Thoughts on Tech, Music, Politics

  • The closure of Becta

    The majority of people who are pleased at the closure of Becta are most likely so because they disagreed in some way or another with their leanings on various issues, for example their take on open source software in schools. These people can safely be ignored, along with those who decry “waste of taxpayer’s money!” […]

  • Hung Parliament, 5 days in

    So – you voted for a hung parliament! Well, you may not have personally voted for such a thing, but you have to accept that the British people as a whole did so, and that’s what we have got. Here’s what I am hearing from the British public right now: “Don’t do it Nick!” “Do […]

  • How I will vote

    This is a response to the excellent writings of Stephen Fry on the same subject. His is a long piece but well worth the read: http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/05/04/how-i-will-vote/ In the same way I know that writing this blog post (adapted from a message left on the blog of Stephen Fry) has no bearing on anyone’s views, indeed […]

  • People who look at car crashes

    Why does a celeb, posthumously, become a superhero? I could name a few – who had varying degrees of talent (from ‘zero’ to ‘some’) – who have been raised to this state. This is not really related to the Radio 4 Feedback programme itself, more to a programme that was played out this week featuring […]

  • Browser Ballot

    Browser ballot. Ballot? What, like an election? You mean, it’s more than a mere choice, it’s a personal statement of belief, a vote? It appears that way. Each browser has its manifesto. A page held on a politically neutral website that outlines what the browser stands for. What the hell? Today I was doing some […]

  • All because of coffee

    Today I realised I may have a problem. I was more than just a little frustrated. I feared the bad coffee served to me in the Beaconsfield branch of Costa Coffee (franchise name: Coffee Snobs) would actually ruin my day. Bad coffee and its effects have ruined my day before. I couldn’t let it do […]

  • How to get things done

    The whole concept of consolidating one’s thoughts into a list is something that fascinates me. Why? Because I’m not a listy kind of person. I’m very much an improviser in life, I don’t like to be tied-down to systems or structures, I love to see how things go before I commit – but I still […]

  • “Is this a Turner for the better” and other clever headlines

    The most convincing criticism of contemporary art in general (also known by some of my friends as ‘conceptual bull’), is that most of it exists only to question the audience’s view of what art is. Such art, I agree, is not art. At least, it was considered so back in the 60s, where it was […]

  • Please visit my new portfolio website

    Dear Readers If you haven’t already seen, a redesigned, SEO friendly, more extensible version of my photography portfolio website is now online. Please visit it here: www.matsmithphotography.com You can also see my Facebook page, and follow my updates by ‘becoming a fan’: www.facebook.com/matsmithphotography

  • Royal Mail. Doing Justice to its 'Royal' Roots.

    Royal Mail delivered one letter for me, one for 61 Tunis Road (lucky me!) and one for 61 Stanlanke Road. That’s why I can’t vote Labour…