So this week, my car was keyed.
If you have ever experienced this, you will know the feeling. A deep, pulsating rage that fills your body. Someone has damaged your hard earned property, and you want nothing but pure, violent revenge.
There are many things that make me incandescent with rage, I am quite a hot headed person, but people damaging my property ranks close to the top of the list.
I have a fair idea of the sort of neanderthal that did this to my car. A knuckle dragging dole-dosser, someone who spends their days reading The Sun, while drinking Stella on the doorstep of their council house. Someone who thinks that a trip to McDonalds is exciting and struggles to grasp the tricky concept of jeans. Someone who tucks their £6 tracksuit trousers into their white socks and would consider Jade Goody an intelligent, and insightful person. Not that they could spell insightful, or know what it means because they didn't go to school, and have an IQ south of 70.
As you can tell, I thoroughly despise these people. Someone who is cowardly enough to key someones car instead of strapping on a pair of balls and coming and talking to my face angers me greatly.
I'm in no doubt it is born out of jealousy. Jealousy that I have been fortunate enough to own more than 4 brain cells and have used them to get something called "a job" which earns some money. That I have enough to own and run a car, and they don't. That I speak properly, using grammar, and not slang. That I can buy shoes that aren't trainers, and own such things as a shirt, and aftershave.
It's alright though, because I have a plan for these most cowardly and spineless of nobodies.
Anyone caught vandalising someone else's property is arrested and brought to my house. There, at the back I will construct an amphitheatre of justice.
It's based of the children's game "Hungry Hungry Hippos". The culprits will be placed in the centre of the ring, and 4 very angry, genetically engineered super Hippos will be on chains around the ring.
These super hippos, or "Hippos of Death" will be bred for one purpose: eating people. Lots of people.
They will be let loose at the convicted, and with the people whose property they have vandalised watching from the stands, the Hippos of Death will tear them limb from limb. Any who manage to survive this, will have their heads cubed and their bodies minced through a piece of agricultural machinery of my choice.
Think of Saw, but with Hippos as scary as Godzilla on his period thrown in.
This will deal brilliantly with those that felt the need to vandalise peoples cars, it will serve as a deterrent for any would be vandals in the future and would be fantastic entertainment. We could screen it on ITV, get Arnold Schwarzenegger to host it, it would be brilliant!
Anyone who thinks this is too harsh on these vandals, clearly hasn't ever had their car keyed.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Hey there, can I talk to you about God?
You're walking down the high street, and a friendly, elderly gentleman plods up to you and asks you if he can speak to you about his religion. This is a fairly non-offensive act, but what it represents is far from it.
He will talk to you about his god, about his holy book and about how you should believe in them to "save" your soul from eternal damnation.
Starting to sound a little more sinister, talking of perishing in a never ending hell fire, weather in a literal, or metaphoric sense. But we are still not to the nub of my irritation and the horrible undertones that it carries.
He will ramble on, reading passages and personal tales, trying to convince you to change what you believe. And there it is. Like a giant, flashing buzzer going off above his head. He wants you to take everything you know, throw it out and replace it with his version, without a moments thought.
No. No no no no no no, a thousand times, no. Give up free thinking, give up rational thought, give up your brain and become slaves to a dogmatic fairytale book without a question. No. I don't claim to be all knowing, and I have my condescending moments in debates, but I do not actively seek out religious people to badger them into changing what they believe. If they come up to me, i will present a very strong, concise argument as to why they are wrong, but I wouldn't walk into a church and start reading him physics books to show him now Noah's ark is a load of tosh.
So why do people find it acceptable when it happens the other way round? If I walked down the street giving out swastika's, i would get abuse. But someone gives out crosses and its no big deal, endearing even. Despite the fact that the bible is full of as much hatred, racism, homophobia, sexism, murder, rape and the like as the Nazi party is despised for.
If I were to walk around preaching about anarchy, people would frown upon it, but preach about hell, and everything is fine.
I do not like people pushing religion onto me. I imagine most are the same. If people want to believe in something, fine, but don't go around pushing it on people. If they wanted to believe in it, they would seek it out. Especially when what you are pushing is inconsistent fairy tales, spun out over thousands of years and believed as hard facts. If people were preaching say, particle physics in the street, at least they would be getting some education out of it. Instead, they preach on about "Gods word", about how he will save you from a place you cant see, if you declare your love for him, who you cant see, and rescue your soul, which you cant see. Wow, really winning me over there.
Ahh, people will say, but religion isn't about thinking, its about belief. Yes, your right there. There is no place in religion for rational thought, because you could uncover massive holes in it, which a sane person would see as a flaw. Christians brush this off as "the mysteries of Gods work". No, its not a mystery, its just bollocks.
They are directly asking you to not think, not to question, not to query. I cannot do that, and despise anyone who wants me to adopt this backwards idea. How can you not think? How can you believe in something, without a shred of proof? I once put this to a preacher and he told me, ironically, that they want all their Christians to think about what they are reading. The laughable point of that is, if Christians thought about it, there wouldn't be any Christians.
"If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people" - House
He will talk to you about his god, about his holy book and about how you should believe in them to "save" your soul from eternal damnation.
Starting to sound a little more sinister, talking of perishing in a never ending hell fire, weather in a literal, or metaphoric sense. But we are still not to the nub of my irritation and the horrible undertones that it carries.
He will ramble on, reading passages and personal tales, trying to convince you to change what you believe. And there it is. Like a giant, flashing buzzer going off above his head. He wants you to take everything you know, throw it out and replace it with his version, without a moments thought.
No. No no no no no no, a thousand times, no. Give up free thinking, give up rational thought, give up your brain and become slaves to a dogmatic fairytale book without a question. No. I don't claim to be all knowing, and I have my condescending moments in debates, but I do not actively seek out religious people to badger them into changing what they believe. If they come up to me, i will present a very strong, concise argument as to why they are wrong, but I wouldn't walk into a church and start reading him physics books to show him now Noah's ark is a load of tosh.
So why do people find it acceptable when it happens the other way round? If I walked down the street giving out swastika's, i would get abuse. But someone gives out crosses and its no big deal, endearing even. Despite the fact that the bible is full of as much hatred, racism, homophobia, sexism, murder, rape and the like as the Nazi party is despised for.
If I were to walk around preaching about anarchy, people would frown upon it, but preach about hell, and everything is fine.
I do not like people pushing religion onto me. I imagine most are the same. If people want to believe in something, fine, but don't go around pushing it on people. If they wanted to believe in it, they would seek it out. Especially when what you are pushing is inconsistent fairy tales, spun out over thousands of years and believed as hard facts. If people were preaching say, particle physics in the street, at least they would be getting some education out of it. Instead, they preach on about "Gods word", about how he will save you from a place you cant see, if you declare your love for him, who you cant see, and rescue your soul, which you cant see. Wow, really winning me over there.
