I am not really one for getting stuck into a deep and meaningful conversation about politics, in fact I couldn’t think of a duller topic. But, with the up and coming general election I am getting extremely fed up with Labour and Conservative, the two larger political parties, slagging each other off! In my books they are not doing themselves any favors towards persuading me to vote for them. I am confused as to who has done what, both parties are liars; apparently everything each party has done is rubbish; we are all doomed; they say their policies are rubbish; he is sleeping with his nanny; they will take more tax from you. It is worse than an episode of EastEnders! What I really want to know is, what good things are each party going to do for me and my country if they win, every bad thing that has been done in the past is of no real use for the future!

I am always one for thinking positivly, what are the GOOD things that this country has achieved!? Conservatives slogan “Are you thinking what we are thinking?”, No! I am not! I don’t want to be told what to think, I want someone to listen to me! Would “We are thinking what you are thinking” not be a better slogan?? And Labour’s slogan “A Very Simple Choice”, again, are they telling me what to think? huurm, yes they do make it simple don’t they? Was this why Tony Blair was so easily swayed to go to war because George Bush told him, it is “A Very Simple Choice”! So it leaves me with no choice but to vote for Liberal Democrats who seem to be “The Nice Guys” telling us plainly what they are going to do for me and my country without putting the other parties down.

“Are you thinking what we are thinking?” –UK Conservative Political Party Election Slogan

I went for a run yesterday! Prompted by a few factors:

1) I am attempting to get fit again!
2) It is spring and the sun beckons me outside.
3) I want to use my spare time wisely.
4) It always sets me up for a good day when I get up earlier and do something constructive.

I went for a good long run across Milton common, along the seafront to Southsea pier, it was a really nice run and it felt really good until…. the next morning! I woke up this morning aching all over and still with the remnants of the cold symptoms from the beginning of the week. I had every intention to go for another healthy run or cycle today but couldn’t get the motivation together. Instead I sat in my room all day learning a few cool effects that you can do with Adobe Photoshop.

What I have learnt recently: Photoshop effects… The first which I call “dot art” was achieved by using the Gaussian Blur filter then the Pixilate -> Color Half Tone filter. The second cool effect of “flying blocks” was achieved by using the Stylize -> Extrude filter.

“You realize the sun doesn’t go down, it’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning around.” –The Flaming Lips, Song: Do You Realise?

So… I have become slightly more interested in blogging since I saw its potential to help me remember things. I have also started looking further into some of the technical standards which have arisen from blogging, such as RSS, TrackBack and Wikis. My past week has been a bit ’same-old-same-old’ really, I am still trying to find a job, I do have one potential job on the horizon with a wireless broadband provider in Alton, I will hopefully hear back from them by the end of the month, although I should still really be searching through the job websites today. This weekend I went up to visit my friend Joe in Coventry, it was really good to see him, we went out pubbing, DVD shopping, generally caught up on goings-on and I distracted him from doing his university dissertation which is due in this coming Friday (ahhh the memories of my dissertation as I look back to a year ago on my JLSNet news/blog!). Since coming back, I have acquired a nasty cold/flu bug which was possibly incubated by the long, hot and stuffy train journey back from Coventry. What I have learned: Coventry City has had 3 cathedrals.

“Helped by the Young Lions, The Old Lion Defies His Foes - Enlist Now.” –British WWI Poster - Artist-Arthur Wardle

Is it just me or does anyone actually watch or find anything of interest on the second disk that comes with nearly every DVD movie these days? It seems that everyone and their mum is bringing out “special edition two-disk set” movies! I would personally prefer it if they left out the second DVD and reduced the cost. In my experience the second disk usually contains a few photos, some more credits, a tribute to Aunt Nelly, adverts for the movie computer game, if you are lucky some out-takes and a whole other version of the same film with the director/actors talking over it…which is another thing! That whole movie commentary thing, ’tis a nice idea but I have never felt the need to sit through the exact same movie again with people talking over it. These things are there to look like ‘value-add’ but I am onto the movie makers - I know their game! Well… that was a funny Jimbo rant! - I just wanted to get it off my chest! Who knows maybe it is just me who is getting old and becoming Scrooge like, everyone may love 2 disk DVD’s, but if I don’t say anything I may never find out if there is anyone else with the same weight on their mind!

“The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice.” –Gandhi

Today is the day when I have finally decided that JLSNet news is now to become a blog! A blog or “weblog” is defined as a page with dated entries, so I guess that this page has always been a blog, but my intentions for this page have slightly changed… I now intend to start posting more personal comments in the form of a journal. Such information may be feelings, announcements, brainstorms, events, ideas, general Jimbo updates, links, site news and the usual sort of babble which goes on in most peoples blogs. I have decided to do this to aid me in my continuing efforts to maintain in contact with friends and keeping them up-to-date on my current status. I have also been playing about with the MSN Spaces site which features a blog tool which is integrated into MSN messenger, I have discovered that it can produce a RSS feed and I may attempt to try and integrate it into this JLSNet blog. Those of you who wish to get in contact with me or feel the need to leave feedback should do so by visiting the “Contact” page of the JLSNet site. Here goes…

“Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and can’t really get rid of it.” –C S Lewis