2023 - What now?

 

All you will see over the next few hours will be everyone wishing all their family and friends a Happy New Year. All the best for 2023. Hope this year is better than the last one. Here's to a wonderful and peaceful 2023. Blah, blah, fucking blah! Now I'm not here to be a new year Scrooge, but what I am doing is speaking my mind and looking back to what a complete shit show 2022 was and the next will most probably be. 

So in 2022, we saw the cost of living rise to unrealistic levels in the UK, COVID being knocked on the head, a Russian megalomaniac cunt knocker invade an independent country, the cost of fuel going through the roof, jobs being lost, people dying, people being born, a long-reigning monarch dying, the weather going nuts giving the UK the hottest summer on record and every fucker going on strike.

Well what has 2023 got in store? Pretty much the same to honest with you, except the weather perhaps. Now let's start with obvious shall we? After World War 2, leaders around the world said they would never let history repeat itself and the horrific events Hitler and the Nazis committed. Yet, in 2022, history repeated itself and it took a while before anyone got off their arse and did something. I mean seriously? You've got a complete mental bell-end throwing his toys out of his pram like a spoilt brat, who decides he wants the Ukraine, lies to the world saying I'm not going to invade your all deluded, invades Ukraine blaming the country being run by Nazis, killing thousands of innocent people, threatens other nations that if they get involved they'll be consequences, his troops then decide to commit mass murder and rape children while the world stands back, threatened by this school boy bullying cunt and doesn't stand up to him, by saying fuck you I won't do what you tell me, ganging up on the prick and help secure a country that he has no right invading. Instead, we just send money and weapons, ruffle Zelensky's hair and say there you go son. As a result, the world is now suffering while this complete fuckwit holds it all hostage. You've got China who are now paranoid, invading their patrons rights and causing all kinds of shit. Behave yourselves China! You've got North Korea who are still silly buggers. Jesus, the world has gone to shit and there we are all saying Happy New Year, all the best for 2023! Fuck off!

So what if World War 3 is triggered by countries helping out Ukraine. We have been lied to when we were told history wouldn't repeat itself. Yet it has! Why are standing by watching a country fight for its freedom? It doesn't need pocket money, it needs the bigger person to stand up to the bully and tell him to fuck off!

But while that happens, the UK has gone to complete shit. Our government are complete fucking joke, yet, somehow there still in power! How??? You've got the government throwing money at other countries to help with aid, yet our country is on its arse with yet another recession, families having to go to food banks, because they cannot afford to live despite many of them having two jobs, fuel is through the fucking roof, gas and electricity is through the roof, but the government have said, we'll help by giving you some money towards it. How about helping bring the cost down and stop reaping the profits from all the taxes. How about putting money back in people's pockets permanently? When fuel hit £2 a litre, the government said they'll knock 5p off. Whoopy fucking do! That did nothing! Instead, garages just increased the cost of fuel to cover the 5p loss, and made things worse. In the UK, there is two taxes on fuel, if the government got rid of one, it would make it so much cheaper. But the greedy bastards won't, We are all fed some bullshit, that we're pretty much told to believe it or else. Its got that bad that every fucker is striking!

So while you're wishing everyone a happy new year. Just think about what I've said. It maybe a new year, but its still the same old shit.

It Shouldn't Happen to the Innocent

Jesus, hadn't realise it's been a little over two years since I last wrote on this blog, but I've had so much go on with my life I guess I've not had the time. 

Let's start with something that is plaguing many of us - Depression. One of the main reasons why I've been quiet is because I've been dealing with my own personal demons. I suffered a heart attack in June 2018, which to be honest wasn't a surprise after the shite I've had to deal with since 2016. I was working as a freelancer, but the egotistic dickheads out there made it difficult for me to enjoy working in the industry I love. Don't get me wrong, I still work in broadcasting and I have met some fantastic people, who I've had the pleasure of working with more than once. But, they're some who I wouldn't work with again.

When I was growing up, one of the main lessons in life I was taught is 'respect your elders'. A well-known phrase that means nothing these days as social media has brainwashed millennials into believing they're better than everybody else. Respect is non-existent, with bullying, discrimination and victimisation rife. The youth of today has more respect for the brainless vlogger spouting shite than they do to their parents. If a vlogger told a viewer that an anorexic model was the perfect vision of beauty, they would believe it and hey-presto, that person becomes anorexic along with developing other mental issues because some twat has told them they are fat. Others suffer mental health issues, again mainly thanks to social media and the twats who think they know everything. 

