Category Archives: random rants

by | March 8, 2011 · 7:07 am

letters to the editor – mobile phone technology

Sir

I try not to use my mobile, or cell as my US friends call it, phone too much. After all, I am not a servant to be summoned by the ringing of a bell, and my mobile phone appears to be fitted with some sort of proximity detector that always ensures that it will ring when I am about to do something important.

For example it will often ring just as I get to the till to pay for something, or at another extremely inconvenient (or in convenience) moment when I have my hands otherwise occupied.

Surely if they can fit phones with such a device to make them ring at these times, then the same device could be made to stop them ringing until such moments have passed?

Until then I will have to carry on turning it off and back on again myself.

I think that we should be told.

Yours faithfully

Harassed of Hamilton

Leave a comment

Filed under fun stuff, Letters to the Editor - I think we should be told, random rants

Tagged as , , ,

by | March 7, 2011 · 5:35 pm

leave Andy alone

Why do the media have it in for Prince Andrew? We can’t be responsible for the sins of our friends, assuming that we even know about them. At the moment there isn’t even a real allegation against him, let alone anything else, and a bunch of publicity seeking individuals draggings his name around the edges of a scandal should be treated with the contempt that they deserve and be ignored.

There are a lot of people in this country who had a reasonable Christmas because of the work that HRH brought in for their employers, so leave him alone and let him get on with doing the good that he does. And while you’re at it, leave his ex alone too.

Leave a comment

Filed under random rants

Tagged as , , , ,

by | March 5, 2011 · 8:48 pm

a tale of two hackers – part 2

Last week I had a bit of a go at the founder of Wikileaks, and I feel a bit of clarification may be needed. I’m not against whistle blowing, although I did once come a cropper doing just that myself, but last week I was drawing a parallel between those who seem to want to elevate Mr Assange to sainthood and the case of Gary McKinnon.

My issue with Julian Assange is that knowledge is power and needs to be used with care. I frequently am rude here about politicians, but there is a responsibility issue at hand and politicians have a difficult job, more so the further up the ivory tower they get. My beef with them is often about how ill prepared they are to wield the knowledge and power that they have.

There are times when the people (whoever they may be) have a right to know things and there are times when they don’t. That decision has to be made by someone. Now we are all human and fallible, but when we are entrusted with those decisions we have to do our best to do the right thing.

The problem I have with Wikileaks is that I don’t see any sign of accountability, let alone responsibility. Mr Assange and his supporters are happy enough to attack The System, but look what happens when things get rough; it’s that same System that they look to to protect them.

It takes courage to wield knowledge and power. I don’t see a lot of that in Mr Assange, and nor do I see it in the way that the US government is behaving towards Gary McKinnon. Maybe there is an irony there.

Leave a comment

Filed under random rants, serious stuff

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | February 6, 2011 · 4:18 pm

Letters to the Editor #51 – QI, Top Gear and now Steve Coogan

Sir

I wrote here the other day in support of QI over the remarks made last week about Japan and the atom bomb raids that closed off WW2.

Over last weekend I had also watched Top Gear, and had heard the oafish remarks made regarding Mexico and its people, and those I cannot defend, nor would I want to. I regard that sort of behaviour, in a public forum, as being on the same level as Mr Gray and Mr Keys the other week. Some of Top Gear I find very enjoyable, but I missed an entire series after turning off part way through the first episode because of their antics in the deep south of the US.

It is a shame that three intelligent presenters seem to want to resort to this sort of behaviour, but the audience do seem to like it, as did that of the Sky football chaps (the 20 year success of the latter could not have come without the audience wanting to tune in).

Maybe I am in a minority here. If so I don’t mind, I make my own choices. Mr Coogan appears to be a fellow member, but maybe his public reaction has something to do with Top Gear drawing a bigger audience and getting more laughs? Certainly it is the first mention I have heard of him in a while.

Will I watch Top gear again tonight? Maybe, there’s not much else on, but the off button is there should I wish to use it.

