Saturday, December 19, 2009
The Associate by John Grisham .
Kyle McAvoy, a 25 year old law student gets a $200,000 job with the top New York law firm. He takes this job only because he has been blackmailed into commercial espionage.
This crime/thriller has 373 pages and was written in 2009. John Grisham has written 20 other novels but this is the first one I have read. The quality of this book right from the start is poor and I wondered if it was worth continuing to read it. I found no empathy for Kyle, the central character of this novel. This story is very far fetched but John's writing style is very clear although there are a lot of very short paragraphs. This novel has a lot of dialogue between the characters but it lacks depth and attitude. It is easy reading but on page 177 when Baxter is talking to Brother Manny it reads...
Brother Manny issued the questions and absorbed the answers with such ease that after fifteen minutes together, Kyle felt as though he could chat for hours and tell him everything.
...Only Kyle was not there!
There is nothing special about this crime/thriller and I rate it as simply OKAY. I do not suggest that bloggers buy a copy of this book. What is good about this novel is the exploration of the American salary based work ethic. Kyle's firm had head-hunted him and his co-workers with very large salaries. The catch is that although the work is charged to the client by the hour, the lawyer gets a flat salary regardless of the number of hours worked. I think that this practice is totally unfair and that all workers should be paid by the hour as I am. The whole billing culture of corporate America is explained and it is this tale of workplace culture that saves this book from being an AVOID. The ending of this book is poor and I wonder how the owner of this book felt when he got to the end? I did not buy this book but I would like to thank the person who left this book in the reception of the Riu Green Park hotel at Port El Kantaoui in Tunisia for other holiday-makers to enjoy.
Kyle McAvoy, a 25 year old law student gets a $200,000 job with the top New York law firm. He takes this job only because he has been blackmailed into commercial espionage.
This crime/thriller has 373 pages and was written in 2009. John Grisham has written 20 other novels but this is the first one I have read. The quality of this book right from the start is poor and I wondered if it was worth continuing to read it. I found no empathy for Kyle, the central character of this novel. This story is very far fetched but John's writing style is very clear although there are a lot of very short paragraphs. This novel has a lot of dialogue between the characters but it lacks depth and attitude. It is easy reading but on page 177 when Baxter is talking to Brother Manny it reads...
Brother Manny issued the questions and absorbed the answers with such ease that after fifteen minutes together, Kyle felt as though he could chat for hours and tell him everything.
...Only Kyle was not there!
There is nothing special about this crime/thriller and I rate it as simply OKAY. I do not suggest that bloggers buy a copy of this book. What is good about this novel is the exploration of the American salary based work ethic. Kyle's firm had head-hunted him and his co-workers with very large salaries. The catch is that although the work is charged to the client by the hour, the lawyer gets a flat salary regardless of the number of hours worked. I think that this practice is totally unfair and that all workers should be paid by the hour as I am. The whole billing culture of corporate America is explained and it is this tale of workplace culture that saves this book from being an AVOID. The ending of this book is poor and I wonder how the owner of this book felt when he got to the end? I did not buy this book but I would like to thank the person who left this book in the reception of the Riu Green Park hotel at Port El Kantaoui in Tunisia for other holiday-makers to enjoy.
My holiday review .
Oh yes, I always plan to write up a holiday review shortly after I return from my holidays. Natural yogurt is back to normal, which will please Christmas Card Writing John of Bristol. So, here is the link to my holiday review that I keep on a stand-alone blog - to keep the content focused!
Oh yes, I always plan to write up a holiday review shortly after I return from my holidays. Natural yogurt is back to normal, which will please Christmas Card Writing John of Bristol. So, here is the link to my holiday review that I keep on a stand-alone blog - to keep the content focused!
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Night of the Miraj by Zoe Ferraris .
On her website Zoe features her first novel called "Finding Nouf", which is a little confusing because I bought and read the same novel although it's printed title was "The Night of the Miraj". This novel has 356 pages and was written in 2008. I do not know why there is a difference in titles for the same novel. 16 year old Nouf ash-Shrawi disappears from her home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Nayir is on the trail to find the truth with the help of Katya Hijazi.
This book is poor and I vote it a MISS. I will not buy another of Zoe's books because the quality is not there. The whole tone of this book is set on page 2...
Allah forgive me for imagining her ankles, he thought.
...This is not a regular crime/thriller. This story is long winded and it is not realistic. Imagine the chances of a wealthy Saudi family having a son who is engaged to a forensic scientist who can analyse samples and DNA. This book explores at great length the strict Islamic traditions of Saudi Arabia and the role of women in Saudi society. The only humour in this novel is from how daft the characters act because of the practicalities of their interpretation of Islam. "Oh no!" the men gasp as they get a glimpse of a woman's bare ankle. There are no great twists in this story which grinds slowly to an end with no great surprises. This novel does not move the reader but the life of Saudi's is very sad. Never mind our fear in the UK with the constant monitoring of the population by CCTV and speed cameras, the religious police in Saudi Arabia are really to be feared. There is a huge difference in the choice of clothing that women can wear in Saudi Arabia compared to the UK. Saudi women will not be allowed to wear those lovely low waist jeans that we like to see that show off their buttock cleavage as they shift their luggage in coach stations. Saudi women are forced to dress modestly and there is nothing in this book to offend anyone.
On her website Zoe features her first novel called "Finding Nouf", which is a little confusing because I bought and read the same novel although it's printed title was "The Night of the Miraj". This novel has 356 pages and was written in 2008. I do not know why there is a difference in titles for the same novel. 16 year old Nouf ash-Shrawi disappears from her home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Nayir is on the trail to find the truth with the help of Katya Hijazi.
This book is poor and I vote it a MISS. I will not buy another of Zoe's books because the quality is not there. The whole tone of this book is set on page 2...
Allah forgive me for imagining her ankles, he thought.
...This is not a regular crime/thriller. This story is long winded and it is not realistic. Imagine the chances of a wealthy Saudi family having a son who is engaged to a forensic scientist who can analyse samples and DNA. This book explores at great length the strict Islamic traditions of Saudi Arabia and the role of women in Saudi society. The only humour in this novel is from how daft the characters act because of the practicalities of their interpretation of Islam. "Oh no!" the men gasp as they get a glimpse of a woman's bare ankle. There are no great twists in this story which grinds slowly to an end with no great surprises. This novel does not move the reader but the life of Saudi's is very sad. Never mind our fear in the UK with the constant monitoring of the population by CCTV and speed cameras, the religious police in Saudi Arabia are really to be feared. There is a huge difference in the choice of clothing that women can wear in Saudi Arabia compared to the UK. Saudi women will not be allowed to wear those lovely low waist jeans that we like to see that show off their buttock cleavage as they shift their luggage in coach stations. Saudi women are forced to dress modestly and there is nothing in this book to offend anyone.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup .
Vicky Rai, has been shot dead by one of the guests at his own party. The Police arrest six suspects, each with a gun in their possession.
This novel has 558 pages and was written in 2008 by the author of Q&A, which became the film "Slumdog Millionaire". This book is a joy to read and it is the tale of six very different characters. This novel explores at great length current day India, with it's many cultures, problems, economic realities and political scene. This story has a good structure, it starts with the murder itself, followed by the individual stories of all six suspects. Then the evidence up to the murder is examined, followed by a trail of breaking news stories.
This story has a great ending with many twists that forces the reader to question whether the problems in India of apathy, politics, corruption, greed and consumerism are global problems shared by the Western world.
I will not spoil this book for the reader but on page 534 Vikas writes...
There is a grimace frozen on his face, mocking the scales of justice.
...It was then that I suddenly thought about the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes , who was a Brazilian national shot dead by police at Stockwell tube station in London, England. He was shot in the head seven times at close range by Metropolitan Police officers ("The Met") who misidentified him as a suicide bomber about to explode a device on the London Underground. Within hours police discovered that he was not involved in any terrorist act, but was actually an innocent victim.
Six Suspects is a good book, I like it and I think it is a far better book than The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga . Vikas writes with a rich vocabulary and there is so much detail and background with this novel that you feel as though you are living in India. This makes this book a great journey for the reader.
Vicky Rai, has been shot dead by one of the guests at his own party. The Police arrest six suspects, each with a gun in their possession.
This novel has 558 pages and was written in 2008 by the author of Q&A, which became the film "Slumdog Millionaire". This book is a joy to read and it is the tale of six very different characters. This novel explores at great length current day India, with it's many cultures, problems, economic realities and political scene. This story has a good structure, it starts with the murder itself, followed by the individual stories of all six suspects. Then the evidence up to the murder is examined, followed by a trail of breaking news stories.
This story has a great ending with many twists that forces the reader to question whether the problems in India of apathy, politics, corruption, greed and consumerism are global problems shared by the Western world.
I will not spoil this book for the reader but on page 534 Vikas writes...
There is a grimace frozen on his face, mocking the scales of justice.
...It was then that I suddenly thought about the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes , who was a Brazilian national shot dead by police at Stockwell tube station in London, England. He was shot in the head seven times at close range by Metropolitan Police officers ("The Met") who misidentified him as a suicide bomber about to explode a device on the London Underground. Within hours police discovered that he was not involved in any terrorist act, but was actually an innocent victim.
Six Suspects is a good book, I like it and I think it is a far better book than The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga . Vikas writes with a rich vocabulary and there is so much detail and background with this novel that you feel as though you are living in India. This makes this book a great journey for the reader.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga .
