Sunday, April 06, 2008

[sunday roast] blogfocus on issues


Bendygirl writes a rivetting piece on walking along with her headphones on and feeling the presence, behind her of what turned out to be two males in hoods:

I felt their presence before I heard them. I was sure there was someone coming up behind me. My right hip feeling as though it was on fire with acid hot pain I knew my gait was particularly poor but could only concentrate on keeping going.

This piece highlights the fear of the unknown - I could feel those footsteps behnd me.

Wonko on free transportation for pensioners:

Free public transport is only one area where English pensioners are disadvantaged compared to the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish (free central heating, free elderly care, for example) but it’s one that has the potential to make a real difference to their lives, particularly those with mobility problems.

I'm not a complete conservative - there is one area the state must stay invovled in and that is free everything for pensioners, with extra for the armed forces retirees.

The Quiet Man points out, on "the appearance of doing something":

It's a trap all politicians fall into, having to produce kneejerk reactions to perceived public concerns. Otherwise they believe we'll think they aren't earning their money.

The Cityunslicker also alludes, tangentially, to this matter of appearing to do something:

With the greatest respect, it cannot be so, Grendel:

In the study undertaken led by Amit Kagian a computer has successfully been taught to interpret and recognise interpret attractiveness in women. As Kagian explained "Until now, computers have been taught how to identify basic facial characteristics, such as the difference between a woman and a man, and even to detect facial expressions. But our software lets a computer make an aesthetic judgment. Linked to sentiments and abstract thought processes, humans can make a judgment, but they usually don't understand how they arrived at their conclusions."

Surely it depends on so many nuances, this attractiveness. I know many so-called beauties who are haughty shells and the opposite too. How can a computer detect that?

Young Duncan is "getting responsible" in his old age. Have to smile at his "progress report":

I had a new year’s resolution this year. As part of my current crisis (i.e. having to become responsible), I am trying to get my notoriously bad sleeping pattern in order. Amazingly, I have stuck to the first part of the resolution.

For the past three months, I have been keeping a log of my sleeping patterns. It’s quite detailed. Every morning I open up my big Excel spreadsheet and record the time I went to bed, when I think I fell asleep, when I woke up and when I actually got my lazy arse out of bed. I also note when I set my alarm for. From all of this I work out how long I am unable to sleep, how long I sleep in and… well, how lazy I am.


Last but not least, the stupendously brilliant 1st Lady and Lady Muck are at it again. All aboard the bus and off we go ...

6 comments:

  1. I agree things should be made easier for pensioners, but there has to be a cut off line. Work meetings, we know what brilliant things can be produced at meetings, aka Sombers' artwork. With the computer recognition, what the pc may see as asethic beauty, would not be agreeable by all. That looks like a blow up doll in the drivers seat of the ice-cream truck lol.

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  2. I think they should be treated as royalty, pensioners.

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  3. They all deserve our respect and as much help as we can give and certainly be treated with more compassion that the lazy ass bums who sit on the dole. Not treat them like royalty though.

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  4. Many Thanks for the Link James.... :-) Glad you found the wellies fun :-)

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  5. My mum who worked or looked after all her kids gave up her car when she retired. She travels all over the country telling stories to kids. One of the ways that this is possible is through free travel.

    My grandparents, who worked every day of their life took full advantage of this to collect money for charity. They would get up in the morning and decide where they were going to go with their collection tins.

    It is a small reward for a lifetime of contribution to society.

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