Un-known to you lot, the whole "life with bev" series, both video's on Youtube, this written blog and my Facebook have followers in Turkey. I have people who live in Turkey that i like to keep in touch with and of course that is mostly done these days on social media, such as Twitter.
Twitter for those who don't know is classed as a micro-blogging site, in which people can tweet about whatever is on their mind, what they're doing etc... so of course it wouldn't have been long before someone had a problem with this, only this time, it's the turkish government it seems.
Turkey's PM has basically banned twitter access for the whole of turkey. Now, how does the president of turkey still tweet during this time i hear you asking... well.... A block like this is only placed upon the Ip address' of the computer or device which is in turkey or turkey registerd etc.. however you want to work it... basically, if you're in turkey on a turkish network, you're not going to get onto twitter.... UNLESS you block you IP address, in which case, basically, the internet is yours... go where you will. So one would presume it's from a blocked IP or a network which is not taking part in this ban.
What about the people though?
Well, because the service is blocked, those who aren't blocking their IP address, won't be able to get onto any part of twitter, the service will just not exist in the country.
Is change going to happen?
Yes!
Already the turkish PM has said that the reason the service is blocked is because people are using it to basically, speak out against the government (now THIS is a violation of freedom of speech). He has agreed to allow twitter to carry out its service in turkey provided twitter has a legal rep in the country who can block the accounts of people who use the service to speak out against the government (STILL an attack on freedom of speech).
Luckily though, I believe turkey is due to vote soon for another government... i guess we can pretty much find the PM who's not going to be voted for....
Friday, 21 March 2014
Flight to Benidorm please!
Benidorm returns to ITV with some familiar faces | presscentre
I'm stupidly happy to see this news that Benidorn is set to make a return to our tv's and even with some missed faces too!
What it doesn't say is if Gavin (the fat gay one) and Troy are going to be back, i presume, they're not, which is a massive shame because they're secretly my love in the show... but yeah, still, made up with this news!!!
I'm stupidly happy to see this news that Benidorn is set to make a return to our tv's and even with some missed faces too!
What it doesn't say is if Gavin (the fat gay one) and Troy are going to be back, i presume, they're not, which is a massive shame because they're secretly my love in the show... but yeah, still, made up with this news!!!
Saturday, 15 March 2014
What's next for Syria then?
This isn't the first time i've spoken out about Syria, infact, wasn't it only last month i did a video about Syria's use of chemical weapons? Something like that. And while the government never admitted it's use, they have agreed that by the end of june the chemical weapons will be out of the country.
In the January of 2014, Russia and a few others tried to get the Syrian government around a table to talk with them about what's happening, why it's happening and what can be done to stop it.... nothing too drastic. After 2 meetings the project failed and we're back to square one. The Syrian government pulled out of the talks because they would not hear what the opposition wanted... which is basically the current government to stand down and another one to be voted in.... infact, that's why they're in the mess they're in.
So what can be done next? Well, more talks are being planned and spoken about, the rest of the world is watching and of course condeming both sides and the actions they're taking, and more talks should take place to see if that could have an effect. However, should they fail....
1) Syria could be put under sanctions from other countrys, cutting off financial ties with the government etc. This, to me, would have a limited impact and with the way this government seems to be doing all it can to cling on to what power it has left, i don't think this would work.
2) War. Like, actual soldiers from other countrys, feet on the ground, war. An option i wouldn't like to see used, because i still believe there's other ways for this to be worked out first and should be tried first, however, this is seen as an option. I mean look, the country is in what's called a civil war at the moment as it is anyway, peoples lives are being lost by the hour and if war can bring an end to that, then, i suppose, it's a viable option.
3) A government take over. An option i believe has been used only 1 or 2 times in the past, but, as an example, The UK would send over troops and by force, take the government out of power and basically say "we will run this country until a suitable replacement is found".
These are just some of the options, BUT, i do stress that war, as in, other countrys sending in troops needs to be a last resort, we should always seek to resolve these kinds of problems with as few lives lost as possible.
We will have a normal Syria soon...
In the January of 2014, Russia and a few others tried to get the Syrian government around a table to talk with them about what's happening, why it's happening and what can be done to stop it.... nothing too drastic. After 2 meetings the project failed and we're back to square one. The Syrian government pulled out of the talks because they would not hear what the opposition wanted... which is basically the current government to stand down and another one to be voted in.... infact, that's why they're in the mess they're in.
