Future Proof

There's a lot of talk among the tech media, websites and press regarding the next generation of consoles to be showcased at the next E3 Expo this coming June. Sony have said they won't be announcing the Playstation 4 at the Expo and are looking at possible partnerships regarding a cloud based system. As for the Microsoft and future Xbox's, there's talk of a possible new machine that comes with a tablet, possibly a challenger for the new Nintendo system expected soon, though industry experts say a new Xbox will be doubtful.

Samsung have recently announced future proof televisions that you can upgrade without buying a new set and most new televisions now are internet enabled giving you the ability to browse or download films with subscription services such as Netflix.

It doesn't really take a genius to see where it's all going and that is 'cloud' based. I would imagine the industry will find it much cheaper to have games available to either play or download from the cloud, it'll obviously replace the need (eventually) to purchase hard copies of games on disks I should imagine and it's probably a better way to combat piracy both with games and movies.

I can see consoles getting much smaller as their main jobs will be just to run the games via the cloud, they'll just be a small device with a wireless controller, though I suspect still able to play blu-ray and such for a good few years yet but inevitably films on demand and internet tv's will be the new thing. You'll be able to purchase films on the cloud and stream them whenever you want. In all honesty I don't think these changes are too far off, my reasoning being when you look how far technology has jumped over the last 20 years.

I think we are ideally looking at the living room containing a voice recognition tablet device (as the processing power is rapidly growing on these) as the main but portable focus. Combined with this will be a voice recognition tv (they're already here) and a wireless controller for games, that will be all you need. Should you want to relax in bed you'll be able to stream things to your tablet, or maybe a family will have multiple tablets all streamed to via a central hub of sorts, parents being in control of a master tablet to control settings and content for their kids.

Having an ipad I can already see how the cloud is working and the benefit of it it breaks or you lose it, then all your downloaded software and files are still there indefinitely.

Whatever happens, exciting times are ahead.

Immigration - My Thoughts.

Before I begin, I feel with this blog I am about to type that I need to put some form of disclaimer beforehand that I'm not racist, fascist or member of the BNP or EDL etc. My godfather (though I wasn't christened I must add) is an Afro-Caribbean gentleman and I grew up in a family that embraced foreign people and the multicultural society we've had for decades. However sadly it's not the done thing to talk about foreign people or immigration these days, people get uneasy or angry about it and most generally want to avoid such conversations, unless it is something that suddenly affects them of course. We've become a 'bite your lip' nation mostly when it comes to talking about such matters, even the political aspects of it.

It occurred to me this morning whilst paying my last council tax instalment 'Do we really know how many Eastern Europeans are actually here in the UK?'. The notion was instigated by an Eastern European man in the queue asking in broken English 'Please, give me form for council house?'.

I must confess I felt uneasy at this because I believe (and I hope) that preferential treatment should always be given to British nationals for that sort of accommodation. Usually such schemes go on points and rightly so but it left me wondering just how easy it actually is for foreign people to get into British council housing? Only today reports have been released that indicate immigrants do take British jobs. I'm sure the report is valid, though I don't read the actual paper the headline was in. Migration Watch the none political website also ran an article on the 9th of this month saying youth unemployment and immigration are more than a coincidence. All said and done I'd hope British people are always put before foreign applicants, even if they are unemployed. Recent reports have said there is a real shortage of council accommodation and unfortunately we always have a supply of single mums or old people here needing it despite peoples opinions on it and we should look after our own first.

Most British people actually feel there are too many foreign people here, especially Eastern European and they'll quietly say so. This doesn't mean they are racist because most of those people will actually know Indian or Afro Caribbean people either as friends or in the work place or even just to exchange small talk with down the local curry house or takeaway.

Before I go into where I actually stand on it politically and personally, I think a paraphrased history lesson is in order to better understand my viewpoint and understanding of our British multicultural society.

Post world war two we welcomed many Free Polish people that had gallantly fought either in the British army or as part of the free Polish forces. These Polish people settled into British life, in some cases married British partners and worked in industry, in my area it was the coal mines they worked in mostly. They integrated into British life and became British citizens whilst still retaining their culture. Over the next few decades that Polish population grew slightly as some escaped the Iron curtain and made their way to Britain. You'd see Polish working mens clubs back when I was young or even Ukrainian clubs of the same nature but that generation of Eastern European very much settled into the English way of life and culture, were hard working and an asset to the country and more importantly 'integrated'.

In the 1950s Britain of course there was a post war man power shortage and people were invited from within the commonwealth to come and work here, especially in the cities where there was a shortage of labour. Many did come, they settled and they became proud citizens, adopting their new country but also bringing their culture with them, in time multicultural Britain flourished and was welcomed by most of the native population. I love the fact this country has a fusion of different cultures, that we have our Indian and Chinese cuisine, fantastic foreign doctors and health workers and many others too numerous to mention.

