new layout, because the old one sucked.

Technorati Tags: Twitter

Does what it says.

 

Anyway, a quick update before I go and have a shower.

(Damn I need to get out of twitter mode and stop telling people every little insignificant thing that is happening or going to happen or I am thinking or looking at... a wall at the moment. GAH!)

Yes. I am on Twitter. Please follow me. I am lonely and keep bugging the various people I find interesting and enlightening on the Internet; The Devils Kitchen (link right for main site) for one, and then Will Harris of Channel Flip fame, on mediocre points that could only be annoying for the both of them. Well thankfully they answered my questions and I am a happy Internet stalker.

So yes. Come on twitter. Follow me and hear even less thought out comments on there from me. Honestly, its worth it. It will make me happy and you all want that. Right?

Ok, well its good as well to keep tabs on your friends (if you get them on here) as well as people like the before mentioned Internet goliaths that produce online tit-bits of goodness for your pleasure.

Good good...

 

UPDATE

I failed to really explain what twitter was. Click here for a short snappy vid on the phenomenon. Its actually worth watching even if you are not interested in the big T.

eBooks for Universities

An odd little idea I have had that seems remarkably sensible in almost any way is for all university students to be advised to buy ebook readers by their university at the start of their first term.

The point of this is simple. All universities, even if the legalities of this are uncertain, give out an incredible amount of photocopied handouts from books to allow all their students to read the important readings on a course. The solution to this time wasting, tree destroying and ultimately annoying situation would be a single eBook reader that was able to access the documents remotely and allow the student to carry the work in one handy module.

So yeah, this seems to me to be a good idea. I picture it like this. The student will by an reader. They will go to their first lecture and be informed that a reading is on the course's virtual workspace and that by using a secure password etc. the student could easily pick up the work and carry it around with them.

The ease of this method cannot though be without some disadvantages. The chief of which I see is the difficulties to which publishers have with the digitalisation of work. Thus I can only assume that DRM has to be involved somewhere, it would be desired not to be the case, reliant on the fact that the institutions only gave out parts of people's work. Another solution to this problem would be that a subscription service paid for by the universities to the publishers could be made so as to allow for this activity to happen. Even so there is always some way around the difficulties to which will be faced with the possibility of people simply taking the files and making them publicly available after the event.

There is more to the above point than is expressed. And there are more difficulties to be faced. Even so I believe that this would be a remarkable change to universities across the world. Benefiting everyone involved. The Students will have less to carry and will be able to access work often more comfortably. The use of paper will be severely reduced within out institutions. The Institutions will not only be likely to save money, but also will be able to save staff time by making this the only way in which students could obtain any readings, lecture notes or other important articles.

Meh, its an idea. Not very well looked into at the moment, as I am tired. But still I think it holds some merit.

 

Anthony

Tom Robinson's Introducing - BBC6 - Rocks

Festivals! Festivals! Festivals!

Yes, its that time again.

Its the time I get unduly excited about going to various festivals.

Glastonbury will be applied for tomorrow.

Leeds festival is on hold after a falling out with a friend. :(

Y-Not festival is just tops. Like bead sticks. Me likey. going there no matter what!

Yes I am... probably... drunk.

Please someone! Join me on the forums! And join me there, it will be ace!

Template change

Just to notify people of a template change. I am not exactly happy with it, but nor was I happy with the other one so meh. Anyone want to help me and make me a good clean snazzy new template?

BBC Bias on climate change?

Just a quicky, mostly caused by my constant reading of the man-made climate skeptic Dk. That coupled with my knowledge of various websites devoted to highlighting the bias intrinsic (for whatever reason) within the BBC, its reporting, programming and whatnot. Example in the from of the Blog 'BBC Biased'.

Anyway, basically the point is that in the title of an article it reads...

Climate set for 'sudden shifts'

Many climate systems will undergo a series of sudden shifts this century as a result of human-induced climate change.

Nice! Climate change is totally accepted and understood fully so as to be able to fully predict and warn about specific shifts. Not only this but these specific shifts are totally the result of human-induced climate change! Great!

Not exactly fully accepted by anyone with 1) a brain 2) autonomy 3) the fecking scientific community. Please read some of the posts here and here. The first being the most recent relevant topic from the aforementioned Devils Kitchen and the second being the result of a random google search (mostly from the laziness induced by man-made climate change man flu. :-( )

Anyway some sort of clarification is made in the article which, when you read it, is just comical. After such a conclusive title you swiftly realize it is based on not fact, not consensus, no other holistically acceptable source that would be expected of such an institution. In fact it is ONE single study amount thousands. A bit misleading don't you think?

Well anyway, im loosing the will to live.... Wheres my Lemsip?!

The End of Scrabulous? I can only hope....

Technorati Tags: facebook,scrabulous,bbc bias,copyright,copyright infringment

Oh heavens forbid. When will the various corporations and companies realise that copyright infringement is not always a bad idea and can sometimes improve sales?

"Facebook has been asked to remove the Scrabulous game from its website by the makers of Scrabble."

Though I can only cheer on one side the impending doom of another scourge of my life via my girlfriend's obsession with all things 'casual gaming' but, WHAT ON EARTH ARE THEY DOING?!  I can't see the makers of Scrabble being able to buy such publicity and promotion for their ancient form of entertainment. Truly, how can games on facebook equate to anything but sales of the board game?

That being said, maybe it is the connotations that they are unable to accept that the Internet is anything but bad and does nothing but watch porn and steal music; offensive and incorrect understandings of what is actually happening in 'cyber-space' (ha! not used that phrase in a LONG time). The final quote and word on the BBC article is possibly telling from the journalist's point of view.

"One message read: "I didn't have any Scrabble sets when I started playing Scrabulous a few months ago. Since I got hooked on that I have bought two sets."

Links have also been posted to the customer service areas of the Hasbro and Mattel websites so fans can register their protests with the toy makers. "

Yup, who said the BBC wasn't biased?

From Not a sheep: The 'Islamic Jesus'

Not a sheep: The 'Islamic Jesus'

In somewhat of an inflammatory comment on a normally right minded blog, 'Not A Sheep' could possibly be highlighting a prejudice held within Britain towards the Muslim faith. Though I may be proved wrong and the tone of the post is stronger than it is intended I would like to make my own opinion and understanding known about the story she/he is referencing.

Essentially it comes down to the fact that an Islamic Iranian Director has created a film which shows the story of Jesus from the Islamic perspective. And in an expressed attempt to create dialogue and understanding between faiths he expresses the Muslim understanding of the story, as well as he admiration for Mel Gibson's 'Passion of the Christ' in production if not in plot.

"So the "common ground" would appear to be that Jesus existed and was a prophet but not that he was the son of God, or was resurrected. I think the idea of "common ground" might be a little fanciful."Not a Sheep

I have written a comment on this post within the blog, have a look if you want (though it is awaiting moderation). Here I want to focus more on the above comment by NaS. The common ground is massive between Muslims and Christians on this topic. I would like to ask, what more would you ask of the Muslims to believe before it is acceptable common ground?

That he was the son of god as part of the Holy Trinity?
That he was crucified? (indeed the Muslim view is that his body did not die, but ascended into heaven)
Or that he preached a new gospel?


Well number one is right out. That aspect of the story of Christ IS Christianity.

Number two becomes trivial for Christians or external parties when number one is rejected; who cares how he died? Muslims and obviously Christians find it important but to say it matters that he was Crucified to a Muslim on Christian grounds is missing the point and could be mildly disrespectful. Indeed the perception of Crucifixion is seen by Muslims to be correct, but as wikipedia explains, this was a divine illusion.