Ahh, people will say, but religion isn't about thinking, its about belief. Yes, your right there. There is no place in religion for rational thought, because you could uncover massive holes in it, which a sane person would see as a flaw. Christians brush this off as "the mysteries of Gods work". No, its not a mystery, its just bollocks.
They are directly asking you to not think, not to question, not to query. I cannot do that, and despise anyone who wants me to adopt this backwards idea. How can you not think? How can you believe in something, without a shred of proof? I once put this to a preacher and he told me, ironically, that they want all their Christians to think about what they are reading. The laughable point of that is, if Christians thought about it, there wouldn't be any Christians.
"If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people" - House
Monday, 11 April 2011
96
The 15th of April 1989 began like most FA Cup semi-final's. Fans making the trip to the stadium, laughing and joking about the game, singing songs and speculating about the line up. But this semi-final would turn out to be very different.
It all started so brightly, sun shining, people laughing, enjoying a friendly drink before heading to the Hillsborough stadium to watch the match. Liverpool v Nottingham Forest. It promised to be a fantastic match.
This all went downhill very quickly. Outside the ground, because of the number of Liverpool fans trying to get into the stadium, it was already getting very overcrowded. Already, it was a very dangerous matter which needed dealing with by the police.
They decided, (but would later lie about) to open a gate to allow the fans straight into the stadium. The infamous "Gate C". This would turn out to be the single worst decision ever made by the policeman in charge that day. David Duckenfield.
Through these massive failings in the police and a total breakdown in the management of the Liverpool fans, more and more supporters were let into the Leppings Lane end of the Hillsborough stadium. There were no officers directing the fans to anywhere, so the fans went straight into the middle pens, which were becoming fuller and fuller.
Because of the football hooliganism that was common in Britain at the time, the front of the pens were surrounded by fencing to stop would be hooligans from getting onto the pitch, or fighting with other fans.
As hundreds of Liverpool fans were allowed into the already overcrowded pens, they began to squash together, pushing those in front of them further forward towards the fence. Those at the front, were being crushed.
As the game began at 3:00, it was clear to the Liverpool fans in the pens that this was getting very dangerous. They tried in vain to attract the attention of the police, but they did nothing.
At 3:06 the referee called a halt to the game as Liverpool fans climbed over the fence and were helped up onto the stand above them to escape the crush. Some even managed to break through the metal fence to get out.
People died standing up. They were so compacted in the crush that they couldn't breathe. Men, women and children were tragically crushed to death.
Those lucky enough to escape the pens were soon on the pitch, fighting for breath.
At this point Police were still trying to stop the Liverpool fans getting any further on the pitch. They set up a cordon halfway down the pitch to stop the fans. Liverpool fans tried desperately to carry their injured friends to the ambulances outside the stadium. Some fans were even pushed back into the pens as they tried to escape, the police were so preoccupied with crowd control, they failed to see that people were dying. They were so worried about "crowd control" they didnt care about "crowd safety".
Liverpool fans tried to save those that had been crushed. They carried stricken fans on advertising boards, they did CPR, desperately trying to save peoples lives. They pleaded with the police to break from their cordon and help them but most were trying to stop them from getting to the Nottingham Forest supporters and did nothing. They stood and watched people die.
Only one ambulance managed to get into the stadium. the Police, along with the poor layout of the stadium, stopped the other 44 from entering.
95 people lost their lives that day. Friends, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers. Some as young as 10 were tragically crushed to death. Only 14 of those ever got to hospital. In 1993 the deathtoll had reached 96 as Tony Bland, aged just 22 passed away in hospital.
What a tragic loss of life. 96 people went to watch a football match, never came home.
Ill always remember a story i read several years back. John Aldridge ( a player for Liverpool at the time) went to the hospital to visit a young fan who was there after the crush. He was sadly in a coma, but John leant down to him and said "When you wake up, and you get better, we are going to get you tickets to Anfield and show you all round the place, anything you want". He paid his respects to the family and wished them well.
As he was leaving, he asked the doctor when they thought he would be better. The doctor replied "Im afraid we are switching off his life support machine today". John broke down in tears later that day.
Such a devastating story, but only one of hundreds from that awful day. Each one a story of tragedy, loss and negligence.
Kenny Dalglish made sure that someone representing Liverpool football club was present at each of the 96 funerals, he himself attended many, sometimes multiple ones in the same day. It really hurt Dalglish, so much so that in 1991, he resigned from his post as manager of Liverpool.
The biggest tragedy in British footballing history happened on that fateful Aprils afternoon. But what happened afterwards was almost as shocking as the policing failures that led to it.
The following Wednesday, The Sun newspaper, under the ownership of Rupert Murdoch, and edited by Kelvin Mackenzie, published their paper with the headline "THE TRUTH", followed by three sub headlines of "Some fans picked pockets of victims", "Some fans urinated on the brave cops" and "Some fans beat up PC giving kiss of life".
These disgusting, malicious, slanderous accusations were published as "truth" by the Sun across Britain.
Not even a week since 95 innocent people lost their lives and a tabloid newspaper falsely throws out purposely fabricated lies in order to smear the people and fans of Liverpool.
It's disgusting. To make a mistake in reporting is understandable, but to deliberately lie about the death of 95 people for no other reason than to degrade the people of Liverpool is unforgivable.
This sparked outrage across Merseyside. People all across the city boycotted the newspaper and newsagents refused to stock it. Angry Liverpudlians burned copies of the paper in the street. This boycott still rages today in Liverpool, and to a lesser extent across the country.
Kelvin Mackenzie has never fully apologised for his story. He said: "I was not sorry then and I'm not sorry now" for the paper's coverage. Disgraceful.
This is a man who lied about football fans abusing the dead, a man who slandered a group of supporters who had tried in vain to save the lives of their fellow brothers and sisters. Who used the biggest footballing tragedy in britain to sell some extra newspapers. Words cannot describe how disgusting, how soulless this man is.
As if the loss of 96 innocent people and the lies and slander of a national newspaper wasn't enough for the people of Liverpool, there was more set to come.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Lord Justice Taylor was appointed to carry out an inquest into what happened on that day. His interim report said that a failure of police control was what had caused the crush in the central pens.
The disaster happened because most of the fans entering the terraces headed for the central pens 3 and 4 as directed by the large notice pointing them that way above the tunnel. Normally a police officer or steward would direct fans away from full pens, but on that day this did not happen. There were no stewards in that area at all.
Those officers responsible for organising the police operation that day, David Duckenfield and Bernard Murray, were never brought to justice. Several officers were also accused of manipulating evidence and attempting to cover up police failings.
