It would be wrong for anyone with a blog to ignore the report published today, laws governing the media have the potential to be used regarding independently controlled forms of media such as this and, to a lesser extent, even social media. However it appears that there is no suggestion of anything resembling an umbrella law to control all forms of public media, in fact as it stands there is a debate about whether a law is even what is needed going on in parliament right as I type these words.
The summary of the report (46 pages, only a summary) seems to focus on the role of the PCC and not that of parliament, however I fully support the use of legislation to ensure the press is unable to continue with this culture of public abuse and taking their pick of what laws they want to apply to them then ignoring any legal problem that gets in the way of a good story, whether it is true or not.
What amuses me is the way the parties in the commons are experiencing something of a role reversal, the conservatives are fighting against legislation while the more left wing parties, including the governmental lib-dems, are in favour of changing the law. This change has come about because the Tories will always favour the freedom of the rich over the protection of the masses, lets move on before I get to bogged down in party politics.
The freedom of speech and the free media must be protected, without freedom of expression we cease to truly be free individuals. This does not mean that the press should be free from legal structure and regulation that ensures that the media respects it's readers and the people involved in it's stories. Self regulation is undeniably the best possible system, but it does not work under the current system. The PCC has no power over anything, a new body is needed to protect the public. If it were possible for this body to be established and run without statutory backing then it would be, however if it has legal backing then this new body would be given real power over the illegal actions of the press. The politicians giving this body power is very different from politicians giving themselves power over the press.
Truly independent regulation has failed, a new system is needed and the law should back this system. Today's report is going to have a massive effect on the media, let's hope the government are able to make sure it has the correct one.
Thursday 29 November 2012
Wednesday 28 November 2012
Random Thought Collection 1
I figured a good way to keep myself writing between posts is to write down whatever I'm thinking about, I know a lot of blogs are like that so why not mine? That said it's really just filler and a way to keep me from going stir crazy so there's a good chance it will be shit, if it comes to that I won't do another one I promise.
I've been listening to a lot more music than before recently, still very little that's normal for an 18 year old heterosexual male but oh well. Even as I write this I've got my headphones in at full volume, there could be a gunfight going on in the hall right now and I'd have no idea. I think it's partly down to the amount of re-runs on tv. Watching the same episode of a show twice in a month drives me insane, but I can happily hear a good song 3 or 4 times in a day and still enjoy it. Actually I don't need to keep replaying songs as (returning to my heterosexual comment) I've been listening to a lot of Paloma Faith recently, I'm fairly sure that's pretty gay, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
Leading on from that I realised as I was writing that paragraph just what a high percentage of the people I admire are women. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of great men in the world, it's just that in the majority of fields it's a woman I hold in the highest regard. Two important exceptions would be politics (Thatcher (probably the most powerful woman in British political history) should be burned at the stake) and directing (there is no such thing as a bad Tarantino movie) but all the best singers, actors, characters, writers, comedians, pretty much anything in the public eye, are women.
As you can probably tell reading this or my other posts, or if you know me, my mind does have a tendency to wander randomly, making writing these posts a rather difficult and slow process. During the writing of this I've tweeted 3 times, stopped to sing twice, spoken to heather and then even read a post on Megan's blog about lipstick (I have no interest in lipstick at all) so its been about an hour to get to here. If my mind has nothing to wander or cling to I get bored really fast. Like when no one's talking to me on twitter for example, I just stare blankly then go somewhere else. That said there are only really two people who I talk to on twitter more than once a week (unless Kelly's in a particularly irritating mood) I wonder if they're going to read this... Hi Lucy and Megan! You never know, that might help me find out.
I'm starting to ramble a little now, so before I descend in literary anarchy I will stop here, this far, no further. So with that little first contact quote I bid you adieu. Live long and prosper.
