Archive for the 'Blog on Blog' Category

Gagging order

Posted by on June 15th 2012 in Blog on Blog, In the News, Name and Shame

What a shame that Argyll and Bute Council have effectively killed a fine, informative and charitable blog:

 

NeverSeconds

 

I love the meal-rating criteria...

Food-o-meter:
Mouthfuls:
Courses:
Health Rating:
Price:
Pieces of hair:

 🙂

Makes you wonder what the Council feel they have to hide...

Alopecia?

Or perhaps it's this appalling meal!

Anyways, there's a petition to get this stupid ban lifted. I'd urge you to sign it and to spread the word. **UPDATE** - see Alan's comment.

Want a link to the Daily Record article that caused the Council to kick off? See here.

Here's something from Wikipedia:

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, states that:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Today freedom of speech, or the freedom of expression, is recognized in international and regional human rights law. The right is enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. Based on John Milton's arguments, freedom of speech is understood as a multi-faceted right that includes not only the right to express, or disseminate, information and ideas, but three further distinct aspects:

  • the right to seek information and ideas;
  • the right to receive information and ideas;
  • the right to impart information and ideas.

International, regional and national standards also recognize that freedom of speech, as the freedom of expression, includes any medium, be it orally, in written, in print, through the Internet or through art forms. This means that the protection of freedom of speech as a right includes not only the content, but also the means of expression.

Finding gold

Posted by on August 10th 2011 in Blog on Blog

I follow a lot of blogs, for a lot of reasons. Sometimes for the adventures, sometimes for the humour, sometimes for the contentious issues.

It's not often, however, that I set aside the time to read one in it's entirety. Such a blog would have to be something truly special, a real attention-grabbing, thought-provoking soul-stirrer.

If you're looking for such a thing I urge you to pull your chair to the fireside, (re)fill your glass and settle down for a few hours at http://becausetheyrethere.wordpress.com/

It'll be time well spent.

Disgraceful

Posted by on June 1st 2011 in Blog on Blog, On the box

I can't put into words how I felt when I watched Panorama last night. Probably best if I "lift" Alan's post, paste it in here unedited and then let you follow the links:

---ooo---

 

This post has nothing to do with the Challenge or windmills. It’s far more serious than that: Could all the readers of this blog PLEASE watch THIS PROGRAMME.

It will take an hour of your time. It’s a Panorama programme put out on Tuesday 31st May about the abuse that happens in care homes. Care homes are usually the last resort for families that can’t cope with a family member and so the family puts their entire trust for the care of their loved one in that of the home.

Watch this documentary and then think to yourself “it could be my father / mother / brother or sister in that situation”.

Visit Shirley’s blog post for a better take on this subject, but please, do watch the programme.

If you could publicise the programme yourself on your own blog, if you have one, or on twitter it would be really helpful too.

Thank you.

---ooo---

 

Thankfully the authorities have stepped in, four people have been arrested (and released on bail) and the hospital owners have apologised and suspended 13 employees (link).

Well done, Panorama, for representing the Beeb at its best.

Blogroll update

Posted by on January 15th 2010 in Blog on Blog, Blog on Site, Blogroll, Site update, Thanks
Tags: ,

This post by Martin prompted me to update my "GOTO" blogrolls to include a few more blogs and sites that I've bookmarked over the last few weeks.

 

Links added so far this year include:

 

They take the total to over 200 links, all supplied free-of-charge, none of them conditional on the target site having a reciprocal link.

I think I'll be having a links sort-out sometime soon - some of the dropdowns are dropping down a bit too much, so they need recategorising rather than culling. If you've any suggestions as to how to do this in a meaningful and useful way, feel free to let me know.

Anyway, feel free to have a mooch through the links - there may be a few that you've not seen before. If you find any errors or omissions, just holler and I'll get it sorted out.

Thanks for the heads-up, Martin 😎

Winter Migration

Posted by on January 13th 2010 in Blog on Blog
Tags:

Looks like the Fieldfares have now started to colonise the blogosphere:

 

 

At this rate, they'll be ousting the Robins as the most-featured (feathered) blog-birds.

Self-Assessment 2009

Posted by on January 2nd 2010 in Blog on Blog, Rambling on...
Tags:

In my first post of 2009 I set out a few objectives. Well, that year's done and dusted so it's time for a reality-check.

Here's the list again...

 

1a. More actually getting out and doing "stuff"
1b. Less talking about getting out and doing "stuff"

I reckon I did about the same amount of "doing" as I usually do in an average year, but you're no doubt relieved that I didn't waffle on about it too much. Yeah, that's right - I don't tell you everything. Mind you, this is WordPress, not Twitter.

 

2a. More "pushing the envelope"
2b. Less "comfort zone" dossing

Having had a relatively high injury-rate last year, I had to be content with just licking the envelope. Fellwalking with injury or in the post-recovery stage was definitely out of my comfort zone, but it was hardly what you'd call dossing.

 

3a. More meaningful blogging
3b. Less blogging of drivel

You lot can be the judges of that. The total number of posts for 2009 is 145, way less than the 215 totals for 2008 and 2007. Exactly how many of those 145 posts are drivel is a moot point.

 

4a. More gear-testing
4b. Less gear-envy

I didn't test anything new, apart from the Argos tent. I managed to fight off the urge to acquire a NeoAir, but the attraction of an updated Scarp 2 is still there. - hopefully Henry Shires will eventually get around to making one. As for the envy factor, there's very little kit out there that I've looked at and thought "that's a must-have item". If I'm envious about anything, it's the abundance of hill-time that others seem to have.

Actually, I've just lied to you about the envy thing. Truth be told, I'd like one of these.

 

5a. More improvement in use of the camera
5b. Less "missing the moment" while faffing with settings

I feel that I've done better with the camera, this being helped by the acquisition of the new lens. That said, I did faff with the settings while in Brum and therefore ballsed-up some potentially-good night-shots.

 

6a. More time out with the scope
6b. Less time-wasting while faffing with settings

Did well at this. Having the observatory up-and-running has helped a lot.

 

7a. More progress with astrophotography
7b. Less set-up time

I got my first images of Mars late on in 2009, but still managed to miss all of the major meteor showers due to unsuitable weather. On the bright side, there'll be some new kit here in time for the next closest approach of Mars on 27th January 2010 - this should enable me to make some major improvements.

 

8a. More Wainwrights
8b. Less use of traditional routes

Yep, did some more Wainwrights, but only seven "new" ones - nowhere near as many as I'd have liked to have done. Current tally is 180 out of 214. Tried hard to plough a different furrow, but had limited success. The solo ascent of the West Face of Ullscarf was fun, though!

 

9a. More local walking
9b. Less hiding behind the laptop

I failed miserably on this one. Had a few local walks but nothing special. That said, there were so many other things that kept me away from the countryside and the laptop.

 

10a. And, thanks to George, more data-storage, and hence
10b. less dross on the internal HDD

The huge USB HDD is excellent - how I managed without one for so long is a mystery that I'll never figure out.

 

So there you go - 2009 in a nutshell. More or less.

But what of 2010?

I reckon I'll stick to the same objectives, and try to do much better.

 

Whatever plans you have for your New Year, I wish you the very best of luck.
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