What’s with all the Weather?

Britain has been hit by a series of floods caused by torrential rain over the past few weeks. Why are we having these freak weather patterns and what does it say about the future.

If you live on the west coast or in the south of England it truly has been a miserable few weeks for you. Continuous downpours have caused rivers to break their banks and pavements to turn into veritable lakes. As a consequence swathes of these areas have flooded.

The effect has been enormous. Properties have been damaged, livelihoods cost, natural vistas ruined. Politicians are now even getting in on the act, trampling down the flooded walkways in wellies just waiting for the next photo op.

Furthermore experts predict (rather grimly) that these conditions could last for months. Then apparently we’re in for the hottest summer on record. How any summer can be hotter than the last one, I’ll never know, but it’ll certainly be interesting to found out.

However we’re not the only ones who have experienced freak weather conditions. America has experienced its fair share lately as well. Anyone heard of the polar vortex?

The polar vortex is a bitterly cold wind that is usually trapped in the artic due to atmospheric conditions. However these conditions broke and the polar vortex travelled down to America causing temperature lows not seen on record. People had icicles growing on their faces; it was a sight to behold.

Furthermore the temperate south of the US has not been spared the ravages of these freak weather patterns. Southern hubs such as Atlanta and Birmingham, places usually notable for their warm weather, have been gridlocked by snow storms that have raged across the US south.

So what’s causing all this?  Scientists say global warming, which involves the temperature of the earth rising due to changes in atmospheric conditions caused by CO2 emissions. This would certainly explain the polar vortex, as global warming has been proved to have contributed to the melting of the polar icecaps.

I don’t know whether it’s global warming; there’s so much doubt around this hot button topic and I’m not a scientist so I couldn’t speak on this with any authority. However what is clear is that something has indeed changed.

This means that life as we know it could very well be different to the way it has always been. All predictions point to the fact that we haven’t seen the last of this unusual weather so people across the world are just going to have to learn to deal with it. Only time will tell if they actually do. 

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What was the Deal with Flappy Bird?

Anybody who reads the technology section of their chosen online news provider will have heard about the debate that has risen around flappy bird. What is flappy bird and why is it such a big deal?

For those of you Oliver Rawlings readers who have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, flappy bird is an app-game, in the same mold as Angry Birds and their ilk.

Specifically it’s a kind of retro style smartphone app game featuring 2D graphics that are a throwback to the days of the 1980’s. Basically you have to direct a flying bird, which keeps moving of its own accord to the right, through a set of obstacles.

Easy right? Nothing special about that right? Wrong. It’s unbelievably hard to actually do.  Seriously that little bird is annoying. However, people tend to like hard and annoying, for some reason. This has led to flappy bird becoming the most addictive app game since angry birds (I still prefer classic snake for the nokia though).

Addictive means popular in this modern world. Since it was first introduced in March, it has boomed in popularity and has become a staple on app screens across the world. You couldn’t go anywhere by the end of 2013 without hearing about that annoying little flappy bird.

However the game clearly peaked too early. The creator of the game got so annoyed with it that they decided to discontinue it. Furthermore Google’s app store has now banned a series of flappy bird clones that became popular in the wake of the discontinuation.

However this isn’t the end of flappy bird. A whole  new generation of flappy clones such as flappy bee are now becoming popular; it’s clear  there’s still a strong public demand for this most annoying of smartphone games.

I really think that this international incident, as trivial as it is, says something intrinsic about human nature. As a community we are fascinated by what we cannot do and what we cannot have; it’s the whole ‘grass is greener’ thing for the modern day.

So it stands to reason that the more difficult the game is, the more addictive it is, the more popular it becomes. Crazy but true. It looks clear, Oliver Rawlings readers, that we are looking at the future. Humanity is always looking for that next adventure, that next challenge. It appears that even smartphone app games are no exception when it comes to this most basic of human truths. 

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Should Scotland Be Independent?

This year will see the referendum on Scottish independence. Considering the amount of press the issue is getting lately, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss what this could mean. Should Scotland be independent?

Oliver Rawlings readers you have to understand that this is a somewhat delicate issue. After all the Scots have always been somewhat ambivalent to being a part of the United Kingdom; the rise of the Scottish National Party, who have made Scottish independence a key element of their political platform, tells us this.

However what we have to look at are the financial consequences of such a move. Whilst Scottish independence is certainly an attractive prospect, the reality is that it is going to cost and considering the size of Scotland you have to ask whether it’s a cost they can afford.

Experts are coming out now and predicting that Scottish independence would cost millions of pounds. You can imagine why. There are so many costs that you have to factor in when establishing yourself as a separate nation.

Suddenly Scotland would be completely responsible for building its own army, government, infrastructure etc. There are a thousand costs that are attached to setting up a new nation and the reality is that Scotland would have to find the money from somewhere. Tax revenue may not be enough.

