Tuesday, 30 March 2021

Buy Now, Pay Later is a gateway to debt

For last couple of weeks ago, I covered enough blog post regarding debt & financial problems. 


mrlimitless95.blogspot.com 


mrlimitless95.blogspot.com 


mrlimitless95.blogspot.com 


mrlimitless95.blogspot.com 


There is one thing that I haven’t covered it. Buy now, pay later. Another form of debt. That is what will be in today’s blog post. 


What is Buy Now, Pay Later? moneysavingexpert.com experian.co.uk 


It is something that you have the opportunity to buy something without having to pay until later date. Which adds a debt to it. It is part of the scheme. Buy Now, Pay later scheme. 


The way I see, it is a gateway to debt. If you think that Credit Card debt or bank overdraft is bad enough, then Buy Now, Pay Later scheme debt is way worse. Especially for some people who aren’t carefully financially. 


I read news articles a month about it regarding the Klarna matter. 

google.co.uk 


bbc.co.uk 


bbc.co.uk 


google.co.uk 


My take on this. 


Why on earth would somebody rely on the companies (buy now, pay later companies) & use the scheme to buy anything (mostly, expensive items & fashion/clothes) online and offline? When we want to buy any item, we just buy something and pay it. Without having to be in the awful position financially with debt. That’s when Buy Now, Pay Later debt comes into play. 


Imagine hypothetically, I buy a sandwich, i paid for sandwich as normal (no problem) & then next thing without any knowledge, i am in debt (due to the ludicrous concept of “Buy Now, Later Now”) & that I am so shockingly stunned that I am in a dreadful position. 


I am glad that it has not really happened to me & I do not want that to ever happen to me with Buy Now, Pay Later as I haven’t used any of the service (buy now, pay later service) so although it is your choice, I will never recommend to use the scheme (Buy Now, Pay Later with debt being added). 


We really got to stop accepting debt as a good because it is not & it will never be a good thing in all form. Whether is bank overdraft, student loan, mortgage, car loan, buy now, pay later debt or credit card. Although I won’t judge you if you do use either of them, for me I would never step in anything that is a gateway to debt. Like Credit Card, Buy Now, Pay Later scheme is tricky & I really do not understand why buy something and then paying something at later date with being in the shackle of debt. It is better buying and paying at the same time than just buy something now  and pay something later. It’s just doesn’t make any sense. It’s doesn’t make sense at all. 


So yeah, Buy Now, Pay Later is a debt trap and that is why i would highly recommend anyone not to use it if you do not want to be in the awful situation. 

Sunday, 28 March 2021

Eurovision: Why do I enjoy watching it?

Eurovision: Why do I enjoy watching it?


Well up to 2017, I didn’t had particular interest of watching Eurovision, although I had heard of it.


What made me to watch Eurovision in 2017 was then that I was tired of the topic about Brexit (& the 2016 referendum result, favouring the UK out of the European Union given at the time, it was so divisive). 


There were even ridiculous ideas that I read on social media from Brexiteers that the United Kingdom should leave the Eurovision Song Contest (which is totally not affiliated with the EU). The chances are completely low so that will never happen.


So that is when I started to have an interest of watching Eurovision & since then, I have been watching Eurovision all the way to 2020. 


By the way, there were no Eurovision due to the impact of Covid. Instead, Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light TV programme was the replacement for the postponed 2020 Eurovision Song Contest because of the pandemic. 


So I am glad that this year’s Eurovision will not be postponed like it was last year. However, there won’t be many crowds in the audience like it was before coronavirus. That means there will be small capacity and social distancing. One way or another, the show will go on so Eurovision will definitely happen as it will be broadcasted in our TV in Europe & elsewhere. 😀


So why do I become a fan of Eurovision & why do I like it? 🎵🎶🇪🇺🎤🎼🙂


Load of reasons


1. Eurovision have been held since the very first one in 1956. More than 60 years. It is the longest running annual international televised music competition and it is one of the world’s longest television programmes. 


2. I love the Eurovision theme. Te Deum. Composed by the French composer Marc Antonine Charpentier. 


3. All European countries (EU & Non EU) & some non European countries like Israel and Australia are members of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) which broadcasts Eurovision in each individual country so that the viewers can enjoy watching the competition. 