Its with some irony that generations down the line immigrants that settled here long ago and integrated are also against the mass influx of Eastern Europeans.

Coming back to the present day influx. Are East Europeans actually to blame? Of course not, they want better pay and gainful employment and most of course have a strong work ethic.

So what are my objections and problems with it?

Firstly the new wave of incoming Eastern Europeans don't mix very well like past generations did. They open Polish food shops and generally stick to their own, I don't see how such shops benefit our economy, they only import food stuff to serve the local Eastern Europeans. You rarely see Eastern European people mixing in our communal society, it's become a 'them and us' mentality, they should ideally take heed from those that settled here generations ago. This brings me to the point the new influx are kind of here in a mercenary capacity if you'll excuse the phrase. This is because they are getting used to the system here and it's benefits, especially health care, welfare and housing. That said we have mercenaries of our own, landlords that charge high rents for small houses that many are forced to share. This of course has led to a shortfall in our own private housing and increased rents before of greedy British landlords, so our own suffer as well as foreigners being ripped off in many cases.

It all boils down to the money at the end of the day, that's the sad thing. They come here, earn money and many send it home or go back home with some, which again isn't putting into our economy. The fact many have come here and will work for low wages has undercut British workers and tradesmen, that's why wages have fell and living standards dropped. Nobody bothers with local green grocers anymore, they go to 'poundstretchers' or supermarkets instead but I'm not blaming that on migrants (though they do like their Poundstretchers). Our own Employment agencies actively work with representatives in countries such as Poland to bring foreign work in, locally here its in warehouse, factory or farm work. Again, this is a political issue that should be addressed because the government should be monitoring this more and be actively involved with placing our own people, especially youngsters in such employment whether they moan about it or not because back in the day you worked regardless, you never really could pick and choose unless you were well educated or from a privileged background.

My view is really simple. I think the government knows there are real problems facing communities and services due to the influx of Eastern Europeans. Mr Cameron if you don't believe me try getting an appointment at a local doctors surgery then when you manage it take not on how many immigrants are there when you're sat waiting. Smaller provincial towns such as my own are awash with Eastern Europeans, whilst in a mobile phone shop the other day I was (beside the staff) the only English speaking person in there. This does of course feel odd at times, oddly enough had there been Afro-Caribbean or Indian people sat near me speaking English I wouldn't have given it a second thought. A friend recently once told me her town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire has been nicknamed 'Wizbeckistan' by the locals, you don't need to muse why.

In the past I worked with homeless people in Nottingham, many of which were Eastern Europeans. Most of them had come to England to avoid problems back home for reasons mostly known to themselves though we did know many were on the run from authorities and were now leading life's of petty crime and begging on the streets of the city. Some of course had come expecting a better life, it wasn't so and so they lapsed into drinking and again, petty crime. The benefit system here doesn't usually pay out until Eastern Europeans have worked for a year and paid in, so things can often go wrong if they suddenly end up without employment. The sad thing was that most of the men I dealt with were 40+ years of age, spoke almost no English and had come here expecting to walk into a job regardless, the reality was different, this country has its own problems and people of their age weren't as employable, so began a descent into drink and desperation rather than go back and face the authorities or tell their family they had failed, such is the social stigma in Poland I am led to believe. So the above said, I can speak with some knowledge of how immigration doesn't work and needs to be monitored more because bluntly speaking we have many that simply shouldn't be here or our responsibility. It was only a few weeks ago that someone I once worked with, an elderly Polish gentlemen dropped dead outside McDonalds in Nottingham, friendless, cold, bereft of money and made to beg for others by his own countrymen. A thoroughly sad end to a life.

So, do I think there are too many Eastern Europeans here? Well that's a resounding yes, it's not their fault but the governments fault for letting too many in and buying into European dictated legislation etc. That said it's almost like the new wave of them don't actually give a damn for Great Britain as a nation and what it's about, they want to earn cash, keep to themselves and that's as far as their minds go. I for one on going abroad at least like to absorb as much of their culture as I can. I've seen Eastern Europeans get aggressive in a few instances in the past, once I was pushed away from an ATM machine in town by two Eastern European gents and couldn't do anything about it, though to be fair English people could have done the same but some immigrants do have a belligerent nature, possibly because they aren't at home so don't have to worry so much but maybe some is down to apprehension, cultural differences and the whole being 'en guard' in a strange place. I dunno really but it's there to be seen.

