Higher Education

Today I will discuss the topic that has dominated my thoughts over the last month and that is Higher Education (University). I am leaving for Brighton in September as are thousands of others to embark on there courses. I am studying Maths and Computing in which think will give me the best mix of what I want to do and what looks good to employers.

Musical Taste

Firstly a little bit about my musical tastes, I used to be very open to anything but when I really started to listen to music it very quickly narrowed down. My first interests were sparked by video games, especially GTA Vice City which I have always had a soft spot for 80's music as it generally the music seemed to appeal to me more as it was usually upbeat.

Photo editing for free

Today you get lots and lots of free editing software through with your digital camera or online which I don't know about the more expensive models but the cheaper ones the software is rubbish. So here in a first of freebies is my recommendations for photo editing software.

The best sport beginning with F is....

Taking a break from the heavy politcal stuff i have been yabbering on about recently to talk about something a little more relaxed!
Formula 1 of course! It's the british grand prix this weekend and a sell out crowd. It dosn't take a genius to work out who most of the crowd will be cheering for (Lewis). But my loyalities lay with Kimi as do many others here in England.

My perfect world

Communism - Is it all that bad?
Can't we all just live as one? My thoughts on this are being formed from the basic Human life idea in which we are all one type of animal which has been gifted the intelligence that we have. A large group of people to oversee all countries. They can then have the ability to have an overview and share out the worlds resources to give everyone no matter where they live a house and a way to survive.

Immigration

This is clearly a very controversial issue within Britain today so I thought I would move it forward on my list as It was relating to everything I was writing about.

Gang Culture

Taking a quick break from my list I will take a quick minute to mention a hot current issue surrounding the gang culture in London especially. Channel 4 is currently broadcasting programmes on this subject exactly.

Black culture In London
I was surprised when I visited for the first time just how large the black population in London is. I think I got a greater idea for how diverse the range of nationalities are. Now after there fore-fathers had settled here when Britains borders where open. Since then the government have closed the gates and gaining permission to live in the UK became much more difficult. Discrimination against the black community set in because of what was being said in the media and because it wasn't what people were used to. Today there is a lot of poverty within the black community and this is thought to be one reason for the association with crime.

Gang Culture
Tony Blair last year made some outspoken remarks about the amount of knife crime committed by young black boys being out of proportion to others. I can see why he said these things as there is a culture of gangs and violence amongst them. If that is something that originates from the countries they came from or something that has just developed in London I‘m not sure.

After watching a programme on channel 4 on this topic exactly hearing views of those in this situation of gangs, stabbings and death. Much of it I all ready knew really it wasn’t anything particularly shocking. However what was interesting is that they too don’t want it to be like it is. They would rather get rid of the weapons and rivalry. Clearly the next generation is important to target to stop this escalating further outside the city. I know from around my area that people do get influenced by this behaviour. Associations I instantly make with these people are; Rap Music, Hoodies, Tracksuits and they are outspoken and also there ‘accent’ if that’s what you want to call it and words used unique.

Protection was probably the main reason why they carried knifes another main issue is that of friendships and getting others to respect your power given by carrying a weapon. This has only lead to a competition almost to who can have the biggest, most powerful weapon. In the current environment I believe we haven’t seen the end of it yet I believe there are still a few critical points to happen before people can move on and end this culture of gangs. Usually these points are because of death and this case could be no exception. As one of the boys pointed out on the programme, it’s no good just taking the knifes away from people because they only have to reach to the kitchen cupboard to get another one. What is needed is a national programme to change attitudes. These gangs have been split geographically by what area they live in. Why be so territorial? Why can’t we go into other areas? What exactly are they protecting? These I don’t know the answers to

Housing

This is such a wide area to talk about and is rather general so I will focus on the lack of affordable housing and if new houses where built where should they go?

KENT is set for a huge increase in housing with thousands of new homes to be built in the county over the next few years.

There is a very fine line on building new houses, on one side there is the need for more as the population continues to grow. More affordable housing is also in great demand as house prices have rose year on year way above the increase in wages. All this leads to people staying at home longer while saving to buy a house.