4. I love format. Different languages and music  artist representing his/her country to perform a song and the fact that the viewers in every country do have the power to vote to select the winner of Eurovision. Based on the song and the performance. 


5. Music artists gained popularity big. Like ABBA when they won Eurovision in 1974 with their song Waterloo. Even music artists after Eurovision were unknown & then became famous like Celine Dion when she represented Switzerland in 1988 given originally, she is from Canada. The same with Olivia Newton John (before songs from Grease like “You’re the one that I want” with John Travolta). Representing the UK in 1974. Julio Iglesias (the father of famous singer Enrique Iglesias) representing Spain in 1970. 


Even Katrina and the Waves (well known for their song “Walking on Sunshine”) with their 1997 song Love shine a light, representing the UK and Bonnie Tyler who is well known for her songs “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” & “Holding Out For A HERO” in the 1980s, representing the UK in 2013. bustle.com 


6. It made me feel proud to be European. 🇪🇺


7. I know some people who do watch Eurovision every year annually. 


8. The winner of Eurovision from the country he/she represented, the host country hosts Eurovision in the following year & that it will be held in the country where the performer is from. 


9. It brings people together despite what person wants the performer from different country to win Eurovision. It is mainly about opinions and preferences. At the end of the day, all musical performances are equally good & that each individual do have the talent. 


Since it is a talent show like here in the UK, it’s the X Factor, the Voice and Britain Got Talent (3 UK TV Competition shows). 


With Eurovision, it is a pan European competition which allows contestants from European & Non European nations to participate. 🙂😀


So that is why I like Eurovision because I am a fan. Eurovision fan. I even started to watch previous Eurovision competitions starting from 1956 on YouTube.


Here are the interesting facts about Eurovision if you are interested. 🎵🎶🎤🎼


eurovision.tv 


eurovisionworld.com 


nulpoints.net 


bbc.co.uk 


languagetraining.com 


scandikitchen.co.uk 


planetradio.co.uk 


radiotimes.com 

Friday, 26 March 2021

DST and the annual tradition of changing clocks

Well my friends the time is here. The annual tradition of changing clocks two times a year. 


Depending which country you live in. If you live in the country that does not change times once or twice a year in March and October then congratulations. 


However if you live in the country that does annually change times twice a year in Spring and Autumn (Fall) then I guess you have an opinions whether you support or oppose clock changing. Same goes to the country that I live in. The United Kingdom. 


Changing clock forward in March and changing clock backward in October/early November in the final week of the month (late March and late October) have always been the tradition. It is always been the case since First World War. Century ago. 


Every time when we change our clocks, there will be always for and against. Positive and negative & that have never been ending topic. Changing times and DST (Daylight Saving Time). In the UK, we currently use GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Soon to change it for BST (British Summer Time) by one hour forward. In October, it’s one hour backward (switching back to GMT) and it repeats two times a year. 


So here are the pros & cons of DST (Daylight Saving Time) because there are arguments for & against DST in the name of changing clocks & time. 


Pros: good about DST


Longer evenings: evenings that are lighter & brighter. Which is common in Western Hemisphere nations like Europe, Canada & the US. More sunshine.


It does save energy: Well really there are critics who do say that it does not really save energy as there are mixed opinions of whether DST does really save energy & that no one is sure about it. & less artificial light. 


& even it makes it safer to improve road safety & reducing robbery. 


Cons: bad about DST


It costs money & it does cost each country’s economises a money. 


It does not really save energy. 


& losing one hour of sleep. Time change could lead some people to serious consequences such as suffering heart attack, car accidents in the road, workplace injuries, etc. 



There is the pros & cons of DST & the practices of changing time. 


Before the tradition of changing times happened during First World War when Germany was the first time to change times, many people who first proposed the idea of changing times like Benjamin Franklin & George Hudson & people in other countries didn’t seemed to the like of idea & that it was a joke & when Germany changed times during WWI, countries like Russia, US & the UK soon followed to do the same. 


In the recent years, Israel (2014) had started to change times to be in align with Europe while countries like Turkey & Russia abandoned the use of changing times. 


