Idle Idiocy: Volunteering you don’t volunteer for.

Oh dear.

Gordon Brown’s at it again.

I am a UK / USA dual citizen, to start things off. I’ve been fully naturalized as a UK citizen under David Blunkett’s Citizenship scheme.

I had to attend a citizenship ceremony – which was presided over by a register and by the city’s Mayor. (In full ceremonial garb, nonetheless!)

I had to jump through several hoops as well to even get to that point. Now, according to Gordon Brown’s If I become Prime Minister spiel, I will / would have to volunteer to ensure citizenship.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6399457.stm 

That’s right! Compulsive volunteer service!

Now please remind me when slavery  went out in the UK? This reeks suspiciously of the later. Isn’t the purpose of volunteering supposed to be.. voluntary? Hmm.

No longer content with soon-to-be compulsary Identification Cards (for all foriegen nationals no less!) in 2008, I will soon have to endure a period of tenure to some organization.

For what purpose may I ask?

So that I can better understand the community to which I am supposed to be integrating into. I’m sorry, but what makes Gordon Brown even think that I do not know the community to which I’ve lived, worked, and relaxed in for the last 7+ years?

It gets even better…

To prove myself worthy of citizenship I have to jump through even MORE hurdles. Not just content with taking a spelling, history and communication test (aka “Citizenship Test”) and undergoing a rather humiliating Citizenship Ceremony to which my local MP attended, which could only be branded a complete and utter waste of time, that inspired nothing remotely stirring within me but a sense of irritation at a scratchy, tinny recorded version of “God save the Queen”, a long bureaucratic ceremony to which someone actually had the audacity to try to make money by selling me photos of the “joyus event of becoming a UK citizen”.

Labour is becoming more and more like the BNP every day.

SoapBook: If you haven’t yet read, spread the word!

If you STILL haven’t checked out SoapBook, then where have you been hiding?

This project is maintained by a small team of dedicated writers who work to combine both the aspects of a Soap Opera and a book into a seamless fusion of entertainment.

We also aim to change plots / characters / storylines dependant on comments from our readers!

Interested?

You should be.

I write the posts for “Madison Daniels”

So click on the pretty banner to give us a visit!

To read the blog in order, simply use our handy calendar to the right in the blog, or on the 1st of each month, we release a “chapter” with all the posts running concurrently.

Still reading? Go click!

Idle Amazement; Arranged Marriages

Having just read a truely insightful blog on arranged marriages, I feel obliged to pass it on.    

  ( http://exclamation.wordpress.com/2006/10/24/so-the-arranged-marriage-thing/ )

I would suggest anyone who has a few moments of thier time to take one such moment, and read. It really IS amazing, and an insightful post into a whole other culture that I’ve not had the privledge of knowing or being exposed to, until now.

Thank you.

“How to Survive a Plane Crash for Dummies” or Idle idiocy amended.

I was browsing one of my favorite lunch-time websites, the BBC and came across a real gem;
How to survive a plane crash.

( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5402342.stm )

 There is a brilliant quote in it to which I must add:

“I’m often asked, ‘well, where should I sit in an aircraft to have the best chance of surviving?’” says Ms Muir, “and, sadly, I haven’t got a good answer.”

Now aparently, this article also re-iterates that once more, just because you are on the reinforced wings does not necessarily mean your safe. It further goes on to address that there may be fire in the engines.

To spread the gloom and doom it mentions that people forget to pull the little lever on the seatbelt.
 

It is just one simple step.

Perhaps I am being harsh and critical, but if you can’t pull a lever, then perhaps it is better you go down with the plane? 

Now I ask you; if you are terrified of flying….

Wouldn’t you be more terrified after reading the article?

SoapBook update! Madison’s world

After a long and rather frantic bout of inspired typing with a generic cola in hand (thanks to Neil Boorman!) I wrote my entry for Soapbook.
Who is Madison?

A fictional character that’s part of a new soap-opera book-blog that myself and a small team of writers are working on.

The more I find myself pondering on Madison and her particular ideals and ways of life, the less I’m inclined to want to live her lifestyle myself.

http://soapbook.wordpress.com/

The link above is enclosed if you want to take a look, and comments are always appreciated.