A big factor effecting the housing market is immigration, a topic for another day to discuss in detail as it is a massive issue in Britain today. The government have been shown to be more than sympathetic with them in finding them housing. To what extend I don't know but it puts a massive squeeze on the market especially as there are still people that are classified as homeless who should get priority to find a place to stay asap. Its all very well people coming over here and sharing there skills but its another 10,20,30000... houses that are needed. And where are they going to be put? I think as many existing estates should be redeveloped as possible and planned so that as little of the unspoiled countryside isn't eaten up. The last thing i would want is to be going for miles and not getting away from buildings, that is also why I wouldn't want to live in a big city.

Apart from housing the government must make sure that if the houses are going to be placed there the services and facilities are adequate as the more houses services like Police, Hospitals, Doctors etc are responsible for the service will suffer as a result. In my experience the current levels are already high for waiting lists for hospitals and it is impossible to get a dental service on the NHS in many areas.

Entertainment and Business also needs to be encouraged to give people somewhere to go to create a community rather than just a housing estate. These will also aid keep crime down, especially further north I have seen areas which have been almost deserted and its them sort of places which should be focused on redeveloping and reusing the land. After all we do live on a rather small island so the most needs to made of the land we do have.

Luckily there is groups out there that specialise in these sorts of issues. They work to make sure everything is done sustainably and help also give locals a voice in what happens in there area. The UK has a unique character that needs to be sustained and putting too many new buildings all over the place would have a negative effect on the landscape.

The last point I will make here is to the future of housing developments and as most other things in the modern world environmental issues are taking a larger effect on the planning and development of the buildings. Such things as Eco towns are in the pipelines and will probably use more effective techniques to construct and be more efficient in the use of resources. So in my area, much like the rest of the UK the housing production will continue to cover the landscape as long as I don't wake up one morning and find I am living in a brickyard with no greenery.

Violent Video Games

How bigger effect do violent games actually have on someone? This will always vary from one person to another. One thing is age, yes some 10 year old's will be able to handle playing a 18 game. I believe if the context of that game is fighting or bullying this is far worse than a shooting game which may include gorey graphics. Especially if the bully is presented as the cool kid I think that may the have an effect.

Are they a reason why someone would kill another? This one probably has more to do with mental stability, if the person is unstable to start with that is the only reason I think a game would have that effect on you. Playing it on a screen and physically doing it are two completely different things.

Why I don't think computer games should be a big part of any child's life. Especially primary school age, healthy natural play is far more beneficial. I was reading a healthily lifestyle magazine the other day and could agree more that as much as possible Kids should exercising either their bones or their brains with stimulating activities. When they get a little older this should then create a habit for them to continue with sports especially and using there mind creatively. This will encourage a healthier life style reducing the risk of disease and unhappiness.

On the other hand, Computer games are a great way to learn, there is lots i have gained from playing. They have developed a healthy interest in music not too mention they are great when there is nothing else to do. I spend generally less time on them now than I used to and believe there is much more beneficial things to do and they should just be a relaxation tool. They can provide a great insight into various scenarios and provide knowledge and understanding of previously unexplored areas. They can also be a work of art and an inspiration to others, especially with the third generation consoles out the graphics are stunning. Taking games like The Sims and Need For Speed where the player has endless choices to create something (however small) themselves is another form of using creativity. Challanging games like Sim City (which i have never got the full hang of) I also believe would benefit someone by playing increasing logic skills and puzzle solving.

Original Image

Why I blog

About Blogging
Blogging really took off a couple of years ago as people started to write things down about there passion/ career/ life etc. One thing lead to another and as it spread now just about anyone writes to a blog from scientists noting down research for colleges to look at to a fisherman explaining different techniques and subjects on his topic. You don't need any skills to blog, the limits of the blog are the limits in your mind.