So with the EU now wanting to put a end of changing times, there will be countries who would want to follow the suit as well. Until Covid 19 impacted the world last year and it is currently ongoing. The EU27 had proposed that this year 2021 would had been final time for the EU member states to choose which time they would want to go for. Permanent Summer Time (for more of daylight) or Permanent Winter Time for less of daylight). So because of the pandemic, it will not happen this year and that won’t start the process of ditching the annual tradition of changing times anytime soon at the moment in Europe. 


And if that does eventually happen someday in the future (the end of changing times), those who cannot stand changing times two times a year will be relived and happy. Some might not. For me, I am not that bothered (I am neutral on this topic). Although I prefer that we carry on using the daylight saving as the UK and mainland Europe will start changing clocks for tomorrow (27th March 2021) until we are at the point that we no longer have to keeping changing time in March and October (two times) & that we start to follow other countries that does not annual change clocks like we do in the West. Like South Africa, Turkey, Russia and Brazil for example.


Lastly, regarding the seasonal clock change for Ireland and Northern Ireland. Because of the UK now out of the European Union (as of 31st January 2020). If the UK and Ireland do want to change times or not (even the EU still believe that they do want to put a end to changing times) then time zones in Northern Ireland and Ireland (Republic of Ireland) must not be split in two. 🇪🇺🇬🇧🇮🇪 google.co.uk wired.co.uk publications.parliament.uk 


For example: 12pm in Belfast, Northern Ireland and 11am in Dublin, Ireland. One hour ahead in the Island of Ireland. Because of the effects of Brexit, if that does come to it (god forbid) then expect in the future that people in NI would want to support United Ireland (Northern Ireland rejoining with the Republic) which all means not using the same time zone of Great Britain and use the time zone of Ireland (south. Republic of Ireland). So I hope that should not be the case. No wonder Brexit complicates things as much that Covid is. That’s why Northern Ireland is still in the EU Single Market while the rest of the UK (mainly Great Britain) are not in the Single Market.


So that is all I can say about Daylight Saving Time and the annual tradition of changing clocks twice a year. 


Now let’s all change a time as we will have a longer days & short nights (brighter & lighter evenings). Changing clocks in the UK and continental Europe starts tomorrow (27th March 2021). Canada 🇨🇦 and America 🇺🇸 had already changed the clock earlier this month. 


⏰🕰⏱

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

The Edgware Railway Hotel: Long neglected pub

Hi everybody 

I want to tell you something. Something local from where I live in the London Borough of Barnet. 

As I grow up in Barnet most of my life, for while ago now I have been reading my friend’s blog posts (Roger = Barnet Eye blogger) regarding the pub in Edgware that has been badly neglected for years. The Railway Hotel. 

Here are two recent blog posts by Roger about the Railway Hotel pub in Edgware.

barneteye.blogspot.com 

barneteye.blogspot.com 

I know the place very well as I have been to Edgware. Although I never went inside the place, I really wondered what was the reason for the Railway Hotel pub to be closed in 2006 due to not reaching health and safety standards apparently and not done something to secure, renovate and reopen the place? It has been 16 years. 16 years since the pub in Edgware was shut. 

Why is Barnet Council not doing anything to save the Edgware Railway Hotel have been badly neglected for many years? It is very unacceptable for the local authority to not care about the pub in Edgware by restoring back to its former glory. Also, why is Historic England not doing something about it either? Since it is indeed listed as a Grade II listed building by Historic England. Non departmental public body. 

Furthermore, Mark Amies (@Superfast72) & Roger Tichborne (@Barneteye) have been campaigning to save the railway hotel for several years & I hope that can continue until something is done for Barnet Council & Historic England to finally restore it after years of neglect.

change.org Here is the petition to sign it & save the Railway Hotel. 

