January 27th, 2010
It seems to me that society has decided that everything should be free. As usual the internet is leading the way. I did a little bit of admittedly not very scientific research. If you type the word “free” into my favourite search engine it produces 2,850 million results. I tried various other words like cheap, music, best, insurance and dating. All things that the internet does very well. None of them came even close in terms of the number of results.
Where is this obsession with free things going to lead us? I worry that it will mean that everything will tend towards the lowest state. I want a pen to write with. If I had bought it for what I considered to be a fair price, I would be miffed if it did not work, I might even take it back and ask for another one. If it was free what can I do? Is it the same with other free things?
You hear a lot about how illegal downloading is killing music. This is something I do not do. Too many of my friends and relations make their living from music. I used to think that illegally downloaded music would lead to people saying, I like that, and then going out and buying more. A bit like hearing something on the radio and then going out and buying it. Now I am not so sure. So much music is now downloaded illegally that only the megastars make any money out of their music and the industry as a whole can not afford to publish and promote new artists. In a few years time will the only music that is available be the megastars and people recording things in their back rooms? Next time you are at a concert and the person next to you is recording it on their mobile phone have a think about that.
The next big thing apparently is ebooks. How good is that? You want to read a book, you download it you read it, everyone is happy…but how long will bookshops last? Will illegal downloading become a problem? Will new authors be able to get published? Or will we only be able to get hold of old classics and the latest Dan Brown?
The free explosion must have its limitations and we should be very careful of the knock on effects. What is wrong with paying a fair price and letting someone earn a living from their expertise?
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 19th, 2010
Most of us know this rule. It applies to all sorts of things and is irrefutable in the realm of science. The converse is also true, try putting the north poles of two magnets together. It just can’t be done. Does it apply to human relationships?
Unfortunately humans are not so cut and dried as magnets. It is not easy to categorise them.
People in successful relationships often say “my partner complements me”? When somebody says this do they mean they fill in the bits where I do not have expertise, so opposites do attract, or is it that their lives completely overlap, in other words Birds of a feather!
The important thing is what type of opposites are involved. You can easily see that someone who is happiest getting things done might get on very well with someone who has lots of ideas. In the first instance some common ground is required. In most cases this is likely to be a shared interest. However as a relationship develops, I believe it is beneficial for the people involved to have some differences. This allows them to have their own space within the relationship which is necessary for both partners to grow.
For any relationship to flourish it requires both people to work at it. If you can respect and tolerate – even appreciate – the differences you can use this to build a happy and fulfilling relationship.
Posted in Relationships | No Comments »
January 6th, 2010
Well, it is the start of a New Year and a New Decade. So, as the snow lies on the ground and causes the usual chaos, many people are considering making a fresh start.
What better way to start than by finding someone to share your life with. There is no doubt that people are social animals. If you pop in to your local supermarket you are constantly reminded of this: there are hordes of buy one get one free offers but very few aimed at just for one. We all feel better if we have someone to confide in. There has been a lot written recently about loneliness and how the phenomenal growth of computer based networks of friends has given the impression that we are more connected than ever before. However, there is nothing like the real thing. You need to be in the same physical place to really interact. It is wonderful that you can chat to a friend on Facebook or Twitter, but it is much more rewarding to meet them face to face.
Bringing people together is what we at Classical Partners are all about. There are places on the web where people who love classical music and the arts can share their thoughts, I do this from time to time, but as I have said before, it is not a patch on going to a concert or film with like-minded people and really sharing the experience.
So if you are reading this and thinking you would like to meet some music lovers… give us a ring and start the ball rolling.
Posted in Relationships, classical music, meet others | No Comments »
