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To say it’s been a while would be misleading June 16, 2009

Posted by Sharny in : Life,Misc,USA Trip , add a comment

I’m so well meaning with this here blog. I mean, it doesn’t really matter after all, I get 1 page view per day with delightful keywords such as “shiny guitar gear + opium”, ” search words biggest red back” and ” “the girl who” lundone”. I’ve got to wonder if any of the people searching for these things actually got anything like what they were after. Especially the first one, what the hell is going on there. This is the internet though after all.

I didn’t really even have a “I’m going away for a while” post so really if anyone was following this they would think it just died without explanation (which does happen, quite a few favourite blogs of mine have just evaporated from the intertubes much to my dismay) but in reality I was just in another country doing something different and new.

To be specific, I was in California playing grown up and being a ski instructor (although lets face it, we’re not the most grown up of professions). And it was epic. To say it’s changed my life would be a ridiculous understatement. Really, if I was going to go into details about it all I would need a whole series of posts and I don’t seem to be able to dedicate myself enough to writing quite enough to do that at the moment. Suffice to say that as an experience I recommend it and I really recommend trying skiing too, it’s the most amazing outdoor activity I think you’ll ever try.

So here we have this jumbled blog post, basically saying that I’m gonna try and write stuff again. I should write more, I know this. Perhaps it’s time to uninstall stumbleupon, it’s a real horror for my productivity. Yes, I think that’s what I’ll do. Actually force myself to do something useful. See, this blogging thing has helped me already, why didn’t I try it before…?

Hi Big Brother May 22, 2008

Posted by Sharny in : Essay,Rants,World , add a comment

So I’ve just been reading this and it is worrying me greatly.  I’m gonna quote a bit from the article and talk about it general because the whole idea is quite simply ridiculous and I definitely need to point it out.

The proposal will raise further alarm about a “Big Brother” society, as it follows plans for vast databases for the ID cards scheme and NHS patients.

Further alarms about a Big Brother society? No, this IS a Big Brother society.  The moment that the government holds records of all digital activities a person makes is the moment that we become a Big Brother society.  It’s quite simple.

And then of course, there is the governments excellent track record when it comes to data security.  It’s actually more a case of What data security? This is the same people that lose disks filled with personal information on a regular basis and they think they can look after every detail of every communication any person makes? They must be fucking retarded.

Actually, on that note, I think they are fucking retarded.  Other ingenious ideas for stopping crime and terrorism included putting microphones in lamp posts.  I think I can sum up the problem with that in a single quote from satire quiz Mock the week (slightly paraphrased, it was a long time ago) “Lets go and discuss our evil plans in this brightly lit area”.

Exactly how stupid the government think terrorists and criminals are continues to astound me.  Do they somehow think that just because they’re on the internet that they can openly discuss their next targets? Are they silly enough to think of email as a secure way of discussing their dastardly deeds? OF COURSE THEY DON’T.  The literal bumbling idiocy of our aged and confused government officials never ceases to astound me.

I cannot see what right the government have to do this, not only would they be unlikely to keep the data secure but all it would do is breach the privacy of 60 billion people.  Along side that you might catch Johnny who has been selling a bit of weed on street corners and Rob who vandalized a signpost.  Yeah, that’s really worth the privacy of those people.

I don’t want this “safety”.  Of course I don’t think that terrorism should be overlooked, of course people’s safety is important but lets face it, we’ve had a hand full of terrorist incidents in this country with relatively low death counts.  Terrorism is only threatening if you let the fear control you.  That is what terrorism is.  Terrorists want to destroy our society and our freedoms and that is exactly what you are doing for them.  They sacrifice a few bombers, kill 50 people and suddenly its time to watch every citizen of this country so closely that you can tell everything that’s happened to them.

No.  That’s not what’s going to happen.  As a people we must be stronger than this, as easy as it is to piss away your personal freedoms and let Mr Big Government protect you with their shiny database and nifty lamp post mics we can’t let it happen.  Why would we want to live in a country where every innocent person lives in fear of being dragged away because of a joke in an email?

Again, I’m not saying we shouldn’t try and stop terrorism. I’m just saying that there is no reason for us to lose personal freedoms over it.  In fact, the best way to beat it is a united front of positivity.

Take away your fear and the terrorists lose.

The biggest decision so far April 21, 2008

Posted by Sharny in : Life,School , 1 comment so far

In the next two weeks I am faced with finally making the decision of what university offers to accept.  This is a decision that has an unbelievably massive bearing on my future for at least the next 5 years (gap year + 4 year masters degree).

Ultimately, it looks like this.

I have four offers out of my five applications, Cardiff: BBC, Loughborough: 300 points (BBB but could include AS levels too), Leeds: BBB, Nottingham: BBB.

At this point I have written off Loughborough because of its sport centric vibe and the fact that whilst it is moving away from home it isn’t really going anywhere particularly new as Loughborough is just a small town really not very far from where I live now.

I’m sure that I’m going to pick Cardiff for my insurance because they have given me the lowest offer. It’s a nice university in a nice place but not attractive enough to warrant giving up the other places.

Now comes the indecision.  Leeds or Nottingham.  Their differences as universities are equal and opposite almost and the major differences in other aspects also put neither in a direct lead in any sense.  In terms of the university themselves I think I would have a great time which ever I go to.  The main difference comes here and is indeed where the massive difficulty comes.

If I go to Leeds I effectively give up all my friends here.  Yes, I would still see them from time to time and of course in going to university I will inadvertently meet a lot of new people and make friends there.  It would guarantee the end of my place in Opium Toad, possibly the band entirely but I doubt that.  Still, it’s something I’m really beginning to enjoy and not something that I want to let go of lightly by any means.

Of course, university is the first time that a person really has a chance to escape from where they grew up and going to Leeds would mean a whole new city to explore and get to know and everything that comes with it.

So there it is, leave friends for a new city or keep friends and stay in the old one. I mean, it’s not like Nottingham is a bad place, it has areas I don’t really want to visit but overall I feel a lot of affection for it and perhaps unlike some of my peers isn’t somewhere I necessarily want to just run away from.  Of course, if I choose Nottingham to stay with my friends and then the band splits up and everyone goes their separate ways then I may be left feeling like I made a bad decision.

I know that, whichever I choose, I’m going to feel bad about it in a sense.  There is always going to be a regret, all I can do is to try and minimize it.

I’m going to a Leed’s accommodation open day this Saturday but I really doubt that anything there will change the decision I have to make.

It all comes down to a few questions; do I think Opium Toad can achieve any reasonable level of success? if so, could I be a true part of such a success? How would issues such as our Bassist’s lack of commitment and effort effect the future or possible success of the band? Will I find people at university that I feel more comfortable around, people more special than the ones I have here?

I’m not sure these questions will ever have answers and knowing that I’m making a decision that may well decide the way the rest of my life goes (a basically unchangeable decision) and there really is no obvious choice.

I suppose I will just have to take comfort in the fact that, in some parallel universe, a version of me will take the other choice, so that in some ways, I will know both paths.