The human being – self centered

Humans are naturally strange beings. I always find myself observing their behaviour in different situations.

The more I observe human behaviour the more it becomes clear that we are increasingly like so our animal relations. ‘Pack beaviour’ as it were is so very apparent in a human grouping. I plan to come back to my theory on this. I want to concentrate this blog however on something specifically that I find increasingly annoying about humans and how they behave.

I want focus on the art of ‘questioning’. Most of us find ourselves socialising frequently, it is something that we do to relax and let our troubles drift away for a short time. When doing so, the most important thing involved is to have the ability to hold a conversation.

To be able to converse with another individual can be enthralling. It allows you to find that little extra thing out about somebody, or perhaps to widen a personal opinion on a certain matter. People ask one another questions, or at least this is normally the case…

I have always noticed something in a large majority of people when it comes to conversation – some will never ask a question. I could be sitting with somebody where I have no choice but to attempt to talk to them, and it is only me that will try and make the conversation. You may be reading this and think that it is because the person is shy; I am not talking about shy people.

I am talking about the fact that some people are either so self centered that they have no desire to ask anybody else a question or they simply lack some kind of vital social attribute. It even occurs with people that I have known for a long time. I shall find myself sitting with them and the conversation is only going one way. I am finding so much out about them, and they will not ask one thing back. When people act in this way I have no desire to even really talk to them. It is just pure politeness from my part to continue to question until I can finally escape.

On the odd occasion, an individual who has had a questioning by-pass may ask back a question to the person that they are talking to, only to ensure that once the person has answered they can sway it back and continue to talk about themselves. Another scenario may be that a few people are having a conversation, and one person will add in a point. Somebody else will pretty much ignore that point and start talking about what they think or talk about themselves. Pure selfishness.

Men and women

Both sexes seem to do this but I feel that it is particularly men that seem to have this problem. I generally think that this could be a proven fact. I am lucky to know so many men that are able to hold really good conversations, but I still come across the odd few and know some who will never ask me anything. Perhaps it is all to do with the alpha male thing. A man cannot show that he cares about anybody else but himself. He  thinks he ‘rules’ therefore what he says, goes.

So very often I feel that I know so much about somebody, yet they know nothing about me. How can you discover an individual if you do not ask questions? In addition, is it not a natural behaviour for somebody to want to ask and learn new things?  The worrying thing is that I feel it is sometimes people who show traits of real intelligence who fail to ask questions. Is it the fact that they think they are so wonderful they do not need to talk to others?

I have asked some people who I know have the ability to converse in a normal social way and when putting my observations to them, they too can relate to similar situations. I am sure that most people can, it is just that some have never noticed it before. I have always felt that humans can be such selfish beings, hence why I most probably notice things like this all the time.

I always want to talk to people and get to know them, as do many other ‘normal’ people. So many others do not. It really is quite concerning.

I generally feel that many people should re-consider how they portray themselves when socialising. Some people are shallow and think they are above others therefore appear to feel that the only right thing to do is to talk about themselves. Selfishness is an deplorable attribute to have. Those who are extremely seflish will ultimately fail in life/or have already failed in life. There millions of other people who are far more blessed and deserve to go further.

Pigeon clearing is costly blood sport: lobby group

Trafalgar Square

By Amy May Shead and Simone Knox

Taxpayers are funding a £60,000 campaign to scare pigeons from Trafalgar Square and a lobby group is calling for an immediate end to the “blood sport”.

Two hawks are used to chase the birds from the iconic London Square, as part the Greater London Authority’s pigeon control programme.

The Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons lobby group said the hawks were being used to kill pigeons instead of chasing them away.

“They’re charging the London tax-payer thousands of pounds to rip up a tame flock of birds,” said spokesperson Julia Fletcher.

One of the many signs banning pigeon feeding in the Square

Pigeon numbers have fallen dramatically over the past five years, but the lobby group blames the ban on feeding pigeons for their reduction in numbers.

“Today there’s just a few hundred birds from a flock of 4,500. The hawks have not killed four thousand pigeons. They’re starving to death,” Ms Fletcher said.

“There are hardly any birds left there. The hawks are totally unnecessary.”

The scheme has also drawn criticism from London Assembly member, Gareth Bacon, who said the cost was not justifiable in the current economic climate.

 

A flamboyant use of public money

The GLA contributes £45,000 to the scheme, while Westminster City Council pays £15,000 towards it.

“This something that has irritated me since 2004,” Mr Bacon said.

“I thought this was a rather flamboyant use of public money, and was rather surprised to learn that the practice is continuing.”

