Quality Music

Let us bring back high quality music and great artistes. Let us be done with talentless weirdoes who just want so desperately to be famous. It is time to bring back the magic!

Three D – A New Era

Went to see Avatar in 3D on Saturday. I was speechless. It was by far the best move experience I have ever had! This wasn’t just because the 3D experience was out of this world, because it was but it was also because the story was excellent, the cinematography fantastic and the acting were also wonderful (I think it is unfair that no actors were nominated for Oscars – they did act, it isn’t animation).

When I went to see the Matrix, I knew I was witnessing a step change in movie making and here is another one. There were several trailers before the movie started the next Shrek movie, Alice in Wonderland and others so the trend is already in place. I hope they keep the trend of keeping a great story plus excellent acting to go along with the great technology. It can only be good news for movie goers.

Ladies, get a grip on marriage!

Picture this. We have a beautiful set up whereby many of us at some point decide to make a lifelong commitment to a member of the opposite sex. We make solemn promises and we do so in front of witnesses so that we can be held accountable for this. If we are mature, we understand that it isn’t a magic ceremony but a decision to love and live with someone in spite of all the vicissitudes of life – until one or both of us dies.

Now this is a legally binding agreement and there are some costs associated with doing it. These are: (in England, in Scotland and Ireland it is slightly less)

To give notice £30 per person £60.00

Registration ceremony £40.00

Certificate £ 3.50

Total £103.50

Now tell me, for what reason do we then decide that what I discussed above is a far secondary consideration to throwing our friends a party, buying an overpriced outfit we will wear once for a few hours and buying some jewellery? For this is what a wedding has become.

Time and time again I hear couples who wish to marry say they cannot afford to and trust me, they are not saying they don’t have £103.50 which is all they need. They mean they don’t have twenty grand to throw a party, buy the clothes and the ring (and the rings are usually in addition to the £20k!).

To be fair, it’s usually the women who go nuts over the party, jewellery and clothes. The men seem to be quite sensible and see a marriage for what it is. Lord knows they take it seriously; you won’t get a bloke marrying you (for the most part) unless he really wants to. And many sensibly don’t want to have anything to do with putting on the overpriced fiasco that the modern wedding has become – just tell them when to show up. In fact, many a male friend of mine has said how disgusted they have become with the behaviour of their bride to be in the run up to their wedding. The obsession with show and the extravagant spending on so called ‘must-have’ items leads many a man to take a long hard second look and causes some to scarper.

The obsession with peripherals is a disgraceful indictment against womankind. If I were a man, I would leave skid marks at the sight of a bridezilla (basically any woman obsessed or in my opinion, even remotely interested in a party, dress and jewellery), they should be obsessed with the marriage and it being successful.

There ought to be a law that you cannot have the party and the dress until your fifth anniversary. I give a concession on the rings because it is part of the public declaration – a way to help prevent adulterous advances or thoughts – but the rings needn’t cost the earth. You can get good ones for £100 or less.

Marriage is not about a party, a dress and some jewellery. It is madness to treat it as if it is.

If you are considering getting married – put some thought into what your life will be like and how you will have to behave for the rest of your life with this other person. Keep in mind that you both will change, life will happen to you, for better and often for worse. Understand marriage isn’t a Mills and Boons novel or a Hollywood film and if you have spent months concentrating on the party and given next to no thought to the marriage, then recognise you have no business inflicting yourself on another person. Step back and take some time to grow up.

Companies – be honest!

How frustrating it is when companies lie to you. I feel it would be much better if they would level with you about the product they are selling. Instead, what you get are frequent assurances that you are getting one thing when you are getting another – almost universally an inferior ‘other.’ Take broadband speeds. Companies claim in glossy ads that you are getting certain speeds when in actual fact you are getting a fraction. I say, let me know exactly what I am getting and then let me make a well considered decision about whether to buy or not.

Why Shouldn't He Have an Engagement Ring?

Saw a story on engagement rings for men or 'mengagement rings.' What do you think? I don't see why he shouldn't get an engagement ring if he wants one - we get them don't we? This is where the rubber hits the road ladies, if we want to be treated equally, then in those matters which are not role related as God decreed it surely we should treat the gents in the same way they treat us right? Go on, take him down to your local jewellers and peer over the glass and let him pick out something nice. It's only fair really isn't it?

Post Office Documentary Shocking

I am watching the Dispatches documentary on channel four right now on the post office. It is frightening!

Right now one postal worker is refusing to serve a customer because he rang the bell. (Uhm, you're supposed to, in order to get someone to deal with you).

Also, a lot of people are getting a 'you were out' postcard when they are home. That's definitely happened to me - I've had to foot it down the street after a few postmen who never even knocked on the door.

Now I know this is unlikely to be how all postal workers are but for a public facing service industry there seems to too many people without the service vocation - or even basic professional pride. I've often been in jobs I didn't like and thought I was being exploited in but I have not given customers or clients less of a service as a result - it's nothing to do with them and I have professional courtesy. This needs to be the case whatever job you do. If things are that bad - quit.