One of the biggest issues I have is that if you're overweight, over 40 and if you look or talk to someone in the wrong way who is younger than you, you're called a pervert or worse a paedophile. This is something I've had to deal with personally thanks to a paranoid female at Teesside University who suffers from mental issues. It was this incident back in February 2017, when I was halfway through a job placement at the University, that was the start of my own mental health declining. 

This female was one of nine people sat in a room of Aurora House located on campus, listening to a conversation between two other male students. There was another female present and the conversation between the two males was about threesomes amongst other banter. As the conversation began to be very sexist, I stepped in and told the males to mind what they were saying, as they was ladies present in the room. The female in question spoke up and said 'I'm not listening anyway, I'm busy working'. The other female jokingly stated, 'I'm no lady'. 

Thinking nothing more of that I day, a few weeks passed before I received a phone call from the Head of the Aurora House, who said he had received a complaint about me which he needed to talk to me about and I shouldn't worry about it. Yeah bullshit! It was an official complaint where I was sat in an office with the Head of the Aurora House and HR. The complaint was made by the paranoid female, claiming the sexist conversation that took place in the room of nine, was actually me being inappropriate towards her. No-one else was present, it was just me being a pervert towards her. What the actual fuck! 

Well I wasn't taking this shit and clearly stated that the complaint was false and told them the truth, which they seemed to be taken back with as there wasn't a mention of the others being present in the room. I told them that their was an inappropriate conversation  that had been taken place, but I tried to put a stop to it. As a result, I was dismissed from the interview and one of the males behind this conversation was summoned to give his statement of events. 

What followed after this should have never happened to me or anyone else. The outcome from the complaint was unprofessional and why the hell I didn't take legal action against the university is beyond me, but I guess I was no longer in the mindset to perform such action. 

After this incident, the family of the female decided the final outcome of the complaint wasn't good enough and they decided to victimise me and my family. My wife received messages on Facebook from the female's mother. They also made a complaint to the police who did question me and the other male about the incident, but they did state it was bullshit complaint as the evidence I gave was backed up by the other male and I was innocent in any wrong doing. 
Was this good enough for her family? No! I was now being victimised by some staff and students at the university. I was being ignored by the Head of Aurora House, who I originally got on with. He now couldn't look me in the eye and avoided conversation. He also stated to another members of staff 'that the problem won't go away until Matt goes away'. Even my manager became hostile towards me at the end of my placement and tried to find more excuses to complaint about me, most probably to remove me from the placement. This was someone I knew for three years and just like that, didn't want to be associated with me. I was treated like shit and all because of a female student with a paranoid mindset who thought a general conversation between others, was directed at her by someone who didn't speak a word to her.

At the end of my placement, I was told by my manager in front of other students that I was no longer welcome back in Aurora House and shouldn't really return to campus. But the victimisation didn't stop there. Today I'm still harassed by this female and her family, where they shout abuse at me in public, in front of my own family. After the stress caused by this victimisation, my mental health declined further, that lead to depression, a heart-attack and being placed on anti-depressants as I was the verge of breakdown. I was unemployed for over a year as I couldn't really face going back to work. I had crawled into my shell and didn't want to leave. 

After seeking professional help, my shell began to crack and I found employment again. I also established my own business, both of which are thriving nicely. I was working with people that I could trust again, but my defences are still raised and the nice guy in me is there for those who deserve my respect. I never received an apology from those involved at Teesside University, and to be honest, I've lost all respect for those cowards who couldn't do their job properly and wanted an easy way out of the situation. 

I'm in a much better place in a now management position with my full-time job, along with continuing to work in broadcasting on the side. All I can say is that depression is an illness that shouldn't be ignored. There is help out there to help you control it and overcome that dark cloud that hangs over you. Don't hide it - talk! I also know I'm not the only one who has experienced what I have in the workplace. Management like what I had at the University need more training, respect and stop being lazy in their job. Its these elements that can have long-term effects on employees like me.

2017 - What a Year!

WHAT the fuck have I just lived through the past twelve months??
The past year has been a huge rollercoaster of emotion. I've gone from starting the year on a high to being incredibly pissed off by March, being given a great opportunity in April, while ending the year with hope that 2018 will actually be decent one, which I can reflect on with some hope without some pricks ruining it.

The next few paragraphs will most probably offend many, but I don't care, if you've read my rants in the past then you know there's no holding back.

So where do I start? Well lets get the rants out of the way! 