Thirdly, jesus within Islam is a vital and important figure. In some ways second only to Muhammad as Jesus was a Messenger from God whose message became corrupted by man. However you look at this, this is high praise, and how this has become corrupted, which areas Jesus can be seen as 'right' and also the historical accounts of the time from the dual faith perspective can all be looked at.

Yes. This does open the possibility that there is open accessible cross-faith dialogue within the world community. The only thing that i can see you could possibly be offended by this news article Not A Sheep is the fact that it has come from Iran. But as you may (or may not) now see there is a real theological basis for what the director was saying and how it is ultimately quite a politically neutral topic if taken as such.

Cheers
Anthony

The Devil on Drugs....

Wonderful!

At last someone who is sane and articulate enough to show what I have been thinking about Drugs for such a long time. Have a a look here! This has made my evening so much i may even get all the work I set myself to do completed for a change instead of wondering off into the endless battlegrounds of Internet gaming as per usual.

Not that I should be all that surprised that this has happened in that Dk generally expresses my views before I realise them in their entirety myself, but still its another happy occasion where I can congratulate the Devil on hitting the nail, on the proverbial head.

Whilst giving Magic Mushrooms the verdict of "Fucking Funny" as well as other lighthearted comments, he lines this all with a definite sense of the serious. That being the absolute belief that the illegality of recreational drugs causes more harm and is ideologically a disaster for society by right thinking libertarians.

The point that I am trying to make is that it is in the nature of a good proportion of human beings to want to "escape" from time to time. That can be the simple escape from the hum-drum of working life, through holidays or whatever. For some it's the escape from being oneself, for a while. And for many, it is simply that they like the effect that mind-altering substances have.

And look at the two drugs that we have legalised: smoking provides very little mental effect, and develops into a habit that kills through the way in which it is ingested.

Drinking (especially to escape) very often makes people violent, melancholy and irrational.
Seriously, what the fuck are we playing at? We've made entirely the wrong stuff illegal!

 

Anyway, please read, I'm sure everyone who reads this post will find it both provocative as well as reassuring/fearful to find intelligent people thinking in this way. Me? Well I can't see much changing... Though I can but hope. The only possible practical method of making any real alterations the systems surrounding drugs would be through some sort of total re-jig of the system for some other reason than the blatant reclassification of substances or indeed their full legalisation.

Really it wouldn't happen even if everyone wanted it. How could they then justify the thousands in jail. The social stigmatisation and ruination of thousands more and finally the money spent in an ineffectual law by the sate for nearly a hundred years? And possibly even more to the point, the jealousy held by those in power who missed out within their lives through misconceived fear of the substances as well as the law the joys of drugs.

I am no heavy user, nor will I be. But my minute dabbles would probably have landed me in jail for no other reason than I own curiosity and enjoyment of something that had NO NEGATIVE EFFECTS WITHIN MY OWN LIFE OR THE LIFE OF OTHERS.

Technorati Tags: Drugs,Devil's Kitchen

I HATE MY FUCKING PC

I really hate my pc at the moment.

It is getting to the point where points are viable impliments for other people's eyes... Not that anyone else has done anything wrong, but really, if the world is going to cause me days upon days of stress and 25,000 bloody spanners in the crudding works, I have a right to do something... unproductive - right?

I have various new bits of computery stuff. A new shiny keyboard, a new internal HD and an external one.

1) The shiny keyboard is shiny and keyboardy and great. No complaints! WooHoo!

2) The external -rectal excretion- Hard Drive now no longer realizes it is in fact inserted into a feckign computer! It has no knowledge, it worked once, and realized the helpful Hard-drive life as the slave of one pissed off student as too much so now it just whurrs away blissfully in a world of its own, randomly deigning to look at the system from time to time but only to fail on the install and run away again.!

3) And this is the fucking clintcher! This is the one that takes the biscuit, shoves it up your arse jumps out with hammy the fucking wonder gerbil and does a tango on you nerves. I have spent DAYS trying to get an OS onto the damned internal hard drive, which is working fine thankfully. But this process has resulted in 7 failed cd burns, the last of which is an OS but not the one I wanted. A computer which now does not like the idea of cds or (heaven forbid) DV-fecktarding-Ds and throws the biggest, bluest, angry beeping screen of death that you have ever seen! I mean really, its like that blue troop effort with the drums, you know what im talking about, the thing with loads of men painted like smurfs, who then decide to pack up the ghost of light entertainment and go on a rampage around the rest of the cast and crew only to kill themselves in the process.

I mean. It just wouldn't work.

The Forest II: Relentless Thirst (PART 1 of 2)

A wonderful creation by those Secret 7000 lads.

Really this is so good I actually started to run around like s small child pretending to shoot 'The Simons' with toy guns!

...Really!

The Forest II: Relentless Thirst TEASER

The full film will be up soon. Here is the teaser.

Really really worth watching to the extreme for the blatant daftness of it all.

Will do a better write up, and a look at the fun that was had in Liverpool for the prem of the full feature later; im still too fucked from all the drinking.

Rethinking the War on Drugs - opendemocracy.net

Some of you may know that I have been known to read a wonderful website called Open Democracy. It has a tendency towards the leftist critical thinking as well as some radical feminism but meh, its a regularly updated, often clear concise look at international politics.

 

Article in question.

 

Anyway. It seems like the concept of drug enforcement may be about to change. With the (laughable) title  of The Coalition of the Healing, the United Nations office on Drugs has looked at the undoubted failings in drug enforcement and is now searching for a new paradigm. That is one which doesn't punish Joe Blogs recreational drug user and actually targets the organised crime groups that are making insane amounts of money and getting away largely scott free.

 

The most interesting aspect of this is that it may not actually be in the form of total enforcement; that has already been done as the article points out with most of the major Columbian cartel bosses either dead or behind bars. What may be looked at is a more realistic approach to drugs past prohibition...

 

How this may be formed I am unsure. Total relaxation of laws seems unlikely. Even what was begun by the change of Cannabis from a Class B to a Class C in the UK looks to be on the verge of a reversal... All I can say is that most people in this country see the effects of 'softer' drugs in their real life and blatantly don't see what all the fuss is about when compared to alcohol and (some would say, though not me) the excessive talk of damage by smoking.

Samsung to Produce Faster Graphics Memory

Samsung has announced a new line of GDDR5 chips that will supposedly be able to deliver data at speeds of up to 6 Gbps. In addition to faster data delivery the new chips also claim to consume less energy than previous versions. "Samsung said the new chips consume 1.5 volts, making them about 20 percent more efficient than GDDR 3 chips. Samples of the GDDR 5 chips began shipping to graphics-processor makers last month, and Samsung plans to begin mass production of the chips during the first half of next year. GDDR 5 memory should first appear in high-end gaming systems where users are willing to pay a premium for better graphics. Samsung did not disclose pricing for the chips.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

----

So that is 6-12 months max before all the uber great PC rigs are obsolete. Harsh really. Now you can see the replacements already. Now this makes me happy that I only seem to be going to cheap ass components at the moment for my heap of junk.

It has a nice case, if it wasn't so exposed like this, nice in built flashy blue lights and SOOO many fans. :-D

Audioraider

Legality aside... I guess.... Well here is a great audio search thingy online using google. Get the direct tracks you want really really quick.

Send a parcel to our lads out war-fighting.

Again, lazy or what, but Ian Dale's Diary is a great post by Ian Dale supporting sending a parcel to the guys and gals in Iraq and Afghanistan. I don't know if I will get around to sending one to be honest, but I will try.

Back on Windows Live Writer

In a lazy blogging method I'm going to forget about linking etc.

 

Anyway, I'm possibly going to get back to using the windows live writer and incidentally much of the windows live range. I even made a new hotmail email account! wonderful.

 

Right I'm listening to TWiT and can't concentrate. So more blogging soon I hope.