Am I racist? Well those who know me can see the answer to that or read it within this blog. I love the fact we have a multicultural society and generally are a very tolerant country compared to others. It's amazing that due to foreign doctors and specialists that the national health is so good and helps so many. I think it's great foreign students come here to study and take back a little bit of Great Britain with them and I feel proud of our multicultural heritage over the last few decades though some would argue it's a legacy brought upon us by our grand imperial days of the empire. There's some irony to the fact that most third world or Indian countries still see Britain as a mythical land of greatness and want to become 'British', you see them talking about it on tv, especially fleeing migrants or impoverished people with dreams of a better life. The same I feel cannot be said for many of the new wave of Eastern Europeans because if that was the case they'd be making more effort.

When I walk through the cities and towns of England now and hear so many foreign accents I wonder if we are losing our own 'British culture', have we sunk into an apathy of not fighting for our own, or our own jobs? Have we become more materialistic and less hard working (probably) and thus more immigrants coming here was inevitable? I can't help seeing stark contrasts between say 15 years ago and the present day and come to the conclusion the government has let us down and we've lost our initiative work wise. The new thing in the high street seems to be lots of salons full of Chinese people painting fingernails cheaply, why didn't we think of this or would we even want to do it? You really can't fault immigrants for being industrious in some ways but the bottom line is, with rising population and unemployment the government should be looking inwards towards our own, finding new employment initiatives and even encouraging apprenticeships that once was. If it all goes wrong then we only have ourselves to blame. Sadly the phrase 'Britain, the workshop of the world' will never be commonplace again, probably because immigration aside we readily give contracts out to foreign companies.

Anything in moderation is good but I honestly feel there are too many immigrants in this country now, and as I have said above, some without purpose and a good few taking jobs we should be making our own people do. Instead of a Polish lads doing a cheap car wash down the road it should be our own youngsters taking the initiative but I doubt that will happen because it again goes back to a sense of national apathy to a degree that we seem to have cultivated. I'm not leaning towards slating benefits here because many of us have used state benefits in the past either between jobs or because of ill health. It just seems to me the government and indeed past governments are largely out of touch with the changing social landscape and problems of this country, problems which I think that unchecked immigration are only compounding.

I sincerely hope that the foreign friends I have and cherish that work and reside here see my points above and think along the lines of their own nationalistic thoughts, own government faults or personal viewpoints and respect mine.

Let The Adventures Begin!

2011 went out with a lacklustre fizzle, I was going to stay home but being a social creature I went out to socialise with friends. My local although busy at first emptied later and was probably going to shut soon after midnight, it was sad to see really as past new years have been far better in there. A few of us wandered down to another local that was at least busy. I did quickly pop down the Castle pub but decided to head back to my friends after I had a 'What are you doing foolish hobbit?' epiphany.

The company was good but I don't think New Years have the impact they once had, as I've said before the millenium killed it with pubs charging to get in, everyone hit the supermarkets for booze and stayed home as a social en masse. I think my body was telling me I'd drank enough last night, I felt a headache encroaching and felt absurdly hot (though the heating did hit you when you left the pub and came back in) and people weren't getting my quirky humour, ok so I do aim to shock a little at times but that's me.

So 2012 is here and very much a blank canvas, it'll be interesting to see what I and others around me do. January is my nominated month off the beer and more than ever I feel I need it, there's been lots of hedonistic nights lately and my body needs the break.

Plan for 2012? Well continue with my writing, I have another blog site planned but need to sort the domain name and set it up. It will be based on my secular humanism/atheist thinking so those that choose to read it can, it will be business as usual on this blog. Hopefully I'll get the new blog up and running in the near future. I have got two other writing projects under way but I'm not sure when they'll reach fruition though one is coming on nicely, both are works of fiction.

Hopefully in March I'll be off to Malta for a holiday and the China holiday with Gary has been moved from February to late summer now, he's got a lot on this year so we have to work around that but hopefully it will still happen.

I've trimmed my Facebook, I had far too many people on there that I didn't really know and added through those silly games on there I no longer play. So a good few have gone, some were also those I pass in the street and just nod and say hello to, others that I maybe once knew but never will see again and some just irritated me, so it was clear out time. Sure there's still people on there I've not met and may never do but they still remain as they are genuinely interesting and I like the cultural element. These days I spend less time on Facebook than ever but I still find it useful all said and done.

As for the rest of the year? Well hopefully get a little fitter, continue with de-cluttering old stuff, more writing, more travelling, building better friendships and fighting for causes I believe in. Oh and more video games!

Let the adventures begin!

So That Was 2011

The only real thing I can say about 2011 is that not much really happened, it was just a steady year in which I generally kept my head down and got on with life. Of course like any year there have been highs and lows but its not been a bad year all said and done, though it could have been much better too but much of that is down to me and what I made of it.