What started off as a great, promising year was quickly ruined by an attention seeking possessed doll and someone who couldn't handle the responsibility of their job. But after that was resolved, those people were put in their place when karma kicked their arse. 

After that hitch, I still found it hard to get a job because many didn't want a forty-two year old working for them. I was actually told by one employer that I was 'too qualified' for a job. What kind of bullshit excuse is that? Anyway, I soon became a volunteer on a local television show, where I began to fulfil my dream career as an editor and that also saw me go in front of the camera too. And to this day I'm still volunteering and enjoying working on that show. So thank you Dave for the opportunity! 

That show also spawned other work as a director (yes you read correctly, a television director) for LUTV, overseeing their home games being broadcasting to international audiences, something I thought would be daunting, but is a great job to do. 

Summer kind of flew by, as I began sorting out my future, planning a new business opportunity with a old friend. Some people finally got to see the true colours of one person, and I actually got to see a lot of my daughter, who this year started secondary school (fuck where have the past eleven years gone!?!).

I ended this year, working on a feature as a Digital Imaging Technician (a job which I found a bit boring to be honest) but the cast were great, some I got to know well and some of the production team were a decent bunch too. It was my first feature to work on as a crew member, however the only criticism I have go towards some people on set, who, I have to say need to remove their heads from one's arse. It was the old, if your face fits bollocks. 

I have always wanted to pursue a career in film or television and be given the opportunity to do so has been fantastic. However, some aspects of it have been ruined by those who think they're bloody royalty and egos need severely deflating. Even the actors were more down to earth than those people. Personally I can't stand people like that. Seriously, who the hell do you think you are? Sort yourself out and stop ruining the experience for others because of your arrogant attitude towards those you don't really know. If you don't like the look of someone then don't hire them - simple. I was also warned by others in the industry that this can be the case, but to experience it myself serious woke me up to the pricks who don't deserve the work.

Another gripe of 2017, which to be honest makes me laugh and shake my head is the amount of people I have on social media who think their bloody celebrities. Honestly peeps, get a reality check please. If you want fame, then work for it. Stop posing like a dildo thinking your somebody your not. Your attitudes towards others are shocking and stop with the bloody pouting! That happened two years ago, you look like you've just passed wind during a photograph. 

Speaking of being social, my social life has been minimum this year. Not because I'm old, but its been down to the lack of friends. Many parted company after the shit storm of 2014, however, a few kept in touch and one in particular 'Terry' you're the brother from another mother. Love you matey! I know we've not had the opportunity to return to your new hometown, but we will I promise.

Also, many "friends" (yes I used speech marks, how very 1990), stopped talking to me when I finally put my foot down on those who repeatedly took the piss out of my generous nature. I've always said, if you scratch my back, I will scratch yours. Sadly, many wanted their back scratching and gave nothing back in return. So when I started saying no to these people, they took the huff and jogged on. I seriously don't have time to selfish people like that in my life. 

Before I finish I've got this question to ask.

Why the hell is stupid arsehole still in power? When he was running for President we all thought it was a joke, expecting Hillary Clinton to be the first female President. But after rigging the election (yes he fucking did and the Russians admit it), he won. What the fuck!?! So during his first year at the White House, he has proven to be another Hitler in the making. Seriously! He's a vile racist who if not taken out of power soon will trigger a nuclear war. He's tearing apart everything other Presidents have taken years to achieve. Come on America, get this fucking nazi out of the White House and make America great again.

So, despite it being a mainly shit year, I hope 2018 is so much better for everyone I know, more so for my family as we can do with it. I've worked bloody hard to get the career and life I've longed for and I'm not letting any prick ruin that. You can keep your bullshit to yourself, because the only life its going to ruin is your own. 

A Year On. Has It Been Worth It?

Its been year since I finished my degree at University and the big question people have asked me over the year is, was it worth leaving your job for? Honestly, now I reflect on things, its not been easy for someone my age and to be honest I wouldn't recommend doing it. Its been a trying year for me emotionally and mentally that has left me feeling very angry.

Those who know me and the job I wasted seventeen years of my life in, knew I had to get out of there. Four years ago, there wasn't many jobs about in my region for someone with my qualifications and experience. If I wanted to pursue a career in the film and television industry, I was told that I needed a degree as my diploma wasn't worth the paper it was written on. So as mentioned in previous blogs, I decided to take that risk and went back to full time education.

