I know too much. Seriously sometimes the knowledge of things that are cool and wonderous in the world living in a place where progress is spelt progressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss............ is, quiet simply depressing.
Recent setbacks in my creative feild has led me more and more into the belief that maybe advertising is not the right line of work and rice farming is.
Let's break it down.
Advertising pays well, not Richard Branson well, but a decent job with a decent wage. You work long hours sometimes forgetting the difference between night and day, eat badly, sleep badly and spend more time of your life at work in an airconditioned, selaed room. You deal with alot of bull shit that drives you mad, stubborness at the workplace from a hundred people, good work gets pissed on and trumped by horrible below the belt creatives that are'nt worth putting a name too, your clients have no respect for you, especially if your creative, in fact though your paid to be a creative person you will never be more creative than the client, alot of the time client servicing can't understnd why you can't understand them when the reality is, no rational person with a thinking brain can understand them.
Advertising is not looking good.
Rice Farming doesn't pay that well and sometimes you have good harvest and bad harvests, more manual labour but work ends at 4.30pm except on harvest day, plenty of excercise and workout during the day outdoors means a healthy nights sleep, You deal with alot of bullshit but it's highly benificial to your crop, stubborness is dealt with beatings, good harvest means you've done well a bad harvest means blame the Gods your clients love you especially now with rice in short supply, your rice will be welcomed and will save Sri Lanka from famine and client servicing eats your rice so no one would ever say anything against you for fear of an overfertilized batch of rice.
Rice Farming looking promising.
*sigh* slaves to money we have become.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Free to Speak not Free to Use.
It is said imitation is a form of flattery and plagiarism is piracy. Now I may be a little egotistical about feeling a little good about myself when something from my blog is quoted in a national newspaper like The Lakbima, especially when it's in my favour, but in the grand scheme of things and in all fairness to the blogger community which I have grown to respect highly whatever the topic and whoever the person, I must protest.
I have, for the last 7 years written artcles as a freelancer for many locally produced and printed publications and every publication has a set of rules and regulations that need to be followed to keep in line with legalities and content and without fail every set of guidelines is very strict about plagiarism. Which is why I'm suprised that the management of Lakbima themselves engage in the worst crime against word scribes, blatently.
To me blogging is about personal opinons, and in a country where people cannot under any circumstances take criticism in any form, it is dangerous to force the public to read personal opinions. When someone reads a blog and finds it offensive to themselves, they have the ability to close the window and never look it again or they can express their views directly to the writer and clear up any misgivings they may have, with a newspaper, it is one sided to the reader which makes it biased to the writer, it is read with the understanding that the writer is an authority on the subject which more often that not they are not because they write about their feelings and opinoins in a personal manner which makes the article purely subjective, true there are bloggers who research and study the topic before saying anything but not all and not all the time, do public readers know this, no. Which means any newspaper that were to plagiarise a blog would be in effect publishing an unbalanced view and possibly unfactual information for the public thus further propogating the reputation newspapers have "Don't belive everything you read"
The other issue is a political one. In Sri Lanka newspapers are divided into two categories, one is for the government and the other is against no middle ground no grey area. In the world of blogging everything is grey and therefore the opinons and views of bloggers are unabashed in the secure environment of cyberspace where freedom of speech is still free and censorship is left up to an individual and not to a group of individuals who feel the need to laud it over everyone else. Now in a country that thrives on shameless censorship, if someones opinion wasn't politacally correct would it be fair to put that inncoent persons life at risk just to raise readership and sales or have a slight at the government, when all that person was doing was just making an opininated statement to fellow bloggers who understand what blogging is all about not public newspaper readers who still have a long way to go before opening their minds to free speech and constructive criticism.
In the end bloggers can't stop plagiarism in Sri Lanka specially because there is no hard and fast law against it. Or even if there is the lengthy court process makes it seem pointless. Unless you have contacts and family members who are high powered lawyers or unless all the bloggers in Sri Lanka unite (and I mean bloggers from Jaffna to Galle) against plagiarism and as one unit sue tha pants off anyone who uses a persons creativity as their own, we bloggers have to hope and pray that newspapers, journalists and editors find some ethics in the way they find and publish articles, sometimes just asking if the article can be used is more than enough.
Isn't it more fulfilling to see your own words in print as opposed to somebodyelse'.
I have, for the last 7 years written artcles as a freelancer for many locally produced and printed publications and every publication has a set of rules and regulations that need to be followed to keep in line with legalities and content and without fail every set of guidelines is very strict about plagiarism. Which is why I'm suprised that the management of Lakbima themselves engage in the worst crime against word scribes, blatently.
