The Four Plights of Christmas
Every family requires a scrooge. I am the family scrooge. While everybody else is sipping champagne, opening gifts and pulling crackers I can be found muttering to myself and reprehending the happiness of these poor, misguided people. But alas, that time of the year has once again rolled around; children are excitedly counting down the days until Christmas, parents are anxiously awaiting the reception of their children to the pile of gifts stacked higher than the tree, representing an entire month of wages, and I am on exceptional ranting form. So what does this scrooge hate most about Christmas? Read the rest of this post »
One Of Those Days
For as long as I can remember I have been a passive person by nature, at times unable to express my true beliefs and feelings for fear of causing offence or sparking a quarrel. Seeing this process at work must be bizarre and entertaining to those many people who speak their mind candidly and often bashfully. The one occasion at which this can be seen at its most hilarious and pathetic is when Jehovah’s Witnesses call by for a chat. I am not in opposition to religion and I am completely open to the concept of an intelligent creator, but what I am not open to is conversion. My beliefs are independent and shall remain such. Read the rest of this post »
Newspapers and the Internet: The Options
The press has hit an all-time slump, worsened by the belt-tightening effects of the economic downturn. Many newspapers are folding whilst others suffer critical cutbacks with editors being left to “do more with less”. Many blame the internet for the deterioration of the industry and others blame broadcast journalism which provides news in a rapid and easy format. Those who blame the “free-for-all” society of the internet are quick to attack the digital revolution and do so ferociously and without pulled punches. Read the rest of this post »
Rupert Murdoch: Media Baron Plans To Charge The Net
Rupert Murdoch, Australian-born supreme overlord of media conglomerate News Corporation, has announced plans to apply charges to the websites of his popular publications, including The Times and The Sun. The statement comes a day after the company reported a record loss of £2bn in the last financial year, a performance which will no doubt have inflicted some level of embarrassment on the company. Murdoch, a man allegedly incapable of purging his own email inbox, believes that such a radical solution is necessary and justified, laying the blame for the deterioration of his company revenue squarely at the feet of the internet. Read the rest of this post »
The Swine Flu Frenzy
Swine flu: the dominating media trend of the year, an uneasy parent’s nightmare and a struggling government’s dream. The mere allusion to the illness in conversation brings dialogue to an abrupt halt as participants frantically race indoors to douse their germ-ridden hands in cleaning solution and elude the malicious virus now stalking our streets. Newspapers battle to find fresh, sensationalist quotes from under-qualified attention-seekers who , by fair means or foul, managed to reach positions of power in healthcare or politics. One very significant fact which seems to escape the minds of the population is that this “hybridised flu” is simply seasonal flu with a horror-evoking name and an undeserved reputation. Read the rest of this post »
The Pirate Bay Sells Up
The Pirate Bay’s decision to sell up and relinquish control to Swedish software developer Global Gaming Factory has been met with overwhelming criticism by the file sharing community. To some extent, this reaction is understandable and should have been anticipated by TPB staff. Administrators of the bittorrent tracker have for years scoffed at the threats of copyright lobbyists, vowed to radically innovate bittorrent technology, whilst loudly advocating the use of such technology. They have given a voice to the masses who would otherwise have been persecuted and ignored by society. The sale of TPB can be seen as a metaphorical throwing in of the towel and, although TPB front men have pledged their dedication to the cause, they now have no ties to a world they were once held in such esteem in. Read the rest of this post »
Dignity or Deceit?
Over one hundred British citizens have packed their bags for one final trip to the suicide clinic Dignitas, Switzerland, in search of a painless, dignified death surrounded by the love and support of close friends and family. Assisted suicide has been outlawed by the government and their decision in doing so bolstered by a series of rejected yet determined appeals from organisations taking a different view. In light of this, terminally ill sufferers denied legal euthanasia in Britain instead pay thousands of pounds to travel to suicide clinics abroad to face death on their own terms. Read the rest of this post »
A Day in Court
I have recently spent a period of time undertaking work experience at a local newspaper; reporting, writing, learning and the like. On two occasions I accompanied a reporter on his regular visits to the Crown Court, during which I had the opportunity to sit at the press bench to observe and jot (half-arsed) notes. I had been to that same court previously, though my experience was limited in duration and I had only ever watched from the public gallery, from which the voices below are barely audible. Read the rest of this post »
The British National Party and The Media
Following up on my previous article “BNP: Quotes, Videos and Material“, which attracted much attention from avid “Googlers” in the run-up and aftermath of the European elections, I have resolved to write a further article this time focusing on the BNP’s attitude towards the media and journalists in particular. The British National Party’s apparant opposition to mainstream media has no clear source, but one can assume it is the consequence of a natural collision and conflict of opinion between media and politics. Read the rest of this post »
A Private Affair – Part Two
The street is equally as congested as it was previously, packed with people making their way home from work. They fill the pavements and our man struggles to push through the unforgiving rush-hour crowd. People push past with fury, jolting his shoulders from side to side as he continues to battle onwards. He turns off into an alleyway, where he stops briefly to collect a few notes in his small leather book, and then continues out onto the adjacent street. The journey home proves uneventful and the crowds soon dissipate. Read the rest of this post »
A Private Affair – Part One
A hand drops a grimy coin into a payphone and, after the sound of a metallic clink, punches in the desired number. 0-9-0-4-8-18-0-9. Rain bounces off of the pavement outside the phone box, but is readily ignored by the shady gentleman encased in his box. He holds the receiver to his ear, awaiting a greeting from the end of the line. He shuffles uncomfortably, his head turning to reveal a dark, wrinkled face partially concealed by the thick collar of his grey raincoat. The man is smartly dressed, with his overcoat shielding a hand-tailored three-piece suit from the harsh elements. Dark clouds shift in and a strong breeze flows swiftly through the streets, disturbing only the pieces of trash that now float lifelessly down the street. Read the rest of this post »
The Death of Snail Mail
I am part of a generation raised in the midst of a technological revolution during which the internet, email and the personal computer became relied upon by people everyday worldwide. From a young age I was keenly encouraged to participate in the use of technology, which later served to rewire my brain giving me a substantial advantage when required to adapt to and utilise new technology. I am yet another child of the cyber-generation. Read the rest of this post »