Dean's Blog

When I was younger I listened to this single a lot, it was the first song I really fell in love with.



Growing up I always thought that it was about towns haunted by ghosts. Only as I grew up from a small child to a teenager did I realise that thy lyrics reflected what was happening to the UK during the 1980's. The song was written about the policies of the newly elected Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher which the band believed would increase the large-scale unemployment already present in the UK, particularly in the  industrialised north and Midlands regions. This was highly relevant to The Specials as they formed and lived in Coventry and saw the effects of the policies first-hand, as their city experienced some of the UK's worst unemployment at levels of 20%. It was also the summer of large-scale riots in the UK.  Indeed the single was unusual in that it hit the top of the UK Top 40 at the exact time that riots occurred on the streets of Great Britain. It was one of those rare occasions when music reflected the social circumstances of the country succinctly.

I read today that, here in 2009, England's High Streets are in danger of becoming "ghost towns" unless action is taken to fill empty shops hit by the recession. This is true. Walk down any High Street or shopping centre in the UK and you will see shops that are empty, some are abandoned or boarded up. Just the other day I was walking towards London Bridge to meet a friend and noticed that not only several pubs were boarded up but also all the shops and restaurants along the way.

In 1981 it was the policy of the newly elected Conservative Party to reverse this change, they went on to be in control of the country for a further 16 years. I listened today to the UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown waffle his way through another pre-written speech about how he was going to "Reverse the fortunes of the UK" and "Lead Britian to a time of economic power". However unlike the Conservative government of the 1980's the current Labour government are out of ideas, clueless and just on borrowed time.

For now I will reside in the Ghost Town wherever that maybe. But I hope that when voted in, the Cameron led government can put the life back into the community.

From a child to a man dreams we one shared

Trying to get back where I came, your the only one who cared

In a moment of madness you took your life, removed yourself from life

Cut your arms, jumped away, hurt me just like it was our knife

I never saw it coming, never saw your hurt

Was that because I was too complacent? Or were my eyes masked with dirt?

I traveled far after that day, and now I return nobody recognises my face

Though my features have not changed, internally there is to trace

We grew from children into men, we took our steps in life together

Maybe life moved too quick for you, but it was not clever

Since the day you left the hair has gone from funny to grey

But the dreams inside they live for another day

I cannot explain what you did or why you broke the trust we had

But as your children have grown into men I know you were a loving dad

At your funeral as the song played, nobody but I really understood

That underneath the anguish and hurt lied a heart of good

I live now in a life to celebrate the good times we shared

Maybe I lost the fight but the war I always cared

In memory of you I celebrate life, no matter what direction I take

Your name, in times of good, will never will be something I shall forsake

This is just taking the piss.

Irish budget airline Ryanair has said it is considering charging passengers for using the toilet while flying.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary told the BBC that the Dublin-based carrier was looking at maybe installing a "coin slot on the toilet door".

Consumer group Which? said the airline was putting "profit before passengers".

Last week Ryanair confirmed it planned to close all of its airport check-in desks by the end of the year in a bid to reduce the cost of its flights.

Ryanair aims to offer low basic ticket prices, and then charge extra for items such as checking in at the airport or for additional luggage.

"One thing we have looked at in the past, and are looking at again, is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door, so that people might actually have to spend a pound to spend a penny in future," he told the BBC.

He added: "I don't think there is anybody in history that has got on board a Ryanair aircraft with less than a pound."

But Rochelle Turner, head of research at Which? Holiday, said: "It seems Ryanair is prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck and, once again, is putting profit before the comfort of its customers.

"Charging people to go to the toilet might result in fewer people buying overpriced drinks on board, though - that would serve Ryanair right."

My late grandmother would sometimes say to me "If I was in heaven and a friend went to Hell I would let down a ladder to let them climb up"

I always used to think that this saying was somewhat true as I never doubted my grans heavenly abilities. But at the same time I would never of course have the courage to say to such a devoute Christian "Nan I don't actually believe in Heaven nor Hell". Yet it has always got me thinking.