The scheme was introduced by former mayor Ken Livingstone, in 2000. He said that he wanted to make Trafalgar Square a Cleaner and safer place for visitors.

A by-law was introduced to prevent feeding the birds, but when they continued to return to the square, two hawks were introduced to scare them away.

Despite the growing anger over the programme, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson, said he would continue to divert money to the scheme.

“The programme of control has proved successful in dispersing numbers from around 4,000 to around 120,” he said.

Trying to take a photo of what the Square is renowned for

“As a result the square is cleaner and hygienic. Further, the programme enables a significant ease on the costs of cleaning the site and conservation of statues.”

Anna Brown, from London, was visiting Trafalgar Square yesterday and she said it was the most “pigeon-free” she had seen it in years.

“It had more atmosphere with the pigeons. But it is cleaner now,” she said.

…Hakuna Matata!

Being a bit of a drama queen myself, I was so very pleased to have been able to see The Lion King musical at the Lyceum Theatre in London once again on Friday. All I can say is that it is stunning, uplifting and incredible.

To see how Disney have created such amazing costumes for an entire cast of non human characters is fascinating. They are as animated as we see them in the film, and the three-dimensional stage continues to thrill and surprise throughout the entire show. It still baffles me every time how a stage can form into so many complicated shapes. I find myself being hypnotised into a magical trance throughout. Right from the very beginning the characters entertain the audience to the maximum.

Rafiki who is played by Lindiwe Mkhizereally Brown is a character in a million. Her powerful voice and eccentric baboon like movements have such an affect that you really cannot help but giggle at her. What a superb actress. The whole of the first sequence ensured that the magic starts right from the first minute. The animals journey to Pride Rock takes place down the audience aisles. Considering that some of these animals were huge elephant characters it really must have been quite a task to produce this scene. It was great, the audience felt that they were right there with the animals.

Taking a look at the movie’s plot, the story line in the show is very similar, and even if you have not seen the film it is still fairly simple to follow. There are some extra additions, such as that of a song that Scar sung where although at that point he is the king, none of his pride likes him like they did Muffassa. Other new songs that are seen include “The Morning Report”, and “Chow Down”. I have to say that I think they make a perfect addition to the show. “Chow Down” is almost heavy metal based and I feel that it fitted with the characters of the Hyenas exceptionally well.

Music that is truly beautiful

Two of the most beautiful songs in the show are that of “He Lives In You” which is first sung by Mufassa and then by Rafiki as a reprise; and also “Endless Night” which is sung by Simba. They are so good that I found myself coming home and listening to them. The two songs are in my opinion quite emotional, yet uplifting at the same time, and with the sets that they are placed within it makes you transfixed on the character/characters that are singing the songs. All of the characters had such powerful voices, and all were extremely talented individuals.

The opening of the second half brought a real cultured African feel to the musical, with the song ‘One by One” used. The ensemble were dressed in ethnic outfits, and the theatre became alive with ‘bird kites’ being held by cast members throughout the entire theatre. The colours used were so exuberant, it made a lively and exciting start to the second half, just as we saw with the opening of the show.

Can You Feel the Love Tonight we also see in the second half. This is another of my favourite songs and I really do love this scene. We see a very delicate ballet/modern style dance half way through, it really fitted in nicely with the mood of the song. We also saw dance partners flying in from the ceiling and doing air dance moves, again all fitting in very nicely with the scene. The combination of this with Nala and Simba dancing around eachother in a loving and affectionate way emits a real sense of love and passion.

A show that is a must see even for non musical lovers

I can not stress to you enough just how truly awesome The Lion King musical is. The creativity is so diverse. We see people dressed as animals of all kinds, grass, huge flowers – the list continues. They had even managed to get the ‘big cat’ movement right with the stalking stride of the Cheetah I feel pretty much exact. We see humour being contrasted with sadness and true life issues being represented; all adding to a powerful and dramatic stage affect.

Every little detail that occurs within the show makes it stand out just a little more from many others that I have seen. It is certainly worth watching if you have not done so already. Even if you are not a particular musical lover I feel that this one may prove your musical opinions wrong.

A front row seat in the living room

Most people love watching some sort of sport on the television. I imagine that most people will most certainly have done this at some point within their lives, even if they were dragged into doing so by a friend…

Watching our favourite sport on television is a compensation for the absence of the sensory experience of moving with the crowd and soaking up the live atmosphere. If you think about it ‘TV’ literally means seeing at a distance. After considering what actually constructs our sports packages that we see on screen, I have realised that more goes into it that what you might initially imagine.

The events are tailored for entertainment purposes. It clearly seeks to entertain and thrill the audience in as strong a way as possible. We see the use of split screen, bottom screen, slow motion replay, animation and much more whilst allowing our wonderful technological items to produce HD images and play out the sound from the best quality speakers.