The Benefits
Stress relief I believe is the short term benefit, your mind thinking about what it wants to is very relaxing and is great to have the time to yourself to think about what you have done and what could be changed. This leads me onto the second point in this part, the ability to reflect and therefore see what could be better which then leads (hopefully) to a more positive outlook over a longer period of time and a more successful one at that. The last main benefit that I am aware of is what you are creating in the process which you can then look through years in the future and show others to learn from your experiences.

Why I blog
I started blogging for two reasons; to keep a record of my life so i can look back on these years later in life and secondly for fun. I never really liked English or reading and writing in school but I find blogging much more relaxed allowing me to get whatever is on my mind onto the screen. It also helps to build writing skills and if you have a big problem to think it through, if you blog with several friends then they can help and give advice in a more formal and thought out way (and vice versa). I will also be able to remember in much more detail what I actually did over the last year which will make my life feel more accomplished.

The main other purpose which relates to the second point is that blogging exercises my creative instincts, I can write about anything, I could make up a whole story or some other form of creative writing with out having that pressure that it has to be correct, as long as it sounds good to me then I'm happy.

Horny teenagers!

This is something getting more and more under my skin is how everything seems to have a sexual reference. It also struck me how some have got addicted to social networking where they just look up complete strangers that are of the opposite gender in the local-ish area. For me i think it should happen naturally, you meet someone, get to know them then move in etc... It just dosn't seem that romantic this online dating thing, epecially pre 18!

Then talking about chatting people up online, on runescape of all places you get people wanting to get under you iron plate skirt if you wear one! Cant we even play a game without getting wierdos chatting you up? Apprantly not

Then i done some further investigation and he told then next girl he went onto a different story than he told me. What was he aiming to get out of it? Her MSN, got knows how old he actually was. Creep.

Listen to music for free

We7
We7 and soon to be Qtrax are websites for downloading FREE MP3 MUSIC that has has been making big news recently. I've just signed up and can't help but be over the moon about the idea and how it works.

The music you are downloading is paid for by the sponsors/ advertisements. The only drawback is a short ad at the start of every song, of which after about 30 seconds you soon forget. But to be honest with you the advantages outway that, first it's safer to stream music from these site that illegally download (less chance of viruses), the download speeds are excellent, the choice of music is ever expanding.
http://www.we7.com/

Update: We7 has now largely closed it's library function to free users. It has the same themed radio function like that of last.fm. So you can still listen to free music just not many tracks of your own choosing (50 per month).

Qtrax
Qtraxs is a downloadable program like limewire but the music IS legal and they claim to have over 25 millions songs. Qtrax never became avaliable in the UK, which is a shame. However the european alternative is Spotify, which now is also avaliable in the US.
http://www.qtrax.com/

Spotify
Originally there was a waiting list for download to somehow try and make it more exclusive or boycott legislation or something. Now that has gone, however in it's replacement Spotify limits the number of times we can listen to each track to a maximum of 5 and a total monthly listenting limit of 10 hours. This is clearly something that will put a lot of people off, Spotify has become more of a shop window for buying music rather than a full time player.
http://www.spotify.com/

Youtube
With the other free music providers starting to restrict music listening to those who pay YouTube once again appears to be one of the best ways to listen to favorite tracks. With the introduction of playlists you can keep the music playing rather than having to select each song individually. Most artists now have their offical pages with adverts before the video but there are still good quality user submitted content.
http://www.youtube.com/

Sign up on WE7 is quick and easy and there is a complete list of bands in alphabetical order and a search function available. When searching don't expect many of your top bands to appear at the moment, the day that a brand like Universal music signs up, like it has done at youtube then the choice will be as good as searching on limewire.

Updated: 29/09/11

Music pirates 'should be banned from internet'

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's report on downloads in 2007 shown only 1 in 20 music tracks were paid for. So Limewire is obviously one of if not the biggest problem for them. If the Internet companies gave information gave information out about the sites clients use then the agency could be able to ban people from using the Internet. The service provides aren't wanting to do that as obviously if they were the first to do so they would lose virtually all their customers. So even if the list was produced, millions upon millions of people do it, are they going to try to police the whole Internet. We need to try to avoid the Internet becoming like the roads (in the UK at least) where it is a constant battle that drivers feel they are continuously being picked on to be taxed and fined. Imagine if you started getting fine for downloading or a court appearance for uploading copyrighted content to youtube.

