The Local Paper, for Local People …

I’m In!!!

AGAIN!

Ok, ok, I’ve — bar last week — had the Gazette publish a letter of mine for most of the past few weeks. I mean, it’s not like I’m Hunter S Thompson.

I couldn’t handle the hallucinations, for a start …

But, at any rate, I’m rather pleased I got the last one published, I think I made a goodish point, or two.

So, when I saw a couple of articles, in today’s Gazette, I had to shoot off another one; here …

“I’ve got to admit, I read a couple of articles in this weeks Gazette with quite a bit of interest.

For starters, the news that the BNP are thinking of putting someone forward for election in Hutton South. I personally find the fact that such a notorious group of bigots believe our town a potentially ripe stomping ground both disgusting and disturbing. And have to ask their organiser one simple question; “What BLOODY mosque?”. I really hope Councillor Quirke is correct in his belief that they won’t do well in the forthcoming by-election. The last thing this town needs is an organised bunch of bigots like this.

Lets move on, shall we? Yes, let’s.

One other article that caught my eye was about a local school’s upgrade to its recording studio facilities; which mentioned the fact that that also included quite a lot of iMacs.

Good for them!

Now I’ve got to admit a little bit of bias, here; I’m something of a Macintosh fanboy, and have been for some time.

But I think I’ve a couple of points to make, here.

Now, while I know the Mac has something of a niche reputation, it really doesn’t deserve it. After all, I have used a vintage Mac Performa, a G4 Power Mac, and — my current model — the Mac Mini, for every last one of my home computing needs for the past seven years, and really would find shifting away from the platform hard to do. And really believe that, despite their higher price, their reliability and higher levels of built in security, make that a price worth paying. Just as a minor point, here the Mac Performa I have, I had second hand, from an old family friend. It’s lasted some 14 years and is still functioning quite well; to the best of my knowledge, long after an equivalent Windoze based PC would’ve given up the ghost. Many thanks, Bill.

Which brings me to a related point. One thing that was a revelation about the Mac, when I first used it, was quite simply the fact that the mouse had — and still has, on modern Macs — just one button. Which was a revelation to me.

I’m left handed. And the fact that there was a commercially available product that one can use straight out of the box, one didn’t have to fiddle about with to set to left hand use. I just put it on the other side of the keyboard.

So I’m glad to hear that one school in Brentwood has adopted them.

I know that I, as many lefties, had an awkward time at school. I know I had a constant refrain from Infant and junior school teachers, of “Wouldn’t you find the pen comfier in your other hand?” as a child. And wanting to learn the guitar at senior school was out of the question; what was Hedley Walter Comprehensive, and is now Sawyer’s Hall College, had no left handed models. From I know from my own personal experience, and from those I’ve talked too, that this doesn’t exactly give us a good start in life. And can be crippling, if we’re not tough.

So I kind of hail that simple fact that one school has had an (unintended, I’m sure) minor beneficial effect on it’s left handed pupils. Lord knows I could’ve done with it, at a young age.

And can only hope that more schools in Brentwood stock up on … Well, Macs, for preference. But at least more left handed scissors, utensils, and musical instruments. Or, at least, show our pupils how to alter our computer mouse system preferences, so we can use them left-handedly.

I also know I’ve got my modern mouse set up to left hand use. And love confusing right-hander’s with it.

”

And isn’t it strange how these things go? I had meant to fire off a quick shot about the parking, down here …

Which is complicated, to say the least …

•••••

Now I know that we were supposed to get pre-paid envelopes for the recent set of voting form; I didn’t, Adrian did, although I don’t know who else has or hasn’t along the street. And I know I had Sara Bartleman — Southern Anglia’s rep for the area — politely phoning me up to apologise for that. She’s also offered to — admittedly with no guarantees — both look at, and leave a comment on here. I hope she does.

But for those of us who’ve not had the envelopes that were supposed to come with the form’s, Sara’s email address is sara.bartleman@circleanglia.org. To send it to her at the office, you need to send it to:

Sara Bartleman

22, Pitseaville Grove

Vange,

Basildon

Essex.

SS16 4HW

Oh, and the number’s 01268 220837

Now I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve gone for option five, on the form we had in. I also know that Dave, round the corner, is pushing for option four; apparently, it’d only add about 15 pence to the service charge.

Well …

And I’m also looking at Option Two, here. Which is the option directly administered by residents, here in Rollason Way.

I’m thinking that’s a nice, touchy-feely option.

You can feel the cynical comment from there, can’t you?

I’m thinking that Option Two will be fuel for trouble.

Have you ever read “The Crucible”, by the late Arthur Miller? All about the Salem witch hunts?

One of the central characters — Elizabeth Proctor — is accused of witchcraft, by the young woman who’d had an affair with Elizabeth’s husband; the husband, John, has long since broken off the affair, and the result … well.

The reason I mention it, is because I can easily see the application, here.

All it would take is one neighbour to have an argument with another — who’d be one of the volunteer’s — and he’d never be able to park next to — or near — his front door again.

What tangled web’s we weave …

At any rate, I’d suggest those of us who can, email in our voting forms; they need to be in by the 8th of May.

And the next meeting looks like it’s on the 2nd of July. And Sara will be gracing us with her presence on the 29th of July.

A Monday.

At ten in the morning.

When everybody's around, obviously …

•••••

Oh, and just to follow up on the Left-handed issue, this You Tube video, about a chap called Maurie Kaufman caught my attention.

I kind of know exactly what he means about being a rebel …