Blogger Tag Cloud

I've just implemented the most excellent Blogger Tag Cloud - courtesy of phydeaux3. It does exactly what it says on the tin.

Now if only I could find a way of getting the page title to put the blog name at the end ...

:^)

This little piggy stayed at home

I find myself wondering whether this is a cynical attempt at gaining publicity. A variation on the Three Little Pigs story has apparently been rejected by a government agency awards panel. OK, a children's educational CD-ROM called "Three Little Cowboy Builders" was never going to have an easy ride ... but I still can't see in what way this would offend Muslims. Builders, yes: I can see how they might feel offended. Still, it's a variation on banning the thing.

I wrote a piece a while ago about Muslim being the new Black - but never posted it. I'm still convinced that beliefs rather than appearance is the current target of scaremongery. Hoodies and drunks no longer hold the public in fear - but Muslims? That's almost foreign. They're obviously a rotten lot to be despised and feared, surely?

One of two things is tue of this CD-ROM: either the material is offensive - in which case the reasons should be explained properly, or the material is not offensive - in which case Becta should apologise. Reading the comments on The Register article, I know which I suspect is true.

Personally, I think a good story should be left alone. The rot set in when the story was changed so that first two pigs survived. A fat load of use as a cautionary tale when there are no consequences!

Digital dissent

I do love irony.

I have come to the conclusion that this year I will be mostly posting about stupidity and futile jesture.

Today's case in point is Tara Brabazon, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Brighton (or Brighton Polytechnic as I knew it). I do get her point, I really do .. but how can she possibly think that banning Wikipedia and Google is the right approach? The best part is, of course, that this is now recorded .. on Wikipedia (where else?)

Given that she is recorded as being a "digital dissenter" we can perhaps forgive the naiivity of not forseeing the entire internet now being full of this news. As a learned subject expert, however, she really should show more understanding of the cultural shifts being driven by new media. Surely, the better approach would be to ensure students do more online research - not less. And, yes, back up this research with other media.

The conclusion I have to draw is that this move is an example of elitism. She evidently disregards her chosen subject as having little or no worth. On this basis I must disregard her opinion as irrelevent.

Whatever happened to common sense?

Now I'm not a political animal - but the society created by the last two governments is not one I enjoy being part of. The blame is not solely theirs, of course. The popular media (and I include grown-up newspapers in that) have had a major influence in this, too.

I have gotten used to the way of life, I'm sorry to say. I expect to be ripped off by small traders. I expect the government to feather its own nest, rather than to serve the people. I am not surprised when yet another law is passed which restricts my freedom and patronises my intelligence.

The disturbing development, however, is that private companies are now beginning to follow suit. Last week say J D Wetherspoon announcing a limit on the number of drinks served to adults with children. It's bad enough having the government telling me what is good and what is not good for me. The company are not, we are told, concerned with adults being intoxicated in charge of children: their two-drink limit may also extend to soft drinks. No, the quoted reson is that children will be bored as there is no play area.

In reality, the company wants to put as many cards through the till as possible. Shifting bums is their way of achieving this. I never have - and now probably never will - go to a J D Wetherspoon. Two drinks? Keep 'em!

Happy New Year

It's that time again. I return to work, slightly bewildered and wondering what's new. As usual, the talk is of new resolutions and how this year will be different to the last.

I, too, am thinking what 2008 will have in store for me and my family. I'm struck by how much events around me affect my outlook. I guess we're all touched by the ripples of others' lives. Maybe that should be the theme of this years' blogging - an holistic view of life in which we're all connected. Or maybe not.

Enough of the cod philosphy. Back in the real world, I'm adjusting to having an independent daughter and fighting off mid-life crisis. There are practical considerations, too.

This year I'll be putting more effort into web development and will post my progress here. I may have some things to say about being the parent of teenagers, too. Assuming I ever get the hang of it.

For what it's worth, the last New Year resolution I made was many years ago. I vowed to stop making New Year resolutions. I've stuck to it.