Haka-ed off by cultural minefield

It is official. There is no acceptable response to the Haka.
The traditional Maori call to arms performed by New Zealand’s rugby players before every international match has become something of a bone of contention in recent years.
Some argue it should be banned. I don’t agree.
But we do seem to have reached a point where there [...]

Winter breakfast dilemma

I rediscovered my love of breakfast cereals back in the Spring, around the time I got back on my bike.
A big bowl of cereal was the ideal way to refuel after my early morning ride around the city’s quiet, duck-filled streets.
I’m still enjoying my morning bowl of goodness, but I’m facing a dilemma.
I only like [...]

Another Brum UFO, hardcore sitting, camouflage espionage and g’bye cobbers

A crisp round-up for a clear, frosty morning:
The crew of a police helicopter have claimed they narrowly avoided disaster when flying over Birmingham earlier this year after a near miss with a UFO.
The truth is still out there.
Sixteen-year-old Aaron Fotheringham has become the first person to gain official recognition for perfecting a back flip in [...]

The Carers’ Trade Union

I had been planning to blog about the fairly significant changes that have taken place for Rachel and I over the last fortnight anyway.
But then Carer Watch provided a nice new hook by sending me an email regarding the launch of the first ever Carers’ Trade Union.
What a fantastic idea.
It is proactive, determined, professional, passionate, belligerent, fiercely independent [...]

BBC should stick to what it does poorly

So the BBC Trust has spoken, not finally as yet, on the corporation’s £68m proposals to increase local news coverage.
The Trust isn’t impressed with the proposals, which have caused a good deal of consternation amongst regional newspapers.
But whereas the majority of the criticism directed at the plan from regional publishers focused on the commercial impact, [...]

MPs get censored, living on treasure island and green lines

A mid-week round up taking in rude MPs, the hunt for gold and creating green spaces:
A Labour MP claims to have been stripped of some of his parliamentary allowance over his blogging activity.
Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West (my former local MP), has caused a little consternation in parliamentary circles for his less than generous observation [...]

My mouse ate my homework

Kids say the funniest things, apparently.
Pupils today have come up with a list of decidedly 21st century excuses for not delivering their homework on time.
Excuses now involve technology, although it seems many still lack any kind of wit or imagination. They include:

My computer crashed and I lost it
I finished my homework but then I deleted [...]

Manic Christians, Google catches cold, crunched celebs and dead parrots

Its been a hell of a week in many respects (more on that soon), so here’s a mixed bag of a round-up to usher in the weekend:
A poetry reading at a Cardiff bookshop was cancelled amid rumours that fundamentalist Christians were planning to stage a protest.
“Are we living in Iran?” asked poet Patrick Jones, brother of [...]

Core skills still needed in the brave new world

Trainee journalists lack core skills such as news gathering and writing when entering the workplace.
That is the headline grabbing conclusion of a new survey, with more than 70% of employers who took part in the research claiming increased focus on multimedia lessons as part of the curriculum means the basics are not being covered.
I really [...]

The election aftermath

It is a new week and the new dawn is still exercising our minds.
Barack Obama’s election to the US presidency is, without doubt, a significant moment and provides plenty of reason for hope.
There is plenty to comment on, speculate about and analyse ahead of Mr Obama’s inauguration.
And yet I am beginning to wonder whether the [...]