So a couple of weeks ago I had a phone call from Sophie Walker (no relation) from the award winning student newspaper Nouse completely out of the blue.
This article (http://www.nouse.co.uk/2011/11/03/the-great-escape/) is the result of that conversation.
I won't dwell on what's said here, only that I hope you enjoy it. If you do, please feel free to leave a comment.
Saturday 5 November 2011
Thursday 3 November 2011
Protecting freedom of speech...
If you haven't heard yet, a French satirical magazine was petrol bombed yesterday destroying pretty much everything.
It happened just 24-hours after they published a picture of the Prophet Mohammed on their front cover and named him as editor.
If you've not read it yet you can find out more from the BBC here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-europe-15550350
So it's believed that the reason this magazine was quite literally burnt to the ground was because of this image. Now I'm not a religious man. I don't believe in any form of God or other "higher power". But I do believe that people should have the right to believe whatever they want.
I have no problem with people preaching their beliefs in public. It doesn't bother me in the slightest if people want to give me leaflets or knock on my door and tell me about their God.
But when people start fire bombing others in the name of that God it really ticks me off!
Yes they were offended. Yes it goes against Muslim law to show pictures of the Prophet. But look around at where you are.
This happened in Europe. The heart of the free-thinking World. A place where we have human rights, freedom of speech and equality no matter what your religion, creed or sexual orientation.
Europe isn't perfect, but I'm proud to be a European. I'm proud to be part of a melting pot for ideas from 26 countries that have 26 different views.
We ALL have the basic human right to think what we want and say what we like. Some will agree and others won't. But that doesn't mean it's ok to turn to violence if you feel offended.
I'm an atheist. But I don't go getting all up tight when Songs of Praise comes on the telly preaching Christian nonsense (to me it's nonsense). I don't go and fire bomb the BBC for broadcasting a programme that in my view is a lie and complete rubbish.
And you know what, I'm allowed to say I think it's complete rubbish just as much as my Christian friends think my atheism is complete rubbish because we are all free-thinking Europeans with different opinions.
I don't destroy my best mate's house because he owns a bible and he doesn't destroy mine because I lived with my wife for 10 years BEFORE we got married.
Nobody got hurt by this image being published and luckily no-one got hurt due to the fire bombing either.
If you can't cope being in a place that gives everyone the right to free speech just move to a country that better suits your needs. There are plenty of places that opporates without them, I'm sure they'd let you in.
It happened just 24-hours after they published a picture of the Prophet Mohammed on their front cover and named him as editor.
If you've not read it yet you can find out more from the BBC here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-europe-15550350
So it's believed that the reason this magazine was quite literally burnt to the ground was because of this image. Now I'm not a religious man. I don't believe in any form of God or other "higher power". But I do believe that people should have the right to believe whatever they want.
I have no problem with people preaching their beliefs in public. It doesn't bother me in the slightest if people want to give me leaflets or knock on my door and tell me about their God.
But when people start fire bombing others in the name of that God it really ticks me off!
Yes they were offended. Yes it goes against Muslim law to show pictures of the Prophet. But look around at where you are.
This happened in Europe. The heart of the free-thinking World. A place where we have human rights, freedom of speech and equality no matter what your religion, creed or sexual orientation.
Europe isn't perfect, but I'm proud to be a European. I'm proud to be part of a melting pot for ideas from 26 countries that have 26 different views.
We ALL have the basic human right to think what we want and say what we like. Some will agree and others won't. But that doesn't mean it's ok to turn to violence if you feel offended.
I'm an atheist. But I don't go getting all up tight when Songs of Praise comes on the telly preaching Christian nonsense (to me it's nonsense). I don't go and fire bomb the BBC for broadcasting a programme that in my view is a lie and complete rubbish.
And you know what, I'm allowed to say I think it's complete rubbish just as much as my Christian friends think my atheism is complete rubbish because we are all free-thinking Europeans with different opinions.
I don't destroy my best mate's house because he owns a bible and he doesn't destroy mine because I lived with my wife for 10 years BEFORE we got married.
Nobody got hurt by this image being published and luckily no-one got hurt due to the fire bombing either.
If you can't cope being in a place that gives everyone the right to free speech just move to a country that better suits your needs. There are plenty of places that opporates without them, I'm sure they'd let you in.
Wednesday 26 October 2011
... Worse than packing!
I know this is my weekly rant, but I just can't keep this quiet until next week.
I HATE THEFT!
Now I'm not talking about breaking in to someone's house and taking their TV, I hate this too, but in my opinion theft of artistic ideas is even worse. Especially if you're stealing from a working professional and using their ideas to make money yourself.
Stealing the ideas from anyone who works in the arts is essentially the same as stealing a farmer's tractor, a vintner's grapes or a chef's recipe. Without them they just can't work. Its diabolical and I truly detest anyone who takes something that isn't theirs and use it as if it was.
Why has this come up now?
Well earlier this week my friend Dan over at Lebanon Circle told me he'd suffered from intellectual property theft and how he's frustrated that there's next to nothing he can do about it.
For those that don't know Dan is an artist and creates awesome props and special effects for the performance industry. His ideas are simply that, HIS ideas. No-one has the right to take them and sell them as their own.
This really pissed me off. But, as you know from my earlier post, I had a load of packing to do and that kind of took over my week.
Then earlier today whilst surfing Facebook I noticed yet more theft!
I couldn't believe it.
Earlier this season I worked with a couple of very talented circus performers and their act involves being brought on as a clockwork doll. Now I know this isn't completely original with them. I know others have done clockwork characters before. However, their act and costume design came from their own creativity.
