End of June Extravaganza

Another month is drawing to a close so as usual it’s time to wrap things up and look back at the month.

The Big Issue: Same Sex Marriage

Earlier in the month I wrote a post about Same Sex Marriage, furious that there is so much opposition to it. That post performed very well and may well go on to be one of my most read posts ever. Naturally people wanted to share their views on it too…

Susan: Amen. Says the not religious girl to the criticism of gay marriage by religions. I can't believe the Church of England has vocally opposed gay marriage! I find that absurd. But in some strange way I find it comforting that this isn't just an American phenomenon. The rest of the world is messed up, too!

Lewis: I agree that that institutions have the right to make these categories by which they recognise people i.e marriage. But just as they have the right to exclude certain people from being part of their group, everyone else has the right to think less of them for discriminating against these vulnerable minorities. The church leaves out and ignores all the other stuff about slavery and racism in exodus, so why not the discrimination against gay people. I know the church does a lot of good in the world but it's shortcomings need to be addressed and I think this is one of them.

Those were the main comments which agreed with me. I did have to edit that second one a bit so it wasn’t too long but the point is still in there.

Louise: I think that civil partnerships should come with all the same legal rights etc. as marriage however I don't think the actual term 'marriage' should be used. This isn't because I think they shouldn't be able to be together, it's because the term 'marriage' means being joined together in the sight of God and in essentials the bible and the Christian faith don't agree with homosexuality. People tend to live together and sleep together before marriage now anyway and so I feel that the value of marriage is no longer in finally being able to live and sleep together after months or years of waiting during engagement but rather that the value of marriage lies in declaring before God your wish to be joined together in holy matrimony.

Yes, long I know but I couldn’t cut anything out. The disturbing bit is “the Christian faith don’t agree with homosexuality”. I think Lewis’ comment above says everything there is to say about that. Interestingly though is the view of what marriage means. I agree that it’s no longer about being able to sleep together but disagree with what the value of marriage is now. Millions of people get married every year who are not religious so surely it can’t mean that? I see marriage as two-fold: the main thing is declaring to the other person that they are the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with. The minor thing is the legal status it gives giving your partner rights they might not have without being married. And those two things are things that gay people should be allowed to have as much as everyone else. 

I’d still welcome further views on this if you want to throw any thoughts my way please do. Just be polite.

Comments: Best of the Rest

Susan [on Prometheus]: I really like the movie, and I appreciated that the director, writers, and producers did not spell everything out for us. I felt like I understood the big picture elements at play with the subtle suggestions given, and I thought it enhanced my experience as a viewer. Thought the CGI was subtle--doubt it will look as aged in a few years as some sci-fi contemporary movies

I agree with all that. I’m really surprised that Prometheus has got such terrible reviews from people. Perhaps it’s now the modern way that we can’t just let a movie follow-up to a big series be good. I really liked Prometheus and controversial as this might seem, I actually think it’s better than the original Alien. It’s not up there with Aliens but Prometheus is an awesome film. If you’ve been put off by critics, ignore them and go and see it.

Jennifer [on Dear 15 Year Old Me]: I love that you advised yourself to get into comic books. I'm about to turn 28 and I'm just now getting hooked on a few graphic novels. If you're at all interested in vampires or Stephen King, American Vampire is a brilliant series. Thanks for participating in 20SB's Blog Carnival!

Oh blimey, don’t suggest more comics/graphic novels to me! It’s turning into more and more of an obsession. Plus it works in a weird way that some weeks I get none whereas others I get loads of comics. I think I’ve got about eight that are currently on their way to my house so I’ll be busy comic reading next week!

Shelly [On Dear 15 Year Old Me]: Great letter, but you made me feel old....FIFTEEN?! You're just a little punkin!

I find it weird that five years ago I was only 15. I was so different back then. I kind of feel I’ve been an adult since I turned 19. Before that I was so young and naive.

hookeymonster [on Dear 15 Year Old Me]: Dan your opening paragraph is brilliant! I love how much thought you've put into the probability of our 5 year younger selves receiving these letters.

That’s how my mind works. I always take hypothetical questions literally. What’s the point in questions like “would you rather have a huge wheel instead of a leg OR be carried around by your friends for the rest of your life"? I have both my legs and don’t plan on losing any. And if I did I’d get a wheelchair. So it’s stupid, like all hypothetical questions.

As always thanks to everyone that’s commented lately and please do keep them coming, I love hearing what you have to say.