No one has ever been held accountable for the deaths of those 96 Liverpool fans. The brave families still fight on for Justice. it's been 22 long years but their resolve has never been stronger. they struggle through the unfair and often corrupt legal system to try and bring those responsible to be held accountable for their actions that led to the disaster.
Such is the scale of the disaster, there is literally too much for me to comment fully on, the awful way the bereaved families were treated, the inadequacy and cover ups of the police force, the prejudice of the courts and media and the heartbreaking stories of the families. So I would like to direct you to the excellent website: http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/history/buildup1.shtm
It has the full story of the Hillsborough disaster, it is an excellently put together history of it and I implore you to take a read through it.
This Friday, the 15/4/2011, marks the 22nd anniversary of the disaster. 22 years on since 96 people needlessly died. 22 years without justice.
On Friday I will be stood on the Kop at Anfield, but I won't be cheering on my beloved Liverpool football team. I will be stood alongside 10,000 fellow reds as we mourn the loss of our 96 brothers and show our support to the families still seeking justice.
Please, even if you aren't a football supporter, take a moment out of your day on the 15th to think about the tragic loss of 96 men, women and children. The 96 reds that never came home.
"Justice for the 96."
It all started so brightly, sun shining, people laughing, enjoying a friendly drink before heading to the Hillsborough stadium to watch the match. Liverpool v Nottingham Forest. It promised to be a fantastic match.
This all went downhill very quickly. Outside the ground, because of the number of Liverpool fans trying to get into the stadium, it was already getting very overcrowded. Already, it was a very dangerous matter which needed dealing with by the police.
They decided, (but would later lie about) to open a gate to allow the fans straight into the stadium. The infamous "Gate C". This would turn out to be the single worst decision ever made by the policeman in charge that day. David Duckenfield.
Through these massive failings in the police and a total breakdown in the management of the Liverpool fans, more and more supporters were let into the Leppings Lane end of the Hillsborough stadium. There were no officers directing the fans to anywhere, so the fans went straight into the middle pens, which were becoming fuller and fuller.
Because of the football hooliganism that was common in Britain at the time, the front of the pens were surrounded by fencing to stop would be hooligans from getting onto the pitch, or fighting with other fans.
As hundreds of Liverpool fans were allowed into the already overcrowded pens, they began to squash together, pushing those in front of them further forward towards the fence. Those at the front, were being crushed.
As the game began at 3:00, it was clear to the Liverpool fans in the pens that this was getting very dangerous. They tried in vain to attract the attention of the police, but they did nothing.
At 3:06 the referee called a halt to the game as Liverpool fans climbed over the fence and were helped up onto the stand above them to escape the crush. Some even managed to break through the metal fence to get out.
People died standing up. They were so compacted in the crush that they couldn't breathe. Men, women and children were tragically crushed to death.
Those lucky enough to escape the pens were soon on the pitch, fighting for breath.
At this point Police were still trying to stop the Liverpool fans getting any further on the pitch. They set up a cordon halfway down the pitch to stop the fans. Liverpool fans tried desperately to carry their injured friends to the ambulances outside the stadium. Some fans were even pushed back into the pens as they tried to escape, the police were so preoccupied with crowd control, they failed to see that people were dying. They were so worried about "crowd control" they didnt care about "crowd safety".
Liverpool fans tried to save those that had been crushed. They carried stricken fans on advertising boards, they did CPR, desperately trying to save peoples lives. They pleaded with the police to break from their cordon and help them but most were trying to stop them from getting to the Nottingham Forest supporters and did nothing. They stood and watched people die.
Only one ambulance managed to get into the stadium. the Police, along with the poor layout of the stadium, stopped the other 44 from entering.
95 people lost their lives that day. Friends, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers. Some as young as 10 were tragically crushed to death. Only 14 of those ever got to hospital. In 1993 the deathtoll had reached 96 as Tony Bland, aged just 22 passed away in hospital.
What a tragic loss of life. 96 people went to watch a football match, never came home.
Ill always remember a story i read several years back. John Aldridge ( a player for Liverpool at the time) went to the hospital to visit a young fan who was there after the crush. He was sadly in a coma, but John leant down to him and said "When you wake up, and you get better, we are going to get you tickets to Anfield and show you all round the place, anything you want". He paid his respects to the family and wished them well.
As he was leaving, he asked the doctor when they thought he would be better. The doctor replied "Im afraid we are switching off his life support machine today". John broke down in tears later that day.
Such a devastating story, but only one of hundreds from that awful day. Each one a story of tragedy, loss and negligence.
Kenny Dalglish made sure that someone representing Liverpool football club was present at each of the 96 funerals, he himself attended many, sometimes multiple ones in the same day. It really hurt Dalglish, so much so that in 1991, he resigned from his post as manager of Liverpool.
The biggest tragedy in British footballing history happened on that fateful Aprils afternoon. But what happened afterwards was almost as shocking as the policing failures that led to it.
The following Wednesday, The Sun newspaper, under the ownership of Rupert Murdoch, and edited by Kelvin Mackenzie, published their paper with the headline "THE TRUTH", followed by three sub headlines of "Some fans picked pockets of victims", "Some fans urinated on the brave cops" and "Some fans beat up PC giving kiss of life".
These disgusting, malicious, slanderous accusations were published as "truth" by the Sun across Britain.
Not even a week since 95 innocent people lost their lives and a tabloid newspaper falsely throws out purposely fabricated lies in order to smear the people and fans of Liverpool.
It's disgusting. To make a mistake in reporting is understandable, but to deliberately lie about the death of 95 people for no other reason than to degrade the people of Liverpool is unforgivable.
This sparked outrage across Merseyside. People all across the city boycotted the newspaper and newsagents refused to stock it. Angry Liverpudlians burned copies of the paper in the street. This boycott still rages today in Liverpool, and to a lesser extent across the country.
Kelvin Mackenzie has never fully apologised for his story. He said: "I was not sorry then and I'm not sorry now" for the paper's coverage. Disgraceful.
This is a man who lied about football fans abusing the dead, a man who slandered a group of supporters who had tried in vain to save the lives of their fellow brothers and sisters. Who used the biggest footballing tragedy in britain to sell some extra newspapers. Words cannot describe how disgusting, how soulless this man is.
As if the loss of 96 innocent people and the lies and slander of a national newspaper wasn't enough for the people of Liverpool, there was more set to come.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Lord Justice Taylor was appointed to carry out an inquest into what happened on that day. His interim report said that a failure of police control was what had caused the crush in the central pens.
The disaster happened because most of the fans entering the terraces headed for the central pens 3 and 4 as directed by the large notice pointing them that way above the tunnel. Normally a police officer or steward would direct fans away from full pens, but on that day this did not happen. There were no stewards in that area at all.