I strongly recommend that everyone should click the link to sign the petition so that eventually, the Railway Hotel can one day be reopened to the public and that Historic England & Barnet Council would had finally done something to restore it instead of keeping it neglected. My friend Roger has cared deeply about the topic for years (& devoted his time on his blog for the cause that he have been campaigning for) & that he is running for Barnet Council seat in Edgware ward for council by election as Liberal Democrat candidate. If anyone who is living in Edgware, I would like to persuade you to give a vote to Roger Tichborne if you do happen to be living there (in Edgware). I seen two interviews (2019 and 2020) on the Barnet Eye blog with Roger interviewing Mark who also have campaigned to save the Railway Hotel for years. You can go and watch it on YouTube. 

youtube.com

youtube.com 

Lastly, I really do care about local topics when it comes to local issues apart from national politics. Local politics is important. Not just national topics and London/regional wide topics. One thing I know for sure is that, if you feel the need to do something in your community, go for it. 

That is how my blogger friend who talks about local topics in Barnet on his blog. The Barnet Eye.

I am doing this to spread the message out here on my blog. 

So that is all I have to say about the Railway Hotel pub. Please go sign the petition to save the pub that has been badly neglected for years. Thank you. 


Google Adsense alternatives

Hi everyone 

mrlimitless95.blogspot.com 

Earlier this month, I talked about me looking for better alternative than Google Adsense as you recall that I was fed up of waiting to hear from them as they have not replied to my email messages and my messages on social media. That’s how I decided to look for alternative than Adsense. 

Here are the alternative that I have found. I even started to go on one website and that I am planning to go on another (just in case if it is not a great alternative). kikolani.com youtube.com dailymediang.com 

  • InfoLinks
  • PropellerAds
  • SkimLinks
  • Amazon Native Shopping
  • Sovrn // Commerce 
  • Adversal
  • Media.Net 
  • Bidvertiser
  • AdSterra
  • Revcontent 
  • SHE Media 
  • Ezoic 
  • Yllix Media 
  • Cuelinks 
  • Adshares
  • Monumetric
  • BuySellAds
  • Onclick/popunder ads 


This is what I have found guys. Websites of different alternatives for Google Adsense. 

I hope that I will have a one of the best alternative website so that I can kickstart of earning money as an blogger. If Adsense had responded by a month ago in February then I wouldn’t have to be in the position now to look out for alternative money earning/advertisement websites than Google Adsense. 





Tuesday, 23 March 2021

Misconception about zero Covid strategy

There is a lot of misconception about about zero Covid strategy from some media outlets to politicians & scientists. 


So here’s my take on this topic. 


My take


As we are beginning to realise that we will acknowledge that Covid 19 is not going anywhere for the moment & that we have to live with it (which I do accept it) I don’t for however accept that we should treat Covid 19 like a flu. There is a clear difference between flu (influenza) and coronavirus despite both are respiratory illnesses. 


There is no such thing as long flu. Yet there is one called long Covid. 


Flu is caused by influenza virus while coronavirus (SARS-COVID-2) is caused by  novel coronavirus. Example 2003 SARS outbreak in Asia & 2012 MERs outbreak in the Middle East. 


We have been living with flu since the last century (20th century) so when I hear so many media critics say that the Zero Covid strategy cannot work in any country including here in the UK. Well I say they are wrong. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/16/ardern-reveals-the-moment-she-c-covid-elimination-strategy  🇳🇿


Look up at New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern & the NZ govt have successfully handled the Covid situation well with their own strategy. Their strategy is Zero Covid strategy. Now there is no lockdown measures, life is back to normality despite Covid continue to be present threat & there is no big much of transmission in the country. 


https://www.icelandreview.com/ask-ir/whats-the-status-of-covid-19-in-iceland/


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56412790 🇮🇸


Look up at Iceland. Like the UK, it’s a small island country, they (the Icelandic govt) successfully tackled Covid with strong measures: effective contact tracing & testing, quarantine of cases and preventing cases at borders. 


https://www.wired.co.uk/article/taiwan-coronavirus-covid-response 🇹🇼 


Look up at Taiwan. They handled Covid 19 successfully and yet, Patrick Vallance and Chris Witty & the Prime Minister Boris Johnson say they are totally against the idea of eliminating Covid 19 completely & that we should treat Covid like a flu. Well I say we should treat Covid like measles.


They (Witty, Vallance and Johnson) have missed the point about zero Covid strategy. Zero Covid means zero Covid infection. It doesn’t necessarily mean Covid is gone completely. They (UK govt and scientists) should look up of how countries like New Zealand handled the Covid situation instead of opposing the idea of zero Covid. Given already, there are misconceptions about the strategy itself of eliminating Covid. 


