Month: January 2001

X-ercise

Uncle’s birthday, drinks, dinner, games – nice relaxed family Sunday. Also got a plant they don’t want any more, 4ft tall fig type thing, quite nice. Watched X-Men at friends last night, forgotten how good it was, think I’ll dig out some more of Bryan Singers stuff. Also caught up with an old friend (literally…tee hee) that we haven’t seen since 1999. Scary. Made personal promise to myself, to keep in touch more. Need to remember that my life is more than my work and immediate family (I do know this, just keep forgetting it…).

Just realising why my legs and arms are sore. Visited the gym the on Friday, testing out a gammy knee to see if it will stand up to 5-a-side… maybe not this week… bummer. Can’t stand the gym, although it was OK on Friday as I had the place to myself and could play my music instead of the usual thump-thump-thump dance stuff that normally leaks out the door.

Note to self: FIND A BASKETBALL TEAM TO PLAY FOR!!

January 21, 2001

Bulger

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson (now both aged 18) killed James Bulger (who was 2) in February 1993

Yesterday (08.01.01) they were granted a secret identity

Should they have been granted the right to anonymity? That is not for me to decide, greater minds than mine have discussed the matter. But what now for the boys? should I say men?

I don’t know, and don’t want to know, what went through their minds. I remember the case, but didn’t follow it, confused about the motives and actions of two young boys.

Now they have aged, what goes through their minds? I would imagine, as it is all I can do, that their sentence will be served in a much harsher reality. They will have to live with themselves, recreating the moment in their minds over and over. A horrible reality.

Should they have the right to walk free? Start new lifes? The killed, surely the punishment should fit the crime – a call I am often heard to cry.

They have received their punishment, was it enough? Well would you sentence two young boys to serve the rest of their life in jail. With a strong possibility that the boys were not fully aware of the outcome of their actions, what can you do?

The hurt, pain and anguish suffered by the parents and family of James Bulger is unmeasurable, and their anger and hatred expected and understandable. Do I condone it? No. Do I agree with it? Yes. Would I react the same way? Probably.

Anonymity has been assured by the courts. However two faces will look in the mirror and know the truth. They will understand what they did. I hope they feel sorry, and lucky, and remorseful. I hope they look in that mirror and cry. I think that is a suitable punishment.

January 19, 2001

Historically

It’s official. I’m getting old. I was thinking back to Hogamanay, it was about 4:30 a.m. when the guitars came out, and I realised that I knew more words to the songs than I really should…Dumbarton’s Drums, Wild Rover (but alas not the Battle of GlenFruin…).

Next up my Dad (active in the local Burns club – it’s a chore he loves) had a book about the history of Dumbarton, and damn interesting it is too. OK, so maybe I’m not getting old, just getting patriotic, or nostalgic or SomeTHiNG, whatever it is I’m gonna see how long it lasts. My guess is not very, as a child of the 20th century my attention span is shorter than a gnats… antenna…

My ‘new’ project has already been bumped in favour of tweaking this site – I guess I kinda new it would…

January 15, 2001

Cloned

They’ve just released the first pictures of a genetically created primate. A small cute monkey, all of 4 or 5 small evolutionary steps away (or less). Scary stuff, the possiblity of the first genetically created human is on the horizon. Do we have the right? If we do, is it ethically acceptable to create a human being? What kind of life would the person have? Which show would it’s life mimic – freak show or Truman show?

Further additions to my new project, I’m not at the assessment stage – do I have the time and energy to do this? A half-hearted effort is pointless, so if it is going to happen it will have to be well planned and designed. Maybe I should do the tweaks to this site first….

Gabocorp is back, almost. Can’t wait. Sentimental reasoning, it was the first Flash site that truly impressed (I hope they have an archive of previous designs, something I should do, but never plan for….).

January 11, 2001

Adjustment

Finished work on 23rd December 2000, back to work today 8th January 2001.

It’s strange how quickly we humans adjust to our situations. Just started work after two weeks off. Already I’m back in ‘work’ mode. I had managed to do very little work during my holiday (I know, that sounds odd), and I was enjoying not having to concentrate on anything more arduous than reading books, listening to some CDs, and pottering about the flat.

I spent this morning in a kind of limbo. I had forgotten how many things I had to do, despite the fact I had managed to finish a lot off before I finished before Christmas. I find myself having to react to people, having to make decisions, having to think!

It seems to mimick my life at the moment, reacting, leaping from one role to another, coping with one event, then another.

Quiet resolution to remain calm. Not to stress too much. My ambitions may get in the way, frustration a constant thorn. I am determined though. I will organise my time as best I can, and if it can’t be done, it can’t be done.

So I’m adjusting. Altering habits and patterns. Won’t be easy and might not work, but hey what have I got to lose?

Hmmmm, that’s a hell of a positive attitude…maybe I should adjust that first.

January 8, 2001