So many religions have a "place" where the decent people reside after death and also a place where those who are not so polite will be destined to spend the rest of eternity wallowing in a pit of self despair. Some believe in reincarnation, others just don't believe that anything else exists after the life we live in is over. I am one of those.

But I must admit I have seen things in life, call them apparitions, call them ghosts that I cannot explain so it gets me thinking, is there a place for the dead to go if they find peace in the "Next world".

Does this place that rewards the good people in life the same place across all religions? Or can we only spend the rest of eternity with those of the same religion? It is such a difficult question to even speak to people about let alone trying to be convinced.

In fact it is quite sad to even think that if there is such a place then are we only destined to be reunited with those we have lost along the way if we conform to that religion? Will my Christian grandmother have access to a place where Pagans or Buddhists like myself believe in? Is the spirit of my Atheist cousin wandering around in some realm waiting to be reunited? Or is there just one global eternal place where all those who have done well can roam free in happier days? Who decides who is allowed in there? So many questions, so much difficulty.

I am never one to speak or have an opinion about any ones religion, but one thing I do feel is that the more I look into it and think about it, the more complicated religions seem.

She lights my day like sunshine through the grey

Ignites my soul like eternal rays on a rainy day

A smile bounces like a feather on a trampoline, Floating in a cloud

The joy hits my heart so hard it needs to be shouted loud

If this is a dream don't wake me I never want this to end

Not just an eternal angel, but also the perfect friend

Nothing else matters when she is near, life seems so pure and true

We can set the skies ablaze either grey or blue

I love you baby like nothing else now or before

You are the ship that takes me off this baren shore

The light that guides us is pushing us towards our course

Destiny has driven us, our pure love is the source

Time will say just what our path is and how we live

For now we forget the past we learn just how to forgive

If there is a meaning of life then let us raise our wine

Everything leads to this moment and it feels just fine

Light up the skies let the birds wings beat a tune in the breeze

We are an invisible song dancing in the breeze

Nothing else matters when she is near, life seems so pure and true

We can set the skies ablaze either grey or blue

I love you baby like nothing else now or before

You are the ship that takes me off this baren shore

The light that guides us is pushing us towards our course

Destiny has driven us, our pure love is the source

This is the R'N'B singer Rihanna, photographed hours after being beaten by ex boyfriend Chris Brown. I have never been a fan of her music but feel a great deal of sympathy here. Whatever the reasons behind the attack it was unjustified, unwarranted and something that no person should ever have to experience.

In the past I have always said that celebrities are often given light sentences when faced with a crime, two examples are George Michael and Pete Doherty's constant let off's with drug charges. But in the case of Chris Brown the judge has to throw the book at him.

He, via Facebook, has apologised to his fans saying that during this difficult period he wants to be able to be left alone and find god. Oh Fuck off. Your nothing but a low life woman beater and you will always be remembered for being so.

I now want the Hollywood machine to start shunning him. Fellow peers must come out and defend Rihanna as a friend and as a woman and Chris Brown must be exposed and charged with the highest account of assault.

I read that Rihanna's albums have rocketed in sales from the publicity, but nothing will ever replace the feeling of being brutally attacked by this low life thug.

In a moment of madness Chris Brown lost his love, his career and his respect.

A huge price to pay in the ever increasing issue that is Domestic Violence.

To you I was nothing but a puppet on a string

Moving how you directed me, I was your playful thing

Dancing to your beat of life, a tango to your beat

Laughing as you made me fall with my two left feet

Yet how long is a piece of string? It only last so long

An underestimation of my strength, you were were so wrong

The puppet came to life that day, found a heart so true

Cut the cords of your control, rid myself of you

Looking over my shoulder, you were effortlessly chasing me

No longer were there two left feet, I outran you easily

Finding solitude in a vacuum of nothingness, silence and such bliss

Hidden away from your harsh sharp nails and your poison kiss

Peering out into the light, I see the warm hot sun

I am nobodies fool no more, my life has now begun

A while back I blogged about a survey stating that 95% of all downloads from the internet were illegal. Pirate Bay is one of the largest torrent sites on the internet, allowing anyone, to search and illegally download shared music, images or movies.