I think it was the year I discovered more about who I really am, explored the inner me and contemplated quite a bit. It was the year I came to terms with aspects of the past and made decisions about the future. In the early part of the year I found myself crossing swords with people yet building stronger friendships with some of those people in the process. I had to fight my corner several times regarding all sorts of things in the first half of the year and no doubt the coming year will offer challenges, such is life.

My dear Grandmother passed away and it was a heavy blow indeed, in some respects more so than my mother, I know that may sound strange to some but my Grandmother was a kindly soul who never judged me, she was very precious to me and her passing left a void within. She lived to be a respectable age and despite her diminutive stature was one of life's hard working fighters, a truly remarkable woman. Her funeral was a sad and rainy affair but it made me think I should try and forge stronger family links with some and totally forget others, I'm not family orientated but some of my family are nice people, others I don't really care for and can forget about now.

2011 was the year I read more books than ever really, mostly humanism and philosophy and the odd bit of fiction. I also started writing some long term fiction that I hope to carry on with this coming year. The knowledge gained from reading will be of valuable use in the coming year as I intend to become more involved in secular humanism movement and atheism. The recent passing of author and journalist Christopher Hitchens has spurred me on even more and given me renewed purpose.

Romance? 2011 will be probably remembered as the year romance went on strike! There were a couple of interludes, one person I was very fond of and was having lots of fun with but she stepped back, seemingly unsure, nothing was resolved and I do feel quite sad about it if I am being honest. Maybe 2012 will bring involvement my way, just as I am happy alone I sometimes feel that I should be looking more, after all who wants to grow old alone? Romance is a desire but not a necessity, I'm not superstitious but as regards love I shall sail the winds of fate and see where they put me ashore.

Much of this year I pondered, watched and philosophised as the world spun by. I went to London alone and had a fantastic day just shopping around Camden, eating, drinking and people watching, it didn't bother me that I just had myself for company where once it would have. I'm rarely bereft of confidence these days but I still have occasions where it abandons me. Later in the year I went to London with a friend and had a fab time over a couple of days which involved exploring, laughing and meeting other friends, it was a really good catharsis after months of not much happening.

Friends have come and gone this year, as in the fact some have left where I live or settled down, the social dynamic has changed quite a lot but thankfully contact has always been maintained. There's been much baby talk among friends this year, it does get a bit exhausting when you have no interest in having them, that said, my attitude towards that subject has softened. Gary my friend in China has a lovely kid whose antics and developments interest me and some friends locally are expecting a child in May next year, listening to them and knowing them I have no doubt at all they will make fantastic parents.

I've spent a lot of time online gaming this year and it's only fair that I must say that I've met some amazing people world wide, it's been great for discovering other cultural differences and quirks. New Zealanders, Americans, Germans and a certain crazy Dutchman spring to mind, as well as genuinely nice people here in the UK. Long may it continue.

Pain has been a constant companion this year, I suffer with a rare condition that I generally don't talk about but have learned to live with. There have been some days that music, painkillers and coffee have dragged me through but there are still battles to be had. Light of sorts may be at the end of the tunnel though. I'm coping better than ever with pain and plan to resolve some things next year, so hopefully a better future.

So as 2011 staggers to a close I feel a better person than ever, like all of you reading I have hopes, dreams and aspirations - let's hope its a good year for us all, to all that read my blog, a hearty hobbit thank you and all the best for 2012.

Have A Good Holiday !

As regular readers will not I'm not the Christmas type, being a rabid atheist and all that, but regardless, I wish all to have a good time over the holiday period, as you can see from the photo below, I was last night!

The Hobbit Teaser Trailer Arrives

So here it is, after a few production video blogs from Peter Jackson we now have the teaser trailer to 'The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey'.

I watched it this morning at around 6:30am, I was tempted to wait up for it last night but though ostensibly I may seem a bit sycophantic about it I do need my sleep and sleep makes things pass quicker. Come the morning the PC was switched on immediately and ablutions out of the way I googled it, found it and watched it several times as I came around fully with a steaming cup of earl grey tea.

I thought it was fairly long for a teaser trailer, though I'm pretty sure the first 20 seconds is actually old footage from the Lord of the Rings trilogy that maybe wasn't used. So what do we see? Well, I little intro of how Bilbo Baggins actually is, and it made me smile, especially the 'I'm a Baggin's of Bag End' bit with a dismissive wave of the finger against any suggestion of adventure. I must say Martin Freeman looks awesome as Bilbo. We then get a tiny glimpse of all the dwarven characters before Thorin Oakenshield begins to sing some kind of gloomy monastic type dirge of the their heritage and past (see I knew that just from the words of the song *wink*).