Those officers responsible for organising the police operation that day, David Duckenfield and Bernard Murray, were never brought to justice. Several officers were also accused of manipulating evidence and attempting to cover up police failings.
No one has ever been held accountable for the deaths of those 96 Liverpool fans. The brave families still fight on for Justice. it's been 22 long years but their resolve has never been stronger. they struggle through the unfair and often corrupt legal system to try and bring those responsible to be held accountable for their actions that led to the disaster.
Such is the scale of the disaster, there is literally too much for me to comment fully on, the awful way the bereaved families were treated, the inadequacy and cover ups of the police force, the prejudice of the courts and media and the heartbreaking stories of the families. So I would like to direct you to the excellent website: http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/history/buildup1.shtm
It has the full story of the Hillsborough disaster, it is an excellently put together history of it and I implore you to take a read through it.
This Friday, the 15/4/2011, marks the 22nd anniversary of the disaster. 22 years on since 96 people needlessly died. 22 years without justice.
On Friday I will be stood on the Kop at Anfield, but I won't be cheering on my beloved Liverpool football team. I will be stood alongside 10,000 fellow reds as we mourn the loss of our 96 brothers and show our support to the families still seeking justice.
Please, even if you aren't a football supporter, take a moment out of your day on the 15th to think about the tragic loss of 96 men, women and children. The 96 reds that never came home.
"Justice for the 96."
Monday, 4 April 2011
The Misery of Mainstream Music
"Oh let the sun beat down upon my face
With stars to fill my dream.
I am a traveler of both time and space
To be where I have been.
To sit with elders of a gentle race
This world has seldom seen.
They talk of days for which they sit and wait
When all will be revealed.
Talk an' song from tongues of lilting grace
Whose sounds caress my ear.
But not a word I heard could I relate
The story was quite clear."
Those are the opening lyrics to the Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir". As song writing goes, it's a fantastic concoction of thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and the free spirit of the 60's. They are marvellous.
The 1960's and 70's saw some of the greatest bands and solo artists of all time. The mixture of exquisite lyrics, unparalleled instrument playing and a freedom, expression and feel that had never been seen before. It was the golden age of musical brilliance, and bands like Led Zeppelin were the epitome of it.
While The Beatles are often regarded as the greatest band of all time, and I am in no doubt that their influence on music was incredible, I don't agree. Led Zeppelin were just as influential, arguably more so. Strangely though, not many people nowadays have even heard of them, this is despite the fact that in the 70's, Led Zeppelin outsold The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined. In my opinion, the mixture of superlative musicians in Led Zeppelin, along with their incredible range of mind bending songs, from out and out rock tunes like Rock And Roll, through reggae fusion beats like D'yer Mak'er, psychedelic tracks like Dazed and Confused, to softer, folksy songs such as Stairway to Heaven, arguably the greatest song of all time, made them an unbeatable band, even surpassing The Beatles.
On drums, John Boham, one of the greatest drummers of all time, second only in my mind to Keith Moon. On bass, John Paul Jones, a sublimely gifted player, On guitar, the legendary Jimmy Page, simply the best guitarist of all time. All behind the stupendous Robert Plant, with one of the most incredible and passionate voices in rock. Never before or since has there been one band with so many incredible musicians.
They were one of those bands, where if you were to try and put a group together with the best drummer, the best guitarist, the best bassist and the best singer, you would get the line up of Led Zeppelin. They were peerless.
Fast forward 4 decades and if you flick on a music channel, or tune into the radio, you will not find bands of fantastically talented musicians, or artists pushing the boundaries of music, both lyrically, and through mind bending playing. What you will find is over-polished karaoke winners, lip syncing along to their latest 3 minute throwaway single, written by someone else and tweaked through a computer.
Part of what made Led Zeppelin great, was that their music transcended it's age and genre, you couldn't categorise them because what they did broke the mould. They were truly unique, their sound gave rise to several new genres, they were the root of something amazing.
Led Zeppelin, along with dozens of other bands and artists of that time, their music will age like a fine wine, becoming better and better. They will never be "out of date" or "old". Music of today however, that's a different story.
The songs on the radio these days wont age well, no one will remember them in 20 years. I recently did a small test with people I know, of how many X-Factor/X-Factor USA/Pop Stars/Pop Idol/Britains Got Talent etc winners they could name. No one, not even someone who watches X-Factor every year, could name more than 3 or 4.
Bear in mind that in total of those 5 shows, there has been 17 series'. 17 individual winners, and no one can remember more than 3. The 15 minute fame winners won't mature like a fine wine, they very quickly turn to vinegar.
As an illustration of how far music has fallen, here are the lyrics from the bafflingly popular song "Like a G6" by Far East Movement:
"They be actin like they drunk, actin-actin like they drunk.
When the sober girls around me actin-actin like they drunk.
Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard
When we drink we do it right gettin slizzard
Sippin sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6
Now I'm feelin so fly like a G6"
Inspiring. Half of those words are made up, the other half convey nothing but the trashy, materialistic nature of mainstream music. It's utter garbage.
My big problem is the plastic, throwaway nature of today's music. You're discovered, your signed, you have a hit single and your done. The next big star is up and it's their 15 minutes on the conveyer belt of music.
It's a far cry from legendary musicians such as Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend (The Who), Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Brian Johnson (AC/DC) Chuck Berry, Elvis, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa and the like. Names and bands that have stood the test of time, blown peoples minds for decades and could captivate entire generations with their music.
Compare that with artists that are forgotten within a year, who release a few catchy jingles that were written by other people, and in those few songs do nothing different, unique or in any way interesting. They don't push to try something new, they dont improvise or produce a song thats simply a 3 minute drum solo with no vocals just because it sounds awesome. They are as generic as the next singer.
This is a great shame, because music is an incredible thing. It can do anything. It can lift us up, make us cry, make us angry, inspire us, make us think or just let us be free. Sadly, 90% of today's artists and bands just produce nothing. It doesn't invoke emotions or make us think, the often limp lyrics about meaningless, materialistic possessions just trudge through a same generic, computer created beat. They gyrate around in their flashy "look at me" videos, often looking no different from the next, their names barely even registering in the mind before the next, identical artist replaces them, rushing through their 3 minute limit to fame. Bands used to have guitar solos that lasted twice that, and they were more inspiring and required ten times more talent. Led Zeppelin once improvised the song Dazed and Confused when playing live in America, to 40 minutes long. Thats not the whole show, that's one song, on the fly, playing pure music as they went for longer than most modern pop albums last.
Would Girls Aloud do that? No, partly because they, along with many artists nowadays couldn't put on a live show anywhere near as awe inspiring as bands in the 70's could. If Girls Aloud fans went to a Pink Floyd gig, their eyes and ears would melt through their faces in astonishment.
