I have been somewhat silent for a while, but you know as life takes its grips, you get a little swept up with it. Speaking of life, I have spent some time helping my other half launch his own UK based courier service. If you have the opportunity or know someone who may need this service, please check out the website http://www.wjp-couriers.co.uk
He also blogs as well, you can check the blog out at http://wjp-couriers.wordpress.com/
Any advice, link requests, bookings would be greatly appreciated.
Anyways, back again soon. Toodles.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Friday, 20 May 2011
Doesn't it matter if its good or bad, as long as they're talking.
Today marks the first time in a long time that i have been to visit a couple of friends of mine. Now I can honestly say that we all don't talk on the phone, we may send the odd sms every now and then to see if the other one is ok, but whenever we get to hang out in between life's work and obstacles, its like no time has passed.
The laughs are still the same but I've come to notice that even the matters that have occurred in the "absent" time are already known. The slightest thing that you might have thought was on the down low is no longer, due to things like Twitter and Facebook.
Without directly telling people anything, they can deduce by means of status updates and not necessarily ones that you have posted. I've pretty much abandoned Facebook and I occasionally do a tweet... So when I met with these friends today, they already knew about incidents, events of my last 6 months because of Facebook updates that didn't belong to me. This somewhat pissed me off, because I know what made them take notice is probably due to something negative being said.
The amount of simultaneous access to however many or little people you want at any one time, literally means less physical communication you have with real people. You used to have to call or knock on everyones door if you wanted to convey a message. The phrase when I was a child that was widely use would be "I'm going to call on" or "call on me tomorrow." That was how you knew you were going to do something. The best relationship people have is a device with a keypad. I'm not dissing said technology (what do you think i am tapping this blog on now?) but I am simply saying you talk less to people now than we ever have before.
It also makes me think, what's going to come next, with this whole social media thing. I read something somewhere on the web the other day and this guy was speaking about your grand children back dating tweets on an "ancestry.com-like" database to read into the kind of people their ancestors were.
How we learned history in school was based on text books with people's opinions of how people were, from people's journals etc. Now anyone can write anything on their Facebook/Twitter and that is recorded and saved and will no doubt be used in the future of how communication changed and interaction between people evolved.
Alexander Graham-Bell invented the telephone, John Logie Baird invented the televison ... I wonder if in future, The Social Network will be used when people learn about Mark Zuckerberg and how he created Facebook. So what comes next? Can communication become more instant than it already is? With webcams, video calling etc, we can communicate with people who aren't with us and still see their faces... May be the next thing is hollograming yourself to communicate with the people you want... Am I being a bit too far fetched? Ideas people?
The laughs are still the same but I've come to notice that even the matters that have occurred in the "absent" time are already known. The slightest thing that you might have thought was on the down low is no longer, due to things like Twitter and Facebook.
Without directly telling people anything, they can deduce by means of status updates and not necessarily ones that you have posted. I've pretty much abandoned Facebook and I occasionally do a tweet... So when I met with these friends today, they already knew about incidents, events of my last 6 months because of Facebook updates that didn't belong to me. This somewhat pissed me off, because I know what made them take notice is probably due to something negative being said.
The amount of simultaneous access to however many or little people you want at any one time, literally means less physical communication you have with real people. You used to have to call or knock on everyones door if you wanted to convey a message. The phrase when I was a child that was widely use would be "I'm going to call on" or "call on me tomorrow." That was how you knew you were going to do something. The best relationship people have is a device with a keypad. I'm not dissing said technology (what do you think i am tapping this blog on now?) but I am simply saying you talk less to people now than we ever have before.
It also makes me think, what's going to come next, with this whole social media thing. I read something somewhere on the web the other day and this guy was speaking about your grand children back dating tweets on an "ancestry.com-like" database to read into the kind of people their ancestors were.
