With the end of the Lisbon Treaty referendum arriving yesterday, we must look ahead to the future of our country.
Many prominent Lisbon supporters were quick to voice their disappointment at the rejection of this treaty on Friday. Dermot Ahern highlighted his own concerns that Europe was now facing "uncharted waters". However, while our political future is unknown, our democratic system is certainly secure.
This security does not come from any specific referendum issue and is certainly not a result of the rejection of Lisbon. Instead, it comes from the democratic process we have in place. While we may not agree with the outcome of a vote, it is essential that we stand by our system and recognise that the voice of the electorate must be followed. It is a testament to this country that all political figures have already recognised and stressed the importance of this collective responsibility.
However, it is a shame that this praise cannot be extended to the European Union in general. Many prominent E.U. supporters have begun to vilify the Irish as anti-European and anti-reform. These are the same leaders who decided that Lisbon can only be accepted if ratified in all member states. Consequently, it is the duty of European leaders to recognise that collective responsibility must be practiced on an international level, not just a domestic one.
We have collectively rejected this treaty. We must now collectively decide on a way forward.
-The English Student
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Securalism - Society
"We have just religion enough to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another" - Jonathon Swift
Across the world, we find political leaders constantly highlighting their religious beliefs as sources for actions. There seems to be automatic acceptance when spirituality is cited with regards to government. But this innate reverence for religion (especially in politics) creates many problems.
When a ruling body decides to make decisions based on religion, the people are subject to any interpretation that said leaders come to. War, destruction and division emerge where these policies are followed. Even when politicians simply pander to a religious electorate they validate the prominance of spirituality within the decision making body of a country.
Instead of showing equal respect to all religions, governments should strive to completely seperate themselves from all forms of spirituality. While many religious people would claim that it is impossible to remove ecclesiastical concerns from any decision, this attitude does not take in to account the varying beliefs found throughout the population. These differences will not be reconciled, but instead should be bypassed.
I am no enemy of religion, but i do oppose the use of spirituality as an excuse for government actions.
-The English Student
Across the world, we find political leaders constantly highlighting their religious beliefs as sources for actions. There seems to be automatic acceptance when spirituality is cited with regards to government. But this innate reverence for religion (especially in politics) creates many problems.
When a ruling body decides to make decisions based on religion, the people are subject to any interpretation that said leaders come to. War, destruction and division emerge where these policies are followed. Even when politicians simply pander to a religious electorate they validate the prominance of spirituality within the decision making body of a country.
Instead of showing equal respect to all religions, governments should strive to completely seperate themselves from all forms of spirituality. While many religious people would claim that it is impossible to remove ecclesiastical concerns from any decision, this attitude does not take in to account the varying beliefs found throughout the population. These differences will not be reconciled, but instead should be bypassed.
I am no enemy of religion, but i do oppose the use of spirituality as an excuse for government actions.
-The English Student
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Dirty Pretty Things: Concert Review
As Carl Barât chanted "You Fucking Love It" at a crowd in the Academy last night, one had to concede that he was only telling the truth.
While I had yet to see any former-Libertines play live, there was a certain amount of expectation for the evening. The day started out quite well as my friends and I became "those fans" who push their way into a meal the band is having for a picture opportunity. But despite our boldness, Carl, Didz and Anthony were extremely polite and quite literally jumped at the chance to meet fans. As we left the café, a friend of mine suggested that they "give us a good show". It seems that they took this to heart.
The band tore through an excellent set that combined both their old classics and new material from the upcoming album "Romance at Short Notice". While it is very difficult to choose a highlight of the evening, "Deadwood" and "B.U.R.M.A." stand out as points of focus. But of course, the new material is certainly of note. These fresh tracks were spread out perfectly to ensure the best reception from the crowd. While I did have doubts about the upcoming material, those worries have been firmly pushed aside by the carefree and exciting manner in which they were delivered.
