app on my iPhone - ukPolitics - I have gained access to as handy set of political news items by party and blogs on the bologsphere.

One such blog, from Liberal Conspiracy attacks the Vatican statement that women's urine is unholy and contributes to male infertility.




"The contraceptive pill was polluting the environment and was in part responsible for male infertility, a report in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said on Saturday.

The president of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, Pedro Jose Maria Simon Castellvi, said the pill ''has for some years had devastating effects on the environment by releasing tonnes of hormones into nature'' through female urine.

''We have sufficient evidence to state that a non-negligible cause of male infertility in the West is the environmental pollution caused by the pill,'' he said, without elaborating further."


Laurie Penny, a feminist liberal blogger at LiberalConspiracy.org, attacks the Vatican on grounds of being sexist, and being incorrect in their assertions:

"I don’t see the Pope asking us to stop eating so much junk in order to protect some sacred ideation of male potency. I don’t see that increasingly unfunny former Hitler Youth member and his friends asking blokes everywhere to wear looser trousers and stop smoking. Why would they, when they’ve already decided that by daring to decide for ourselves whether we want to have kids, we’ve symbolically castrated men?The contraceptive pill is one of the most important inventions of the last three centuries, and doesn’t damage the environment so much as the status quo. I’m not a Christian, but if I were I’d get down on my knees every night to thank Ratzinger’s God for the miracle of contraception."

"Oestrogens are present in drinking water from a host of sources, most notably from the by-products of plastics production, and
studies have shown that most oestrogens in drinking water are natural – not the synthetic oestrogens present in oral contraception."

You can read Laurie's blog here.


My personal opinion is not something I am going to argue here (just yet)... but I would argue that Laurie is missing crucial points of the Vatican's statement. Short of reading the actual statement (I can't read Italian, I will assume she can't either), I would like to suggest that she took the Australian article at face value and believed every word of it.

What is more likely, is that the Vatican are not disputing the science that there are natural oestrogens in various water sources, but are merely making the logical point that the substances contained in the contraceptive pill may constitute, in part, of women's urine.

It is not a sexist attack, and I'm sure the Pope would also argue that it is best that men do not smoke either - though I am sure he is not so conservative as to outlaw smoking and drinking.

Smoking may damage the sperm given consistent usage and abuse, but it does not interfere with the direct act of sexual intercourse with marriage, as does a contraceptive pill or a condom.

This here is the crucial difference I see. It is not sexist of the Pope, the media spin has twisted it that way and Laurie has obviously been unduly offended. She says she is not Catholic, so I'm wondering why she bothers to take note of supposed Vatican directives if they have no bearing on her life. People will consider the facts for themselves, I believe that we can reach through reason the right decisions on whether to use contraceptives or not, irrespective of religious doctrine or scientific evidence that increased usage of the morning after pill or the use of Thalidomide can be harmful (certainly in the case of Thalidomide, anyway).

The Pope is merely making the point as part of traditional Catholic doctrine that it is wrong to use any artificial means to interfere with the natural act of procreation. Always the Catholic church has been against contraceptives and this has caused controversy in AIDs-stricken countries. Thus I do not believe the statement is saying that women's urine is unholy (or at least the ones that take contraceptives, anyhow), but is merely adding the Catholic church's medical findings (correct or otherwise) into the scientific sphere.

That is how I see the other side of the coin anyway and I value the arguments on both sides over the issue of contraception. Sex is a loving act, and should, where possible be open to the possibility of pregnancy. But there are so many variables, unforseen circumstances where contraception is necessary (in cases to prevent STIs), or where the entire Catholic doctrine, I feel should be called into question when it opposes procedures such as IVF which allow women to fulfill their natural biological instinct to procreate. That, however is another story. But women's wee as unholy? I doubt that is the Catholic position. And even if it were, I would like to ask what Laurie is supposing by highlighting the Pope's Hitler Youth past. What does this have to do with the price of bacon?

Monday 12 January 2009

Football Manager Live





My gameworld (Blisset) for Football Manager Live, has opened.

Created a team, Valiants, playing in Vale's colours!

