The Daily Mail was advertising for a new in house psychic. Two candidates turned up for the interview test. They were lead to seperate rooms and given a set of 20 questions. Both got 19 out of 20. One was informed that he'd lost. He replied "Thats unfair, how can I lose if we both got the same number" The interviewer replied "His answer was better that was wrong". The losing candidate said "how can one wrong answer be better than an another". The interviewer repllied "His answer was "Neither do I".
Friday, 11 November 2016
Thursday, 10 November 2016
Thameslink - The gift that keeps on giving
Just how incompetent does a train operator have to be before it gets the sack? Just how useless does an MP have to be before he doesn't realise just how badly this affects the people who voted him in?
A proper MP for Hendon constituency would hav been down at Mill Hill Broadway, speaking to commuters as the service has disintegrated. He would be dragging the bosses of the operators up to Mill Hill to explain and apologise.
We all know that things happen, but how can an issue in Luton stop trains running through central London for three days? How can an operator have no contingency plans? I wa left high and dry on Tuesday night, stuck at Farringdon as display boards constantly changed. Eventually a PA announcement decreed that we'd be better off getting the tube home.
I scoured the local press for a statement from our MP. Nothing. After three days of complete chaos. Just out of interest I did a Google search on "Matthew Offord Thameslink". All I got was a load of stories where Mr Offord was praising Thameslink for being marvellous. I challenged Mr Offord a few years ago about his cosy relationship with operators. He replied that you get more done by being nice to them. Well Mr Offord, the people of Mill Hill disagree. It is chaos.
My opinion of Thameslink is that it is the gift that keeps giving, if you are a shareholder of Govia, the operator. MPs like Matthew Offord are simply useful idiots, who facilitate poor service. The rest of us are simply treated as cash cows. For my wasted hour on Tuesday, I am entitled to a couple of quid compensation. It is a complete joke.
A proper MP for Hendon constituency would hav been down at Mill Hill Broadway, speaking to commuters as the service has disintegrated. He would be dragging the bosses of the operators up to Mill Hill to explain and apologise.
We all know that things happen, but how can an issue in Luton stop trains running through central London for three days? How can an operator have no contingency plans? I wa left high and dry on Tuesday night, stuck at Farringdon as display boards constantly changed. Eventually a PA announcement decreed that we'd be better off getting the tube home.
I scoured the local press for a statement from our MP. Nothing. After three days of complete chaos. Just out of interest I did a Google search on "Matthew Offord Thameslink". All I got was a load of stories where Mr Offord was praising Thameslink for being marvellous. I challenged Mr Offord a few years ago about his cosy relationship with operators. He replied that you get more done by being nice to them. Well Mr Offord, the people of Mill Hill disagree. It is chaos.
My opinion of Thameslink is that it is the gift that keeps giving, if you are a shareholder of Govia, the operator. MPs like Matthew Offord are simply useful idiots, who facilitate poor service. The rest of us are simply treated as cash cows. For my wasted hour on Tuesday, I am entitled to a couple of quid compensation. It is a complete joke.
Cannabis legalised in California
America is a very different country to the UK. With all the hubris surrounding Donald Trump and his election, little comment has been made on the news that cannabis has been legalised for recreational use in California and three other states following a statewide referendum. I suppose for Bill Clinton, he can now at least legally inhale when he is seeking solace for his wife's defeat.
In California, referendums are regular occurrances. The state legislaature trust the voters and give them a say in how the state is governed. In the UK there is no such trust. A response to the EU referendum in the UK was to call for the end of referendums. I would be intrigued to see what the result of a UK referendum on cannabis legalisation would be. As far as I can see, prohibition has been a complete failure and succeeded only in generating huge profits for criminal gangs. Anyone who wants to use cannabis in the UK does and the police have little interest in bothering casual users.
I've long been convinced by the argument that if cannabis was legalised and regulated, it would be a far bettter situation. All of the evidence shows that there is no increase in usage, but there is a huge decrease in criminality. There is some evidence that cannabis does lead to mental disorders, but due to the illegal nature of the the drug, this is hard to measure and quantify. I believe that the taxes raised by legal sale would enable studies to proceed to fully understand this. The regime of ciminalisation has clearly failed, therefore we need to proceed in a different manner.
What I find quite shocking is that schools do not educate young people as to the issues with cannabis usage. Most people I've spoken to who staunchly against cannabis legalisation have not bothered to study the matter or read the research. Those that have, such as Peter Hitchens, Daily Mail commentator are highly selective in there interpretation of data. In California, the populace had the chance to properly review the evidence and vote accordingly. It is interesting to see what theire choice was.