Also, the stage presence of Dirty Pretty Things must be mentioned in any review of their live performance. Each band member firmly commanded their area of the stage, creating quite a live spectacle. While attention was being paid to the band overall, Carl Barât lead the Dirty Pretty Things as an amazing front man. His on stage eloquence and obvious emotional connection to his music all contributed to create a truly amazing show.
Between my friends and I, we left the Academy with two drumsticks, a t-shirt and a picture with the band. But most importantly, we left with the knowledge that the future of British rock music is still in safe hands.
-The English Student
While I had yet to see any former-Libertines play live, there was a certain amount of expectation for the evening. The day started out quite well as my friends and I became "those fans" who push their way into a meal the band is having for a picture opportunity. But despite our boldness, Carl, Didz and Anthony were extremely polite and quite literally jumped at the chance to meet fans. As we left the café, a friend of mine suggested that they "give us a good show". It seems that they took this to heart.
The band tore through an excellent set that combined both their old classics and new material from the upcoming album "Romance at Short Notice". While it is very difficult to choose a highlight of the evening, "Deadwood" and "B.U.R.M.A." stand out as points of focus. But of course, the new material is certainly of note. These fresh tracks were spread out perfectly to ensure the best reception from the crowd. While I did have doubts about the upcoming material, those worries have been firmly pushed aside by the carefree and exciting manner in which they were delivered.
Also, the stage presence of Dirty Pretty Things must be mentioned in any review of their live performance. Each band member firmly commanded their area of the stage, creating quite a live spectacle. While attention was being paid to the band overall, Carl Barât lead the Dirty Pretty Things as an amazing front man. His on stage eloquence and obvious emotional connection to his music all contributed to create a truly amazing show.
Between my friends and I, we left the Academy with two drumsticks, a t-shirt and a picture with the band. But most importantly, we left with the knowledge that the future of British rock music is still in safe hands.
-The English Student
Sunday, May 25, 2008
European Reform Treaty: Poster Campaign
As the vote on the European Reform Treaty approaches, both sides of the debate are increasing their canvassing campaign.
Most notably, the volume of posters to be found throughout the capital city has risen exponentially. While these posters mostly deal with the expected issues of an economic and environmental nature, there is a specific one that stands out. Apparently, should the treaty be accepted, we will be insulting the memory of those who "died for (our) freedom".
This is absolute rubbish. While one may mount an argument that our freedom was bought with blood, this is irrelevant to the referendum. The fact is, we have a free country and a democratic populace that has a right to vote in any way they choose. Do these groups honestly believe that the ghosts of past leaders will haunt us for exercising the same democratic rights that they fought for?
These scare tactics are a despicable attempt by liars and manipulators to take advantage of our national pride. If past fighters for sovereignty would have any problem with this referendum, I am positive it would be regarding this underhanded and downright appalling campaign strategy.
These issues will not affect my vote. They will, however, make me far more wary of people who are so willing to dupe and deceive the population.
-The English Student
Most notably, the volume of posters to be found throughout the capital city has risen exponentially. While these posters mostly deal with the expected issues of an economic and environmental nature, there is a specific one that stands out. Apparently, should the treaty be accepted, we will be insulting the memory of those who "died for (our) freedom".
This is absolute rubbish. While one may mount an argument that our freedom was bought with blood, this is irrelevant to the referendum. The fact is, we have a free country and a democratic populace that has a right to vote in any way they choose. Do these groups honestly believe that the ghosts of past leaders will haunt us for exercising the same democratic rights that they fought for?
These scare tactics are a despicable attempt by liars and manipulators to take advantage of our national pride. If past fighters for sovereignty would have any problem with this referendum, I am positive it would be regarding this underhanded and downright appalling campaign strategy.
These issues will not affect my vote. They will, however, make me far more wary of people who are so willing to dupe and deceive the population.
-The English Student
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Aeon Flux: Ether Drift Theory
Society innately believes its' ideals to be correct and exportable. Often, this is totally unjustified.
Trevor Goodchild's "petri-dish" of a civilisation becomes breached by exterior forces. The result of which is the utter destruction of all the life and achievements of this population. A haunting echo with past colonisation creeps forward from this catastrophe.