I've been listening to a lot more music than before recently, still very little that's normal for an 18 year old heterosexual male but oh well. Even as I write this I've got my headphones in at full volume, there could be a gunfight going on in the hall right now and I'd have no idea. I think it's partly down to the amount of re-runs on tv. Watching the same episode of a show twice in a month drives me insane, but I can happily hear a good song 3 or 4 times in a day and still enjoy it. Actually I don't need to keep replaying songs as (returning to my heterosexual comment) I've been listening to a lot of Paloma Faith recently, I'm fairly sure that's pretty gay, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
Leading on from that I realised as I was writing that paragraph just what a high percentage of the people I admire are women. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of great men in the world, it's just that in the majority of fields it's a woman I hold in the highest regard. Two important exceptions would be politics (Thatcher (probably the most powerful woman in British political history) should be burned at the stake) and directing (there is no such thing as a bad Tarantino movie) but all the best singers, actors, characters, writers, comedians, pretty much anything in the public eye, are women.
As you can probably tell reading this or my other posts, or if you know me, my mind does have a tendency to wander randomly, making writing these posts a rather difficult and slow process. During the writing of this I've tweeted 3 times, stopped to sing twice, spoken to heather and then even read a post on Megan's blog about lipstick (I have no interest in lipstick at all) so its been about an hour to get to here. If my mind has nothing to wander or cling to I get bored really fast. Like when no one's talking to me on twitter for example, I just stare blankly then go somewhere else. That said there are only really two people who I talk to on twitter more than once a week (unless Kelly's in a particularly irritating mood) I wonder if they're going to read this... Hi Lucy and Megan! You never know, that might help me find out.
I'm starting to ramble a little now, so before I descend in literary anarchy I will stop here, this far, no further. So with that little first contact quote I bid you adieu. Live long and prosper.
Monday 26 November 2012
The Lovell List
I discovered something interesting today, apparently I get embarrassed when questioned about my obsessive nature, or more accurately the current focus of that part of me (subsequently I withdraw all objections to Megan changing her name on twitter, I get it now) Still, I'll be damned if a few blushes in a mechanics lesson is going to stop my fangirling (I'm pretty sure that is the correct term as I do tend to get rather squeally and effeminate, it's quite something) I'd decided yesterday I was going to do the list so I am.
I've called this post the Lovell list after Mrs L as she ordered everyone at the party in a field (It's not a festival!) to have it finished (no one did, poor Mrs L) but it's hardly a unique thing. It's simply a list of the five famous people that you would (and if you're in a relationship, are allowed to) sleep with if by some bizarre twisted miracle the opportunity should arise, lets not waste time thinking about that now. That's pretty much all the rules as long as they're properly famous (for example I would consider Athene Roberts but can't because the three daft monkeys aren't that famous)
Once you finish reading this I want you to comment with your version of the list, just the names will do, but any reasoning will be appreciated.
Anywho, I promised you a list, so a list you shall have. From 5 to 1, because that's all dramatic and such like. The names are all spelt as they should be, it's just Americans can't spell, so be nice to them.
There's a chance this one is more for a character than a person but it's my list so shut up. Kat Dennings is hot, don't agree? Look left a bit, still disagree? Go away. The character Max from two broke girls is just brilliant, it's one of the rudest sit-coms America does, largely thanks to Max delivering lines like "You don't need a good nine hours (sleep) you need a good nine inches." Every line, no matter how crude or childish is so perfectly done that it's always hilarious. Max is rude, self-reliant and very distrusting of basically everyone, any actress who can make that character both consistently funny and likeable has to deserve a place on the list
I've called this post the Lovell list after Mrs L as she ordered everyone at the party in a field (It's not a festival!) to have it finished (no one did, poor Mrs L) but it's hardly a unique thing. It's simply a list of the five famous people that you would (and if you're in a relationship, are allowed to) sleep with if by some bizarre twisted miracle the opportunity should arise, lets not waste time thinking about that now. That's pretty much all the rules as long as they're properly famous (for example I would consider Athene Roberts but can't because the three daft monkeys aren't that famous)
Once you finish reading this I want you to comment with your version of the list, just the names will do, but any reasoning will be appreciated.
Anywho, I promised you a list, so a list you shall have. From 5 to 1, because that's all dramatic and such like. The names are all spelt as they should be, it's just Americans can't spell, so be nice to them.
