Part of it is advice given to me, but I think I'm going give it a full, serious go and give Facebook and MySpace a complete rest (no status updates or checking it), and only going on if I'm emailed a message.
Weirdly enough, it constitutes a challenge since I'm addicted to technology and the computer.
But hopefully I will come out of the feeling fresh. And in the meantime, I can earn some serious gamerpoints on the 360 and get playing MGO on the PS3.
Win, win.
Tomorrow is a big day, seeing the lecturer for my course at the University of Manchester about that appaling essay result, apparently my sources tell me the marker has been noticed for dropping unnecessary marks. So Hopefully, here goes! And maybe my trip to University will be more productive than today where I was there for all of 20 minutes to hand in some paper.
Commutiung is ridiculous! (Stay Tuned for more...) I'm off to paint the town blue...
Monday, 15 December 2008
A Special Place...
For so many reasons.
I remember the first time like it was yesterday and it gives me such an amazing feeling.
I'm sad, but I'm forever grateful.
Thank you! =]
-- Post From My iPhone
I'm a Virgin
I'm Virgin Trains best customer today, not to mention Boris' messenger boy on the TFL.
Travelled to Manchester to hand in an essay and leave...! And now on my way in the opposite direction to the capital. Before heading back sometime this evening for £1 V&C at the Underground!
I worked out it's about 400 miles I'm clocking up today, probably more.
Yes, I take pictures of myself on the train! Gangsta! ... Not to mention there's a couple sitting opposite!
Hooray!
Sam Mead was right - I'm an idiot!
-- Post From My iPhone
Travelled to Manchester to hand in an essay and leave...! And now on my way in the opposite direction to the capital. Before heading back sometime this evening for £1 V&C at the Underground!
I worked out it's about 400 miles I'm clocking up today, probably more.
Yes, I take pictures of myself on the train! Gangsta! ... Not to mention there's a couple sitting opposite!
Hooray!
Sam Mead was right - I'm an idiot!
-- Post From My iPhone
Clarity of Expression
Liberté. Égalité. Fraternité.
I need to provide clarity of expression this time, since I did so dire on my last essay (More to come on that, like I said).
I have less than 7 hours to write an essay on whether the French Constitutional Council has come to serve as a 'third legislative chamber'.
Its interesting in its own way, but I fall asleep at every opportunity reading the research.
And the French Constitutional Council is a halfway house between our courts and the US Supreme Court.
Except, no appeals system, and they don't "create" laws, merely say whether they are legal or not.
So, basically, no, its not a third chamber, though it is very powerful in its own way. Now to translate this into 1,500 or so words.
Blogging has become my #1 Procrastination activity.
Its fun to write, even if there's no point behind it all.
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Coachmakers Arms - Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest - 4.1%ABV - Brewed by Howard Town
The name is unfortunate, but better than it sounds. **/5
-- Post From My iPhone
Coachmakers Arms - Easy Rider
Kelham Island's Easy Rider - 4.1%ABV
Refreshing, and that's Doug's thumbs up on the picture. Even if it does look a bit like carboard on the photo...!
It was good, saved it towards the end. A nice paler beer than my usual, ***/5
-- Post From My iPhone
Coachmakers Arms - Narrow Boat
Shardlow Brewery's Narrow Boat. 4.3% ABV
From what I recall, this was a good beer and my pint got stolen by Phil and Sue when I evacuated the building for a breather.
Standard! ***/5
After this, I was back on the Thistle Do. A good night of songs, banter, even hugs from drunken locals telling everyone they loved us. Classic.
-- Post From My iPhone
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Coachmakers Arms - Shepherd Neame's Original Porter
A nice Winter Hop Ale.
Original Porter - 4.8% ABV. - Brewed by Shepherd Neame
Dark, but very wintery.
Intriguing.
***/5
-- Post From My iPhone
Coachmakers Arms - Thistle Do
Thistle Do - 4.4% ABV - Brewed by Harviestoun
"Dark, Warming, Complex"
Dark, creamy, tasty.