How to Start and Essay?

After completing my degree at Lancaster University in Politics and now starting again at the University of Cumbria on a PGCE, it is safe to say I have done quite a few essays.

Now, I am not very good at them mind. Pretty awful if you ask me, but there is an art form in doing them. Some people like to research like mad, spending days upon days in the library and then blitz the actual writing of it. And others simply like to get straight to the keyboard and do the best they can as they go.

For me, its a matter of finding an idea and running with it. It may be crap, it may be totally erroneous to the facts and the world's understanding, but I tend to believe that without a level of study impossible at even a Masters level there is no point in going for studied truth; it is best just to find some idea you like and make things fit... And sometimes they do!

Take this opening for example.

The advancement of Creationism and Creationist Science was rapid through the 20th Century and in many ways this can be seen as a success for those that support it. Even so this success, for example development of a sizable minority of people in the US who support it, as well as other effects being felt across the world(Council of Europe, Assembly Debate, 4th October 2007) caused by the creationist movement does not increase the theological and scientific reasoning behind it. In other words; no matter how many people believe in it creationism’s justification and evidence does not increase in validity nor in strength. Indeed the nature of that growth highlights the false nature of Creationism, at least from a historical perspective. As has been mentioned, from the point that Darwin published his research on Evolution and Natural Selection a seeming majority of society, church and all, saw this theory and understood it to be the truth. It has only been in response to the resulting effect on belief, the secularisation of society and the understanding of Science to be the truth that Creationism flourished. Indeed its power is not in the theory, but in its basic opposition to science which gives Creationism its strength and seeming plausibility.

It is for my next essay (which I eluded to earlier) and could quite possibly be wholeheartedly incorrect. At this point in time I don't really care. I think I have enough evidence to support it and I like the idea of it at least so what the (proverbial) hell?

So, oft shy readers (ha!), what do you find are the best ways to start an essay?

Creationism

Like much of the time that I gain some sort of inspiration or impetus to blog on more intelligent topics or in a more clear and coherent manor, I am at this moment in time writing an essay on the wonderful world of Christian Fundamentalism, largely in the United States and more specifically on their views on the Creation of the world.

To be honest. I wont bore you with the details of an academic essay and how it approaches this topic what I will comment on is some of the research I have done, namely answeringgenesis.org by Ken Ham, and this post in particular.



In his post entitled 'European Assembly Attacks Creation' he looks at how the European Parliament (to be honest I'm not 100% which aspect of the EU's governing institutions is being quoted here, and nor do I have the time an patience to find out) is worried about the rise in the tendency for Christian fundamentals and creationists to get their literatures into schools.

Now I am very much against this, and any other form of indoctrination by religions upon our children. Though I am atheist and in many ways strongly so I try to accept the choice that other people make, and the experience other people have resulting in them following religion.

Anyway. For once I guess I agree with the quotes in the post by the EU for once.

The European Assembly (a very influential body in Europe that we’ve reported on before) recently released a document that is a scathing attack on creation/creationists.

Now, as far as I know, this 'European Assembly' is some aspect of the EU. And even taken at it's entirety I would not call it a 'very influential body' when the education of our children are involved. There is no devolution (HA! There I said it, we are in a federal state of Europe. Ahem.) of powers to Brussels on this YET! Thankfully. And indeed the 'attack' as it is stylised only really speaks of concern about the effect that creationist 'science' might have on the minds of our young, both in the confusion it may cause and how it is perceived as false to anyone who is not of the creationist view point.

Keep in mind that what they want taught to students is that all life, including humans, can be explained by natural processes—this is the RELIGION of atheism (which is the predominant religion across Europe today).

Ok, here is where I laughed out loud (L-O-L is 1337). Firstly I have Just completed a placement within a VASTLY under appreciated school that is being amalgamated within a city academy very soon in a gross expression of the stupidity of this government, and its approach to education. The school is called Skerton Community High School. But never mind that. What we should mind is the misrepresentation of Religious education here. That being how it is expressed that all of Europe is devoid of any teachings of the Christian creation story, and indeed Christianity at all.

This is simply not true. I had the pleasure indeed to take part in a lesson on this matter and there is no mention of one understanding being more valid than another. Indeed both creationism and evolution are approached in a comparative footing with MUCH more respect being given to the religious understanding of the world because of political correctness etc.

Oh yeah, and the concept that atheism is the religion of Europe is the final straw for me. You sir, Mr Ken Ham, are either an idiot or a propagandist and as a result are one of the many creationist who fail to gain my respect. In balance to this, I may post soon on the topic of creationist who do gain my respect... But I have lost the article I read a couple of hours ago and have spent far too much time on this already. Oh well.

...Back to doing my essay... Or maybe some Team Fortress 2... oooOOOO!

"I am not Labour - I am not Conservative"

I am at this moment listening to 'Vox Politx' on 18 Doughty Street. With one of my favourite political blokes The Devil from the Devil's Kitchen.

One comment he makes is that he is not either part of the Labour party or the Conservative. Which is an interesting comment seeing he in some ways is very much immersed in the political life of the blogsphere... Though this does not fully represent politics in our country it highlights the ability to 'get into politics' without the usual pigeon-holing of the bi-polar political party system (which we effectively have).

Theft! The State Steals Our Bodies!

In an enlightening post (at least for me) by DK he briefly explains how the state has, since 1948, been the property of the UK government.

The state is the provider of a service: the National Health Service in this case. Because the state provides and "pays" (through taxes, of course) for this service, it has the power to dictate to the population.

He goes on to comment that both there is no signed contract for this handing over of your flesh, eye balls, fat, lungs, brains etc. And that the NHS has every right to comment and 'improve' its service... Though dictates to you.

Indeed I would argue that it has the inbuilt need to do this under the guise of better management or whatever and also uses the threat of a loss of service to encourage(read: blackmail) the people to carry out it's decisions on your own body.

Anyway, go read. He does it much better than I do.

...Humm... Thinking (well actually not thinking) about it about it. I'm sure Foucault has something to say about this.

Funneh: Lorry teetering-tottering in lancaster

Taken from: http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/morecambe-news/Truck-hangs-off-Crook-o39.3416813.jp a local lancaster Newspaper. Comical I guess.

But it is another example of random tit-bits of local news I wouldn't ordinarily get without the helpful use of Pageflakes.com.

Oh well. The link to my page is to the right. Go click and see what you think.

Litterers Must Die

It is a terrible situation I have just realised. A terrible situation indeed. A matter of life and death. We have children who give no respect to their surroundings, who litter without a moments consideration to their environment and to other peoples experience of their environment. This is a matter that the whole of society should be in fear and disgust over as it degrades us as a nation and as people.

[Even though the above statement is very melodramatic by design]

There is an unbelievable misunderstanding by the British people of globalism and the world we live in. They believe that because we are not in a global situation dealing with largely inclusive international institutions any problems we have at home are at best of a lesser importance, or at worst just simply not worth the bother.

This is a heinous issue which shows itself in many ways. The lack of respect by young people of their immediate environment is one example. And in this the teaching of their kids by parents is shown to be lacking, I mean what's the point in teaching your own child when society is looking after them with comprehensive schooling and such. I mean our state is one of the good guys on the international scale, and WE tell the rest of the WORLD how to look after their children. So if me (as this theoretical parent) really needed to look after my own child then we as a state would have no right to tell others what to do... Right?

Well yes indeedy. We as a state and as a nation have vastly ignored ourselves and our own failing and need to remember to think when we act, and if not that respect those that do think and respect the basic rules that allow people to live together in an enjoyable environment for the future.