Yours faithfully

Disgusted of Dorcan

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Letters to the Editor - I think we should be told, random rants

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | February 4, 2011 · 10:56 am

Fry’s Japan visit axed over QI row

Isn’t about time we grew up and stopped all this nonsense? I’ve used the old adage sticks and stones more than once in these blogs, and I’ll say it again here.

These are only words. So they offended some people, but so what? I am offended by their offence, so will they retract? Of course not; the whole thing just becomes more and more stupid.

I knew people who suffered dreadfully at the hands of Japanese soldiers in WW2. One had a face that, when viewed from the front, was a perfect curve courtesy of a Japanese rifle butt. These things offend me greatly, but I don’t hold them against any Japanese person that I meet, any more than I hold prison camp atrocities against any Germans I encounter.

Bad taste means no harm and black humour helps get people through their dark days. We all get upset at times and bloody livid at others, but it only harms us when we do. Let it go by and live for the future with a little more tolerance. If we have that, then we might avoid getting into the very situations that led to that summer of 1945 and the terrible price paid on those two fateful days that are behind the remarks that started this.

These things are history; if we’re going to learn from them and improve our behaviour that is fine, remember them for that good reason, but to keep up this culture of taking offence is ridiculous. Where does it end? Should I be trying to stop re-runs of Carry on Cleo because it pokes fun at my ancient ancestors as they were enslaved by the Romans?

I hope that these words do not offend, but, quite honestly, I don’t care. They are an opinion and I am as entitled to it as you are to yours. If we don’t agree it doesn’t matter. The world would be a boring place if there was nothing to debate.

 

 

1 Comment

Filed under random rants

Tagged as , , , ,

by | January 25, 2011 · 7:59 pm

Sian Massey – more media madness

Not only am I appalled by the comments made by TV pundits, but also by the standard of reporting. Sian Massey is a referee, so why, when busily complaining about the behavior of a pair of pundits does a leading daily have to refer to her as “Girl Ref”. Surely that is just as sexist?

In his playing days I was a big fan of Andy Gray. I can still respect what he did on the pitch, but not what he has said about Sian Massey. Utterly disgraceful.

Leave a comment

Filed under random rants

Tagged as , , , ,

by | January 23, 2011 · 2:10 pm

more joys of shopping + London2012

Reading of the desecration of some of my old haunts that is going on in order for the 2012 Olympics to take place (I sold commercial vehicles spares and other things all around that patch back in the 1970s) I was prompted to thoughts of how we could scoop some extra medals from the home event.

Competitive shopping! Once again this weekend the Berkshire Belle and I have been out there scrounging for some nosh in both Cheltenham and Swindon and, as ever, we have had to pick our way through the ranks of those who see the weekly shop as some sort of assault course.

This is not a phenomenon we come across in other countries, so Team GB could be in for some world domination here; we could have different classes for different age groups perhaps. The OAPs hunt in packs, younger folks that can’t shop without the mobile phone clamped to the ear whilst savaging the opposition with their trolleys and so on. And then the men’s class would be for the “I’ll show the other half how it’s done” dash round in record time with points scored for casualties on the way, whilst the lady’s class would be more along the lines of ” can I take so long getting my purse out to pay that everything the next person in line has bought goes past its sell by date”. And there could be a family class for the greatest number of aisles blocked  to other shoppers while we all stand and debate.

If nothing else we should be able to win on sheer naked aggression. Every weekend I go into therapy for ankles clipped by countless shopping carts and friction burns from arms that have been shoved across my face to grab something.

And we certainly play it as a body contact sport. The Berkshire Belle and I  have mutual grounds for divorce after every trip to the shops on the basis that we’ve had far more physical contact with total strangers that we’ve managed with each other.

If Team GB want a good medal haul at London2012 next year then Competitive Shopping is clearly the way to go.

