Category: My Grumpy Opinions

  • Heated roads e-petition

    A few years ago I posted an article on my blog about how heated roads could be the answer to snow chaos and since then I have lots of comments about what a good idea it is. The technology to heat our roads is available and I think we need a trial to see if the…

  • The Singularity – The Answer to the Conquest of Space ?

    There was an interesting article in The Sunday Times last weekend about how human life is evolving. This was an article about what has become known as the “singularity”. This is the time that a computer will be able to think like a human brain. It is estimated that the singularity will become a reality by…

  • How to live a long happy life

    What’s the secret to a long and happy life? If I knew the answer I would be a rich man. Every day new research is released telling us what to eat and what not to eat. It’s a minefield because there seems to be so much conflicting information and it changes constantly. Everything in moderation…

  • Windows 8 update problem on HP laptop

    My daughter bought a new Windows 8 HP laptop last weekend from Currys and I was looking forward to seeing the new operating system in action. The desktop looks totally different to any other Windows software and it will take a lot of getting used to and involve a lot of learning on how to find things that…

  • What happened to being polite?

    Being polite doesn’t take much effort but I think it may be part of our behaviour that’s slowly dying. Politeness is just a way of being “nice”. Many people might say that being “nice” is a weakness and the word itself is a bit wishy-washy but I don’t think there is anything wrong with the word.…

  • What the Olympics can teach all of us

    With the spectacle of the Olympics over and the Olympic athletes returning to their home towns and civic receptions we are all having to get used to life without the likes of Usain Bolt on our television screens. Despite some reservations about the cost of the games there is no doubt that Britain made them…

  • England take a football lesson in draw against Italy.

    Being a loyal England fan I watched the Euro 2012 quarter final between England and Italy on Sunday evening. It was inevitable, of course, that we would get beaten on penalties. To their credit England defended well and were well organised but that’s about the only good thing I can say about the England performance.…

  • Why do societies fail ? Nothing lasts forever.

    If you think about it, nothings lasts forever ! I know it might be an obvious statement but does this law of physics apply to the way human beings live their lives? And if so what causes this? The Universe is about 14.6 billion years old and was created after the Big Bang but what…

  • Coffee Shop Owner Bans Mobile Phones

    There is an interesting news story on the BBC website about a coffee stall owner banning customers who are on their mobile phones. He has taken a dislike to customers who try to order whilst they are on their mobile phones to someone else! Well, I have to agree with this guy and well done…

  • HS2 is not money well spent

    I’m all in favour of spending money to improve transport links but I think that the high speed rail link from London to Birmingham is probably not money well spent. £33bn for something that will take 21 years to fully be completed and will probably be delayed and cost twice as much as first thought…

  • How to Win Friends and Influence People

    Carnegie’s 6 Keys to Success Become genuinely interested in other people. Smile. It is possible to smile in your writing and be positive and cheery versus bland and boring. Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk…

  • Is de-icing the answer to snow chaos on roads?

    Following on from my last article about heated roads the weather shows no signs of improving and our transport system has been badly affected by a modest amount of snowfall and sub zero temperatures. It should be no surprise that our road system grinds to a halt after a snowfall. Our roads are so badly congested…