The some great music cuts in and we get the briefest flashes of what is in store in the first of the two movies, no trace of the dragon 'Smaug' though which surprised me, I'm sure that'll come in time or later trailers though. The only irony for me is that I feel the trailer has come a little too early to be honest, yes it's great to see it but I could have waited, April time would have been better I think, less waiting as we practically still have a whole year to go still.

To conclude, well what I saw I really liked, it wasn't kind of 'in your face leaving you shocked feeling' that I had, just a nod and smile of approval that the characters seem right and a reassuringly warm fuzzy glow that all looks well with it.

And here's the first poster release below.

The Trouble With Tarot

I lounged on my sofa in the early hours of this morning, unable to sleep I flicked through several channels and watched snippets of several programs. Feeling agitated and restless at not being able to sleep I kept hitting the up channel button on my remote until I reached Freeview channel 31. It was the 'Psychic tv channel'. I decided to watch for a while and what I witnessed was a money making machine designed to rob the vulnerable, insecure and not so clever of society of their money. I've never seen such a cringe worthy piece of rubbish on my tv screen before.

People ringing up in the early hours of the day asking the same stupid questions and being repeatedly told the same vague predictable answers from psychics that are allegedly gifted with things like 'remote viewing' and 'subtle energy'. The only thing subtle is their ability to get you to part with your cash, though anyone with a modicum of brain power can see straight through the ruses on show. Nobody who turns a pretty pictured card over for you can determine what tomorrow or indeed the future holds, it's just total bullshit.

Tarot cards originate from 14/15th century Italy, possibly before in Mamluk ran Egypt and were originally used for card games and depicted various regions in Europe, they later evolved somewhat and were used my mystics and occultism but generally not till the 18th century. It seems there were lots of different types of cards back depicting many things from gods, regions to animal types and indeed today there are many types of tarot cards.

They have no magical qualities, they cannot predict the future, they are just a card with a picture that is turned over by a person that has a gift to talk about the picture revealed and make sweeping generalisations regarding the image and how it supposedly relates to you. When you watch such programmes as psychic tv you almost never see bad predictions being made, it's always good ones as bad stuff wouldn't be a wise business model. What you do see is statements such as 'You'll have a fling when autumn leaves are falling'. Things like this are usually said when a few facts have been determined about the person, as in they in a relationship etc and of course with generalisations like that made there's the fortuitous window that it will happen. What psychics, mediums and clairvoyants do is practice the art of 'chance' by saying gambit orientated stuff that people identify or relate to, such as recent illness, the passing of an elderly relative and other such regular life events that happen to us all, if one person doesn't respond then there's a good chance another in the audience will and then they can begin to build on that with other like 'your grandmother was quite frail in the end wasn't she?' - well most elderly people are!

Emblazoned across the television screen is all the various ways in which you can pay for this nonsense, credit card, pay by phone, pay by mobile, no way to pay is left out and people will pay good money to be told good things. It all runs like a well oiled money making machine as people text or call in with the usual social dilemma's but mostly its love or happiness and they all are told the same but with different words. Credit where it is due, the psychics and tarot readers can talk, they are truly gifted and talking about finding love in a 1001 different ways. One woman called in and remained anonymous and asked 'Does my male neighbour like my Christmas card and will we find love in the new year?' The answer was of course he did love the card but was unsure of his own mind, he was lacking in confidence and perhaps the lady needed to give him a bit of a nudge to instigate something. Therefore the psychic is using the power of suggestion, urging the woman into action and thus making things happen but on the psychics part its all remained vague and no good or bad outcome is mentioned, it's all very clever and its all done with no information on the caller at all.

Sadly there's a lot of vulnerable, gullible and lonely people out there in society, money too is a scarce commodity at present and this compounds how people feel, increasing isolation. It's human nature to want to love or be loved and the producers of the show and their motley bunch of greedy psychics know this very well as they charge upwards of £1.50p a minute to make you feel good, it's television and lies of the worst kind. The fact they can give people a reading knowing nothing at all about them defies logic and when some do reveal their star sign or date of birth we get even more vague information that signifies or means nothing 'Oh Jupiter is in alignment with whatever and this means love for you'. Yeah of course it does.

Tarot cards are meaningless occultist mumbo jumbo, nobody can talk to the dead and nobody can predict the future otherwise we'd have some people in society that could just take over and run the whole show because they'd know everything.

It is odious deception of the worst possible kind. I'll bet they didn't see this blog coming !!!

