Thursday 29 May 2014

One direction doing drugs!

Sheesh!

Just when you thought it was a slow day in the news office, they happen to begin reporting that some members of one directon have been smoking "a joint".

Firstly, let me just say, i'm not here to defend their actions, their fans or anything else about the band which irritates the shit out of me... however, can we all do some growing up on this topic?

Breif history lesson, marajuana was made illegal around the world because of repeated law suits from the cotten industry which was about to fold had it not have been for the banning of hemp. The law suits were often filled with crazy and fake stories which at the time were believed and thus, hemp was banned... what kind of stories? Well, in one case a "scentist" said that he took the drug which made him grow wings and he was able to fly... So yeah, make of that what you will.

So what are the objections and my reply to them?

1) The boys are in the media and have fans which will copy their actions.

- My reply.

It is down to the parents of a child to teach them what is right and what is wrong in accordance with their standards. Smoking the drug has yet to lead to any deaths and has less side effects than becoming addicted to caffine, alcohol and tobacco. It is not down to pop stars to educate children on what is right and what is wrong in the world.

2) The boys are marketed and this will damage their image.

- My reply.

Will it? In more places around the world the use of hemp is now becoming legal again, even some states in America have re-alowed its use and theres a bill coming soon here in the UK which could see hemp made legal again. It has huge health benefits that go with it which is why in some places, like Canada, it is legal on medical grounds.

3) They do it knowing it is illegal in most parts of the world, what if they are smuggling it into countries to carry on with their adiction.

- My reply.

Firstly, yes, it is still banned in most parts of the world, but i'm sure that they're not addicted to having joints, nor would they risk their whole careers on bringing it with them wherever they happen to go. Smoking a joint doesn't get you addicted to it, like everything else in the world, it takes alot to get addicted to it.

4) What if children now start smoking drugs?

- My reply.

Again, parents are there to educate children and guide them through their early life, people will experiment with drugs, it's a fact, it happens... if children start doing it? So what? It's not rare to find a person these days who had their first cigarette aged 10 and under, alcohol at 15... etc. So if YOUR child stats smoking joints and you don't want them to... that's down to YOU to correct it.

5) Drugs should remain banned, they bad for all of us.

- My reply.

They shouldn't. Simple fact is we're supposed to live in a world where you are free to choose, so why are you free to get addicted to coffee, but not another substance? You can get addicted to almost anything these days if you let yourself, we shouldn't ban certain thing's because people will get addicted to them, because if we want to live by them rules, let's ban make-up, coffee, alcohol, tobacco, water, televisions, the internet, computer games, hair, electricity... everything that people can get addicted to. See, it's stupid isn't it?

In a study which was carried out by a government work official in the UK (who lost his job for doing it), he carried out a study on harmful substances and graded them as the should be graded according to risk, addiction etc. Do you know that coffee and alcohol were two of the highest? Higher than most banned drugs infact. Now of course he lost his job, he showed the government that they were wrong and no government likes that, so he was sacked quicker than the reports could be published in a bid to keep the research quiet... but it got out there eventually. Just because you're used to something being banned and for years you've been told "it's bad for you thats why it's illegal", doesn't make it true.

Finally, what the 1D members have done isn't too bad, theres alot worse that they could be doing. The whole argument of how they're supposed to be setting an example is just pathetic. Because if you want to start that argument, let's look at britney spears, got pissed and married.... then quickly divorced. Kim KarTRASHian had to leak a porn video in order to find fame. J-Lo, again, marrying and divorcing quicker than you can have a buffet at a kids birthday party.

There's ALOT of bad stuff in the world, so why don't we look at that and deal with it, rather than getting worked up because somebody used something that isn't legal where you are from.

Monday 26 May 2014

What's with the offence about miming?

Welcome to 2014, where people get offended if you tell them that their fave singer or band mime tracks.

When we go to see a show we always like to think that the singer or band is live infront of us and that it's their finest show, but, unknown to alot of people, much of the content we see these days is pre-recorded, yes, even when on tour.

Put it this way, singers in the popular way, are out gigging 7 days a week, you might not always see it or hear about it, but they are, hard at work. Night clubs, arena's, tv shows, charity events and expected to be recording new stuff too... a persons voice can only do so much.

For years now, i've been saying to people that Cher has mimed on stage, not the full show, infact, not even the full song, but "Believe", one of her biggest hits, is mostly mimed. Why? Because not everywhere the song is peformed has the ability to do the auto-tune in the way the song should be heard. Not only that, but it's almost impossible to sing it as it was sang before the auto-tune was added. So to make things more simple, Cher will mime the vers parts of the song and sing the chorus.... and it works, but it's not fully live, yet people people get offended when you tell them this!