We need to appreciate the fact that live is captivating even if it is on screen, and I personally think that it can be a more pleasant way to experience a sporting game. I have to admit that I do love to be at a live match also however…

There is also no doubt that sport has become a commodity- it touches us individually. Not only does an individual gain a great entertainment value out of it but it also aids in interpreting the world that we live in and is actually extremely informative.

Trashy television?

Watching sport on television rises above watching many other trashy television programmes. Yes we still often see a story, and a connection between the sportsperson and the viewer can be made, but this story is something so much better than many other programmes.

There is also the thrill gained that what is being watched is reality – anything really can happen, and the viewer is shown how an ‘ordinary human’ can suddenly shoot to pure stardom. Idealism also links in showing true purity, honour and Olympism in its finest.

Escapism I feel is also a key factor that comes into what we watch on sports broadcasts. A time of brilliance can raise an audiences’ spirit and this can unite people as one.

A sense of patriotism is surely one of the best feelings one can experience. National honour is one of the greatest prides and watching sport allows us to have this. In other words sport can really affect the state of the human mind – what somebody may feel about the state of their mind may tie in with what they feel about the state of their nation.

Those off the pitch are just as important

The people themselves that are involved ‘off the pitch’ in relation to our television sporting coverage is also something that is very interesting to note. During television sporting events we generally see an accompanying running commentary. These media personnel really do engage and hold the audience in an almost hypnotic way.

We also see a cosy network of ex players and current managers contributing to the broadcast, as well as the typical hero and villain types. Punditry I do feel is a great part of our sports broadcasts as these people generally tend to be well respected and have expert knowledge about the game. Proliferating media outlets have helped to feed the development of a real celebrity sporting culture.

Much sports broadcasting generally remains a form of journalism, but it is also informed by a mix of values drawn from television entertainment conventions. Personally however I feel that over the last few years, sports broadcasting has been slightly less journalistically driven and increasingly populated the sporting stars. Football especially tends to be driven by soft opinion rather that hard analysis. It sometimes seems that they are promoting the sport rather reporting, investigating and analysing.

Sport as whole to me is fascinating. Live sport on television is turned into drama; there is tension, thrills, and a general real spectacle to be had when watching.  I agree much with what  Rupert Murdoch once expressed – that “sport overpowers film and everything else in the entertainment industry“

Business prospects…

After a morning spent in a team being set the task of creating a TV/Radio station idea I have realised that the idea of creating a business is actually more realistic than one may think .

To talk amongst a small group discussing, debating and analysing different business ideas and opinions actually enables some pretty inventive things to be created. This can literally be done within a matter of minutes. I was extremely pleased with the idea that we created.

Of course the depth to creating an actual business is going to be somewhat intense and have many avenues that need to be considered. However once an idea has been developed, with the right knowledge and financial support (which I admit may well be tough in this economic situation) something may well actually be able to be materialised.

My team and I are now contemplating how we will take our idea to the next level. I am not going to let onto what the idea is because you readers may think it is that good that you may steal it…

I just wanted to write a small blog expressing that if you take a basic idea i.e. a radio station and you get your creative juices flowing then you may well surprise yourself with what you come up with! Voila!

Personalities from Underground. Smiling prohibited.

I find it so very fascinating to study human behavior. If you have a natural eye for spotting these behaviors and interpreting them then it really does become addictive.

To observe an individual, or indeed a group of individuals and interpret what their reactions in a situation mean is incredibly interesting. It is amazing how you can tell so much about somebody without even holding a conversation with them.

Whilst traveling on the London Underground yesterday I was without a newspaper or an i-pod, therefore my human watching was at its peak. Observing some individuals on the train I was playing a game in my mind imagining what each of their personalities may be. Something which is quite uncanny really, as I will most probably never come across these people ever again in my lifetime. It occurred to me that the majority onboard the tube actually always look incredibly miserable. Cheer up, it might never happen.

The next thing I know, I hear the sound of a band playing inside the tube carriage. A collaboration of around five young men with a trumpet, accordion, tambourine and other instruments were playing some jovial music. I smiled immediately. It was very strange to see this on a train, but it certainly made a nice comparison from the usual dull atmosphere that the London Underground infects people with.

It made me think that perhaps musical entertainment should always be provided for passengers. Perhaps it is a remedy to make people smile. Perhaps was as far as I would get. Looking around me nobody else was smiling. Everybody was looking at the floor – trying their best to avoid any eye contact with the young gentlemen.