There seems to be a terrible attitude amongst many of them - a sort of sense of entitlement. A lack of professionalism. Is it that the only way you can get basic professionalism to pay people very high salaries? In that case the service won't be feasible and more and more people and businesses will use alternative services. Then these postal workers will have to look for work in the re-vamped public sector or the private sector - God help them then.

Sorry to the hardworking of you out there. It's a shame that the bad ones let down everyone but even a few bad ones in a service like this taint the whole service.

Sorry Prof has died

I am so sorry Professor Nettleford has died. Now he wasn’t a close friend of mine but I got to work with him when I was in UWI Singers – for about six months – and he was a lovely (and very funny) man. It is a shame he had to go – even at 77, he could have had many more enjoyable years to contribute and believe me, he could contribute to society. We should take from his life of service the lesson that we too should serve and not be so self absorbed.

Peace.

We must get smart

So some Cadbury’s workers went to protest outside of parliament – to stop the new owners shedding their jobs. It really is time for us to grow some brains – and the union rep who was with them is either an idiot or incompetent.

Let me spell it out in simple terms people: When a company agrees to be sold to another and the sale goes through, as long as no laws have been broken and there are no issue with competition from the new entity – then the government HAS NO SAY IN THE EMPLOYMENT OR SACKING OF EMPLOYEES!!!!

Going to protest to the government is a big arse waste of time and anyone with any sense would know that. It is a harsh reality that people lose their jobs when companies merge or change hands but the smart way to approach this problem is to a) position yourself as a worker that has something spectacular to offer the new company or b) look for another job.

Come on people – to coin a phrase, I know you can be dumb but do you have to be THAT dumb?

Haiti's history

Check out this article. Well worth the read. With all that is happening in Haiti, it is worth getting some history. http://haitisheri1804.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/haiti-the-hate-and-quake-by-sir-hilary-beckles/

Women - clutching defeat from the jaws of victory

What in tarnation is wrong with these girls? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242198/Youre-going-dressed-like-Snow-joke-did-.html. We have been having temperatures up to double digit negatives and English girls are still dressing scantily and going out on the town – check out the chick lying in the snow. Also, what is happening? Are mothers not explaining the art of seduction to their daughters, including how they dress and carry themselves? These girls just look cheap. It’s a crying shame. It makes you wonder what bad quality male /female relationships are taking place when the art, mystery and sensuality are gone – and believe me – looking at the average young English woman dressed to impress on a Thursday night – it’s gone! And that’s not to let the blokes off the hook – they generally look scruffy to the extreme.

Anyway, even if you want to look like a really inexpensive hooker or a tramp you should at least have enough sense to keep yourself warm.

Incidentally, don’t see any men going out without their warm clothes. We’ve come a long way baby – sadly we decided sprint back and retrace our steps.

Writing is a job

I am a writer.

Well, I say I am a writer, but the truth is I am largely a writing avoider. The avoiding takes many guises the most common being ‘research.’ But I read or rather re-read something today. It was a piece of pithy advice from Steven King from his book ‘On Writing.’ He basically says that if you are serious you will spend 4-6 hours a day reading and writing and that he writes (I believe) at least 1,000 words a day.

Now I work full time – my writing has to be done outside of that time but that cannot change without me quitting and I can’t afford to. So I have to work with what time I do have – Mr. King wrote Carrie while he was working full time.

So I thank him for a swift kick up the behind of a reminder. If you are having the same difficulty of procrastinating – from anything you really want to do – now is the time to get on with it, within whatever parameters you are bound by. And be creative – you may not be as bound as you think you are. All the best.

Are mobility scooters a menace? A story today on BBC’s website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8436558.stm

Interesting point. In my opinion they wouldn’t be a menace if they were used properly. For me the greatest problem is having to dodge them in the road. I can’t count the amount of times I have seen pensioners driving them in the road like they are cars – I saw one gentleman trundling across the entrance to the slip road to the motorway one day. The riders seem to be oblivious to the danger they could cause – to themselves and to motorists. I do wonder what possesses those who drive in the road –have they taken leave of their senses? Are they suicidal? Or are they just massively thick? Anyway you look at it they need o be punished for driving in the road severely enough for it to frighten them into not doing it. I get the sense people think it’s quaint or funny when this happens from the bemused spectators. If it was my loved one I wouldn’t find it funny.

Your own personal time capsule

So a new year has started again. For most people, this means making resolutions. Funnily enough for me a new year doesn’t mean making resolutions – it means pledging to regularly keep a diary.

I’ve kept diaries before – trouble has been I have found re-reading them depressing. That changed last night though. I re-read my last diary which spanned 1998 to 2000 and it was very enlightening. It helped me to see what I was and instead of despairing I see how to improve and know I can.

Now my reasoning for keeping a diary is that it helps you to keep an accurate record of what you used to be like when you were younger and an accurate record of previous events. We often claim to remember exactly how things transpired but I have found that I actually don’t. I also think that I am quite sensible and have not made certain terrible, repeat mistakes but it turns out that’s a load of hogwash too after last night’s read! So all in all it is a useful exercise. I would suggest you try it – just don’t whatever you do, do it online or even on your computer. This is something that should definitely be handwritten and locked in a little box somewhere – your own personal time capsule.

