Mark is Listening

It comes as no surprise that facebook, like most other internet things into which we input our information, is being used to feed us even more information.  This knowledge has recently upset many of us as it interferes with our privacy to discover that supermarkets can sell our details to those interested in swaying our opinions on foodstuffs or politics, yes Mr Putin I mean you!  The fact that billionaires with a right wing outreach and no concern for their staff, yes Mr Amazon I mean you, make use of this information to lie to us though social media and newspaper comment columns in an effort to make us vote for Brexit can also be no surprise.  This after all is what the elite have always done as the attempt to get their own way, only the machinery is different.
Propaganda has for over a hundred years spewed out of the daily newspaper, almost all owned by some magnate of some kind, especially today, all they are allowed to print has always been what was demanded by the owner in spite of some editors considering they had they right to voice their opinions.  TV and radio are also a branch of the government, though not as directly as in Russia or Iran I venture, in the UK the programmes, almost none of which I watch, are offered by brainless middle class media folk on the up with no comprehension of what 'quality' means in TV, though radio can do well but you have to seek it out sometimes.  The news however, especially in the BBC has become very much a tool of the Brexit lobby, these 'loony lefties' as the Loony right wing 'Daily Mail' calls them spout the same nonsense re Brexit that the Mail does with no questioning allowed of government policy.  A farce and one we are lumbered with.
How worried ought we to be that such folks know that you 'Checked in' to Sainsburys on Monday or posted a photo of your breakfast yesterday?  Do you think that nice Mister Putin cares about that?  I doubt it myself.  It may well be these men have had an effect on the thinking of many  in various elections, mostly by stirring emotion rather than thought, just consider how many 'bots' you meet on forums that are negative but never argue the toss to see how effective they are at emotional threat, but on the whole the majority are already half way their if they are influenced by such propaganda.  People as we know read the paper of their choice because it tells them what they wish to read rather than anything that disturbs equilibrium.  
I do not worry to much at this however the information obtained would be a blessing to Heinrich Himmler and his Gestapo had he had the opportunity to possess such and the possibility of a police state in the UK is not as hard to obtain as some think.  Hitler took power in 1933 and by 1939 had complete control of everything, similar could happen here and much quicker.  
Who would be targets of such a state?  In my view Christians are the ones most likely to be targeted. Christians strongly, or ought to, strongly oppose the Politically Correct world in which we now live.  This upside down generation tat has flooded in during the last thirty years has not brought freedom to the masses it has merely allowed people to lose their freedom and indulge themselves in themselves.  That is not freedom.  Jesus came to offer Abundant life and today's cosmos opposes that abundance and offers slavery to self.  The control via the web offered to a right wing state, e.g. China, is great but in their mental outlook the Chinese view this as a form of security, as long as prosperity continues, in the west liberal values constructed since the Reformation give us a different outlook.  Freedom of thought has been fought for and is now being eroded, soon I think it will be taken from Christians altogether, who will stand then? 

Maudling Monday

The whole point of Twitter is that people can communicate short messages, often live from the action, and occasionally with pictures.  This rather absurd idea has been a boon in many situations and a bane for MP's and other criminals caught out by it.

Now however Twitter, in a money making desire, have altered the timeline chronology.  No more do the words of wisdom appear in chronological order instead they arrive as Twitter chooses the 'Top Story' for you.  

Pray tell how they know what my top story happens to be at any one moment?

This is a repeat of Facebook's desperate money making as they too insist on offering absurd 'Top stories' if you don't click the right button.  All this does is make a mockery of the whole idea and now the new boss at the top of Twitter is doing the same.  

I have Twitted to him my opinion (@jack I believe is his address) and informed him of my thoughts.  It makes no difference but something needs to be done.  Twitter has an important role in indicating whether football players will be fit for Saturday or not and therefore must be forced to work properly.  They cannot be allowed to continue like this. 

My kind of people!