To me blogging is about personal opinons, and in a country where people cannot under any circumstances take criticism in any form, it is dangerous to force the public to read personal opinions. When someone reads a blog and finds it offensive to themselves, they have the ability to close the window and never look it again or they can express their views directly to the writer and clear up any misgivings they may have, with a newspaper, it is one sided to the reader which makes it biased to the writer, it is read with the understanding that the writer is an authority on the subject which more often that not they are not because they write about their feelings and opinoins in a personal manner which makes the article purely subjective, true there are bloggers who research and study the topic before saying anything but not all and not all the time, do public readers know this, no. Which means any newspaper that were to plagiarise a blog would be in effect publishing an unbalanced view and possibly unfactual information for the public thus further propogating the reputation newspapers have "Don't belive everything you read"
The other issue is a political one. In Sri Lanka newspapers are divided into two categories, one is for the government and the other is against no middle ground no grey area. In the world of blogging everything is grey and therefore the opinons and views of bloggers are unabashed in the secure environment of cyberspace where freedom of speech is still free and censorship is left up to an individual and not to a group of individuals who feel the need to laud it over everyone else. Now in a country that thrives on shameless censorship, if someones opinion wasn't politacally correct would it be fair to put that inncoent persons life at risk just to raise readership and sales or have a slight at the government, when all that person was doing was just making an opininated statement to fellow bloggers who understand what blogging is all about not public newspaper readers who still have a long way to go before opening their minds to free speech and constructive criticism.
In the end bloggers can't stop plagiarism in Sri Lanka specially because there is no hard and fast law against it. Or even if there is the lengthy court process makes it seem pointless. Unless you have contacts and family members who are high powered lawyers or unless all the bloggers in Sri Lanka unite (and I mean bloggers from Jaffna to Galle) against plagiarism and as one unit sue tha pants off anyone who uses a persons creativity as their own, we bloggers have to hope and pray that newspapers, journalists and editors find some ethics in the way they find and publish articles, sometimes just asking if the article can be used is more than enough.
Isn't it more fulfilling to see your own words in print as opposed to somebodyelse'.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Last Post 29th June 2007
True, I have'nt been a faithful blogger over the last few months and so much has happened most of which was begging to be dissected and analyzed amd bitched about. The State of the nation hasn't improved, Hikkaduwa is still my fav holiday destination and Facebook has robbed us of our precious time. But at the urging of fellow bloggers including my friend from The Missing Sandwich (name drop) I have decided to display my inability to spell and my impertinent opinions back online whether it's liked or not.
And so to inaugurate the Return to the blog I would like to start off by pissing off the organisers of 'The Galle Literary Festival", which I have dubbed the most pretentious event that Colombo's and Galle's high society have ever trumped up, to date. In fact it has all the symptoms of an event that was concieved over buttery scones and high tea by people who feel the need for self-importance or a nice picture in the (Hi)gh magazine.
Disclaimer: I have never been to the Galle Literary festtival aka GLF and out of the miniscule amount of people who read my blog I'm sure one or two may be huge fans and supporters of the GLF who may feel that I may be a little too uncultured to critisize such an event without even experiencing it, to which I say "Yes, now eff off".
From the first GLF last year I have been outspoken about the fact that GLF is nothing more than a money making machine not interested really in the propagation of literature and art but more in the propagation of ones image. It's a festival for the rich and literature for the well read. I don't claim to be a genius and connoisseur of words as do some of the people that attened the GLF but I do know how to read and write and I'm sure 95% of the people that turn up for the GLF have that ability as well, it's not everyday an illiterate person can dish out 35 thousand ruppees for an all access pass to the GLF, which is my biggest gripe. With all the impressive sponsors that the event attracts and all the rich people that have a stake in GLF why is it that it's only affordable by the rich. Surely don't international schools have a fairly extensive literature curriculum and aren't international school students exposed to a more spoken english way of life. Then why is it only they can afford going to the GLF. Don't the millions of underpriviledged kids with poor if not severe lack of education deserve to experience the wonders of literature or is it because they may never have the chance to study at Nottingham University or Harvard to really be deemed worthy of knowledge.
For example take blogging, the only reason why blogging has taken the world by storm is because it gives everybody and everyone regardless of color, race or creed the ability to voice their opinions, hopes and dreams without having to be a hot shot published journalist or author, for FREE, of course at the GLF its become a reason to have overpriced sessions on blogging for people who have been blogging since it's inception. What about poor young people in tiny pocket villages who blog from tiny sweat house internet cafe's trying hard to be part of the online community on a budget as tight as my ass-hole? Have sessions as much as you want but does there have to be such a steep price on knowledge and understanding FREE speech.