****/5
-- Post From My iPhone
We Laugh Indoors
My birthday party was last night. No pictures, but it was a cool night watching 40 Year Old Virgin, we didn't go Rileys in the end.
Thanks for the company. With any luck, I'll get my post in the mail. There seems to be a big backlog with it being Christmas.
At least though I got a card from Mark Fisher MP, which was a delight.
-- Post From My iPhone
Thanks for the company. With any luck, I'll get my post in the mail. There seems to be a big backlog with it being Christmas.
At least though I got a card from Mark Fisher MP, which was a delight.
-- Post From My iPhone
Friday, 12 December 2008
iPhone ringtones in 17 steps - no downloads required!
I was looking for ways to get ringtones after a Facebook friend had asked me how it is done. As it turns out, very easily - with no downloads, at all (though you can get applications for your Windows and Mac that do this for you).
To find out how, it was as easy as a google search, credit goes to e-How.Once you have done it once, I would say its easy enough to keep doing it. So here we go:
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Step1
Open iTunes. Step2
Step3
Step4
Step5
Step6
Step7
Step8
Type in the end time of your ringtone in the text box next to "Stop Time." Make sure the ringtone is no more than 40 seconds long. Step9
Step10
Step11
Step12
Step13
Step14
Replace the "m4a" extension of your ringtone with "m4r". You can either double-click slowly to re-name your file, or right-click and select "Get Info" on a Mac or "Rename" on a Windows PC. Step15
Click "Use .m4r" or the PC equivalent when the system warns you that the change may affect the use of your file. Step16
Double-click the ringtone file. ITunes will automatically add it to your ringtones folder in your iTunes Music Library. Easy as pie. I've gone and put the guitar riff from Scary Kids Scaring Kids cover of Losing my Religion as my ringtone. Brilliant.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Absolutely furious
On the verge of using foul language, but I shan't. Any essay I wrote that I thought was good, as did a fellow student and others who read my essay, has been slated by my marker:
Inadquate referencing
And an apparent misunderstanding of the question
Among others things but I stopped there because it's clear that the marker is the one that has misunderstood the essay.
If a question is not too explicit, then the essay will take direction from the interpretation of the author - and it is clear my marker does not like my argument so marked me down accordingly.
So much for anonymous marking schemes to provide impartiality.
I'll elaborate more on this later. Phone calls, emails etc to get on with!
And I beleive I am not the only student at the University of Manchester who thinks the teaching and marking is inconsistent, too uninformed, and dare I say, ridiculous.
More later. Stay Tuned!
-- Post From My iPhone
Inadquate referencing
And an apparent misunderstanding of the question
Among others things but I stopped there because it's clear that the marker is the one that has misunderstood the essay.
If a question is not too explicit, then the essay will take direction from the interpretation of the author - and it is clear my marker does not like my argument so marked me down accordingly.
So much for anonymous marking schemes to provide impartiality.
I'll elaborate more on this later. Phone calls, emails etc to get on with!
And I beleive I am not the only student at the University of Manchester who thinks the teaching and marking is inconsistent, too uninformed, and dare I say, ridiculous.
More later. Stay Tuned!
-- Post From My iPhone
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Twenteen
So today, I turned Twenty. Or Twenteen, as my brother so nicely put it.
It's been a good day, and I've treated myself to West Wing on DVD and Friends on DVD to give me hours of entertainment.
But for a lot of reasons I've been getting nostalgic about my teen years, as you do when you finally do when you're not a teenager anymore.
I would like to thank everyone who got me cards, sent me text messages, for the presents and messages on Facebook and MySpace. And its not all over as I have a little gathering with a couple of friends this Friday that I'm looking forward to.
It was a strange day for me in terms of who gave me messages of 'Happy Birthday', and who didn't.
Sometimes that leaves me a little confused, but when I think of my teen years, it brings me to recall probably my favourite day of recent times - the band and its music has always been an inspiration to me. And being there with a certain someone made it even more special.
♥
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
'Baby P' scandal rumbles on
The Baby P scandal rumbles on.
The head of children's services at the council at the centre of the Baby P controversy has been fired without pay.