Leave a comment

Filed under fun stuff, random rants, The Joys of Shopping

Tagged as , , , ,

by | November 24, 2010 · 8:05 pm

The joys of motoring #6

So there I was, heading off up the M5 in Jennifer Jaguar with plenty of time to get round Brum and to my seminar around the M42/M6 interchange when the warning signs told me that the M5 was closed between junctions 6 and 5. Oh, well. Off at J8 and across via Pershore, Evesham and Stratford upon Avon and pick up the route again from that side.

Why is it that some idiot has failed to manage to drive along a piece of road where we’re all going the same way without driving into something? I know that I’ve asked  this before, but I do get the feeling that some people have to take their brains out before they get behind the wheel.

Despite my having left with time in hand I got to where I was going an hour later than planned. Not too bad under the circumstances, but I reckon I could have shaved another 15 minutes off that if it wasn’t for two other pieces of brainless activity (or non activity actually) on the part of my fellow car peddlers.

Firstly, why is it that so many people arrive at a roundabout and then stop and look to see if anyone is coming? Look as you are getting there and you can see whether or not you need to stop. If there’s no need to stop, then don’t.

Then there is the traffic light brigade, the worst example of which this morning was in Evesham. I’m eight cars back in the queue at a red light. The lights change. What seemed like three days later the person at the front woke up and moved off. A couple of the others followed fairly promptly, but the rest had to think about it. The bloke in front of me must have had to get the manual out to see which pedals did what as the one in front of him had almost got through the lights before he moved. And then the inevitable; he’s 30 feet from the lights and they start to change. All of a sudden he’s realised what the pedal on the right does and he goes for it, and is undeterred as the lights go red just before he gets there. Through he goes as I coast to a halt at the line.

So thanks to all you people who each wasted a few more seconds of my life again today, and thanks also to whoever caused the problem on the M5. I only missed 40 minutes of the seminar that I’d paid £400 (plus VAT) for because I know my way around and could find a different way. One of my fellow delegates wasn’t sure enough to try a diversion and missed three hours of the seminar.

The joys of motoring?

Leave a comment

Filed under cars planes and trains, random rants

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | November 21, 2010 · 1:46 pm

I say No Thanks to Berlin Time.

I have been reading of Rebecca Harris MP (Conservative, Castle Point) and her private member’s bill proposal to have the UK switch to Central European Time, or Berlin Time as some folks would have it, presumably to raise the spectre of Johnny Foreigner, here in the form of the Hun, taking over the country.

Xenophobia aside, for me this is plainly ridiculous and I see no point in it whatsoever. Yes it just shifts the day, but I go to work in the dark for a lot of the year anyway; I’m an early riser. Lighter evenings would result and that would be pleasant and no more, but the hard facts that are being touted are largely untrue: Last time we tried this road deaths went up, not down.

Ms Harris may be sincere, but I believe that she is misguided. Surely she could have found something more sensible to spend a private members bill on? Or has she just picked something controversial to make a name for herself?

Join me in lobbying against this daft idea. There are plenty of websites and polls opposing it.

Leave a comment

Filed under business life, random rants

Tagged as , , , ,

by | November 14, 2010 · 4:03 pm

Police helicopter to move – more fun with the media?

“Police helipcopter to move” screams the headline on the placard!

Goodness gracious! What could this mean? Has it been on static display outside Police HQ all of these years? Have they finally found the budget for enough fuel to fly it? Are they going to take it away on a truck?

The thing has been in regular movement since they got it. It has been flying around where I live for years, so has the local rag only just got wind of this or could it be another example of sloppy standards in journalism?

The latter of course. Yes, I know roughly what they mean in that there are ongoing issues about the shared service with Wiltshire NHS, but why should I have to interpret a simple headline? Surely accuracy would be better? “New base for Police helicopter”, for example, says it all.

Please stop dumbing down. We need better standards if we are to get this country back on its feet. The media are in the front line along with teachers and, first and foremost, parents.

Leave a comment

Filed under cars planes and trains, fun stuff, random rants

Tagged as , , , , , ,