This 321 page novel was the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2008 and tells the story of Balram Halwai as he moves from rural to urban life in India. This book is written in the first person in a style adopted by many bloggers for their personal blogs. Aravind explores the differences between life in the Darkness, a simple agricultural life and life in the Light, in prosperous expanding and vibrant cities. This book is okay but I would not suggest that bloggers buy a copy, although it would be okay to read if it is passed onto you.
The story is quite claustrophobic and there is very little humour to enjoy. I would not consider The White Tiger to be a prize winner because although the story starts off bright it does become a little tired. Aravind's writing style is quite left-wing in attitude and he paints a gritty picture of current day India. This story shows that the poor have very little hope of getting a better life, whether they live in the Darkness or the Light. Even in the vibrant cities the poor cannot escape the poverty although their slums are adjacent to the luxury homes. The success of the rich is always made from the suffering of the poor, regardless of location within India. There are better novels about current day India but The White Tiger is okay as a taster.
This 321 page novel was the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2008 and tells the story of Balram Halwai as he moves from rural to urban life in India. This book is written in the first person in a style adopted by many bloggers for their personal blogs. Aravind explores the differences between life in the Darkness, a simple agricultural life and life in the Light, in prosperous expanding and vibrant cities. This book is okay but I would not suggest that bloggers buy a copy, although it would be okay to read if it is passed onto you.
The story is quite claustrophobic and there is very little humour to enjoy. I would not consider The White Tiger to be a prize winner because although the story starts off bright it does become a little tired. Aravind's writing style is quite left-wing in attitude and he paints a gritty picture of current day India. This story shows that the poor have very little hope of getting a better life, whether they live in the Darkness or the Light. Even in the vibrant cities the poor cannot escape the poverty although their slums are adjacent to the luxury homes. The success of the rich is always made from the suffering of the poor, regardless of location within India. There are better novels about current day India but The White Tiger is okay as a taster.
Ah!!! The lights and other junk.
Oh what a lovely 14 day holiday I had in Tunisia, a country that is clean and tidy. What did I come back to on Sunday but the Festival of Consumerism. It was a shock to come back from a Muslim country to the UK where the Christians and the Pseudo-Christians have adopted gaudy Christmas decorations and lights blazing from homes. We went around to the Jones's for dinner and they put on as many exterior and interior Christmas lights to try and wind me up. The Jones's are not worshiping Christians, just people who like to show off with Christmas lights on the front of their home.
I am an Atheist and I have no time for Christmas decorations or lights. I can party with the best of people but I do not need a calendar to tell me when to party. I think that Christmas decorations and lights are simply naff. Gail does not feel the same way as I do and this afternoon she has got her way, yet again, and our home is looking like Santa's grotto. Oh, the mess with all this junk in my lounge. There is a tree with balls and lights on, a row of lights on top of the television, 7 Santas, 5 snowmen, 1 turkey, a gang of biblical characters and some Christmas cards plastered on the doors. Gail is not a Christian but an Agnostic, she is hedging her bets and thinks that there maybe a God and a life after death, she wants to keep her options open! Mind you, she believed that Iraq had battlefield Weapons of Mass Destruction that it could launch in 45 minutes, so believing in fairies at the bottom of the garden should be no surprise! Gail does like her Christmas decorations though, thankfully she is not asking for lights outside our home! It surprises me the number of houses on our estate displaying exterior Christmas lights, some of these lights are running 24/7 - what a waste of money.
Ah well, it was lovely to spend 14 days in Tunisia away from all these gaudy Christmas decorations and lights. I am not a kill-joy, I just do not like all this junk that serves no practical purpose at all.
Oh what a lovely 14 day holiday I had in Tunisia, a country that is clean and tidy. What did I come back to on Sunday but the Festival of Consumerism. It was a shock to come back from a Muslim country to the UK where the Christians and the Pseudo-Christians have adopted gaudy Christmas decorations and lights blazing from homes. We went around to the Jones's for dinner and they put on as many exterior and interior Christmas lights to try and wind me up. The Jones's are not worshiping Christians, just people who like to show off with Christmas lights on the front of their home.
I am an Atheist and I have no time for Christmas decorations or lights. I can party with the best of people but I do not need a calendar to tell me when to party. I think that Christmas decorations and lights are simply naff. Gail does not feel the same way as I do and this afternoon she has got her way, yet again, and our home is looking like Santa's grotto. Oh, the mess with all this junk in my lounge. There is a tree with balls and lights on, a row of lights on top of the television, 7 Santas, 5 snowmen, 1 turkey, a gang of biblical characters and some Christmas cards plastered on the doors. Gail is not a Christian but an Agnostic, she is hedging her bets and thinks that there maybe a God and a life after death, she wants to keep her options open! Mind you, she believed that Iraq had battlefield Weapons of Mass Destruction that it could launch in 45 minutes, so believing in fairies at the bottom of the garden should be no surprise! Gail does like her Christmas decorations though, thankfully she is not asking for lights outside our home! It surprises me the number of houses on our estate displaying exterior Christmas lights, some of these lights are running 24/7 - what a waste of money.
Ah well, it was lovely to spend 14 days in Tunisia away from all these gaudy Christmas decorations and lights. I am not a kill-joy, I just do not like all this junk that serves no practical purpose at all.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Codex by Lev Grossman .
This 376 page novel was written in 2004 and it starts off okay, the writing is bright and on page 3 we find...
The woman looked up at Edward. She was older than he was, maybe thirty-five or forty, with pale skin and dark wavy hair - beautiful in a way that was long out of fashion, like a girl in a silent movie. He could see the pale tops of her breasts in their lacy white cups. Edward hated this kind of public display - it was like rounding a corner and stumbling directly into somebody's bedroom - and he tried to slide past her, but she made eye contact before he could make his escape.
"And what about you? Are you just going to stand there looking down my dress, or are you going to help me look for my earring?"
...This book is easy and very clear reading, employing a vast vocabulary. Trouble is that from this bright begining this book just plods along slowly only to disappoint the reader further as you progress through the story. This novel then drones on about a computer game and fails to connect with a flimsy plot about a lost codex from medieval times that may hold some secrets. You then wonder why our hero Edward Wozny, a hot shot banker, could be bothered with the menial task of cataloging a library? The search for this codex by Edward and Margaret could have developed into a romance but it does not. Sadly on page 325 I read that...
"After I stared at them for a while, I decided to make a list of all the letters that the scribe had chosen to illustrate. I was thinking of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili,..."
...NO!!! This damn novel is running parallels with that other failure of a book, The Rule of Four .
Codex fails as a mystery, a conspiracy, a thriller or a romance. The reader takes nothing away from this book. This book is poor and I vote it a MISS. There is no humour in this novel and the only detail is about library methods and medieval English literature. For an author who can write so clearly there is no compelling story plot. Lev has not got the skill of story telling and I do not believe that he can become a successful novelist.
This 376 page novel was written in 2004 and it starts off okay, the writing is bright and on page 3 we find...
The woman looked up at Edward. She was older than he was, maybe thirty-five or forty, with pale skin and dark wavy hair - beautiful in a way that was long out of fashion, like a girl in a silent movie. He could see the pale tops of her breasts in their lacy white cups. Edward hated this kind of public display - it was like rounding a corner and stumbling directly into somebody's bedroom - and he tried to slide past her, but she made eye contact before he could make his escape.
"And what about you? Are you just going to stand there looking down my dress, or are you going to help me look for my earring?"
...This book is easy and very clear reading, employing a vast vocabulary. Trouble is that from this bright begining this book just plods along slowly only to disappoint the reader further as you progress through the story. This novel then drones on about a computer game and fails to connect with a flimsy plot about a lost codex from medieval times that may hold some secrets. You then wonder why our hero Edward Wozny, a hot shot banker, could be bothered with the menial task of cataloging a library? The search for this codex by Edward and Margaret could have developed into a romance but it does not. Sadly on page 325 I read that...
"After I stared at them for a while, I decided to make a list of all the letters that the scribe had chosen to illustrate. I was thinking of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili,..."
...NO!!! This damn novel is running parallels with that other failure of a book, The Rule of Four .
Codex fails as a mystery, a conspiracy, a thriller or a romance. The reader takes nothing away from this book. This book is poor and I vote it a MISS. There is no humour in this novel and the only detail is about library methods and medieval English literature. For an author who can write so clearly there is no compelling story plot. Lev has not got the skill of story telling and I do not believe that he can become a successful novelist.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Back on the radar.
Hello readers, Stephen is back online after having been away for 14 days on holiday in Tunisia. I am now back on the radar after having a very refreshing time off the radar. It was a nice change from the day job, home and the usual routines. It was nice strolling about in shirt sleeves, not bothering with the internet, not driving coaches or a car. It felt odd not walking with our pet dog but a wonderful release not trolling from shop to shop with Gail and pub lunches with drab British food. Oh dear, there was no television droning on with Gail's soap operas in our hotel room! Just relaxing in the sun, beside a pool, reading 5 novels and everything was within a short walk. I will post a review of the holiday and the 5 books later.
It was rather funny that Gail left her mobile telephone at home, she felt quite lost and disconnected without it. The charger was in our suitcase though! I gave her my mobile telephone and she got excited, only to find that none of her friends were on it! Still, she looked through my phonebook but I had nothing to worry about because I do not play around so there were no dodgy names or numbers in there. Mind you, I am glad the immigration officials in either the UK or Tunisia did not examine my telephone because there is one number listed as the "Taliban" - I wonder if you can guess who it is?