I still question if large media corportaions are really aware of the level of internet piracy that exists. Do people think that it is only a select few who are doing this? If we take into account the number of downloads last year then billions of downloads are illegal. Apple are an example of how to safeguard their material only allowing registered users to download material and charging for the majority of it. If we look back at the history of Napster that was a shining example of the way things are going. I'm guilty of downloading some material but I still am old fashioned enough to walk into a music shop and purchase a CD. Has the MP3 market really killed off buying songs? Hands up anyone who has not downloaded anything illegally?

Swedish prosecutors dropped charges relating to "assisting copyright infringement" leaving the lesser charges of "assisting making available copyright material" on trial day two.

Pirate Bay co-founder Frederik Neij said it showed prosecutors had misunderstood the technology.

The music industry played down the changes as "simplifying the charges".

Peter Danowsky, legal counsel for the music companies in the case, said: "It's a largely technical issue that changes nothing in terms of our compensation claims and has no bearing whatsoever on the main case against The Pirate Bay.

"In fact it simplifies the prosecutor's case by allowing him to focus on the main issue, which is the making available of copyrighted works."

The Pirate Bay was launched in 2003 and quickly established itself as the world's most high profile file-sharing website. In February 2009, it reported 22 million simultaneous users.

At the start of the trial in Stockholm, Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde Kolmsioppi and Carl Lundstorm were facing a large fine and up to two years in prison, if convicted.

"This is a sensation. It is very rare to win half the target in just one and a half days and it is clear that the prosecutor took strong note of what we said yesterday," defence lawyer Per E Samuelson told the TorrentFreak website, which reports on developments in the BitTorrent file-sharing community.

BitTorrent is a legal application used by many file-sharers to swap content because of the fast and efficient way it distributes files.

No copyright content is hosted on The Pirate Bay's web servers; instead the site hosts "torrent" links to TV, film and music files held on its users computers.

BOY dad Alfie Patten yesterday admitted he does not know how much nappies cost — but said:

"I think it's a lot"

Baby-faced Alfie, who is 13 but looks more like eight, became a father four days ago when his girlfriend Chantelle Steadman gave birth to 7lb 3oz Maisie Roxanne.

He told how he and Chantelle, 15, decided against an abortion after discovering she was pregnant.

The shy lad, whose voice has not yet broken, said: I thought it would be good to have a baby.

"I didn’t think about how we would afford it. I don’t really get pocket money. My dad sometimes gives me £10"

Alfie, who is just 4ft tall, added: "When my mum found out, I thought I was going to get in trouble. We wanted to have the baby but were worried how people would react.

"I didn’t know what it would be like to be a dad. I will be good, though, and care for it."

Alfie’s dad Dennis told how the lad does not really understand the enormity of his situation — but seemed desperate to be a devoted and responsible father.

He wanted to be the first to hold Maisie after the hospital birth. He tenderly kisses the baby and gives her a bottle.

And Dennis, 45, said: "He could have shrugged his shoulders and sat at home on his Playstation. But he has been at the hospital every day."

Maisie was conceived after Chantelle and Alfie — just 12 at the time — had a single night of unprotected sex.

They found out about the baby when Chantelle was 12 weeks pregnant.

But they kept it a secret until six weeks later when Chantelle’s mum Penny, 38, became suspicious about her weight gain and confronted her.

After that Alfie’s family told only those closest to them for fear he would be "demonised" at school.

Chantelle gave birth to Maisie on Monday night after a five-hour labour at Eastbourne Hospital, East Sussex.

Last night she told The Sun: "I’m tired after the birth. I was nervous after going into labour but otherwise I was quite excited."