Monetarily and militiraily, powerful societies have had a tendency to forcefully export their own institutions, religion and attitudes. As Robinson Crusoe violated the untainted island, world leaders have enforeced their beliefs on virgin soil. This of course, is always implemented to the advantage of the originating country and government.
While "colonisation" is usually associated with the Age of Exploration, few things have changed since the fifteenth century. The Cold War opponents of the United States and Russia created puppet states to further their own ideals. In more recent times, the wars engulfing the middle east seem like an attempt by western forces to derail alternative world views. If such a perception of reality was truly "correct", people would naturally accept it, thereby negating this reason for war.
As Trevor's "perfectly balanced eco-system" crumbles into oblivion, we the sole survivors are left to consider the adverse effects of colonial attitudes.
-The English Student
Trevor Goodchild's "petri-dish" of a civilisation becomes breached by exterior forces. The result of which is the utter destruction of all the life and achievements of this population. A haunting echo with past colonisation creeps forward from this catastrophe.
Monetarily and militiraily, powerful societies have had a tendency to forcefully export their own institutions, religion and attitudes. As Robinson Crusoe violated the untainted island, world leaders have enforeced their beliefs on virgin soil. This of course, is always implemented to the advantage of the originating country and government.
While "colonisation" is usually associated with the Age of Exploration, few things have changed since the fifteenth century. The Cold War opponents of the United States and Russia created puppet states to further their own ideals. In more recent times, the wars engulfing the middle east seem like an attempt by western forces to derail alternative world views. If such a perception of reality was truly "correct", people would naturally accept it, thereby negating this reason for war.
As Trevor's "perfectly balanced eco-system" crumbles into oblivion, we the sole survivors are left to consider the adverse effects of colonial attitudes.
-The English Student
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Nine Inch Nails: The Slip
Nine Inch Nails released their newest album, The Slip this week and once again we are given a chance to engage with Trent Reznor's wonderfully twisted mind.
This album was not released in a traditional manner. On May fifth, Reznor posted a blog entry on the Nine Inch Nails website with the message that the new album is finished and that "this one's on" him. Following a quick registration, fans are capable of downloading the entire album in various format including the high quality .OGG and .FLAC file types along with the more mainstream (but still high quality) .MP3 format. This marks a change for the band whose work has increasingly appeared online for download, but never for free.
Of course, one can naturally make the argument "you get what you pay for" and assume that this album is not being sold simply because it is not of commercial quality. However, this delusion quickly falls away upon first listening to The Slip. Reznor retains the original hard rock industrial sound that has been found on all Nine Inch Nails work and once again creates a wonderful album. From the charging dark beginning of "1,000,000" to the thrilling evil of "Head Down", Reznor gives us an album full of bleak macabre art.
Of course, this album is far from perfect. There is a drop off in quality between the two highlights of the album, "Lights in the Sky" and "Demon Seed", wherein we are given an extended instrumental track. This is not so much a bad song as a wasted opportunity. However, the main criticism that could be leveled at this, the seventh Nine Inch Nails album, is in relation to originality. Reznor has not moved far from his comfortable genre in this new work. Yet when one looks at the actual quality of this production, coupled with the maturing songwriting and vocal skills of Reznor, we quickly find that while this album is not entirely original, it is almost certainly the best example of what Nine Inch Nails are renowned for.
Overall, The Slip relies on the heavily used canvas of former Nine Inch Nails material. However, the brilliance of this particular iteration highlights the true nature of Trent Reznor - an artistic genius.
-The English Student
This album was not released in a traditional manner. On May fifth, Reznor posted a blog entry on the Nine Inch Nails website with the message that the new album is finished and that "this one's on" him. Following a quick registration, fans are capable of downloading the entire album in various format including the high quality .OGG and .FLAC file types along with the more mainstream (but still high quality) .MP3 format. This marks a change for the band whose work has increasingly appeared online for download, but never for free.
