My church (Chingford Parish Church - Ss Peter & Pauls, for all you paedophiles out there) was asked, about four months ago, whether they'd consider having a mobile phone mast on the spire. As it's the tallest building around, it seemed like a perfectly logical idea.
The incentive was that the church gets £3000 a year for it.
Upon discussion, our church decided that this was perfectly reasonable, and accepted the offer. As most of you know, this is the point where you get mad idiots protesting about something they know nothing about. Let me explain...

People were worried about radiation frying the poor little urchins brains at the RC school. So, they protested outside our church on a Sunday morning. How mature.
Firstly, in their haste to point the finger of blame, they overlooked the fact that there is already a phone mast less than 20 metres from the school (which is alot more powerful than the proposed on for our church). Secondly, they overlooked the fact that both the police station and the fire station have radio masts that are 10 times more powerful than the 30 watt one proposed for the church.
On aforementioned sunday morning, said protesters were protesting (as protesters do). One of these protesters got a bit lost. She couldn't find the rest of her group. So, she takes out her mobile phone, and calls her friend.  (Using a mobile phone is actually more dangerous than the phone mast itself, becuase you're holding it for a prolonged period against the weakest part of your skull - radiation can get through more easliy). Anyway, ironic, no?
After all of the above facts had been pointed out to the protesters, they took a different approach.
Hate mail.
I'm sorry, but how the fuck can you justify yourself as a christian (which these people are), when you send hate male to the rector of a neighbouring church (that church being ours)??
Father Tom is a great man. He had to put up with these idiots sending hate mail and various other complimentary ... gifts, all over a phone mast. He actually got really emotionally upset over it. I'd like to know how anybody could justifiy doing something like that?
It wasn't just Tom that got the mail though, it was every member of the Parish Council. Some of these people, married with children, No child should ever be able to read something so ... vile. Especially aimed at their own parents.
Immature much?
Upon realising (due to lack of scientific back up) that their argument would never hold up, our disgustingly clueless protesters decided to use the rather obvious arguement that "phone masts transmit pornography - this is an immoral thing for a church to do".

What can you actually say to people like that?

Ps. The 3K a year that will hopefully be raised by having a mast, will be used for charitable purposes.,

Carrying on from my sentimental saga, I've decided to devote todays entry to about 5/6 very special people. I won't name them - they know who they are.
Friends are a part of our lives that we'd pretty much crumble without. Best friends, are the pillars of our being.
The 6 or so best friends I'm talking about really do match that description, and more.
In no particular order :

Person one:
You're amazing. I've told you this so many times, but you really are. The amount of times I've come running to you with problems, and you've always been there, to talk to. Even if you can't help sort it out, just talking to you makes me feel better. The 4am text message conversations, random msn karaokes and voice recordings all mean so much to me. I've only really met you once, and you truly are great.

Person two:
Randomness for the win! Once again you're (for want of a better word) amazing.
You were the person that really taught me to beleive in friends. You pushed me to tell you what was wrong, and I'm grateful for it. I'll always remember the way you never picked up the phone, until one day when I phoned you at 3am, and we ended up having a 2 hour discussion about people and religion and other randomness, it was great. Ever since then I've known I can always rely on you.

Person three:
At last, a person I actually know from school! You're probably the smartest kid I know who has such a great sense of homour. Randomness, intelligence and long hair are an odd mix for a boy, but they work for you. I remember my first day at infant school in year two, seven years ago. It was you who let me into the "gang". I think you're the only person I've never argued with. Thankyou.

Person four:
Yay, another school person. You've been known to be tempremental, and in fairness, I did rather provoke you (probably still do =D) when we were younger. We've had our fall outs, who doesn't. You're still a great person, always trying to point out the simplicity in everything. True, you can be pretty harsh with your insults, but hey, I'll live

Person five:
Flirtacious, much? Nah, you're awesome. Our late night phone conversations are always fun, and awesome . Thanks for being there for me, even though I was a prick to you.

