This is a theme that seems to be bugging me at the moment. Whether it is a computer game, some software, a mobile phone or anything electrical, all I can see are the constraints which dictate the usability of the product. For example with mobile phones, they are pretty much designed to start breaking down after a year of use. Computer games are ( Read more... )

I walk past the shop and a newspaper headline (The Independent) catches my eye; “AMNESTY V CATHOLIC CHURCH” The issue is abortion for women who have been raped. Surprise, surprise the Catholic church still believes that even in areas of third world conflict where rape is routinely used as a form of warfare (perhaps it should be called tribal ( Read more... )

There is this great article on the Guardian Online today - http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,2128104,00.html (Also copied below for record ( Read more... )

The co-irkers in the office were having a laugh about the story of a school in Livingston, Scotland which left its lights on every night in case they got sued by any burglars or vandals who would injure themselves in the dark. The mind does boggle at the sheer wussiness of this approach. But then I can only assume that my anti burglary plan, which ( Read more... )

I am glad to see I am not the only one disgusted by the media frenzy currently going on with the disappearance of this little girl. Simon Jenkins, The Guardian commentator, says it very well in this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,, ( Read more... )

Eeek, I have suddenly realised that I am sleep walking into a moral dilemma. The problem is that I need a new pair of trainers to use at the gym and for going running. Not exactly a real problem, except for the fact that it involves giving money to a nasty exploit the third world sort of company. In short, going to a high street shop that cater for ( Read more... )

Warning, this is likely to be a rather bleak and serious post. If you are not in the mood for this, then don’t read it. Disclaimer: Not based on concrete information, any conclusions or scenarios I present are at this stage, speculative ( Read more... )

Now this looks like an interesting book to read (BBC Online article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6569579.stm) To sum up, it is a memoir written by a Pakistani whose parents emigrated to the UK post war. In his book he is very much dealing with what it was and is ( Read more... )

Ok so she is a pretty young thing that went out with a prince. Let us assume (truthfully or otherwise I don’t really know) that she had a genuine attraction for Prince William and not just because he is a famous person. We can also easily assume that she absolutely hated the press attention/intimidation ( Read more... )

There is an amusing discussion going on with a forum I am a member of. The thread started off about someone moving house and has been hijacked onto the issue of whether there is any point to living an environmentally friendly lifestyle, recycling, using energy efficient light bulbs and so on ( Read more... )