For the record, I don't use cannabis. I did when I was younger, but I guess I grew up. I personally would strongly advise anyone in the UK to avoid strong skunk weed grown in the UK, as it is largely grown with the use of dangerous systemic chemicals. I find it scandalous that this is not mentioned at all by the authorities. It is interesting for me, as a cancer sufferer to note that it has clinical use in the treatment of the condition. It seems ridiculous to me that this blocked in many places by non scientific prejudice. It is surely time for us to grow up.
In California, referendums are regular occurrances. The state legislaature trust the voters and give them a say in how the state is governed. In the UK there is no such trust. A response to the EU referendum in the UK was to call for the end of referendums. I would be intrigued to see what the result of a UK referendum on cannabis legalisation would be. As far as I can see, prohibition has been a complete failure and succeeded only in generating huge profits for criminal gangs. Anyone who wants to use cannabis in the UK does and the police have little interest in bothering casual users.
I've long been convinced by the argument that if cannabis was legalised and regulated, it would be a far bettter situation. All of the evidence shows that there is no increase in usage, but there is a huge decrease in criminality. There is some evidence that cannabis does lead to mental disorders, but due to the illegal nature of the the drug, this is hard to measure and quantify. I believe that the taxes raised by legal sale would enable studies to proceed to fully understand this. The regime of ciminalisation has clearly failed, therefore we need to proceed in a different manner.
What I find quite shocking is that schools do not educate young people as to the issues with cannabis usage. Most people I've spoken to who staunchly against cannabis legalisation have not bothered to study the matter or read the research. Those that have, such as Peter Hitchens, Daily Mail commentator are highly selective in there interpretation of data. In California, the populace had the chance to properly review the evidence and vote accordingly. It is interesting to see what theire choice was.
For the record, I don't use cannabis. I did when I was younger, but I guess I grew up. I personally would strongly advise anyone in the UK to avoid strong skunk weed grown in the UK, as it is largely grown with the use of dangerous systemic chemicals. I find it scandalous that this is not mentioned at all by the authorities. It is interesting for me, as a cancer sufferer to note that it has clinical use in the treatment of the condition. It seems ridiculous to me that this blocked in many places by non scientific prejudice. It is surely time for us to grow up.
Wednesday, 9 November 2016
Donald Trump is President of the USA - The stars look very different today
2016 - the year that started with the death of David Bowie, will end with Donald Trump as President of the USA. This is the second time this year that many of us have awoken to find that the pollsters are wrong, that the "ordinary Joe in the street" is completely out of kilter with the political elite. Unlike most US elections, this one seems to have been decided by the FBI. The "crooked Hillary" jibe seems to have resonated with the electorate, following the FBI's intervention to cast a cloud over the Clinton campaign.
I suspect that rather like Brexit, no one really expected it to actually happen, so for many of us we'll have to get our thoughts together and work out what it means. The one thing that is crystal clear is that the concept of "Old Politics" are out of the window. Perhaps the two people in the UK with the most mixed emotions will be Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May. Corbyn is the antithesis of Trump, however if there is one thing he will know, it is that if nothing else, it shows that the derided outsider can win. Likewise, Theresa May as a Conservative, would normally be expected to be quite happy. One can only speculate what her feelings will be. Trump has publicly stated that he supported Brexit and for him, he saw it as a sign in the stars. The one UK politician who must be chuffed is Nigel Farage. Although Farage has never won an election, he has managed to attach him to the coat tails of populist causes that seemingly are changing the post war settlement completely.
Can we in the UK take any positives? Well it seems likely that Trump will be amenable to a trade deal, that will soften the blow to the economy from Brexit. I also suspect that Trump will be far less likely to involve the US in adventurist foreign wars. It seems that Trump is likely to get on better with Russia than a Clinton regime, which is likely to lower the risk of a potentially apocalyptic clash. Trump has stated that he will give Russia and Assad free reign in Syria to destroy ISIS, which may be a good thing for the world.
It is always worth remembering that in politics, nothing is ever as bad or good as it seems. There is a huge inertia in the civil service. What will America look like in four years? Don't ask me, my crystal ball has been extraordinarily cloudy this year. I doubt that the Mexican wall will ever be built. I doubt he'll double the growth rate in America. I doubt that many US voters who seemingly registered to vote for the first time to sweep Trump in will vote for him next time. But who knows. When it comes down to it, the best thing for the world is that he runs a successful, peaceful country. Only time will tell.