Be careful with British higher education

The government basically wants universities to economise, there’s a suggestion of two year degrees.

A lady from the Russell Group (UK Ivy league) on channel 4 news made the point that it’s not as if British unis are operating in a mass of waste. She also said that in order to come effectively out of a recession, it is vital we have credible and high quality universities so that our young people can compete in the global job market. Government says to cut back and save cash – like families this Christmas.

Government, in this case David Lammy, the relevant minister, doesn’t get it; I agree with the Russell Group lady. Universities are not the same as families – the problem of money needs to be dealt with differently. The UK is not in a good position when it comes to competitive workers – we need to be beefing up this area not weakening it. Admittedly, many of our problems in these areas do not relate to our universities but it doesn’t make sense to weaken our position by lessening the effectiveness of our unis and trust me – cutting funding will weaken their effectiveness.

How about some inventive thinking so that people can be allowed to study effectively on a part time basis? More inventive on campus job opportunities for people in exchange for tuition? Some tax breaks for people who study for a period of time? Bonding people to work in the public sector for a minimum of 2 years after studying? Things can be done. There are some lazy officials out there I think.

Let something good come of this.

So they have convicted Tobin for killing that girl which is excellent. Now that justice has been done in that quarter let us turn our attention to an important matter.

Let us impart upon our daughters the importance of taking the utmost care of themselves. One thing my mother drummed into me? DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ACCEPT A RIDE FROM A MAN YOU DO NOT KNOW! Please let your daughters know this. It can save their lives.

Tax,tax, tax

Bills, bills, tax, tax. Mi ah suck salt troo wooden spoon!

Why is it that the only way this government sees its way out of any spending issue is to tax people who are already heavily taxed eh? Because they are weak and lazy that's why.

Intelligent wealthy people find ways to avoid paying as much tax as possible and they will continue to do so. It's the rest of us salaried workers who pay the taxes that run the country. Why don't they just do the work that needs to be done to ensure a fair payment of tax (in my opinion a flat rate of income tax only because calculating and collecting all the different taxes costs a lot to administer)? Because they are weak (they want to win votes and many unthinking people think taxing a wealthy people somehow does them some good. People it doesn't. If you are in a low paying job with not qualifications your position is not ameliorated by a wealthy person losing money). And because they are lazy. To fix to fiscal problems we have takes application, ingenuity and hard work. It is much easier for them to put a plaster over the chasm rather than build an appropriate bridge.

I do not agree with the majority of Brits that success and wealth should be taxed to the point of punishment. All of us should be encouraged to do well and once we are we will all benefit. I mean one of Alistair Darling's proposals is to tax patents on people's ideas! So what, you come up with a good idea, work on it and protect it with a patent and you are to be punished?

I've said it before and will say it again, if they carry on like this the country will run further into the ground. The only people left will be those who are shiftless and or dumb. The hardworking and intelligent will have all buggered off to Europe or America.

Is the music dying?

After watching about half an hour of music TV I had to ask myself this question. The proliferation of crap music and even crappier videos is depressing.

Some say that talent shows of the ilk of X-Factor have contributed to the crap. It contributes but is not the cause I think. I think marketing and recording people who want to make a quick buck, in conjunction with an increasingly dumb, young public are the cause of the problem.

Undoubtedly there is some good music out there but more and more, you get record companies who only want to make a quick buck plus young untalented people who just want to be famous inflicted on us. That lady who used to be on Fame Academy was quoted in a daily the other day as saying she was working with a talented young singer who won a national singing contest, sounded excellent but sadly couldn’t get a record deal. The companies apparently needed to be assured the public would like her – talent was definitely not enough. She had to go on a few years later to win the X-Factor in order to prove herself. Now, Leona may very well have found a deal without X-Factor but it’s a shame she couldn’t isn’t it?

Good sense in Iran

It’s nice that those guys who got lost in their boat have been released. From the media reports that had been floating all over the place it had seemed as though there might be a major international incident. However, it would seem the media were wrong and those anticipating a major dust up have been left disappointed. Well I am not. I am glad these guys have been freed and sent home. After all what else would you expect from reasonable people? Well now that reason has prevailed here perhaps it can prevail elsewhere? I wait with baited breath.

Give Real Presents This Christmas

Here’s a thought. Be honest, most of the presents you will buy for people will be unwanted and unused right? Just like most that you will get. So how about not buying any or at least restricting how many you buy? Do what my family does. Everyone’s name in a hat, you all pick one name and buy that person something. Or what about doing something for someone instead? Like taking them out to a place they’ve always wanted to go to – create some memories you know?

Try and make your gifts, REAL gifts – an expression of your love for someone else and not just an empty mindless activity done just because you think you must.
Happy Christmas when it comes!

Funny Signs

Check out these ridiculous signs http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/travel_images/article6814134.ece.