So what can be done next? Well, more talks are being planned and spoken about, the rest of the world is watching and of course condeming both sides and the actions they're taking, and more talks should take place to see if that could have an effect. However, should they fail....
1) Syria could be put under sanctions from other countrys, cutting off financial ties with the government etc. This, to me, would have a limited impact and with the way this government seems to be doing all it can to cling on to what power it has left, i don't think this would work.
2) War. Like, actual soldiers from other countrys, feet on the ground, war. An option i wouldn't like to see used, because i still believe there's other ways for this to be worked out first and should be tried first, however, this is seen as an option. I mean look, the country is in what's called a civil war at the moment as it is anyway, peoples lives are being lost by the hour and if war can bring an end to that, then, i suppose, it's a viable option.
3) A government take over. An option i believe has been used only 1 or 2 times in the past, but, as an example, The UK would send over troops and by force, take the government out of power and basically say "we will run this country until a suitable replacement is found".
These are just some of the options, BUT, i do stress that war, as in, other countrys sending in troops needs to be a last resort, we should always seek to resolve these kinds of problems with as few lives lost as possible.
We will have a normal Syria soon...
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Nhs strike over pay? - Yeah, go for it!!!!
This one will only be a quick post because i'm actually off to get some much needed sleep after one hell of a day.
I say it's been one hell of a day, but, i've not been looking after people for the past 12 hours none-stop, constantly on my feet... such as, oooh i dunno, let's say a nurse.
NHS staff all over the UK last year were supposed to be jumping for joy at the news that they were to be gettng a 1% pay increase. This was said to be across the country.... only several area's have had to tell staff "actually, we cannot afford to give you the 1% pay increase". Let me just mention to you at this point, that this pay increase comes after around about a 4 year pay freeze deal that staff were pushed into.
Not only that, but todays news... the government seems to want the 1% back. 1% pay increase for some members of staf, 0% increase for others... and the government begrudges it to them? When how much has the cost of living gone up by? Errr... yeah, more that 1%.
So, NHS staff, by all means take your cause and go shout it out loud in london. Don't let them get away with this. The NHS is still something to be proud of and ALOT of hard work goes into it, starting at the ground level up. It deserves better pay and more staff to help cope with the work loads current staff are having to deal with. So, I, for one, am fully with any action NHS staff take.
Also... little note here... Dr's and Nurses are more than aware that they have a duty of care, even during strike action, people's lives are not going to be put into danger, staff will still work during strike times.... So support them.
I say it's been one hell of a day, but, i've not been looking after people for the past 12 hours none-stop, constantly on my feet... such as, oooh i dunno, let's say a nurse.
NHS staff all over the UK last year were supposed to be jumping for joy at the news that they were to be gettng a 1% pay increase. This was said to be across the country.... only several area's have had to tell staff "actually, we cannot afford to give you the 1% pay increase". Let me just mention to you at this point, that this pay increase comes after around about a 4 year pay freeze deal that staff were pushed into.
Not only that, but todays news... the government seems to want the 1% back. 1% pay increase for some members of staf, 0% increase for others... and the government begrudges it to them? When how much has the cost of living gone up by? Errr... yeah, more that 1%.
So, NHS staff, by all means take your cause and go shout it out loud in london. Don't let them get away with this. The NHS is still something to be proud of and ALOT of hard work goes into it, starting at the ground level up. It deserves better pay and more staff to help cope with the work loads current staff are having to deal with. So, I, for one, am fully with any action NHS staff take.
Also... little note here... Dr's and Nurses are more than aware that they have a duty of care, even during strike action, people's lives are not going to be put into danger, staff will still work during strike times.... So support them.
Monday, 10 March 2014
A mother breast feeding her daughter is a tramp?
Sometimes the news can really annoy me, because it shows the idiot's that the internet has given a slight voice to. I of course say this about today's news that a mother breast feeding her daughter has been labelled a tramp (click here to read the story)
To me, breast feeding is fine. Infact, truth be told, i'm actually not botherd about it. I know many nurses will encourage mothers to do it because of all the sciency stuff behind it... but how can mother's be expected to want to do it, when they're going to be subjected to riddicule as we're currently seeing.