Hello readers, Stephen is back online after having been away for 14 days on holiday in Tunisia. I am now back on the radar after having a very refreshing time off the radar. It was a nice change from the day job, home and the usual routines. It was nice strolling about in shirt sleeves, not bothering with the internet, not driving coaches or a car. It felt odd not walking with our pet dog but a wonderful release not trolling from shop to shop with Gail and pub lunches with drab British food. Oh dear, there was no television droning on with Gail's soap operas in our hotel room! Just relaxing in the sun, beside a pool, reading 5 novels and everything was within a short walk. I will post a review of the holiday and the 5 books later.
It was rather funny that Gail left her mobile telephone at home, she felt quite lost and disconnected without it. The charger was in our suitcase though! I gave her my mobile telephone and she got excited, only to find that none of her friends were on it! Still, she looked through my phonebook but I had nothing to worry about because I do not play around so there were no dodgy names or numbers in there. Mind you, I am glad the immigration officials in either the UK or Tunisia did not examine my telephone because there is one number listed as the "Taliban" - I wonder if you can guess who it is?
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The average dog owner gets more exercise walking their pet than someone with a gym membership, a pet health care expert has claimed. Researchers found animal lovers exercise their pet twice a day for 24 minutes each time – a total of five hours and 38 minutes a week. On top of that, the average dog owner also takes their pet out on three long walks each week adding another two hours and 33 minutes to the total.
But in comparison, those without a dog spend an average of just one hour and 20 minutes per week exercising by going to the gym or heading out for a stroll or jog. And almost half (47 per cent) of non-pet owners admit they do absolutely no exercise whatsoever.
...This newspaper story comes as little surprise to me. I have a crossbreed Jack Russell/Lakeland Terrier dog and taking him out for a walk is a joy. Taking him for a walk is not a chore, it is part of living, this freedom that we can all enjoy to wander about, wherever we wish. Compared to going to a gym, where the user exercises but does not go anywhere, there is really no contest. Going to a gym must be as exciting as watching paint dry! What an expensive chore gym membership must be, all that effort for no reward! Dog walking starts at your front door and you can pick your shopping up on the way back. Look at all the urban traffic congestion around caused by young ladies driving to the gym where they pose like performing seals! Get a life, get a dog and enjoy life like a normal person. You will also get a good loyal friend in a dog rather than a bored looking expression as you see yourself in the gym mirror!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown .
This 620 page thriller was written in 2000 and I found this book an entertaining and a fun read. This is not the tale of the under-dog for on page 21 we read...
Although not overly handsome in a classical sense, the forty-five-year-old Langdon had what his female colleagues referred to as an 'erudite' appeal - wisps of gray in his thick brown hair, probing blue eyes, an arrestingly deep voice, and the strong, carefree smile of a collegiate athlete. A varsity diver in prep school and college, Langdon still had the body of a swimmer, a toned, six-foot physique that he vigilantly maintained with fifty laps a day in the university pool.
...So, our hero moves on and on page 121 we read...
'Mr Langdon, I want to know who killed my father. And I want to know if your agency can find the anti-matter.'
Langdon looked flustered. 'My agency?'
'You're with U.S. Intelligence, I assume.'
'Actually...no.'
Kholer intervened. 'Mr Langdon is a professor of art history at Harvard University.'
Vittoria felt like she had been doused with ice water. 'An art teacher?'
...But, I laugh to myself, can you really solve a crisis like this with the help of an art teacher? This reminds me of the song ...
If there's something strange
in your neighborhood
Who ya gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS
If there's something weird
and it don't look good
Who ya gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS
This story is really far-fetched! It involves a long forgotten group called the Illuminati and their evil plans for the Catholic Church. What secrets may the Catholic Church be hiding within it's heavily guarded walls?
I do not suggest that bloggers buy this book, it is okay, it passed my quality threshold but this really is a silly story that you can enjoy in just the same way as a tv comedy programme. Once again, a big thank you goes to a workmate called Matthew for passing on his copy of this book to me to enjoy whilst his is on holiday in Thailand.
Angels & Demons is a daft, silly story that would never happen in real life. There are many twists in this tale and the pace is fast. Everything is explained to the reader, you just roll along with this fantasy. This novel deals at great length with the sculpture of Gian Lorenzo Bernini , as our hero Robert Langdon, the art teacher, saves the day! Dan Brown also explores a lot of theology from the point of view of a Catholic Priest. I think that readers of all beliefs will be able to follow all these theological arguments with great ease because of the way that Dan Brown explains them to the reader. You do not need an upbringing from my parents to understand the thoughts of Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca! Angels & Demons has a good ending and I think it is a better book than The Lost Symbol but I still rate it as okay, with 3 stars on Book Army .
This 620 page thriller was written in 2000 and I found this book an entertaining and a fun read. This is not the tale of the under-dog for on page 21 we read...
Although not overly handsome in a classical sense, the forty-five-year-old Langdon had what his female colleagues referred to as an 'erudite' appeal - wisps of gray in his thick brown hair, probing blue eyes, an arrestingly deep voice, and the strong, carefree smile of a collegiate athlete. A varsity diver in prep school and college, Langdon still had the body of a swimmer, a toned, six-foot physique that he vigilantly maintained with fifty laps a day in the university pool.
...So, our hero moves on and on page 121 we read...
'Mr Langdon, I want to know who killed my father. And I want to know if your agency can find the anti-matter.'
Langdon looked flustered. 'My agency?'
'You're with U.S. Intelligence, I assume.'
'Actually...no.'
Kholer intervened. 'Mr Langdon is a professor of art history at Harvard University.'
Vittoria felt like she had been doused with ice water. 'An art teacher?'
...But, I laugh to myself, can you really solve a crisis like this with the help of an art teacher? This reminds me of the song ...
If there's something strange
in your neighborhood
Who ya gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS
If there's something weird
and it don't look good
Who ya gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS
This story is really far-fetched! It involves a long forgotten group called the Illuminati and their evil plans for the Catholic Church. What secrets may the Catholic Church be hiding within it's heavily guarded walls?
I do not suggest that bloggers buy this book, it is okay, it passed my quality threshold but this really is a silly story that you can enjoy in just the same way as a tv comedy programme. Once again, a big thank you goes to a workmate called Matthew for passing on his copy of this book to me to enjoy whilst his is on holiday in Thailand.
Angels & Demons is a daft, silly story that would never happen in real life. There are many twists in this tale and the pace is fast. Everything is explained to the reader, you just roll along with this fantasy. This novel deals at great length with the sculpture of Gian Lorenzo Bernini , as our hero Robert Langdon, the art teacher, saves the day! Dan Brown also explores a lot of theology from the point of view of a Catholic Priest. I think that readers of all beliefs will be able to follow all these theological arguments with great ease because of the way that Dan Brown explains them to the reader. You do not need an upbringing from my parents to understand the thoughts of Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca! Angels & Demons has a good ending and I think it is a better book than The Lost Symbol but I still rate it as okay, with 3 stars on Book Army .
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Harvesting the fat .
Police in Peru say they have arrested three members of a gang who murdered a string of peasant farmers, drained the fat from their dead bodies, and then attempted to sell it to European cosmetics manufacturers. The men have confessed to a total of five killings, but are suspected of dozens more. Police believe they approached their victims on remote roads and lured them to a hut in the jungle with talk of being able to introduce them to a potential employer. Instead, the victims were bludgeoned to death. Each of their bodies then had its head, arms and legs cut off. Major organs were removed, and discarded, before the torso was suspended from hooks in the ceiling of the hut. Candles were placed beneath, so that melting fat would dribble into pots, pans and other collecting vessels.
WOW! What a shocking story! Had today been the 1st of April I would have laughed this story off as a hoax. This is a dreadful crime and the victims would have been easy to entice with the offer of work. To think that criminals could butcher these peasant farmers in this way is shocking and this gang is clearly evil with not a moral among them. Police believe that the gang, and others like it, could have been carrying out versions of the scheme for almost three decades.
Peru will not become a holiday destination for Gail and I because my wife would clearly be a target for these evil fat harvesting gangs.
Police in Peru say they have arrested three members of a gang who murdered a string of peasant farmers, drained the fat from their dead bodies, and then attempted to sell it to European cosmetics manufacturers. The men have confessed to a total of five killings, but are suspected of dozens more. Police believe they approached their victims on remote roads and lured them to a hut in the jungle with talk of being able to introduce them to a potential employer. Instead, the victims were bludgeoned to death. Each of their bodies then had its head, arms and legs cut off. Major organs were removed, and discarded, before the torso was suspended from hooks in the ceiling of the hut. Candles were placed beneath, so that melting fat would dribble into pots, pans and other collecting vessels.
WOW! What a shocking story! Had today been the 1st of April I would have laughed this story off as a hoax. This is a dreadful crime and the victims would have been easy to entice with the offer of work. To think that criminals could butcher these peasant farmers in this way is shocking and this gang is clearly evil with not a moral among them. Police believe that the gang, and others like it, could have been carrying out versions of the scheme for almost three decades.
Peru will not become a holiday destination for Gail and I because my wife would clearly be a target for these evil fat harvesting gangs.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pig in the sky or surfing on a cloud?