Person six:
I think you'll know who you are and what I mean, by this: I hope we're still alright. you still mean alot to me

Guys, I mean everything I say here, I've probably told you most of it before but it's here just in case.
There's one final addition (and I'd rather this person didn't know I was talking about them =D). :

Person sevenish:
I can't wait til I see you again. Last time was awesome.

And to everyone else I know who has read this:
Even if you aren't on the list, or don't think you are, it doesn't mean you don't mean a lot to me. (Well, that's not strictly true, there are about four people who may read this, who I wouldn't trust with a piece of paper, let alone my deepest secrets).

Everyone else:
Respect your friends, you never know when you'll truly need them - I certainly found that out.

My City. As much as I hate it, I love it.
Yes, the busses are always late. The Victoria line is never running. There are people shoving thelondonpapaer or the metro up your nose wherever you choose to go, tourists stepping on your feet. But nevertheless, it's something special to be a part of. To me, London means alot. Being able to see the Gherkin at night from my room, watching a bus head into central london, watching a plane line up on the approach for Heathrow airport, sitting on the central line shaking my head along to the rhythm of the vibration (in commuter like fashion) watching the headlines on peoples newspapers. I feel like I'm part of something big. Knowing that whatever way I look, I know where I am.
London seems big on a map. Very big. I live on the edge of it. Yet, I'm only a twenty minute train ride from one of my best freinds who lives pretty much right in the middle.  To me, it's normal having to find a different way through the maze of trains every time I go into town. The announcements of "Central line closed due to maintenance and there are heavy delays on the circle and district lines, sorry for any inconvenience", as annoying as they are, are all part of London.
For those fellow Londoners out there, our city is one of the most cultural, fun and different places in the world. Next time you're annoyed that the northern line is under maintenance, or the train is packed with fun-flash wielding Japanese people, or loud Americans, just remember, remember there's nowhere quite like London. Each one of us, from the high up buisnesspeople working in office blocks in central London, to government offiicials over in Westminster, to the social workers working in various boroughs even down to the dustbin men and post men running around in the early hours of the morning, are a vital part of what keeps London alive, and what it is today. It's through everyone of us that London lives, not through the physical city. Without us, London would be nothing. Without London, we'd be nothing.
For everyone else, if you ever do come to London, please don't step on the commuters feet, and please don't take pictures of the busses - they're not that amazing. Please don't shout on the underground at 8am, and please, please, loose the kodak funflash, and fijifilm cameras, you've no idea how annoying they are. Also, don't follow the majority - as amazing as it is, the tower of London isn't the only thing to see in London. If you go down a little side street anywhere, you're guaranteed to see parts of London that are just as amazing.

I'm sorry for my sentiment, but I felt it was about time someone showed our city a bit of sympathy.

No seriously! Unplug your modem and burn it! Now! Do it!

Or maybe not. Although, given the coverage on the subject by the media these days, you might as well.

It seems that behind every hyperlink, there's a peadophile waiting to attack and rape you. You mustn't use chatrooms. You can't use forums or message boards. Hell, we're even told who we can and can't add to our instant messaging contact lists. Yes, admittedly the internet is a dangerous place to be, but, so's my local shopping centre!
Yes, peadophiles do use the internet, but with a bit of common sense, they're pretty easy to avoid. Now, the medias answer to that argument would be "Ah, but peadophiles are capable of setting up a whole new identity online!"
True. But, even in that case, if you were to plan on meeting someone off the internet, you'd be thick to go alone.
Now for the real bombshell... I've met internet people!  OMGOMG! It was a group meet up. Perfectly safe. In a public area. Liverpool St Station. (See - basic common sense). We all met together, now, unless you're saying that there might have been a gang of peadophiles waiting for me (to which my reply is : ), it was perfectly safe becuase if there had been a peado in our midst we could have overpowered him/her.
So, my message (in complete contradiction to the general opinion) is "Get on those chatrooms and forums, add who you want on your IM list.. Haave fun! A little bit of common sense is all you need!"