Wasn't it only yesterday that it was women's day? A celebration of women and women's right's etc? Yet here we are, slapped back to reality by... well... reality.
Often with arguments like the breast feeding debate, i can see both sides and usually my opinion will fall kind of in the middle, but leaning towards one side. On this topic, i honestly cannot see the objection to breast feeding in a public place. It could just be me being narrow minded or completely missing something, but when i've seen breast feeding in public, i've not felt sick, it's not made me feel awkward... anything. I just don't see the objection to it.
Maybe the objection comes from those who say that women should have some level of modesty. I presume these people are aware that we're all born naked, and maybe i shouldn't find it laughable that these people often complain about women wearing burka's... so erm... what do you want women to do?
Maybe it's those who complain that it's giving men too much to see... pha! May i just at this point add that as a gay man, i went to toronto gay pride in 2012. Gay prides are usually full of mostly naked men, clothing in many cases seems to be optional... did i have to start dry humping them? No. Did i have to take pictures? No. Did i have to do anything i wouldn't have done if naked people hadn't have been there? No!
Look, the truth of it all is... i fail to see what the objection is to it, and i also fail to see why mothers should have to be subjected to such vile comments that i've seen on social media, when all's they're doing is feeding a child.
So, to those who don't like breast feeding in public... i say... don't go out in public.
To me, breast feeding is fine. Infact, truth be told, i'm actually not botherd about it. I know many nurses will encourage mothers to do it because of all the sciency stuff behind it... but how can mother's be expected to want to do it, when they're going to be subjected to riddicule as we're currently seeing.
Wasn't it only yesterday that it was women's day? A celebration of women and women's right's etc? Yet here we are, slapped back to reality by... well... reality.
Often with arguments like the breast feeding debate, i can see both sides and usually my opinion will fall kind of in the middle, but leaning towards one side. On this topic, i honestly cannot see the objection to breast feeding in a public place. It could just be me being narrow minded or completely missing something, but when i've seen breast feeding in public, i've not felt sick, it's not made me feel awkward... anything. I just don't see the objection to it.
Maybe the objection comes from those who say that women should have some level of modesty. I presume these people are aware that we're all born naked, and maybe i shouldn't find it laughable that these people often complain about women wearing burka's... so erm... what do you want women to do?
Maybe it's those who complain that it's giving men too much to see... pha! May i just at this point add that as a gay man, i went to toronto gay pride in 2012. Gay prides are usually full of mostly naked men, clothing in many cases seems to be optional... did i have to start dry humping them? No. Did i have to take pictures? No. Did i have to do anything i wouldn't have done if naked people hadn't have been there? No!
Look, the truth of it all is... i fail to see what the objection is to it, and i also fail to see why mothers should have to be subjected to such vile comments that i've seen on social media, when all's they're doing is feeding a child.
So, to those who don't like breast feeding in public... i say... don't go out in public.
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Rumours.... bringing fleetwood mac back to the road.
As some of you may know the Fleetwood Mac band had been going around the world touring their music once again until last year when the shows we're stopped with the sad news that John Mcvie was diagnosed with cancer. Now, I'm happy to report that even though he's still undergoing the treatment, Stevie Nicks has been in the press quoted as saying "He's gonna be fine" and my fingers are still crossed that he makes a full recovery.
Fleetwood Mac of course is a band which has been around longer than i have, their song's are sometimes hair raisingly touching and sometimes they're there to to get you out of your seat, up dancing and singing along. Where would we be then if most of the time we didn't have a good tribute band to them?
That's where Rumours of Fleetwood Mac come in. Granted, i have reviewed one of their show's before on here, i think it was when i saw them last year... or maybe the year before... i cannot for the life of me remember... so why am i doing it again?
Simply because last night's show was by far the best I've seen the band, but more importantly, it gave a new way of hearing some classic song's that I'd simply not heard done like that in a long time.
So, what happens at a Rumours of Fleetwood Mac show?
Without giving it all away, the theatre is plunged into darkness and the screen at the top of the stage shows a face the audience is bound to recognise. Mick Fleetwood none-the-less introduces the band, saying of how him and the rest of Fleetwood Mac cannot be there, but hope you'll be able to enjoy the music and have a good time at the show etc. That's when the music really begins.