With traditional computing you switch on your machine and it boots up. This is quite a complex routine and it can take quite a time before your machine is ready for your input. With your television set, you switch it on and very quickly you have sound and vision. With your mobile telephone, you switch it on and very quickly you are connected to your mobile telephone service. Can you see where my argument is going? Why can we not have computers that quickly connect to the internet in the same fashion and time scale as mobile telephones? This is because of how computer operating systems run, there is no other reason.
I as an internet user live in the cloud. The information that I read and write is out there on the internet and not stored on my home computer. This way of working is known as cloud computing. I do not need a bloated operating system to run my home computer but only a thin client. I am not alone in my computing use and Google is developing it's own operating system which is based on it's Chrome browser.
"We want Chrome OS to be blazingly fast," said Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management at Google. "We want it to be like a TV - turn it on and you're in your web application." Google demonstrated the OS booting on an Eee PC in around seven seconds. "We're working very, very, very hard to make this time shorter," Pichai said. All user data will be stored in the cloud, with the operating system only using local flash memory for caching data such as settings. "If I lose my Chrome OS machine, I should be able to buy a new one, log in, and within a few seconds get all my applications back," Pichai claimed. Google said it's currently concentrating on the clamshell netbook form-factor, but wouldn't rule out moving to full-scale laptops and desktop PCs over time. Google wouldn't give any indication of what price it expects Chrome OS netbooks to sell for, although it seems likely they will be at the low-budget end of the netbook market.
So, will we see pigs fly in the sky or will using a netbook become as user friendly and efficient as a mobile telephone? I place my bet on the mighty Google and I think they will have a winner over Microsoft with their thin client that should be a really usable device rather than an over-specified home computer.
With traditional computing you switch on your machine and it boots up. This is quite a complex routine and it can take quite a time before your machine is ready for your input. With your television set, you switch it on and very quickly you have sound and vision. With your mobile telephone, you switch it on and very quickly you are connected to your mobile telephone service. Can you see where my argument is going? Why can we not have computers that quickly connect to the internet in the same fashion and time scale as mobile telephones? This is because of how computer operating systems run, there is no other reason.
I as an internet user live in the cloud. The information that I read and write is out there on the internet and not stored on my home computer. This way of working is known as cloud computing. I do not need a bloated operating system to run my home computer but only a thin client. I am not alone in my computing use and Google is developing it's own operating system which is based on it's Chrome browser.
"We want Chrome OS to be blazingly fast," said Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management at Google. "We want it to be like a TV - turn it on and you're in your web application." Google demonstrated the OS booting on an Eee PC in around seven seconds. "We're working very, very, very hard to make this time shorter," Pichai said. All user data will be stored in the cloud, with the operating system only using local flash memory for caching data such as settings. "If I lose my Chrome OS machine, I should be able to buy a new one, log in, and within a few seconds get all my applications back," Pichai claimed. Google said it's currently concentrating on the clamshell netbook form-factor, but wouldn't rule out moving to full-scale laptops and desktop PCs over time. Google wouldn't give any indication of what price it expects Chrome OS netbooks to sell for, although it seems likely they will be at the low-budget end of the netbook market.
So, will we see pigs fly in the sky or will using a netbook become as user friendly and efficient as a mobile telephone? I place my bet on the mighty Google and I think they will have a winner over Microsoft with their thin client that should be a really usable device rather than an over-specified home computer.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Is everybody going wi-fi?
I wonder, is everybody going wi-fi and adopting portable computing? I am relatively old school with my internet access. I have a broadband modem at home that runs a cable into the back of a traditional desktop computer, with a CRT monitor, 101 button keyboard and a mouse on the end of a cable. This equipment sits nicely on a tidy desk and I sit on a comfy chair whilst reading and writing on this wonderful machine.
But whilst doing my day job I notice that a lot of people have these portable computers, netbooks and laptops with various screen sizes. There appears to be a lot of people accessing the internet either with mobile broadband dongles or free wi-fi from a number of locations. Today I read that
Swindon is to become the first UK wi-fi town with free internet access available to all its 186,000 residents. A £1 million network of 1,400 “access points” similar to the wireless routers installed in millions of homes will be sited at strategic locations around the Wiltshire town. The network is being named the Swindon mesh.
I notice a lot of signs around our country offering free wi-fi and this service is appearing to be catching on. I do wonder if the mobile phone companies who sell mobile broadband are feeling the cold here as there appears to be a growing number of free wi-fi internet hotspots. Maybe one day all the coaches of a nationwide company may have free wi-fi installed. It has already fitted wi-fi to it's coaches running from London to Portsmouth and Southampton because a rival service, named after a slim breed of racing dog, is offering wi-fi to their passengers.
I have often wondered about buying a netbook or laptop for use outside the home. Had I not discovered the joy of reading paperback novels, I may have bought one because I had become so disappointed with newspapers. The joy of books is that once who have chosen a book, whenever you open that book, it is a 100% quality reading experience. Internet use is a very different experience indeed, a mix of searching, reading and writing. My typical internet session has many different destinations and does not have the single focus that a paperback novel provides. If things turn bad with a paperback book then it could be up to £8 down the drain, even a dog could chew it. If things turn bad with a netbook or laptop then you could say goodbye to £200 to £350 - enough to make a grown man cry!
Still, I will play safe for now, with my throw-away £8 paperback books but one day I may trade up to this very popular technology.
I wonder, is everybody going wi-fi and adopting portable computing? I am relatively old school with my internet access. I have a broadband modem at home that runs a cable into the back of a traditional desktop computer, with a CRT monitor, 101 button keyboard and a mouse on the end of a cable. This equipment sits nicely on a tidy desk and I sit on a comfy chair whilst reading and writing on this wonderful machine.
But whilst doing my day job I notice that a lot of people have these portable computers, netbooks and laptops with various screen sizes. There appears to be a lot of people accessing the internet either with mobile broadband dongles or free wi-fi from a number of locations. Today I read that
Swindon is to become the first UK wi-fi town with free internet access available to all its 186,000 residents. A £1 million network of 1,400 “access points” similar to the wireless routers installed in millions of homes will be sited at strategic locations around the Wiltshire town. The network is being named the Swindon mesh.
I notice a lot of signs around our country offering free wi-fi and this service is appearing to be catching on. I do wonder if the mobile phone companies who sell mobile broadband are feeling the cold here as there appears to be a growing number of free wi-fi internet hotspots. Maybe one day all the coaches of a nationwide company may have free wi-fi installed. It has already fitted wi-fi to it's coaches running from London to Portsmouth and Southampton because a rival service, named after a slim breed of racing dog, is offering wi-fi to their passengers.
I have often wondered about buying a netbook or laptop for use outside the home. Had I not discovered the joy of reading paperback novels, I may have bought one because I had become so disappointed with newspapers. The joy of books is that once who have chosen a book, whenever you open that book, it is a 100% quality reading experience. Internet use is a very different experience indeed, a mix of searching, reading and writing. My typical internet session has many different destinations and does not have the single focus that a paperback novel provides. If things turn bad with a paperback book then it could be up to £8 down the drain, even a dog could chew it. If things turn bad with a netbook or laptop then you could say goodbye to £200 to £350 - enough to make a grown man cry!
Still, I will play safe for now, with my throw-away £8 paperback books but one day I may trade up to this very popular technology.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Falling in the shit .
Now, straight faces at the back, I know this is going to be a challenge. One of my favourite blogs is called Health and Safety News . Oh dear, you may think, Stephen has his anorak on again but bear with me. Friends and workmates know how keen I am on Health and Safety and I promote best practice inside and outside of the workplace.
Now, women love shopping and looking at all those goods that are up for sale. Sometimes things get in their way when they are in shops like those warning signs for slippery floors. But what would happen if there were no signs or guards of this nature? Click this link to read the story, it is rather sad, an avoidable incident but I think it is impossible not to laugh at her misfortune!
I think that Uddin Selvaratnam is a greedy little man for not letting this woman use his telephone considering the circumstances and to charge her £1.50 for plastic bags is really rubbing it in!
Now, straight faces at the back, I know this is going to be a challenge. One of my favourite blogs is called Health and Safety News . Oh dear, you may think, Stephen has his anorak on again but bear with me. Friends and workmates know how keen I am on Health and Safety and I promote best practice inside and outside of the workplace.
Now, women love shopping and looking at all those goods that are up for sale. Sometimes things get in their way when they are in shops like those warning signs for slippery floors. But what would happen if there were no signs or guards of this nature? Click this link to read the story, it is rather sad, an avoidable incident but I think it is impossible not to laugh at her misfortune!
I think that Uddin Selvaratnam is a greedy little man for not letting this woman use his telephone considering the circumstances and to charge her £1.50 for plastic bags is really rubbing it in!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Danish Dynamite .
WOW! I had some Danish Dynamite today, it was a lovely surprise and it really made me chuckle, with joy. What, you may wonder, was Stephen so pleased about, not more Danish newspaper cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad? Oh, but this was golden, it really was!