How we learned history in school was based on text books with people's opinions of how people were, from people's journals etc. Now anyone can write anything on their Facebook/Twitter and that is recorded and saved and will no doubt be used in the future of how communication changed and interaction between people evolved.
Alexander Graham-Bell invented the telephone, John Logie Baird invented the televison ... I wonder if in future, The Social Network will be used when people learn about Mark Zuckerberg and how he created Facebook. So what comes next? Can communication become more instant than it already is? With webcams, video calling etc, we can communicate with people who aren't with us and still see their faces... May be the next thing is hollograming yourself to communicate with the people you want... Am I being a bit too far fetched? Ideas people?
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Barry Hitchen, IPhones and a Substitute for Chocolate
Now I am not sure if every office is the same as the one I work in. I do believe we are quite a unique bunch, to the point we put on Welsh accents every now and then because “we-like-a-bit-o-Welsh”, you will often hear us cry out in a Liverpudlian accent “Barryyyyyyy Itchennnnnn” (well his name was Barry Hitchen but in his Beatle like jibe, it came out like Barry Itchen)… or call out “why-aye pet” in homage to the Geordie lads when the office manager walks in… but there is always a point where you hit the afternoon lull, about an hour or so after lunch, it’s like our brains decide to take a break and we become zombie like until we realise that it’s half four and we only have an hour of “paradise” left.
More recently, I have come to find that rather than relying on chocolate and crisps to give you that much needed boost to deal with the drone sound of the phone or indeed the whining of a wedding guest who simply cannot comprehend that although I would love to say “yes ma’am your room will be ready at 10am, when the guest from the previous night is still sleeping off the excessive alcohol he consumed when trying to delude himself into thinking that the bird currently laying naked next to him, was actually hot (sorry for the sexism there, but hey it sounded good), that the better option to beat the lull, is actually laughter. The problem then is that you have to actually find something that is going to genuinely make you laugh.
Insert the IPhone!
In all honesty, I am an Android user and I don’t believe in tripling the cost of my monthly cell phone contract just to have a phone that has the letter I in front of it. However if there is one thing that I can vouch for that the Iphone has over my beloved droid, is that it can make me laugh continuously for half an hour at a time, to the point of side splitting pain/numbness.
A friend of mine introduced me to a website called Damn You Autocorrect!! (DYAC). DYAC is a collection of screen shot images of genuine Iphone users and their predictive texting, where the words the phone has chosen are completely, for lack of a better word, wrong. The worst part of it? These messages actually get sent to their intended or not so intended recipient.
Some are plain silly, some are hysterical and some are darn right wrong, but when I read them aloud collectively for five or so minutes, with my supervisor, the afternoon lull gets eradicated by eruptions of tear inducing laughter.
I was a little intrigued by how awake I seemed to feel after a good laugh and it turns out that laughter contributes to good health in more ways that increasing your energy levels, it relieves stress and tension, it’s apparently impossible to feel anxiety, anger and sadness whilst truly laughing, it can help relieve pain and it can allow you to view things in a different perspective.
So I have come to the conclusion that chocolate makes you feel good and contributes to your body look crappy later on life (when consumed in excess of course) and laughing makes you feel good, burns calories and boosts your immune system. Heck yeah, I can trade in chocolate, but how long for, lol.
Anyways a thank you for DYAC for providing the laughs and if anyone reading wants to see anymore of the cringe-worthy sms's people have sent, go to Damn You Auto Correct just for the shits n giggles.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Theories Continued...
As mentioned yesterday, I'm into the whole conspiracy theory thing so I daily check into infowars to see what Alex Jones has got to say and for the most part I delve into anything that is talking about the possibility that Osama Bin Laden DIDN'T die last weekend.
Over the last 10 years there have been a few media reports the have mentioned that the man "responsible" for 9/11 had died due to ill health, not at the hands of any nation's military. However it wasnt until the announcement of his death last week that I had even heard that the man was already supposed to be dead.