I suspect that rather like Brexit, no one really expected it to actually happen, so for many of us we'll have to get our thoughts together and work out what it means. The one thing that is crystal clear is that the concept of "Old Politics" are out of the window. Perhaps the two people in the UK with the most mixed emotions will be Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May. Corbyn is the antithesis of Trump, however if there is one thing he will know, it is that if nothing else, it shows that the derided outsider can win. Likewise, Theresa May as a Conservative, would normally be expected to be quite happy. One can only speculate what her feelings will be. Trump has publicly stated that he supported Brexit and for him, he saw it as a sign in the stars. The one UK politician who must be chuffed is Nigel Farage. Although Farage has never won an election, he has managed to attach him to the coat tails of populist causes that seemingly are changing the post war settlement completely.
Can we in the UK take any positives? Well it seems likely that Trump will be amenable to a trade deal, that will soften the blow to the economy from Brexit. I also suspect that Trump will be far less likely to involve the US in adventurist foreign wars. It seems that Trump is likely to get on better with Russia than a Clinton regime, which is likely to lower the risk of a potentially apocalyptic clash. Trump has stated that he will give Russia and Assad free reign in Syria to destroy ISIS, which may be a good thing for the world.
It is always worth remembering that in politics, nothing is ever as bad or good as it seems. There is a huge inertia in the civil service. What will America look like in four years? Don't ask me, my crystal ball has been extraordinarily cloudy this year. I doubt that the Mexican wall will ever be built. I doubt he'll double the growth rate in America. I doubt that many US voters who seemingly registered to vote for the first time to sweep Trump in will vote for him next time. But who knows. When it comes down to it, the best thing for the world is that he runs a successful, peaceful country. Only time will tell.
The Wednesday Poem #3 - The Village Green
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| Simmons Mead AKA Mill Hill Village Green |
The Village Green
Sitting beneath the willow tree,
the sound of the running stream almost audible over the traffic rumble,
the sky is blue,
but the cold November wind bites my face
I've been coming to this place for years,
An oasis of calm missed by the thousands in their cars,
their eyes fixed only on the road ahead,
As I soak up the last rays of winter sun in my little village green.
Copyright 2016 - Roger M. Tichborne
(Note: I wrote this poem on Sunday, when the sky was blue!).
Every Wednesday, we feature a poem and a picture about our neighbourhood. If you have a poem and a picture you'd like to feature, just email to me using the link in the sidebar. I've written poetry for many years, for my own amusement. It was suggested that I share some of it. I hope you enjoy it, I'd love to feature anything you have written.
Tuesday, 8 November 2016
Why musicians and artists deserve respect
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| Sharing information is power |
The band originally formed as a punk band, but have since developed our style into a unique blend of psychedelic indie with a punky edge and an undercurrent of dark humour. We've done hundreds of gigs over the years and these days tend to promote our own gigs, in and around the local area. In the 80's we played all over the UK and Europe.
It has become ever more clear to us that promoters, venues and the music industry has absolutely no respect for artists. There is a facebook page called "UK Bands, Promoters, Labels Advice/Blacklist" which lists dodgy labels, promoters and other individuals involved in the music industry. The stories listed are quite shocking. Here are a couple of quotes
"My band got royally screwed by ***** a few years ago so as these "promoters" are off the same kin, I think I'll have some fun and string them along a little bit
""Yep, had a message from them also. I scrutinised their offer as the "audition" process made no sense in relation to any kind decent return for the band so it went by the wayside. Money can be better spent elsewhere..."
"OK so just as an update guys, all the bands that have got back to me said they've paid their money and seen nothing from them. Probably best avoided it seems"
It is quite alarming to see just how many artists, usually with little money or experience, are getting ripped off. Bands and artists come in all shapes and sizes and some are good and some are not, But all work hard and try their best. Most spend a small fortune on rehearsals, equipment, photos and other things associated with their art. Those that aren't so good will either improve or lose interest. Those that are better survive. It is just quite upsetting for me that so many people have so many bad experiences with what should be a fun and joyous business. People deserve some respect for making the effort and putting the work in, whatever their level of talent. People who rip them off, muck them about and disrespect them, deserve to be exposed.
I urge all artists who have a bad experience, to join the blacklist group and share their experiences. Whilst it won't stop the shysters, it will help us avoid them.
Click here for the blacklist group and send a request to join. Musicians and artists deserve respect.
