A Terribly Sad Day For My Hometown

With the arrest, charges, and hopefully subsequent conviction of Dale Creagan and his co-conspirators, another heinous crime can be added to the history books of my local town, and indeed, my own high-school.

Like Moira Hindley and Ian Brady (The Moors Murderers), and Dr. Harold Shipman years later, Creagan joins a select group of serial killers that just happen to live round the corner from my home in Stalybridge. It really is great to have your hometown known nationally for breeding such notoriety.

But, pyschopaths can emerge anywhere, and the local area is actually full of great people who will just pick up the pieces and carry on, always remembering those who lost their lives in a fight to make Tameside a nice place to live.

The tragic loss of two police officers, two women (though gender is really immaterial in the police force in this day and age), will never be forgotten. They died doing something they did on a daily basis, just patrolling the area and dealing with crime as it arose. It's a terrible reminder of the value of life, and the valuable work the police do every single day. They really do never know what could be around the next corner.

Thankfully, deranged, dangerous nutters are few and far between. Yet inevitably in cases where police officers are murdered, talk turns to the question of whether all police officers should carry firearms with them, as they do in countries like the USA.

For me, this a no brainer. No way.

Reporting to a standard incident, these women had no idea what was facing them. If they'd had guns at their side, would it have made a difference? No, it's extremely unlikely they'd have even had time to draw their weapons. In other cases...more weapons just means more injuries, often including innocent bystanders.

Violence should not beget violence. Arming the police on a regular basis simply hardens criminals to further arm themselves. So begins a war of beating one another, developing better weapons, stronger bullets etc. etc. until suddenly you're squaring off with nuclear warheads. Perhaps this is a bit of an exaggeration, but the Cold War proved that Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD-as it was), simply didn't solve anyone's problems, but just generated more fear.

I just wouldn't feel safer with more guns on the street, even if they were in the hands of the police. Specific armed response units are another matter...a sadly necessary added precaution, but regular officers don't need weapons. Having watched numerous police documentaries where they arrest drunken, angry idiots on the streets, I could just see one them getting the slip on a cop and taking their gun, causing unimaginable problems.

Having lived in the US for two years, the daily presence of guns was somewhat disturbing, even if you do get used to it. It's certainly intimidating and frightening to see police officers stood next to you with a big pistol strapped to their waist, and then you learn of people you know who have licenses to carry weapons whenever they want, often hidden on their body somewhere.

Is this really the kind of culture we want to turn to in Britain, where suddenly the police need guns, then ordinary citizens need weapons too because the streets are so dangerous? We've survived for hundreds of years without the need for a "citizen militia" as it could be called. We don't need to change that now.

The two fallen officers

How To Create A Memorable Catchphrase That Will Last Forever

It's easy: You just have to strap yourself into what is little more than a tin can, sit on top of a 6.5 million pound rocket capable of obliterating you from the sky, and put your faith in a small number of colleagues and a computer chip which is substantially less powerful than the one in your smartphone.

Oh, and then you get to do these fun walking hops across the Moon, becoming the first person to stand on the surface of something that isn't Earth.

That's what Neil Armstrong did. That's how he came to utter those famous words "It's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!"

Saturn V propelled Armstrong to the Moon

That remarkable feat in 1969 is what everyone will remember. But for Neil, he was just doing his job. He was proud to do what he had to do, and never wanted to take the fame and glory for what was an incredible collective achievement.

Of course, it must be difficult to adjust back to life on Earth after having walked on the moon. Everything else must seem so banal, so unchallenging. But Neil took it in his stride, and did one of the best things he could possibly do.

He became a teacher.

The Lunar Module took Armstrong and Aldrin to the moon and back

 Just weeks ago I saw the rocket which propelled Apollo 11 to the moon, and saw the kind of technology and conditions those men had to to deal with. I marvelled at their achievements, and realised how sad it actually is that Nasa's funding was cut and the Space Shuttle program ended.

What these men achieved was phenomenal. With that limited technology, they put men on the moon and opened up the stars for everyone.

They risked life and death to go to the places they went to, and their endeavours have helped science in a huge number of ways and in a diverse number of fields. And they did it all in their stride.

As Neil Armstrong himself once said "I believe our bodies have a finite number of heartbeats, and I don't intend to waste any of mine"

He didn't.

That's why his death is a great loss to mankind, but I've no doubt his legacy will live forever.

Streaming Killed The Video Store

I like technology. I think technology has made an invaluable contribution to the way we live our lives. I might not be a techo-geek, but I like to embrace new technology when I can afford. Nevertheless without sounding hypocritical, I still feel I can lament the loss of the old way of doing some things, and argue that some technological change is not necessarily for the better.

So it is in this post, I want to talk specifically about video streaming.