There have been a few observations that have been voiced by various outlets; questioning the legitimacy of the White House's official report, which has changed a few times since it's first announcement. This discrepancies included:
The Government first announced that there had been a 40 minute shootout. Then only one man was armed. Bin Laden was armed then he wasn't. First Bin Laden used his a woman as a human shield and then his wife was the shield, then there was no sheild at all.
The home in which Bin Laden was hiding had been described as a “$1 million dollar mansion.” Then as the releasded pictures confirm, it was clearly not a mansion. The only thing from the report that matched the house, was that it did indeed stand out from the surrounding properties near by.
The "body" of Bin Laden was very quickly and conveniently disposed of in the ocean. This was supposedly to comply with Islamic burial rights. However, how can anyone confirm beyond any doubt that the man killed is actually Bin Laden? Many Muslims have come forward following on from these reports, stating that the religion states that only those who died at sea, can be buried at sea.
It's also very convenient that no photographic/video evidence has been provided, nor will be provided to the public. The only confirmation of death the world has been given is that the Government confirmed his identity by means of DNA (I believe matched with one of his daughters) and facial recognition.
They could answer the questions and provide physical evidence but it doesnt look like it will happen. But then again, there are many who will argue that the conspiracy theorists want to believe the theory as it's more exciting that the real story.
Over the last 10 years there have been a few media reports the have mentioned that the man "responsible" for 9/11 had died due to ill health, not at the hands of any nation's military. However it wasnt until the announcement of his death last week that I had even heard that the man was already supposed to be dead.
There have been a few observations that have been voiced by various outlets; questioning the legitimacy of the White House's official report, which has changed a few times since it's first announcement. This discrepancies included:
The Government first announced that there had been a 40 minute shootout. Then only one man was armed. Bin Laden was armed then he wasn't. First Bin Laden used his a woman as a human shield and then his wife was the shield, then there was no sheild at all.
The home in which Bin Laden was hiding had been described as a “$1 million dollar mansion.” Then as the releasded pictures confirm, it was clearly not a mansion. The only thing from the report that matched the house, was that it did indeed stand out from the surrounding properties near by.
The "body" of Bin Laden was very quickly and conveniently disposed of in the ocean. This was supposedly to comply with Islamic burial rights. However, how can anyone confirm beyond any doubt that the man killed is actually Bin Laden? Many Muslims have come forward following on from these reports, stating that the religion states that only those who died at sea, can be buried at sea.
It's also very convenient that no photographic/video evidence has been provided, nor will be provided to the public. The only confirmation of death the world has been given is that the Government confirmed his identity by means of DNA (I believe matched with one of his daughters) and facial recognition.
They could answer the questions and provide physical evidence but it doesnt look like it will happen. But then again, there are many who will argue that the conspiracy theorists want to believe the theory as it's more exciting that the real story.
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Conspiracy Theories
This isn't a "defined" gripe as such, but recently I have becoming increasingly interested in the ideas behind the conspiracy theories of 9/11, especially since the "death" of Osama Bin Laden. I am un-decided on the subject in regards to what side of the coin I sit on but the various different documentaries and articles that have been floating online for the last 5 or so years have certainly made me question the likes of what the official authorities have announced as the truth.
Both versions of Loose Change, Final Cut and the original and the Zeitgeist Movie (both can be found on youtube and different websites) certainly open your eyes, whether or not you believe it what it's saying or not. I've had people say to me "How can you believe or even listen to this nonsense, you know nothing about the peope who have produced this video? They've put it together so much so in order for you to see the subject the way they want you to see it." But when I come back with "You don't know the people behind the Government. The Government are a body of people who society over time have said you should trust." Not one person has come back at me with a worthwhile response.
For me it's the same as the Bible. The story of the Bible is told in various different versions through different religions, does it matter which version of the story you believe? You make your own choice, who or what you put your faith in, is personal. You wouldn't challenge a person's faith, why they have chosen to believe the entity they believe?