I was going to go off into a wonderful description of my day but I have been interrupted twice by phone calls on my not very good new ansafone.  At least it works even if only hesitatingly.  Once I begin to understand what all the squiggles mean I will be able to fix the volume, remove the squeaks and work out how to hear the messages.  

This could take some time.  

Instead I am off to watch football bed to prepare for my day at the museum tomorrow.  I need my sleep and wish to be at my best for my public ready to help.  We will be busy as a school will be in, Xmas shoppers not knowing what they want will follow and no doubt some woman will decide to want a day off and dump it on me.
Bah!

A Miscellany

I have spent time attempting to clear up all the stuff abandoned in the last few weeks.  This was not helped by having to work yesterday afternoon when 60 charming kids came into the shop.  All well behaved and keen but having to deal with so many takes two of us.  This only lasted an hour or so but left us worn out and mentally drained, and that is dangerous when there is little to start with.
Still the kids spent nearly £3 each and that helps the museum remain open.  This is good as the Magna Carta exhibit brings in so many but we really require things local folks can identify with.  I spent some time today typing up paperwork left by a get together of folks who once worked in one of our past industries.  Some began work  in 1934 at ten shillings and sixpence a week, and they only worked every second week!  In those days women who married left work, or were forced to leave work, and single girls took their place.  It made for a turnover of staff but appears a bit daft to me.  Understandable if they have kids and should look after them but as a matter of rule it is a bit daft.

Would you believe I stopped there last night and then watched Scotland's latest debacle against Poland and forgot all about this.  Mind it was getting late and there was less to write about than I had already written which says something.

I am desperate to get out and practice some photography as I realise I need practice!   Looking at others pictures makes mine look inadequate therefore I need to get out and about but this has not been possible lately.  However I am away for a few days next week and have purchased a cheap android to see if I can put stuff up.  So far it works in many things but not Blogger, typical!  We shall see later if it works.  I may be amongst the wealthy, where the lifeboat poses the houses now cost several million a go, but I doubt I will be invited in for tea.  I did get an invite to a wedding, black tie and rich folks abounding, but have turned it down as I would look like Jeremy Corbyn amongst them and I would not upset the bride.  The twenty mile walk home late at night puts me off also.

One thing I hate is people posting pictures of their lunch!  At breakfast, lunch, in a coffee shop or watching the innumerable bloody awful rigged baking shows these folks have to post pictures of what is in front of them.  I thought about this as I looked into the stew that gurgles away on the stove.  It's food, nothing else, it either feeds you or doesn't, why post pictures every five minutes of what you eat?  There are those who every night reveal their tea to us, I refuse to look or indeed answer, whether on facebook or Twitter as I may say something offensive.  
The things people post on those 'social sites' sometimes appear strange to me.  One lass often posts one or two words as if she is answering a question.  Her 2000 may be as confused as I when she posts 'Tuesday!'  Especially when it is Sunday.   If not pictures of lunch one posts those absurd posters telling people to 'Be kind to one another,' or 'Be happy and accept others, they are just like you' yet when someone lets their dogs leavings remain on the street or doesn't say 'Thank you' she screams blue murder.  Maybe she doesn't read her posts.  Christians are just as bad, ten posting saying different things all of which go over the head or clash.  
I should say at this point that everything I post is suitable for use by each and everyone, all is relevant and never do |I repeat myself, never do I repeat myself.  Some nasty grouch may of course disagree but it is best to ignore such as they.