5. Kat Dennings
4. Hayley Williams
I admit, I no longer listen to, or have a massively high opinion of Paramore's music (there are a lot of worse artists out there, but my tastes have moved on) but we're not taking about music here are we? No matter what you think of the band you have to admit that Hayley Williams is one of the most beautiful people in the world and the youngest on this list at 23. Being a redhead doesn't hurt either, even if it isn't naturally that colour. Her voice is sexy, the way she dresses is sexy, just accept it Hayley Williams is sexy.
3. Kari Byron
I didn't know what a "milf" was when I started watching mythbusters, because it was years ago, then Kari Byron had a child and it suddenly made sense to me. Anyone with a university degree famous for working on a science show that can still place number 69 (te-he) oh FHM's sexiest women in the world list in 2008 has to be something a little bit special. She is one of the smartest people on TV, and certainly one of the sexiest. She's had galleries displaying her sculptures and then went into blowing things up for a living, a mix of science and art like that shows just how smart she is and smart is sexy!
Before we move on numbers 5-3 can be disputed and changed about between quite a few people, but the top two are way out in front, but then they are very close to each other. A single line in a song/film could swap them over but as it is I'm sticking with it this way round for now.
2. Katherine Jenkins
Remember earlier when I said my musical tastes had changed? Well they changed to classical and to the best selling classical singer in British history, the beautiful and stupidly talented Katherine Jenkins. She was a singer I was aware of for years but had never been interested in, now I can listen to her for hours without having to move or do anything at all. She has one of the best voices in the world (it's a close call with her and Helena, but for totally different reasons) No one can sing anywhere near as well as she can (believe me, I've tried) and she seems like a genuinely nice and down to earth person (obviously I've not met anyone on the list so I cant say first hand) so of the whole list she is the one who I think is most normal, not boring normal just nice and normal. So she's an obvious number two, who was number one when I started writing tonight, I told you it was close at this end.
1. Helena Bonham-Carter
It took far, far longer to pick that photo than any of the previous ones, how am I meant to pick one picture that shows just how amazing and iconic the brilliant and beautiful HBC is? The woman is amazing, a mother of two who works full time (not at a normal job but still full time) HBC is amazing in every one of the ridiculous number of roles she's played, a fact that's made all the more impressive by the range of characters she's portrayed. Everything the woman does, from the understated Olivia in 12th night to the utterly marvellously mental Bellatrix Lestange in the Harry Potter films, is played to perfection, she is without a doubt one of the greatest actresses alive today. She is four years older than my mother, but so brilliant at just about everything that there is no way anyone else could go at the top of the list. Plus her voice is so amazingly calming and slightly posh, I want to fall asleep to it. I want her to marry and adopt me at the same time.
Sunday 25 November 2012
Flirting, seriously why?
Before I start I'll just say, I am going to try to keep this as free from depressing narcissism as I can, but being me I'm sure there's going to be a little bit mixed in here. That said I do wish I was capable of flirting, I can make friends with people I like past that I just sort of shut down, it's rather impressive in a way. Anyway, on with pseudo-science that is my opinion.
Evolution is supposed to select the best characteristics for the survival of a species, so why have we developed a system of behaviour that seems only to make life harder. Why is it required to prance about with subtle hints instead of it being normal to say how you feel and move on from there (Some people can do that but you have to be good at it)
Obviously I'm not saying we should be like animals and just be like "here I am, lets reproduce!" No, that would be insane. Knowing someone before getting into a relationship matters obviously, what I'm saying is that should be what's going on obviously.
Thinking about it, this sort of subtlety should be removed from all sorts of human interaction, think how much easier life would be if you had no doubts about how people feel about you? That way you wouldn't have to be changing you behaviour to cover any possibility you can foresee when in fact their mind is made up about you.
I know it sounds like I can just change my actions and deal with this issue myself, but human social structures bind me with rules about tolerating people I don't like and other ridiculous actions. This goes back to my older post about how much easier life would be if I was socio-pathic.
Evolution is supposed to select the best characteristics for the survival of a species, so why have we developed a system of behaviour that seems only to make life harder. Why is it required to prance about with subtle hints instead of it being normal to say how you feel and move on from there (Some people can do that but you have to be good at it)
Obviously I'm not saying we should be like animals and just be like "here I am, lets reproduce!" No, that would be insane. Knowing someone before getting into a relationship matters obviously, what I'm saying is that should be what's going on obviously.