If the Underground musicians are good they deserve some spare change

After a song or two, the men began to walk down the train asking for any spare change. Being at the end of the carriage I was able to observe what reactions they got. Most people avoided eye contacted and continued staring at the floor. Some said a simple ‘no’. Not one person gave them a thing. Not even a penny literally.

When they reached me, I gave them a big smile, said I liked what they had done and put some change in their pot. Why should they not get a smile and some change? These men were talented, played some good songs and were asking only for a little money if people had it. I could tell immediately that they were delighted with my small gesture.

Yes some would see this as begging but the fact is they were using their initiative and had thought of a new way to make a little extra cash. It could hardly be said that they were causing a nuisance to anybody – they were actually bringing a ray of light to the carriage.

I honestly could not believe that I was the only person to give a reaction to these men. Has London caused the majority to have a personality bypass?  Would it have been so much of an effort  for somebody to have even spared twenty pence or even given a smile? Some people really should lighten up and think a little differently about life. How these people could not react to seeing a band all of a sudden start playing some upbeat songs on an Underground train in London on a Sunday afternoon completely baffles me. You cannot blame the recession for this.

Perhaps you may consider me to be the strange one…although I would rather be like that than conform to the lemming like society that we so often find ourselves living in.

People need to stop being so serious and enjoy life! Give somebody a smile, and you can pretty much guarantee that they will smile right back.

Fans extreme lack of knowledge about their sports clubs

When it comes to publicity it appears that people literally often do believe everything that they read. When it comes to ’sport people’ who label themselves as so called fans to a specific sports club, some tend to show a lack of what can only be described as common sense.

 

They think about the club in an extreme single minded way. They moan because something doesn’t appear to be being done in the correct way. They rage when a certain member of a team does not get played. They expect everything to be done as if sport is a perfect fairy-tale film.

I truly feel that these people, if they are to call themselves fans need to take a little time out and think far deeper into what supporting a club really means.

They should consider that a sports club is something far greater than watching a game, what they read in the papers, see on the television and what is read on forums.

Somebody else could do a better job?

It also becomes clear from countless media related items that I have trawled through that the majority appear to ‘be able to do the job’ far better than anybody else that is already involved. I would love for these people to be put in such a position; I am almost certain that they would fail immediately. However, if indeed these people were thrown in at the deep end then maybe they would finally begin to understand the true depth of how difficult it must be when you are faced with making decisions within a sporting environment.

For example. if a specific player who appears to be a gift from heaven to the sport is not played for a game or indeed several games, uproar occurs amongst fans. This is often targeted immediately at the management. Surely thinking logically about this situation, there is likely to be an underlying issue. If not the player would indeed be played. Once again we see the straightforward view of supporters.

Because many of these ‘fans’ seem to stick to such a narrow view, they also appear incapable of understanding just how difficult it must be for sports clubs at present. The clubs have not been isolated from the economic climate that we are emerged within. This is surely common sense. How can people have so little world knowledge that this does not occur to them?

I truly feel that some of these people who choose to support a sports club, and whom insist on making it such a huge part of their lives need to re consider their actions. Do not get me wrong, as mentioned there are those who clearly do think about and understand things; but there are also many who fail to do so.

Millions of ladybirds invade Britain

Ladybirds clustered in between a window today

An invasion of ladybirds is sweeping across the south east today. Many being spotted are the Harlequin variety, which are a potential threat to numerous insect species.

Many people this morning would have arisen to find the exterior of their houses swarmed by the insects, large numbers of which would have been gathered in between doorways and windows; a sight that can appear slightly unsettling.

“They tend to swarm at this time of year, they are seeking a place to spend the winter” said a spokesman from the Essex Wildlife Trust today.

 

 

A real threat

The harlequin ladybird seems to be dominating this invasion. Originating from Asia, and only colonising Britain for the past four years scientists suggest that it could be threatening more than one thousand native species. Those at threat include other insects, parasites and plants.  It is known as a voracious predator, even preying on the larvae of other ladybirds.

A harlequin ladybird - threatening British species

The Essex Wildlife Trust spokesman expressed his concern for the vast amounts being spotted:

“They are incredibly invasive and thought to be detrimental to native ladybirds”

This swarm is certainly quite the spectacle, something of which people should appreciate even though it does carry its deeper concerns.  Observing the sky, trees and thousands of buildings being decorated with small black and red beings is extraordinary, and a rare opportunity.

Trying to find somewhere safe to stay for the winter

London Met: Staff and students being punished for blunders at the top

 

 

It could mean the beginning of the end for London Metropolitan University. £36.5 million is the current sum that is owed back to the Higher Education Funding Council for England due to incorrect student data returns.