Chantelle told how she discovered she was expecting after going to her GP with "really bad" stomach pains. She said: "Me and Alfie went. The doctor asked me whether we had sex. I said yes and he said I should do a pregnancy test. He did the test and said I was pregnant. I started crying and didn’t know what to do.

He said I should tell my mum but I was too scared.

We didn’t think we would need help from our parents. You don’t really think about that when you find out you are pregnant. You just think your parents will kill you.�

But Penny figured out what was going on after buying Chantelle a T-shirt which revealed her swelling tum.

Chantelle admitted she and Alfie — who are both being supported by their parents — would be accused of being grossly irresponsible. She said: �We know we made a mistake but I wouldn’t change it now. We will be good loving parents.

I have started a church course and I am going to do work experience helping other young mums.

I’ll be a great mum and Alfie will be a great dad.

Chantelle and Maisie were released from hospital yesterday. They are living with Penny, Chantelle’s jobless dad Steve, 43, and her five brothers in a rented council house in Eastbourne. The family live on benefits. Alfie, who lives on an estate across town with mum Nicola, 43, spends most of his time at the Steadmans’ house.

He is allowed to stay overnight and even has a school uniform there so he can go straight to his classes in the morning.

Alfie’s dad, who is separated from Nicola, believes the lad is scared deep down.

He said: Everyone is telling him things and it’s going round in his head. It hasn’t really dawned on him. He hasn’t got a clue of what the baby means and can’t explain how he feels. All he knows is mum and dad will help.

When you mention money his eyes look away. And she is reliant on her mum and dad. It’s crazy. They have no idea what lies ahead.

Dennis, who works for a vehicle recovery firm, described Alfie as a typical 13-year-old boy

He said: He loves computer games, boxing and Manchester United.Dennis, who has fathered nine kids, told how he was gobsmacked when he discovered Alfie was to be a dad, too.

He said: When I spoke to him he started crying. He said it was the first time he’d had sex, that he didn’t know what he was doing and of the complications that could come.

I will talk to him again and it will be the birds and the bees talk. Some may say it’s too late but he needs to understand so there is not another baby.

Chantelle’s mum said: I told her it was lovely to have the baby but I wish it was in different circumstances. We have five children already so it’s a big financial responsibility. But we are a family and will pull together and get through.

She’s my daughter. I love her and she will want for nothing.

Last night Michaela Aston, of the anti-abortion Christian charity LIFE, said: We commend these teenagers for their courage in bringing their child into the world.

At the same time this is symptomatic of the over-sexualisation of our youngsters and shows the policy of value-free sex education just isn’t working.

Today Sussex Police and the local council's children services said they have investigated the case and pledged continued support for the young parents.

Britain’s youngest known father is Sean Stewart. He became a dad at 12 when the girl next door, 15-year-old Emma Webster, gave birth in Sharnbrook, Bedford, in 1998. They split six months later.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THIS COUNTRY OF OURS?

During my last relationship my then partner would always demand roses on Valentines Day. She worked in an office and I am guessing that office politics would say that "If so and so got flowers then why not me".

Personally I deem Valentines Day to be one of the most over rated commerical rip off's ever invented. Love is 365 days a year not just for that one isolated day of the year. I would rather surprise the woman I love with a beautiful set of Orchids on a wet day in April, when least expected, rather than a day where florists usually ensure that the overpriced roses that you send look as dead as the enthusiasm that they provide.

Have we lost the meaning of spontaneity and surprise? Has the element of showing the person that we love with a token of affection so wonderful when least expected it will remain in their lives forever? Apparently so. That is the reason why I don't bow down to Valentines Day. I would rather say "I love you", in a much more romantic and personal way each day of the year, rather than just an overpriced one.

I read this fairly interesting article today. Wondered what your thoughts were?