Zero Covid means zero Covid infections. Not the disease itself & that is why they have missed the point & have no Interest of wanting to eliminate Covid 19 in the UK which means more cases of infections & deaths & that it shouldn’t be so given the government have continued to mishandled the Covid situation. 


No wonder sadly today that the UK marked a year since the first national lockdown across the country. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-56491532 


Where will the country be in the next 12 months? More round of lockdowns with Covid 19 variants. The only out of the pain and misery socially, politically, mentally and economically is to continue following the rules and regulations, social distancing, wearing face mask and finding ways reasonably to completely eradicate Covid in the country. Like I said, zero Covid means zero infections. Not the disease itself. Eventually, we’ll be back living normally as if Covid is not around (but Covid is still in present. Not that much of causing an impact like AIDS/HIV endemic in the 1980s given it is still around to this day as we know HIV is not respiratory disease). 


That’s why that we would have to come to terms with Covid eventually but not have to keep on having more lockdowns. That’s only if the government stop mismanagement of the Covid situation & do something that the country doesn’t have to go into lockdown again (which unfortunately they’ll continue to make mistakes & have more round of lockdown). One of them is to adopt the zero Covid strategy like New Zealand & other countries did while tacking coronavirus. 


So that is my take on the misconception of the zero Covid strategy. 

Saturday, 20 March 2021

Have you filled your Census yet?

Every 10 years, there is an census for every citizen to take part of it in every country. Which includes the United Kingdom. 

This year’s Census (Census 2021) is for England and Wales if you happen to live here like I do. 

Last night, I completed my census for first time in my life. Taking part of the census that happens once in a decade. 

In case if you haven’t already then I recommend that you do so. Plus tomorrow is the census day in England and Wales so what are you waiting for? census.gov.uk 


There are plenty reasons why you should take part of filling in the census is that organisations: businesses, local authorities and charities can use the picture (this year’s one) to plan and fund the services that we do need in our societies: Transport, education, healthcare. It’s the same thing that we the taxpayers do pay taxes so that it can go to spend on transport, education, welfare/social security benefit and healthcare. 

So the 2021 Census shouldn’t take you long at least 10 minutes. After all, it’s a survey. 

So I recommend that anyone living in England and Wales to please sign the census. It is very important. Tomorrow is the deadline. The Census Day 2021 (Sunday 21st March 2021). 

So that is all I have to say about Census 2021. As for Scotland, Census will take part next year & Northern Ireland I believe have done already the Census or that it is on the same date as England and Wales. 

To my other readers who live aboard, do you have Census in your country this year, if so, tell me about it in the comment section. Thank you. 




Friday, 19 March 2021

Save Eurostar part 3

I come across this another interesting petition regarding the campaign to save Eurostar. It is on Change. Change.Org


We all know about the financial situation of Eurostar & it would be shame if it is out of business. 

🚄🇬🇧🇫🇷🇧🇪🇳🇱🇪🇺

Please do sign other great petitions now there is four petitions. 


Parliament petition (for citizens and residents living in the UK only). “Work with the French government, to protect/save international rail travel”.


RMT Union Petition (for everybody in the UK and overseas). “Save Eurostar”. 


Possible Petition (for everybody in the UK only)Tell the government to protect climate friendly travel”. 


Save Eurostar. 

Check out my previous three blog posts about Eurostar. 



Wednesday, 17 March 2021

My St Patrick's Day message 2021

Hello Everybody 

I would like to wish you a Happy St Patrick’s Day as today is 17th March. 

Like last year, this year one is unusual. No social gatherings because obviously the pandemic. i hope by next year and beyond, there will be normal as it was before Covid. 

St Patrick’s Day is the day when everyone gets to celebrate it. Not just in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Also the whole world. 

Ireland is one of the countries that I would definitely love to go when it is all over (the pandemic, travel restrictions and all that). 

So a short blog post from me, wishing you a happy St Paddy’s Day. 🙂😀🇮🇪☘️

Tuesday, 16 March 2021

Don’t fall into tech/computer support scam

Hi everyone

In today’s blog post, I will talk about tech support scam. 

