Mobile Pone Deals, Philosophy two great minds meet (and frustratations of the spread) ..

Modern consumers are expected to search for the best deal and I'm increasingly drawn into what can be a game to find the 'best deal'  that produces little in the way of satisfaction and much in the way of frustration.

My phone - is it smart?

I'm currently struggling with the move from one energy supplier (former one Ovo)  to an new supplier (Scottish Power) as a result of my CAB involvement I feel that it is somewhat obligatory for me to make this effort - it is though proving frustrating and my intention is today to seek OFGEM input on my odyssey.


I was very unhappy with how Carphone Warehouse reacted to my earlier dissatisfaction on  my phone deal and subsequently moved to O2.




The BT deal - is it smart?

Well yesterday I was called by O2 who asked me about my 'Upgrade' plans - I wish that they weren't labelled as such, chances are that in days gone by I would not 'shop around'  but the fact that BT who I have some 'loyalty' to are offering something like a 50% cheaper option and that O2 had revealed their hand  means  I've decided to go the BT way - we'll see how it progresses with the provision of my new Micro SIM and PAC (a code required for the number transfer to take place) - perhaps it'll be a smooth as my current account banking change was.

Philosophy Struggles

Yesterday we reviewed some clips from a near legendary session between Foucault and Chomsky - this might not mean too much to you or it might mean a lot - in fact for those with an interest in modern  Philosophy it's the equivalent for Chess fans of a match between  Fischer and Kasparov or for boxing aficionados a contest between Ali and George Foreman.

Now I wasn't comfortable with how it was staged or the editing of the clips we analysed (and it's not just because of the various fashion faux pars it  revealed amongst the audience) - I know that my struggles to even appreciate the ideas that are discussed make me something close to that unreliable witness of the car accident at the roundabout where there's some broken glass and confusion but little else.

But were they even discussing the same issues - let's face it we're all involved in such situations in  probing, tentatively the  meaning of the question and when this is being conducted in a language that isn't our mother tongue can we get close?

 One of the struggles noted by a somewhat  irritated  member of our group  in the endeavour to find more about Philosophy is the defining of the limitations/boundary of the subject - what are these anthropologists and Eastern Mystics doing  rubbing shoulders with Kant, Aristotle and Plato?

I believe that it's always been the case but the stretching of the subject is even more to the fore in these days of massive quantities of accessible information  - it's both a blessing and a curse to be able to go off at so many tangents and the challenge is not confined to Philosophy, other studies that I've undertaken have shown the same issue in multiple guises - 20th Century Design  is currently providing the same question - along with the issue of when 20th century design started.

What I would say to answer the frustration is in two parts:

I think of Marcel here

1) As Marcel Duchamp (I think and I hope I paraphrase with some value)  pioneered in Art is that 'Art is what we look at in Galleries and speak about in discussions on Art' - he did I reckon do far more than divorce  Art from Aesthetics and perhaps free it (again) from an elite group of consumers and producers - we can, should and are doing this across many topics from Music to History.

If you want to check out a short item on this  legendary and under appreciated cultural  hero - look here.

2) It's a big subject- get over it and join the debate (if you're so minded).

Ealing Anti-Wheelie Bin Petition

There's another petition for Ealing residents

Ealing Says 'No' to Wheelie Bins Petition | GoPetition