DIGG: Correlation between mental illness and GW Bush voters

Just another qicky from digg. Got things to do!"Lohse, a social work master’s student at Southern Connecticut State University, says he has proven what many progressives have probably suspected for years: a direct link between mental illness and support for President Bush."

read more | digg story

AMAZING! Realistic Cardboard Sculptures [Lazy Digg.com blogging again]

"Chris Gilmour, an English artist living in Italy has created these realistic life size sculptures of everyday objects such as cars, bikes, wheelchairs, etc" - Digg.comBut truly this is ace. Something for sarah. Maybe I am wrong about the ability and need of artists to look and experiment with the mundane. This is something really really good.

read more | digg story

Bush Says that Nuclear Iran will Lead to 'World War Three'

"President George W Bush today warned that world leaders risk helping bring about "World War Three" unless they do more to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons. In remarks timed to coincide with Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to Teheran, Mr Bush said the Islamic republic must remain isolated until it drops its nuclear ambitions." Digg.Taken from Digg. Just another example of..a) The shameful situation which has developed within world politics at the moment.b) Lazy blogging on my part.

read more | digg story

Radiohead and music distribution

Taken from my comment on Kierenmccarthy.co.uk blog post. It is in relation to Radiohead's new album and what it means to the music industry.

I'm just listening to the album now (track 4) and I seem to be enjoying it which is nice.

As far as the actual method of distribution goes, I can only see it to be a step forward. That is not to say it is a step forward TO any particular method of distribution, but a step forward to the day that music wont be locked into the major music companies.

For me the music industry is evolving, VERY VERY slowly for the moment, but it is evolving. Music is taking the middle ground. It is now harder for smaller bands/groups/individuals to gain popularity. And also there is a backlash against the high CD sales etc, making larger groups/individuals less likely in the future.

The net result will be a multitude of good/great bands that just don't get world wide recognition. What they will do is create amazing music, have a seizable following and importantly, distribute their music in whatever way they see fit. There will soon be a myriad of methods and music will - if not be free - will begin to fit the listener and the creator as opposed to the company.

Here is a post from DK on lying politicians and an interesting video from the UKIP conference.

The contents are an interview from the Devil with Nigel Farage the leader of UKIP.



Is the video. Its well worth the 5 mins to have a listen for everyone as I believe that people should know more about the smaller parties if nothing else.

No major look at this, the moment has gone. oh well.

Radiohead's new album, buy it for... well...

A bit odd really, but staying on the musical theme, one of Britian's most popular rock bands are soon to release their new album as a digital download. The price...



Interestingly as well they are selling a fixed price digi-box of ultra cool goodness (well thats what they imply) with the cost of a hefty £40.

A new model for music distribution in the future?

I doubt it, but the more this is panning out I just do not think there will ever again be one model, or one process in the distribution of music. Maybe things will be totally digital etc. But honestly I can see wacky and wonderful deals from bands increasing in number and variety over the next 10 years.

Go to Radiohead.com for more info.


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Additional...

Not that you would blame them for doing it as such, but they have an extra charge for paying with debit cards... What I do blame them for is not saying that they were going to do it. Grrr.

Well maybe I was blind at the time. Anyone else notice the extra charge as below?

WoW music video.

Really, look at this (do it Ina! :-p) it is just that good. Found on the WoW Insider, this video is a wonderful and entertaining example of the real creativity that is allowed by the internet and the video gaming platform.

Baron Soosdon has outdone himself this time. And that's saying alot. Using the WoW Model Viewer, some amazing editing tricks and a song from the "Resident Evil: Extinction" soundtrack, he has created a music video that looks better than 99% of the professionally made crud you see on MTV.

Look below if you are not interested in this sort of random tit-bit of video gaming goodness for some 'harder' political comment about schools.


imsosick_xvid_hd.avi

Schools

I have recently (you may or may not know) started a PGCE course for Secondary Schools specialising in Religious Education. And in this position I have suddenly found it interesting to keep tabs on the events, and more to the point in my book, differing philosophies surrounding the teaching of our youngsters.

...Sorry, young people... Or students... Definatly not Kids... Yeah, whatever.

Reading the DK's response to Conservative plans to emulate (badly as it seems, link focuses on tax cuts but buried in there is the education bit) various successful schooling systems in Switzerland and parts of the US with some interest.

On the Devil's Kitchen the response is well known to anyone who reads it; the distinct noise of a head banging against a wall in frustration at the stupidity that results from politics. It seems, says the DK somewhat tentatively that, "whilst I wouldn't like to leap to conclusions, it seems that the Tories still don't get it."

Exactly what they don't get is something that surprises me. They don't seem to get the fact that more government intervention and the greater that Education is politicised the worse our education system becomes.

I can't help but agree wholeheartedly, especially from the perspective of someone going into teaching RE. RE is a contentious issue and subject to teach. This is only heightened with the current climate resulting in children's(including more grown up children who vote BMP) ignorance towards other cultures shown, expressed and even acted upon like no other time. Equally RE seems to be avoiding the difficult questions, looking at high ethics as a way from touching on Muslin or Christian Extremism, for example.

There are no "Why do they hate us so much?" questions. Or looks at the problems within the state of Israel. Instead I am seeing topics that look at more cold issues and ethical dilemma which may be important, but ultimately are lacking in relevance for anyone who deals with (what can almost seem like) race wars within school property.

In RE there is no National Curriculum. This is a good thing, but not only this but there is no leadership to make RE anything more than a pathetic excuse to appease history and the dwindling sense that this is a Christian nation. Leadership is needed in direction empowering schools to touch on intrinsically difficult topics. But freedom like that which is proposed by DK on a Education sector wide is also applicable to a smaller level.

As I say, we have some of the last aspect but it is at the moment failing for RE only in its timidity. So in this I make a rallying call for all Religious Education teachers everywhere. Where all other subjects are being dumbed down and made easier, make RE the subject that engages, enthuses and intellectually stimulates all students from all backgrounds.

Smoking age now 18

I can honestly say this is one of the first things that this wonderful government has done that I have whole-heartedly agree on. BBC news is reporting that the age limit for smoking has now increased to 18, and that this will make things both clearer for shop owners to understand who they should sell to as well as (hopefully) stop younger and younger people from beginning the habit.

Now for me the most interesting part of this is the comment later in the article that a) there was a media campaign to highlight this new change; and b) that it was woefully inadequate.

It is something that dumbfounds me here in that this is something that I am quite passionate about and never knew was coming! I guess this is possibly because I am not either one of the two target audiences that are mentioned above... But still this is a momentous occasion that most people will be interested in to some degree.

Oh well, it probably wont even do all that much... Alcohol is more than easily available for those under-age (though how exactly I am not sure, as I still am getting ID'd at 21), so why shouldn't it be the same for Smoking.

OpenDemocracy.net employees given teleportation abilities

I know! I know! There is probably a very sensible REAL understanding of the below quote taken from Open Democracy's weekly e-mailer but honestly, I just find this slightly entertaining.

openDemocracy is recruiting. We have a current vacancy for a full time senior editor/journalist to run a new Russian section. London based, with frequent travel to Russia and some tele-commute possible.

[my bold]

Really! I expect that teleportation would be a REAL recruitment plus!

Blogging Vs. Mr Usmanov

GO and have a look at this post from Wardman Wire blog.

It has a great (less than 2 minute) snippet from parliament where MEP Tom Wise states out some of the problems not only with joining up our entire energy policy with the EU, but also the characters we will be forced to deal with.

Unsurprisingly it doesn't look good. Mr Usmanov for example isn't one for the right of free speech and (as you hear in the audio clip) was the one that (it is believed) ordered the shutting down of Georgian gas supplies not too long ago.

The plight of Iraqi interpreters

It is terrible, we should never do something as terrible as this to our allies. And these people are our allies in War and should be held as heros.

