A blog by James: Gamer, Father, Geek.

It’s a phrase that Me and the Missus often joke about. That if only everyone was like us, the world would be perfect. But just why are people the way they are?

When I’m being shouted at by someone, their face screwed up with hate, and all I’ve done is ask them to do something that is expected of them, I just think “Why are you being so rude?”.

When I dodge out of the way of someone who’s not prepared to move an inch I wonder “Why do you have no respect for others?”.

When I hear people talking loudly about their sex/drink/drug habits in public I think “Why do you have no respect for yourself?”.

I understand factually that there are many things both nature and nurture that affect how a person turns out, but I cannot truly comprehend why people are intentionally rude and aggressive. I almost feel incapable of empathizing with them. I’ve never been the ‘Alpha Male’ type and following rules and doing what I’m told by authority figures is just in my nature. When I’m with a group that’s just been told it’s time to leave the pub for the second time and they all casually laugh it off I start to feel very anxious. They’ve just asked us to do something we know we should do, why aren’t you all doing it? They have a job to do! We expect that kind of respect and basic compliance in our respective jobs so why should it be different when we’re the ones being asked to do something?

In a few of the books I read there variations on a technology that lets us share thoughts and/or feelings and I wonder if we would be a better society if we had this capability. If I had the ability to show someone how their actions are making me feel, would they change their actions? Would we all be more considerate people?

Blah. This has taken me forever to write. I’ve deleted sections and re-written them a million times because I can’t just spit it out. The reason for writing it came from the fact someone was rude to me for no real reason and I just felt incapable of understanding why they would behave like that towards me. What events have happened in their life to make them act that way not just on a one off, but the majority of the time. This is a wreck of a person who I can only see going further downhill through life.

Good job I believe you reap what you sow.

I think if we all just followed these wise words, the world would be a better place:

“Don’t be a dick.” – Wil Wheaton

It was nice whilst it lasted but I’m throwing in the towel. I’ve not done too badly but the thought of keeping it up for another 10 months is not a happy thought.

I will of course make posts still but I think just when I feel the need to, not doing them because I feel I should.

YAAAAAAAAAAAY!

It’s half term next week. Working in a school has many drawbacks but also some pretty good perks, 14 weeks holiday a year being one of them.

We don’t have much planned other than going to see Paul at the cinema. I need to catch up with some OU reading, but other than that it’s the usual lazing about. Hannah will still go to nursery and then one day with each set of grandparents so nicely we will have time to ourselves. Will probably sink in a fair bit of time into my book and possibly try to finally get into Dragon Age: Origins as the sequel is out soon and the PC Gamer review is very glowing. It did take me 3 tries to get into Mass Effect and I ended up loving that so perhaps the same will happen with Dragon Age.

Anyhow, let the lazing about commence…now!

(Yes, yes, no change there :p)

If there’s one smug phrase that makes me want to punch David Cameron in the face even more than normal, it’s “Big Society”. Not because the idea of it is necessarily bad, it’s not. Volunteers helping to improve local communities is a good idea. It’s the fact that as far as I, a lowly pleb of a citizen, can tell, it’s just a buzz word. Just what exactly is being done? You know, apart from drastically slashing the budgets of local councils that do support volunteer organizations.

If Cameron is as passionate about it as he’s been going on about today, why is there so little information about what the scheme is about? I want to know the practical side of it. It’s all well and good saying £100 million is set aside for people to grab at for their Big Society ideas but I have no context for that number. Is that a lot? I have no idea. Also when we take into account the council budget cuts, how does that realistically affect that figure?

In the BBC article today one quote in particular enraged me, from Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude:

“We have got to look at ways of doing things differently. The idea that you’ve got to have your Sure Start centre and your library and everything all in separate places because otherwise there won’t be places for people to volunteer is simply absurd.”

Yeah. Oh we don’t need schools or hospitals either. How silly, the teachers and doctors can just go to your house! Or they can all do it at the same time in the same building. You can have your leg amputated whilst you brush up on your maths.

The next quote is also astonishingly stupid:

“I would say we have had a huge communication success because everyone is talking about it,” he said.

Yes people are talking about it. Including me on my tiny blog! You know why? Because we’re all asking what the bloody hell it actually means! I’d call that a spectacular communication failure.

How depressing to think that we have over 4 more years with this lot in charge.

I’m not really here. I’ve been asleep since about 7pm. Arm hurts more than initially thought. Some lovely bruises forming!

Anyway with not much inclination to stay conscious much longer, I just dedicate today’s post to Dr Erdst. Took Hannah to him to check out her persistent cough. All is ok, but I just wanted to say he was the loveliest doctor I’ve ever met. So good with Hannah, very thorough in checking her out and just a nice person. When I was putting Hannah’s coat back on he was drawing a smiley face on a tongue depressor for her to have when we left.

I think all future appointments will be with him where possible!

That’s enough, back to the slumber. Hopefully Hannah will not be getting up at 5am tomorrow like she did today (hence the tiredness).