Beers, Celebrations and Goodbyes

Last night was a night of celebration and goodbyes. Simon, manager of my local the Fox & Crown left for pastures new down south and it was Lee's Birthday, the manager of the Wheatsheaf, another fairly local pub of mine. Simon has been the manager of the Fox for 4 years, I remember his arrival and I recall him being fairly quiet and shy initially. Over the last four years there's been some epic nights in the Fox with revelry, carnage, song and dance, and those memories shall stay with me. I have to hand it to Simon that the Fox at times isn't an easy gig, he lived on site so pretty much lived and breathed the Fox for his duration, I think that would have stifled anyone in the end. He's moving down south to live with his girlfriend and I wish him well for the future, I expect he'll always know he has friends and a warm welcome if he returns. There have been times when I (and others) have been a handful in there but he never moaned, though I suspect he gritted his teeth at some of our antics (and maybe laughed a little as well!)

Also it was Lee's birthday over in the Wheatsheaf, another great fella and a man that loves his job and his home town and indeed he is a credit to it.

So as you can see from the photos below, much beer and revelry took place last night and good fun it was too!

Hitchens

It is with profound sadness that I write this blog. Christopher Hitchens, one of the greatest minds of our time has passed away only hours ago in Texas of pneumonia brought on by his fight with cancer, he was 62.

I'm sat staring at my monitor wondering how I can do this great man any justice with what I now write, he after all was a man of words, a remarkable journalist, author and orator, a man as someone frankly quoted today that 'dared to stand alone'.

Only this week I was watching him on YouTube in debates, such was my interest in what he had to say, especially on the evils of organised religion. Hitchens was a shining light of reason in a world that is increasingly blinded by faith. To me he was a champion, a man of acerbic wit, stalwart debater and a great modern day thinker.

Here are some of the current Twitter tributes;

Richard Dawkins, scientist and author wrote 'Christopher Hitchens, finest orator of our time, fellow horseman, valiant fighter against all tyrants including God.'

Author and friend Salman Rushdie tweeted 'Goodbye, my beloved friend. A great voice falls silent. A great heart stops.'

Actor, author and friend Stephen Fry said 'You were envied, feared, adored, reviled and loved. Never ignored. Never bested. A great and marvellous man.'

Dennis McShane MP and friend wrote 'He could throw words up into the sky, they fell down in a marvellous pattern.'

Friends and journalist colleagues have done tributes on the New Yorker and Vanity Fair websites.

Christopher Hitchens through his books has inspired me to write and speak out against organised religion, his literary style, his pitch and prose and his words of reasoning and pragmatism will ever resound within me. Reading his books and watching him orate have often given me the strength of will to write with my own convictions against what I perceive to be wrong and how I see the world.

I've had to write some difficult emotional blogs in the past, and this rates up there with them, such was his influence in my thinking. He was a maverick, a freethinker and a man that feared nothing, not even cancer. He among others raised the banner of freethinking, he was a great champion of it and I will go on fighting for that cause with the same passion Hitchens had.

Christopher Hitchens 1949-2011

“Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the ‘transcendent’ and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.”

And click 'here' for a fantastic little resume of the great man the BBC news site added later.

Articles in today's The Independent news paper can 'here' and 'here'

Britain Will Prevail

So the latest Euro summit is over and the media say Britain stands alone. I'll admit I'm not into financial and monetary stuff, I try to follow it as best I can and grasp its complexities but I do know this, from what I read and see - the Euro seemingly isn't working. When ever I've been abroad the locals always seem disenfranchised with the Euro, it has raised prices and the cost of living they say.

I'll also say I'm not a Conservative but I'm just happy Cameron said No and used his veto at the summit to hopefully protect our interests. I don't want the Euro, I want my bank notes and coins with the Queens head on it, why? Because I'm a patriot and I love my country, for all its rich history, for its beautiful places but most of all for the British people who despite their odd faults and quirks are genuinely warm, caring and accepting.

We stood alone a few decades ago when shadows over Europe loomed, we were alone then and by great valour, courage and determination Great Britain prevailed !

Night Out

It's that time of the year when crazy nights out occur. Friday and Saturday of the weekend just gone by were pretty mad indeed but laced with lashings of fun and utter nonsense. Both nights were mainly in Nottingham with late returns home. I really need to get out of town more and have nights out in different places, I just wish there was a later train back from Nottingham on Saturdays.

A Hobbit London Weekend

Last Friday saw me heading to London to meet up with friends for a weekend of retail pleasure and generally getting away for a couple of days for a change of scenery. As I boarded the train in my sleepy town I noticed the carriage was almost empty, this made for a peaceful journey. The train sped through the English countryside only stopping at a couple of towns and in no time we were pulling into Kings Cross.

Heaving throngs deftly sidestepped I ducked into the underground and headed for Waterloo, the 1990's football anthem of 'Vindaloo' stuck in my head and a nostalgic smile on my face.