Of course, one can naturally make the argument "you get what you pay for" and assume that this album is not being sold simply because it is not of commercial quality. However, this delusion quickly falls away upon first listening to The Slip. Reznor retains the original hard rock industrial sound that has been found on all Nine Inch Nails work and once again creates a wonderful album. From the charging dark beginning of "1,000,000" to the thrilling evil of "Head Down", Reznor gives us an album full of bleak macabre art.
Of course, this album is far from perfect. There is a drop off in quality between the two highlights of the album, "Lights in the Sky" and "Demon Seed", wherein we are given an extended instrumental track. This is not so much a bad song as a wasted opportunity. However, the main criticism that could be leveled at this, the seventh Nine Inch Nails album, is in relation to originality. Reznor has not moved far from his comfortable genre in this new work. Yet when one looks at the actual quality of this production, coupled with the maturing songwriting and vocal skills of Reznor, we quickly find that while this album is not entirely original, it is almost certainly the best example of what Nine Inch Nails are renowned for.
Overall, The Slip relies on the heavily used canvas of former Nine Inch Nails material. However, the brilliance of this particular iteration highlights the true nature of Trent Reznor - an artistic genius.
-The English Student
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Audio Surf
Music is a pure medium and this simplicity should not be interfered with. Audio Surf, however, engages with music to create a unique experience.
When I have some spare time on my hands, it often occurs to me to play a shallow freeware game for some quick entertainment. Unfortunately, these games rarely satisfy me, as the game mechanic is either too simple or too complicated. In addition to this, many of these games force you to listen to their own terrible soundtracks without an option to play your own music. But at last, a game developer has found the perfect balance of these elements.
Audio Surf is an Independent Games Festival award winning program developed by Dylan Fitterer. The player chooses a music track from their hard-drive and following this, Audio Surf analyses the song and creates a racing track that corresponds to the instrumental levels of the song. As the music moves between various tempos and phrases the racing track corresponds with colour and speed changes. Overall, this creates a wonderful physical iteration of a song that the player can directly experience while engaging with an entertaining game mechanic.
This fascinating development comes at a time when both the gaming and music industry are facing particular challenges. The music industry is struggling to make profit as a result of an increasingly prolific piracy scene, while the gaming industry is becoming stagnant as a result of growing developer monopolies. I believe that innovations such as Audio Surf are the best answer to both of these problems. I would certainly consider paying for an album if the ability to use their music in Audio Surf came with the package and likewise, I will readily pay for a game that offers so much revolution.
Audio Surf has the ability to show both industries the way forward. But regardless of whether this lead is taken, the game itself is a magnificent combination of entertainment and innovation and as such, must be played.
-The English Student
When I have some spare time on my hands, it often occurs to me to play a shallow freeware game for some quick entertainment. Unfortunately, these games rarely satisfy me, as the game mechanic is either too simple or too complicated. In addition to this, many of these games force you to listen to their own terrible soundtracks without an option to play your own music. But at last, a game developer has found the perfect balance of these elements.
Audio Surf is an Independent Games Festival award winning program developed by Dylan Fitterer. The player chooses a music track from their hard-drive and following this, Audio Surf analyses the song and creates a racing track that corresponds to the instrumental levels of the song. As the music moves between various tempos and phrases the racing track corresponds with colour and speed changes. Overall, this creates a wonderful physical iteration of a song that the player can directly experience while engaging with an entertaining game mechanic.
This fascinating development comes at a time when both the gaming and music industry are facing particular challenges. The music industry is struggling to make profit as a result of an increasingly prolific piracy scene, while the gaming industry is becoming stagnant as a result of growing developer monopolies. I believe that innovations such as Audio Surf are the best answer to both of these problems. I would certainly consider paying for an album if the ability to use their music in Audio Surf came with the package and likewise, I will readily pay for a game that offers so much revolution.
Audio Surf has the ability to show both industries the way forward. But regardless of whether this lead is taken, the game itself is a magnificent combination of entertainment and innovation and as such, must be played.
-The English Student
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