Thinking about it, this sort of subtlety should be removed from all sorts of human interaction, think how much easier life would be if you had no doubts about how people feel about you? That way you wouldn't have to be changing you behaviour to cover any possibility you can foresee when in fact their mind is made up about you.
I know it sounds like I can just change my actions and deal with this issue myself, but human social structures bind me with rules about tolerating people I don't like and other ridiculous actions. This goes back to my older post about how much easier life would be if I was socio-pathic.
Thursday 22 November 2012
Mornin' Children
I just read a (first) blog post that ended mentioning one post blogs, I know mine isn't but it still made me feel guilty about not posting for so long. Yes I know it's hardly letting anyone down, I also know that writing because you feel like you should rather than because you have something to write about almost makes a shit post inevitable, but I'm writing it anyway because fuck you, that's why.
Since my last post a few things of note have happened to the world, I'll do two quickly in this post to get me back into writing, starting with the big one at the start of this month; apparently the American people are not as insane as they seem. I'm talking of course about the re-election of Barrack Obama, the cool, non-crazy democrat. Beating Mitt Romney, the insane, slightly scary republican candidate, by over 100 electoral collage votes. The fact that the BBC called 100 points the line when the word landslide becomes appropriate shows just how badly saying 47% of the country doesn't matter to you can be. 4 more years of democrat control is good for both America and, by extension, the world as Romney would have been a diplomatic and economic nightmare, he wanted to be the CEO of the USA, not the president. I wouldn't be surprised if Romney ran again in 2016, hopefully the democrats can find someone as charismatic as the two men running this year.
I feel better already, I might even write a full and coherent post on one topic before December, anyway on two point two. The ancient Israel/Palestine/Gaza has flared up again, by the way this is a situation that would be far far worse if Romney was in the white house, but this conflict is unique this year as it is not a democratic revolution like the ones across north Africa and the Arabian peninsula, this is a genuine nation on nation conflict. No more important in motivation but all the more worrying as both sides of the conflict have indisputable buildings and large weapon stores, this makes the bombardment of civilian cites all two easy. The worst thing is that both sides are firing at the other because the other fired at them, it's a never ending tit for tat war that will end in an invasion if it doesn't drop off to a simmer again as it has been before. As I had no plan to write this I'm not as informed as I like to be so I'll stop here before delivering an untruth.
I've just realised how much I missed writing, so I'm sure I'll return to the blogging world for at least another few weeks, hopefully longer. So, until I write again.
Since my last post a few things of note have happened to the world, I'll do two quickly in this post to get me back into writing, starting with the big one at the start of this month; apparently the American people are not as insane as they seem. I'm talking of course about the re-election of Barrack Obama, the cool, non-crazy democrat. Beating Mitt Romney, the insane, slightly scary republican candidate, by over 100 electoral collage votes. The fact that the BBC called 100 points the line when the word landslide becomes appropriate shows just how badly saying 47% of the country doesn't matter to you can be. 4 more years of democrat control is good for both America and, by extension, the world as Romney would have been a diplomatic and economic nightmare, he wanted to be the CEO of the USA, not the president. I wouldn't be surprised if Romney ran again in 2016, hopefully the democrats can find someone as charismatic as the two men running this year.
I feel better already, I might even write a full and coherent post on one topic before December, anyway on two point two. The ancient Israel/Palestine/Gaza has flared up again, by the way this is a situation that would be far far worse if Romney was in the white house, but this conflict is unique this year as it is not a democratic revolution like the ones across north Africa and the Arabian peninsula, this is a genuine nation on nation conflict. No more important in motivation but all the more worrying as both sides of the conflict have indisputable buildings and large weapon stores, this makes the bombardment of civilian cites all two easy. The worst thing is that both sides are firing at the other because the other fired at them, it's a never ending tit for tat war that will end in an invasion if it doesn't drop off to a simmer again as it has been before. As I had no plan to write this I'm not as informed as I like to be so I'll stop here before delivering an untruth.
I've just realised how much I missed writing, so I'm sure I'll return to the blogging world for at least another few weeks, hopefully longer. So, until I write again.
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