Haringey Council said Sharon Shoesmith, who had defended her department over the death of the 17-month-old baby, had been dismissed with immediate effect.
The boy, who was on the council's "at-risk" register, died in 2007 with major injuries, including a broken back.
Reports the BBC
It has been well documented the Baby P case, causing rows in Parliament. Most shockingly is trhe injuries the baby suffered that the mother and boyfriend got away with:
April 2007: Baby P is admitted to North Middlesex hospital with bruises, two black eyes and swelling on the left side of his head.
May 2007: After seeing marks on the boy's face, a social
worker sends Baby P to the North Middlesex where 12 areas of bruises
and scratches are found. The mother is re-arrested.
30 July 2007: Injuries to Baby P's face and hands are
missed by a social worker after the boy is deliberately smeared with
chocolate to hide them.
This is just a few of the key events in the timeline
So what is there to be done? And exactly who takes the blame? Is it the Labour government, who since 1997 have decentralised government and given more power to local authorities - and in this shocking case, a local authority that failed to protect the welfare of a child. The responsibility of the child rests firmly on the mother I beleive but also government has a right and a duty to make sure that the wellbeing of the child is protected.
It would be perhaps, too extreme to wish the mother be sterilised for her negligence of her own baby - that would be taking it too far. And it seems that the amount of incidents that social services saw happen to Baby P meant that they should have acted.
There is a saying - Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc - after it therefore because of it. Baby P did not die because Labour decentralised government and the local authorities failed to act in the best interest of the child. It is not Labour's fault. But it did, indeed happen on Labour and Brown's watch.
Right, left and centre I beleive Labour are vulnerable with scandals like these and the effects of the credit crunch that we are having to deal with. The 'era of change' is something that will be translated to British Politics come the next general election. It does not help that the council in the case was forced to admit earlier this month that it had spent
£19,000 on media training for high-profile employees involved in the
Baby P case. The last thing this country needs is spin, it requires action.
The sacking of the official will help, but the sooner the Labour government can complete their inquiries, the sooner Labour can focus on the good things that they have done for the country in the last 11 years, in education and the welfare system and reducing crime. Yes its not perfect but things never will be.
Baby P, the economic crisis and the foreign policy of the UK are the major attacking points and weaknesses of Labour. It is not a time to dwell on past mistakes, scandals or tragedies, it is time to put things right. And that is what is happening here in the Baby P case with the sacking of the Sharon Shoesmith. So when you think about who you are voting for in the next General Election, vote Labour. It's the best of the worst. Brown isn't the most charismatic of Prime Ministers, but at least he's not lightweight like Cameron.
It would be perhaps, too extreme to wish the mother be sterilised for her negligence of her own baby - that would be taking it too far. And it seems that the amount of incidents that social services saw happen to Baby P meant that they should have acted.
There is a saying - Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc - after it therefore because of it. Baby P did not die because Labour decentralised government and the local authorities failed to act in the best interest of the child. It is not Labour's fault. But it did, indeed happen on Labour and Brown's watch.
Right, left and centre I beleive Labour are vulnerable with scandals like these and the effects of the credit crunch that we are having to deal with. The 'era of change' is something that will be translated to British Politics come the next general election. It does not help that the council in the case was forced to admit earlier this month that it had spent
£19,000 on media training for high-profile employees involved in the
Baby P case. The last thing this country needs is spin, it requires action.
The sacking of the official will help, but the sooner the Labour government can complete their inquiries, the sooner Labour can focus on the good things that they have done for the country in the last 11 years, in education and the welfare system and reducing crime. Yes its not perfect but things never will be.
Baby P, the economic crisis and the foreign policy of the UK are the major attacking points and weaknesses of Labour. It is not a time to dwell on past mistakes, scandals or tragedies, it is time to put things right. And that is what is happening here in the Baby P case with the sacking of the Sharon Shoesmith. So when you think about who you are voting for in the next General Election, vote Labour. It's the best of the worst. Brown isn't the most charismatic of Prime Ministers, but at least he's not lightweight like Cameron.
