Miliband Schmiliband: Should we actually care about the new Labour leader?

The Miliband brothers: more than just a depressing look into Tim Henman's future? Or is a Miliband just a Miliband?

When two brothers, brought up by Marxist parents, both join the Labour party, both rise through the ranks and both have a shot at party leader can they really be that different? Well, apparently they can be. Simultaneously rising through the ranks the brothers remained on separate sides of the Brown/Blair divide.

Now, I've read through pages of information comparing the brothers and I think the party made the right decision. Ed Miliband is not a left wing activist but nor is he a Tory-smoozing let's please everyone politician. I'm fed up of politicians sticking to the middle ground. We're in a pluralist democracy and opposition creates debate and accountability. David Miliband wants to create "Next Labour" which sounds essentially like New Labour without the bad press. Whereas Ed wants to "rediscover radicalism" (Don't worry, not in a scary extremist way.) and I can't help but think, "Good on ya, Eddy!"
What happened to the opposition actually being the opposition?  My own beliefs are annoying Liberal.

Before the Con-dem coelition I was annoyed by the left-centre nature of the Lib Dem policies but now Clegg's turned into a Tory flag waver, I'm annoyed that they can't make their mind up. I'd be happy when the Tory's are back to stealing our milk and favouring the rich, when Labour are back to loving the NHS and the Libdems are back to.... well, they've never really been that Liberal anyway. Actually. I probably wouldn't be that happy. But at least I'd know where each party stood, and that it wasn't on the same square of pavement staring lustfully at that symbol of power we call Downing Street.

Apathy, my friends. This boils down to political apathy. What happened to huge ideological divides?

Everyone's singing to the same boring tune now.

Woah woah woah....... I live like on my own now?!?!

Okay, so maybe not "on my own" but my Mom's not across the hall. She's across the country. Which means she can't text me from across the hall asking for me to make her a cup of coffee. Though she also can't clean my kitchen. (Which is currently covered in glitter.)

And after over a year of this situation I think I just realised that I was in it. I've lived on my own for a year! I buy my own food. I mess up tidy my own room. I control my own money. I do my own shopping. And something that I think is certainly a self-improvement: I don't spend my whole day watching tv shows and perusing the internet. (Sometimes I go outside now)

On the other hand, I'm not here celebrating a year of choosing my own bedtime, making my own food and coming home at crazy hours. I had all that before. There must be some people who didn't have the independence that I had during sixth form who were chucked out into the wild world no knowing how to rustle up a pasta bake and rejoicing at the ability to not get up until late afternoon if they so choose to. I think my tiny brain may have crumpled if I'd gone from mothered luxury to being sat baffled in front of my cupboard wondering why I couldn't make a roast dinner out of some Jaffa Cakes, a mouldy crumpet and cheap schnapps.

I wonder if any people have come out of first year still not feeding themselves on anything more complicated that beans on toast, being miles into an overdraft they've got no hope of paying off without a job and getting their Mum to do their washing. I hope these people don't exist.

Kinda makes me sad.

There's something wrong on the internet!

Dear BBC, I don't think I wanna be your friend anymore. When someone uses the phrase "geek chic" I don't want to be their friend. In fact, I want to punch them in their pretentious face. And Aunty Beeb? You used that very phrase in this article. You've annoyed me enough with "geek chic", don't get me started on "nerdcore". This kind of stuff's been around for ages with artists like Jonathan Coulton and They Might Be Giants have been around for years. And it's only recently that the genre "trock" (That's time-lord rock) popped up thanks to a group of lads on YouTube.





"Geek chic" brings to mind those horrid club theme night that get those orange girls trussed up in school uniforms and 3D glasses with the lenses popped out. Excuse me while I heave. I know my own geek credentials aren't completely up to scratch but this is really something else.


image source

You're not a geek. You don't need glasses. You wouldn't know that Battlestar Galactica existed if it wasn't for The Big Bang Theory. And you're still confused about what a Cylon is.

I blame the hipsters for all of this. Micheal Cera too. I blame him.

</rant over>

The Applemath

The techbloggers have been out in force over yesterday's music event and to be honest I can't see any conclusive opinion on the annoucements.

But as an update to my blog yesterday here's some links that i've found interesting.
Gizmodo's hands on impressions
A breakdown of what was announced (from Gizmodo)
What Engadget had to say
Even Aunty Beeb had a (mildly difficult to find) article on her website... Alas as dumbed down as most of her tech news.

Also, since yesterday I've learnt something... interesting. Apple's done something strange. And I believe, stupid. Ping, the new musical social network integrated into iTunes 10 does not infact have Facebook connect like the screenshots from the keynote promised. Is it really wise too leave out the biggest social network in the world?



image courtesy of Gizmodo.com

OHAITHERE Apple Fangirlishness, you have returned. You may proceed with the blog.

September 1st, time for an Apple music event.




So once again my fangirl gland will pulsate excitedly whilst I stare at a computer screen. Well, this time I probably won't have the luxury of such a large screen. See, Apple has done something a little bit odd for today's announcement. Steve Jobs will be presenting the event from far away San Francisco and the whole saga will be broadcast live online for anyone to watch. Well, not quite everyone, this is Apple afterall.

You only have the priveledge of watching live from an Apple product and as my Macbook is 60 odd miles away in Lincoln I'm stuck with the tiny screen of my iPod.* Oh Apple, you really need to stop acting like an upmarket, overpriced members-only club. Even if that's what you are. And if that's what you are then I darn right want a few more wingback chairs in Apple store.
*Let's ignore the fact that pizza stopped me from watching it live at all. Damn cheesy goodness

Give me a drum roll please for the big announcements.