City road infrastructure should be designed for people not cars

There has been a growing movement, particularly fostered in the last couple of years in the wake of the covid pandemic when everyone was forced to stay at home. The routine was shattered, without the need to travel to and from work everyday, people saw an alternative reality in which they didn't spend a significant part of their day on the road.

Don't mention the 'B' word

The most controversial word in British politics in the last few decades, Brexit divided the nation also straight down the middle. Before the referendum was called, leaving the EU wasn't really in the front of most peoples mind, but due to a political play from the prime minister of the time, David Cameron, it was thrusted into the limelight.

Song of the Moment: Milosh - Run Away

Really loving this song right now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AomF9rgNu8


Great chillout track

What makes the perfect weekend?

When working the whole week there is no better way to spend a weekend other than crashed out on the sofa watching films? Well no actually, as explained in this article recently featured on Lifehacker. Simply relaxing won't make you as happy as keeping active and busy.

Letting Agents

I make no apologies, this post will be a rant. Having had a stressful couple of months trying to move house things are finally settling down and hence I am taking time to go back to the things I used to such as blogging and drawing. I also write this to reflect on the last couple of months and the letting process as a whole.

Right now the letting market is crazy, less people can afford mortgages and the competition is tight to rent property. Most properties are let within a week or so of being advertised, unlike buying, tenants really don't have any power in negotiating letting terms. If they don't agree other tenants are queueing up to sign on the dotted line.

Music Unplugged

Just a quick shout out for live unplugged music videos, proof that real musicians don't need electronic aids or flashy videos to make quality music. The video below is The Cranberries performing a Tiny Desk Session which takes place in an office in Washington. What I like most about these videos is the simplicity, music shouldn't be complex and this series from NPR is a great illustration of this.



While i'm on the subject X103.9 also does a great series of acosutic videos from artists mainly from the alternative rock scene.

Living in the UK

Just recently I spotted a book to prepare Immigrants for the citizenship test on life in the UK. It got me thinking, what should someone know when going to live in the UK, what it means to immigrate to another country and about multicultural living.

The world of the train commuter

When I was young I barely ever took the train, let alone on a regular basis. Since starting a new job this has now become part of my everyday routine. I have quickly come to realise that it is a bizarre world, the world of the commuter. A world in which there are so many people rushing to get from A to B yet very little interaction between one person and the next. It makes for an unnerving experience.

Minecraft: Pixel Lego

Over Christmas I was introduced to Minecraft, a game based around 'building stuff' in a retro 8-bit style world. It is instantly addicting, very simple to use and control. I love games which allow you to exercise creativity so this game seemed like my perfect gaming experience.

Welcome to 2012

2012. It has a futuristic sound to it. Like something out of a science fiction novel. Whether it turns out anything like the film '2012' or if it all ends on December 21st is yet to be seen.

Without trying to sound as though I'm giving a church sermon; the new year provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the previous 12 months and look forward to what the new year may hold. I've mentioned it before about how beneficial taking a step back to look at our lives can be. The question I ask myself is am I getting everything from life that I want? In the grand scale of things our lives are a tiny time slice from the 4.5 billion year history of the earth amongst which now contains over 7 billion human inhabitants. This year I aim to conquer obstacles that block my path and not hesitate to try something different.

Good luck to all this year in the never ending pursuit of happiness.

Questions that not even science can answer

Today human understanding continues to push boundaries at a seemingly ever-increasing rate. This post asks if religion is still able to provide answers to the really big questions in modern western life.

Bogus Competitions

Occasionally when browsing the web I come across something eye opening and today was one of them days. This 'competition' is to win an iPhone, with profit making competitions you expect for there to be a good profit margin for the competition holders (like the phone-in competitions on TV). But this one takes the biscuit…

Snow Patrol – Fallen Empires album in review

Now on their 6th album Snow Patrol is one of the biggest Indie bands in the UK of the past decade. So the question: does Fallen Empires live up to expectations?

Google Insights – A window into the mind of the web surfer

Ever wondered what people are searching for and when? Google Insights shows search trends from 2004 onwards. It also allows you to compare different search terms as well as seeing the popularity in different areas. This post shows a few features and what you can interpret from the results.

Return to happiness (original poem)

Here's something I wrote a couple of years ago, It sort of reminds me of Grace Nichols - Island Man from which was included in the anthology that I studied for my GCSE English exam. Island man is about a man living away from where he truly feels at home. I wrote this completely blind to any 'rules' their might be for writing poems but I like it nonetheless.

Computer screens full of useless information
Worries over tomorrows rising inflation
Dreaming of the day I can go back
In search of everything I left behind
Endlessly tied down by the chains in my mind.

I remember the gentle breeze swaying through the trees
As it rushed over my boney knees
No money, not even a pound
But where happiness I found
No deadlines and daily grinds in sight.

Hours spent by the lake I sat fishing
'Til the day I met the girl who I couldn't stop kissing
Maybe someday i will receive the call
So I can return back to where my heart desires
Move far away from these creeps and liars.

More Money Saving Ideas

In times when there isn’t as much money coming in each month as we might like then saving a few pounds can’t be a bad thing. This post gives tips for saving money on food shopping, energy & water bills, transport and several other tricks to save a few pounds.

Money Saving – Rechargeable Batteries

If there was one thing that was constantly on my shopping list it was batteries. So many small gadgets seems to require batteries including: digital camera, wireless mouse/ games controller, remote control etc.

Getting a haircut – A chore of vanity

Our hairstyle is part of our identity, just as important as what we wear; our hair makes up part of the picture that makes us who we are. My view is that going to the hairdressers is a chore that just has to be done just like the washing up. This post discusses the everyday inconvenience of getting a hair cut.

How the way we listen to radio has changed

The first radio stations as we know them today first appeared over 90 years ago after developments in radio signals allowed voices, as opposed to just signals to be broadcast. Quickly after sales of radio receiver equipment rocketed becoming the centrepiece in the living room of millions of households. Today radio is still commonplace in our lives, just maybe not as much in the forefront as in the middle of the 20th century.

Tips for preserving memories though a blog

Often when looking back and reflecting on things you’ve done in the past memories don’t always come back as easily and as detailed as you want. This post discusses how best to document memories such as those from a holiday or your time at college through blogging.