Monday, 8 December 2008
The Coachmakers Arms
Proper pub.
And a proper beer.
Best bit about Stoke-on-Trent.
Really!
http://www.thecoachmakers.co.uk
-- Post From My iPhone
Child Pornography, or Art?
Wikipedia child image censored
 Wikipedia allows readers to edit the content of its pages |
A decision by a number of UK internet providers to block a Wikipedia page showing an image of a naked girl has angered users of the popular site.
The blocked page of the online encyclopaedia shows an album cover of German heavy metal band Scorpions.
Internet providers acted after online watchdog the Internet Watch Foundation warned them its picture may be illegal.
Some volunteers who run Wikipedia said it was not for the foundation to censor one of the web's most popular sites.
They also argued that the image was available in a number of books and had never been ruled illegal.
But the IWF, which warns internet providers about possible images that could be linked to child abuse, said it had consulted the police before making its decision.
The foundation's list of proscribed sites is widely used by British internet service providers to filter out images showing child abuse and other illegal content.
 |  It's the first time they've done this on such a visible site  David Gerard, Wikipedia volunteer |
As a result, the addition of the Scorpions Wikipedia page has made it inaccessible to the majority of British internet users.
A spokeswoman for the IWF, which lists its members as including the BBC, AOL (UK), Ask and News International, suggested as many as 95% of British users would now be unable to access the page.
Wikipedia volunteer David Gerard said he and fellow users were angry that as well as the photo, the text on the page had been blocked.
"Blocking text is a whole new thing - it's the first time they've done this on such a visible site," he said.
Jay Walsh, a spokesman for the Wikimedia Foundation, which manages the encyclopaedia, said the removal of the page also appeared to have stopped thousands of UK users from editing articles on Wikipedia, which allows readers to self-edit its pages.
"It appears that there's a large number of editors - I can't say all - who appear to have access issues," he said.
The IWF spokeswoman said a reader had brought the image to the foundation's attention last week and it had contacted the police before adding the page to their list.
Wikipedia is one of the world's most popular websites. It is a multi-lingual online database written, edited and funded largely by its users. It has 2.6m articles in English alone.
Child Pornography, or Art?
The Album the news is referring to, is Scorpions album "Virgin Killer" released in the 1970s - (access to wikipedia to find out if you can get to the page for UK users).
Reading further into Wikipedia's own entry on the controversy, I found that:
"The filtering is in response to the Internet Watch Foundation’s list of websites that host or contain content that have been reported to contain inappropriate images of naked children,(those under the age of 18). The IWF considers those images child pornography. However, in the United States (where the websites of the Wikimedia Foundation are hosted), it is not considered obscene under the criteria of the Miller test, which requires that an obscene work lack “serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value” (as album art is used to “brand” the album, it is considered to be artistic)."
This then, brings the question of whether we can consider such controversial images as Art. The crucial thing to note between the US and UK system of laws is that the UK is not protected by any Bill of Rights and I would assume that the "Miller test" which makes this kind of controversial image legal in the US is protected by the first amendment, the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The UK however, is not given this kind of protection in the constitution as we are bound to the 1998 Human Rights Act, which is subject to EU Human Rights legislation. There appears to be a case for a new bill, which is advocated by David Cameron.
I am not defending child pornography in any way, but freedom of speech, freedom of art and publication and expression is at the very foundation of our society. I have already looked into recently the criticism of Alan Carr, Russell Brand and Jonathon Ross in two blogs (One and Two).
Unfortunately because there is no real Bill of Rights in the UK protecting free speech (something that we really ought to sort out in the 21st Century), I cannot give any further analysis without viewing the image, which at the moment being considered "Child Porn", I could arrested for viewing and publicising the picture for something which is arguably art.
I would argue however, if it can pass the US litmus test for appropiate freedom of expression, then surely it can be accepted in our own society. The real crime here, is the true lack of any established bill of rights universally - if it can pass a western democracy with the power and stature in the world like the United States of America, then why not here in the United Kingdom.
Protect Art.
Protect Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Expression.
The argument against the publication or viewing of the album cover that it personifies and encourages child porn is akin to saying watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre will make us all like Edward Gein.