So how can something sound live and look live, but be mimed?

Companies will carry out what they call a "live recording". Now this could be recorded in a recording studio, or even, on the road, but then it is used over and over, so it sounds live, but it actually isn't.

However.... don't get offended by this, because if you do... then you need to look at who you're following musically. Lady gaga = mimes, Cher = mimes, Cheryl cole = mimes.... everybody does it.... more so, these popular boybands and girl bands.... it really is true.

Saturday 24 May 2014

The mood and the birthday drama that was...

So i announced to the world about a month ago now that this year, for the first time in years, i'm planning my own birthday, saying to the world "this is what i want to do on it", because it really has been years since i've said something like that.

Today however, i literally tore the plans up infront of peoples faces in a massive "fuck you all" moment and i'm going to take my time, plenty of deep breaths and write down all of my thoughts here. This post isn't intended to offend, but this really is how it is.

When i announced the plans the reaction at best was a "oh". Nobody seemed to be shouting with me in saying "omg yeah, it'll be a great day". Instead i got comments like "really? why there though", "well how are you going to get there", "i don't like rides" etc. Fair enough, i was planning the event for mid-week so of course people were having a hard time getting the time off work etc, which is understandable.

What brought that to today's mood though?

Well, last night, i booked some of the tickets to go, only 2, for me and a friend who i knew was coming with me, and thats when the lines started like "well i'll get my own ticket, thats fine, don't worry" or the "actually, i can't make it sorry" etc. Message after message of peoples excuses and me literally having to persuade people to go with me, so today i emailed the fairground and told them to cancel the booking i have made, i cancelled the facebook event which of course gets alot of the "why have you done that" messages and phone calls, of which i've replied to a few and answerd a few calls, but i'm really just at the point of saying "no, fuck it. Fuck it, fuck you, fuck everything."

So, what am i going to do for my birthday then?

Well, it'll be in june and i thus presume the weather is going to be quite nice. So i'm going out with trey (my dog). It's my first birthday with him and i know that seeing him happy will make me happy.

Presents? I really, for the first time in years, don't actually need, or want anything. I know people are starting to ask questions about what to get me and the truth is... if people are just happy for me, then what more could i want? Plus its free, so yey being happy and all that jazz.

It might seem like i'm in a fowl mood, and truth be told, yeah, i am in one. Some thing's are just falling to shit for me at the moment and for once, i'm letting them. I need change to happen in my life so, maybe going through a bad time will create the change... who knows?

What i do know is, i'm making me happy.

Monday 5 May 2014

Schools and security.

It's been no secret that the UK's education is coming under close watch by everybody these days as last week news reached us about a terrible incident in which a teacher was stabbed in a classroom (while teaching). She was taken to hospital but later lost her battle and passed.

The news was awful to here and i don't know one person that wasn't shocked by the news. Since then of course the media has done all the digging it can on violence and threats against teachers as several reports since confirm the police in wales are looking into a possible plot to kill a teacher and today's news that a primary school teacher had a bleach-like substance poured in her drink. What is going on? Is this new?

In short, the answer is no. It's sad to say that incidents of threats and violence against teachers in the UK isn't a rare thing. Granted, union's etc wouldn't agree with me on that, but that's because most of these incidents are not reported and delt with as they should be, with many teachers just excusing the incident as children being silly... but how much "silly" can be tolerated.

With the teacher who lost her life after being stabbed infront of her class, it was apparently no secret that the pupil who carried out the murder, didn't like the teacher. What could have been done to prevent this incident from happening then? Since i went to school, didn't like all my teachers, but not once would i have ever even thought about carrying out such actions.

Metal detectors.

Good - schools staff would be able to stop item's like knives and blades getting into the school.
Bad - it would take too long to scan each pupil and be sure that they were not carrying anything. Airports can scan alot of people at once, school's were never built to have such systems in place, so at entrances and exits, there's just not the room to be putting such systems.

Report every opinion.

Good - schools would be able to moniter certain pupils actions around staff where it was known that a pupil didn't like the staff member.
Bad - It's not possible because not all opinions are vocalised in a school environment and it would also make alot of pupils scared to speak up about their own thoughts and feelings in an environment which is supposed to help pupils with this kind of behaviour.

CCTV.

Good - schools would be able to watch pupils and their actions around members of staff.
Bad - it doesn't stop incidents from happening, just records them when they do.

So, what is the answer?

Well, this is where we all come in, and of course our education department of the government has let the ball slip on this, but, erm, EDUCATE.

Not just in the school environment, i'm on about at home... infact, mostly at home.