Last month my friend Paul met an interesting woman, asked her to dinner, and thought it went superbly—until she turned him down for a second date. He couldn’t understand it: Hadn’t she been charmed by his “funny” stories about his ex? Uh-oh, I thought. He was Annoying First Date Guy, but didn’t know it. It happens at coffee houses, bars and restaurants every day: A guy with good intentions blows that crucial first date and has no idea why. Want to get clued in? Here are 10 common pitfalls:

1. Going on a rant about a former significant other.
No good can come from talking about an ex-girlfriend on a first date. Saying something positive about an ex is threatening, and saying something negative is just plain annoying. My friend Leslie agrees: “My favorite annoying first date is the guy who spent the entire time describing in detail how nasty his ex was,” she said. “By the end of the date, he had pointed out the restaurant where she threw a drink at him and the street corner where she screamed at him about his lack of sexual prowess.” The first date is about the two of you getting to know each other. Bringing the ex into the conversation makes it seem like three’s a crowd.

2. Divulging too much personal information that’s not flattering.
Take a hint from comedian Chris Rock, whose dating advice goes something like this: When you first meet someone, you’re not you. You’re the ambassador of you. In other words, this is not the time for full disclosure. I went on a first date with a guy who told me that he takes antidepressants, that he tends to be a slob, and that his family doesn’t get along. “I’d really like to see you again,” he said, “but I think I should be upfront about who I am from the beginning.” Even worse are guys who reveal unflattering personal information without even realizing that the information isn’t flattering. “My dog is my life,” a guy told my friend Sherene on their first date. “I’ve had the dog since I was a kid,” he added shamelessly. “I live with my parents.” The information was bad, but the fact that he had no idea it was bad made it horrifying. Remember: This is a date, not a therapy session.

3. Making the date feel like a job interview.
Let’s face it: A first date is a job interview (for the position of significant other). But if a woman is going to put on a cute outfit and blow-dry her hair for you, try not to make her feel like she’s in the room with the head of human resources. She’d rather have a casual conversation than be subjected to obvious probes like, “How long has it been since your last relationship?” Just as bad are guys who try to suss out key information by dropping calculating questions into the conversation. My friend Sara found it particularly irritating when a guy tried to figure out her age by asking her opinion of the 1972 Olympics and then saying, “Oh, but you couldn’t possibly remember that” in a questioning tone.

4. Having too much attitude.
Laurie, a single woman in New York, was asked on a first date what TV shows she watches. When her date learned that she didn’t like the show Seinfeld, he didn’t believe her. Then he wouldn’t let it go for the entire meal. “He just couldn’t fathom my not liking that show,” Laurie explained. “It was as if I’d just said, ‘Yes, I live my life without consuming any liquids.’” Guys, if you want a second dinner, don’t spend the first one trying to convince your date that she’s not normal.

5. Admiring other women.
Most guys know better than to stare at other women while on a first date. But it’s just as exasperating if your date asks you what you thought of the latest blockbuster hit, and your response is to go on a tear about how beautiful Angelina Jolie’s lips are. If you think the woman sitting across from you is ever going to be secure enough to kiss you after that, think again.
6. Complaining about the venue.
Don’t ask your date to “pick any place you want to go,” only to whine about it once you’re there. That happened to Liz, who chose a place with a lunchtime tasting menu. Not only did the guy grumble, but “he proceeded to tell me that he had had a big breakfast and wondered who could eat a three-course lunch,” she said. “I told him, ‘I could’ and pointed to myself and then to every other diner in the restaurant.”

7. Arguing with your date.
It’s one thing to talk about current events if there’s a lull in the conversation. But it’s quite another to ask your date’s opinion on anything from the Middle East to the election and then get into an argument with her, no matter what she says. That happened to 29-year-old Melissa when she and her date got into it about public versus private schools. “I was annoyed that he fought me on so many things—especially on our first date,” she said.

8. Eating your date’s dessert.
Unless you’re at a Chinese restaurant, there’s a reason you each have your own plate. Just because a woman might eat more slowly doesn’t give you license to take a bite of a virtual stranger’s meal. Or, in Liz’s case, her date didn’t even wait until she’d taken a bite herself. “When my dessert arrived,” she said, “my date reached across the table and, with his fork, speared my gateau au chocolat. Talk about annoying.”