It would seem the media lately are having a particular moral panic and we cannot be trusted in the UK to use our common sense to say that such work (however distasteful) is art, not child It would not seem that the cover to Nirvana's "Nevermind" album is censored, it does feature a naked baby afterall. Is this "art" or child pornography? Art. And though it is apparently on the grey area whether I can look at the Scorpions album cover or not for legal reasons, I would argue anyway on the same grounds that artistic integrity should be protected, not just because somebody is offended by a particular image of particular expression. If the Virgin Killer album cover is censored for a depiction of 'child porn' and not art, then how the Nevermind album cover is free from scrutiny I will never know. I would like to think we can acheive some sort of moral standand. At the moment this smacks of nothing but double standards, and freedom of speech and expression has gone down the toilet because somebody raised a red flag because they were offended. Again.
If such arguments and events are a sign of things to come, then we have let the dark side of humanity win, and not our good side.
I would hope, that we can all use our common sense when it comes to moral issues and controversial subjects. Perhaps then we will actually get somewhere without seemingly pressing the panic button at every opportunity.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Are we allowed to laugh? Pt. II
It has come to my attention that some readers didn't quite catch the point of my last blog, namely, that everyone just complains at anything that might be "comical", and nothing is funny anymore.
One reader, once I made this point out to him, pointed me to a very interesting video that gives the whole issue of these comedian scandals a bit of analysis and historical context:
It is silly, surely, that everyone runs to Ofcom because they don't like a particular joke and they are offended in some way or other?
Surely if thats the way of life nowadays, then God help us all.
One reader, once I made this point out to him, pointed me to a very interesting video that gives the whole issue of these comedian scandals a bit of analysis and historical context:
It is silly, surely, that everyone runs to Ofcom because they don't like a particular joke and they are offended in some way or other?
Surely if thats the way of life nowadays, then God help us all.
Are we allowed to laugh?
First Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. Now its Alan Carr.
All have been slated for making insensitive jokes, but it appears that we are not allowed to laugh anymore.
I really fear for Jimmy Carr next actually, just look at this 'offensive video' clip below. The "rapist" one actually makes me laugh:
...and there's plenty more where that came from. Just type 'Jimmy Carr' into YouTube and you'll see what I mean.
Just what has the world come to? We can't joke about Karen Matthews (as in the case of Alan Carr), and we can't make prank calls either. Fonejacker on E4 beware!
It would seem that we are just not allowed to laugh anymore. Everyone just complains, though I suppose its keeping Ofcom in business when theres a credit crunch. I just hope that one day, maybe something like this clip could be realised....
South Park, despite all its crude humour, is really an inspiration to both comedy, and to us all.
All have been slated for making insensitive jokes, but it appears that we are not allowed to laugh anymore.
I really fear for Jimmy Carr next actually, just look at this 'offensive video' clip below. The "rapist" one actually makes me laugh:
...and there's plenty more where that came from. Just type 'Jimmy Carr' into YouTube and you'll see what I mean.
Just what has the world come to? We can't joke about Karen Matthews (as in the case of Alan Carr), and we can't make prank calls either. Fonejacker on E4 beware!
It would seem that we are just not allowed to laugh anymore. Everyone just complains, though I suppose its keeping Ofcom in business when theres a credit crunch. I just hope that one day, maybe something like this clip could be realised....
South Park, despite all its crude humour, is really an inspiration to both comedy, and to us all.
The Bermuda Triangle
In my own bedroom.
It would appear this morning that my glasses have gone AWOL (again).
In recent times a friend has lost their wallet and MP3 Player as well.
Things just never appear to be where you leave them.
And somehow I see the funny side to all this...
-- Post From My iPhone
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Broken Society?
Two of the biggest stories of the week - the conviction of Karen Matthews and the resignation of Roy Keane as Sunderland FC Manager in the English Football Premier League - and the commentary surrounding the characters brings an interesting discussion on British Society when you consider:
- Karen Matthews, a sociopath who placed her own interest above those of her children
- Roy Keane's "volatile temper" and past behaviour.