On the other hand it is technically unfair on artists who cannot sell albums because everyone is sharing the one copy uploaded to limewire by phil. Which then spreads, thinking about it this must be the biggest theat to the music industry in history as the next generation are just as bad if not worse than previous. Interestingly the amount of internet sales as in legal downloads has risen (not enough to swallow the loss in the CD sales). Normally its around 17p a track that isn't really much to give, having the option to not have the whole record is much better.

As far as I am concerned Internet radio is the best form of music on the internet, all the national radios have there own websites and online radio. See an earlier post on DAB digital radio for more information.

Camera's on phones

Is it a good thing to have a camera on a mobile phone, they've been around for a little while now, i'm personally against them, i think that is technology going a step to far. They are mostly used to take crappy little, (if i may say) pictures of friends in a million stupid little poses and the pictures then are set as phone wallpapers or uploaded to the net (i.e. bebo, myspace). But for some they can be used to film violent attacks on other's (happy slapping). I think if you really want a camera it should be carried separate from the phone. The only time i can think which it may be good to have a camera on you all the time if it is an emergency situation and you can record an event for evidence, which really your not going to pay the extra for that reason. Speaking of evidence, if you are stupid enough to use it to film yourself (or a friend) breaking the law it will also be used as evidence! (No sympathy for the people who do that!). Phone companies are using this feature more and more to sell there phones bragging about the camera technology. Even worse now they come with these stupid little frames to play with it just takes away from the beauty and art photographs portray. Please if you do read this don't buy a phone for its camera, buy a proper camera!

Review of DAB Digital radio

I bought myself a digital radio today, only a standard thirty quid model. The coolest thing apart from the extra rock channels is the little display showing all sorts of details about the show and station. One bad point is that as part of the advertisement for DAB is that unlike analogue radio, digital is crackle free. However this does not make it excempt from reception issues which it still suffers from. In that respect radio will always be radio; its something you will probably never get away from.

The sound quality itself might be improved however not to a noticable level through small speakers. Overall a good investment, I can see the advantage over normal radio but if you have a FM radio station that suits your listening pleasures I wouldn't go through extra efforts to switch to DAB as all stations are still the same sort of content as normal stations and unless theres one particular station that appeals to you then you are likely to go back to your old FM station before too long.

The power of the mind

The mind is a great and powerful thing, I believe you control your own destiny and your life is not mapped out. Its the on the spot decisions and months and years of activity that shape our lives. However there are a couple of things that are out of our control, mainly and this is the biggest completely uncontrollable factor is the family you are born into. The influences and surroundings you are in when young will shape your life to an extent. If your born into the poorest of the poor in an African country then there is very little that can be done to full fill potential. If there is potential to exploit and the opportunity to make the most of it then that is a personal thing to whether the most is made.

What I am referring to is what I see on a daily basis, people doing the minimum required of them to get through life, sometimes less. In terms of school work i am talking about as it is will decide everything that is to follow. There are a few exceptions i.e entrepreneurs who may leave school and have the drive to succeed. For the other 99% though education is what will make you. Kids in the UK still don't fully understand the benfit keeping on track with studies will have in the long run. Turning upto school to chat, play pointless internet games in lessons etc won't get them very far and the thing is they don't want to leave school at 16 they will get through GCSE's which the work they did do was enough to get some grades and continue to A levels to stay out of working (I.e take the easy route) but after that they are left with very little. University could be an option if they can afford it and they got somewhere. Which probabily is unliklely as they would have reailsed how hard the A levels, failing the first exams then having to retake agian and agian to look like they do actually want to pass. If they don't leave and look for an even easier option at college then they may decide to start working but with no real potential for promotion (unless they find the right employer).