 

Around 550 job losses are to be expected so the money required can be found.  A spokesman for the University and College Union explained how he feels that“ staff and students are being punished for blunders up the top” and University staff member Amir Soumeeh suggested how he felt that other things should be done to reduce the number of job losses.

He hinted that he believes the senior employees are earning astronomical amounts of money, and as the issue has stemmed from the management they should take pay cuts and reduce bonuses so that more jobs can be saved.

A joint union strike between UCU and UNISON took place last week as the management of the University failed to agree to negotiate with staff trade unions and withdraw redundancy notices that were to be issued with nursery staff.

HEFCE are still set on recovering the funds that have been over paid across a five-year period. When suggested to them that it seems ironic that the government can find millions to bail out banks but not a University that enables access to higher education for some of the poorest students in the country – a spokesman replied:

‘”It would be unfair to the rest of the sector, we fund Universities on correct data”

Mental health disorders – “We laughed ourselves better”

Marian Moore

 

“Being over medicated does not make people better”. These were the words spoken by Marian Moore today whom has schizo-affective disorder.

She believes that the system works against curing people with mental health problems, and that having more psychological therapy is the way forward.

It was revealed how for twelve years she suffered silently, experiencing hallucinations and hearing voices – with her brain “trying to explain the inexplicable”. When the pinochle point came that she was no longer able to cope and she had to reveal what was occurring, medication was immediately prescribed with little thought of actual psychological counselling.

“Drugs can make you worse” she said, and once diagnosed and labelled with the illness her personality changed even more. A real fear was felt.

‘Mind over matter’

Marian had dropped down to five and a half stone in weight, reaching the point where her  internal organs were beginning to fail. Something miraculous then happened, and Marian realised that ‘love’ had much do to with making herself better. Mind over matter seemed to be the ultimate key.

“I decided to help me for half an hour a day”-This positive psychology proved to be a success and Marian began to stabilise mentally. She explained how to be able to love anything else, you first need to love yourself and that much of what she believes occurs in the mind is down to the way you think about life.

“If I had studied philosophy I would never have got ill in the first place”

AM tells Boris disabled tube is waste of time

By Amy May Shead and Simone Knox

Green Park tube station

Installing step-free access at Green Park tube station is costing taxpayers £97 million – and a Conservative Assembly Member today condemned the scheme, saying it was “half-baked” and a waste of money.

The London Assembly Member – Gareth Bacon, said the money would be better spent improving disability transport above ground, including the troubled Dial-a-Ride. The whole project is tipped to reach £400 million, making 25% of the tube network accessible for the disabled.

“I’m not convinced that step-free access isn’t just a grand gesture with financial extravagance attached to it,” Mr Bacon told London Mayor Boris Johnson during the Mayor’s question time today.

At least £34 million has already been spent upgrading Green Park station, with another £63 million earmarked for the project. But Mr Bacon said step-free access stations across London were flawed, as wheelchair users still had difficulty getting on the trains once they were on the platforms.

“All we’re getting for that is one or two lifts that can take people down to a platform… and there’s nothing to allow users to board the trains from the platform.”

Lord Richard Dutton

Wheelchair users cannot get on board the trains

Wheelchair-bound Lord Richard Dutton carries a ramp to help him get on and off trains, but he said the majority of wheelchair users didn’t have one, so they didn’t use the tube.

“It would be impossible. Had I not had a ramp, I wouldn’t be able to get off. It’s preventing all wheelchair users. They’ve got to make the whole tube accessible,” he said.

Mr Bacon asked the Mayor to reconsider the cost of the upgrades. However, the Mayor said 24 step-free access projects had already been deferred, and denied that the whole scheme wasn’t “just a grand gesture.”

“I don’t think we should abandon the objective of people trying to use the tube because of disabilities, wheelchairs and push chairs. But you do have a point,” he said.

FOIE GRAS – THE SICKENING TRUTH

Courtesy of The Animal Protection and Rescue League

There are countless examples of cruelty beyond disbelief in this world. One which I feel is one of the most revolting, unnecessary and barbaric is that of the process involving ducks and geese in order for a so called fine delicacy to be served on the plates of high class diners – foie gras.

Shame should be cast upon anybody who supplies it, serves it in their restaurant or consumes it. Think back to the ducks going about their lives when you visit the park. They are inquisitive individuals whom have developed relationships with one another and are meticulous when it comes to looking after their nest.

In order for foie gras to be created these animals encounter a hellish experience as far away from life on the lake as possible.

Foie gras, which translates into ‘fatty liver’ can often be found at some of the finest dining experiences – that of weddings, banquets, and at top hotels. It is best known as a traditional French cuisine.