As I chopped up the veg for the stew, wiping away the blood that follows from actually using a sharp knife, I played a 'YouTube' Beatles miscellany.  This struck me as quieter than the 'Who' track, 'Won't get fooled again,' that I played earlier.  Both revealed a problem with YouTube and Win 10, the sound here is not as good as it was on Win 7.  Quite why this ought to be I know not but clearly it 'rasps' periodically through the song with can disturb the teenage angst that fills Beatles earlier work.  
At Tynecastle Park one day long ago as we waited the beginning of the reserve match against somebody or other the Tannoy played the Beatles 'Eight Days a Week.'  This upset Mattie Chambers the head groundsman.  He muttered about the music and offered his opinion in a full and frank manner and raced inside to fix it.  Montgomery, the assistant groundsman and others objected as this they thought was the music folks wished to hear.  A scratching sound was soon replaced with a ballad type song and a happier head groundsman.  How I identify with him when I hear the drivel that passes for music today.  Surely there is a deep crevasse somewhere suitable for Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift?


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Saturday Filler

Facebook and Twitter and any other social media you may use have great benefits when used in the correct manner.  However one of the problems of such media is the repetition of posts that mean little to you individually but are posted constantly by one of your 'friends!'  For instance one chap on Twitter likes American Football.  Now this you will realise is without a doubt one of the most dull, boring and meaningless activities known to man yet he gets very excited by this long drawn out activity.  Every thrown ball, every catch, every rare Touchdown gets a comment and not always polite!  This leads to hundreds of posts to be noted on the feed, usually in the morning as he stays up all night watching this rubbish, and ignored while an effort is made to find the important ones.  If you log onto sports or news sites or individuals repetition of the same news can also be wearing the fifteenth time it arrives.  No matter how important this is irritating and as you know I am one of the most placid people on this earth.  Facebook is similar and does reveal hidden hobbies obscure activities often obscured from the world in general.  To discover a normal individual has hobbies suitable for those less intellectually gifted can be a surprise.   On the other hand of course my own, and yours, interests can be boring to those with no life.  Then there is the 'friends.'  One lass has over two thousand 'friends!'  This comes from several large groups who she is involved with but leaves us reading posts that say important things like "It's Tuesday!" or "The Hall!"  Now around three hundred will understand this, but what about the rest? It is interesting how those who read your posts will react to your interests and your attitude towards them.  At least I find so.  Friends join on Twitter because they have read something you post and figure you are one of their type of people, soon they unfriend as they discover their mistake!  Four 'Albert Camus' became friends after one post on another Twitter post, one or two Christian quotes and whoosh they had gone!  Truth removes nihilism!
I find both these services good for keeping in touch, finding interesting information and discovering what celeb is drinking coffee at the moment.  Both services have their uses, especially if you install Adblockplus and lose the adverts.  Now if I could just remove all those blasted meaningless news stories they offer at the top of facebook!

Explain this!  Why does any man shave off all the hair on his head yet grow a dirty big beard? Does he think it looks good?  Has he become a Muslim?  It is possible Tim Howard the Everton goalkeeper, for it is he, might be looking backwards to some all American image he has deep in his subconscious, for American he is.  It may be, and I think this is the case, he is just daft! There is no doubt he is not fashion conscious.  Worse still are such men who shave the head and allow wisps of hair to grow under the chin and on the upper lip, all to often fair haired men at that, so it hardly shows.  What is the point?  The things passing fashion does to us all. 

"Each did what was right in his own eyes."

The ancient Hebrews moved into what they called the 'promised land' and once dominance had been secured they settled down into their clan, tribes and family areas.  Years passed and when the grandchildren were reaching maturity the social substance that held them together was beginning to fail.   Those that had fought the fight had gone, the next generation became busy with settling in and the youth had, as usual, their own ideas, the history of arrival taught but less important possibly than daily life.  With leadership failing, the priests failed to ensure the Law was made known and the Levites failed to teach it, each looked after his own interests, soon being drawn into the gods and ways of the remaining Canaanites.  Confusion soon reigned.  Neighbouring nations took over the land until the people realised their mistake and God sent a deliverer.  Several times this occurred but after each deliverance the people resorted to doing their own thing.  The third generation would go the way of their forebears time after time, morals degenerated, crops failed, invaders arrived, social cohesion drifted.