I want to add I found this on a random blog that I lost the page for... I think it is originally from Bloggerheads.com but as you could see, that site is down for the moment for reasons explained below and in many other areas of the blogging world.

New Computer

It seems as though my computer is on the way out... Its a shame but its totally breaking in every way on a regular basis... And frankly i can't be arsed about sorting it out so it lasts that little bit longer...

For those that know. How does the below budget computer sound for £355?

Corsair 2GB Kit (2x1GB) DDR2 800MHz/PC2-6400 XMS2 Memory Non-ECC Unbuffered CL5(5-5-5-12) Heat Spreader Lifetime Warranty
GECUBE X1950Pro 512MB GDDR3 DVI PCI-E
Western Digital WD3200AAKS 320GB SATAII 16MB Cache 7200 RPM - OEM
Gigabyte GA-M55S-S3 nForce 550 Socket AM2 8 channel audio ATX Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Socket AM2 2.6GHz -L2 2MB (2 x 1MB) Cache Retail Boxed Processor

Tie-Dye Heart

Just a quick post to note the slight change to the lineup of this blog. You may have noticed that to the right there is a new section for Tie-Dye Heart that is a wonderful concoction of creative cartoons which are reputed to actually make you (yes you!) smile.

The Ultimate Steal!

Seems as though Microsoft is actually doing something nice for us that are Students.

The Link: www.theultimatesteal.co.uk/?cid=174

The Offer: Office 2007 Ultimate for £38.98

Niiice!

May have to get this when my loan comes through... or maybe tonight... Humm...

Grab it whilst you can!

Uk seeks new sea based resources in Atlantic

Apparently we (being the UK) are creating a new empire for ourselves.. Well according to the Guardian Today.

Plans are afoot to lay claim to extend territorial boundaries around our dependant colonies such as Ascension Island and the Falklands.

The Guardian in its traditional (ha) leftist, guilt ridden manor simply does not want our country to increase both its wealth and ability to ride any future impending fuel crisis that may or may not be effecting the world as fossil fuels run out.

Instead they weakly entitle the article with references to a new Empire - which will obviously be exploitative simply by the coining of the phrase - and ending with a comment about how Greenpeace sees the situation as a land-grab in the ocean. See the negative connotations they imply there? Well the rest of the article is nothing of the sort, a basic comment on the situation that even then forgets to comment on the possible benefits of such an increase in territory.

Shame that. It might actually good for us. I hope no-one else reports this story in a similar way.

British blogging in trouble.

It seems as though British blogging (at least of the political persuasion is mobilising to fend of the attack from an Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov. With multiple websites being taken down by the web hosts based not on truth, or proved libel but on simply the allegations of such. As a result within certain circles this story has begun to circulate and gain momentum and I would recommend having a look at both Mr Eugenide's post and the one on the Devil's Kitchen.

This story is seemingly scaring political bloggers silly. It shows how fragile this form of medium is to attack from anyone with both the money and bloodymindedness to believe they have the right to stifle free speech in another country.

In the US you have a First Amendment right to free speech. This has the effect, among other things, of making it rather harder to bully the little guy into silence. In Britain we have no such protection. As most of us use US-based blog platforms such as Google-owned Blogger, it’s unlikely that a thug like Usmanov would succeed in shutting us down if he didn’t like what we were writing (he could still sue us for libel, of course, but that’s a slightly different matter). But if a foreign businessman can have a whole network of blogs taken down in their entirety with just the threat of legal action, we're all in trouble. Next time, who's to say it won't be a politician? And then where does that leave us?
Taken from Mr Eugenides's post on Jewcy.com here.

One thing I am going to add here is not that we need any form of constitution within this country - such a written codification of rights is just as easily (or indeed more) circumvented by the powerful and the wealthy - but we need some sort of correcting institutional strength that can react to this form of new (at least the format is new) attack.

That is not to say that as the DK points out in the above article that the libel system is not flawed, but that a written constitution of any form is not the correct way in which rights should be defended in this country. It never has been, and (i hope) it never will.

OpenDemocracy.net

Just a quick post, mostly because I can't be arsed. but I have rediscovered a wonderful site for topical in-depth political review called Open Democracy.

At the moment it has articles at this moment in time touching on the Russian succession, the impending...issues surrounding Iran and things more closer to home with a look at Gordon Brown and the recent Northern Rock (near) collapse.

Anyway, go and have a look if you have an interest in politics of all natures!

Talk about a slow news day....

Talk about a slow news day, my usual 'I am bored at work, absent browsing of the internet action' of looking at my pageflakes site is just failing to come up with results. All my usual feeds are shockingly absent of news. Oh well.

Even so I would advise people to use Pageflakes as it is a great way to at a glance see al the news you may (or may not) want to see. My personal site is here. And is ace!

The pint is saved from Europe... Shame about the Foreign Policy

Look as though the pint is saved!

"Many traders and consumers might choose to celebrate the lifting of the threat with 0.57 litres of beer - better known as a pint."[see Guardian link]

EU plans to force the United Kingdom onto the metric system have ended, as the Guardian online reports.

Shame about our passports, which are now seemingly going to include aspects such as referring to us as 'EU Citizens' and the like. Something which I don't quite understand as we can only be citizens of a sovereign country and as far as I know the United Kingdom is still (officially at least, though that is a whole other discussion) sovereign over the British Isles. [Initially reported in the Yorkshire Post, but then reproduced on the Devil's Kitchen].

I can't help but agree with the hostile response that DK gives to the way in which the EU manages to surreptitiously attack at our sovereignty with the full knowledge that there is no way in hell this would be allowed if they didn't use such clandestine methods as described in the article. The best in my opinion is the intrinsically obsolete European Embassies that will be created that member states will be encouraged to sue as their own personal embasies in many areas of the world.

Sneaky buggers.

Lancaster UNI's sucess?

It seems as if Lancaster University can celebrate, as Forbes has it within it's top ten of institutions for 1 year MBAs in Business.

I suppose this is a good thing, but it also ignores a lot of what is happening at the University. Mainly that many of the other areas and subjects are wholeheartedly not being given the expected amount of support for what is becoming a prestigious University, not only on a National but also (as the above article shows) an international footing.

Perfect examples for this as I think are across the board. From the basic facilities of computers available seems to be much reduced as the tumultuous changes that are sweeping across campus and its collages is enacted. If this will ever be returned is anyones guess.

The collages themselves are being pushed from pillar to post with concerns about the viability of the Bars and regular nights out they run.

The Art department has in recent years has its very existence in doubt, with costs being cited as the reason. But this does seem to avoid the realities of University life as old of an experience of collective advancement in all areas of life. Without the Arts to go alongside the business school, Music orientated subjects or any and everything else the University will be a lesser institution than it is now.

This idea of money being a major focus within the University is deplorable on its own but its not even the worst of it. There is a wholehearted change from a Student focused approach within Universities to that of an 'Organization'. And 'Organizations' have no interest in the experience of the individuals involved. As a result the issues what now hold true are Money, resources, legislation, dry internal political fights and little else.

I HATE BT LOTS and LOTS and LOTS

Guess what, it seems as if BT are worse than just a bad company. It seems to me as if they also systematically lie to their customers.

I have just been rung by BT Outreach (I think that was what they are called) who actually do the work to install lines to houses and guess what. The date i received the night before an engineer was meant to turn up a while ago was wrong. Not only that, but the person who i spoke to actually lied to me saying that the new date was the 4th of September.

Fuckers.


----------


Update - Call from Jason


Seems as though the problem at BT's end is not that BT are a useless bunch of fucking lazy, lying scum-sucking idiots. But the Ombudsman has made them change their systems, and its the ombudsman's fault because the transfer has been less than smooth.

