Boycotting Tesco

Posted By Mark on May 10, 2014

The rain was falling lightly but persistently and the musician in the next alcove over from me was playing to an audience more concerned about hurrying along to the next store or wherever they'd left their cars than considering fishing about in pockets for loose change. And then, walking his bike laden down with bags that looked like they contained all his possessions in the world, up strode an old man; lank hair framing a stubbled, weathered face under a pair of large sunglasses and hat festooned with badges, many of them birds. He stared at the musician for a while, bobbed his head in time with the tune, then pulled out a harmonica from his pocket. It looked like we were in for an impromptu jam. But it seemed that the musician liked to play alone. In the space of seconds he'd stopped, packed up, and wandered off with a wry smile. Some people just don't like to be seen associating with the seemingly homeless. It's a sad but understandable trait. And this left the old man and me. "I need to get some groceries," he said a little louder than was necessary. Heads of passersby turned, brows furrowed, lips pursed. I smiled and pointed behind me. "Down there on the right," I said. "There's a small Tesco store." "Oh no!" he shouted. "I'm never going in Tesco. Do you want to know why?" I nodded. "I got thrown out of a Tesco store by two great big guys," he continued. "Do you know? Two big guys. Security. Really big. One each side of me." "How come?" I asked, intrigued. This sort of thing had never happened to me and the only security people I'd ever seen in supermarkets were, well, decidedly less than intimidating. "I'd been drinking the night before, with mates, you see, and I'd gone in to get some food. This was years ago. And then I dropped some beer and they threw me out so I'm never going back there. You wouldn't would you? If they threw you out then you wouldn't would you?" I made that face that can be interpreted any way you like. "Well," I said, pointing down East Street. "There's a Nisa shop down the end." "Oh, Nisa," he said, scratching his chin. "Yes. That's good. Yeah, I need some groceries." A few seconds passed in silence while he looked in the direction of the acceptable store. Suddenly, he snapped his head back in my direction looking at the camera hanging around my neck. "What are you taking photos of?" "Anything and everything, whatever takes my interest," I replied, giving...

Boko Haram

Posted By Mark on May 7, 2014

From GQ magazine an article on Boko Haram who are somewhat belatedly making international news for their horrific actions in Nigeria. Boko Haram: Sons of anarchy The article does go some way to showing how small acts can snowball. From an incident involving the not wearing of helmets on bikes to the death of Boko Haram’s spiritual leader Mohammed Yusuf while in custody, and from there to where we are now. In the final hours of 30 July, the forces of the Nigerian state sowed the seeds of the violence that was to come, violence that would replicate the devastation of Maiduguri in towns and villages across the region. There is internet footage of Mohammed Yusuf, heavily bandaged, issuing a stumbling confession in a cell. An hour later, Yusuf was dead, executed without trial. While the police later claimed he’d been trying to escape, witnesses reject this. The 39-year-old Yusuf left behind four wives, 12 children and a legion of enraged followers. Very well worth a read especially as Boko Haram are featuring heavily in the news right now (but how long until that fades?) There’s even a glimmer of hope in the rising of civilians against the terrorist...

Her Favourite Movie

Posted By Mark on May 7, 2014

Magnetic Power Insoles

Posted By Mark on May 6, 2014

Thanks to a tweet by Dr Adam Rutherford I was introduced to the amazing Lunavit Magnetic Power Insoles walk-a-netics. The insoles apparently work by combining reflexology – a thing that doesn’t work – with tiny magnets – things that have incredible power to affect your body if you are mostly made of iron, which you aren’t – to produce something that is more than the sum of its parts. Or, at least, you’d hope so since the parts add up to zero. The special silver-ion-surface also deodorizes and massages gently the foot when walking and standing. Ah, yes, the massaging ability of flat surfaces coated with metal. Have you ever noticed how just holding a coin makes your hand throb with massaging power? What’s that? No? How strange. It’s almost like inanimate objects have no ability to perform massaging on their own. I’m guessing that these magnetic insoles must have something else then that imbues them with power. What can that be? 130 bipolar arranged 600 gauss magnets I don’t know why this would be good but at least there are 130 of them and they’re bipolar. That’s very important. Far Infrared – FIR (permanent reflection of heat of 92.5%) Not temporary reflection you’ll note. That’s good. And not 100% because that sounds too good to be true and you might get suspicious. Also good. And it’s in the far infrared which is… good? Maybe. Unless your feet generate heat outside that range. Do you know if they do? No, I’ve no idea either. Energized in Germany Very important. You don’t want your magnetic power insoles energised just anywhere. Imagine if they’d been energised in, ooh, let’s say China. Sure, the magnetic energisation might appear to be exactly the same as magnetic ergisation throughout the rest of the universe but it’s China! It’s probably knock-off energisation energised in large factories by people working under poor – if energetic – conditions. I wouldn’t be surprised if the energisation stopped working after a while. I’m sure they make some good stuff but you do hear stories. Anyway, these magnetic power insoles are energised in Germany and that’s synonymous with quality. And you can always pop across the channel and complain if something goes wrong. But it won’t. Because Magnetic, that’s why. I’ll leave you to read about the Energystick on that same page. That, at least, appears to have a genuine use. Not necessarily the one advertised,...

So Money

Posted By Mark on May 6, 2014

An interview with those involved in the making of the 1996 movie Swingers. Favreau: The characters are exaggerations of aspects of all of our personalities. Vince has a lot of the charm of Trent, but he’s a much different guy. And I was definitely going through a sad period, but I was never a basket case like Mikey was; I wouldn’t leave 50 messages on a machine. So Money: An Oral History Of...