My heart has always been set on a career in the entertainment industry as an actor, editor or camera operator. I've dabbled in writing as a hobby, but never thought about doing it as a profession, mainly because my literature skills are questionable thanks to an 80's education system who failed to help struggling students like myself and paid its full attention towards those 'bright' students.

We were deemed the countries rejects and the system treated us that way. There wasn't such a thing as ADHD or anything that like that when we were growing up. If you struggled in class, you labelled a trouble causer who didn't pay attention. But the truth was, we did listen, we did try, but the education system let us down. 
I remember a pupil in my English class asking why weren't learning about Shakespeare or other great types of literature. The teacher, Mr Hargreaves said 'We were too thick to understand such masterpieces'. So I actually spoke up and said 'Well your obviously crap at your job and failed us as a teacher if that's what you think of your pupils'. I was dragged out of my seat and frogged marched to the Deputy Head. 
(Yes, back then, teachers could batter you without the threat of prosecution. It was there right to do so, apparently). 

Anyway, the Deputy Head, Mr Morgan actually sided with me on this one, and I wasn't punished. Instead I was removed from that class and placed in another one, where I did learn about many things instead of copying poetry from text books. I actually began to thrive in certain aspects of English, however, I was still never taught the work of Shakespeare, Wordsworth or even Oscar Wilde.

So now you know why despite writing many scripts and stories, I've never pursued it as a career, mainly because I lack confidence in what I've wrote.

Over the years, I have tried and tried bloody hard to make something of a career in the industry. I've seen friends go for it and become quite successful which I was envious, but was really happy for them, that they got the career they've worked hard for. 
When I've tried to get some where, I was always knocked back or offered false promises of work that never came to fruition.

From 2009, I ended up grabbing the bull by its horns and stopped relying on those selfish pricks who had no interest in helping someone else if they weren't going to reap any benefit for themselves. I was being offered a few acting jobs, I managed to get voice-over work on 'The Dark Knight Rises' soundtrack and co-hosted murder mystery meals across the North-east. I was happy again, doing what I wanted to do, but if I wanted to find a solid career in this industry, I had to go back to University to bring my skillset up to date.

The next three years flew by. I ended up with a 2.1 BA degree and no job. That's right, unless I was willing to pack up my life in the North-east and drag my family half way down the country, there were no jobs to apply for in the industry. I was going to spend the next year, scraping by on the bits of work I could get, mainly the odd day of freelance work or works experience which paid nothing more than travel expenses. 

So not wanting to fall back into long term unemployment, which to be honest, drove me insane the last time I went without a job. I looked into launching my own company with the help of the Launchpad scheme set up by Teesside University. What a fucking waste of time that was!! I can honestly say to anyone around my age bracket, who has a family to support and is suggesting on doing this plan - DON'T!!! 

I was dangled a right dodgy carrot to get me on board and I was an idiot for thinking I could catch it. The only good thing about it, was that I was introduced to a great mentor, who sadly agrees with me on the way we've both been treated throughout the process.
I was promised funding that equated to six months pay, to help me during my start up process. Never got it! The same month I joined, the application form wasn't available and six months later, resurfaced with different rules on how applicants received this funding. I went for it and was told I didn't qualify. 

All the funding that was promised, never surfaced and was later scrapped after changes were made to the scheme. I was trying to start a business, which became very hard to do with broken promises. Not even key staff would answer your emails of enquires without a kick up the arse.

Now I feel like I've had my entire time wasted as I've been told that my privileges are being withdrawn and I'm no longer entitled to the mentoring I was promised at the start. What the fuck??? Why? Because of the whole system has yet again changed. You no longer get the opportunities originally offered to you. You now have to go on a workshop over a six week period, which at the end of it, you have to pitch for funding which your not guaranteed on getting. So you put in all that time and effort in for nothing. You come away with a little more knowledge on how to run your business and that's it! How can someone with my priorities do such as thing? I need a job or funding to help support my family while I try to make ends meet. Its all about tick the boxes and make ourselves look good bullshit!

The same can be said about some companies. Even though many will deny it, but agism is vast within employment. Many companies aren't interested in the experienced anymore. Its more about exploiting the young so they can be paid less and save the company money. I've applied for so many jobs over the past year, and I've only had two companies come back to me, either with an interview or to tell me I was unsuccessful getting to the interview stage. 

One company I applied to was a thriving production company here in the North-east. I ticked all the boxes for a job that was being offered, so I applied. I was refused an interview. Why? Because of my age! They'll deny it, but I actually spoke to someone on the interview board, who later saw my resume and openly admitted I was ideal for the job and it was likely that the manager, who is in his twenties, didn't want anyone older than him working for the company, hence why he withdrew my application. I even offered my freelance services via their website and have been told, thanks but no thanks.