Why does knowledge have to be so expensive? Wasn't some the greatest authors and playwrites of the previous centuries poorer than church mice with nothing to live for? Did they prance around in their Prado's and GTi horse carraiges?
I think the GLF organisers should realize that if they want to show off how wonderfully philanthropic and dedicated they are to literature then maybe they should make it possible for people from all walks of life be it rich or poor to be able to enjoy literature and knowledge equally instead of trying to teach rich people how to suck eggs.
Remember the fall from a high horse is a long one and will freakin hurt at the end.
And so to inaugurate the Return to the blog I would like to start off by pissing off the organisers of 'The Galle Literary Festival", which I have dubbed the most pretentious event that Colombo's and Galle's high society have ever trumped up, to date. In fact it has all the symptoms of an event that was concieved over buttery scones and high tea by people who feel the need for self-importance or a nice picture in the (Hi)gh magazine.
Disclaimer: I have never been to the Galle Literary festtival aka GLF and out of the miniscule amount of people who read my blog I'm sure one or two may be huge fans and supporters of the GLF who may feel that I may be a little too uncultured to critisize such an event without even experiencing it, to which I say "Yes, now eff off".
From the first GLF last year I have been outspoken about the fact that GLF is nothing more than a money making machine not interested really in the propagation of literature and art but more in the propagation of ones image. It's a festival for the rich and literature for the well read. I don't claim to be a genius and connoisseur of words as do some of the people that attened the GLF but I do know how to read and write and I'm sure 95% of the people that turn up for the GLF have that ability as well, it's not everyday an illiterate person can dish out 35 thousand ruppees for an all access pass to the GLF, which is my biggest gripe. With all the impressive sponsors that the event attracts and all the rich people that have a stake in GLF why is it that it's only affordable by the rich. Surely don't international schools have a fairly extensive literature curriculum and aren't international school students exposed to a more spoken english way of life. Then why is it only they can afford going to the GLF. Don't the millions of underpriviledged kids with poor if not severe lack of education deserve to experience the wonders of literature or is it because they may never have the chance to study at Nottingham University or Harvard to really be deemed worthy of knowledge.
For example take blogging, the only reason why blogging has taken the world by storm is because it gives everybody and everyone regardless of color, race or creed the ability to voice their opinions, hopes and dreams without having to be a hot shot published journalist or author, for FREE, of course at the GLF its become a reason to have overpriced sessions on blogging for people who have been blogging since it's inception. What about poor young people in tiny pocket villages who blog from tiny sweat house internet cafe's trying hard to be part of the online community on a budget as tight as my ass-hole? Have sessions as much as you want but does there have to be such a steep price on knowledge and understanding FREE speech.
Why does knowledge have to be so expensive? Wasn't some the greatest authors and playwrites of the previous centuries poorer than church mice with nothing to live for? Did they prance around in their Prado's and GTi horse carraiges?
I think the GLF organisers should realize that if they want to show off how wonderfully philanthropic and dedicated they are to literature then maybe they should make it possible for people from all walks of life be it rich or poor to be able to enjoy literature and knowledge equally instead of trying to teach rich people how to suck eggs.
Remember the fall from a high horse is a long one and will freakin hurt at the end.
Friday, June 29, 2007
NOW OPEN
The Simple Works is now open at www.nigelsportfolio.blogspot.com.
It was opened today so content is very minimal for now.
It was opened today so content is very minimal for now.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Kimi Should Move... to Bajaj
Hellloooooo...... forget what's going on in Sri Lanka, ever since it's independent existence it's been doomed. But what the hell is going down at the Ferrari Camp in Formula 1??!!! Seriously, Ferrari has been struggling ever since that start of the season and how dissapointing it has been. Alot of people especially Kimi fans were expecting alot from Kimi this year being on the scarlet side and having what was dubbed to be the faster paced cars but boy were they and Ferrai betting on the wrong horse. Massa on the other hand has proved to be the better of the two and is certainly pulling his weight on the track, Kimi, on the other should be relegated to the post of three wheel driver.
On the the flip side it was under dog day afternoon for Sato who did fans and Alonso haters (who put together would cover europe) proud by out pacing Alonso on a straight and overtook him stealing 7th position from the Spanish muppet. Would somebody give Sato a better car please and give Alonso a wet wipe.
Kubica decided the track was too small for him to share with 12 other drivers so he took to the air and tried to make sonic boom he got as far as a sonic mess, thankfully he was able to be carried away with a broken leg from a really broken BMW Sauber. BMW's comment: Not pleased.