The False Dots will not be performing at Dingwalls on Thursday 10th November
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| From the school of hard knocks - The False Dots |
We have informed Jam24Radio, the promoters, of our decision. We felt that playing 2 songs before most of the audience had arrived was not a proposition worth entertaining. Recent actions by the promoter had clearly indicated to the band that the promoter was not overly keen on the band being associated with the event, despite our efforts promoting the show, introducing them to TV and Radio contacts and artists for the show.. This was confirmed by the band timings.
The band will shortly be announcing details of our Xmas party gig on Friday 16 Dec. The bands evening was not entirely wasted, as we had a great rehearsal and a great photo shoot (see photo above).
The view of the False Dots is and always will be that all artists deserve to be treated with respect. Being informed of untenable terms and conditions at short notice does not conform to our view of what artists should expect. Whilst we would not normally air such matters in public, given the promotional effort we put into the show, and the efforts to assist the promoter, given the short notice of the cancellation, we felt that we had no choice but to fully explain the reasons.
We wish all artists performing the show well.
Monday, 7 November 2016
The Death of an Exorcist
There was a fascinating obituary in the Guardian today. The subject was Father Gabriele Amorth, the founder of the International Exorcists Association. I would guess that for most readers of the Barnet Eye, this is a story that wouldn't have hit their radar. For atheists and humanists, exorcism is an outdated and superstitious practice, best consigned to the dustbin. It may not surprise the to know that every baptised Roman Catholic has undergone the right of Exorcism. This is a fundamental part of the process of Baptism into the Roman Catholic religion. I daresay that humanists and atheists will feel that tthe idea of performing an exorcism on a baby that can't walk or talk, and isn't spinning its head projectile vomiting green slime is perhaps as much proof as they may need that the faith is a load of mumbo jumbo.
However, those familiar with right of baptism, will know that it is simply a bit of sploshing of water and a blessing, as part of the ceremony to set the ceremony off with a clean slate. When we talk about exorcism, we usually think of the film and the awful special effects. I am not qualified to answer whether the such things happen and whether there is a rational explanation. I have spoken to priests who have claimed to have performed exorcisms where it has ended a series of 'unexplainable' events. Priests assure me that they only perform such rituals when mental illness has been ruled out and all other rational reasons have been discounted (obviously according to their rulebook). Father Amorth claimed to have performed 160,000 exorcisms, but of these only 100 were of what could be deemed classic demonic possession.
The only person I know who has admitted to using the right of exorcism was my mother shortly before her death. She was elderly and had suffered several strokes and was not in the best of shape. She was worried about various unexplained, to her, events in her flat. Things moved. Things disappeared. Things reappeared. For the family, there was a perfectly rational explanation, in that she was a bit forgetful and a bit cranky, but she insisted that this was not the full reason. One day she asked me if I could arrange for a local Catholic priest to visit and "exorcise the house". I must confess that I felt a tad embarrassed at this. Although I am a Roman Catholic, I am not overly superstitious in these matters. I went to the Sacred Heart and discussed it with Fr Jack, one of the team of priests.
He said "Old Ladies often ask for this. I'll go and say a few prayers, sprinkle some holy water and tell any malign spirits to go away. Hopefully she'll feel better after that". So he went around, had a cup of tea and a chat, then proceeded to perform his duties. He went in every room, every cupboard and at the end said "there that should do the trick". My Mum insisted he had a scotch after, which seemed to go down quite well. Then he was off.
After that, whatever was troubling my mum stopped. She often informed me that Father Jack had done a marvellous job. I bumped into him at the Ace Cafe (he used to ride a ratherdecent Royal Enfield bike). He told me that he didn't really sense any malign presence there, but years of practice had taught him the value of diligence. Whatever it did, I was grateful as it did help my mum and he took her worries very seriously. Maybe that is the lesson for us all when people seem a tad irrational. Don't dismiss them. Listen to their concerns and try and help. It is all very well telling someone that their fears are irrational and to be sensible. Whether it is a child scared of a monster under the bed, a granny with a fear of poltergeists or me worrying that my daughter is a long way away and bad things may happen. We all need a bit of care and comfort sometimes
However, those familiar with right of baptism, will know that it is simply a bit of sploshing of water and a blessing, as part of the ceremony to set the ceremony off with a clean slate. When we talk about exorcism, we usually think of the film and the awful special effects. I am not qualified to answer whether the such things happen and whether there is a rational explanation. I have spoken to priests who have claimed to have performed exorcisms where it has ended a series of 'unexplainable' events. Priests assure me that they only perform such rituals when mental illness has been ruled out and all other rational reasons have been discounted (obviously according to their rulebook). Father Amorth claimed to have performed 160,000 exorcisms, but of these only 100 were of what could be deemed classic demonic possession.