Tech support scam is a form of confidence trick. They (scammers) would maliciously pose themselves as IT technicians just to con the person, claiming there is a problem on PC (personal computer) despite there is nothing really wrong with your computer (& mine). 

That happened on my personal experience. Although I was not really scammed by tech support scam. It was my mother sadly. 

Few occasions, that happened to my mum three times 2018, 2019 & this year 2021. 


I said to my mother load of times before that if there is any problem with computer in terms of computer being slow or having too data/storage space (which we have that computer since December 2018) then she would ask me to clear it (remove folders especially that are not used & those are not supposed to be there. It’s just my younger brothers mostly my 15 years old brother were the ones to download). Downloading too many games & Anime photos. Some of it contain computer virus & inappropriate photos (which i keep saying to my 15 year old brother to stop looking at inappropriate photos from anime like nudity & porn/sex stuff). 


The point is that my mum shouldn’t had give computer access to those type of people. They are not proper IT technicians. & if they are then they should had know


Clearing megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB) and terabytes (TB) is something everyone must do to not have many many files/folders & apps without the need of fraudulent scammers who knows no better & no one wants a empty stuff on computer or laptops or smart iPhones or tablet computers (which mostly it happens to many people on desk computer/PC).  Which unfortunately my mum doesn't seem to understand fully. At least now she understands. 


They (scammers) doesn’t know anything. 


With IT repair shop/clinic, amount of price can be expensive but not that expensive given I know some people who are genuinely proper IT professional. Technicians (IT technicians) who knows to fix any problems. Scammers as we know are lowlifes.


You see, before the Covid & lockdown in the past, if there is any issue with my computer (slow computer or too many space storage for files & folders), my mum would take it to IT repair clinic (shop/store/centre) where there are truly IT professionals (IT technicians & computer specialists) who knows how to deal with problems & that all. Scammers, they don't know s**t. They don't have a correct information (even some of scammers were IT professional) other than scamming anybody by false claiming there is something wrong with anything like computer (which it is not really true at all given it is all perfectly and normally okay).


Now everything is shut even including IT repair shops as we are in Covid 19 lockdown. So even if there is a problem, my mum shouldn’t had gone to those fraudulent people & give computer access to them who could potentially do anything horrible like removing almost everything like important stuff & possibly end up with nothing on computer. 


Now in previous weeks, I have said a lot on my previous blog posts about fraud and scams so this one is the latest blog post about fraud and scam. This time, technical scam/fraud like the one I just talked about. Tech support scam. 


Here are my previous blog posts about other scams.


mrlimitless95.blogspot.com 


mrlimitless95.blogspot.com 


Here are my tips 


Tip 1: If you received any phone call on your phone or telephone from fraudulent scammer claiming to be from IT/ICT tech support team of any company like Microsoft & that they say that there is something wrong with your computer, do not believe the word of it. Just don’t believe what the scammer say. They got nothing (no sufficient evidence to back it up) other than deceiving an potential innocent victim into the devastating situation. 


Tip 2: When the scammer call you, understand that the person (him or her) is not genuine & that his/her phone number is a phone that person who had been called would struggle to call him/her in a response. Spoofing a caller ID especially in this day and age is really problematic including when scammer took advantage of the organisations like Norton & Microsoft by trying to tarnish the reputation of the companies and to give them a bad name. Scammer can even claim to be someone different which we know that we people have to make sure that we do not fall for it. 


And tip 3: Be fraud smart. Take it from me (the person who have been victimised of fraud and scam on 5 occasions). It is never a good feeling to be humiliatingly taken advantage by criminals & fraudulent scammers who does not have shame of victimising innocent people to be victims of any sort of scam and fraud. 


So that is all I can say about Tech Support Scam. 


Here are the sources if you want to know of how to stay safe & making sure of not being victimised of tech support scam & all types of scam. 


support.microsoft.com 


us.norton.com 


tradingstandardsecrime.org.uk 


computing.which.co.uk 


google.co.uk 


google.co.uk 


met.police.uk 


Monday, 15 March 2021

I support Black Pound Day initiative

Hello everybody 

I want to tell you something. Black Pound Day & why do I support the initiative? 

