Superfans

Much to the nation's dismay, England desperately need a win in their next (and final) group match against Slovenia on Wednesday, if they are to progress through to the knock-out stages of the World Cup finals.

The most remarkable news story I have come across today is this particular article - apparently:

"No England fans were arrested after Friday's match with Algeria, despite the 25,000-strong following being left furious at their team's showing."

Well. Done.

The nation is so very proud that the very angry fans didn't stoop to acts of barbarism, and actually behaved in a civilized manner. Not that, you know, this isn't what should just generally be expected....!!!

[No Title]

Is it me or does it not quite feel like summer is really here? Perhaps this is due to it being the first summer of my life which hasn't come at the end of an academic year. I don't have that expansive six-to-twelve weeks of "freedom" awaiting me - in fact, the more I think about it, the more there seem to be constant constraints coming up in the next few weeks to ensure that my feet are firmly planted on the ground - both literally and metaphorically speaking.

I am not sure the grown-up way of life is really all it is cracked up to be. Perhaps if I was a braver soul, I would just pack up my stuff and hop on the first plane out of here.

Well. I suppose everything is temporary.

The First Election Debate

Against my original inclination, I feel compelled to give my (worthless) opinion on tonight's debate between UK's three main party leaders.

* * *

Right. Scrap all I was going to say. I just gauged some reactions from various people's statuses on Facebook, and here is my two cents on the First Election Debate; history has been made...

Firstly, the comment that most provoked this unforeseen reaction in me was "politics turned theatre is a joke" - erm...excuse me, but all politics is theatre, played out on the world stage with people who try every day to convince us that their point of view and their policies deserve our backing. And there is no doubt that a huge amount of acting (and manipulation) goes into this - just take a look at the Lib Dems for the past, say, two general elections. They talk about winning and about what they would do, but they knew deep down, as we did, that they never really had a shot at power.

What we saw in tonight's debate is something quite extraordinary - the third main party in our electoral system got a fair platform from which to challenge the others and to push forward their own agenda - and, most importantly, in a way that was accessible to the whole electorate. All too often the Lib Dems get shooed into the corner because no one really believes their policies are worth serious airtime. And I think it worked very much in their favour. Early polls suggest Nick Clegg was seen as the 'winner' of tonight's debate, and I really hope that this (and the other two debates left), firstly, helps encourage more people to register to vote and, secondly, ensures people seriously consider the political choices they have before them - it doesn't have to be just 'red or blue'.

Just two more quick points -

Considering how the debates might fit overall into the bigger picture, there is a danger that those who have made up their voting minds won't now be swayed one way or the other by a few television performances. I don't know what the viewing figures for tonight are, but I genuinely hope enough of the 'floating voters' watched it to get some sense of political perspective.

However, my biggest fear is that, actually, not enough people really give a shit. The apathy of the general public frustrates me beyond belief. A lot of my friends tend to be quite blasé about elections and the like, and what frustrates me most is not the blatant disregard for the future of this country, but the fact that so many people don't bother to exercise one of the most fundamental human rights that this country's citizens are entitled, and almost privileged, to have. (I say 'almost' because a 'right', by its very nature, is not a 'privilege' as such.)

* * *

Lamest quote of the night came from Cameron: "Choose hope over fear."

Quarter-end Review

Easter is 8 days earlier this year than it was last year.

Unlike Christmas, which always falls on 25 December, Easter has a tendency to jump around different Sundays in March and April. This used to be a great source of confusion for me. Surely if Christians celebrate the 'birth of Jesus' on one particular day of the year, they should also celebrate the 'death and resurrection of Jesus' on one specific day of the year too? I have since found out that Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon after 21st March.

(...which still doesn't quite seem to explain why the jumping around is necessary. One's Anniversary of Death is, just like one's Anniversary of Birth, always going to fall on one day of the year! Anyway, I think I am past the caring stage now, I just appreciate the fact that we have a Bank Holiday and I can laze about for four days.)

So, a quick review of the success (or otherwise) of my year-to-date:

- No matter how good my intentions are, I am perpetually in the 'quitting' stage of smoking. At first when I quit, I would go five days without one, and then 'reward' myself for good behaviour by smoking a cigarette on the sixth day. (I should start my own brand of Warped Logic.) And due to large numbers of smoker friends, I tend to smoke a couple casually over a drink (or three). However, I am not viewing this as a failure, more as a need to readjust my attitude.