Out of desperation and hoping a full-time job may come of it, I applied for a three month internship at the University in a job I was more than qualified to do and along with a colleague and former class mate, actually did a sterling job. However, that great experience ended badly, and is something I now whole heartedly regret accepting thanks to all the bullshit that occurred in the last two weeks, which I can't go into detail for legal reasons.

The only bit of positivity that's come of my career move, is that I have managed to get the odd bit of work experience, working for the BBC and Sky, but if I wanted to add to the experience to boost my resume, I've had to do a lot of voluntary work, which to be honest, I haven't minded doing because I enjoy doing the work and its been local so I've not been that much out of pocket. Its this type of work, which has landed me an editing job as well as television presenting on a local tv channel. Yeah it still doesn't help pay the bills, but its my foot in the door and I've got there because of my own persistence and fucking off those who have wasted my time. 

So overall, all I can say is that, yeah I do mainly regret going back into full-time education, especially in the industry I want to pursue a career in. As I've said I've got a lot of the work myself, but if your aged around thirty and over, thinking about a move back into full-time education, have a bloody good look into whether or not its going to be worth it, especially if you've got a family to support. Unless your in an ideal situation to move your family to London, then don't do it! Its been hell! Too many false promises and being shit on from a great height. 

Life Moves Pretty Fast!

Three years ago I made the bold step and quit my job of seventeen years to pursue a career in the film and television industry, but to do this, my diploma which I gained twenty-three years ago, was no longer a suitable  qualification, therefore I had to look at returning to full-time education to get a degree, so I was eligible again to apply for jobs within the industry. 

To be honest it wasn't the hardest decision to make as I was at breaking point with my job, but my main concern was paying the bills that needed to be paid. After looking into the financial support I could receive for returning to full-time education as a mature student, I applied and got into all my university choices, and opted to go to Teesside University in Middlesbrough.

The course duration was three years, even though I was given the opportunity to attend for only two years thanks to my professional background. I opted to start from the beginning to refresh my skills, bringing me up to date the digital revolution. 

To say I was anxious to start full-time education was an understatement. I was a 38 year old, newly married man with two kids, about to mingle with people half my age, who were fresh out of college, and one of the thoughts that was going through my head was 'Am I going to fit in?' 

The answer was yes! From day one, my classmates overlooked the twenty year age gap, especially as I wasn't the only one in their 30's on that course, which relaxed me further. Everyone was friendly and we all began to build on some great friendships. 

Over the next three years, I began to improve on my skills, something my job or should I say my bosses held me back on. I got to work with industry standard equipment, had plenty of work experience and got to work as a freelancer on a few short films and other projects, which have boosted my resume, giving me a better shot at progressing my career within the film and television industry.

When I started University, I was still unsure on what career path to take, as I had been working as an actor, voice-over artist, editor and camera operator for the past twenty-years. I got to work along side some great people, who became good friends, and it was these friends who also gave me the kick up the arse, telling me to get my degree and pursue my career as I was wasted in my job. 

Thankfully, these friends knew what they were talking about, especially as they've now got thriving careers in both television and film industry as editors and as actors. After a nice lengthy talk with one of the lecturers, it finally became clear which role I should pursue as a career - editing. I had dabbled in editing over the past couple of years, some of my work had already been aired on television on 'Road Wars' which aired on Sky 1, and on local news segments. But when I put things into perspective, the two roles I enjoyed doing were acting and editing, mainly because of the challenges each role could offer, and those who know me, know I enjoy a bloody good challenge. 

So believing three years was a long time to get myself together and build my path as an editor, I'm now sat here writing this and thinking 'Where the hell as the past three years gone?'. I feel like I've not accomplished anything, but looking back at my filmography, I've done a hell of a lot, more so in the past three years than I've done over the past twenty years. However, as graduation looms, I am shitting bricks at the thought of not getting a job, especially as the financial support has come to an end, and over the past three years, I've found it very difficult to get a part-time job of some kind as most companies have been looking at younger employees instead of people my age, as they believe they are more management material. Which in a way is true, but in my eyes its more age discrimination, and it seems to me that experience means nothing these days.

In hindsight of my little rant, over the past three years University has not only introduced me to some great people and professionals within the industry, but to some good friends. 