One of the reasons for this is because when a modern artist or band record a single, the voice that you hear isn't totally theirs. it's put through a computer where they tweak the notes to what they should be, before releasing it. Can you imagine the Beatles doing that? No. Led Zeppelins singer Robert Plant would frequently get a song in one take. One try, perfect, done and dusted, on the album. No tweaking, no fiddling, just added to the drums, bass and guitar and onto vinyl.
So much of it was talent, so much of their songs was pure musical brilliance. The guitar solo in Stairway To Heaven wasn't even written down, it was just performed when they recorded it. Plant wrote the lyrics by the fire, Page played the melody and they created the worlds best song out of nothing.
"It wasn't structured at all [laughs]. I had a start. I knew where and how I was going to begin. And I just did it. There was an amplifier that I was trying out. It sounded good, so I thought, "OK, take a deep breath, and play." I did three takes and chose one of them. They were all different. The solo sounds constructed - and it is, sort of, but purely of the moment. For me, a solo is something where you just fly, but within the context of the song." - Jimmy Page
There is nothing close to that nowadays, no playing songs as you go, no improvisation, no play with feeling and forget about being perfect. Jimmy Hendrix often missed notes when playing, it didn't matter, it wasn't about playing it spot on, it was about passion and feel. Thats what made Hendrix great.
The little hope I have with modern music rests with less mainstream music. Rock music still has some quality bands playing great stuff. But outside of that, it's 90% dross. The only other area of music that still impresses me are the undiscovered, underground bands and artists that still play because they just want to make some amazing songs, write meaningful lyrics and perform their hearts out. That is, until they themselves get discovered, make it big and sell out. Hopefully they won't, because they are the last hope for decent music, the last defence against total MTV pop plasticness.
Manufactured pop has killed true music. Music used to say "listen to me". Now with their flashy videos and their image, it says "look at me". It's pre-fabricated, non offensive, no risk and void of originality. I loathe it.
"You've got to be original, or there will be nothing distinctive or interesting about your playing" - Liona Boyd
With stars to fill my dream.
I am a traveler of both time and space
To be where I have been.
To sit with elders of a gentle race
This world has seldom seen.
They talk of days for which they sit and wait
When all will be revealed.
Talk an' song from tongues of lilting grace
Whose sounds caress my ear.
But not a word I heard could I relate
The story was quite clear."
Those are the opening lyrics to the Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir". As song writing goes, it's a fantastic concoction of thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and the free spirit of the 60's. They are marvellous.
The 1960's and 70's saw some of the greatest bands and solo artists of all time. The mixture of exquisite lyrics, unparalleled instrument playing and a freedom, expression and feel that had never been seen before. It was the golden age of musical brilliance, and bands like Led Zeppelin were the epitome of it.
While The Beatles are often regarded as the greatest band of all time, and I am in no doubt that their influence on music was incredible, I don't agree. Led Zeppelin were just as influential, arguably more so. Strangely though, not many people nowadays have even heard of them, this is despite the fact that in the 70's, Led Zeppelin outsold The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined. In my opinion, the mixture of superlative musicians in Led Zeppelin, along with their incredible range of mind bending songs, from out and out rock tunes like Rock And Roll, through reggae fusion beats like D'yer Mak'er, psychedelic tracks like Dazed and Confused, to softer, folksy songs such as Stairway to Heaven, arguably the greatest song of all time, made them an unbeatable band, even surpassing The Beatles.
On drums, John Boham, one of the greatest drummers of all time, second only in my mind to Keith Moon. On bass, John Paul Jones, a sublimely gifted player, On guitar, the legendary Jimmy Page, simply the best guitarist of all time. All behind the stupendous Robert Plant, with one of the most incredible and passionate voices in rock. Never before or since has there been one band with so many incredible musicians.
They were one of those bands, where if you were to try and put a group together with the best drummer, the best guitarist, the best bassist and the best singer, you would get the line up of Led Zeppelin. They were peerless.
Fast forward 4 decades and if you flick on a music channel, or tune into the radio, you will not find bands of fantastically talented musicians, or artists pushing the boundaries of music, both lyrically, and through mind bending playing. What you will find is over-polished karaoke winners, lip syncing along to their latest 3 minute throwaway single, written by someone else and tweaked through a computer.
Part of what made Led Zeppelin great, was that their music transcended it's age and genre, you couldn't categorise them because what they did broke the mould. They were truly unique, their sound gave rise to several new genres, they were the root of something amazing.
Led Zeppelin, along with dozens of other bands and artists of that time, their music will age like a fine wine, becoming better and better. They will never be "out of date" or "old". Music of today however, that's a different story.
The songs on the radio these days wont age well, no one will remember them in 20 years. I recently did a small test with people I know, of how many X-Factor/X-Factor USA/Pop Stars/Pop Idol/Britains Got Talent etc winners they could name. No one, not even someone who watches X-Factor every year, could name more than 3 or 4.
Bear in mind that in total of those 5 shows, there has been 17 series'. 17 individual winners, and no one can remember more than 3. The 15 minute fame winners won't mature like a fine wine, they very quickly turn to vinegar.
As an illustration of how far music has fallen, here are the lyrics from the bafflingly popular song "Like a G6" by Far East Movement:
"They be actin like they drunk, actin-actin like they drunk.
When the sober girls around me actin-actin like they drunk.
Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard
When we drink we do it right gettin slizzard
Sippin sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6
Now I'm feelin so fly like a G6"
Inspiring. Half of those words are made up, the other half convey nothing but the trashy, materialistic nature of mainstream music. It's utter garbage.
My big problem is the plastic, throwaway nature of today's music. You're discovered, your signed, you have a hit single and your done. The next big star is up and it's their 15 minutes on the conveyer belt of music.
It's a far cry from legendary musicians such as Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend (The Who), Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Brian Johnson (AC/DC) Chuck Berry, Elvis, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa and the like. Names and bands that have stood the test of time, blown peoples minds for decades and could captivate entire generations with their music.
Compare that with artists that are forgotten within a year, who release a few catchy jingles that were written by other people, and in those few songs do nothing different, unique or in any way interesting. They don't push to try something new, they dont improvise or produce a song thats simply a 3 minute drum solo with no vocals just because it sounds awesome. They are as generic as the next singer.
This is a great shame, because music is an incredible thing. It can do anything. It can lift us up, make us cry, make us angry, inspire us, make us think or just let us be free. Sadly, 90% of today's artists and bands just produce nothing. It doesn't invoke emotions or make us think, the often limp lyrics about meaningless, materialistic possessions just trudge through a same generic, computer created beat. They gyrate around in their flashy "look at me" videos, often looking no different from the next, their names barely even registering in the mind before the next, identical artist replaces them, rushing through their 3 minute limit to fame. Bands used to have guitar solos that lasted twice that, and they were more inspiring and required ten times more talent. Led Zeppelin once improvised the song Dazed and Confused when playing live in America, to 40 minutes long. Thats not the whole show, that's one song, on the fly, playing pure music as they went for longer than most modern pop albums last.
