May 2007

I feel like I should comment on Big Brother ‘07 but to be honest I dont have much to say.

One night is not enough to get a feel for this years inmates but there were certainly some characters who shone at the beginning. From what I can remember, the twins who loves pink and who kept informing eveyone who entered that they are ‘gorgeous’. There was the older woman who described herself as being clever but throughout the first programme was standing back from everyone else… erm, the girl who is the cousin of some footballer.. the raver woman who was, like ‘av it’ all over the place…. oh and the girl who reminded me of Vicky Pollard.

Whilst that is about it on the housemates it is interesting to see which direction the programme is taking this year. Paramount is a setting and a house layout which will cause the most annoyance including an oven in the bedroom and a frigde in the garden, this should bring about some interesting results.

Finally… all girls… I am certain that this wont last long. Surely they will get rid of half and bring some lads in at some point in the plot. All girls wont last forever, make up, hair, pink.. doesnt lead to much of an exciting show although the girly cat fights could be interesting.

I for one wont be following this too much and I was gutted that I had missed the Apprentice for BB07.

I have been recently been in conversation with my local newspaper and discovered this article highlighting my involvement in television at the age of 18. You can read the link here: West Kirby’s own TV critic. Or in full below:

West Kirby’s own TV critic

From the Wirral Globe, first published Wednesday 11th Mar 1998.

EIGHTEEN year-old Mark Bowness, of West Kirby, has been asked to become a member of the event team for the second world summit on television for children, held in London this week.

The summit, which takes place every three years, provides an excellent opportunity for young people to have a say in the programmes that should be on television.

The purpose of the young person’s event is for the organisers and companies worldwide (including BBC, Channel Four and Carlton) is to recognise the valuable contribution that children can make to the television industry.

The junior delegates will be attending sessions, screenings and demonstrations as wells as running their own masterclasses and discussion groups for the adult delegates. The results will be taken seriously and, hopefully, acted upon by the programme makers.

Mark, who has been involved with similar events before, feels that young people should have a greater role in the development of the television programmes for people of their age, so they can introduce more educational programmes.

Mark said: “I am pleased to have been asked by the summit committee to take part in the event and I am also pleased that they have recognised my dedication to the industry.”

At the age of 17 / 18 I was devising TV programmes and sending them into production companies, just shows you what can happen if you keep going!

TED | Talks | Jeff Han: Unveiling the genius of multi-touch interface design (video)

Words fail me. If your a techno-geek, an artist, or a designer I encourage to to click on the link above and watch the video. Gaze in awe, just as I have done.

We all have two major environments; our work life and our home life, but there is a growing trend towards a third place.

Wiki desribes a ‘Third Place’ as the following:

“The Third Place” is a term used in the concept of community building to refer to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace. In his influential book The Great, Good Place, Ray Oldenburg argues that third places are important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establishing feelings of a sense of place. Michael Krassa argues along similar lines, looking at neighborhood design, social network formation, and civic involvement.”

I have my own third place. My third place is my local gym. I go there 5 days week and have done so for the past 10 months. I really enjoy going to my local gym as I love challening myself physically. However, my local gym, my third place serves as having another purpose, it has become my creative hub.

When I am at work, in an office, it is e-mails, phone calls and business development. When I am at my third space I meet people, I listen to my ipod, I hear all about the lives of others and this gets my creative juices flowing. I have come up with many of the ideas that I am working on at the gym - through a conversation with others, through a line of a song or through something completely different that I think about.

I really enjoy my third space and see it as much a part of my work as anything else, but it is my special time, no mobile ‘phones or e-mails but space to push myself physically and mentally. I come back from the gym re-energised, focussed and ready to get straight back into my work.

I wonder how much other people would benefit from a Third Space, whether this would benefit their lives both their working and family life. Perhaps you have a third space, I would love to hear about it.

Check it out: The Great, Good place.