Relax folks, no need to buy Danish flags to burn in protest at the freedom of expression enjoyed in Europe! Danish Dynamite is a light golden, dry, strong ale, slightly fruity with a well balanced hop flavour and bitterness - simply a Top Class Beer which has won several major beer festivals, brewed at OG 1048 and ABV 5.0%
Danish Dynamite is brewed by Stonehenge Ales , Bunces Brewery, The Old Mill, Mill Road, Netheravon, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 9QB, United Kingdom and I found it an absolute joy to drink with my pub lunch today. No wonder Danish Dynamite has won so many awards ! This real ale is simply delicious! There is something really lovely about having a day off work, enjoying a romantic pub lunch for two, washed down with an excellent real ale like Danish Dynamite. I do not know why the Stonehenge Ales called this brew Danish Dynamite but this Prophet approves! If you know why this golden ale was called Danish Dynamite, please leave a comment in the box below. Maybe it is because Stig Anker Andersen: Master Brewer, MD and Owner is Danish and/or of Danish ethnic origin. However, do not get confused with Carlsberg, there are other beers produced by Danes !
WOW! I had some Danish Dynamite today, it was a lovely surprise and it really made me chuckle, with joy. What, you may wonder, was Stephen so pleased about, not more Danish newspaper cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad? Oh, but this was golden, it really was!
Relax folks, no need to buy Danish flags to burn in protest at the freedom of expression enjoyed in Europe! Danish Dynamite is a light golden, dry, strong ale, slightly fruity with a well balanced hop flavour and bitterness - simply a Top Class Beer which has won several major beer festivals, brewed at OG 1048 and ABV 5.0%
Danish Dynamite is brewed by Stonehenge Ales , Bunces Brewery, The Old Mill, Mill Road, Netheravon, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 9QB, United Kingdom and I found it an absolute joy to drink with my pub lunch today. No wonder Danish Dynamite has won so many awards ! This real ale is simply delicious! There is something really lovely about having a day off work, enjoying a romantic pub lunch for two, washed down with an excellent real ale like Danish Dynamite. I do not know why the Stonehenge Ales called this brew Danish Dynamite but this Prophet approves! If you know why this golden ale was called Danish Dynamite, please leave a comment in the box below. Maybe it is because Stig Anker Andersen: Master Brewer, MD and Owner is Danish and/or of Danish ethnic origin. However, do not get confused with Carlsberg, there are other beers produced by Danes !
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason .
This 521 page book took six years to write and it was finished in 2004. I feel those six years were a waste. The Rule of Four reached the top of the New York Times Bestseller list, where it remained for more than six months. The book was a no. 1 national and international bestseller and has been translated into more than 25 languages. It has sold more than four million copies worldwide, and to date is the best selling debut novel of the decade. This really surprises me as I did not enjoy this book. I have had a good run of reading books lately, the last 6 books passed my quality threshold but The Rule of Four failed, big time. I vote this book an AVOID.
The Rule of Four is about a 500 year old book called the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. It was thought that the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili was a coded book that held secrets. It was coded in 7 languages and it is not until page 292 of The Rule of Four that it is confirmed to the reader that it does in fact hold a secret. This tale belonging to the Renaissance period is drab, it is not exciting and this whole book is a big disappointment. I took nothing away from this book and I feel it is wrong that some people relate this book to The Da Vinci Code. The Da Vinci Code was a good entertaining book, The Rule of Four in comparison is boring. This book is poor and rambles along about the joys of college life at great length. This is more about the fun life of four college guys enjoying their education rather than solving some 500 year old riddles. It does explore the love that scholars can hold for certain books but having a book written in 7 languages that you have to decipher to get the hidden meaning is beyond me! Dan Brown does not have to look over his shoulder from this pair!
Next book please.
This 521 page book took six years to write and it was finished in 2004. I feel those six years were a waste. The Rule of Four reached the top of the New York Times Bestseller list, where it remained for more than six months. The book was a no. 1 national and international bestseller and has been translated into more than 25 languages. It has sold more than four million copies worldwide, and to date is the best selling debut novel of the decade. This really surprises me as I did not enjoy this book. I have had a good run of reading books lately, the last 6 books passed my quality threshold but The Rule of Four failed, big time. I vote this book an AVOID.
The Rule of Four is about a 500 year old book called the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. It was thought that the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili was a coded book that held secrets. It was coded in 7 languages and it is not until page 292 of The Rule of Four that it is confirmed to the reader that it does in fact hold a secret. This tale belonging to the Renaissance period is drab, it is not exciting and this whole book is a big disappointment. I took nothing away from this book and I feel it is wrong that some people relate this book to The Da Vinci Code. The Da Vinci Code was a good entertaining book, The Rule of Four in comparison is boring. This book is poor and rambles along about the joys of college life at great length. This is more about the fun life of four college guys enjoying their education rather than solving some 500 year old riddles. It does explore the love that scholars can hold for certain books but having a book written in 7 languages that you have to decipher to get the hidden meaning is beyond me! Dan Brown does not have to look over his shoulder from this pair!
Next book please.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
We get all sorts of passengers using our coaches.
Oh yes, we have a rather diverse range of passengers using our coaches. We get all different sorts of passengers, different sizes, different shapes and different skin colours. But I have yet to see a group of these as intending passengers!
Click this photograph to make it bigger and let me know in the comment box below whether you think these mammals are Merekats trying to catch a bus to a studio to make an annoying advertisement about an insurance premium comparison website .
Oh yes, we have a rather diverse range of passengers using our coaches. We get all different sorts of passengers, different sizes, different shapes and different skin colours. But I have yet to see a group of these as intending passengers!
Click this photograph to make it bigger and let me know in the comment box below whether you think these mammals are Merekats trying to catch a bus to a studio to make an annoying advertisement about an insurance premium comparison website .
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Parking within the lines.
What is it with some motorists? I noticed many cars this morning in a car park that were not parked within the lines marked out into designated bays. Why are some motorists so lazy in their parking? There is no need for this laziness as it robs the natural capacity of any car park. If every motorist was lazy and parked their car across the lines then the car park would become full with only half the number of car park spaces filled. This laziness must stop and I have no sympathy for any motorist who receives a parking ticket for not parking within the lines.
I have another question to ask. Is the motorist who parks their car across the lines, taking up two bays, lazy or simply incompetent at driving? Surely all motorists on the road have passed a test and must be able to park their car within the lines. Now, if they cannot park their car within the lines of a car park, just how bad is their driving out on the open road? It makes me wonder, because if they cannot get a poxy little car into a parking space at walking speed, then what is their driving ability like at up to 70mph on our motorways? I rest my case!
What is it with some motorists? I noticed many cars this morning in a car park that were not parked within the lines marked out into designated bays. Why are some motorists so lazy in their parking? There is no need for this laziness as it robs the natural capacity of any car park. If every motorist was lazy and parked their car across the lines then the car park would become full with only half the number of car park spaces filled. This laziness must stop and I have no sympathy for any motorist who receives a parking ticket for not parking within the lines.
I have another question to ask. Is the motorist who parks their car across the lines, taking up two bays, lazy or simply incompetent at driving? Surely all motorists on the road have passed a test and must be able to park their car within the lines. Now, if they cannot park their car within the lines of a car park, just how bad is their driving out on the open road? It makes me wonder, because if they cannot get a poxy little car into a parking space at walking speed, then what is their driving ability like at up to 70mph on our motorways? I rest my case!
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Put the kettle on, you know it makes sense.
Drinking up to eight cups of tea a day offers "significant health benefits", including a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, according to research. Caffeinated drinks including tea, coffee and cocoa have a positive effect on mental function, increasing alertness, wellbeing and short-term memory, according to the study.
Dr Carrie Ruxton, a dietician who conducted a review of 47 published studies, found that an intake of 400mg of caffeine a day – or eight cups of tea – delivered "key benefits in terms of mental function and heart health" without any adverse consequences. She found that regular tea drinking could help lead to "reduced mortality, a lower risk of heart attack and lower cholesterol."
...I remember watching Tony Benn on television doing a lecture tour. He is a great man, who I have admired for many years now, he was the MP for Bristol South East from 1963 to 1983. When the time came for the interval, he calmly sat on the edge of the stage and drank hot tea from a thermos flask. Not quite rock and roll, but a great politician and thinker! He remarked that he always enjoyed drinking tea and drank many cups every day. Still, he is now 84 years old and is living proof of how good a high intake of tea is for the human body.
Drinking up to eight cups of tea a day offers "significant health benefits", including a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, according to research. Caffeinated drinks including tea, coffee and cocoa have a positive effect on mental function, increasing alertness, wellbeing and short-term memory, according to the study.
Dr Carrie Ruxton, a dietician who conducted a review of 47 published studies, found that an intake of 400mg of caffeine a day – or eight cups of tea – delivered "key benefits in terms of mental function and heart health" without any adverse consequences. She found that regular tea drinking could help lead to "reduced mortality, a lower risk of heart attack and lower cholesterol."
...I remember watching Tony Benn on television doing a lecture tour. He is a great man, who I have admired for many years now, he was the MP for Bristol South East from 1963 to 1983. When the time came for the interval, he calmly sat on the edge of the stage and drank hot tea from a thermos flask. Not quite rock and roll, but a great politician and thinker! He remarked that he always enjoyed drinking tea and drank many cups every day. Still, he is now 84 years old and is living proof of how good a high intake of tea is for the human body.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
What do they look like to you?
You are in a pub when a man and a woman enter. You look at these people and think to yourself, what do they look like? Look at the photograph below and then describe the people you see.
Well, these people certainly look like a Black Couple to me! However, Johnson Abraham, 24, and Roxanne Duhur, 21, ordered at the bar, without a table number, before going upstairs to find a seat. When they went to pay for the meal the comment 'upstairs blk couple' was printed on the bill.