A similar situation ensues today in the west.  Morals today depend on the loudest voice not agreed principles, 'common sense,' an agreed understanding of how to deal with any situation in an obvious manner, is no longer regarded as trustworthy, and while individuality is encouraged 'community' an awful meaningless word much heard of in the media actually lessens as we look after number one. People today can also hide behind colour, sex, age or any other excuse, and take advantage of the political correctness that ruins our life.  There is no agreed 'principle,' each does what is right in their own eyes,' or follows unthinkingly what they have been taught in school.  Same sex marriage would not have been contemplated 30 years ago yet today it is almost compulsory.  Street preachers, once ignored by passersby, are now confronted by the gay lobby name calling and having such folks arrested!  Abortion is used as a contraceptive by some 'for the woman's sake' it appears!  'Rights,' and 'equality,' are demanded no matter how absurd these calls may be, and certainly no regard is paid to how others 'rights' and 'equality,' is affected.  What was once called 'banter' is no regarded as 'hate crimes,' even when there is clearly no hate whatsoever.  How the world has changed, and the mess hurts the nation.  

The 'silly season' encourages such attitudes to new heights.  Real news is hard to find so any nonsense is presented as a major story while ordinarily it would be ignored.  Take the screaming press coverage of 'Twitter abuse,' for an example.  Several louts abused a couple of women and this becomes a major news story.  One who led a campaign to put Jane Austen on the next £10 note claims to have suffered 'vile tweets' since her name became known.  Others suddenly appear in the papers informing the world of their personal abuse statistics.  Now not only can I not remember the girls name, it matters not as we speak in generalities, such abuse has been common since time began, why is it newsworthy now?  Anyone in the public eye gets abuse. Speak on TV, write in the press, be a footballer or actor, write a blog and letters will fall through the door, comments fill the page and e-mails and Tweets arrive offering love or abuse.  That is life and how she is lived I'm afraid, and we all participate in this, including those on the receiving end this week.  Attention seeking women will of course receive comments they dislike, they love those!  These they will shout about to ensure attention and of course encourage their own misandry won't they?  It amazes me that while men get such abuse no paper makes a fuss about this, why?  Sexism perhaps?   We all know the real reason why, 'women power!'  We live in a world where men are bad and women are good in spite of the reality in front of us.  Middle class women who have grown up with more opportunities than ever whine about their hard life.  Clearly they have never worked a s a bus conductor or docker, miner or navvy.  Those sort of jobs, done by women in many countries, would be seen as beneath them.  Indeed they would never be seen as a mere shop worker, tsk, the very thought!  Such as this have twisted society to such an extent that their tilting at their misandrist windmills has brought politicians running to their door rather than doing the right thing.  So we must see men regarded as bad in all things and women as untouchable and good.  

Look at how this situation has been handled.  A man has sex with a girl who is said to be 13 years old.  Normally we would regard this as a straight jail sentence but on closer inspection things are not what they seem.  Here we read of a girl who looked and acted older and 'was looking for it' as they used to say before such terms were outlawed.  The women's groups are outraged although they, like us, do not know the facts of the case, they have no idea what the lass is like, but they do know he is guilty because he is male!  In one sense they are right, he should not have been there, and what sort of man chases a 16 year old anyway?  What is important here is the refusal to accept this girl could be in any way responsible for her actions.  Such an approach shows limited understanding of human nature.  Such 'jail bait' was in action around here only a few years ago and one young man almost got jailed for his folly.  Anyone who considers 13 year old girls incapable of being 'predatory' has no experience of life and fails to understand human nature.  Women that age have been bonking away willingly since time began. Whether it is a good thing in this 'day and age' is debatable obviously but in times past when life was short this was not an unusual situation.  Mary the mother of Jesus may even have been that young, but don't tell anyone will you?  Actually one English king had a mother aged 12 if I remember right.  These days we can allow children to mature at a better pace with clearer instructions regarding life and hopefully with parents both educating and controlling their offspring.   Need I mention that all the papers referring to this case fill their pages with sex articles of one form or another, or would that be a hypocrisy to obvious?   The specific case is best left up to the judge, although now pressure has been applied and only judges who follow women's groups orders will be allowed to sit on such cases.  How disgraceful!  Fixing judges is the governments job, not the medias!  Where is the girl?  In care, wandering the streets, selling herself?  Does anyone know or indeed really care about her?