Project X.. aka SoapBook!

I have been negligent lately in my blog; this shan’t happen anymore..

Why?

Project X  has now become SoapBook!

http://soapbook.wordpress.com/

Please read, subscribe and give it your full support!

I am one of the contributors to the book’s project!

Idle Questions; 82ASK

Ever wonder what other people wonder about? What sort of questions come up for someone that works for 82ASK? (82ASK for those who arn’t in the know, is a mobile texting service, which you text a question to, and for £1 they will answer any question, and if they cant answer, you dont pay)

According to the poor BBC reporter who spent a whole day with someone from 82ASK, the questions were pretty wild

( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4792949.stm )

Taken from the article:

“00:42: How tall is a smurf?”

Now,
I ask you..

WHO in thier right mind would want to know, at 42 minutes past midnight, how tall a smurf is?!?

I can only wonder what the answer is.

12 days left until Project X launches…

Idle Browzar; “If it looks too good to be true..”

Browzar.

Since the announcement last week of a “perfectly safe and secure browsing experience” my curiosity was piqued. However, as with a lot of things on the web these days; it looks too good to be true.

There has to be a hitch

Guess what that hitch is?

Sponsored-paid for results spam.

The BBC have highlighted the problem in it’s website: ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5310114.stm )

It seems that in it’s current incarnation, you cannot change the default search page, and the default search page just happens to be advert-packed, for your inconvenience.

The developers of Browzar have stated that if the user wants to use another search engine they can just type it in the address line and be able to browse to that search engine provider.

Isn’t one of the reasons for downloading this to get AWAY from sponsor-spam?

I understand that everyone has to make money, and that a product that offers security and safety on that scale, if seriously trying to compete in the market already dominated by IE, Firefox, and other brands should not already hobble itself.

I understand also that there are development costs.

If that is the case, a simple “donate” button, or possibly a feature-enhanced premium version could be released.

Forced Adverts / Spam

No one in the web-world likes forced spam, with the exception of the people whose job depends on it.

In today’s world, there’s pop-up stoppers, pop-under killers, banner blockers, and a multitude of other ingenious devices at hand to ensure that you do not have to see/receive the constant influx of more annoying, targeted drivel that people think you should see.

I don’t click on paid-for advertisements

And until something changes radically with Browzar, I will not be using, or encouraging anyone else to download or use this pathetic excuse to surf the Internet.

Idle Kumbaya-yas & Project X

Too many pokers in the fire.

A “vacation” starts mid-day on Wednesday. And guess what, yep. Flying.
A short flight, only London to Cornwall, but somehow I have to go to work in the AM, and then leave midday, and find my way from the Docklands to Stanstead Airport.

Fun.

Five whole days, most likely without access to a computer. And getting to know brother-in law, sister-in law & two children.

Fun.

Can you tell I am extremely excited?

Anyways..

So much to do, so little time.

1. A tutorial on the Neopet stock market to finish
2. Banner & Buttons to design for Project X
3. A page to show the (current) three people involved in Project X
4. Coordination for Project X across three different time-zones
5. Actually finish “Perfect match” by Jodi Picoult & critique
6. Update CV in anticipation of contract ending in October

And the list continues, but those are the most pressing in my mind

29 days & counting until Project X launch

Idle secrets about Starbucks

Did you know…..Starbucks sell a “Short cappuccino?” It’s cheaper then the other coffees on offer, it’s smaller, but it’s not featured on the menu.

However, as a BBC article ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5274352.stm ) points out, there is even a button on the till.

And it’s true.

I have tried it out myself.. and watched as a Manager got extremely upset with me, demanding to know why so many people had been coming in, and ordering it that morning.

I told him about the article, and luckily enough I bookmarked the page, as a couple of hours later, the story had been mysteriously pushed to one side..

Funny that.

However, it’s still up and running, and I suggest it is well worth a look, and telling people about.

This is not an Urban Myth.

After all, it’s not that often that the “average Joe” gets to beat a multi-national company like Starbucks at thier own game.

So please..

Tell a friend.  Feel free to also recommend this blog to them!
(*quickly hides the shameless promotional plug the same way Starbucks hides the real deals*)

It’s not like Starbucks is going to say anything.