Minion of the Month: This goes to Susan for commenting the most over the last month and all of her comments being fantastic. Thanks Susan. Incidentally you can see how you rank comments-wise by clicking on the community link above the comments.

The One Two Posts You Should Go Back And Read: The first is that post about Same-Sex Marriage. I’m quite proud of that one. And as a good insight into my life at the moment I suggest Snippets, which is a good little post too.

Blog of the Month: After some head scratching and brain straining, I’ve finally decided on my blog of the month. I’ve discovered some awesome ones lately so the choice was pretty hard. It’s goes to Elle’s blog Skylarking. It’s a fantastic personal blog which is written in a friendly style and has plenty of laughs along the way. I urge you to go and check it out.

And as usual, my thoughts on the month. Well, June was a bit dull. It wasn’t really bad, nothing really happened to make it bad. In fact very little happened at all. I did spend a lovely week helping out at a pre-school though, saw Prometheus at the cinema and went on a couple of lovely walks. July’s looking much the same at the moment, though a weekend doing fieldwork in Wales should make things more interesting. 

And I don’t feel I say this often enough, so thank you to you for reading, whoever you are. Recently more and more people have been reading this blog and I feel the general quality of it is higher than ever. So thanks for stopping by, especially if you do regularly, and please keep reading and commenting!

Guest Post: The Best Social Games

It’s guest post time! This week the guest post shares with us the top five games to play with your mates! Enjoy!

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BEST VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS

There’s nothing wrong with a little exposure to some healthy competition from time to time, especially amongst your bestest buddies. You could be a mere adolescent or middle aged professional, but within your friendship group finding out who’s best at video games is still a pretty big deal: you gain respect, you feel unstoppable and- more importantly- you have temporary bragging rights.

Although they won’t admit it, covertly all your friends want to be known as the best: the best at FIFA, the best at Call of Duty and even the best at Tetris (ok, maybe not so much nowadays). We all strive to get one over those boasting about their ‘mad’ gaming skills. But competitive play doesn’t have to potentially scar your friendship ties forevermore. It can be darn good fun as well: getting your friends round for a night of gaming will always beat a Saturday night takeaway with Ant and Dec. So here are five games, which will not only induce light-hearted competitiveness between your best amigos but also cause raucous excitement in your living room as well.

FIFA 12

A staple in any footy fans diet: FIFA 12 is by far the best football game out on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360- Pro Evolution has unfortunately lagged behind in recent seasons. The game play is smooth, realistic and above all, hugely entertaining. Whether you face-off one on one or multi-play, guiding your favourite players and teams to victory will definitely earn you rightful bragging rights.

^{Rooney is reputedly set to sing on X Factor next year}

They say football is a simple game, and FIFA has definitely made it so. But consider the multitude of tricks you can pull off and the tactics you can apply during each match and this game becomes that bit more challenging; that bit more meaningful.

If you’re as bad at FIFA as England are at taking penalties, then don’t worry. You can always do what Messieurs Cole and Young didn’t: practice. After all it makes perfect!

Golden Eye

We may be rewinding back a few years now to when the Nintendo 64 was temporarily winning the console wars, but many still consider Golden Eye to be the best first-person shooter game ever made. Although if you play it now the graphics will probably scare you more than convey any sense of realism, the venues, the guns, the characters and the game play are all still tip-top. Playing it with friends was always, and is always, the best part of Golden Eye. Even with the silly cheats you can apply to the multi-player modes- giving your characters larger heads, for example- the action will still leave you all breathless.

^{The screen decides to take on a more car rev-limiter look here!}

Tip: make a note to keep an eye on the time. You can easily wind up watching the sunrise while playing Golden Eye- it’s that addictive.

Wii Sports

Apart from Mario Kart and the Wii Fit maybe, you’d have to say Wii Sports- the game you get free when you purchase a Nintendo Wii- is actually the best multi-player game available on the console. Bowling, baseball, golf, tennis, and lad favourite, boxing, all induce bouts of competitive play. Be warned though: expect to feel pretty tired after playing for several hours, it’s an active game to say the least.

^{Sorting out who will pay for tonight’s takeaway}

Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Wii

I remember the first time I rocked up to halls at University I opened the front door to bursts of loud roars coming from the dorm room opposite mine. I politely knocked on the door to introduce myself, but more-so to understand what on earth was going on. To my surprise I saw four blokes huddled around a small TV screen playing Mario Kart on the N64. It broke the ice. I knew these four geezers were alright and would turn out to be my close friends. They did.