On arriving at the huge Waterloo station I munched on a pretty tasteless chicken burger from Burger King and chided myself after for not noticing a decent cheap sandwich stall selling French stick sandwiches for a mere £2.

There was some confusion on meeting my friend at the station as Waterloo has many exits and we basically had to head indoors to find one another under the central large hanging clock. Then there was yet more confusion after we exited onto an overpass and got slightly lost. We soon sorted things and found the nearby Travelodge hotel we were staying at which was near the Old Vic theatre. There's not much to say about the hotel, all Travelodge's seem the alike though this one seemed to have more facilities than most, having a bar, internet cafe and restaurant of sorts. After a bit of rest that was rudely interrupted by a foreign maid who pointed out there was no quilt cover and then never came back it was soon evening and time to head out.

Off to Camden we headed via the northern tube line and then hit the bars in a very busy Camden. The Worlds End pub is one of the busiest I know yet it was rammed with people. Drinking in London isn't cheap, not that anywhere is these days but the first round came to £7.50 for a pint and a half of lager, ouch! We left after the first drinks and header deeper into Camden proper but in doing so was accosted by a Big Issue vendor plying his wares. As I'm involved with Big Issue I noticed they were indeed old wares, a 2 week old magazine for starters plus he didn't have any identification number. This was pointed out to him and he scuttled off into the night, which was amusing as I couldn't have done anything anyway and had no intention to either, being on a weekend break.

Next up was the Elephants Head which is a great little pub on the main road through Camden. At this point I was on pints with whiskey chasers and really getting into the eclectic music being played within. After a few drinks in the Elephant we headed to the Good Mixer on Inverness Street which again is another no frills street corner pub with a good atmosphere and earthy crowd.

The night quickly flashed by and I was very impressed by Camden at night, we then headed back to Waterloo on a late tube and got off at Embankment before crossing a very cold Waterloo bridge and trying to find our way back, by this time I was quite merry and carefree and after a brief escapade in a very expensive London taxi which cost £10 for what seemed like 300-400 meters in the congested traffic we noticed a landmark near our hotel and jumped out to try and find something to eat. Not being aware of the local places we stumbled upon an Italian restaurant. Without going into detail the food wasn't fantastic or in large amounts and it was quite pricey. With a half full stomachs we headed for the hotel to sleep off the first night.

Sleeping in central London isn't easy unless you sleep heavy, I awoke after an initial deep alcohol induced slumber to sounds of planes going over, police sirens and random shouts in the night. Until the morning it was a very patchy sleep but enough to get by on.

Day two promised to be action packed but early on we became aware the northern tube line was disrupted (among others) because of works being done. This seems to happen every time I am in the capital, only the night before a line had gone down after it was announced someone had jumped in front of a tube train, living in London I can possibly see reasons why they might do such a thing.

The day began with a brisk stroll across the Thames, then along the embankment to Big Ben and Westminster before catching the tube again.

We took a different line to Oxford street before indulging in some browsing of shops before heading into a quieter Soho and catching our breath in Soho Square. I'd called my friend Drew at this point and sought advice on buses to Camden as we wanted to shop there later. After a brief rest and coffee at Starbucks we headed deeper into Soho as I'm quite familiar with it and first went to the Vintage Magazine shop on Brewer street. As we headed there cutting through the lovely little Meard Street I noticed that the little Newsagents called 'The Hobbit' around the corner from it had sadly closed.

Seeking solace in Vintage Magazines we soaked up all the retro film goodness and memorabilia, they really do have some great stuff in there, from posters, masks, key rings, coasters, postcards and badges. I purchased a rather spiffy Groucho Marx tea mug and coaster so was a very happy little hobbit. After that we headed up Berwick Street and popped into Sister Ray which is an independent music store, very akin to what Selectadisc was in Nottingham before it closed, it may even be the same company/people running it. I purchased the excellent 'A Universe Between Us' compact disc by Nick Marsh and withdrew after that before I was tempted to buy any more.

I paused on what to do next, we skirted the bottom of Soho and could smell the aroma's coming from Leicester Square and China town but we resolved to head to Tottenham Court road and try and get a bus to Camden. After chatting to a couple of locals, the latter being disenfranchised with the local buses and ticket machines we boarded a packed bus to Camden and I soon recognised the local surroundings though couldn't help feeling sad when a young mother get off the bus and headed to some very dour looking flats with her two kids, I really can't imagine bringing kids up in such a busy built up area. When you become more familiar with London you realise it really isn't as massive as you first think and Camden isn't really too far up Tottenham court road with a couple of slight twists and turns, en route I notice Warren Street tube station where we may be meeting more friends later. And so to Camden, we disembarked the bus and headed into the bohemian crowds in search of avant garde retail goodness.