Black Pound Day is all about supporting black owned businesses in the UK & as black Brit (with African roots: Nigerian and South African), I do support it. There are few people (& even racists) who doesn’t seem to understand what Black Pound Day is really about. There is nothing racist about it. The way I see, it’s black empowerment. Just look how the Jewish people do their own thing with their businesses which are kosher & the Chinese people do their own thing with their businesses as we all got plenty of Chinatowns in the world including Chinatown here in the UK with cities: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle & Liverpool. 

If the Jews & the Chinese can have their own businesses to thrive economically and successfully in order to do their thing, then why not black people? Racism & other forms of prejudice & discrimination should never be tolerated at all cost. Especially in financial & economic way. That’s how there are some people who could not seem to understand better. 

Black Pound Day is one annual day of the month on first Saturday of the month. First Saturday on every month. blackpoundday.uk 

Black Pound Day is the initiative that is used to promote black owned businesses in the UK. Owned by black people. The reason why it is created is because black owned businesses are underrepresented in Britain. 

So that’s how someone created the Black Pound Day initiative. It was Swiss from Hip Hop group So Solid. 

I didn’t know anything about Black Pound Day until Saturday 27th June 2020 last year when I looked up on Twitter. Plus, it is very good initiative to support British black owned businesses who are owned indeed by the blacks. It can drive the growth of the UK black economy.

it is a way in response to all forms of racism including systemic racism given this invitative was created after the awful incident in America (death of George Floyd which had sparked many protests in America, Britain & the rest of the world with Black Lives Matter message to strongly oppose & denounce anti black racism). 

I hope and pray that there should be similar initiatives (like Black Dollar Day in America & elsewhere in the world) like the one we have in the UK once a month annually on first Saturday of the month. 

That is why as black blogger, I support Black Pound Day Initiative. My blog is hereby supporting Black Pound Day too. In the lyrics of the song of James Brown. I am black and proud. I am proud that there is such an initiative like Black Pound Day every first Sunday of the month in the UK. 🙂👍🏾✊🏾

If you like to know more about Black Pound Day and that you are interested to buy anything from black owned business in the UK then you can check out the website that I have added. 🙂😀🇬🇧💷

blackpoundday.uk 

Saturday, 13 March 2021

I visited three out of BBC 50 places to see before you die travel list

Few months ago I watched something interesting programme on demand (which is available on BBC Iplayer). It was on my TV. 

BBC 2002 programme. “50 places to see before you die”. youtu.be youtu.be youtu.be 

I haven’t seen it before until I watched in late last year 2020 in December. 

Here are the list of BBC’s own travel list of 50 places to see before you die based on the TV programme when it was broadcasted nearly 20 years ago in 2002. I selected any places that I have visited in bold. 

  1. The Grand Canyon, USA 
  2. Great Barrier Reef, east coast of Queensland, Australia 
  3. Florida and Walt Disney, USA Been there in 2012 and 2013 with my mum & my brothers. Two times. I would love to visit Orlando, Florida, USA again.
  4. South Island, New Zealand 
  5. Cape Town and Table Mountain, South Africa
  6. Golden Temple at Amritsar, Punjab, India
  7. Las Vegas, Nevada
  8. Sydney, Australia 
  9. New York
  10. Taj Mahal
  11. Canadian Rockies
  12. Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia 
  13. Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
  14. Machu Picchu, Peru 
  15. Niagara Falls
  16. Petra, Jordan
  17. The Pyramids, Cairo
  18. Venice 
  19. Maldives, Indian Ocean, 450 miles SW of Sri Lanka
  20. Great Wall of China
  21. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
  22. Hong Kong
  23. Yosemite National Park
  24. Hawaii
  25. Auckland, New Zealand 
  26. Iguassu Falls, Argentina and Brazil 
  27. Paris Been there. I visited Paris, France in 2019 all by me independently. It was short days as I was there for three days. I wish that I could had stayed there that long. I would love to return to visit Paris again. Hopefully for more than 3 days. 
  28. Alaska
  29. Angkor Wat, Cambodia 
  30. Nepal, Himalayas
  31. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
  32. Masai Mara, Kenya
  33. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
  34. Luxor, Egypt
  35. Rome 
  36. San Francisco
  37. Barcelona Been there. My first solo holiday. I visited Barcelona, Spain in 2018 & I stayed there for a week. 7 days. I wish I could had stayed for another week which I originally wanted to stay for two weeks. My father persuaded me that since it’s my first ever holiday trip as an independent traveller & holidaymaker, it was not possible for me to stayed in Barcelona for 2 weeks so that’s how I enjoyed myself, sightseeing around Barcelona. I would definitely want to come back to Barcelona given i enjoyed eating a Spanish cuisine & Paella. 
  38. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  39. Singapore 
  40. La Digue, Seychelles, 1000 miles E of Kenya.
  41. Sri Lanka, S of India
  42. Bangkok, Thailand 
  43. Barbados, 100 miles E of the Caribbean chain
  44. Iceland
  45. Terracotta Army, Xi’an, China
  46. Zermatt, Switzerland
  47. Angel Falls, Venezuela
  48. Abu Simbel, Egypt
  49. Bali, in the Indonesian archipelago
  50. French Polynesia (Bora Bora), 165 miles NW of Tahiti