Many children these days are brought up not knowing right from wrong. While many parents may be sat reading this at the moment thinking "well, my child is well behaved" ask yourself this.... when was the last time you sat your child down and went through some of the do's and don't's of the real world? Explaining to them that knives harm people and it's not a good idea to stab people?

Don't think it needs saying? It's common sense? Is it? Just because you may take it for granted that stabbing somebody is a bad thing, please don't presume that children know it too. Children learn and they need to be taught what is acceptable behaviour and what isn't.

Sunday 4 May 2014

Getting into work.

So? How did it go?

I hear all of none of you asking that question, forgetting the post from last week or something that i was getting myself back into work. First week for me is complete and with some rather suprising results i must admit.

Firstly, i love being back in work. I love being able to work out how much pay i'm getting in and it being over £100 for the week. I loved learning the role and doing it was quite good fun too... i'll tell you about that later, but yeah, it's gone well... only... i managed to get an injury, resulting in me having to take 3 days off.

Basically the work involves for the most part, lifting and moving items, which in some cases can be very heavy and at some big heights too. So of course i've gone in, started doing it, even done overtime and then my back has simply had enough, making it difficult for me to walk and.... well... everything. Don't get me wrong, i'm not about to quit or anything, but it is a reminder that i am quite a weak person, so it's given me a nice little reminder to strengthen my body up more than it already is, since lets face a fact here, there's people of all ages doing this job and they're doing it fine, so why shouldn't i be able to do it?

So, what is the job?

Well, i'm not going to give you the details of the employer, but it's a large supermarket retailer and my role is to sort the items out. So, say for example they have had a delivery of 100 onions, my job is then to take the 100 onions and ensure that the right amount goes off to the right store.... get the idea?

The work is mostly done through an audio headset system, so you're talking to the system and it tells you what shop to go to next and how many to drop off, which of course is quite a novelty for me, so i'm enjoying that side of it too.... plus they have the radio playing through the building all day, so the few minutes you have spare you can be humming along to the song, and i say humming along, thats all you can do as the system for me thinks i'm telling it a command when infact, i'm telling it to suck on my toe because fuck you, for this song, i AM pink and raising my glass.

What about the hours?

It's full time work and of course for the first week i've been in training which has meant doing 10-6 shifts. Going from such a long time of no work to full time hours is abit of a shock on the system. Of course i had friends who for the first few days would be ringing/texting or even visiting me to see how it'd gone and sort of, help me along the way... but all the time in the back of your mind you're thinking "omg, i just want to go to bed".

As for future hours, i don't know what they are or will be, i know they can be anytime from 6am until midnight because thats when they are open, but i've... and this is a shocking bit right here so make sure you're sat down... i've asked to do the 6am-2pm shifts, just because after thinking about it, i'd have the rest of the day then to go and get shopping etc... just get on with life without the constant thought of "shit, i'm going to be late for work".

 How supportive have the job centre plus been?

Well, i'll be honest here... The staff that i've had contact with have been over the moon, literally made up for me, giving me congrats on getting into work, wishing me the best and of course saying (meaning well) that they hope to not have to see me again. However, the processes at the job centre make no sense.

Example 1, i started work on a tuesday, which is 2 days before my usual sign-on day at the job centre, meaning when i closed my claim with them, i had about £100 still to collect from my usual payment, so i called first thing on the wednesday morning when i knew i was going to like the role and be sticking with it. So the payment for that will be sent to me in due course.... that's fine. But remember years ago the job centre used to give you money for getting into work, well, not anymore they don't. I presume that the money is being sent to companies who are taking people on with temp work and don't have to pay their wages either. So like now, i can work on the bank holiday monday, but i have no money to get to and from the work, so i have to wait until tuesday when the money will be cleared into my account, which is just horrible and of course having an impact on my wages too.

Example 2, on the monday, the day before i was due to start work, i was STILL expected to go to a training course to help me look for work.... why? I KNEW i was starting work, but yet, was still expected to go. Needless to say, i didn't attend for the day and started work on the tuesday, and for the first time ever, i think because i signed off, the job centre didn't sanction me!

Example 3, you're not paid enough money to actually get into work. While yes, you're provided with £70 something a week, it isn't enough to pay bills AND get you into work until your first pay cheque comes in, basically, leaving you fucked if you're paid monthly (and luckily, i'm not).

So in essence, no, the job centre do not help you into work, they want you to find work, but that's it.

As for my working future.... well, i don't know. I know the work is temp but ongoing, basically meaning if there's not as much work to be done, my hours will either be cut or i'll not be called in at all.... but that's the way it is even if you're employed by the retailer in question, until you're taken on, on a perm basis (ie, people leaving and you take their place). I'm excited for the future and i know my next years wages are already mentally spent, but, time will tell what happens.