I've re-established my friendship with James (left), who I've known since I was 18, and we'd lost touch when our lives took us on different paths. James contacted me on Facebook, saying he too was ditching his job and pursuing another career to which brought him back to full-time education at Teesside University, and over the past couple of months, we've had a bloody good catch up and even joined forces on the radio, where we got to present our show 'Wednesday Weekender', which sadly comes to an end next week. 

As for my other friends I've made over the past three years, all I can say is that you have been a great bunch of talented people, whom I am going to miss chatting with over a coffee, in the pub, on our lunch breaks or when we've been working on productions together. Its weird how quickly you can take things for granted, but you know after graduation, we'll probably never see each other together like this again, unless its at our twenty year reunion, to which I'll be sixty year old pensioner, and hopefully many of us will have got our dream jobs and be either too busy to meet up or living in another country.

My gran wasn't kidding when she told me that life passes you by the minute you leave school, and this was also reflected in one of my favourite films 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', when Matthew Broderick says "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". Life does throw a lot of shit in your direction, nobody comes up smelling of roses, life is hard and before you know it twenty years has passed, never mind three. So on that note all I can say is, don't take anything for granted, live life to the max with few regrets, stay safe and good luck to everyone in their careers, whatever path you may choose to walk on. Its been an absolute pleasure knowing you all and I hope our paths will cross again sooner, rather than later. 

Good luck everyone! 

What Is The World Coming To?

Can all the idiots out in the world who believe this propaganda shit that has been printed in the world's press, give your heads a shake and wake up! Not since the Nazis launched their terrorist attacks on Poland have I known so much racial hatred echoing around the world. I've sat back over this past year, reading the racial hatred that's been printed in the press to get everyone to pretty much hate and not trust anyone since 9/11. 

Most acts of terrorism has spawned from the propaganda they've either been told or read in papers and from our Governments interfering in their countries politics. So these individuals have gone a bloody rampage, killing those who don't share their views. But Governments are far from innocent in all this, as they've provoked the propaganda by censoring the truth that's out there. North Korea - Hello! Hell, even the Chinese have started with all this freedom of speech shit! I know a few Chinese people, who have visited this country and they're great, friendly people, who have had their eyes opened to the lies their Government have told them to believe is true. The same goes for the Muslim people, who, thanks to the bullshit you read in the papers to stir paranoia and racial hatred, are living in fear because of what people think of them thanks to terrorists, who are going against all their beliefs and killing people in their campaign to rid the world of non-followers of Islam. 

You've all probably seen images like those to the right, which shows hatred towards those who slander the Islamic faith. But what the press don't show you, are the true followers of Islam, protesting against people like this. Beheading, extermination and threats of a 'real holocaust' are not the views of Islam. In fact, Islam shares the same views of all true religions, in that they want peace and love for all mankind. Hundreds of Muslims proved this by marching in London earlier this month, showing their disgust at how terrorists are tainting their beloved religion. However, many of us didn't see this, as the media decided not to show it, proving that they rather you see propaganda hatred for this race, to help the Government's support to bomb Syria and other countries where these terrorists live. 

Copyright - Mirror Online

I'm sickened to see many being turned against those they truly don't know, thanks to Government lies and censorship in the media. Many people in the middle-east are brought up hating the west, and you know what? I don't blame them after what our Governments have done. Not the people of the west, but the Governments. Tony Blair and George W. Bush made us believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, telling us they were a major threat to the west and we needed to reign a war on terror. We were fed so much bullshit about this campaign, that both Governments believed they had the backing of their people and went on a bombing campaign, that killed thousands of innocent people. So, after years of bombing Iraq, did they find weapons of mass destruction? No. What we later found out, was that our Governments didn't like the attitude of Saddam Hussain and took him out of power. Yes, he wasn't the great leader that his people were made to believe, he did do questionable things which is frowned upon by many, but did we have a right to step in and take control? No. The same could be said against the uprising in Libya. 

Another reason why we went into these countries was oil. Its probably the main reason why the western Governments show so much interest in the middle-east as they don't want oil supplies to be disturbed, as if something happens, then millions of dollars would be lost. It also shows why nothing has been done about other countries leaders like in North Korea and Africa. The people of those countries are suffering because of their leaders selfishness and greed, but nothing is done because there is nothing of interest for our Governments to protect. 

So what has come of this reign on terror? Well, terrorism of course. All its done is create more hatred for the western world, so more groups have got together, established more terrorist cells and now, because of their tight laws being extinguished thanks to our meddling into how their countries are run. These idiots are now running amok killing those who don't believe in their cult ways and the only one's to blame for this uprising are our Governments. Job well done folks.