Their act isn't a direct copy of someone else's work.
However another performer from that same show has suddenly started working as a clockwork doll. Not only that, they've started working as a clockwork doll that looks very similar to those I worked with before.
In fact if you put them in the same gig together they look similar enough you'd think they were all part of the same act.
I think anyone who blatantly steals from another artist is the lowest of the low.
No, scrap that.
That last sentence makes out like those thieves are also artists. They're not. They're thieves.
I think anyone who steals from artists are the lowest of the low.
If you can't create your own material or can't afford to pay to have an artist create material for you then you shouldn't be in the creative arts. Do something else. Do anything else. I don't care what you do, just stop stealing other people's stuff.
If you've seen something you really like and that particular artist won't sell it to you LEAVE IT ALONE!
If you still think its ok to steal other people's stuff watch this video from Dan. You have been warned....
I HATE THEFT!
Now I'm not talking about breaking in to someone's house and taking their TV, I hate this too, but in my opinion theft of artistic ideas is even worse. Especially if you're stealing from a working professional and using their ideas to make money yourself.
Stealing the ideas from anyone who works in the arts is essentially the same as stealing a farmer's tractor, a vintner's grapes or a chef's recipe. Without them they just can't work. Its diabolical and I truly detest anyone who takes something that isn't theirs and use it as if it was.
Why has this come up now?
Well earlier this week my friend Dan over at Lebanon Circle told me he'd suffered from intellectual property theft and how he's frustrated that there's next to nothing he can do about it.
For those that don't know Dan is an artist and creates awesome props and special effects for the performance industry. His ideas are simply that, HIS ideas. No-one has the right to take them and sell them as their own.
This really pissed me off. But, as you know from my earlier post, I had a load of packing to do and that kind of took over my week.
Then earlier today whilst surfing Facebook I noticed yet more theft!
I couldn't believe it.
Earlier this season I worked with a couple of very talented circus performers and their act involves being brought on as a clockwork doll. Now I know this isn't completely original with them. I know others have done clockwork characters before. However, their act and costume design came from their own creativity.
Their act isn't a direct copy of someone else's work.
However another performer from that same show has suddenly started working as a clockwork doll. Not only that, they've started working as a clockwork doll that looks very similar to those I worked with before.
In fact if you put them in the same gig together they look similar enough you'd think they were all part of the same act.
I think anyone who blatantly steals from another artist is the lowest of the low.
No, scrap that.
That last sentence makes out like those thieves are also artists. They're not. They're thieves.
I think anyone who steals from artists are the lowest of the low.
If you can't create your own material or can't afford to pay to have an artist create material for you then you shouldn't be in the creative arts. Do something else. Do anything else. I don't care what you do, just stop stealing other people's stuff.
If you've seen something you really like and that particular artist won't sell it to you LEAVE IT ALONE!
If you still think its ok to steal other people's stuff watch this video from Dan. You have been warned....
Tuesday 25 October 2011
As one door closes another opens
I hate packing.
I dislike many things; ironing, doing the dishes and making the bed being the first three that spring to mind. But there are very few things I actually hate in this world. Packing and moving house is definitely one of them though.
For those of you that know me this may come as somewhat of a shock. Since moving out of my parents home at the age of 20 I've lived in no fewer than 12 different "homes", one of them being a static caravan with paper-thin walls in the middle of November.
When you've got ice forming on the inside of your windows that's a pretty good sign you probably should start looking for somewhere else to live... In fact its a pretty good sign you should find anywhere else to live.
But despite living in 1.2 properties per year for the last 10 years, or to look at it another way spending an average of just 10 months in one place, I am moving yet again. And as I've said with each of my previous moves this will be the last time.
Of course I don't actually believe that. But I'm hoping my nomadic 20s will be replaced by a more settled decade that will be my 30s. I am now a married man after all and I need to start thinking about married man stuff. I'm not completely sure what that stuff is, I've been married just over a month, but I'm pretty certain it all starts with putting down roots and having somewhere to call home.
As I sit here in my flat surrounded by half packed boxes and half empty book cases I wonder where I'll be in 12 months time. Will it be worth spending the next year unpacking my stuff only to have to re-pack it all again to move somewhere new?
Its a question only time will answer. But for now I'd better empty the rest of those shelves... I hate packing!
I dislike many things; ironing, doing the dishes and making the bed being the first three that spring to mind. But there are very few things I actually hate in this world. Packing and moving house is definitely one of them though.
For those of you that know me this may come as somewhat of a shock. Since moving out of my parents home at the age of 20 I've lived in no fewer than 12 different "homes", one of them being a static caravan with paper-thin walls in the middle of November.
When you've got ice forming on the inside of your windows that's a pretty good sign you probably should start looking for somewhere else to live... In fact its a pretty good sign you should find anywhere else to live.
But despite living in 1.2 properties per year for the last 10 years, or to look at it another way spending an average of just 10 months in one place, I am moving yet again. And as I've said with each of my previous moves this will be the last time.
Of course I don't actually believe that. But I'm hoping my nomadic 20s will be replaced by a more settled decade that will be my 30s. I am now a married man after all and I need to start thinking about married man stuff. I'm not completely sure what that stuff is, I've been married just over a month, but I'm pretty certain it all starts with putting down roots and having somewhere to call home.
As I sit here in my flat surrounded by half packed boxes and half empty book cases I wonder where I'll be in 12 months time. Will it be worth spending the next year unpacking my stuff only to have to re-pack it all again to move somewhere new?
Its a question only time will answer. But for now I'd better empty the rest of those shelves... I hate packing!
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