Every Christmas, up until I turned 19, the evening conversation always ended up going back to the unanswerable questions; how did the Earth come to be? Do you believe science or religion? What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Who knows? We'll never know. All I know is now I'm starting to question things that 5 years ago I wouldn't have even thought about questioning, whether or not I understand why I am asking the questions. I was too concerned with what the media want you to be concerned with, celebrity, natural disasters, people's indiscretions, the cost of petrol etc... the smokescreen that ultimately keeps you blinded from paying any attention to what is actually going on.
For the most part, I can't quite decide whether I'm living in the Truman Show, or with Neo in the Matrix.
Both versions of Loose Change, Final Cut and the original and the Zeitgeist Movie (both can be found on youtube and different websites) certainly open your eyes, whether or not you believe it what it's saying or not. I've had people say to me "How can you believe or even listen to this nonsense, you know nothing about the peope who have produced this video? They've put it together so much so in order for you to see the subject the way they want you to see it." But when I come back with "You don't know the people behind the Government. The Government are a body of people who society over time have said you should trust." Not one person has come back at me with a worthwhile response.
For me it's the same as the Bible. The story of the Bible is told in various different versions through different religions, does it matter which version of the story you believe? You make your own choice, who or what you put your faith in, is personal. You wouldn't challenge a person's faith, why they have chosen to believe the entity they believe?
Every Christmas, up until I turned 19, the evening conversation always ended up going back to the unanswerable questions; how did the Earth come to be? Do you believe science or religion? What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Who knows? We'll never know. All I know is now I'm starting to question things that 5 years ago I wouldn't have even thought about questioning, whether or not I understand why I am asking the questions. I was too concerned with what the media want you to be concerned with, celebrity, natural disasters, people's indiscretions, the cost of petrol etc... the smokescreen that ultimately keeps you blinded from paying any attention to what is actually going on.
For the most part, I can't quite decide whether I'm living in the Truman Show, or with Neo in the Matrix.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
M.T.V
I ask you, what do the letters MTV stand for? It stands for MUSIC TELEVISION. MTV was a channel introduced in 1981 that showcased the short films that essentially advertise the work of musicians. What do musicians make? Music. What does MTV now make? Reality shows??? Making being pregnant at 16 a glorified job? It flaunts the excessive homes of the rich and famous. (Sure I'd like to have some of the shit they have, but still MUSIC TELEVISION doesn't = mean show a football players 5 cars, 7 baths and 6 bedroomed house). It shows the "day to day living" of o.c rich kids (when I say day to day I mean scripted living)... It shows plastic surgery operations. Pretty much everything it shows now, is nothing like what it showed when the channel started. So yes MTV; you are my gripe of today. Let MTV be MTV and bump 16 and pregnant, bump My Supersweet 16, bump Pimp My Ride etc over to another channel, RTV = Reality TV. Why name the channel you have that now shows music, MTV music? That was what MTV was supposed to show in the first place.
Edit: When you see Paris Hilton searching a for a new bff; I don't understand why there are people willing to lower themselves enough to publicly make themselves look like a dick to befriend such a product of society.
Edit: When you see Paris Hilton searching a for a new bff; I don't understand why there are people willing to lower themselves enough to publicly make themselves look like a dick to befriend such a product of society.
Friday, 22 April 2011
Garden Views
Gripe number one. Garden views. WTF do people want with a garden view? I understand if you're buying a house a nice garden or an ocean view is a lovely thing you might pay for to increase the value of your home but if you're going to stay in a hotel for one night, with 30 people you haven't seen for 15 years, are you going to sit in that crumby little bedroom for the 20 odd hours that you have rented it for, just to look out of the bloody window? I don't think so. If you like the view so much, go sit in it, be at one with it but don't bitch at me when you have booked 17 bedrooms and we only have 10 rooms in the whole building that have the view that you want. Geesh.
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