9. Not walking her to safety at the end of the date.
Almost as off-putting as the overzealous guy who goes in for a kiss too aggressively is the guy who leaves his date standing there on the street at night instead of walking her to the safety of her car or a cab. This irked my pal Julia. “True, we were going in two different directions—but hello? Take care of the girl first!” she said. “Stuff like that usually points to bigger problems!”

10. Saying “I’ll be in touch” after the date goes badly.
Your date knows that the evening went badly, and you know she knows it, so why say that you’ll call when it’s obvious you won’t? “I’d like him to say, ‘Good to meet you, take care,’” said Monica, who feels that you can still be nice without being annoying (or making a woman sit by the phone).

My friend, Paul, by the way, heeded this advice on a recent date. No rants about his ex-girlfriend, no “I’ll be in touch” at the end of a lackluster dinner. Of course, this was a complete turn-on to his date, who thought he was a great catch and has since set him up with a friend of hers. He promises to save his “funny” stories for, oh, at least their second date.

Lori Gottlieb is the author of Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self. Her most recent book is I Love You, Nice To Meet You.

I used to have this picture on my wall several years ago. It always fascinated me about just how these men were able to perch on such a small piece of metal, so high up with so little support. That was the only thought that ever crossed my mind. However recent I have been listening to some Radio 4 footage about the time and days that were captured in this photograph.

After the great depression, much similar to the recession today, there was something of a building boom in New York. Akin to what is happening in Dubai now it was a case of the taller the building the better. Skyscrapers were being built at a phenomenal rate and what happened in the late 1930's early 40's would change the way buildings were built forever.

Workers like the men above were poor, underpaid, often ill yet they knew at that time the most important thing they could do was to work. Often several hundred feet in the air, no safety ropes, no fluorescent jackets or helmets, just hob nailed boots, whatever sandwiches they could make and a happy attitude to just be earning.

I find this period of history fascinating, its largely ignored due to the fact it was sandwiched inbetween the two World Wars of the 20th century but it was a time of prosperity, of hope, optimism and dedication to providing a lasting legacy.

Here is a link below. Its worth viewing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7858777.stm

The high heel you struck into my heart punctured me so deep

Pain so callous and cold you gave, would make a Devil weep

You walked into the sunset, laughing all the way

I sunk into a dark abyss, that was the darkest day

Watching from the shadows, I saw you soon forgot

Referring to the time we shared as though you lost the plot

Realisation hit me that this was a long time in the making

You could have left so easily but you had to leave me quaking

Yet in your boastful existence, you forgot to watch me recover

I got used to the dark so quick, the silence became my brother

When you look inside your empty heart and all that's left is a hole

I shaped myself into who I was, began to take control

The victory was your you thought, and soon you forgot about me

Yet each day I trained for this moment, redemption was my key

I even walked past you once, you did not even notice I was there

An invisible entity I have become, I surround your very air

The victory of your calculating scheme, disappeared into the past

It joined no doubt other souls, yet I'm no supporting cast

The absence of my memory has made you totally forget

Now reap the whirlwind of revenge, do you remember yet?

Think back to that moment, with your heel embedded in my heart

Justice will fly through your soul and this is just the start

Sometimes we are guilty of being wrapped up in our own lives. I'm not for one minute talking about being absorbed in a realm of selfishness, nor am I talking about being in a solitude of self importance, I am just referring to being caught up in "life".

Often we need to take a break, go away on our own to re-charge those batteries, to take a step backwards and really begin to see what direction we are going in. I'm not talking about a eight month trek around the world, it can just be a weekend away, which is indeed what I did this weekend.

This was the first time I had been to Stockholm alone for a while, I did not meet up with any friends, nor did I travel with anyone it was just myself. During the weekend I had some quality time to myself to analyse where I was in life and to focus on the positive and eliminate the negative.

I won't dwell into too much of a conclusion as a lot of what I thought was extremely personal and deep to my inner happiness and self. But let's just say a time to change begins now.

For the better.