Journalism, Tories and a voucher for readers

Returned from Belfast yesterday after an interesting interview for my writing project.

It is a curious place - passing the more upmarket areas of the city and looking at the busy lunchtime streets and new construction projects, you would not think it was a city that has seen such horror, pain and violence.

News of the Tory leadership election receiving a lot of coverage on the BBC TV news and Radio 4. Elsewhere in the media, Wednesday's Independent had a front page story on China and the impending environmental time bomb there.

Today's Independent has coverage of evidence of global warming in Alaska. It is the type of report I would like to write myself one day.

It is worrying how the mainstream media scrum clamoured to cover the Tory leadership story - which in light of the above environmental stories just hardly seems that important.

Where is the debate on this issue? Who has answers?

I received an email today that seems to originate from this website - the email is quite text-heavy, but I sympathise with its sentiment.

Finally, I have a little treat for anyone who is reading this. Perhaps I should qualify that by adding if anyone is reading this: a € 3 voucher on the Magazines 365 website

'It's all about bucks kid, and the rest is just conversation.' - Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's film, Wall Street.

18th October

A number of topics to cover today:

I notice in the Daily Mail that Greg Dyke is in talks to present a new business show on Radio 4.
Their podcasts are great for bus or train journeys, and particularly handy as I cannot get any BBC stations here.

The In Business and From Our Own Correspondent shows are very informative - I have not succumbed to the Ipod craze, but instead listen to it on my Nokia 6230i.

On the subject of Nokias, I note that they have several more new phones on their website, one of which is the E 60

The Curiosities of Online Dating

I have to sheepishly admit to being signed up with a number of dating sites, all of which feature any number of interesting and attractive young ladies.

For some reason, when looking at the latest uploaded photos, I am increasingly drawn to thirtysomethings like this. Whether I will get in touch with someone and actually meet them through a site like this I do not know...

One thing that does strike you is the sheer number of people on these sites. I fail to see how it might be logically possible for everyone on them to meet their match.

On the one occasion that I did begin writing to a girl, she went a bit weird and so I stopped emailing her. She then got hold of my mobile phone number which was listed on a site along with my email address which she had googled.

Texts and phone calls and a final email followed and I politely asked her to leave me alone after she had said she had thought about visiting me and had tried to find out my home address.

Not the most inspiring story I know. Still, due to a somewhat pathetic social life, I plan to try another dating site based in Dublin.

On the subject of dating, I read of a successful blog called Chasing Bridget written by a 27 year-old guy in London...it seems I am not the only one in this situation.

A View to Inspire

I will be going to Belfast tomorrow afternoon, working in Dublin for several hours first. One of the benefits of being in Belfast is that they still use proper money there rather than this Euro monopoly money we have down here. The other thing is I will be able to get a BBC radio reception there.

This is the inspiring and beautiful view I pass on
the train journey along the south Dublin coast.

It is the view from the train near the village of Dalkey.

On a bright morning, when the sun has risen or is beginning to break through the clouds, it is a view that has the power to lift the soul.

'It's all about bucks kid, and the rest is just conversation.' - Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's film, Wall Street.

Caught in a web

Sunday Times readers among you might have read this article in the magazine.

Doubtless you did not give a second thought to how the content of the story contrasted with the advertisements alongside its text and elsewhere in the magazine. We read about the precipice on which modern life teeters, and at the same time few of us pause and consider that the magazine's advertisements encourage us to perpetuate the situation and we turn the page.

Today, The Independent published a booklet documenting flora and fauna that will not be around for our children to see. There is also an article entitled 'Everything you do has an impact on the planet'

Note how it does not mention how your purchase of the newspaper has provided one more reader who will see advertisements attempting to sell you one more thing to impact the planet.

'But I didn't buy it, I read it on the web,' you protest. And so you will have seen the advert for the Vauxhall car.

Although we have a web of infinite knowledge at our disposal (and remember we are a minority since most people on the planet have yet to make a phone call, let alone send an email or read a newspaper website), we are also caught in a different kind of web.

I am not holier than thou by the way, and I hope I don't come across that way. In our household you will, on any given day, find several newspapers. Sky TV is beamed into our living room as we would only have two channels with just an aerial.

Since Blogger is also financed by advertising, you will also forgive the irony...I should really pay for a domain and a hosting package...need to work on the content here first and maybe I might actually be worth reading.

'It's all about bucks kid, and the rest is just conversation.' - Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's film, Wall Street.

All About Bucks

'It's all about bucks kid, and the rest is just conversation.' - Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's film, Wall Street.

Welcome to my blog. A space for some diary entries, thoughts and observations on life.

Who am I?

Where do I live and what do I do?

Why am I writing this?

How will it be relevant to you?

And what is the relevance of the quote from Wall Street?

All will be revealed soon.

'It's all about bucks kid, and the rest is just conversation.' - Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's film, Wall Street.