No more mobiles!

One of the sillier ideas the Conservative Party have announced recently is their idea to include removing Mobile Phones from offenders who have been issued with (amongst other things) an ASBO.
Not a very sensible idea, methinks. For a start all someone would need to do was to buy a new 'pay-as-you-go' phone. They're not very expensive after all and how would the Police enforce the rule? With great difficulty i would imagine.
However, in theory it's not a bad idea. I despise mobile phones with a passion. They are fantastic for what they are designed for i.e. in an emergency. They continue to be one of the worst blights of the 21st century (so far).
I would go a lot further than the Tories idea. As far as i am concerned the use of mobile phones in public places should be banned.
There are many very good reasons for this. Nuisance and public safety are just two.
Just imagine if i was to walk down Royal Avenue tomorrow shouting at the top of my voice? I'd probably be arrested. Seems ok when you've got a mobile stuck to your ear?
If you swear at a Police Officer now it is a chargeable offence under the Public Order Act. However, if you use public transport you can shout and swear as much as you like as long as you're on the phone.
Imagine if i crossed the road tomorrow with my head down, not, obviously looking where i was going. Stupid, yes? An offence, also yes? Likely to cause an accident, possibly? How many times have you spotted some twat doing just this whilst sending a vitally important (obviously) text message.
The whole worlds seeming fascination with these devices beggars belief.
And just don't get me started on fu*king text speak!

Short Video game Review

All Flash games are rubbish...right?
Wrong!
I've just finished this one called Ultimate Tactics.

http://clickjogos.uol.com.br/Jogos-online/Acao-e-Aventura/Ultimate-Tactics/

It's fairly short, easy fantasy strategy game, free and written with Flash.
It shares some similarities with the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics. A turn based game i found it very enjoyable. It's pretty easy (especially when you get the Archer) and short but not a bad effort all the same.
There is a little bit of 'grinding' to be done on the early levels in order to build up your experience for the later levels but that's the only disappointing think about it.
Graphics are bright and colourful and it's viewed in 2.5D.
Definitely worth a try.

Short Book Review

THE BOUNTY

(THE TRUE STORY OF THE MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY)

BY

CAROLINE ALEXANDER

'You'll not put your feet on me, you bloody bastard'. Those immortal words spoken by the dashing Fletcher Christian to the tyrannical Captain Blyth in the Marlon Brando/Trevor Howard movie version of the tale left a great impression on me as a young man.

Utter nonsense, off course. However, there are, i think historical events and characters that hold the public imagination in ways that will last forever. The infamous Mutiny on the Bounty is one such event.

I've read a few books on the subject and therefore approached this one with a certain amount of caution.

Firstly, the title. 'The True Story of The Mutiny on the Bounty'. This is the first major 'untruth'.

This isn't the author's fault. The fact is that nobody actually knows the whole truth surrounding the events. The only surviving mutineer, John Adams, changed his story so many times when he was discovered on Pitcairn Island that the truth is simply not known.

There are also two main viewpoints. Those who support Fletcher Christian and those who support Captain Blyth. The author is firmly in the latter camp. An opinion that i share. However, she finds no fault at all with the good Captain and this is something that i can't agree with.

The Captain Blyth portrayed in the movies is nothing like the man actually was (although the Mel Gibson/Anthony Hopkins version of the mutiny comes close). He was not a tyrannical bully. In fact as most ship Captains of the time went he was actually quite lenient. The mutiny took place simply because Christian fell in love on Tahiti and didn't want to go home. Understandable enough i suppose for a young man of his age and experience. The minority of the crew followed him for other simple reasons. They were common seamen. If you had the choice of living on a tropical paradise or starving on the streets of Bristol which would you have chosen? Blyth's mistake was giving the crew too much freedom whilst off shore and then leaving it much too late in his attempts to reinstate discipline once back at sea. He did not and does not, however, deserve the reputation he carries to this day.

The author has very little, if anything, good to say about any of the mutineers. This is again an opinion i share as they to a man tried to lie and cheat their way out of accepting any blame for the events that occurred.

The book is reasonably well written but i found it a bit 'dry'. It is meticiously researched, with the passages relating to the Court Martials particularly well done.

In the end, though, it is just one in a series of books about the Mutiny that offers very little new information.

I would still recommend for anyone who has an interest in the subject.

Friday Night Video

OK then. If anyone else introduces me to any more French pop stars i won't be responsible for my actions. My wallet just can't take any more.
This is Lorie with Weekend. Avril Lavigne eat your heart out.

Not Friday night Video

Ok Ok, so i know it's not Friday night. Can't remember what i was doing last Friday night but better late than never.
This is Client:Can you feel, from their new album Command (which arrived with me today).
Loved Dubstar and love Client. Sarah Blackwood has an amazing voice although she doesn't use it as well with Client as she did with Dubstar.

S.O.S. (Part 2)

At long last the world is beginning to take off it's collective blinkers and is starting to recognise the mockery that is 'Kosovo'.
As i have stated before, a nation built on terrorism and governed by terrorists.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7990984.stm

Eastenders? Oscars?

I must confess that i am proud to say that i have never ever watched an episode of either Coronation Street or Emmerdale.
I do, however, watch Eastenders. Sometimes i dip in and out of it and i don't loose any sleep if i miss the odd episode.
Recently the storyline involving Ronny Mitchell and her daughter Danielle has had me hooked.
People are too quick to dismiss soap actors as not good enough for some reason.
I have to say that during these episodes Samantha Janus has been fantastic.
Her performance is deserving of some sort of an award and when the awards season does come around i hope she will be recognised.
Now, if only they could get rid of Patrick Trueman i would be very very happy.

Friday night video.

Now that i've finally discovered how to do the whole add a Youtube video to your Blog thing, i'm going to add the odd video that means something to me.
This one is dedicated to the late, great Stuart Adamson. What a waste of talent. Enjoy.

True Brit.

This is Victoria Pendleton who has added another World Championship Gold Medal to her already impressive Medal collection.

What a superb athlete she is and what an inspiration to others who will follow in her footsteps.

If i wore a hat, i would take it off to Victoria.

Well done Vicky and thanks for all the joy you have given me throughout the years and with any luck many years to come.

A True Brit!!

It shoudn't be allowed!

I've just read that TV Adventurer and 'Survivor' man 'Bear' Grylis has become a father for the 3rd time.

The name of the new baby boy? Huckleberry...yep Huckleberry.

He has 2 other children. Jesse and Marmaduke.....yep Marmaduke.

Who in the name of all that's Holy would call their children Huckleberry and Marmaduke! WTF!

Just imagine the years of playground abuse that these poor unfortunates will be subjected to. It beggars belief. Scorn and ridicule await them at every point in their lives.

How can 2 grown adults seriously discuss naming their new baby and come up with Marmaduke?

I just don't know........

IMHO

I'm not afraid to say that when it comes to Politics, i lean, fairly heavily towards the right.

I'm not ashamed of it, it's the position i take and I'm proud to stand up to it.

When my Dad was alive we used to have long (and sometimes heated) discussions about it.

It nearly always ended up with him calling me a Nazi and an apologist for genocide.

I'm neither actually but you should never let facts get in the way of a good argument.

I was asked a few days ago what my opinion was of the current trouble in the Middle East i.e. the Israeli/Gaza conflict.

The banner above this post outlines my position 100%.

Curious isn't it? What with me being a Jew hating Nazi and what not?

ALLEZ......ALIZEE!!!

This is Alizee. She is French and she rocks.

More to come later.