^{Rush hour on the M25}

Bear in mind that this was in 2006, and Mario Kart had certainly done the rounds by then, but we all still avidly played it time after time; competing to ensure Charlie, especially, never won. Even though we all knew the courses, all the weapons, all the shortcuts and how to power slide- an important tactic for gaining a lead- we still loved it...we still do love it.

The Wii’s version has managed to capture some of the N64’s essence, and is certainly fun to play, but with new characters, new weapons and confusing courses to navigate through, it’s just not as thrilling as controlling Mario and co on the N64, however the launch of the new Wii-U later this year could see a new version of Mario Kart so you can enjoy racing in the splendour of full HD!

If you still own an N64: blow off the dust, find the game cartridge, untangle the multi-coloured controllers and get your friends round for an immense Mario Kart session.

Little Big Planet

For those who crave a creative outlet from which to show off their lurid imagination, there’s probably no game better equipped than Little Big Planet. The concept of the game is a little hard to describe given its unique themes and wacky aesthetics, but played amongst friends it’s a great puzzle adventure. Not only can you discuss and choose the best ways to tackle the thousands of different scenario’s laid before you, but you can also challenge yourselves against other online players.

^{‘Zip it Sackboy, you’re nicked sunshine’}

Exclusive to the Playstation 3 console only, Little Big Planet’s imaginative world has attracted both young and old gamers alike. Get your friends round and see which wacky world you can create.

This post was written by Tom Tolladay.

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Thanks Tom! I have fond memories of playing most of those games socially. It’s usually Mario Kart when my mates and I get together and it’s not uncommon for us to play every track on the game in a session. Let me know if any of these games are your favourites for playing with friends or if you think anything has been missed out! If you’d like to write a guest post come here for all the details.See you soon!

Snippets

Hello! Now things are fairly quiet at the moment in my world. I seem to go from a few days of total chaos back to having nothing to do whatsoever at the moment. I figured though that I actually have quite a few I would quite like to share with you so this will a post made of little snippets of things which don’t really connect at all.

1) First of all is the news I’ve actually gone and applied for a job. This is something I don’t think I’ve ever had to do before. Any job I’ve done previously has pretty much been a direct employment. But these are desperate times and I need some money. The job I’ve applied for is only a summer job and then only at weekends so it’s hardly strenuous. It’s a post at the town’s new visitor information centre so I’d basically be telling tourists where to go. And I mean that in a nice way. Whether I will get the job or not I do not know but it would certainly be a good job to do, and not just for the money. I love the idea of being sat behind a desk dealing with customers. If I was going to be a teacher I would definitely be doing something that involves dealing with customers. So fingers crossed that the council decides to hire me!

2) Bad news for the England football team (and the 23 million people that watched the match). We were knocked out of Euro 2012 by Italy in the Quarter Finals. After playing the full 90 minutes, then another 30 minutes of extra time it was still nil-nil and the game went into penalties. At this point the English public knew it was probably all over. We’re renowned for being awful at penalties. Sure enough Ashley Young and Ashley Cole failed to score their penalties and Italy went through. At least Ashley Cole can’t be more hated than he already is after accidentally shooting work experience kids and cheating on Cheryl innumerable times. I think though we can leave the competition with our heads held high, knowing we never actually lost a match proper and look forward to the World Cup in two years time.

^{Aw, they look so sad! And on this note that’s this blog’s bi-annual football talk finished!}

3) I received an, erm, interesting e-mail today. Basically the sender wanted me to be an escort at a hen party. I kid you not: “Looks like you are the sexy guy we need to please the future lawful wife and her kinky guests”. Really? I can’t give it away, let alone sell it, even if it is to a “dirty slut”. It made me laugh. Although now I’ve written about it loads of creeps will find this blog by searching for dodgy key words. This week five people have found this blog by searching for “threesome diagram”. I am fairly certain I have never posted a threesome diagram here, I’m pretty sure I’d remember. Also four people have arrived here this month after searching for “caterpillar with human like features”. Now that is weird!

4) All Twitter users should be following @Shakespearesong. This account tweets modern song lyrics in Shakespearean-style English. Here’s a few of my faves:

I hath visited the year 3000 AD. Scarce has altered, alas they inhabit the waters.

— Shakespeare Lyrics (@ShakespeareSong) June 25, 2012

If thou wishes to be one's partner there is a detail thou must be aware of. I enjoy my rhythm rapid and my bass of a lower frequency.