Would Girls Aloud do that? No, partly because they, along with many artists nowadays couldn't put on a live show anywhere near as awe inspiring as bands in the 70's could. If Girls Aloud fans went to a Pink Floyd gig, their eyes and ears would melt through their faces in astonishment.
One of the reasons for this is because when a modern artist or band record a single, the voice that you hear isn't totally theirs. it's put through a computer where they tweak the notes to what they should be, before releasing it. Can you imagine the Beatles doing that? No. Led Zeppelins singer Robert Plant would frequently get a song in one take. One try, perfect, done and dusted, on the album. No tweaking, no fiddling, just added to the drums, bass and guitar and onto vinyl.
So much of it was talent, so much of their songs was pure musical brilliance. The guitar solo in Stairway To Heaven wasn't even written down, it was just performed when they recorded it. Plant wrote the lyrics by the fire, Page played the melody and they created the worlds best song out of nothing.
"It wasn't structured at all [laughs]. I had a start. I knew where and how I was going to begin. And I just did it. There was an amplifier that I was trying out. It sounded good, so I thought, "OK, take a deep breath, and play." I did three takes and chose one of them. They were all different. The solo sounds constructed - and it is, sort of, but purely of the moment. For me, a solo is something where you just fly, but within the context of the song." - Jimmy Page
The little hope I have with modern music rests with less mainstream music. Rock music still has some quality bands playing great stuff. But outside of that, it's 90% dross. The only other area of music that still impresses me are the undiscovered, underground bands and artists that still play because they just want to make some amazing songs, write meaningful lyrics and perform their hearts out. That is, until they themselves get discovered, make it big and sell out. Hopefully they won't, because they are the last hope for decent music, the last defence against total MTV pop plasticness.
Manufactured pop has killed true music. Music used to say "listen to me". Now with their flashy videos and their image, it says "look at me". It's pre-fabricated, non offensive, no risk and void of originality. I loathe it.
"You've got to be original, or there will be nothing distinctive or interesting about your playing" - Liona Boyd
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Think
Thinking, the characteristic that sets us apart from other species, is the backbone of our entire civilisation. It is what took us from simple mammals to our highly advanced society. Unfortunately, for some, this most human of traits has to take a back seat to make way for stories, myths and rumours.
To me, it is the one thing I pride myself on above anything else. To think, to question, to wonder without limits or prejudice, a free thinker, not bound by preconceptions or guide lines, to ponder the wonders of the universe and marvel at the beauty we unfold.
A lone bird watches another from inside a glass box. He watches as the bird soars high into the crisp, blue sky flying wherever it chooses.
As he descends, the bird inside the glass box asks "Why do you fly outside the box? I am safe in here".
The second bird replies; "That is the difference between you and I. You may be safe, but I am free."
I don't recall where, or when I heard that little story, but its always struck a chord with me. It is a great shame for those people inside the box. I pity those who do not share my passion. Those that feel safe inside their boxes, but never get to feel the freedom of thought that I do. They will never get to gaze at the wonders of our existence and be astonished by the beauty of it. The beauty of reality.
While they may go home, and feel safe, thinking about whatever it is that comforts them, a higher power, an afterlife, a guiding presence, a meaning to this chaotic universe, it is in the end, pointless.
People long for the magic "meaning of life". The ironic thing being, those that say they've found it, usually religious people, havnt found anything at all. All they have is a shaky, murky illusion.
Where is the meaning in an illusion? It may be comforting, even captivating, but no matter how secure you find it, it's not real. Why would you choose a meaningless mirage over the truth?
The truth gives us answers, it quells our appetite, gives us a conclusion to it, gives us true meaning. Trying to use a higher, unexplainable being doesn't give us any answers. The age old quote of "[insert deity here] made it that way" is not an explanation, how can it be when it cannot explain how they did it? Would you say a question was answered if they said "because that's how it is"? No, because it's not an explanation, it's a meaningless tautology. "It's that way because that's the way it is".
This is my personal problem with religions and it's the root of my gripe with a lot of people. I understand that I may come off as condecending at times, but I don't mean too. The reason I am like this, is because it frustrates me to the back teeth that people can just accept things without any thought of their own. You shouldn't just accept things, you have to engage your brain and think about it, question it, because otherwise you are a sheep. Nothing more. You accept things, follow blindly and never open your eyes to everything around you.
I don't want people to believe everything I tell them, that's not the point of it. the point of this blog, as well as most debates I end up in, is to get people to think about things more. All I ask is that people question things, do a little research and think.
To try and dial out my perceived arrogance on this blog, the title will be changed to simply "Think", as that is what I want to get people to do.
I will also be dropping the "why x is wrong" style blog titles as I don't like them myself but wanted to start off my blog with trying to get my point across.
Anyway, back to thinking. Last year, I had my first tattoo. After being inspired by a design I had seen on the Internet, I drew it up, took it in and had it done. The tattoo is 3 chemical symbols, as found on a periodic table of elements. The elements are Thorium, Indium and Potassium. In their symbol form, when put next to each other, they spell out the word "Think".
To me, it is the one thing I pride myself on above anything else. To think, to question, to wonder without limits or prejudice, a free thinker, not bound by preconceptions or guide lines, to ponder the wonders of the universe and marvel at the beauty we unfold.
A lone bird watches another from inside a glass box. He watches as the bird soars high into the crisp, blue sky flying wherever it chooses.
As he descends, the bird inside the glass box asks "Why do you fly outside the box? I am safe in here".
The second bird replies; "That is the difference between you and I. You may be safe, but I am free."
I don't recall where, or when I heard that little story, but its always struck a chord with me. It is a great shame for those people inside the box. I pity those who do not share my passion. Those that feel safe inside their boxes, but never get to feel the freedom of thought that I do. They will never get to gaze at the wonders of our existence and be astonished by the beauty of it. The beauty of reality.
While they may go home, and feel safe, thinking about whatever it is that comforts them, a higher power, an afterlife, a guiding presence, a meaning to this chaotic universe, it is in the end, pointless.
People long for the magic "meaning of life". The ironic thing being, those that say they've found it, usually religious people, havnt found anything at all. All they have is a shaky, murky illusion.
Where is the meaning in an illusion? It may be comforting, even captivating, but no matter how secure you find it, it's not real. Why would you choose a meaningless mirage over the truth?