It’s a pattern you see whenever a new country is formed. Look at what happened to the post-Soviet Republics in the early 90’s. They had major economic hardship and the reality is that breaking away from the Soviet Union, as liberating as it was, cost them.

However currency is the issue that is worrying most people. Many in Scotland have said that they would like to keep the pound as their currency. They would certainly have to in the interim regardless, as setting up a new currency takes time and you have to have a transitional stage.

It’s the idea of a shared currency that is worrying economists everywhere. They look to the Euro and what happened there. Many economists say that the shared currency meant that when some nations saw economic hardship, the shared currency dragged others down with it. They point to the recent Eurozone crisis to illustrate the point.

Scottish independence is a tricky subject. At the end of the day it comes down to one question that voters will have to ask themselves. Is separation from the rest of the Union worth the literal cost that it will incur?

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Why Should You Be Using LinkedIn?

Considering how the world of business has changed over the last decade, there are tools becoming more popular every day that you can use to get ahead in the business world. One of these is LinkedIn. So how can you Oliver Rawlings readers use LinkedIn to get ahead in the modern world?

The world of business is not what it used to be. Once upon a time if you wanted to cut a business deal you would go to a trendy bar in the west end. If you wanted to get a job you would scroll the wanted ads in the local newspapers and if you wanted to make contacts you would go through a friend of a friend.

The internet, particularly social media, has changed all this. The internet allow for a greater flow of information than ever before. With the internet you can make a contact in seconds and maintain that contact without ever having to meet face to face (unless you have a video chat on Skype).

This means that the world of business and employment has changed as well. For example if you’re looking for a new job you don’t go to the local newspaper, you go to a job site such as Reed or Indeed. These actually allow greater scope for job opportunities as they allow you to apply for a job anywhere in the world.

This is where social media comes in. Social media really is a wonderful way to make connections anywhere across the world. It’s a versatile medium that allows you to hone in on who you want to talk to and make that connection in seconds.

So it makes sense that you would use social media to post job applications and make business connections. Yet certain social networking sites have different uses. This is why you should be using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the professional’s social networking site. It’s where employers are often now posting job opportunities and it is specifically tailored to be used like a CV. You can post your personal information along with any professional experience you have because the features of LinkedIn are designed to allow you to do so.

However it goes much further than this. LinkedIn also has a number of communities and groups that you can join .The great thing about these is that they are geared towards professional industries. This means that you can talk to other professionals, whereas something like Facebook is catered more to socialising with friends.

LinkedIn is the professional social networking site. If you’re looking to get ahead professionally in today’s world, you should be setting up a LinkedIn account the minute you finish reading this sentence. 

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Why Nelson Mandela Was an Icon

We were greeted with the sad news last week Oliver Rawlings readers that Nelson Mandela has passed away. The man had lived a long life; he was in his 90’s. But it’s still shocking news none the less. There aren’t too many people in the world that we would label ‘icons’. However Mandela is certainly one of the ones we would. There are people who seem big, who seem larger than life. These people seem untouchable. They seem like they’ll never die. The legend grows to surpass the person. However there’s a reason the person become a legend in the first place.

So this all leads us to one question? I think I’m preaching to the choir here when I say that Mandela was an icon. Not many people would deny it and those who would, certainly wouldn’t have the courage to do so. However the question we still have to ask was why? Why was Mandela an icon? He certainly lived a life that we would traditionally label iconic. It certainly fits the bill. He was born as a disadvantaged black man in apartheid South Africa. He rose to receive an education and became a professional. He fought the system. He certainly suffered for his principles. He was a man who had leadership thrust upon him but wore it well. He cared until the end.

Whilst these are certainly the ingredients one would use to label a man iconic, I don’t believe they’re what made Mandela one. They are certainly impressive. They certainly speak of a man of great character and humility. However he’s not unique in these traits. There are others who have similar stories. Whilst his certainly would have gained him admiration, it certainly wouldn’t have vaulted him to the status he holds in people’s hearts and minds.

I believe it’s his altruism that makes him an icon. Not many people have that. Mandela was a man who learned to forgive. Mandela could have held a grudge against his oppressors. Amazingly he didn’t. When he was released and everyone else was calling for battle, he held his head. He remembered that despite their actions, his oppressors were people too .They had children. They had hopes and dreams and fears. In my opinion that’s the true measure of a man, not how he treats his friends, but how he treats his enemies. Any man can forgive their friends; can be good to their friends. It takes a special kind of man to forgive his enemies. Not many of us honestly have that pure goodness in us.

And that’s what really vaulted Mandela to the status of icon. People admired his innate ability to be good. It’s as simple as that really. We always want what we don’t have and Mandela could say that he had something in spades that most us don’t have.

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