drbexl.co.uk 


Since it was aired on Television in 2002, BBC hadn’t done any updates which it could been a fantastic idea to do so as we are in the age of social media. The digital age. BBC used to have Holiday (UK long running TV programme) from 1969 to 2007. It was a travel review programme when it was broadcasted on BBC One & BBC Two.


Nowadays, BBC has a weekly show called The Travel Show & has been on air since 2014.


So I am happy to see that places (landmarks & tourist attractions), cities & countries have been listed on the BBC 2002 list of 50 places to see before you die. So basically, it is a bucket list for travel. 


Now at the present time, it is not really possible now under the pandemic (the coronavirus pandemic). I am hopeful and confident that once Covid is in low infection or has completely been eradicated in the future (marking the end of the pandemic) then everything is possible. Going on holiday/vacation like we used to (before Covid 19). Soon, there will be a vaccine passport (or health passport) for any travellers to visit country in the world for holiday (vacation), study, work or other purposes. It will be like yellow fever travel certificate. Let’s remember that it will be temporary. Not permanent. In fact, I will write a blog post regarding vaccine passport for another time. 


For me, even if Covid is going to cause more infections anywhere in the world, I wouldn’t bother to go anywhere aboard & that would be a risk to my safety so the only option is staycation (domestic travel). I haven’t yet decide whether I would go anywhere. The way, I see it, it will not be possible for go anywhere overseas. 


Lastly, as I visited 3 places out of BBC 2002 travel list “50 places to see before you die”. Barcelona, Florida and Paris. I guess I am left with 47 places to visit. 🙂✈️🛫🏝🗺


Although I do not have to visit all 47 places but it would be wonderful for me to do so if I have enough money & maybe a travel blog for me to do this as a full time. Working as an travel blogger/vlogger/content creator/digital nomand. 


I have a desire that I would love to visit travel destinations in terms of cities, countries, landmarks & tourist attractions. 


I would love to visit: New York, Singapore, Dubai, Rome, Hawaii, Rio, Hong Kong, Taj Mahal, Cairo, Bangkok, Sydney, Las Vegas, Cape Town, Ayers Rock, Great Wall of China and the Grand Canyon. 16 places listed on BBC “50 places to see before you die” travel list. These are my dream travel destinations that I would love to make it happen if opportunity does arise to see the world. Marvellous way to enjoy life. 


So yeah, I only visited Florida, Paris and Barcelona. I could had visited more when I was a kid. Although I didn’t had a opportunity to go anywhere outside the UK except South Africa only which unfortunately that would had been great if I had a UK passport, not just SA passport despite being born in the UK. I didn’t had a UK one until I was a teenager. Anyways that is for another time. 


So happy travels to any of my readers who are travellers. Either for pleasure or work. Either way, this blog post is an very interesting blog post about travel & the future of travel post Covid


Now I will listen to Frank Sinatra song “ Come fly with me”. 🎵🎶🙂🛫


GE2024: The Tories’s last stand

Well, well, well. The UK will have a general election after all & the election date is tomorrow. 4th of July coinciding with US Independ...