The few that do it right will always feel the benefits in having a higher income and not having some of the worries that those who didn't think in school had. Its a very complex jump from school to further education or work and it is difficult to make all the right desisions. For me personally I feel i have done all i can to ensure my future is bright and i hope i will be feeling the benefits of this later in life. This also relates to my articale on positvity, if your mind is open then there is no limits its just having the sense in the first place to realise how important every thing is even in early years. Many don't realise it until adulthood that they prioritised wrong earlier in life when its too late. Make sure that youth isn't wasted on the young and find the right gear to your life finding the balance is a thing of the mind more than anything.

Is childhood the happiest time in your life?

Today I will write about an question I heard on the news; Is childhood the happiest time in your life?
Well I will put forward two chains of thought on why it may or may not be. Firstly this will depend on individuals, some may have had a hard upbringing which would not provide a level playing field. While others may be ill in adulthood, for this article I will take this bias out and take a average life with no serious medical issues or external problems. The last thing that will heavily influence is the relationship within your family and with and between your parents. A marital split as most know can be catastrophic on a child’s mind, I am using the model of an average family with parents staying together to allow a "normal" (used vaguely) to take place.

Fade smoking out of your life

Unfortunately smoking is something in which we still cannot escape, even today. It was in 1929 when statistical evidence first appeared that proved strong connections existed between smoking and lung cancer yet people still choose to smoke.

Positivity Rules

This article a post on positive thinking so heres my thoughts on the benefits of having a positive mind, i've done it in bullet points which follow on from each other to show my thought process;

. First thought is positive people are generally happier in life and more open minded.

. One of the traits of a pessimist is swearing (of which i am agianst the use of unnecessary bad language) in the context of anger at mistakes. Using swear words in situations which aren't that bad indicate that the person sees a bigger loss and therefore tending to make a bigger thing out of it, creating a mindset that undermines what they are capable of. This therefore would discorage them from attempting new things in life because of a fear of failure.

. A positive mind also encouages an energy to do an activity well and will not give up so easily or see it as such a hard task because they went into the activity thinking that it will be completed. I believe it will make you a more successful person in all areas of life especially in your career, if people see a happy, motivated worker they will be more inclined to put you up for promotion (if the oppotunities exist) or even general attitude towards you will be better.

. Combined with a positive mindset the ability to step back and stay calm and asses situations is of great importance and for most is very difficult to do. The balanced thought process is hard find in such a biased world. The media inparticular have almost total influence on people opinions on big issues, but for small issues such as confrontation with someone on a day to day basisa positive mind will asses the situation and possibilites of why it might have happened to come to the right decision of what to do next. A wrong decision is made when you don't know all the infomation but thats another story.

. Positivity has been directly linked to longer life length as I guess if the mind is at ease it is under less stress and therefore keeps fresh for longer.

. The use of words will show how much of a positive person you are, if you are contantly saying "I won't be able to ... I can't ... Its too hard ... I've never been good at etc.." then it turns into a habbit and you will miss out on some of the finer things in life.

. A positive person will always encourage others to be positive, its all very well you looking on life as a positive thing but if you then dicourage others from doing what they think would be interesting and benefical then you are not helping them. If there plans seem unrealistic just suggest what they could change to increase the chances of success rather than tell them that it will not work.

. The best things to encourage a positive mind is to set goals and make sure they are achievable; don't set a goal to cycle 20 miles on your first ride as it will be tough and you are less likely to succeed. Set a goal of 5 miles and make sure you recognise that you have achieved that aim then you can build that up. The self-esteem benefits from achieving these goals will be lasting when life may get tough.

. Get out there, use a positive mind to start something new, this may be a sporting activity (I would recommend martial arts) but whatever sport it is good for the mind and the body. You will be feeling fitter after a few weeks.

. If you have any bad habbits they will be easier to tackle with a positive mind i.e. smoking which isn't easy at the best of times, with an open mind is easier to tackle.

That concludes my brainstorm on positivity and It is the right way to go, it is a gradual build up, you can't really change your mindset over night but over a medium term period it can happen. The sky is the limit with this one.

Note: These posts have been copied directly from an old blog of mine