Now again, don't get me wrong...I have found services like Netflix, LoveFilm and other online movie streaming facilities a phenomenally good thing, and I am an active user of the former two. Having thousands of films and TV shows at my fingertips has certainly allowed me to watch many things I would probably never have gotten around to otherwise. And, it's right there, at the click of button, whenever I want it.

BUT IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME!!

It's not the same as that trip to the rental store on a Friday night, looking at the new releases, browsing the shelves, and then trying to narrow your choices down. You go to get just one for the evening, you return with three for the weekend.

Online film sites might give you access to a movie instantly, but sometimes, I don't want it to be in an instant. I want to take my time over what to watch. I want choosing to be an experience, something I share with others, as we can pick up boxes and look at what a film is about, sometimes just guessing as to what it is we might be taking home with us.

I like choices, and there's no denying that the internet has meant millions of choices when it comes to what to watch. But sometimes, there is just too much to choose from. By the time I've scrolled to the end of the page, I've picked about 15 different things to watch, and I've forgotten what the original film I looked at was! In a shop, there's only so many cases you can hold in your hand.

Going out to a rental shop just makes the whole film watching experience that much more sociable. And personal. It's all very well getting computer generated recommendations based on what you have previously seen and rated, but in a store you can actually talk to someone. They can suggest something out of the blue to you, something completely different that you never thought of, but something you might actually really enjoy.

I like to look at covers and see films on a shelf, where they are meant to be. I want to be able to discuss the merits of a particular film with friends and family, argue over which would be the better one to watch, and perhaps even decide which one to watch simply by holding one in each hand behind my back.

For this experience, I will happily get out of my pyjamas and drive a few minutes to the local rental place.

So Netflix, LoveFilm etc. are great inventions, but they should never have resulted in the rapid decline of local rental places. I mean, what happens when you are on holiday in a foreign country, and due to streaming restriction rights, you can't watch anything?

I'm hoping their fall will be short-lived, and that rental stores will be back very soon. I fear though, that I may be waiting a long time.

Oh and don't get me started on music; I still collect Vinyl for goodness sake. I'm a bit of a walking contradiction really!!

Maria Patricia- Helping you like what you see in the mirror

We're all a little vain at times, and we're entitled to be. Looking your best, and feeling happy about it, helps us to be happy with ourselves and lead a healthy lifestyle. It inspires confidence and gives us that glowing look when we walk out of the door.

Maria Patricia believes in just this, and that's why she has developed a number of specialist treatments to help her clients achieve that look they want, and leave feeling happy within. Only to Maria, they're not clients, they're friends.

She'll guide you through every step of whatever it is you're looking for, and talk to you about all your options and what exactly you can do. She's here to help you, and that's why she's so successful...she enjoys doing just that! So it's not really like work for her at all.

My latest copywriting work had me re-writing Maria's old website for a brand spanking new one. I got to learn all about the various treatments Maria offers, and what each entails.

I now know where to go if I ever get a terrible tattoo I hate for example, because Maria is the number laser tattoo removal specialist in Tameside! If you have any skin problems, like scarring or stretch marks, Maria should be your first port of call. Maybe those wrinkles are really starting to bother you, or perhaps you have a little excess fat and cellulite you just can't get rid of? Maria's unique treatments will help you overcome these obstacles and leave you happy, healthy and ready to face the world!

How to Have an Awesome Website

Well, if we're doing this properly, then what you need first is an idea. A great idea. Something unique that sets you out from the crowd. But you already have one of those right? That's why you're here.

Next you just need some great copy. Something that draws in your readers, keeps them engaged in your site, and leaves them them wanting more. Both the content and the style matter. The style makes it easy for your readers to navigate your site, informs them without overloading them, and makes them enjoy your site. The content tells your reader everything they need to know about you.

But the content also does more than that. The content brings people to your site via Google. Because Google likes words. Specifically, Google wants to link to your site if you have lots of the words someone has just typed into it. So you want your content to match what people search for. That's search engine optimisation, and that's how you get to that coveted top spot on Google. More on how that number one spot on Google is so important in another post.

And I thought that was that! I was wrong. There's so much more: Content wise, you've got to make sure those headers are spot on; then there are the page titles, which have to be pitch perfect for Google in just a few short words; then there's also the social media, getting linked in, connected and synchronised to boost your SEO; finally, there's a big, long list of business sites to register on, all to get you more and more exposure.

I found all this out because I also followed another step. I got myself an incredible creative director. Who also happens to be a graphic designer too. Perfect. Tim Marner is what every start up needs, and will guide you through every step of the process, ensuring your new site, your new product, and your new business get an incredible start. I couldn't have done all this without Tim! He's also a great guy too. Cheers mate!