The primary author of this site (Alan Collins) seeks to inform readers of news nationally and within the Medway Council area - by keeping an eye on local and national party sites and supporter blogs. However, readers should be aware that news is provided from the ideological perspective of the blog author.
The primary author of this site is not responsible for the comments of other authors or named or anonymous "commenters". However, all comments are fully moderated to ensure that no offensive comments are posted.
Americans have often been accused of being a little bit behind the times, but this latest revelation from the University of Illinois just takes the mick.
Yes, those obscenely high-paid professors released the findings of research last week which revealed that the Bee Gees song Staying Alive “lives up to its name”, as it has almost the perfect rythmn for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
I did my First Aid at Work course back in February of this year, at which the people running the course said exactly the same thing, without the unnecessary research by people who surely have better things to do.
Thankfully, it’s not just this side of the pond with sense. The American Heart Association has also been using the song for a while (two years) - and certainly long before the research began.
What really amuses me about the situation, though, is that the Doctor who carried out the research said that the findings warrant further, larger, more definitive research.
Or he could just do the world a favour and get a life - before he bores us all to death!
Brian Griffin, aka comedian Seth MacFarlane, the Griffin family dog in the hugely popular adult cartoon comedy Family Guy has urged people to go out and vote for Barack Obama on November 4.
Okay, there’s celebrity support (will.i.am, for example), but then there’s ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, I love Family Guy, and I love Obama, but why produce this:
Somehow, I think that it won’t be long before MacFarlane & Co. start producing hilarious jokes against President (oops, too soon…) Senator Obama.
IT IS good to see that Medway Council is taking action against people who park on the grass verges in Beechings Way (Medway Messenger, October 20).
Sadly, though, I think the council has gone about it all the wrong way; instead of getting to grips with the problem at its source, it has chosen merely to impose fines upon residents who feel they have no alternative.
The problem in Beechings Way, and more substantially across other parts of Twydall, is that as the number of cars per household has risen, the parking provision has not, and there was bound to be a point where residents were forced to take such action.
That’s not to say all cars are parked on the verges because there are parking issues: Some residents have been known to park on them when there are several places to park in the road.
However, most do park on the grass because they cannot park in the road and by forcing them to not park on the verges will make then park in surrounding roads, setting off a vicious circle.
I think Medway Council needs to stop and think logically before it imposes this action across the borough. The number of cars per household isn’t going to decrease, and without providing extra parking provision, all the council will succeed in doing is to cause mayhem, raising a bit more money and ultimately angering a lot of residents.
Hang up and drive Posted by Alan Collins on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 at 19:02
Yesterday, I went to pull out of a road in Gillingham when I realised that there was a car coming, so I stopped. The driver of the car gave me the dirtiest look I’ve ever seen in my life.
Ordinarily I’d have accepted this - it was, after all, my duty to give way. However, I hastily returned the dirty look (and very nearly beeped at her) when I realised she had her phone glued to her ear.
This, of course, has technically always been illegal, on account of the fact it is essentially driving without due care and attention:
A person is to be regarded as driving without due care and attention if (and only if) the way he drives falls below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver.
Road Traffic Act 1988, s. 3ZA, p. 2 (as amended by the Road Traffic Act 2006)
However, the government sought fit to specifically criminalise the use of hand-held mobile telephones etc., also via the Road Traffic Act 2006, adding the following:
A person who contravenes or fails to comply with a construction and use requirement—
(a) as to not driving a motor vehicle in a position which does not give proper control or a full view of the road and traffic ahead, or not causing or permitting the driving of a motor vehicle by another person in such a position, or
(b) as to not driving or supervising the driving of a motor vehicle while using a hand-held mobile telephone or other hand-held interactive communication device, or not causing or permitting the driving of a motor vehicle by another person using such a telephone or other device,
is guilty of an offence.
Road Traffic Act 1988, s. 41D (as amended by the Road Traffic Act 2006)
In case you are wondering what point I am getting to, I shall spell it out in plain English: driving whilst using your mobile phone is illegal, not legal, contrary to the laws of the land!
I fail to see why so many people seem to think it is acceptable behaviour when it is nothing short of criminal!
In fairness, though, the last word should go to Ray Stevens, with his opinion on the matter:
Yourmedway today includes the story that Alan Collins, “University of Kent law undergraduate” and “[t]he Conservative youth co-ordinator for Twydall”, has “launched an online campaign to highlight the efforts of our soldiers”.
The local newspaper (free in shops and viewable online) has the story on page five of Issue 59 (dated Wednesday, October 22, 2008).
A couple of things to note from this, the first one being that neither my being a student (specifically an undergraduate law student at the University of Kent) nor the Twydall Ward Youth Co-ordinator for the Conservative Party were mentioned in the original press release, so they can only be commended for their further investigation (particularly as the press release was not sent from any of my personal email addresses or my University of Kent email address).
Secondly, it is the first time I have appeared in a newspaper article for something that was not Cadet-related. This is a subject very close to my heart and any steps that can be taken to raise awareness and support for our services (in my view) should be taken.
Finally, though, the article did not give the actual group name nor the web address. This means that if people start searching on Facebook for the group, they will stand little chance of finding it (there are about 500 results for the search “Save our Services”, as used in the article).
Of course you can view (and join!) the group by going to supportourservices.co.uk and anyone searching for “Alan Collins” on Google will notice that my website currently takes up the top two results. And if you’re thinking that this post constitutes a complaint about the article - it doesn’t! I thank the newspaper for publishing and helping to promote such an important campaign: to support our services!
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