For fucks sake! Stop crying, though i don't obviously know myself, but arn't these things planned way in advance?! And shouldn't you (that is BT) have got the smooth planned process worked out, and isn't that responsibility YOURS?! And not the fac that the company is a failing collapsing monopoly that does not want to let go?!

Well, who knows. All I know is that this Jason guy has promised a better date than next friday and that compensation is in order.

Oh I hate BT.

BT Breakthrough!

Picture created by Ina.



Yes you have it right, I have found the one and only way to deal with BT!

That is to speak/email a certain CEO of a certain company (which is our present focus of hate) and guess what?! You get a response within hours not days, as per the usual lag time of responses.

(EDIT: name and email of the ceo of BT have been taken down as this may result in an influx of angry people email him and detracting from my own issue. This will be a temporary thing and is done after a request by my flat mate. Sorry. But to be honest its an easy find, just use google.)

The response for me: That the issues I had will be sent to their super fast super skilled advanced customer support team of Uberness. Not those crappy plebs of which there are 2 of that deal with the thousands of thousands of calls every day.

Then a email was sent by BT, saying that 'Jason' on a specific phone number would deal with our problem from now on.

So guys. DO this now! and get some sort of resolutions to your problems!

W00t.

Updates on the situ will follow.

Hatred for BT

There is nothing as universal within the UK (and I would lack surprise if this extended externally of these fair isles) but it's peoples hatred for BT.

BT is a shambles.

It is simply the worst company (excepting ethical issues) that there is. It does not do its job, well or otherwise, it holds an almost monopoly on many of its services and a total monopoly on the lines that enter your house and the methods of installing such a line.

Now this is where the crux of the matter is held. The installation of liens into the houses of people in Britain. Here Bt signally manages to fail to provide the most basic service. It is the reason why I am writing this from work as opposed to home. The night before the engineer was meant to arrive, at 8pm, someone called to say "oh there was a mistake with your order. The next slot that an engineer can arrive is in 7 days... err sorry?" This being over 2-3 weeks of waiting.

There is much much more that could be said. But others have said it already. Have a look at Ina's blog for example, which i found by typing 'I HATE BT' into google. Post 1 Post 2and Post 3 which comments on others who have the same urge to type 'I HATE BT' into search engines.


Nice.

I promote some sort of bloggingly-incited revolution against this most terrible and disastrous of companies. Any takers?

..Please?

I want Retribution!

Tony Blair

From my usual source of wonderful political comment; The Devil's Kitchen.
"When did being Prime Minister become nothing more that an ego boost for whichever slack-jawed narcissist happened to have got into Number 10?"

Ha! Blame Margaret Thatcher I say.

/sarcasm off.

US in IRAQ hot water shock!

Based off this tit-bit of sad news that US troops have died in a recent helicopter crash.

The Guardian online comments...

The blow came as the US president, George Bush, and the American ambassador to Iraq both stepped up the criticism of the country's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, for failing to clamp down on sectarian violence.

Mr Maliki hit back at the criticism, declaring that no nation had the right to set "timetables" for the Iraqi government. He said his country could "find friends elsewhere".

The war of words capped another bleak day for the US military in Iraq.

I just don't fully understand the single(some may say blind) mindedness of the US with it's present foreign policy. The concept that they can bully the whole world in such a way that attempts to create a pressure of 'you have no other choice but to join us' has gone. The rising powers of China, Russia and others simply means that Mr Malaki's comments are ultimately true. They will move away from the west, something that could be seen as inevitable anyway.

Judge lets off man after he tortures his wife!

Just wanted to do a quick link to the Devil's Kitchen(a blog i should get back into reading regularly).

This is a terrible story and speaks for itself.

And so does this comment in respect to the guy who tortured his wife...

What cunts like this require is to understand what, precisely, they have done.

Brand this fuck with an iron -- on his face, to warn any future women -- and then flog him, naked, through the streets of the city, whilst a sign proclaiming his crimes hangs around his neck.

Then put him in the stocks for a week. If he survives that, he may then have been rehabilitated, i.e. taught what pain is.

God, but I loathe people.

DK

For once this is not over the top by DK. In fact its probably a little lenient.

Japan's CrAzY new internet plan.

From Engadget.

It seems that Japan is planning to replace the Internet wholesale like.

I say good luck to them, they will need it like someone facing the front end of a nuclear missile who's only thought is "I wonder if there is any nice little message on the shell..."

Even so, if they try this with any gusto its going to cause a hell load of compatibility issues.... Bugger.

Ian's game and wi-kid stuffs....

Linky!

I hope he doesn't mind, but I'm linking here to a mates website type thing which includes an unfinished game (I am yet to look at as I am at work).

It sounds quite fun, so... Have fun!

The Guild!

Just discovered this wonderful Webisode called 'The Guild'.

It is just great, with the concepts within MMO guilds down to a tea. managing to both dispel the geeky stereotypes and at the same time show the possibly more worrying truth that whilst MMO guilds are both sociable and (more?) fun than real life, they distort the world in some simply bizarre ways at times. Its difficult to describe properly, watch this and you may see what i mean.

..To some extent.

Maybe.

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Foucault Doll

You have no idea how much I want one of these.... :-(
No need to tell me I am extremely sad.

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Me me me me MEEEEEE!

Ok, well maybe that is a little bit of a manic title... Err... sorry?

But it does efficiently (lol) describe what this post is about.

Me.

Well, that isn't strictly true, I guess it is something more for the benefit of a certain someone who I believe will be reading this terrible excuse for a blog in the near future and may be more interested in what is happening to me at the moment (in more detail than texting allows) than my travels in the wonderful World of Warcraft. ;-)

Firstly, I guess my aim at the moment is simply to find a way to live my life. University isn't life, it is something sub-par, based nowadays on drinking and JUST making it through as best you can but not doing the best you can. At least it was for me, and that was a massive disappointment. So right now I'm trying to access a career, and not learning. Even so that career is perversely is learning. Teaching to be exact. Ace!

St Martin's is the planned route. And Religious Education is the subject. I just hope it will agree with me... And I have the courage to give my hair a good cut! (its a good way down my back now (and yes I can hear you 'tut'-ing hehe)).

After that the world is getting a job and moving into a new house. The first has taken far far too long (I am ignoring the stint as a dinner lady) but is eventually going on be either on the phones at a tech support centre or at AXA insurance... On the phones. W00t.

Oh and I REALLY REALLY want to go to Leeds Festival!

Got a ticket?

..please?

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Teachers bunk off school aparently. Ace!

The BBC news website has a story about how teachers go truant.

More holiday for me when I become one!

Or maybe not.

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World of Warcraft specification

Here is an interesting post on the Wowinsider which has a look at people's attitudes to putting specification points within the talant lines in the game. Here there is surprise that people don't choose their paths or even a general trend for the points that accrue every single level up past a certain point.

Myself, I totally understand this approach for most people. The way in which talent points is worked out within the game is deceptively set out to lend itself to a more 'unique' approach to those that aren't familiar with MMORPGs and the best ways to maximise their characters. It is the amount of choice which a character seems to have when you start that lends itself to a haphazard approach. I can see this in the person who I regularly play with whose experience of RPGs is minimal and it becomes the only way they want to improve the charactor because it is their character (understandably).

I guess what needs to be realised (and is more difficult to do seemingly in WoW) is that the thing you play is not yours. The Hunter, the Orc, the Tailor is bound in absolution by the rules of the game and the whims of the developers.

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Page Flakes - New homepage-creating-RSS-feed-reading-thingy-ma-jig

Here is something which I have just recently had a look at. It may actually be a Web 2.0 effort that I will keep interacting with for a change. Woo.