An experienced careful cyclist in Nottingham uses correct judgement to move across the road after a funeral cortege has passed.   Indicating carefully he watches the traffic as he maneuvers. A car behind blows his horn and failing to react catches the cyclist as he passes and the driver stops to berate him for being there.  His female passenger joins in while the cyclist recovers his bike and composure.  The outcome leaves the driver facing an 'awareness course,' the passenger cautioned, and the rider receives a letter from the police almost blaming him for not knowing the following car was with the funeral and therefore keen not to lose place.  How many cyclists are killed on the roads and here we see the police blaming a careful cyclist for an accident caused by another?   Guardian

'Bongo Bongo land,' is a term that has been used to refer to Africa for decades, however when used by a member of the European Parliament, a man representing the UKIP party, the white middle class 'Guardian' socialists were outraged.  'Racism' they cried when it wasn't really.  The remaining politicians not sunning themselves on a free holiday somewhere joined in the clamour.  This man, unheard of until now, fills acres of newspaper even though a great many Conservative members and those supporting other parties also agree that 'too much aid is given to 'Bongo Bongo' land and goes into the hands of a few, not the people,' but you are not supposed to say it.  Certainly not when being recorded and the media are looking for an excuse to rubbish you and support their particular party.  Of course Africa is full of 'graft,' so is the UK but that's 'different.'  Of course much aid is wasted but it doesn't mean it should be ended.  This is just another case of hypocrisy where 'racism' is used but no-one really cares about those who suffer 'real racism,' and we have all met some of those!      

A woman wished to breastfeed in a jobcentre and the clerk behind the counter, a woman, refused to allow this.  Naturally mum appears in the 'Daily Mail' whining and looking for a few bob.  The class of women who demand to breastfeed anywhere they choose suffer no opposition and harangue any who disagree.  Now I have seen women breast feed discreetly in such places, few have noticed and none would complain however I suspect the mum involved her was less than discreet and certainly cared nothing for the thoughts of others.  As such in my view she is not fit to be a mother, the child is less important than her!  However hundreds of bitter thoughtless women support this one, each for their own selfish reasons.  Being a mother is the most important job after being a father, however others have 'rights' too and these should not take second place.

The media are specialising in 'online dating' to fill space also these days.  This appears frequently on quiet days, usually accompanied by a picture of a bruised lass who has been battered or robbed, treated 'shamefully' or left in the lurch.  Terrible suffering all because of what she thought was 'the right man' for her.  The internet dating sites are blamed for not checking on the men, it is the internet, that dangerous world that is to blame, and something ought to be done! Any idea of personal responsibility, for instance 'thinking,' appear to be pushed aside.   Of course many more women meet men in pubs, clubs, workplaces, shops, on the streets and at many other gatherings but when it all goes wrong they cannot whine to the press about this.  Only internet dating sites are dangerous, the public house where alcohol flows is a perfectly safe rendezvous.   However have you noticed there is no mention of the men who suffer beatings, robbery, 'shameful treatment' from such dating sites, or indeed from girls met in pubs, clubs and all the rest?  Maybe men don't count or indeed sell papers.  Ah there we have it!  Men don't spend all day telling the world of their emotional problems, nor do they wish to read about them in the press.  Men are just left to 'get on with it,' and expected to suffer and all to often, pay up!  