Mr Abraham said: “I was outraged. They wouldn't have written 'white couple'. I do class it as racism. It spoiled what should have been a celebration.”
Slug And Lettuce area manager Nick O'Donnell said: “We often put a note on orders to help reduce the chances of it being sent to the wrong table. I agree the language was inappropriate. I apologise for the upset caused.”
...Now come on Johnson, this is not racism, you chose to order without a table number, how else could someone briefly describe you as a customer? Ah, I know, bloke with a chip on his shoulder. I thought this story was funny and I laughed my socks off. My wife Gail however had mixed feelings about this story and said she would be very annoyed if our till receipt showed "Fat Cow sat in the corner"! Lighten up everyone, simply chose a table number before you order if you are sensitive to how you look to other people.
You are in a pub when a man and a woman enter. You look at these people and think to yourself, what do they look like? Look at the photograph below and then describe the people you see.
Well, these people certainly look like a Black Couple to me! However, Johnson Abraham, 24, and Roxanne Duhur, 21, ordered at the bar, without a table number, before going upstairs to find a seat. When they went to pay for the meal the comment 'upstairs blk couple' was printed on the bill.
Mr Abraham said: “I was outraged. They wouldn't have written 'white couple'. I do class it as racism. It spoiled what should have been a celebration.”
Slug And Lettuce area manager Nick O'Donnell said: “We often put a note on orders to help reduce the chances of it being sent to the wrong table. I agree the language was inappropriate. I apologise for the upset caused.”
...Now come on Johnson, this is not racism, you chose to order without a table number, how else could someone briefly describe you as a customer? Ah, I know, bloke with a chip on his shoulder. I thought this story was funny and I laughed my socks off. My wife Gail however had mixed feelings about this story and said she would be very annoyed if our till receipt showed "Fat Cow sat in the corner"! Lighten up everyone, simply chose a table number before you order if you are sensitive to how you look to other people.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
After 9 years, Wales to follow Ireland.
In 2002 Ireland launched a 15 cent carrier bag tax - cutting their use by 90 per cent and reducing litter. Nine years later in 2011, shoppers in Wales are to be charged up to 15p per carrier bag. Other parts of Britain are expected to follow by introducing the tax aimed at reducing the number of plastic bags which take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.
This is stupid, our government should not be treating it's voters like children. Anyone wanting to charge me 15p for a plastic carrier bag will be told where to stuff it! Efficient use of resources should be encouraged and not charged. The idle rich are never going to be bothered by a 15p charge for a carrier bag, they will just pay for the convenience and throw it away later. Governments should get the public behind them, rather than annoy them with petty childish taxes.
In 2002 Ireland launched a 15 cent carrier bag tax - cutting their use by 90 per cent and reducing litter. Nine years later in 2011, shoppers in Wales are to be charged up to 15p per carrier bag. Other parts of Britain are expected to follow by introducing the tax aimed at reducing the number of plastic bags which take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.
This is stupid, our government should not be treating it's voters like children. Anyone wanting to charge me 15p for a plastic carrier bag will be told where to stuff it! Efficient use of resources should be encouraged and not charged. The idle rich are never going to be bothered by a 15p charge for a carrier bag, they will just pay for the convenience and throw it away later. Governments should get the public behind them, rather than annoy them with petty childish taxes.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
The Rule of Two.
The book I am reading at the moment is called The Rule of Four, written by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. It is a conspiracy novel that lets the reader wonder about a book that was written 500 years ago. I wonder if there is a Rule of Two?
On Sunday I was two hours late coming back in my coach from Edinburgh. The delays caused by roadworks on the M6 motorway were tremendous. There were numerous delays from junction 36 down to junction 12. When I stopped in the queue before junction 35 I thought it would be better to leave the motorway and drive down the A6 through Carnforth and Lancaster. This saved some time but I was still two hours late finishing my shift.
In August I signed up for the company pension scheme which was due to start on the 1st of September. Well, September came and went with no deductions from my wages or any paperwork through the post. I sent an email to our payroll department but I did not receive a reply. I asked my line manager who did not know what was going on. He asked the depot manager who claimed he would look into the matter. Then October came and went with no deductions from my wages or any answers from management or the payroll department. So now it is November and I received a letter yesterday from the Pensions Broker to tell me that the company pension scheme is going live from the 1st of November. WOW! two months late in starting!
Two hours late finishing my shift on the coach, two months late starting the company pension scheme, I offer you the Rule of Two.
The book I am reading at the moment is called The Rule of Four, written by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. It is a conspiracy novel that lets the reader wonder about a book that was written 500 years ago. I wonder if there is a Rule of Two?
On Sunday I was two hours late coming back in my coach from Edinburgh. The delays caused by roadworks on the M6 motorway were tremendous. There were numerous delays from junction 36 down to junction 12. When I stopped in the queue before junction 35 I thought it would be better to leave the motorway and drive down the A6 through Carnforth and Lancaster. This saved some time but I was still two hours late finishing my shift.
In August I signed up for the company pension scheme which was due to start on the 1st of September. Well, September came and went with no deductions from my wages or any paperwork through the post. I sent an email to our payroll department but I did not receive a reply. I asked my line manager who did not know what was going on. He asked the depot manager who claimed he would look into the matter. Then October came and went with no deductions from my wages or any answers from management or the payroll department. So now it is November and I received a letter yesterday from the Pensions Broker to tell me that the company pension scheme is going live from the 1st of November. WOW! two months late in starting!
Two hours late finishing my shift on the coach, two months late starting the company pension scheme, I offer you the Rule of Two.
Monday, November 02, 2009
X marks the spot!
Bumbling London Mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled a pedestrian crossing by striking a cymbal. In homage to its Far Eastern inspiration, Mr Johnson struck a two-metre high cymbal as Japanese musicians played taiko drums. Mr Johnson said the crossing, controlled by traffic lights, was "a triumph for British engineering, Japanese innovation and good old fashioned common sense".
So, where is this alleged triumph of British engineering? This pedestrian crossing is across Oxford Circus in the heart of London. It is very different from other pedestrian crossings because people can not just walk from one side to the other but they can walk diagonally in an "X". Based on crossings in Tokyo, the new design stops traffic in all directions, then people can cross by whichever route is best for them. The £5m junction is able to handle double the number of pedestrians and ease overcrowding at the busy intersection.
Now, for something so obvious, why did someone in power not think of this before? Just look at the extra flow you can get through the junction, with no extra delay imposed against anyone. There are lots of junctions throughout our country where people are left waiting because of bad traffic management. People are held back for no good reason because of bad design. It does not matter whether people are on foot or in vehicles. It is bad design to hold people back when the junction is clear but this is often the case in most of our cities. You notice this wasted capacity most in late evenings and early morning. I agree with Boris that this is the way forward and good old fashioned common sense.
Bumbling London Mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled a pedestrian crossing by striking a cymbal. In homage to its Far Eastern inspiration, Mr Johnson struck a two-metre high cymbal as Japanese musicians played taiko drums. Mr Johnson said the crossing, controlled by traffic lights, was "a triumph for British engineering, Japanese innovation and good old fashioned common sense".
So, where is this alleged triumph of British engineering? This pedestrian crossing is across Oxford Circus in the heart of London. It is very different from other pedestrian crossings because people can not just walk from one side to the other but they can walk diagonally in an "X". Based on crossings in Tokyo, the new design stops traffic in all directions, then people can cross by whichever route is best for them. The £5m junction is able to handle double the number of pedestrians and ease overcrowding at the busy intersection.
Now, for something so obvious, why did someone in power not think of this before? Just look at the extra flow you can get through the junction, with no extra delay imposed against anyone. There are lots of junctions throughout our country where people are left waiting because of bad traffic management. People are held back for no good reason because of bad design. It does not matter whether people are on foot or in vehicles. It is bad design to hold people back when the junction is clear but this is often the case in most of our cities. You notice this wasted capacity most in late evenings and early morning. I agree with Boris that this is the way forward and good old fashioned common sense.
Friday, October 30, 2009
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown .
I have mixed feelings about this 509 page book, that has been published in hardback. It will prove a very popular book because there was a first printing of 6.5 million (5 million in North America, 1.5 million in the UK), the largest in Doubleday history. On its first day the book sold one million in hardcover and e-book versions in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada, making it the fastest selling adult novel in history. Since its release, it has remained at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction for 6 straight weeks.
I think The Lost Symbol is good because it is easy reading, the story is very accessible. The story revolves around Freemasonry and is a tale of conspiracy involving a pyramid that could lead to the secrets of the Ancient Mysteries. The Lost Symbol is an entertaining novel that is an enjoyable read. There are many twists in the story and the reader develops doubts about all the characters. This novel explores a lot of the history of art and culture through the centuries. There has been an awful lot of research gone into this book, which is a good mix of fact and fiction. This book is good for people who are not regular book readers as Dan Brown steadily builds up his story in easy blocks, he will introduce his characters slowly, one at a time, the reader is not thrown straight in at the deep end of the plot.