It appears that many of the consumers of foie gras are unfamiliar with how it is produced, they just ‘know’ that it is delicious – something that should be truly appreciated for its fine and unique taste. I have been fortunate enough to attended some very fine restaurants which had foie gras on their menu – luckily I had never decided to choose it.

Since then I have been led to understand the cruelty linked with the production of ‘the delicacy’. I know for a fact that I will never touch it. I also doubt whether I should even set foot in those places again. They do not deserve the support for trying to sell such a nauseating ‘food’ item.

The repulsive production procedure

Courtesy of The Animal Protection and Rescue League

The method in how foie gras is produced is certainly not for the faint hearted. The birds are squashed into tiny cages with their wings twisted together, restricted from the freedom of even being able to turn around in dark filthy sheds, existing in their own waste and with no natural light.

Every three hours they are force fed with 4lb of a corn mash mixture which swells inside them, so much so that they literally reach bursting point. This would be the equivalent of us eating around 45lb of pasta a day. This itself is absolutely repulsively inhumane, but the worst is yet to come.

In order for this unbelievable quantity of corn mush to be pumped into the animals, huge metal pipes are forced down their gullets and straight into to their stomach, during which their insides are ruptured and their beaks are cracked. Their livers increase to ten times the normal size and the animals quickly become sick.

Some experience a painful death, with corpses left among live birds whom are only waiting to continue enduring this agonising process each and every day.

This torture continues for around three months until the birds livers are so diseased and overladen with food that they are considered fatty enough to be served on somebody’s dinner table. At this point the birds are shackled without a care and their throats are cut, only waiting for their miserable lives to drain away for eternity.

Courtesy of The Animal Protection and Rescue League

Eating a diseased organ

Foie gras is actually a very painful liver disease – fatty liver disease, which should be treated by a veterinary surgeon. Instead it is cruelly and intentionally induced on foie gras farms throughout the world – type the two words into YouTube and you can see for yourself the distressing process and effects. I am sure it will convince you that any civilised and sane individual would not want to let foie gras anywhere near their knife and fork.

In addition to this, it has been said that certain surveys have suggested that eating fois gras can lead to a whole array of diseases, including that of Alzheimer’s, and why would anybody want to eat something that was riddled with ‘disease’ and of an astonishingly high calorific content anyway?

We share the planet with these creatures that provide us with food, therefore these creatures who are often at our mercy deserve our upmost respect. They still have a face, just like you or I.

When it comes to the production of foie gras, this respect is failing miserably. It is a completely unnecessary food source being created, no matter whether it is a French tradition or not. We are living in a modern day society.

The actual farming of foie gras is banned in the UK, as it is it Israel and Switzerland, but there is no law to prevent restaurants or food stores from exporting it in and selling it. Marks and Spencers, Waitrose and Harvey Nichols no longer place it on their shelves, but there are many more food halls such as that of Harrods which still sell it.

Courtesy of The Animal Protection and Rescue League

Hopefully in the near future this barbaric delicacy will have become extinct. People need to be made aware of the shocking truth, and when they are I am sure that opinions will change and fois gras will be successfully banned throughout the world.

To read more about this cruel procedure and to support the campaign visit – www.banfoiegras.com

QPR: NEW SPONSORSHIP DEAL IMMINENT IN WAKE OF BRIATORE VERDICT

By Amy May Shead, Nathan Rowden, Stefanie Linhardt

Queens Park Rangers Football club is believed to be on the verge of securing a new sponsorship deal according to a QPR-Spokesman.

The new deal is likely to go through within the next two days, which could secure some much needed finance for the West London Club with the uncertainty over Flavio Briatore’s future as major stakeholder.

Although the spokesman could not officially comment on the Briatore case, of which a verdict will be announced on Thursday, he did hint that if Briatore was to exit, then the other sponsorship deals could possibly be in jeopardy.

Sponsors including Lotto, Santander, Gulf Air and ChronoTech Watches could possibly withdraw funds.

New Sponsor ‘TOYO’

Our informant would not name the new sponsor, however a new company boarding is already present in Loftus Road Stadium and has been for the last two matches – remarkably unnoticed.  After a brief tour of the stadium and eliminating the established sponsors, a Japanese based company called TOYO appears to be the only obvious candidate indicated.

The spokesman claimed that any result of the Briatore case would not affect the potential sponsorship from the new sponsor and therefore the investment could prove vital to the continuance of QPR in the immediate and foreseeable future.