So many of these situation can be easily dealt with by a simple use of common sense.  An accepted way of looking at the world has been eroded since 1945 by the ending of nominal religion, the increase of wealth, liberal attitudes offering 'if it feels good do it,' with no thought for the results long or short term, even an erosion of the genders so that it is impossible to have anything 'male only' without females demanding entrance, the same females that want 'women only train coaches at that!  The world is awash with wealth, confused people, increased suicide, and many confused with what life is all about.  Misery lies under much of the world we live in, and the liberal society is to blame.  Soon it will provoke a reaction.         

Troll Squashed

The boxer Curtis Woodhouse lost his title fight on points to Shane Singleton the other night.  This caused some boxing fans to deride his achievements.  Social network sites are ideal for informing sporting failures of your knowledgeable opinion and one lad, who goes by the name 'Jimmyob88' made clear his derision to Mr Woodhouse on his Twitter feed.
Jimmy said the boxer should "retire immediately cant even defend a pathetic little title you are a complete disgrace," and informed him "Whats funny u put so much effort in sacrificed all that time and failed to defend your mickey mouse title."  
The problem with this is that not only can the sporting chap read your comments, he can also be a 'distressed' boxer, and a wee bit sore at losing his title.  Boxers, as you may be aware, are trained to fight.  A boxer training for a fight, even at 'light-welterweight' weight, can be a muscular and dangerous opponent for a couch potato type of social network user.  
Mr Woodhouse knew this.
Mr Woodhouse was indeed peeved.
Mr Woodhouse turned up on Jimmyob88's doorstep!

Having some 20,000, and now growing, followers on 'Twitter,' the boxer offered £1000 for Jimmy's address.  The street soon followed!  He posted a picture of the street name and informed his followers he was there, and asked for the house number, offering to knock on every door to find the right one.

Almost immediately Jimmy gave himself up!
The troll said he was "only joking about."
"I am sorry it's getting abit out of hand. i am in the wrong. i accept that."

Curtis then drove home, telling folks it was all a bit daft and saying he could have saved petrol money by blocking the man.  Still he found great support, boxer Lennox Lewis, footballer Joey Barton and Lord John Prescott himself all offered their congratulations. 

Anyone wish to argue with Curtis?

Guardian story with Twitter comments

Cogitating

Syria, a land mostly ignored and up till now stable under its Assad dictatorship.
Suddenly it is rent in two by rebels, why?
The Assad regime forced a secular dictatorship on the land, this found much support among the Shia and indeed those who call themselves Christian.  While it ruthlessly suppressed any opposition in the Middle Eastern style it also allowed a great degree of controlled freedom.  People were educated, including women, and as long as you obeyed you survived.  Israel was however not keen, the border too close, previous wars left their mark and support for Hezbollah in Lebanon irked the Israeli's a wee bit.
The great powers did nothing.  Indeed deals were done which included Syria, did Assad not interrogate Islamist for the Bush regime in the US?  Now however somebody wishes to destabilise
Iran's nuclear threat and Syria is the place to do it.


A simple technique is used.  Sunni Saudi Arabia, who fear the Iran threat, and oil rich Sunni Qatar, are used to supply material to unsettle Assad.  They supply the money, the arms and other help to these 'rebels.'   Using Turkey, a key member of NATO, to supply weapons and protect the 'innocent civilians' along their border with Syria also threatens Assad.  This settled almost peaceful nation now has an army bent on slaughtering anyone who opposes the regime, uncontrolled militant groups on both sides happily killing young and old, and a 'rebel' force, now said to possess heavy weaponry, who are a mixed bunch with policies of a wide and varied kind. Nobody really knows what many of these people really look for.


Yet the west is happily encouraging this to worry Iran.  The danger is clear.  Russia and China may well take Iran's side, for whatever reason, and a new cold war, which will soon turn hot, is almost upon us.  Let us realise also that the divisions within Iran also show that nobody knows what their long term idea actually is!  Unsettling a peaceful dictatorship in Syria to attack Iran may be a clever plan to some but the results may well be catastrophic for us all.

