Digital Cinema and My Thoughts for the Day

I love technology. It makes things easier, more accessible and provides more choice. But I heard something this morning on BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House that made me think again as to whether it is all good. Apparently more and more of our cinemas are being converted to digital. The film projectors are being replaced by digital high definition LCD and LED projectors. Projectionists were actually lamenting the loss of film and describing how they no longer need to supervise the screenings, thread the film and switch reels in the middle of a movie. It's all being done automatically. In fact, they don't need many staff at all. Someone can visit just once a week to prepare the automated schedule and all the films are shown in the correct order and at the right times. So there are huge savings to be made - less projectionists and less staff overall. But what is lost is the quality, that film grain you get when light is shone through celluloid. The movement you get with film. With natural colours and tones, you know it's alive and real. Now it's all about crystal clear clarity, high definition images and digital sound. I understand that the complete switch to digital is inevitable, just like 35mm camera film, pretty much consigned to history and something I'll need to tell my son about one day.

I'm no expert on world events, but you don't have to be a genius to know that all is not right with the world. In fact, like many, I have little optimism and I fear for our future. The Occupy movements that have sprung up in cities across the world are lampooned in the mainstream media. But if you look at the message - the real message, you will see that the protesters too believe something is seriously wrong. They cite capitalism as the reason but it is in truth our system of capitalism that makes the rich richer and untouchable and the poor poorer and vulnerable. It's about fairness and opportunity for all. And that certainly isn't working and is wrong. So what happens? Well, I am just waiting for them to elect an official representative and form a political party. I wonder then how many people would support and vote for them? I suspect the number would be high. When you are desperate and when you have lost all confidence in the system that looks after you, that provides and offers you security, you look elsewhere. You are desperate, perhaps with nowhere to go in life, no money, in crippling debt and hungry. You will do anything to find a way out. So if someone comes along with a message, someone who understands your hardship and someone who promises a real alternative, you will follow them. Unless something changes in our current system of government and if the standard of living for everyday people doesn't improve, then this is something I can see happening.

My despair for our broken world is somewhat lessened by the marvellous work of the BBC's Children In Need appeal and the £26 million raised for our vulnerable, poor, disabled and abused young people. For a country that claims to be broke, when it comes to good causes, we always come up trumps. The same has been true of past appeals - famine in Africa and natural disasters - we always manage to find the funds to help. This makes me feel good and it's something we should be proud of, and rightly so.

So where will the world go in the coming new year? The prospect of conflict over Iran's nuclear programme gets nearer by the day and seems inevitable given their recent rhetoric. And what of their supporters, China and Russia. Do we really want to provoke them into choosing sides. I think not. And now we have renewed protests and violence in Egypt, when all had thought the country had been reborn. And of course there's Syria and its brutal crackdown on protesters, its own people. Again, any intervention could only result in wider conflict - and Syria too has its supporters who would make dangerous adversaries.
And finally we have our own continent of Europe and the financial crisis facing the Euro. Where will this end? Pessimistic, moi? You bet.

Finally, I've been reminded by a regular broadcaster on YouTube that the messages we receive through our UK mainstream media may not be complete and may be lacking facts. I would encourage people to look outside, to get a different view and perspective on world events. I cite the Occupy protests, particularly those taking place in London. Why do we think of the protesters as hippies and disillusioned students? Because that's what we're being fed. Look deeper and you'll find that the protests are made up of a broad spectrum of different people from all walks of life - all of which have come to the same conclusion. Watch a report from the BBC on the Occupy protests and then compare this to one from say Russia Today... Some could argue the different perspective is to emphasise the natural opposition to Capitalism in general over a perceived 'fair' system of communism. Maybe... Time and public opinion will tell.

An hour with the big screen

Today I was home alone once more. I should have been looking after Ethan but I got my dates mixed up as I thought I was to be driving my son's godparents down to Newmarket. My mum kindly agreed to look after my son so we left the arrangements as they were. He had a good time by all accounts and even got a ride on the little bus my parents use to take them into town. He loves it.
So I had some time to myself. I did the usual stuff to satisfy myself I've been of some little use and decided in the last hour to treat myself. My sister had bought me a DVD for my last Birthday. It's full of old wartime public information films - stuff like what to do in an air-raid and how to recycle everything as it can be used to build airplanes etc. I can see why my grandparents were so keen to waste nothing, they had been practically brainwashed during the war years into giving anything spare to the war effort and not to throw anything away. It's really fascinating stuff. Of course these short films were shown in the cinema - there was no TV as it had been shut down before the war began. I did enjoy my 'hour in the past'. It took me back to an ear full of propoganda full of anti-German and anti-Japanese solgans. Nowadays, these would be banned and rightly so - but back then, anything went it seems.
The last film, about making only essential journeys, was interrupted by my wife and son arriving home. This is always a noisy event - our dog goes beserk and runs madly around the house. Being a Springer Spaniel, she's quite active and easily excited.
I've seen something I really want on eBay. It's always a mistake for me to browse the site as I always come across something I really like but never have the funds to buy. This time, I've decided I want it and that somehow I simply have to buy it. I have a thing for old buses and coaches. This one is in mint condition, a double-decker with a removable roof so it can be used open-top. This is a very rare find indeed and ticks all my boxes. I've even started imagining driving it to the coast with my son and wife riding on top. But it will never be, I know that... There's no harm in wishing though.