Joined the WCA (Weekend Casual Association)... games played over weekends and I can decide not to play most games if I don't want to (or if I'm just plain busy as I do have a life....!)

They call me Luke! That's not my name!

Like the song... Shame it doesn't rhyme....

Some people, well most I know call me Luke.

But, since 2007 in June I legally changed my name to Lucas by deed poll, as I didn't quite like Luke and it just reminded me of bad things. Out of respect, I kept my middle name, Peter, because I did realise some people might be upset. For the same reason, I changed it to Lucas as it is essentially the same name but in it's Latin form.

Some people have never really quite accepted this but a few things come to mind when I think about justifying why those of you should refer to me as Lucas rather than Luke. One family member, upon learning of the name change, asked me in a phone conversation whether I would eventually go back to it or not.

Considering the hassle in changing my name - including a problem with registering at my university because of it - I won't. Changing my my name may only be cosmetic, but it certainly makes me feel better about myself. Changing it via deed poll carries the same legal status of changing your name due to a sex change, or more commonly through marraige. I wouldn't think of calling a male-to-female transexual by their male given name because that is not how they identify themselves. By the same token, I wouldn't call my sisters or my mother by their maiden names, because that is not who they are.

Direct examples of people changing their names for cosmetic purposes include Paul Gascoigne - to G8 before changing it back if I remember rightly - and also one of the people I admire, Alistair Cooke. Now Paul Gascoigne, or Gazza, aside you wouldn't think of calling Alistair Cooke by his birthname.

So I wonder why do the same with me?

I'm no different. I'm Lucas now, so get used to it.






There's a picture of me from 1st September, 2005 in Ruby Tuesdays.

I miss the hair.

And I love the red.

One of the things I've realized lately.

And above all, I'm Lucas, not Luke.

-- Post From My iPhone

Sunday 11 January 2009

Coachmakers Arms - Hound Dog







Cottage Whippet Series - Hound Dog - 4.6% ABV





Ain't nothing but a Hound Dog!... ****/5
-- Post From My iPhone

Coachmakers Arms - Stokers Stout





Oakfield - Stokers Stout - 5.0%ABV





Bit Bitter, but nice. Shame it's not local!

***/5

-- Post From My iPhone

Saturday 10 January 2009

Era of Change

There are just 10 days until President-elect Barack Obama takes office.

Tickets have been sold for a parade too. 5,000 of them.

Obama tickets 'sell in a minute'

Barack Obama
Obama already faces an economic crisis and foreign policy challenges

Reserved seats for the US presidential inauguration parade have sold out within one minute of being put on sale, the ticket company has said.

More than 90% of the 5,000 seats available along the parade route in Washington were sold online.

The tickets cost $25 (£16) each - but some went on to reappear on internet sites at much higher prices.

Two million people are expected to crowd the National Mall as Barack Obama takes the oath of office on 20 January.

Most of the seats for the swearing-in ceremony are set aside for lawmakers, VIPs and diplomats.

The tickets that went on sale on Friday were for stands that line the route Mr Obama and his vice-president, Joe Biden, will take between the US Capitol and the White House.

Sales began at 1300 (1800 GMT) and went "blazingly fast", Albert Lopez, a spokesman for sales company Ticketmaster, said.

Linda Douglass, the chief spokeswoman for the inaugural committee, said the selling time was startling.

Workers build the inauguration stand on 7 November 2008
Work is already well underway for the event, set to draw huge crowds

"You just have to assume there must have been people sitting there at their computers ready to go when the clock struck one," she said.

Inauguration officials strongly disapproved of anyone seeking to profit from the sale of the ticket, she said - as tickets appeared at 10 times their original price on auction site eBay.

The committee says it wants to make Barack Obama's inauguration one of the most accessible in US history.




All I can say is.... Gone in Sixty Seconds. I'm sure the inaugural address is live on television, I'll post more when I find it. :)

Friday 9 January 2009

Coachmakers Arms - Old Rosie





Weston's Old Rosie - 7.4%ABV

Hardcore Cider!

****/5

-- Post From My iPhone

Thursday 8 January 2009

Moral Absolutes

Afghan foetus 'aborted by razor'

By Martin Vennard
BBC News

Map

The family of a 14-year-old Afghan rape victim face prosecution after her foetus was removed without anaesthetic.