Following on from 'friends' yesterday I got to thinking about how some folks collect 'friends' on social media sites.  In my humble opinion, and humble is the word, we only ever have two or three really close friends.  People who stick with you whatever your faults, and this because they like you.  We may also have a larger collection of a dozen or more 'friends,' possibly up to fifty or so if we belong to clubs or groups, who we regard as friends but are not going to be there forever.  We may also have a further larger group we know from such groups, work or whatever who we regard as acquaintances.  So I ask how do some folks have two or three thousand 'friends' on the 'facebook' or 'Twitter' accounts?   Are these real 'friends?'  Possibly we need another word for this?  Now famous people get followers, important folks, footballers, journalists etc, get similar followers who know and respect them, but these are not real 'friends.'  So why do folks gather hundreds of people they never will know and add them to their list?  maybe it's just me being jealous?  A handful of good people is better than hundreds you do not even have time to read or understand surely?

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The Dream

One of the good things about the internet is the dissemination of facts and news, and facts and news that are often left out of the mainstream media at that!  'Social media, ' which usually means   'Facebook' or 'Twitter,' and the many forums that cover any and every subject, added to the umpteen billion blogs, both good and bad, can have social benefits that were not available a few years ago.  Even newspaper readers are now better informed simply by trawling the worlds press for differing viewpoints.


An example of this was the pressure put upon Scottish football chairmen by their fans during the Rangers debacle. It was the use of 'social media' to generate a powerful lobby to ensure the best possible outcome for all.  Possibly this has not yet achieved the best outcome, but it has come close.  Elsewhere we have seen the 'Arab Spring' flower partly due to an educated populace using technology to drive through change in several nations.  These weapons, more powerful than guns, have so disturbed some that they are closely controlled or banned, as in China or Iran.  The one thing a dictatorship fears is truth, and weapons such as blogs, twitter and facebook can reveal the truth about situations.  The Reformation was powered by the written word with an abundance of pamphlets flying here and there.  Information during much of the twentieth century was found only in newspapers and books, and similarly to those previous pamphlets we had to choose who to believe.  Most sadly choose the easiest way to avoid trouble, often preferring the papers that say what they wish to hear, 'Daily Mail' reader like.  There are more social media than papers, and the variety of opinions are endless but we can always offer the facts to help put things right, can't we? 


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Wednesday Evening

I was writing something for the blog but got so bogged down with it and the football commentary began on the wireless so I gave it up and posted this instead.  I thought it very funny and clever.  I did log on to the Twitter thing, not so much to post when I was drinking coffee, sitting on a bus or washing my face but to read what football players were saying about their injuries.  I have posted more than I thought, and thought far too little when I posted.  It seems that is all to often the way.  However I can add my short thoughts to the outpourings from various football reporters, I avoid the word 'journalist,' and rarely do they reply.  I think one at least has blocked me.  Oops.!  You would not believe how many people disagree with my opinions.  The 'Glasgow Herald' will not let me post unless a moderator passes my comment, asking questions regarding Rangers football club upset them, and the 'Daily mail' regularly indicates a post has been withdrawn following a complaint.  The 'Guardian' objects to their mods being referred to as 'Nazis' or 'fascists,' for some reason.  


On the other hand I have five fingers these are opportunities tor each the powerful and the movers and shakers amongst us.  The web allows us to e-mail our MP's and I did send a comment to that idiot Ian Duncan Smith regarding his use of young unemployed as slave labour for his friends in Tesco's. Not too sure if that will get a response that one.  Every comment reveals our opinions of happenings great and small.  This can be a good way of informing these powerful people, even if they do not wish to care a toss about what we think.  The thought comes to my mind that the BBC does not have such a facility.  I mean I do not know the leading man/woman/confused gender who runs BBC1 for instance.  I would like to make my views knows directly, I wonder if it wishes to hear? So I suppose that such things as Twitter, blogs, forums have improved the knowledge our leaders, MP's, Editors and others, have of their peoples opinions.  It doesn't appear to make too much difference mind does it?



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