Nokia 3310

Managed to get my hands on a Nokia 3310 this week via Argos.

These things are like gold dust, I had to check in on Argos every week for about two months before I found that they had a few that could be reserved.

First problem I had was that my old SIM card didn't work because it was to big. Then I had to get a 2G SIM card which basically excludes Three.

So I went with O2, pay as you go.

Having got it working, I am very pleased.
I don't have a smart phone, and the 3310 has 'near' smartphone features without actually being a smartphone.

Ignore the negative comments in the media, this 'basic' phone does much more than most basic phones. You can download games and Facebook or Twitter apps. You can also do basic browsing of the internet.

The sound quality for the radio and MP3 playback is very good and is easy to pair up Bluetooth headphones. Basically I love it, its the non-smartphone I have wanted for years but no one produced it.

Thumbs up here!

Plastic clothes causing pollution

Plastic fibres and particles from polyester and acrylic clothes are washed into our water resources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40498292

Yet another reason for not buying clothes made from artificial fibres. I have avoided plastic clothes where possible (and not always successfully) for many years now (before this blog was started).

Plastic is designed to last for hundreds of years, unfortunately clothes and the plastic fibres that they are made of are only designed to last for a relatively tiny amount of time. OK you might wear a pair of  polyester trousers for a few years, but that is nothing compared to how long the material will last.

So if you have clothes that generally only last a few years, it makes sense that the materials used to make them should also bio-degrade not long after. Even if you don't think that does make sense, this new finding is just an additional or alternative reason for avoiding plastic as much as possible.

Pro-Brexit zenophobe harrasses British pensioners

I witnessed the ongoing racism and zenophobia unleashed by UKIP and the Tory party today with their campaign
for Brexit.

Four British pensioners were being harrassed on the No 7 bus by a racist Brexit fan for speaking Chinese and not English. The crazy and possibly drunk racist was confronted by another passenger regarding the their own language and credibility. The racist then began to harass the defending passenger, threatening violence and intimidating them.

The pensioners eventually got off the bus and the racist continued harrassing the defending passenger.
The whole episode was un-nerving and a number of passengers probably got off the bus before their final destination.

On a more logical note. Brexit will not stop people talking whatever language they want. That includes Klingon!

Or will it?
The fact is the pensioners stopped talking in Chinese because of the harassment. In other words 'nationalist' intimidation stopped their freedom. I think it is likely we will see more primitive behaviours like this unless something is done to stop it.