I do however think The Lost Symbol is bad because for me it is the All Day Breakfast of the Pub Menu. An All Day Breakfast is okay, it is basic food but there are better meals on the menu. This book is okay, it has passed my quality threshold but I know there are far better authors in the bookstore. This story is okay but it is not as good as The Da Vinci Code , which I read on holiday in June 2007. The Da Vinci Code was the book that set me off abandoning daily newspapers and becoming a regular book reader. The characters in The Lost Symbol are all smug and display an arrogance that is typical of Americans. I did not like the personality of any of the characters and the time frame of the book is a challenge to the average reader. The basic storyline takes place in only 12 hours but the reader will take many days to consume this book, 17 days in my case. Therefore I did not get that "living with the book" feeling I enjoy with other books. I thought the ending of this book was stupid and it made this book appear as a childish fantasy to me. At the end I felt cheated and thought that this story was not credible. The storyline does not add up and I cannot believe that people would act like this in real life. What was an easy and entertaining read ended with me thinking the whole story was daft. My lasting impression of The Lost Symbol is one of watching an easily forgettable made-for-television drama. I expect a film will be made of The Lost Symbol and it will be a box office success.
I agree with the whole review of The Lost Symbol written by William Sutcliffe for the Financial Times . William ends his review with the line "This is a novel that asks nothing of the reader, and gives the reader nothing back."
I was lucky, I did not pay for this book, it was passed onto me by a workmate called Matthew. That is how I will pitch The Lost Symbol, it is an okay book to read if it is passed onto you from a friend. I do not suggest bloggers purchase a copy because there are far better books to read by far better authors in the bookstore. If you are not a seasoned book reader then you should try The Lost Symbol because it will show you the way to enjoy reading novels, an easy start. If you are passed a copy of The Lost Symbol then I suggest you read it so that you at least know what the masses are talking about!
I have mixed feelings about this 509 page book, that has been published in hardback. It will prove a very popular book because there was a first printing of 6.5 million (5 million in North America, 1.5 million in the UK), the largest in Doubleday history. On its first day the book sold one million in hardcover and e-book versions in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada, making it the fastest selling adult novel in history. Since its release, it has remained at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction for 6 straight weeks.
I think The Lost Symbol is good because it is easy reading, the story is very accessible. The story revolves around Freemasonry and is a tale of conspiracy involving a pyramid that could lead to the secrets of the Ancient Mysteries. The Lost Symbol is an entertaining novel that is an enjoyable read. There are many twists in the story and the reader develops doubts about all the characters. This novel explores a lot of the history of art and culture through the centuries. There has been an awful lot of research gone into this book, which is a good mix of fact and fiction. This book is good for people who are not regular book readers as Dan Brown steadily builds up his story in easy blocks, he will introduce his characters slowly, one at a time, the reader is not thrown straight in at the deep end of the plot.
I do however think The Lost Symbol is bad because for me it is the All Day Breakfast of the Pub Menu. An All Day Breakfast is okay, it is basic food but there are better meals on the menu. This book is okay, it has passed my quality threshold but I know there are far better authors in the bookstore. This story is okay but it is not as good as The Da Vinci Code , which I read on holiday in June 2007. The Da Vinci Code was the book that set me off abandoning daily newspapers and becoming a regular book reader. The characters in The Lost Symbol are all smug and display an arrogance that is typical of Americans. I did not like the personality of any of the characters and the time frame of the book is a challenge to the average reader. The basic storyline takes place in only 12 hours but the reader will take many days to consume this book, 17 days in my case. Therefore I did not get that "living with the book" feeling I enjoy with other books. I thought the ending of this book was stupid and it made this book appear as a childish fantasy to me. At the end I felt cheated and thought that this story was not credible. The storyline does not add up and I cannot believe that people would act like this in real life. What was an easy and entertaining read ended with me thinking the whole story was daft. My lasting impression of The Lost Symbol is one of watching an easily forgettable made-for-television drama. I expect a film will be made of The Lost Symbol and it will be a box office success.
I agree with the whole review of The Lost Symbol written by William Sutcliffe for the Financial Times . William ends his review with the line "This is a novel that asks nothing of the reader, and gives the reader nothing back."
I was lucky, I did not pay for this book, it was passed onto me by a workmate called Matthew. That is how I will pitch The Lost Symbol, it is an okay book to read if it is passed onto you from a friend. I do not suggest bloggers purchase a copy because there are far better books to read by far better authors in the bookstore. If you are not a seasoned book reader then you should try The Lost Symbol because it will show you the way to enjoy reading novels, an easy start. If you are passed a copy of The Lost Symbol then I suggest you read it so that you at least know what the masses are talking about!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
It is good to see a spoof advertisement that pokes fun at services provided by well known companies. This well done spoof was posted on the informative A Transport of Delight blog and I rather like it!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali re-elected.
Tunisia's president has been re-elected for a fifth five-year term with 89.62% of the vote, the country's interior ministry announced today. It was the lowest percentage of the vote by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali since he took power in a bloodless coup in 1987. Mr Ben Ali was last re-elected in 2004 with more than 94 per cent of votes - a drop from his previous victories, which fluctuated between 99.2 and 99.7 per cent. The turnout rate was 89.45 per cent of Tunisia's 5.3 million voters, authorities said.
...WOW! This election in Tunisia achieved a voter turnout of 89% - that is brilliant and demonstrates democracy in action. To get a 89% voter turnout is marvelous and it shows that only 10% of Tunisians are apathetic. President Ben Ali is not a young man taking Tunisia forward, he is 73 years old! For a 73 year old man to get re-elected for the fifth successive time and having been president since 1987 shows just how popular Ben Ali continues to be. For Ben Ali to get 89% of the votes for his fifth term is the envy of politicians the world over. Tunisia is expecting 3 per cent growth in gross domestic product this year despite the global recession. The country's poverty rate has dropped below 4 per cent and it is a regional model in terms of literacy, social welfare and the role women play in society. Therefore it is hardly a surprise that Ben Ali has been re-elected.
Here in the UK voter turnout at the last general election in 2005 was a miserable 61%, it was even worse in 2001 at 59%. This demonstrates how much apathy there is among British voters, which is a shame because our people have little say in the way things are run in our country. Around 40% of adults in Britain have lost faith in democracy and cannot be bothered to vote.
Tunisia is a nice country and a wonderful holiday destination. I have been on holiday three times to Tunisia and we shall be going again in five weeks time, with another holiday booked there for next year. By the middle of next year I will have visited Tunisia five times, a number equal to the terms of office Ben Ali has been elected for!
Tunisia's president has been re-elected for a fifth five-year term with 89.62% of the vote, the country's interior ministry announced today. It was the lowest percentage of the vote by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali since he took power in a bloodless coup in 1987. Mr Ben Ali was last re-elected in 2004 with more than 94 per cent of votes - a drop from his previous victories, which fluctuated between 99.2 and 99.7 per cent. The turnout rate was 89.45 per cent of Tunisia's 5.3 million voters, authorities said.
...WOW! This election in Tunisia achieved a voter turnout of 89% - that is brilliant and demonstrates democracy in action. To get a 89% voter turnout is marvelous and it shows that only 10% of Tunisians are apathetic. President Ben Ali is not a young man taking Tunisia forward, he is 73 years old! For a 73 year old man to get re-elected for the fifth successive time and having been president since 1987 shows just how popular Ben Ali continues to be. For Ben Ali to get 89% of the votes for his fifth term is the envy of politicians the world over. Tunisia is expecting 3 per cent growth in gross domestic product this year despite the global recession. The country's poverty rate has dropped below 4 per cent and it is a regional model in terms of literacy, social welfare and the role women play in society. Therefore it is hardly a surprise that Ben Ali has been re-elected.
Here in the UK voter turnout at the last general election in 2005 was a miserable 61%, it was even worse in 2001 at 59%. This demonstrates how much apathy there is among British voters, which is a shame because our people have little say in the way things are run in our country. Around 40% of adults in Britain have lost faith in democracy and cannot be bothered to vote.
Tunisia is a nice country and a wonderful holiday destination. I have been on holiday three times to Tunisia and we shall be going again in five weeks time, with another holiday booked there for next year. By the middle of next year I will have visited Tunisia five times, a number equal to the terms of office Ben Ali has been elected for!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Are we fighting the wrong war, in the wrong country?
There is a nice piece, click the link above, on the Guardian website today by Mehdi Hasan, a senior editor (politics) at the New Statesman and a former news and current affairs editor at Channel 4. He questions both America's and Britain's involvement in Afghanistan and asks the reader if the politicians in charge are fighting the wrong war, in the wrong country?
Reading his article, I have to agree with him and Dr Marc Sageman, of the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia: who said...
We've won. It was critical, after 9/11, that we went into Afghanistan to destroy the terrorist training camps that the plotters had attended … and we've done that: there are no camps left in Afghanistan, and all of the terror plots now come out of Pakistan.
...The rest of this article spells out the case that Afghanistan does not pose a threat to America or Britain, only al-Qaida in Pakistan can pose any threat to the West. So why not declare victory and bring the troops home?
I think all the American and British troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan and that Pakistan should be left to police it's own country. A lot of money can be made out of wars, this has always been the case, trouble is it is you and me who are helping to make profits for the companies engaged directly and indirectly in these wars. I do not suggest that America or Britain attacks Pakistan and I think some people, with vested interests, have talked up the threat posed by some rebels in Pakistan to feather their pockets.
There is a nice piece, click the link above, on the Guardian website today by Mehdi Hasan, a senior editor (politics) at the New Statesman and a former news and current affairs editor at Channel 4. He questions both America's and Britain's involvement in Afghanistan and asks the reader if the politicians in charge are fighting the wrong war, in the wrong country?