So another race looms on the weekend and another chance for Kimi to prove himself a wanker yet again.
Nige out.
Monday, March 05, 2007
ROCK SATURDAY vs. ROCK SATURDAY
Hello, the inevitable has happened. 8 years ago a group of DJ's called Zone productions put together an event which some many thousands have affectionately come to know as Rock Saturday. It ran for a steady 2 years every month which ended on it's 2nd anniversary bringing a thousand strong crowd to their knees sobbing in depression. 4 years ago a group known as the Rock Company STOLE!!!!! the name Rock Saturday and in a lame attempt tried very hard to bring back the glory days of rockers head banging their heads of in front of the speakers, they got as far as the Girls Guides Association Hall. And so 2007 has arrived and the calls for proper rock entertainment have been heard. It's the return of the classic and original Rock Saturday. Of course such things don't come without conflict. Enter the sour grapes. These are the people who have tried hard to fill the Girls Guide Association halls with people using the sounds of talented muscians trying hard to emulate heavy metal, death metal, trash metal and possibly scrap metal failing miserably. These sour grapes have been sending out emails dissing the classic Rock Saturday in a vain attempt to make the borru Rock Saturday cool and legit. Boo Hoo. So I who is an ardent fan of rock and it's saturday's have decided to respond in detail. Here we go.....
email: "I'm only disappointed that Battery moved there (somehow live bands don't interest them as much as DJ consoles). It's all influence like Shanjei says. all these guys are close knit and possibly joined at the brain."
Some people like to sponsor popular events. No one wants to flog a dead horse so stop dreaming and get the Girl Guides to sell some cookies.
email: "And unlike the old days, (genuine) rock fans have evolved into more complex creatures. These old dudes better be up to date with their metal or risk facing a few airborne beer bottles."
People want proper rock not metal, otherwise there would be people at your scrap yard show.
email: "I can assure you they'll play the same 'ol classic rock to suit the old and alternative rock to suit the women, children and Anil."
Well, even they have taste, apparently.
email: "Any rocker worth his salt knows where the panic at the disco is and will avoid it like the plague."
Panic at the Disco is when your local rockers play at a NIGHTCLUB and no one knows how to get out.
email: "They may have better DJs but they'll never have a better rock n roll BAND. We, on the other hand, not only have the bands (with some hot new talent, too. and their fans) but also the option of our having own DJ. And unlike them, we don't have any 'heaviness' restrictions so we can cater to anyone in any genre, from cheese to whatever (our combined CD collections could outdo the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame!). In other words, their product (with its limited features) will eventually lose its novelty and die off. again. Remember, our strength is that we're offering people something different,
and that shouldn't ever change."
Talk about being an egotestical. Who cares about how many CD's you can put together, it's about playing the right song at the right time something our so called "hot new talent" have alot to learn about. Besides transvestites offer something different too but you don't see people clamouring at their doors.
email: "Now is the perfect time to bring in the all important 'wow' factor to our events (venue appearance, deco, art works, trailers, etc.)"
Get band members to cut their hair that might wow a few people.
email: "People went to these 'original' Rock Saturdays because they wanted to be seen at a nice place. It's like taking your picture in front of the Taj Mahal; to show and tell. I don't remember seeing any of those so called 'rock fans' at any of our Rock Saturday gigs (just a handful)."
Hullooooo, thats because most of the so called hot talent that we have today were still pooping in their diapers wondering which bottle of milk to drink from. Rock Saturday is where it happened for rockers to rock to good music. And as a rock fan I have been to the newer Rock Saturday gigs, I was so disgusted and bored it was like a Bryan Adams concert crossed with
SAW III
email: "I'm quite thrilled to bits; we're actually witnessing the birth of an industry."
Excuse me under rock dweller, the birth of the industry happened a long time ago where do you think the Rock Company stole the name from, the future????
email: "Now all we have to do is work harder and stay on top.
Cheers!
\m/"
How cute a little devil sign in sms language. quaint.
Everyone has the right to an opinion but don't go dissing the things that started things and the things that some of us enjoy. You have your Rock Saturday we have ours.
Marlon and Wendall see you on the 24th viva la Rock Saturday.
email: "I'm only disappointed that Battery moved there (somehow live bands don't interest them as much as DJ consoles). It's all influence like Shanjei says. all these guys are close knit and possibly joined at the brain."
Some people like to sponsor popular events. No one wants to flog a dead horse so stop dreaming and get the Girl Guides to sell some cookies.
email: "And unlike the old days, (genuine) rock fans have evolved into more complex creatures. These old dudes better be up to date with their metal or risk facing a few airborne beer bottles."
