Blogging & Free Speech

I was amazed reading a Times online article on blogging that out of approximately 200 million blogs in the world 73 million of those come from China. How can this be? China is notorious for limiting free speech amongst its people even on the net i.e. (Google news site) and its human rights record against dissenters is well documented, so how can 73 million Chinese citizens feel they can put their heads above the water and write their own blogs for all and sundry to read?

Whilst on Google researching this subject I searched for Chinese blogs with English translation and came across a blog by the name of Wangjianshuo which has been set-up since Sept 11^th 2002. The latest entry on this blog highlights car towing services in Shanghai

This site is very useful info especially if you breakdown whilst driving in and Shanghai. Or, have I missed the point of this "blogging fact" that by blogging people of China can safely and openly communicate and advertise services without the fear of repercussions from the authorities?

What is the most impressive about this "blogging fact" is that at least 73 million Chinese citizens have access to the net on a regular basis even if that access is sometimes limited….

By learning facts such as those highlighted in the times online article it gives hope to people such as myself that free speech for citizens will one day be possible in all parts of the world…

25 Random things about me……….

It seems on Facebook over the last couple of weeks a new craze has started where people including myself are being challenged to think up twenty five random things concerning yourself. So in an attempt to start to paint a picture of myself on this blog I thought I would give the challenge a go and so thus below is my final result…..

1. I am an on/off member of The Labour Party. Currently off which I might explore as to why in further blog posts.
   
2. I am deeply religious whilst being a very liberal thinker.
   
3. My first car was a green Fiat Panda.
   
4. I am a proud owner of a Medal of Honour in Togo for my services to that African Country in relation to The Methodist Church.
   
5. I was born with a broken left leg!! This was obviously a prelude to the struggles I encounter today.
   
6. I have a Pacemaker, inserted at the tender age of 26!
   
7. I have been a committed and passionate fan of Everton F.C for the last 26 years.
   
8. My son and I often attend home games of our local football team Colchester Utd.
   
9. My football hero is the legend Duncan Ferguson! He played with huge passion and commitment (although not always within the law).
   
10. I was once part of a guard of honour for Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey on the occasion to celebrate Commonwealth day.
    
11. Favourite television series of all time is The West Wing.
    
12. I have sat next to Madonna and her then husband Guy Ritchie at a funeral.
    
13. I have read the poem "First they came" aloud in Royal Albert Hall to over four thousand people.
    
14. My first job was in a bakery in town which I left because a grumpy old woman picked on me and gave me all the horrible jobs to do!!
    
15. I don't speak a foreign language as yet but would like to one day.
    
16. Tony Blair is my modern day hero. I know he is not everybody's cup of tea, but I admire his convictions and also the many good things that have changed our society for ever.
    
17. John Wesley is my latter day hero. His visionary for social justice is something I feel allot of us can use in these modern times.
    
18. I fainted on the set on Songs of Praise.
    
19. My favourite designs of clothing are Marks & Spencer's Autograph and Collezione
    
20. I met Tony Blair twice in one day.
    
21. I worked for Lloyds of London between 1992-1999
    
22. I have visited Lords – the home of English Cricket twice in 2008. One occasion was to watch England against South Africa play in a test match and the other was to watch the Friends Provident Final between Essex and Kent for which my son Jordan was the mascot for Essex! (A very proud moment).
    
23. I was chair of The Methodist Youth Executive between 1999 -2000.
    
24. I wrote my beloved first car off in a car accident in which a car smashed into the side of me after jumping a red light yet I still got 40% of the blame – work that one out!!
    
25. Five years ago I slipped down four simple stairs and broke my ankle – to this day my ankle is still not fixed!
    

If you are reading this blog post in Facebook and wonder why I have tagged you, this is because I would like you to take up the challenge of thinking of twenty five random things relating to yourself. Once you have come up with the 25 random things about yourself post the answers to Facebook tagging myself and twenty four of your friends. In tagging me it would also give me the opportunity to get to know you better….

 

Me Again!

It has been around 2 ½ years since I last updated my personal blog. To be honest I found the pressure of keeping up to date the blog as well as thinking of things to write tiresome and thus why I suddenly stopped. However over the last few weeks I have been suddenly struck by the blogging virus again and so I have been spending a considerable time reading and following a variety of blogs from politics to church which in turn have given me inspiration and motivation to pick up my blogging pen (Keyboard) and start posting again.

My first aim of the blog is not to conform to any one chain of thought but instead be a tool for debate with other people in the blogging sphere. My second aim is to use the blog as well as Facebook and flicker and maybe twitter in time to promote myself and to put myself forward as a serious, committed person who at the same time is fun and enjoys the challenge of whatever life throws at me. I am sure the blog will centre on the four passions of my life, politics, family, football & religion. I promise to keep the blog updated on a regular(ish) basis and to keep the blog current to this current day. So here goes……..