As it turns out, the Roy Keane tackle (the second one in the video) was intended
, and received nothing more than a fine and suspension from playing. An injustice on this account surely?
On the Karen Matthews case, Debroah Orr makes the case of a Broken Society and mentions Beatrix Campbell giving a defence of Karen Matthews' character, treated differently because of class when compared to the similar Madeleine McCann case.
Arguably it was even considered by the most popular newspaper (albeit controversial) as an injustice that a reward of a mere £20,000 at the time was for Shannon Matthews' discovery, compared to the one offered for Madeleine McCann.
Now, I am not arguing that Karen Matthews is innocent - far from it. She is an example of parenting at its worst, it is horrible how she could have treated her daughter that way. However, her crime aside, the case of a working class compared to that of the McCanns - middle class - and how the McCanns sued whatever came their way; all this is an indication that people can be treated differently because of class.
Even the high profile case of Roy Keane, who intended on injuring a player on the football field - and succeeded - received a fine when he should have, in any other walk of life, been prosecuted for his actions.
I am not a Marxist at all, but everyone should be, I beleive, treated as equal before the law. Clearly in these instances, this does not seem to be realised. Perhaps this is a case of all that is wrong with society - we surely can't hope to fix it unless we get the fundamentals right and treat everyone equally.
The facts, as Beatrix Campbell rightly pointed out (see link to article above) that the McCanns are officially suspects, and last time I checked, they are living free and still raising for the Madeleine fund as recently as last month.
My qualm, is not with whether the McCanns are guilty or innocent - but that they were treated differently by society, meeting foreign dignitaries, when children go missing every day in Britain. That, regardless of class, is an injustice itself. The Roy Keane case, likewise, a millionaire footballer was treated very lightly over his alleged 'crime'. This is all indicative of one rule for some, one for another.
Sadly, evidence would suggest that we are living in a broken society - our culture, media, our attitudes to life are all responsible.
Perhaps we should get back to the drawing board...
- Karen Matthews, a sociopath who placed her own interest above those of her children
- Roy Keane's "volatile temper" and past behaviour.
As it turns out, the Roy Keane tackle (the second one in the video) was intended
, and received nothing more than a fine and suspension from playing. An injustice on this account surely?
On the Karen Matthews case, Debroah Orr makes the case of a Broken Society and mentions Beatrix Campbell giving a defence of Karen Matthews' character, treated differently because of class when compared to the similar Madeleine McCann case.
Arguably it was even considered by the most popular newspaper (albeit controversial) as an injustice that a reward of a mere £20,000 at the time was for Shannon Matthews' discovery, compared to the one offered for Madeleine McCann.
Now, I am not arguing that Karen Matthews is innocent - far from it. She is an example of parenting at its worst, it is horrible how she could have treated her daughter that way. However, her crime aside, the case of a working class compared to that of the McCanns - middle class - and how the McCanns sued whatever came their way; all this is an indication that people can be treated differently because of class.
Even the high profile case of Roy Keane, who intended on injuring a player on the football field - and succeeded - received a fine when he should have, in any other walk of life, been prosecuted for his actions.
I am not a Marxist at all, but everyone should be, I beleive, treated as equal before the law. Clearly in these instances, this does not seem to be realised. Perhaps this is a case of all that is wrong with society - we surely can't hope to fix it unless we get the fundamentals right and treat everyone equally.
The facts, as Beatrix Campbell rightly pointed out (see link to article above) that the McCanns are officially suspects, and last time I checked, they are living free and still raising for the Madeleine fund as recently as last month.
My qualm, is not with whether the McCanns are guilty or innocent - but that they were treated differently by society, meeting foreign dignitaries, when children go missing every day in Britain. That, regardless of class, is an injustice itself. The Roy Keane case, likewise, a millionaire footballer was treated very lightly over his alleged 'crime'. This is all indicative of one rule for some, one for another.
Sadly, evidence would suggest that we are living in a broken society - our culture, media, our attitudes to life are all responsible.
Perhaps we should get back to the drawing board...
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