People want proper rock not metal, otherwise there would be people at your scrap yard show.
email: "I can assure you they'll play the same 'ol classic rock to suit the old and alternative rock to suit the women, children and Anil."
Well, even they have taste, apparently.
email: "Any rocker worth his salt knows where the panic at the disco is and will avoid it like the plague."
Panic at the Disco is when your local rockers play at a NIGHTCLUB and no one knows how to get out.
email: "They may have better DJs but they'll never have a better rock n roll BAND. We, on the other hand, not only have the bands (with some hot new talent, too. and their fans) but also the option of our having own DJ. And unlike them, we don't have any 'heaviness' restrictions so we can cater to anyone in any genre, from cheese to whatever (our combined CD collections could outdo the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame!). In other words, their product (with its limited features) will eventually lose its novelty and die off. again. Remember, our strength is that we're offering people something different,
and that shouldn't ever change."
Talk about being an egotestical. Who cares about how many CD's you can put together, it's about playing the right song at the right time something our so called "hot new talent" have alot to learn about. Besides transvestites offer something different too but you don't see people clamouring at their doors.
email: "Now is the perfect time to bring in the all important 'wow' factor to our events (venue appearance, deco, art works, trailers, etc.)"
Get band members to cut their hair that might wow a few people.
email: "People went to these 'original' Rock Saturdays because they wanted to be seen at a nice place. It's like taking your picture in front of the Taj Mahal; to show and tell. I don't remember seeing any of those so called 'rock fans' at any of our Rock Saturday gigs (just a handful)."
Hullooooo, thats because most of the so called hot talent that we have today were still pooping in their diapers wondering which bottle of milk to drink from. Rock Saturday is where it happened for rockers to rock to good music. And as a rock fan I have been to the newer Rock Saturday gigs, I was so disgusted and bored it was like a Bryan Adams concert crossed with
SAW III
email: "I'm quite thrilled to bits; we're actually witnessing the birth of an industry."
Excuse me under rock dweller, the birth of the industry happened a long time ago where do you think the Rock Company stole the name from, the future????
email: "Now all we have to do is work harder and stay on top.
Cheers!
\m/"
How cute a little devil sign in sms language. quaint.
Everyone has the right to an opinion but don't go dissing the things that started things and the things that some of us enjoy. You have your Rock Saturday we have ours.
Marlon and Wendall see you on the 24th viva la Rock Saturday.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Part 2.1.23.455442112233 The Return Of Nigel, Restepca.
Anna Nicole Smith - Born: God only Knows Dead: Today, 2007
Boyfreind - Born: Last Year
Photo: Blatently stolen from BBC
Greetings and Salutations to my friends, visitors, those who have hoped I was dead and martians hiding from NASA's rovers.
Ages it has been and the world changed it has. Still no light sabres and Kimi Raikinnon races for ferarri, is there no justice? No.
But really how is all and sundry? Missed me? Liars you really did miss me. Well I'm here to make what could possibly be an empty promise (or threat) (good practise for upcoming elections) and assure you that I have not abandoned the world of opinionated cyber space and in fact staging some sort Batman type entrance comeback so watch this space (Closer you have only two eyes ruin them. Brought to by SeeAlot Opticians). But I think one bit of news should be addressed and that is the shocking revaltion of the death of Anna Nicole Smith who was discovered dead at 39. It was a classic American Fairy Tale the abridged version would be "Dance, shake tits, marry really old really rich guy, scare him into a heartattack with a Karma Sutra lap dance and then become famouse through legal battles. So how did she die no ones to sure yet but here are some of my theories.
Theory 1: She was sitting on the floor and was trying to get to a line of coke in the center of the coffee table when she tragically smothered herself with her Double Destroyers. (DD)
Theory 2: She fell down the stairs boobs first and her head exploded.
Theroy 3: J Howard Marshall II returned from the grave and scared her half to death she fainted fell over backwards and slapped herself in the face with her DD's to seal her fate.
True it's not nice to mack the dead, (sorry mock) but then again this is Anna she macked (shit, mocked) herself all her life it's only fitting we continue in her memory. (this woman had a penis in Naked Gun 33 1/3, i rest my case)
Anna may you Rest In A Very High Coffin
So Avid fans and haters keep checking for more and more and more. Till them please feel free to review my earlier works.
(which may be turned into plays you just never know.)
Advertorial Listen to Haze and Me (Nigel) every friday from 8.30 pm to 1 am on 101.7 TNL - Where It's At.
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