I'm not going to tell you the set-list for this tour, but, if you happen to be able to go, there's some song's to look out for during the show...
- Songbird. This song has always been one of them which has held people literally by the hair's that shoot up on the back of your neck when you hear this song done rightly and Rumours have it down to a T. I can't explain to you how note perfect this song was done, how quiet the whole theatre fell as we hung on to listen to every crystal clear note, sang so well that you could literally close your eyes and Christine McVie was right in front of you, pouring her heart out.
- Big Love. I've heard this song many time's over the years, but it still amazes me how one of Rumours band members picks up his guitar and plays so well, you wonder how he wasn't in the real Fleetwood Mac.
- Landslide. This is the song that moved a number of people in the show almost to the point of tears. The new arrangement of this song is like giving a whole new life to the song. While it remains true to the original song, the added little extras help to get those hairs raised up on the back of your neck, taken fully up by the clear vocals and silence in the theatre where at times, you could have heard a pin drop.
- Go your own way. There's nothing really amazing or new about this song, but i list it because when you hear them do this, trust me, you'll want to be on your feet. Presumably they'll be coming towards the end of their set and they go out with a bang, don't do what i did and be sat down wishing you were stood up!
- Stand back. I'd heard about this song before, I'd even seen a video clip of it from when Fleetwood Mac were on tour, but nothing could prepare you for the intro to this song, nor, how catchy it actually is.
And that's just a few of the number's i enjoyed at the show.
In a few weeks time there's a Life With Bev video about this on my Youtube channel, but as i say in the video, if you can go and see Rumours, i urge you to go!
Click here to see where the shows are and if there's any tickets!
Thanks for reading... See you at the show?
Fleetwood Mac of course is a band which has been around longer than i have, their song's are sometimes hair raisingly touching and sometimes they're there to to get you out of your seat, up dancing and singing along. Where would we be then if most of the time we didn't have a good tribute band to them?
That's where Rumours of Fleetwood Mac come in. Granted, i have reviewed one of their show's before on here, i think it was when i saw them last year... or maybe the year before... i cannot for the life of me remember... so why am i doing it again?
Simply because last night's show was by far the best I've seen the band, but more importantly, it gave a new way of hearing some classic song's that I'd simply not heard done like that in a long time.
So, what happens at a Rumours of Fleetwood Mac show?
Without giving it all away, the theatre is plunged into darkness and the screen at the top of the stage shows a face the audience is bound to recognise. Mick Fleetwood none-the-less introduces the band, saying of how him and the rest of Fleetwood Mac cannot be there, but hope you'll be able to enjoy the music and have a good time at the show etc. That's when the music really begins.
I'm not going to tell you the set-list for this tour, but, if you happen to be able to go, there's some song's to look out for during the show...
- Songbird. This song has always been one of them which has held people literally by the hair's that shoot up on the back of your neck when you hear this song done rightly and Rumours have it down to a T. I can't explain to you how note perfect this song was done, how quiet the whole theatre fell as we hung on to listen to every crystal clear note, sang so well that you could literally close your eyes and Christine McVie was right in front of you, pouring her heart out.
- Big Love. I've heard this song many time's over the years, but it still amazes me how one of Rumours band members picks up his guitar and plays so well, you wonder how he wasn't in the real Fleetwood Mac.
- Landslide. This is the song that moved a number of people in the show almost to the point of tears. The new arrangement of this song is like giving a whole new life to the song. While it remains true to the original song, the added little extras help to get those hairs raised up on the back of your neck, taken fully up by the clear vocals and silence in the theatre where at times, you could have heard a pin drop.
- Go your own way. There's nothing really amazing or new about this song, but i list it because when you hear them do this, trust me, you'll want to be on your feet. Presumably they'll be coming towards the end of their set and they go out with a bang, don't do what i did and be sat down wishing you were stood up!
- Stand back. I'd heard about this song before, I'd even seen a video clip of it from when Fleetwood Mac were on tour, but nothing could prepare you for the intro to this song, nor, how catchy it actually is.
And that's just a few of the number's i enjoyed at the show.
In a few weeks time there's a Life With Bev video about this on my Youtube channel, but as i say in the video, if you can go and see Rumours, i urge you to go!
Click here to see where the shows are and if there's any tickets!
Thanks for reading... See you at the show?
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