- My other resolutions have worked out alright, I suppose. Not really biting my fingers any more; (very important that I differentiate between the nails - which I don't bite - and the skin around them - which is the real problem. I sound like a cannibal!) Am possibly biting/chewing on my lips more, must investigate.

- Have started some workouts: 10mins stretches/warmups, 20mins abs, 10mins 'buns', 5mins press-ups. Am trying to work up the courage to go for a run. (Yes, courage is necessary. As I fear I won't be able to get past the end of my road.)

I am also now officially a full-time worker bee. And I don't hate my job(s)!

Happy Easter!

Ideal Time

Timekeeping is something that I sporadically have issues with. Indeed, it's something that has haunted most of my life. Most people never forget their first day of (secondary) school, but mine was memorable for all the wrong reasons - the fear that I wouldn't be able to find anything, given the knowledge that I'd managed to turn up about 15 minutes late. I remember running into some sixth formers and asking 'where is P7?!' only to be told that the room 'P7 didn't exist', and was I looking for J7 or S7, or did I not mean to be looking for a room at all and, in fact, was just trying to find the class that was 7P? So I settled for the latter, and found myself in an empty classroom - bar the form tutor - who was inevitably waiting for 'the late girl'.

In fairness, during those early days I did live a small heart attack - two tube lines and 22 stops - away from school. And I was lucky enough to befriend the other six or so unfortunate souls who also lived well outside the London Borough of Barnet to warrant tube travel, a couple of which were in my year group, and consequently, upon becoming friends, we understood and accepted our individual tardy ways, and it became acceptable to be 15 minutes late for anything we were going to do, because we knew that we would collectively be at least 15 minutes late - and therefore, by some perverted logic, all turn up punctually tardy.

Anyway, after years of struggling with this condition - and I do believe it is a condition, mind - I have concluded the following:

My mind, and therefore my body, run on what I call 'ideal time'. So, in an ideal world, it would take me only 15 minutes to get ready. In an ideal world, tube journeys anywhere would take no more than half an hour. And walking distance, in an ideal world, would be no longer than 10 minutes.

Sadly, I do not live in an ideal world.

'Real time', in fact, runs on an " 'ideal time' + 30 minutes " formula - give or take; (I have yet to refine this into an exact science.)

Armed with this fact, and three forms of alarms in the early morning, I am slowly becoming a punctual, reliable and tardy-free person.

Just a ramble...

I did not blog at all in the month of February - so here is a short ramble before I completely forget the art of stringing sentences together in an (arguably) amusing fashion:

I did start a post about a fortnight ago, but have so far failed to make any headway with it as, these days, if I'm not working on my laptop then I'm taking (what I perceive to be) a well-earned break to catch up on some Gilmore Girls or laugh at South Park. Although, having said that, last week I stumbled upon an article on psychopathy (see here) which took the best part of a day to read through. At first it was all very intriguing, until I started to think it didn't really have much of a basis in science. Anyway, various playings-around from one link to the next took me to this interview with the founder of (amongst others) the site upon which said article is hosted. Now, all of that made for some very hefty reading. But it was worth it, I think, for two of the funniest things I have read in the last three months:

- hyperdimensional beings are perpetrating an experiment on us, manipulating us, with evidence to strongly suggest we are food for them

and

- scientists in one field don't talk so much to scientists in other fields - like the Egyptologists

Much LOLing ensued on my part.

I swear Egyptology isn't an actual science?! Egyptoligists must be historians, surely! Historians interpret various sources from the past. Ergo, history is not science. Anyway! A discussion for another time, perhaps!

I don't know if this makes any sense to people reading it out of context, but if you go through the aforementioned interview, you'll come across what I mean (...eventually. I did wonder why I spent so much time reading so much nonsense. It must've been a slow news day.)

Oh, I also watched 'In The Loop' this weekend. It kind of likened itself to me as a heavily satirical, political version of Napoleon Dynamite. But I have only seen ND once, and that was over three years ago, so the comparison is probably not valid. But I don't think either film has explicit humour, it's all more about the delivery.