Photo: SWNS

Thanks to what happened in Paris in November this year, paranoia over the Muslim population is though the roof. On the 15th of December, Mohammad Tariq Mahmood and his family were refused authorisation to travel to the U.S., on a family trip to Disneyland, by officials from Homeland Security, who didn't tell them why they couldn't travel. Was it because they were Muslim, Homeland? Yeah probably, and its stories like this that pisses me off, which sees innocent people like Mr Mahmood and his family become victims of racial propaganda and paranoia, thanks to terrorism. 

So instead of giving these terrorists the publicity and fuelling racial hatred, which is what they want, because it just supports their bullshit more about how the west hates Islam. Show the people and believers of Islam that we, the people are not supporting the views of the few. That we can live in peace and as one, as it states in the bible and the Quran.

Peace :) 

Is Online Television The Way Forward?

Since the launch of television in the 1930's, broadcasting has come a long way in the past eighty years. From the UK going from four channels (BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV and Channel 4) in the eighties, to now having over a hundred channels available via satellite, cable and with over seventy channels on standard digital television. But what does the future hold for television as we know it? Well with internet speeds going from a crappy 28k dial-up to over 50mb broadband, we're seeing more online streaming services surfacing such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, which are beginning to dominate our television screens. Even Sky have jumped on the online bandwagon by launching Now TV, offering a handful of its entertainment channels such as Sky 1 and Fox, along with their movie and sports channels as a cheaper alternative to cable and satellite, which you receive by buying a rebranded Roku box for £9.99, or via their Now TV app available on Smart TV's, Pads and now mobile phones. With various alternatives to watch online TV and on-demand services being readily and cheaply available, could this spell the end for television as we know it?

Picture: BBC

Last year, the BBC announced that it was to close BBC Three and make it available online only due to cutting financial costs. This caused a bit of a stir amongst its loyal viewers, especially as this has grown to be a popular channel since its launch in 2003. However, since its announcement, they've been unable to secure the rights to shows such as Family Guy and American Dad, because of security issues with the BBC iPlayer, therefore the BBC had to move most of its popular programmes to their other channels BBC 1 and 2, losing some of its popular US imports like Family Guy to ITV. 

So what are the benefits of online broadcasting? Well, it can be a cheap alternative I suppose. There's no expensive broadcasting equipment required other than a decent streaming server and a reliable broadband connection. There's also alternative apps available which allow you to watch HD quality channels from the US and around the world without the need of satellite equipment being installed. Another benefit, especially to UK audiences is that on-demand television allows you to watch what you want, when you want, dismissing the watershed which is imposed on UK television stations so you can't watch anything other than PG rated material before 9pm. So unless you've got Sky or Now TV, who's movie channels are no longer required to operate under the watershed regulations because they use the pin protection software on its boxes. British television can be quite limited during the day with constant edited movies and crappy daytime programming, unlike our european neighbours who can watch programmes and movies like The Deer Hunter uncut in the afternoon on free television. Yeah, television should still be monitored so you don't get propaganda and sick images on our screens, but viewers should be given the freedom to make their own decisions on what they want to watch, like they do in most european countries. However in the UK, our government and OFCOM won't allow it, and we're still being told these are the programmes you're offered and that's it until 9pm, then you can watch what you want. Which coming from an adults perspective, takes the piss really as it shows these people don't trust you in being a responsible adult, especially if you've got kids. They're excuse is that the watershed is there to protect viewers from seeing inappropriate material. Hang on, we've got the internet, which at a click of a mouse, can give you hardcore pornography, more graphic than what is allowed on UK porn channels. There's also You Tube and Live Leak, which allow its viewers, again with a simple click can access thousands of graphic content videos. Yet in the UK, you're not trusted to either turn over the channel or turn off the television if something offends you or isn't appropriate to children. The main culprit is bad language in films and programmes. The UK was quite strict with this especially after the watershed, but in the last twenty years, broadcasters have become more relaxed, where we can watch a film or television programme uncut after 9pm which can contain strong language. More recently, milder language such as 'piss' and 'arse' is now heard in daytime television, mainly in US programmes, but words such as 'shit' and 'bastard' are still censored until after 7pm on some channels, despite OFCOM actually giving the broadcasters the choice to allow PG rated mild language to be broadcast before the 9pm watershed, but they still opt not to do so. 

