Rutland Free Press?

Having sat through a recent annual parish council meeting where there was a lot of discussion about the underhand tactics of Rutland Council and so many than negative comments about the Councillors and their behaviour, it will come as no surprise that the local press got their fair share of bashing.

 

They were acused of being in the pay of the County Council, following the company line as it were, and only posting good news stories and avoiding the issues that really matter to the people of Rutland. It would seem people feel they aren't interested is getting to the bottom of what is going on in the county or questioning those in power. It clear their idea of investigative journalism to read the County Councils press releases.

 

It is clear that not all what is made out to be in the County Council, things aren't what they seem. It is like a smoke screen has been laid and what goes on is hidden from the public view. Only a few trust them and those that do support them and keep them in power, but that isn't the majority but just the selected few that can be bothered to vote. Most people feel they just do what they want and don't listen, so they don't vote. This felling of not listening ;has spread to the local press who are seen as weak and feeble, never questioning and printing Council press releases as good news stories.

 

For example, when the all powerful Rutland County Council when decided to rename the old Ashwell prison as the Oakham Enterprise Park, where was the story that people of Ashwell objected to the name on the grounds it is actually in Ashwell? Another example would be all the good news stories about the Hawksmead development and how people supported it, where was the story about the people of Barlythorpe who never wanted their lovely village to become a suburb of Oakham? If it was ever published than I'm sure it wasn't big as the good news Hawksmead stories and the pictures of handshakes between councillors and company officials.

 

It is about time the local press in Rutland got some courage and spent sometime questioning what Rutland Country Council are doing before it is too late. Rather than sitting around reading press releases, go round the county and ask people what they really think then publish their stories with the same degree or importance. Publish the letters of the people of Rutland and not the political rubbish written into the paper by the councillors.

 

And, finally the reason why this is important now, well Hawksmead are planning to develop North of the ring road. This will not only destroy more land that was used for farming but it will threaten other villages close to Oakham. Let me tell the people from the Rutland Times and the Rutland and Stamford Mercury now, we don't want the nature villages destroyed by Hawksmead and their friends at the Rutland County Council. Come talk us and see the depth of our feelings rather than listening to what comes out of Rutland County Council.

Damien Rice

I have wondered for a while what to do with this blog to get it started and get me back to writing. So remembering the old artist of the week slot from many moons ago I thought I would start with a music post, from a artist I first heard while driving up north on the A1 and listening to Radio 1 late on a Sunday evening, many moons ago.

 

The song I heard that day was 9 Crimes by Damien Rice and the song just haunted me for weeks. Since that day I have grown more and more found of his music and the Irish music scene in general, you just have to look though the blog to notice that. The song I have picked for the post is called "Blowers Daughter" and I heard it just after discovering Damien Rice, in fact it was the second of his songs I heard. It has many interpretations and moves people in different ways and I will let you workout your own meaning for the song. I know what mine is.

I started the wrong way round listening to his albums starting with the last album he released and I have just managed to pick up his first album while I was browsing though some cheap CD’s while shopping at the supermarket. Now I own that CD and I’m sure will have many hours of pleasure listening too it. It is the sort of music you can listen to in the evening and lose yourself in the music and the lyrics, and that is just what I plan to do with it, in those moments I find myself alone.

 

Damien Rice has only realsed two studio albums to date, and I hope that one day soon we might get another one, but for now the two albums I now own will do just fine.

The Apprentice Returns Again

Well it is that time of the year again, when hopeless business big heads want a slice of Lord Sugar’s money. The new series of The Apprentice is set to appear on our small screens again showing why the country is in the mess it is in with people like those shown in the show running companies and coming up with ideas to make money.

 

Gone has getting a job in Lord Sugar’s empire and now the hapless business men and women get a cool quarter of a million pounds to invest in their idea. Now this has to be a good thing, after all it saves on all the hassle for Lord Sugar of having to get rid of them if they live up to their TV performances. The thing is they had better spend it fast before the pound isn’t worth a penny due to the Governments quantitative easing programme which has effectively devalued the currency to levels it is at today.

The plus side to the programme which as such buffoons running around trying to make money for Lord Sugar and messing it up, is that it makes good viewing. So join me and watch them getting sacked as your wonder how they can royally mess up something that is so simple, after all the best business men and women just need one thing, common sense and that is one quality they all seemed have to lacked in recent series.

Just One of those Days

It's just been one of those days when you just want to crawl under a stone and hope that nobody will ever find you, and boy has it has been one of those days today in a big big way. 

I just hope that another day in the future things will get better, they couldn't get worse than they are today, for there are times in life when hope is all you seem to have left and you cling on to that for dear life.

Britian's Got Talent Returns

Well tonight saw the start of another year of the viewing ratings winner Britain’s got Talent, and a family favourite to boot, and what a show it was. It was certainly one of the best, if not the best, opening night to the show in an age.

 

There were so many great acts all packed into one show as well as the usual mix of funny but forgettable acts that contrast so beautifully with the acts that stand out as being special.
 

The two child acts that showed the young talent in the show came from a singer and a young comedian, who whatever happens seemed destined, if they so desire to have a future in their fields of entertainment. They were:

• Arisxandra Libantino - Singer - (Video Link)
• Jack Carroll - Comedian - (Video Link)

Then the two adult acts that stood out, these being a troop of 9 shadow dancers from Hungary and a female singer with the sexy and sultry voice who sang like a goddess. They were:

• Attraction - Shadow Dancers - (Video Lonk)
• Alice Fredenham - Singer - (Video Link)

I hope the rest of the show continues like this, for if that is dose we have something fun and exciting to take our minds off the appalling mess the country is in. We could all do with a bit of cheer in what seems a cheerless world for many if you read the news.