Basically it is a front page on the internet in the form of a Newspaper-ish layout. Making the use of RSS Feeds you can keep in touch with all the news you want in (almost) a glance.

Anyway, here is the link for the main page of Pageflicks.

And here is my own page.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-0=- You may need an invite or something... Humm will investigate. If you want one just ask. -=0-

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A 'cute' little 'sick' cartoon for your viewing pleasure... 0_o

Contemplating Reiku is much fun. Just found it and its well worth a quick click.

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Gah! To-do list worries!

I know I have hundreds of things to do but I'm filling my existence with far too much internet centred rubbish.

Munch-cast is one, all about geek food apparently. Some odd new Netcast(pod cast?) from the Twit network.

Normally I would advise listening to any of these... But to be honest don't listen to this one, unless you have first got hooked to one of their other ones first. Twit is a good start..

Damnit! I'm rambling. Need to figure out what i need to do still...

Blogging isn't helping!!!!

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ScribeFire test. :-)

Just installed this wonderful (possibly?) little programme which is built into Firefox. It is supposed to be a quick and easy way to blog and such... well lets see shall we.

Judged on posts per week.

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Busy busy busy

Just come back from Cornwall on a great surfing holiday with my dad and brother. Just about to go to the Y-Not Festival (google search for link, its ace. What a great week.

...What a busy week. :-)

Nut Job US Extremist Christian comically attacks Harry Potter. MUST SEE

"I have heard many bad things about these books and movies, there would be countless instances of witchcraft, cursing, brewing of drugs made by boiling alive babies pulled from the earth, sexual congress with goats and many more things not fit for young readers' and viewers' eyes, but what I found was much worse still than I had feared."

read more | digg story

Worst hangover ever.

Just spent the day with the worst hangover ever, the sort of one that lingers at the same painful and sickening level pretty much the whole day. Its atrocious.

Word of warning people.

DON'T DRINK OLD ROSY CIDER. EVER.

Had a good night though at the Bobbin. A night run by a friend called Ben and Bramp. I would advise people to go if they can. Rock on!

The Height of Fashion

Anyone want a I love Gordon Brown T-Shirt? ahem?

I bet these are selling like... Well. Gordon Brown T-Shirts. Its not as if anyone hates him, or indeed likes him enough yet. Silly really.

[Blogger seems to be broken, click on the link if you want to see it, i would have put a pic otherwise. blah. ]

World of Warcraft is taking my life....

OK, well I should be doing more on here, but blame World of Warcraft... Damnit!

Just need a job at the moment. I've got one on the line, but at the moment its being a pain. The agency or the company they are servicing are talking ages to come back to me to tell be I havn't got the job.

Go on, tell me. PLEASE!

Long time no see...

I guess I should be slapped on the wrist for letting all my many readers hang dry for all this time. Shame on me!

Ohh well, no use dwelling in the past, once again this heralds a new dawn in my blogging life! Here it comes!

...

...

Anyone got an editor that helps me read and highlight text within web pages? It is just annoying to go through a long article like this and have to re-read/scan it for the parts that I felt interesting. Right?

Someone prove me wrong and find me something, my hours(yeah right) of Google searching has come up with nothing worth while.

An ice-lolly for the winner!

...Or maybe some cheese. 0_o

Enter Shikari

Bloody well love this band at the moment. Please please do give these a listen. Some form of melodic hardcore which manages to include some wonderfully dance/trancey elements into their music. Bloody marvellous for me who had naturally tended towards that direction in recent times.

Great live as well. MUST SEE!

Linky to their webby.

Lame 100th post

It seems as though this is my 100th post. *shrugs* ohh well.

Anyway, as tradition continues for random crappy posts I just want to make some sort of comment on the most recent floods in the Midlands.

It is a difficult thing for someone to see when you witness the loss of so much for so little reason. It is the same (but obvious on such an incredibly lesser extent than most) as many another natural disaster throughout the world but the result in news time seems to be muted. I guess this can only be a good thing, but at the same time wasn't there anything that could be done?

Flood walls? Reinforced defences along roads and main habitation areas? Maybe, but at the same time they have their disadvantages. The water, the influx of extreme amounts of volume, simply has to go somewhere and any attempt to defend one spot will simply displace it until those defences end.

What is needed then? There is no real solution, but it is another example for graduated stated response. Another example that shows a media's knee-jerk response is simply not going to work, and would only result in an influx of money and resources but not thinking. Understand the situation, city development, rail construction and the design of our country should be the issues at hand.

We should redesign the United Kingdom.

UK/US spellings

Just for anyone who gets aggravated with the lack of UK/British (TRUE spelling checkers, here is a good little chart that could clear up some of the United State's bastardisations.

Mwhahaha

Safari #2

Here is a good quick summery of this issues with Safari at the moment, and its a shame.

Even more fundamental issues seem to be for me that the scroll wheel doesn't work, I guess it might be something i could sort out, but why? It should be a naturally occurring function (imo) within the browser.

Oh, ok, Blogger is having issues as well. Wont work with the various in browser buttons. Not happy. Maybe this will change. But, as the previously mentioned blog comments...

"Maybe this is all to be excused as the program is still in Beta. Then again, thanks to Google and others the word “Beta” pretty much lost its meaning these days..."

Ha, I bloody well hope so, it sucks. A shame really because the renderer looks nice.

Apple Announces Safari on Windows

Looks like Apple is beginning to actually become a second Microsoft with the release of Safari, their previously apple mac only web browser, on Windows. Linky.

Can only be a good thing, competition and all that. Looks good, from the few minutes I have spent on it. Only issue is that I have my firefox working as I want, Will I be bothered to make the shift.

Actually thinking about this... Poor Firefox.

Anthony

KFC here I... Greese!

Yup, it seems like I am beginning to take the plunge into the world of work proper... Well sort of proper, with KFC... Yeah.

But at least it is an assistant managers position. Something I would e really happy about getting, even if it does result in a plague of spots...!

You can't see spots on a CV! so HA! I win!

...Damnit.

Asbestos Fingers - Lancaster WoW adicts

W00t another blog. This one is for me, Anne and Sarah to do with as we see fit with connection to World of Warcraft. Pop over there if you can't think of anything better to do.

Linky.

Wow speed of leveling... Yamir - Night Elf Rogue

Just a quick pointer. Managed to get to level 5 in under 40 mins and 6 in under 50 play time. :)

Could do it quicker if I didnt mess up at a couple of points. Ohh Well.

I will probably post more on here about World of Warcraft methinks.. Boring and geeky i know.

Even someone without geek tendencies can appreciate this one methinks.

Just an amazing set up. All macs with artwork to boot!

I sure as hell would blog (oh and generally be more productive) if I had all that at my disposal!

Direct Linky

Test Test. Windows Live Writer.

After having a swift look around the tint-a-web for a blog editor of quality shockingly enough I have found a Windows product - Windows Live Writer. I will have a go at this for a while... it looks OK but a little clunky at the moment. Lets just hope it manages to upload smooth enough on Resnet here at Lancaster.

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Windows Live Writer, Blogging editor

WoW News polution

Bah, I am sorry for those who are not interested by World of Warcraft but I just want to rant this minor thing out.

I am fed up with the main WoW Europe site's news being poluted with things like World of Warcraft card game releases or whatever. All I want to know about it the game I am playing. If you wanted to find out card game info then go to its own website.

Now here is a good way to run community contact with an MMO. DAoC for all of its other wonderful aspects also has (or had possibly with the recent loss of Sanya Weathers) the best community support/news/info of any MMO I have ever played...

I guess it costs too much for blizzard, takes too much effort and makes little or no money. Even if it does keep people happy.

WoW bringing in Voice Chat.

Linky

This has got to be good for me, being on a crappy uni connection that makes it impossible for me to use most voice-chat clients.

