The Bigger Picture

Reading this story - link - made me think:

Perhaps a purple "bear" with a TV in its stomach and an a triangle on its head should be troubling the Polish government more than the notion it is homosexual which, after all, is a lifestyle choice the children of Poland might come into contact with and have to deal with in their lifetimes.

But I'm sure the Polish government know what they're doing...

A News Link

Religion yet again shows it's ugly side

Some News

Been too long since I updated this. Saw this story on the BBC News website, it's all very funny, but you have to feel for the banana growers.

I'm not really sure of the legality of internet TV, but it is fantastic. This website is just fantastic for it. I've been able to watch the American Office, the finale of season three of Lost and have started watching Heroes.

I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End on Thursday night. It was quite good. It's so utterly mental though that it almost makes the first two look like documentaries.

I had serious deja vu during the Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool.

Why are there so many bank holidays at this time of year?

Wembley

The FA Cup was rubbish. The Conference final between Exeter and
Morecambe was not. Wembley stadium is amazing. Here are some observations. The skyline is dominated by the arch and it really is an impressive site. One person on the tube into the stadium was heard to remark, "Is that the stadium?" to which her dad replied "No that's Tesco, it's behind that." Another person, who I was travelling with asked, "So where's the old Wembley then?"

For some reason the 'Waste management' guys have to wear luminous pink blazers. Seems a bit mean really. The view from my seat (pictured left) was fantastic and the sound really does stay inside the stadium as
the architect Norman Foster designed it to do.

Exeter lost which was a real shame but it was a fantastic day out and a fitting stadium for the home of football.

Self-glorification

Yeah it might be a bit self-centered but after almost 100 posts, and finishing my journalism exams, I think it's allowed - Here is a link to me playing my birthday present, a mandolin. It's a lot of fun.

Ten Tors forced to stop by Torrential Rain

I did Ten Tors 45 miles in 2002 - a fantastic weekend it was too with a real sense of achievement afterwards. My brother (currently cycling his way around the delights of southern Europe and north Africa) went one better and did 45 and 55 and he too was proud to have completed such a difficult event.

Therefore I can empathise a lot with the youngsters who were taken off the moor on this years' event after terrible conditions forced the army to abandon the event.

There was a piece in the Guardian's G2 section today - you can read it online here - extolling the merits of the fact in todays' health and safety world people still challenge themselves to do things like this and although I know all the people who trained so hard for this event will be bitterly disappointed I am sure most will be back next year determined to finish off their hard work.

Style over Substance?

Jakob Neilsen is a bloke who think he knows the internet better than anyone else - and has come out and criticised the latest Web 2.0 phase for being too design heavy. Well you certainly couldn't accuse his own website of being too well designed...

Quote Unquote

I've started reading Andrew Marr's book My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism and there are some great quotes relating to my chosen profession:

'Perhaps the most desirable quality in a journalist is that he should be a good mixer, a sociable soul'
- Teach Yourself Journalism, 1951

'Only a blockhead writes - except for money'
'Round numbers are always false' - both by Sam Johnson

'We learned shorthand - still, in my view, invaluable to anyone in journalism'
- An extract that seemed pertinent after some of the debate on my course this year.

The Impersonal Touch

So I didn't get a job I applied for. I'm not bitter. Really. I'm not. But I am annoyed at the continuing way in which we our treated in the procedure.

Kept in the dark for weeks, then suddenly called for an interview from a personal email address, everyone is 'matey' and friendly, and then abruptly sent an impersonal email from a generic address (human resources) telling us we have been unsuccessful but without any indicators as to why.

NetVibes.com

My new home page is Google, and YouTube, and Wikipedia, and FlickR, and my Hotmail account. How you ask?

www.netvibes.com is the answer. An amazing site which allows you to collate all your favourite bits of the web onto one page.

It automatically up dates any sites which are on an RSS feed (Really Simple Syndication) so you don't have to constantly remember to head to each site individually to see if its updated. It also hosts Google earth, MSN Messenger, the weather in your area, and a host of other clever little features.

With programs like this the internet is becoming ever more simple and stream-lined. With TV shows becoming increasingly available online and the music industry pushing sales through iTunes more and more you have to wonder just where the internet revolution will end.

Perhaps one day TV, Phone, Music, Internet and other technologies (toasters? kettles?) will all becoming combined in one large all-encompassing piece of super-technology that will make mobile phones or high definition TV looked outdated and redundant.