Reading his article, I have to agree with him and Dr Marc Sageman, of the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia: who said...
We've won. It was critical, after 9/11, that we went into Afghanistan to destroy the terrorist training camps that the plotters had attended … and we've done that: there are no camps left in Afghanistan, and all of the terror plots now come out of Pakistan.
...The rest of this article spells out the case that Afghanistan does not pose a threat to America or Britain, only al-Qaida in Pakistan can pose any threat to the West. So why not declare victory and bring the troops home?
I think all the American and British troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan and that Pakistan should be left to police it's own country. A lot of money can be made out of wars, this has always been the case, trouble is it is you and me who are helping to make profits for the companies engaged directly and indirectly in these wars. I do not suggest that America or Britain attacks Pakistan and I think some people, with vested interests, have talked up the threat posed by some rebels in Pakistan to feather their pockets.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Bugger, the clocks have gone back an hour!
It's a damned nuisance, the clocks have gone back an hour here in the UK from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time. I think the clocks should be simply left alone, at the setting of British Summer Time, throughout the year. You cannot get away from reduced hours of daylight in the winter but I would rather have lighter evenings than lighter mornings. Lighter evenings help everyone and lighter mornings help only a few. I agree with the article in The Times by Paul Simon, although I would not go as far as proposing Double British Summer Time, with another change of the clocks.
In 2007 the US extended their summer time by four weeks to save energy, which was estimated to have saved about 0.5 per cent of the nation’s electricity per day, enough to power 100,000 households for a year. And a study by scientists at Cambridge University estimated that if Britain went on to European time all year round, it could save the country 170,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions — literally at the stroke of the clock.
So, I propose that we keep British Summer Time throughout the year. This would give us better use of daylight and save a lot of energy with no extra cost involved.
It's a damned nuisance, the clocks have gone back an hour here in the UK from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time. I think the clocks should be simply left alone, at the setting of British Summer Time, throughout the year. You cannot get away from reduced hours of daylight in the winter but I would rather have lighter evenings than lighter mornings. Lighter evenings help everyone and lighter mornings help only a few. I agree with the article in The Times by Paul Simon, although I would not go as far as proposing Double British Summer Time, with another change of the clocks.
In 2007 the US extended their summer time by four weeks to save energy, which was estimated to have saved about 0.5 per cent of the nation’s electricity per day, enough to power 100,000 households for a year. And a study by scientists at Cambridge University estimated that if Britain went on to European time all year round, it could save the country 170,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions — literally at the stroke of the clock.
So, I propose that we keep British Summer Time throughout the year. This would give us better use of daylight and save a lot of energy with no extra cost involved.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Flak Jackets at the ready!
Oh heck, another hazard has cropped up for people living or visiting London. The prospect of an armed police service moved a step closer yesterday when Scotland Yard announced the formation of a new firearms unit that will routinely patrol gun crime hotspots in London. The team is drawn from the CO19, the Metropolitan Police specialist firearms unit, members of which shot dead Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station after mistaking him for a suicide bomber in 2005.
The armed patrols are being deployed after a dramatic rise in gun crime. They will target key areas in North London, where Turkish gangs are engaged in a bloody turf war, and south of the Thames, where gangland shooting incidents have soared. The C019 Proactive Unit will walk estates while some officers will use motorbikes to provide the capability for high-speed pursuit.
...Oh dear, this is what it has come to, Armed Police routinely on London streets. I think this is a very sad move indeed and it shows that our elected representatives have no control over the Police forces paid for by you and me the taxpayer. I can see no need for routine Armed Police patrols in London. These criminals using guns are only interested in other criminals on their patch and not the ordinary man in the street. The last thing we want is trigger happy Police flexing their muscles as our society is being sucked into a Police State. It can only be a matter of time before there is another Jean Charles de Menezes style shooting. Trouble is, it could so easily be you or me going about our daily business and not hearing that fatal bullet whistling through the air.
Oh heck, another hazard has cropped up for people living or visiting London. The prospect of an armed police service moved a step closer yesterday when Scotland Yard announced the formation of a new firearms unit that will routinely patrol gun crime hotspots in London. The team is drawn from the CO19, the Metropolitan Police specialist firearms unit, members of which shot dead Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station after mistaking him for a suicide bomber in 2005.
The armed patrols are being deployed after a dramatic rise in gun crime. They will target key areas in North London, where Turkish gangs are engaged in a bloody turf war, and south of the Thames, where gangland shooting incidents have soared. The C019 Proactive Unit will walk estates while some officers will use motorbikes to provide the capability for high-speed pursuit.
...Oh dear, this is what it has come to, Armed Police routinely on London streets. I think this is a very sad move indeed and it shows that our elected representatives have no control over the Police forces paid for by you and me the taxpayer. I can see no need for routine Armed Police patrols in London. These criminals using guns are only interested in other criminals on their patch and not the ordinary man in the street. The last thing we want is trigger happy Police flexing their muscles as our society is being sucked into a Police State. It can only be a matter of time before there is another Jean Charles de Menezes style shooting. Trouble is, it could so easily be you or me going about our daily business and not hearing that fatal bullet whistling through the air.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The audience can be large or small and people will listen to what you say, sometimes they do not like what they hear!
Everyone has a point of view and many people express their opinions freely. I write how I feel on this blog and speak to people in an open and frank manner. I am not alone but some people have a larger media profile than others! Anton Du Beke is a dancer on the television programme called Strictly Come Dancing. His partner, the actress Laila Rouass, was wearing a backless cat suit when – live on television – the professional dancer remarked that he’d like to see the actress shaking her torso to the Samba.
Anton said: “Pop the frock on back to front – we’ll all have a lovely time.”
...Now then, this comment was supposed to have made Laila Rouass look visibly shocked! I thought his comment was rather witty and is maybe what a lot of viewers were thinking. Watch the video below and I think that you can see that Anton does have a valid point here, if you can imagine Laila wearing the cat suit back to front!
So, what has this post got to do with smaller audiences? Well, your humble blogger may be spied upon by the CIA . Social media websites offer a powerful opportunity for "open source" intelligence – publicly available data that can be mined for information. In an attempt to sift through the blizzard of information, the investment arm of the CIA, In-Q-Tel, has invested in a software firm that monitors social media. According to Wired magazine, In-Q-Tel has put money into Visible Technologies, a software firm that specialises in monitoring the internet.
Visible Technologies examines more than half a million websites a day, looking through more than a million posts and interactions happening on blogs, in online forums and on popular social media sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Amazon.
The company's customers, who include Microsoft, Hormel Foods and Xerox, receive real-time data on what's being said on these sites, based on a number of predetermined key words. A "score" is then assigned to each item, identifying it as positive, negative, mixed or neutral.
...So, whatever you write can be monitored by very powerful software and the results of this analysis can then be forwarded to the interested party. Beware, this means that both the mighty CIA in Washington and a debt riddled company in Birmingham can be notified of your internet postings! Once your postings have been flagged they will watch your every move. Of course some people will use this internet visibility to wind up some agencies, companies or people. But then these same people should have a sense of humour as well as a respect for free speech and the freedom of expression.
We should all have the confidence to dress, talk and write freely. Thankfully Alex Reid has set a marvelous example at a book launch of how you can dress and hold your head up high.
Everyone has a point of view and many people express their opinions freely. I write how I feel on this blog and speak to people in an open and frank manner. I am not alone but some people have a larger media profile than others! Anton Du Beke is a dancer on the television programme called Strictly Come Dancing. His partner, the actress Laila Rouass, was wearing a backless cat suit when – live on television – the professional dancer remarked that he’d like to see the actress shaking her torso to the Samba.
Anton said: “Pop the frock on back to front – we’ll all have a lovely time.”
...Now then, this comment was supposed to have made Laila Rouass look visibly shocked! I thought his comment was rather witty and is maybe what a lot of viewers were thinking. Watch the video below and I think that you can see that Anton does have a valid point here, if you can imagine Laila wearing the cat suit back to front!
So, what has this post got to do with smaller audiences? Well, your humble blogger may be spied upon by the CIA . Social media websites offer a powerful opportunity for "open source" intelligence – publicly available data that can be mined for information. In an attempt to sift through the blizzard of information, the investment arm of the CIA, In-Q-Tel, has invested in a software firm that monitors social media. According to Wired magazine, In-Q-Tel has put money into Visible Technologies, a software firm that specialises in monitoring the internet.
Visible Technologies examines more than half a million websites a day, looking through more than a million posts and interactions happening on blogs, in online forums and on popular social media sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Amazon.
The company's customers, who include Microsoft, Hormel Foods and Xerox, receive real-time data on what's being said on these sites, based on a number of predetermined key words. A "score" is then assigned to each item, identifying it as positive, negative, mixed or neutral.
...So, whatever you write can be monitored by very powerful software and the results of this analysis can then be forwarded to the interested party. Beware, this means that both the mighty CIA in Washington and a debt riddled company in Birmingham can be notified of your internet postings! Once your postings have been flagged they will watch your every move. Of course some people will use this internet visibility to wind up some agencies, companies or people. But then these same people should have a sense of humour as well as a respect for free speech and the freedom of expression.
We should all have the confidence to dress, talk and write freely. Thankfully Alex Reid has set a marvelous example at a book launch of how you can dress and hold your head up high.
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