The mother and brother of the girl are accused of cutting her open with a razor blade to perform an abortion.

Doctors say the girl is in a critical condition. A man accused of raping her is under arrest, officials say.

Rape victims and their families in Afghanistan often feel ashamed to report what has happened because people may think the victim consented to sex.

Sex outside marriage is illegal in Afghanistan.

'Dog bite'

The governor of Bamiyan Province, Habiba Sarabi, says that action is being taken.

When the girl was five months pregnant it is alleged her mother and brother took her to a stables and cut her open with a razor blade.

They removed the foetus, which they buried, before stitching up her wound, Governor Sarabi said.

The father eventually took the girl to get medical treatment.

Dr Ghulam Mohammad Nader, head of Bamiyan hospital, said the girl is in a critical condition, but that she had been able to explain what had happened to her.

"The girl stayed at home for three or four days in her condition until her father took her to hospital," Dr Nader said.

"He said a dog had bitten her so that people in the area wouldn't know what had really happened."

The girl has now been transferred to Kabul for treatment.

The provincial governor says the man accused of raping the girl has been arrested and that police are trying to arrest her mother and brother.

The victims of rape and their families in Afghanistan are often afraid to admit what has happened to them because of the stigma and shame attached to the issue.

Sometimes the victims are murdered by their own families.

Critics accuse the authorities of not taking accusations of rape seriously, especially those made by children.

But President Karzai recently called for rapists to be brought to justice and the Afghan Supreme Court suspended three judges who acquitted people accused of rape.




How people can resort to such a thing I don't know. It is a difficult situation, where a woman has been raped and left pregnant as a result. It's hard to imagine what they must have gone through, and this is even without considering the culture of Afghanistan and the fact that sex outside marraige there is illegal and the stigma attached to rape, particularly more so in her case.

It makes me think of whether there are moral absolutes - human life, I beleive does begin at conception and I can understand why women might want to consider their options when they have been left pregnant as a result of a rape.

But the methods, the extremes gone to in this case, I don't think is just. Its inhumane (for lack of a better word), and cruel and unusual. Whether the girl consent to the procedure is another matter, but I think the lengths gone to acheive abortion in this case is shameful.

It is difficult to say whether abortion should ever really be accepted, but in this case, I think the situation was not treated with the delicacy and respect it deserves.

Wednesday 7 January 2009

Meme





Bought and downloaded the Metal Gear Solid 4 Online MEME EXPANSION today.
The best PS3 Game just got better. New Maps, tournament mode, improved gaming experience online.

Fell in love with it all over again. And what makes it great, PS3 Online is completely free, unlike Xbox Live.
-- Post From My iPhone

Tuesday 6 January 2009

Bermuda Triangle and Strange Discoveries....

My glasses I thought I lost turned up in the Bermuda triangle that is my bedroom.

So I wonder: why do things always turn up when you're not looking for them?

I feel such a fool for buying that pair now...


But at least the new pair are better than the old pair!

-- Post From My iPhone

Monday 5 January 2009

Guns don't kill people...

A 12 year old boy from Arizona in the US shot and killed his mother this week.

I remember watching Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine, where the NRA (National Rifle Association) said that Guns don't kill people, the people do.

I'm not so sure that is the case, especially in cases like these and more so in the one explored in the film of Michael Moore's - if I remember rightly a 6 year old killed a classmate with a gun. Crazy.

Still, the boy (if you read the article link above), has been deemed mentally capable to have the MO for the murder.

Ridiculous. At least Arizona is one the 49 US States that don't allow for the death penalty for minors (Georgia do - see "Why do people hate America" by Sardar and Davies)... so he will just be given a juvenile prison sentence.

Which is fair enough, hopefully though, he is rehabilitated rather than have his life destroyed by the courts.

Sunday 4 January 2009

Birthday Boy and Girl






@ Frankie & Benny's, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent





Molly (left, front), 6 - my niece!





Allan (right, front), 27 - my brother!

Menu: Chicken Strips & Spaghetti Bolognese!

Win!
-- Post From My iPhone