Searching for a Job

For those that are interested, this seems to be the plan over the next 12 months for me.

1) Get a job
2) Live in lancaster
3) Apply for St Martins for the year 2008 intake.

I guess, the major issue right now is getting a job. Its not fun. Especially with this currect total absence of drive I guess it is a matter of keeping in mind the many benifits of making lots and lots of money... such as paying off my debts.

Yeah...

Ohh well. At least it will be less stressful than Uni. No more dissertations.

Argh, my head hurts.

AdSense

Seems to be working now...

To be honest the main reason why I have set this up is of interest value above any belief that I will get anything from it. Sorry to those who have some sort of hatred of adverts in websites.

Anthony

Bloody hell, readers!

Well... Reader. But still good!

Post quoting a post of mine.

Thanks dude. Will have a better look at your blog and comment when i'm back from seeing some bands.

It does point out the fact that I actually have to think about what I am writing. Ohh well, an and to the age of badly spelt streams of consciousness.

W00T!

Anthony

Technorati effort.

Just setting up Technorati.

This will hopefully start an attempt to get more people reading this... or somthing.

'Racism' verses 'Race War'.

Literally just sat down to revise for my final exam of my final year of bloody university and I come across something that may be worth looking at. Something that differentiates discrimination in such a way that may allow me to come to terms with it in understanding.

I have always had the problem that to me discrimination was difficult to accept on some level. Yes indeed it happens, and yes there is such a thing as racial/sexist/ageist discrimination and it is bad. What I always had a problem with was that much of the things which have been seen as discrimination simply did not seem to be that; they lacked something, or indeed had something more to them that gave them a different category.

Racism for example, happens when someone irrationally 'hates' someone of another 'race' and also discriminates against them, using what abilities they have (within their own personality) to disadvantage another. I don't see racism as such, or at least another sort of racism, in the disadvantagement of a group as a result of societies mechanisms.

Now reading Foucault, or at least an understanding of Foucault from my lectures I think I may have come to the understanding of that differentiation. This proposition is entitled 'Racism' and 'Race War, as it is an idea of a subtle 'Race War' within societal biopolitics which allows for a differentiation.

Biopolitics is the politics of people. It shows how power is a matter for networks and is not physically held by an individual or body but is facilitated by a myriad of other bodies or nodes (in fact all bodies or nodes) that souround it in flows. For example a king has, in a classical understanding of power, all the strength and sovereign right to enact the most power in a nation. But if it happened that all the people died and only he was left then he would loose all power. No matter how insignificant it may seem that an individual is they still are important in the networks of power to some extent.

Thus you can see how it is important inside a biopoltical understanding of power for life to be promoted. And for that life to be statistically understood so as to see, for example, where the best and worst places to live are so as to move populations to the best places and improve the worst. And it is by increasing life that power is increased. Why could it then be seen that some states have the death penalty? Doesn't this go against the very basic premise of a biopolitical structure?

Indeed it would, but as you can control the best places to live, you can also control the best people. It is of control and knowledge of the individual that biopolitics shows it's ugly underbelly. And here Racism is shown. Not the racism of hate, but the mechanisms of race without the discourse of racism. How would this work? And how is this any different from a singular understanding of Racism?

Race War is a matter for societal control. The best populations for the society to promote are thusly encouraged, where as those that are designated by society and not individuals within society are disencouraged to some way. This is still racism, but it isn't a racism, as I have said of hate, this is a racism of the sort that allows society to advance as a body-politic. It is vital for society that it is able to discriminate.

Often this is based on statistics, on evidence but in many instances this is a matter of a cover. Look for example the way in which London gains a certain preferential treatment over other areas of the country. This is State discrimination. This is racism without the discourses of race. This is needed within society. And this can extend to the extremes of the Holocaust, to the most minor of a budget restructuring between county councils.

Ultimately though it is the extremes which highlight the issue and make it most clear. As Foucault said, Biopolitics claims life "in order to reclaim death". He continues, "...to be able to inflict death on it's subjects, its living beings, biopower must make use of racism; more precisely, racism intervenes here to grant access to death to the boipolitical state."

And yes this is the sort of state we live in.

Madeleine parents to see the Pope

Fucking arrest them already!!!!!

This is beyond a joke.

Might rant about this later, but really, these are the worst parents ever!!!!

Contempary Knowledge...

I'm not sure why exactly but for some reason I find the interchange I had a while back between me and a random at a house party interesting. I will explain below, but for some reason I think I need to clarify that the reference towards terrorism is meant as an ironic joke.

Me: Hey! Who are you?
Him: My names [err.. random?]. I'm a terrorist. I'm from Bahrain. I bet you dont know where that is.
Me: Yeah I do! It's in the Middle East. I do Politics.

Now this got me thinking. Not only why was he introduceing himself as a terrorist but also my (drunken) understanding of the location of his country of origin being based upon my Political degree.

There seems to be a lack of knowlege at the moment that isn't hot. That isn't based upon some sort of innate reasoning. Whats happened to knowledge for knowledge's sake? I forget what Foucault calls this, but even in the early 20th century it was a matter for him. This sudden lack of belief in unaccountable but real knowledge was important in some way.

It also seems comical that it is not a geographer who could be seen to make the comment "I know where that is.." But a politicaly minded individual. I mean, at what point did Geography become democraphics and specifics and not the world? Bah. But thats a side point.

What education needs right now is real knowledge. The knowledge of individual interest. Of a wider approach to what is valuable to an individual. Not what we have at the moment. Knowledge and understandings of the world that are sensationalist, single issued and short lived.

/rant over.

Self respect....

Just a comment that Mat - Landlord of the Bobbin - said in relation to a comical session where I was (acceptably) the butt of some joke or othere...

"Do you have any self respect?"

I was thinking about it, and possibly I do not.

My point is that maybe this is the issue that I have with work and personal progress. I just think maybe I need to hold myself in a more important light in my own head. To concentrate on my own progress, and respect myself both now and what I can work for in the future...

World of warcraft - to - Revision - to - Exams

Bah, ive been had!

Those clever people at Blizzard have turned a quick 10-day free trial into a purchase into hours and hours spent playing that most hated of MMOs WORLD OF WARCRAFT!

Save me! End the internet! ....PLEASE!

Bah.

Its fun though... I suppose.

Revision is naff. I hate it. It has no linier mostion; no progression that makes any sense to me. So the result is i find it incredibly hard to get into it. I guess its nothing abnormal. Its just a fact... And its going to have a detrimental effect on my exam results I bet!

Talking of exams. Only a week to go untill my first one. Ohh I'm gonna start shitting myself soon. W00t for sleepless, stressfulled nights.

UPDATE
----------------
Just realised that I have 2 weeks till my first exam... You have no idea how much of a relief that was.... Really you don't!

Back to Uni....

Back for my final term at Lancaster University and ive had my final seminars, lectures and what-not. Its odd... Things seem a bit empty now even though i have still got my exams; three of them to be precise. Maybe its just a matter of getting stuck back into the work, and that most hated of work - revision.

As a distraction I have recently discovered the 10 day free trial for World Of Warcraft... It can't be good. I just wish Dark Age of Camelot actually worked on this network instead. Gr.

Finally, a quote. From that most wonderful thinker that has ever graced this planet (even though he was French, heh) Foucault. He is talking about something more broad in this, but i can see also that this fits to Politics. It's not about what you do or indeed how you do it, but how you tell it.

“My intention was not to deal with the problem of truth, but with the problem of the truth-teller, or of truth-telling as an activity... At issue for me was rather the attempt to consider truth-telling as a specific activity, or as a role.” Foucault, Fearless Speech, pp. 169

Cheers. Anthony