And finally - I thought I found two googlewhacks today. However, I don't think they fell within the guidelines - shame!

Fearmongering

I will keep this short and sour.

Three days ago, Home Secretary Alan Johnson warned a terrorist attack was 'highly likely' in the UK, and raised the UK terrorist threat level from 'substantial' to 'severe'. Apparently, we're meant to 'remain vigilant' and 'report suspicious events to the proper authorities'. And if I could just quote a slightly larger passage:

Lord Carlile, the government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said the change was designed to make the public more aware, not to scare people. He said: "The government has quite rightly decided that if you don't tell the public to be vigilant, they're not going to be vigilant."

So, my question is, what exactly is it that we're meant to be on the lookout for? What examples of terrorist activity have we been subject to, that could help us (the general public) in identifying 'suspicious events'?

And, in truth, the only examples that we have to hand - the only examples the media has presented us with - is of men in turbans carrying big rucksacks. And I'll be damned if I look at every man in a turban with a big rucksack as a potential threat.

Furthermore, Lord Carlile's argument is practically worthless. If Mr Smith is, unfortunately, going to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and be victim to some terror attack, there is nothing he can do about it. Telling us that the threat is 'severe' does nothing but make us more paranoid.

So, if I could please translate: if you don't tell the public to be suspicious, they're not going to be suspicious. And again, I, for one, do not want to walk the streets of London being suspicious of my fellow Londoners.

Perhaps this post isn't as short (but it's definitely as sour) as I first intended it to be...

Finally, just watch this Newswipe edition to see what I mean. Long live Charlie Brooker.

The Big Three

Right-o. So, according to what I have gleamed from Nick Robinson's Newsblog, the general election is on the cards for May. All fine and well, I'm sure we all saw that coming. But did anyone watch the Andrew Marr Show (aired Sun 3rd Jan, 9am)? No, probably not - neither did I, until I streamed it on iPlayer; [oh how I love technology, and especially my new laptop - get used to this, it will be a while before I am over the amazingness of this wonderful, wonderful machine, my apologies in advance.] So, if you're at all interested in British politics, I would recommend even a quick peek at the interview, it starts at 27mins and sees the 'underdog' talking about allsorts from terrorism, immigration, and the upcoming election.

Now. To the heart of it. I'd just like to draw your attention to the three main parties' websites in the run up to this crucial election period. Five months indeed does seem like a long time, but considering the current political climate, there's no time like the present to pick up those floating (mostly Labour?) voters.

Bless the Lib Dems, such is the combined weight of their self-esteem that there's a 'who are we' box on the home page. Come on guys, you're meant to be a mainstream political party! We're meant to know who you are, you want to run our country - put something more forceful on your home page!

The Conservatives, on the other hand, have no less than five various forms of publicising David Cameron to the masses - videos, speeches, photos. They must really want this win.

And finally, the Labour party. The most prominent feature on their page is a ridiculous quiz that forces you (because there is no 'close' button) to sit through ten questions aimed at naming-and-shaming ten Tories who have come out with some funny comments over the year. This Q&A suggests only that Labour have no real fight left in them, and have been reduced to playground-style battles.

Gordon Brown, I really want to like you. But you don't make it easy for me - or yourself for that matter.

New Year!

So, here we are in yet another decade - the fourth that my life so far has spanned. The crucial question is obviously what will this decade be named - the tens? the teens? the twenteens? Only time will tell!

My new year's resolutions -

1. Quit smoking. I am doing this rather begrudgingly, which leads me to think it will be harder this time than last year - in 2009 I didn't smoke from Jan-April. I need to convince myself that I want to quit smoking in order to succeed. Will keep you posted.

2. Quit biting the skin around my nails. I don't actually bite my nails, but the skin around them is getting to look like it needs some TLC. I've already caught myself absent-mindedly eating away at my fingers today, so this resolution will be more about recognising when and why I do it, and reprogramming this behaviour.

3. Generally - do more/learn more/play more/work more. Basically, stop wasting so much time on 'nothing'. Write more.

There are a few other things I aim to achieve this year, but this lot should keep me occupied 'til at least March.

Umm...what?!

Ok, can I just quickly point out - I am following my own blog?! WTF?! !!!

EDIT: I have resolved this issue now...