Thursday, June 26, 2008

Getting older

I went to the opticians a week ago for a check up. I hadn't been in ages.

The optician spent over an hour with me and said to me 'I'm sorry to tell you this, you've got blood vessels growing behind your eye'

I just shrugged my shoulders. So what? I've got loads of blood vessels.

Apparently I'd been wearing contact lenses for too long - 23 years from morning to night without a break. My eyes were sore, drying out and I needed to rest them.

The optician mentioned to me that my eyes had beens starved of oxygen with long term contact lens wear and if I carried on I could lose my sight.

Blimey.

I've got to be honest, I hated glasses years ago as I was so vain when I was a kid. Now, I'm 40 and just happy not to feel completely whacked out a the end of an evening. My eyes are incredibly valuable to me, and I don't want to lose them.

Glasses it is then! With very occasional contact lens wear.... very occasional

....actually they're really nice RayBan ones and I quite like 'em.


Saturday, June 21, 2008

Lost in translation?

This is my Adam Buxton inspired reworking of "A Gaelic blessing"



;-)

Friday, June 20, 2008

When does no mean no?

...I suppose you could ask most females that question and they'd answer with aplomb.

I expect I know the answer to the question - "why does the male dominated populus of EU ministers not know the answer then?"

I place on record my distrust and general concern over most things EU. I go so far as to say I am a complete Euro-sceptic.

When you take the right of a referendum away from a country that's undemocratic and wrong, not just cynical of all things Euro.

When you have a country vote 'No' to the Lisbon Treaty - Ireland being the latest, you don't then question their integrity, talk about booting them out because you don't like what they say or simply look for a back door to ignore a democratically settled answer. Equally, I cannot understand the gall of our English Parliament ignoring the rights of its people to even have a referendum. At least Ireland took a vote - Brown simply signed the papers without a second thought. How's that representing a people? Knowing there's massive disquiet about the treaty, and simply swanning off without a bye or leave to sign the document quick before anyone notices? The worrying thing is, we all noticed.

When I represent a client at court and have a guilty verdict or Judgment against my client, I don't stand to my feet and say "Best of three your honour?" or decide to settle the dispute following Judgment by a game of paper, stone, scissors or noughts and crosses.

I studied EU law and was incredibly concerned about the things I learnt, from the legal perspective. European law demands - yes, demands sovereignty. National law has it's place - and it's below the whim of Europe.
Don't bother doing a Google search or looking at some half - wit's interpretation on Wikipedia. I'm not trying to be rude, but most of the garbage I hear people talk about that is Europe related is just that; garbage. Europe isn't about straight bananas and dusty books, it's insidious and now essentially entirely undemocratic....... and we're allowing this nonsense to happen. Talk about Europe in sceptical terms, and the right on gang snootily try to make you feel as though you're insulting the disabled.

Study it, or work in it for a year or point to a recognised scholarly article and then talk to me. So many people have such little interest or knowledge and it aggravates me. The things that millions fought for are being written off in the stroke of a pen. Why are we not screaming from the roof tops about this?!

I'm fiercely English first (before you shout, ask a Welsh or Scotsman that question), British second and do not consider myself in any way European. What do I have in common with a Latvian, Bulgarian or Polish person? The answer is simple - the same that an American has in common with someone from Venezuala, Peru or Chile. What? They're both from the same continent...
Why can't we all be proud of our heritage and fiercely protect our national pride? I do not want to be subsumed into a soup.

I'm sick to death of the fact that our Government is slowly but surely eroding our rights without taking a blind bit of notice of what the national voice says. Even if we say no, we can see that carries little or no truck. I don't want to live in a Totalatarian state. 1984 was 24 years ago.

In brief, the UK allows the EU to have sovereignty for the time being. We operate a dualist approach where we channel EU law into our system. If we don't want it, we walk away. Germany have the same approach. I think I've blogged this before... some academics suggest we're entrenched. I say we let the people decide once and for all with hopefully a much improved Government as quickly as possible.

I'm waiting for someone with a strong enough voice to kick Europe and it's bullying ways into touch. If not, sorry, I'm off.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The Orange Lights

I saw a fabulous band play at the Barfly some months ago. There were very few folks that stayed around and Chris wanted to get off after his support. I think there were around seven of us left. I could see from the equipment on stage that the band that was to play obviously knew what they were up to.

I heard the Orange Lights play, and I was mesmorised by them.

The Orange Lights are one of those bands that just deserve better, like Hollow Horse. They're an amazingly tight, stupendously good set of lads who just make brilliant music.

You can see the band at KCRW - an LA radio station at this link here.

I really wish these lads well. I hope they break into the big time, they deserve it. The Keys player was with the Lighthouse family. I hope they make it even better and bigger. I Love 'em.

I've mailed them to ask permission to play them, but nothing at the moment, shame that.... if a network of a few dozen podcasters played with between 2,000 - 20,000 audience per week that's a heck of a lot more listeners than 5 or 6 at the grimy stage of the Barfly in the back of Birmingham.

I wish guys who played in great bads understood more about podcasting. We're not all in it for the money...

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Friday, June 06, 2008

Send me your comments and files in the drop box to the left

I love producing the podcast and keeping the blog and can't believe I'll be into my fourth year in December.

To everyone who has listened, contributed, taken part or even argued with me - thank you so much for taking the time.

You'll notice that I've added a link to the side of the page where you can drop files to me directly. Please feel ever so free to drop me your pic, comments, mp3's.

I can't believe I haven't put a mail link on the blog - until now! Keep your comments, files and everything else coming - I'd love to feature them in the show.

...and thanks again.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

podcast173 podcastpaul.com

Download the MP3 direct from here

Oops! Something went wrong with the feed / upload.

The show is right here, at the link at the top of the text.

Sorry about that!

;-)

podcast 173, PodcastPaul.com

Download the show direct from here

Well praise the Lord and pass the party hats.... It's that special time again.

A fireside chat from yours truly with some corking music from the following artists:

The Working Title - Under the Ground.
Ethan Stone - Too Late
Robin Stine - Shy Boy
Jim's Big Ego - Stress
Ari Shine - Try a little harder

All music from the podsafe music network save for The Working Title who were lovely enough to send the track to me directly, thanks Jake!

I'm overwhelmed at the number of downloads of the show that are peaking at 10,000 per week /40,000 a month - thanks so much for listening and keeping it all worthwhile kids!

;-)

please send an email - paul@podcastpaul.com

musings

I've woken up really tired today. I'm working from home and this afternoon will start the cumbersome, tiresome and tiring revision for exams next week. I've just three left; 10th, 13th and 19th June.

Yesterday lunchtime I went to the gym and swam. I haven't done that in an age. I really enjoyed it, but felt bushed around 8pm.

I think I'm going to try really hard to get to bed earlier, get up earlier and see if I can get to the gym before work. Even as I type, I know that this is a fated plan.. how do you keep motivated? It strikes me that I've kept up 4 gruelling years of uni - thre hour lectures twice weekly at the scabby campus in North Birmingham after a full days work. So how hard, in comparison is getting up a litle earlier and doing something I actually enjoy?

I can't work it out. Any answers? Does anyone who reads this actually have a gym regime? Are you able to keep the exercise up?

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Listeners to the show...


I knew I had some American fans, but didn't realise they were in such high places...