Finding someone with the X Factor is almost a mathematical certainty

X Factor the reality competition that searches for a singer or singers developed by Simon Cowell is a very simple concept to success. It takes into account a mathematical theorem developed by a Swiss Mathematician known as the Law of Large numbers. In essence the more people the  judges see the more likely it is they are going to come across someone with the so-called X Factor.

Its a very simple principle to success and almost guarantees that they will get their desired outcome. Most notably in the current UK series they have decided to have a larger live audience which inevitably will aid them in their decision making process, after all  if you take a random sample of a population and allow them to decide which ones are the best and worst, you are bound to choose someone which the population are going to like and ultimately create a hit single.

The Simon Cowell equation to determine a successful record is almost a mathematical certainty and all he has to do is sit there and let everyone else decide who it is.  No wonder he has an enormous grin on his face.  A nice position to be in I would imagine.

The cult of Simplicity

I'm very much an advocate of simplistic elegant design.The user is king and I'm pleased that Facebook is redesigning their application and moving towards a lighter version.  I hate applications that are hard to set up and take ages to learn. I'm lazy and will always go for the easiest thing to learn and use.  Take a page out of David Pogues philosophy and be motivated by the fact "Simplicity Sells!"

The uniformity of work and society

I was asked yesterday if I worked for the Telegraph & Argus a local newspaper. I was wearing a business suit made in New York and a Christian Lacroix tie, I did look pretty smart in it. I was due to go for a meeting in Leeds, however the train had been cancelled so I apologised for my absence and decided to have a drink in a local pub. The person who asked me this question was wearing a checked short sleeve shirt. I have to admit he did look like the typical local journalist, So I replied "If I did I'd probably be wearing a checked shirt". It didn't go down very well as you can imagine, Ive never really looked for a job as a comedian. Although I think the others sat with him found it amusing.

Anyway, it got me onto thinking about the uniforms we wear. They've always been a fascination of mine, and I do find the whole idea of uniforms an interesting concept. I always had to wear a uniform for school and later always had to wear a suit when I started work at sixteen. Later as time passed by and I worked for various other firms I became more acutely aware of the way suits and ties were worn as an expression of cultural identity.

Consider UK political parties, labour is to red as conservatives are to blue. Margaret Thatcher was well known for her blue suits and so you will find these means of identity expressed with ties too. I did work for a company and the managing director must have had about fifty different ties, and wore a different one each day. I guess he must have worked for many organisations over the years. Uniforms are a means to express cultural identity, determine values, ideals and political allegiances.

Its also interesting to consider other means of identity, in fact wearing no uniform could be classed as a uniform. You will find many people in IT don't wear uniforms - I guess its a way of saying , I'm different and don't want to stick with the old school tie rules. Academics even have their own uniform. Loose trousers, a sports jacket with an open neck shirt seems to fit the bill.

I'm not sure where I fit into all this, I suppose we all wear different hats at different times and the same goes for the clothes we wear. You wouldn't wear at a funeral what you wore at a wedding would you?   If you want to study what to wear for a particular occasion then take a leaf out of the royal familys' book and you wont go far wrong.  So when you are getting dressed in the morning think about what it is that you are doing and wear the appropriate uniform, even if it is a t-shirt saying 'you would never guess I am a geek' .

You can judge a book by its cover.

The UK NHS one of the best healthcare systems in the world

Its good to read that America is having a heated debate concerning health care reforms. In the UK the NHS was established over fifty years ago and I can tell you it has changed considerably since then. Not only do all UK citizens have access to the best medical care found throughout the world we actually have a choice too.

To say that it is free is unfair. The NHS costs the UK taxpayer billions each year, but I believe it is a price worth paying. We can all go through hard times especially during periods of change, however the NHS remains constant ensuring that when we are in need of care they are always there and it is available to everyone. If you are working you have to pay for your own eye care, prescriptions and dental care. So the NHS has undergone reforms of its own over the years.

Not everyone in the UK uses the NHS it has to be said. Many corporate organisations use private health care systems as a means of remuneration. I have been the recipient of various private health care systems over the years and I have found that the experience wasn't much different.

My mother is having an operation right now so you could say its kind of personal. She visited her doctor twice and was referred to a specialist, who advised her to undergo keyhole surgery. She even had the choice of which hospital she could go to. The UK NHS is an amazing organisation one of the largest in the world and many of the hospitals are universities to. It is for this reason the UK NHS is not only benefiting us but the rest of the world too, that is something to be proud of I think.

So if America thinks the NHS is free, you would be wrong the services have to be paid somehow and this is through our National Insurance system. This accounts for around 5 pence for every pound earnt, a small price to pay I think to ensure that whether you are working or not you will always be cared for.  It hasnt been easy the NHS like any other organisation has gone through good and bad times, however America can learn from our mistakes and should benefit from health care reform.

The security of cyberspace in a better connected world

Its great to read how the UK govenment is taking action to ensure the security of cyberspace by recruiting young hackers. Not only does it help the disenfranchised youth undertake meaningful roles to ensure everyones security but also to send a message to potential hackers out there that rather than carry out rebellious acts of cyber terrorism, your skills can be better utilised through positive meaningful acts rather than outright distruction and the desire to create chaos.

Emotions run deep and with the net generation these can be taken out on unsuspecting networks. Interesting to think that human feelings do count even more so in cyberspace, where one persons chaotic behaviour can have disastrous consequences for the whole world. That's the real power of the Internet. Whats more interesting to me however, is the reassurance that it is humans that are still in control and that as we create and develop new technologies we are able to adapt and change to incorporate these within our everyday lives.

Its never been such an exciting but dangerous time to be alive and our security and privacy is of the utmost importance if we are going to make the world a better place. The internet is all powerful and all knowing, our new god you might think, but it only takes one person who may be technically brilliant but lacks the experience and wisdom to destroy it. Everyone is important and everyone can have their say in a better connected world, however one thing is for sure agreement will not come easy and emotions will always bring life to our networks.

Read the running notes on Loretta Napoleoni and how terrorism interacts with our everyday lives.

http://blog.ted.com/2009/07/loretta_napoleo.php