Several market areas followed in Camden and money started to empty out my pockets at an alarming rate, such is the Camden effect and great range of clothes and accessory stuff, its all in one place. Some may call Camden cliché but they aren't really delving deep in what it has to offer, yes there's some cheap tat rubbish to be sure but there's also some very good clothing to be had that is unusual or hand crafted that goes for other items or artwork too.

We then headed over the road to the Chalk farm stables market and headed on inside through the partially covered Blade runner-esque style myriad of stalls and units. It was there I saw a lovely jacket but held back as I was yet to enter my beloved Cyberdog at the bottom end of the market. Suddenly I was stunned, they were actually queuing to get inside! The coat playing on my mind, and not wanting to queue up we decided to head out the bottom exit and across the road to a rather nice pub called the Monarch and lick our financial wounds and ponder what to do next, in my case ponder if I was going to buy the jacket I'd seen. Being reflective here I suspect not being able to get into Cyberdog was a blessing in disguise as I'd been in there earlier this year and spent loads but on the positive side they do have a website to order from.

Deliberations over the coat complete we headed back to haggle and the woman at the shop in Stables market called Psylo wouldn't budge after offering me £10 off the asking price, I tried to get her to lower it but my efforts were in vain. I caved in, it was a nice coat to be fair and I did fall in love with it at first site, the fit was excellent too. There were a few other bits and bobs purchased by my friend and I before we grabbed a quick pizza slice and headed to Warren street tube station to meet friends Drew and Sophie then retiring to a nearby pub called The Prince of Wales Feathers. It was indeed a cozy traditional pub with friendly staff and a good selection of drinks. Time soon passed and much Geeky talk between myself and Drew was to be had but we all chatted along merrily before noticing it was getting late, by this time I was indeed feeling the exertions of the day and feeling quite tired.

A swift tube journey back to Waterloo via a zig-zag route and with more awareness of our surroundings we noticed a rather good Greek style chip shop near the Old Vic. We bagged hefty portions of fish and chips before heading back to the hotel and collapsing wearily and eating our food and examining our days booty.

Another night of not so great sleep followed (my friend snored!) and it was morning and time to pack our bags and head home, it had all gone so quick. The journey home at lunchtime was uneventful and the tube works going on didn't affect my journey to a very busy Kings Cross. Yet again I succumbed to a quick and tasteless Burger King before boarding the train home, the designated quiet carriage wasn't so quiet as babies where shrieking but I blotted it out with music and dozed in and out of sleep until I arrived home, one hour and 20 minutes later, the contrast between town and city is amazing, and quite reassuring when you get home as the madness of London is left behind.

I think some of my perceptions of London have changed really over the years and many visits. Once upon a time I quite fancied living there but now I'd not even consider it unless I was rich. London is a city of contrasts, some being quite stark but then most cities are. The transport system in London isn't cheap, both for its inhabitants and visitors alike. For example a single journey on the tube from Waterloo to Kings Cross is £5 for a relatively short journey yet an all day travel card for zones 1-2 is £6.80p and you can travel freely all day in those zones after 9am on the tube or bus. A woman that helped me regarding the buses moaned about ticket machines not working and bus prices, as I used my all day travel card I wasn't sure of bus tariff's but they seemed to be £2 upwards, though I may be wrong, not being a native of the city. Buses are indeed a packed soulless affair but good for people watching, there's no interaction with the driver, you show your ticket, board them get off and it does seem open to exploitation really. London transport be it tube or bus is a hap-hazard expensive affair and the tube system compared to other cities is positive antiquated but I guess unalterable in some respects or at least practical ones. It does make me think that the sheer volume of people in London would make the transport systems cheaper though I guess such a massive transport system is very costly to run - if only it was better, and better value for money.

Do I still like London? Yes, because I've not really scratched it's massive surface but in truth there's only odd areas I'm really interested in to be honest. London does have character yet other areas of it seem grey and bland but such is the nature of cities the world over, London in summertime is a much nicer experience. Come the 2012 Olympics next year it'll be a very crowded expensive place and even more multicultural than it already is. I'll always be happy to make flying visits but unless I win the lottery and could buy something secluded with in some nice inner area of it then I'd never live there, it'd be too depressing and even if I did have millions in order to buy such a place then there are much nicer places around the world.

London is a love/hate place for me. Some of the marvellous buildings and structures appeal to my sense of national identity but other aspects of it repel me to some degree. It'll always intrigue me but I'll always want to keep it at arms length, it's great to visit but even better knowing you can leave and come home.