Picture: Wired.com

So, from all that, online television could be an advantage in that it will give viewers more freedom to watch what they want, as the technology will be there to allow all broadcasters to use a pin protection system which Sky and Virgin Media are currently using. 

But before I go in to the advantages of online television, let's first look at the disadvantages. The first being the UK needs a stable broadband connection. At present, a good percentage of the country still can't receive broadband, and unless you're willing to pay a fortune to receive broadband via a satellite or if you're lucky enough to be in a 3G/4G signal area, you're still receiving the internet via dial up speeds. For some reason, Wii-Max hasn't taken off in the UK which would really help rural areas out and give customers high broadband speeds without the need to dig up your driveway for fibre optic cables to be installed, along with a £150 bill for the work. So for the BBC to say, that they're placing one of its channels online only, and the fact some folk are still unable to subscribe or receive on-demand television because of their poor internet connection is a further kick in the teeth for them. Plus, buffering is a major issue for some in busy broadband areas, because they're not receiving the speeds they pay for because of busy networks. So what is the use watching a channel, which keeps buffering every minute or so, because your internet is struggling. Another issue would be programming content as receiving online channels from other countries is easily done, because VPN can override geo-blocking which a lot of networks use to stop people from outside the UK or US receiving subscription or exclusive channels. So unless you can guarantee the copyright holders to a film or programme that your online channel can only be received by the country its intended for, then you've got no chance of bringing quality programming to your viewers unless you're making high quality material yourself. Finally, you can't record from online television unless you buy the expensive kit that will allow you to do so. But if you manage to pay for that, you're going back to the old VHS days, where you can only record and watch one channel. So until TiVo technology comes out for online television, or the channels place everything they show on a catch up basis, you're more likely to miss your favourite show. Finally, could online television lead to more people watching on-demand television over live television? Its possible as a good percentage of UK viewers are watching a lot of on-demand television these days. So unless broadcasters look at how on-demand television can keep them going financially, live TV could become a thing of the past as I've said previously in this thread, people would rather watch what they want, when they want. 

Picture: VHS Recorder from 1982

What about the advantages then? Well I mentioned earlier that it could open the door on television schedules being improved, especially in the UK where the watershed dominates what we can watch during the day, unless you've got the Sky Movie Channels, Amazon Prime or Netflix. It could also be used to reduce piracy by opening the geo-blockade and allow US channels and their on-demand counterparts to be made available in other countries allowing for programmes such as Game of Thrones to be shown at the same time everywhere, which could possibly reduce downloads by those who are having to wait a long time to see these programmes. Okay, this could have financial implications on the production companies or networks who rely on their rights being snapped up by foreign broadcasters, but would it really be a massive dent in their finances? Well, let's say if the US version of HBO was made available to the UK, via subscription, then they would see an increase in subscribers. Also, broadcasters such as Sky Atlantic, who like to model themselves on being the UK version of HBO, would still be able to purchase the rights to programmes like Game of Thrones, as people would use them as a second chance to catch their favourite HBO programmes. This would be the same for other channels who have purchased the rights to broadcast US imports on UK television, its actually a win-win situation. Reduce piracy, gain more subscribers! It could also help shows that are lacking in viewers and could avoid them in being cancelled after one or two seasons. If a programme doesn't do well in America, then its canned. The US networks don't care about whether or not its doing great anywhere else, but again, if their channel is freely available elsewhere, this could boost the survival of a programme as it would gain more viewers. As for scheduling, this isn't a problem. Yes there's a five to seven hour time difference between the UK and US, but if recording facilities were available for online television, then this wouldn't be a problem, unless your a die-hard fan then you'll stay up and watch the damn thing.

One more advantage would be that it could open the door to provider competition. At present in the UK, you've got Sky dominating the market, with Virgin a second best for subscription channels, with Netflix closing in on them, but other than that, its Freeview or Freesat for those not wanting subscription television. However, on Freeview HD, online television has begun to surface, with several choices from the likes of VuTV offering subscription channels such as Comedy Central and Cartoon Network via broadband if you're box or Smart TV is compatible. So what's not stopping new providers bringing out their own online boxes, offering a range of channels from around the world? Unless Sky fully jump on the online bandwagon, this could be a game changer for television viewers, being offered alternative channels without the need of a satellite dish or a cable box being installed.

Summing up then, if broadcasters actually took time out at looking into the possibilities of online television and the doors that it could open, not just for them, but to advertisers, sponsors and increase their subscription revenues. Online television in my opinion is certainly the way forward.