The only person I know who has admitted to using the right of exorcism was my mother shortly before her death. She was elderly and had suffered several strokes and was not in the best of shape. She was worried about various unexplained, to her, events in her flat. Things moved. Things disappeared. Things reappeared. For the family, there was a perfectly rational explanation, in that she was a bit forgetful and a bit cranky, but she insisted that this was not the full reason. One day she asked me if I could arrange for a local Catholic priest to visit and "exorcise the house". I must confess that I felt a tad embarrassed at this. Although I am a Roman Catholic, I am not overly superstitious in these matters. I went to the Sacred Heart and discussed it with Fr Jack, one of the team of priests.
He said "Old Ladies often ask for this. I'll go and say a few prayers, sprinkle some holy water and tell any malign spirits to go away. Hopefully she'll feel better after that". So he went around, had a cup of tea and a chat, then proceeded to perform his duties. He went in every room, every cupboard and at the end said "there that should do the trick". My Mum insisted he had a scotch after, which seemed to go down quite well. Then he was off.
After that, whatever was troubling my mum stopped. She often informed me that Father Jack had done a marvellous job. I bumped into him at the Ace Cafe (he used to ride a ratherdecent Royal Enfield bike). He told me that he didn't really sense any malign presence there, but years of practice had taught him the value of diligence. Whatever it did, I was grateful as it did help my mum and he took her worries very seriously. Maybe that is the lesson for us all when people seem a tad irrational. Don't dismiss them. Listen to their concerns and try and help. It is all very well telling someone that their fears are irrational and to be sensible. Whether it is a child scared of a monster under the bed, a granny with a fear of poltergeists or me worrying that my daughter is a long way away and bad things may happen. We all need a bit of care and comfort sometimes
Why has Google removed Blogger App from the iPhone?
I write most of the blogs you read here on my iPhone whilst travelling. Google has made thousands of pounds from my blog on click they advertising over the years from this site. They do nothing for this, as I opt in to Adwords and do all the work. Given the nature of my blog, it needs constant attention. Recently I tried to use the Blogger app to update a blog and it crashed. After some research it transpires that Google have withdrawn the app from iPhone. I can still write blogs etc, using the Safari browser, but it is a huge pain. There is no way that this can be deemed 'looking after the customer'.
So thanks Google. When a company gets too big to care, we all know what happens next.
Please don't leave comments detailing workarounds/ other platforms as that really isn't the point. The point is that Google has become arrogant and lost customer focus. It would have been small beer for them to simply leave the old app in place.
So thanks Google. When a company gets too big to care, we all know what happens next.
Please don't leave comments detailing workarounds/ other platforms as that really isn't the point. The point is that Google has become arrogant and lost customer focus. It would have been small beer for them to simply leave the old app in place.
Sunday, 6 November 2016
The False Dots live at Jamfest2016 - Dingwalls - Thursday 10th November
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| The False Dots live |
The band has been around since 1979 and playing in its current line up since 2012, when we got together for a one off show to mark the reopening of Friern Barnet Library following the occupation. We rather enjoyed it, so we've been playing gigs, rehearsing and writing new songs together ever since. The Line up is a reprise of our 1985 line up with Allen Ashley on vocals, Graham Ramsey on Drums and myself on guitar. We are joined on bass by Fil Ross, who started playing with The False Dots in 1999.
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| The last time The False Dots played Dingwalls! |
For us it will be nice to be returning to Dingwalls. We last played there in 1984. Have a look at some of the acts who played the same week as us. For us appearing on the same stage as Dr John, Katrina and The Waves and Ruby Turner was a great experience. Although we'd played big clubs abroad, this was a step up for us in London.
Jamfest 2016 has been put together by online radio station Jam24 Radio. The concept is to give new and unsigned acts the chance to perform at a top London venue, in front of an appreciative audience. The event is being filmed and has been sponsored by Mill Hill Music Complex, The Arts Council and The Hard Rock cafe. The Gig is also part of the Save London Music Campaign to support live music venues in London.
Other confirmed acts are
Chase The Ace
Jo Jordan
A Higher Demise
Lauren Rich
Manni and The Kul Kats
Tony Shaw
Tickets are £4 in advance or £6 on the door.
Click Here for Tickets
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