The truth gives us answers, it quells our appetite, gives us a conclusion to it, gives us true meaning. Trying to use a higher, unexplainable being doesn't give us any answers. The age old quote of "[insert deity here] made it that way" is not an explanation, how can it be when it cannot explain how they did it? Would you say a question was answered if they said "because that's how it is"? No, because it's not an explanation, it's a meaningless tautology. "It's that way because that's the way it is".
This is my personal problem with religions and it's the root of my gripe with a lot of people. I understand that I may come off as condecending at times, but I don't mean too. The reason I am like this, is because it frustrates me to the back teeth that people can just accept things without any thought of their own. You shouldn't just accept things, you have to engage your brain and think about it, question it, because otherwise you are a sheep. Nothing more. You accept things, follow blindly and never open your eyes to everything around you.
I don't want people to believe everything I tell them, that's not the point of it. the point of this blog, as well as most debates I end up in, is to get people to think about things more. All I ask is that people question things, do a little research and think.
To try and dial out my perceived arrogance on this blog, the title will be changed to simply "Think", as that is what I want to get people to do.
I will also be dropping the "why x is wrong" style blog titles as I don't like them myself but wanted to start off my blog with trying to get my point across.
Anyway, back to thinking. Last year, I had my first tattoo. After being inspired by a design I had seen on the Internet, I drew it up, took it in and had it done. The tattoo is 3 chemical symbols, as found on a periodic table of elements. The elements are Thorium, Indium and Potassium. In their symbol form, when put next to each other, they spell out the word "Think".
"A man who does not think for himself, does not think at all." - Oscar Wilde
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Why Formula 1 is the most exciting sport in the world
Explosions, espionage, deceit, crashes, fighting, interrogation, partying, high speed racing, NASA spec technology, near death accidents, the worlds top athletes, the grandest prize of them all. Just a day in the life of the worlds most exciting sport, Formula 1.
Despite the often banded about falsehood of "but it's just cars driving about a track 70 times", Formula 1 remains the most incredible, most intriguing and most exciting sport of the lot. no other sporting event contains within it so much excitement, drama and inquiry.
does Tennis have $500,000,000 fines handed out for espionage? does Snooker end up in the news because a player nearly died in a match? Do you ever see pictures of a cricketer on fire, or hear stories of a badminton player that tried to blackmail their boss with top secret, illegal information? All of this is normal in F1, but if it happened anywhere else, it would be the talk of the papers for months.
F1 has gotten a bad reputation as a boring sport where the cars just drive about. This is totally untrue, and usually banded about by those who have never watched more than a few minutes.
As with all sports, if you simplify it down, you can make them all sound boring. football is 22 men kicking a round thing on a field. cycling is riding a bike round an oval. rugby is throwing an egg shaped thing backwards while running. and so on, and so on. but if you were to delve deeper into any of these mentioned sports, you would see an incredible amount of tactical nous, experience and intelligence that is needed, just to compete at a basic level.
Delve deeper into the "boring" world of F1, and you would be astonished at the amazing things that happen almost every single season.
If you ignore the fact that F1 drivers are some of the most intelligent, fittest and most driven people in sport, and that you need a couple of degrees in engineering just to get near the lowest team, there are some jaw dropping stories that happen in this glamourous, intense sport.
in 2007, a McLaren engineer had secretly (and illegally) obtained Ferrari documents, all the design information for their car. He then used this, with their driver Fernando Alonso, and test driver Pedro De La Rosa, to improve the McLaren. Alonso then tried to blackmail the companies boss Ron Dennis, to give him better treatment than Lewis Hamilton (McLarens other driver), or he would go to the FIA (F1's governing body) and report him for having these illegal documents. This all later got investigated and McLaren was smacked with a $500,000,000 fine, a suspended ban, and the engineer was banned from F1.
Then you move on to 2008, and Renault. where they planned, and carried out, having one of their drivers, Nelson Piquet Jr, deliberately crash into a wall to strategically help out their other driver, again, Fernando Alonso. The team boss, Flavio Briatore, had bullied Piquet (only 22 years old by the way) into doing this by refusing to sign a new contract for him, unless he did it. again, after an investigation Briatore got a lifetime ban from F1 and the Renault team got a suspended 2 year ban.
Those are just two incidents in recent years, but these things are almost every year occurrences in the mad world of the fastest and most dangerous sport.
And that's just off track, on track you have spectacular 180 mph crashes into concrete walls, a driver being hit in the head with a 1k spring, while travelling at 120mph, knocking him unconscious instantly, causing him to plough into a barrier and nearly killing him. Not forgetting wheel to wheel racing, cars flipping nose over tail, drivers having punch ups, the sound of a V8 at 19,000 rpm, team-mates crashing into each other, pit girls, first corner pile-ups, sudden downpours causing massive aquaplaning, more G forces than fighter pilots experience and some of the most exciting finishes to any sporting event ever, such as Hamilton winning the championship on the last corner, of the last lap, of the last race of the season, by 1 point!
So as the season opener at Melbourne rolls round this Sunday, don't sneer at those crazy F1 fans, up at the crack of dawn to "watch cars go round and round". Theres a reason they are up that early, they are watching something more exciting and intriguing than anything you have ever seen.
"There's nothing wrong with the car, except that it's on fire."- Murray Walker
Despite the often banded about falsehood of "but it's just cars driving about a track 70 times", Formula 1 remains the most incredible, most intriguing and most exciting sport of the lot. no other sporting event contains within it so much excitement, drama and inquiry.
does Tennis have $500,000,000 fines handed out for espionage? does Snooker end up in the news because a player nearly died in a match? Do you ever see pictures of a cricketer on fire, or hear stories of a badminton player that tried to blackmail their boss with top secret, illegal information? All of this is normal in F1, but if it happened anywhere else, it would be the talk of the papers for months.
F1 has gotten a bad reputation as a boring sport where the cars just drive about. This is totally untrue, and usually banded about by those who have never watched more than a few minutes.
As with all sports, if you simplify it down, you can make them all sound boring. football is 22 men kicking a round thing on a field. cycling is riding a bike round an oval. rugby is throwing an egg shaped thing backwards while running. and so on, and so on. but if you were to delve deeper into any of these mentioned sports, you would see an incredible amount of tactical nous, experience and intelligence that is needed, just to compete at a basic level.
Delve deeper into the "boring" world of F1, and you would be astonished at the amazing things that happen almost every single season.
If you ignore the fact that F1 drivers are some of the most intelligent, fittest and most driven people in sport, and that you need a couple of degrees in engineering just to get near the lowest team, there are some jaw dropping stories that happen in this glamourous, intense sport.
in 2007, a McLaren engineer had secretly (and illegally) obtained Ferrari documents, all the design information for their car. He then used this, with their driver Fernando Alonso, and test driver Pedro De La Rosa, to improve the McLaren. Alonso then tried to blackmail the companies boss Ron Dennis, to give him better treatment than Lewis Hamilton (McLarens other driver), or he would go to the FIA (F1's governing body) and report him for having these illegal documents. This all later got investigated and McLaren was smacked with a $500,000,000 fine, a suspended ban, and the engineer was banned from F1.
