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.