It has also been rumoured that current shareholder, and UK’s richest man, steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal will purchase the remainder of Briatore’s shares.  When asked of this, the spokesman answered “Yes, that is one of the rumours”. Even with the potential Mittal-buyout the new sponsorship will secure some extra-income and put the fans minds at rest.

CHURCH turns out hundreds in a drunken state and wearing fancy dress

Some 'Church' goers

I was exceptionally pleased with myself after being accepted into one of the top casting agencies in London today. To take a nice easy stroll along the London streets on a Sunday afternoon when you are pleased with yourself always seems to be a little different and more enjoyable than doing so in the week days when there is the never ending rush of people whose lives are so crammed with business that they have not a second to spare. There is no such thing as an easy stroll to be had – you are dragged in with the frantic flow. I was thoroughly enjoying my Sunday stroll in Kentish Town when I was all of a sudden confronted with what seemed like thousands of people dressed in outfits which ranged from togas to toads. You name it, the outfit was there.

In shock I immediately stopped and observed, only to notice how it seemed that these people were in no sober state – staggering, giggling, and sitting down with eyes appearing heavy. I was beginning to question my own sanity – was I really seeing this extraordinary sight before me at 16.00h on a Sunday? I couldn’t resist, I had to to do some further investigations.

30 years of Sunday Church drunkenness

I pounced on a few passer byes who could only manage to tell me that they had “just been to Church” before they carried on their journey in a wobbly line along the pavement. This confused me even more and after much persistence I eventually began to make sense of the situation. I came across some individuals who were slightly more coherent than the majority which is where I was told that ‘Church‘ is actually a club of which you attend at mid-day on a Sunday, and that it has been a success for thirty years. People ‘religiously’ as it were turn up early on a Sunday morning to continue with their weekend drinking antics. Sunday really is no longer a day of rest.

I am sure than this club must create some considerable controversy, is it mocking the people that attend a religious establishment on a weekly basis to worship their God, and is it encouraging the much spoken about subject of binge drinking? There are many questions that arise, of which I do not have the time to go in to at this present time. What I will point out however is that from my observations, everybody although drunk appeared to be in a rather relaxed state and there was no evidence of Loutish behavior.

It was as though although these individuals were under the influence of alcohol they had more respect for the streets that they were walking down and the people that they were passing than what they would do at two o’clock in the morning.

The affect on the locals

I decided to head into a pub within close proximity to the club to gain an opinion from some of the locals. I assumed that there must be some negative feelings regarding ‘Church’ floating around Kentish Town when hundreds of people dressed in outrageous costumes take over the streets each and every Sunday without fail. It came as quite the surprise to me to discover that the staff and locals were quite content with the situation. It was explained to me how ‘Church’ hire bouncers to protect the surrounding area before, during and after the clubbing hours to ensure that there is no wrong doing and that nobody is allowed in the pubs after 16.00h who have been to the venue.

“The bouncers line the streets and pub entrances, specifically encouraging the club goers to make their way onto the buses and tubes as quickly as possible” explained a bar attendant. The arrangement seemed too good to be true, and to my disbelief – it actually seemed to work; I would estimate that within just under an hour ninety percent of the crowds had disappeared.

‘Church’ certainly sounds quite the unique experience and something that I may consider trying so that I can attempt to understand the reasons for its immense success. It appears that the phrase ‘anything goes’ is the penultimate saying for Kentish Town, but then so it should be – it is one of the most fashion crazed locations in London. Perhaps I can supply a far more detailed and interesting insight into this unusual Sunday clubbing addiction sometime within the near future. For now I have decided to keep my opinions to a minimum. I shall keep you posted.

Radio – A blind medium? I think not.

I have been getting increasingly frustrated with hearing assumptions and negative comments spoken about on the subject of radio.

It is not boring, it has not had its day and it certainly is not ‘undoubtedly better’ than television. The opinions that I hear on radio itself seem to come from that of little consideration about what the medium actually is.

It seems to be a somewhat stereotyped opinion from those who clearly lack any substantial knowledge about the media world that we are embedded in. What I cannot seem to understand is how so many seem oblivious to the fact that radio has the gift to affect an audience in such a way that no other media form can, especially when it comes the the genre of radio drama; which clearly is one of the most unappreciated literary forms of the last twenty five years.

CSR FM

Compared with that of television, one would assume that due to the obvious fact that radio lacks visual stimulus there is no way that it can be as ‘compelling’ and varied as what is broadcast on the television.With a never ending source of images that seek to shock, influence, entertain and teach constantly on our screens, to think that radio could do exactly the same is sure to be seen as plain stupidity by the majority.

My opinion however is quite the opposite. Radio offers a very different theatrical effect, an effect which I feel is one of the most interesting, as well as being one of the most influential. It most assuredly is not a blind medium.