Then you move on to 2008, and Renault. where they planned, and carried out, having one of their drivers, Nelson Piquet Jr, deliberately crash into a wall to strategically help out their other driver, again, Fernando Alonso. The team boss, Flavio Briatore, had bullied Piquet (only 22 years old by the way) into doing this by refusing to sign a new contract for him, unless he did it. again, after an investigation Briatore got a lifetime ban from F1 and the Renault team got a suspended 2 year ban.
Those are just two incidents in recent years, but these things are almost every year occurrences in the mad world of the fastest and most dangerous sport.
And that's just off track, on track you have spectacular 180 mph crashes into concrete walls, a driver being hit in the head with a 1k spring, while travelling at 120mph, knocking him unconscious instantly, causing him to plough into a barrier and nearly killing him. Not forgetting wheel to wheel racing, cars flipping nose over tail, drivers having punch ups, the sound of a V8 at 19,000 rpm, team-mates crashing into each other, pit girls, first corner pile-ups, sudden downpours causing massive aquaplaning, more G forces than fighter pilots experience and some of the most exciting finishes to any sporting event ever, such as Hamilton winning the championship on the last corner, of the last lap, of the last race of the season, by 1 point!
So as the season opener at Melbourne rolls round this Sunday, don't sneer at those crazy F1 fans, up at the crack of dawn to "watch cars go round and round". Theres a reason they are up that early, they are watching something more exciting and intriguing than anything you have ever seen.
"There's nothing wrong with the car, except that it's on fire."- Murray Walker
Monday, 21 March 2011
Why reaching Mercury is an incredible piece of news that you probably missed
Take a walk outside on any clear night and take a look upwards into the sky. You probably won't see it in the midst of the star glittered black, but up there somewhere is a tiny red spec. The planet Mercury.
This incredibly hostile planet, where temperatures at the surface are hot enough to melt lead, is the closest planet to our Sun.
To observers, it isn't a particularly remarkable object. It doesn't have the majesty of the gas giants of Jupiter with it's enormous, raging storms. Or Saturn, with it's beautiful rings.
But to planetary scientists it is an incredible thing. Temperatures at the equator can reach 600 degrees, but scientists think there could be water ice in craters at the poles, which are in permanent shadow.
It is a fascinating place of extremes, but what is almost more fascinating is a tiny silver object now orbiting the tiny planet.
The object in question is NASA's Messenger spacecraft.
A project that started with a proposal to NASA 15 years ago finally made it to Mercury on Friday, the first to do so. A journey of 96 million miles.
This may be all well and good, but it's all a bit irrelevant isn't it? Wrong.
Space exploration, such as Messenger, is the most incredible, amazing, humbling, inspirational thing our species has ever achieved. In a world with so much technology, we take for granted just how awe inspiring what we have achieved is.
In all the billions of species that has graced this blue and green planet, we are head and shoulders more advanced than anything else. Ants have made wonderful colonies, growing a fungus which they eat. Bees create honey in their honeycomb hives. Whales can communicate over hundreds of miles. Velociraptors were incredible pack hunters and bats use incredibly precise sonar to fly.
All of these pale into comparison to what the Messenger probe symbolises. An animal, no more special than any other, aside from our intelligence, created something incredible. We saw something, wondered about it and then imagined, designed, built, developed, tested and then remotely sent up a completely man made object 96 million miles away to a tiny planet. And this achievement barely even made the news, a sign of just how incredible our species is.
Just look around you, every single thing in your home is more amazing, and far more advanced than anything any of the billions of other animals ever to exist has achieved. From the computer you are reading this on, right down to the cement that holds your house bricks together.
The most amazing thing is, these items that represent the achievements of our species, pale into comparison themselves when put next to our travels into the cosmos.
Space exploration is our crowning achievement as a species. To have left our home planet and set foot on another piece of rock in space, to look back at our blue and green sphere is so amazing, and so inspirational, it often prompts me to be awe struck on a starry night.
Try it yourself, gaze upwards on a clear night and look at the moon, then think "someone just like me, has been there, looking back at me" It sends shivers down my spine.
It's such a shame that governments aren't pushing forward to explore more of it.
"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small." - Neil Armstrong.
This incredibly hostile planet, where temperatures at the surface are hot enough to melt lead, is the closest planet to our Sun.
To observers, it isn't a particularly remarkable object. It doesn't have the majesty of the gas giants of Jupiter with it's enormous, raging storms. Or Saturn, with it's beautiful rings.
But to planetary scientists it is an incredible thing. Temperatures at the equator can reach 600 degrees, but scientists think there could be water ice in craters at the poles, which are in permanent shadow.
It is a fascinating place of extremes, but what is almost more fascinating is a tiny silver object now orbiting the tiny planet.
The object in question is NASA's Messenger spacecraft.
A project that started with a proposal to NASA 15 years ago finally made it to Mercury on Friday, the first to do so. A journey of 96 million miles.
This may be all well and good, but it's all a bit irrelevant isn't it? Wrong.
Space exploration, such as Messenger, is the most incredible, amazing, humbling, inspirational thing our species has ever achieved. In a world with so much technology, we take for granted just how awe inspiring what we have achieved is.
In all the billions of species that has graced this blue and green planet, we are head and shoulders more advanced than anything else. Ants have made wonderful colonies, growing a fungus which they eat. Bees create honey in their honeycomb hives. Whales can communicate over hundreds of miles. Velociraptors were incredible pack hunters and bats use incredibly precise sonar to fly.
All of these pale into comparison to what the Messenger probe symbolises. An animal, no more special than any other, aside from our intelligence, created something incredible. We saw something, wondered about it and then imagined, designed, built, developed, tested and then remotely sent up a completely man made object 96 million miles away to a tiny planet. And this achievement barely even made the news, a sign of just how incredible our species is.
Just look around you, every single thing in your home is more amazing, and far more advanced than anything any of the billions of other animals ever to exist has achieved. From the computer you are reading this on, right down to the cement that holds your house bricks together.
The most amazing thing is, these items that represent the achievements of our species, pale into comparison themselves when put next to our travels into the cosmos.
Space exploration is our crowning achievement as a species. To have left our home planet and set foot on another piece of rock in space, to look back at our blue and green sphere is so amazing, and so inspirational, it often prompts me to be awe struck on a starry night.
Try it yourself, gaze upwards on a clear night and look at the moon, then think "someone just like me, has been there, looking back at me" It sends shivers down my spine.
It's such a shame that governments aren't pushing forward to explore more of it.
"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small." - Neil Armstrong.
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