Seeing with the eye… and seeing with the ear…

Thinking philosophically, what difference is there between seeing with the eye and seeing with the ear? Blind people can still see, they still have the ability to imagine what is going on around them, and create their own visual sense as it were. Other human senses allow them to interpret their surroundings. Sight is a minute part of the human experience.

Feeling and emotion are surely as important to true life fulfillment; without them what would we as human beings be?

This is where my theory comes in to play – radio (especially radio drama) has the ultimate ability to delve deeply into human feelings and emotions, so much more so than television or film. The entire imaginative spectacle can be influenced – there are no limitations; by which I am suggesting that taste, sound, smell and visual can all be created just from hearing even a simple sound.

What is so fantastic about radio is that because we are only using our ears to consume the source, each individuals interpretation will differ in a variety of ways.

The sound that we as an audience hear from our speakers is entering into the subliminal mind of the human being, creating an almost dream like experience, a visual show ground that goes on for eternity.

Therefore when considered further it would make sense to say that radio encourages us to have far more active involvement with the source being listened to deep within our ever so complicated minds, especially when comparing it to that of television, where an often passive trance appears to take over the viewer.

Experimenting on the airwaves

Sound experimenting

I do not want to bore you with lists of sounds that are used within radio and the ones that I particularly feel from experience have an incredible dramatic effect, especially again in the case of radio drama, but I do want to stress that the list really is never ending.

There is always the opportunity to experiment with sound to create a new emotional adventure.

All sounds that we hear have a hue, they have a spectrum of nature just as fine art does, therefore each individual encounters something that no other person will. How fantastic is that? We are allowed to let our minds run wild and create as insane or normal vision as we wish. We see no barrier as is experienced when watching a screen.

So there we have it, radio is extraordinarily far from being a blind medium. Instead of waking up in the morning and glueing your eyes to GMTV or BBC Breakfast, try switching to a radio station and think about what you have read in this blog – you may be surprised. Your imagination may even thank you for it.

Welcome to the world of Amy May

Amy Shead

To be told by one of my Masters Degree Lecturers just a few hours ago that I had to create my own blog and begin blogging daily came as quite the surprise to me; the thought of this is something that I probably would never have considered doing seriously in the past. However, I have been carefully analysing the blogging craze that appears to have stormed the world and I imagine that it may well be quite addictive, in fact – very addictive.

So today is the day where an addiction shall inaugurate. Suddenly the innumerable things of which I frequently think such as “I wish I could rant about this” or “I want to express my opinion because it is superior to yours” are shooting back into my mind. In fact I am fairly tempted to sit up all night and type an explosion of opinions, words, thoughts and visions that have developed in my mind over I have no idea how much time. Finally here it is – my own space. A space for my stories. Wonderful. Lets get started.

Although firstly however, just a little more about me – Amy May Shead (Surely you want to know a little about who is writing this blog?).

Amy May Shead

I was born in Rochford, Essex in 1987, and before you say it, yes I do get so called ’stick’ from certain individuals for my place of birth. I can assure you however that although I may be a blonde and fun loving lady, I have brains and a serious academic side also; recently leaving University with a First Class Honours Degree, and at present completing my Masters Degree in Broadcast Journalism. I can also categorically say that I have never worn a pair of white stilettos. I do however enjoy dressing as a wild child, with my huge lioness-like blonde hair and my favorite leopard print fashion numbers, sometimes there really is nothing better. It is delightful to bring out the true wild side within yourself once in a while, as it is to dress as a Pirate – I like to say I have a somewhat ‘creative flair’.

 

Some of the many things I have done over the past 22 years

Throughout my life I have always been involved in anything and everything ranging from acting, singing, sport, traveling, through to playing a mammoth amount of musical instruments, of which I was privileged to gain many achievements from. Of recent I have been involved with a BBC Saturday morning radio show, as well as taking part in many other media related experiences, hence my choice of Masters Degree.

I am also a great animal lover, having owned dozens of pets from a friendly parrot named ‘Casper’, tortoises who are older than my nan, to a giant dog who is still my ‘little princess’. As well as this I try to volunteer abroad when it is possible to help to save creatures in need, whilst always finding time to devote to the most important people in my life as well as to general havoc causing.

Dressing as a wolf

As you can see I generally love everything about life itself, and why shouldn’t I? You only live once, so make the most of it. Live each day as your last. I could go into so much more detail about my past twenty one years on this earth, but I shall refrain from telling you all the details, I want to commence with my blogging; write about new, exhilarating, and extraordinary subjects. I may even establish an Amy May Shead blogging empire. We shall see. Enjoy