— Shakespeare Lyrics (@ShakespeareSong) June 23, 2012

All of the other fellows, attempt to pursuit me, alas I present to thee my contact details, so hail me perhaps.

— Shakespeare Lyrics (@ShakespeareSong) June 23, 2012

I possess the struts similar to those of Sir Michael Jagger.

— Shakespeare Lyrics (@ShakespeareSong) June 20, 2012

5) I now have an awesome Muppets poster on my wall. I got it for free after using the Disney Rewards points I got on receiving The Muppet’s Blu-ray. It’s right above my bed so most nights I lie there identifying all the Muppets (and people) in the poster. I feel a bit sorry for the poor postman that had to deliver it though as it came in a massive tube which must have been a pain to cart around.

^{Suddenly, my room feels way more awesome…}

6) I was sad to learn this week that Caroline John, who played the Third Doctor’s Companion Liz Shaw, passed away earlier in the month. Liz was only the Doctor’s companion for one series but she did a great job, helping viewers at the time to adjust to the Doctor being exiled to Earth and working for UNIT. John was a great actress, shown best when being the parallel world version of Liz Shaw in Inferno. It’s sad that yet another classic era star has died I just hope she realised how much Doctor Who fans still love her now.

RIP Caroline John 1940-2012

7) It seems highly likely that I have developed hay fever. It’s never been a problem before but since the spring every time I go for a walk, especially when near cut grass, my nose starts running, my eyes start getting itchy and I start sneezing. I think you can get several types of hay fever, one where you are allergic to all pollen and one where it’s just grass pollen. I’m the grass pollen type as I don’t seem to have any problems sniffing flowers. It’s definitely the grass. I find it immensely frustrating as it means my regular walks have become somewhat less regular simply because they are just not as enjoyable when I can feel so awful on them. Hay fever is really sucky. Although I don’t officially have it as it hasn’t been diagnosed. It doesn’t really need to be though so I shall stay an unofficial hay fever sufferer. I imagine us to be like a secret society and there being unofficial hay fever sufferer conferences to attend. If would make the whole thing a bit more entertaining.

8) I’m going to to leave you with a few links to things you might or might not want to check out. Hope you are having a good week!

• Never miss a post by connecting to a social network! Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest and Bloglovin.
• Fancy writing a guest post for me? Check out the details here and get writing!
• Join me as I continue my mission to watch all the Classic Doctor Who episodes!
• Read all my book reviews: become my friend on Goodreads!
• Challenge me on Songpop! My username is zotwot.

PS: Something awesome is happening here in July. So be intrigued and come back and see what it is next week!

Chart Chasers #21

It’s Monday and it’s time to check out the latest songs in the UK top 40. And this week it’s a rather short list…

Just clinging onto to the top 40 is Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine. I don’t know this track but I do quite like Florence’s work so hopefully it’s a good listen.

One listen of that and it’s blatantly obvious who the artist is! This couldn’t be anymore typical of Florence’s work. It’s a decent song but doesn’t quite reach the high standards of tracks like You’ve Got the Love. Therefor I give it 4/5.

Next up is a new track by Stooshe. Last time they appeared on Chart Chasers I despised their song but I’m being optimistic that this will be better. It’s called Black Heart.

I was right to be optimistic, this is much better than Love Me. It grew on me as it went along and by the end I quite liked the chorus. It’s a bit too repetitive though and girls singing to their Dads is always a bit weird. 3/5.

Straight in at the top of the chart, much to nobody’s surprise, are Maroon 5 with Payphone. Who uses a payphone these days, it’s just not normal! The song also features Wiz Khalifa off of that song about wasps (Black and Yellow). And it’s a cracker.

The video is a bit weird really, I’m pretty sure the police would have quickly realised that he was a have a go hero rather than a bank robber. I’ve heard this song quite a few times lately and it went from being an OK song to a great sing-along track. I don’t really understand the need for Wiz Khalifa, his rapping bit is a bit rubbish but at least it’s short. All in all a Maroon 5 have done it again and created another great pop song. 5/5.

And that’s it. Yes, this week there are only three new songs in the top 40. But it would be a bit of a lame post if I left it there. So for this week only I’ve extended my sights to the top 100 and have chosen songs from it that I don’t think are likely to ever make it into the top 40. So here’s four other tracks that shouldn’t really be here but got lucky.

The first of these, erm, bonus tracks is Slow it Down by Amy Macdonald. I actually quite like her music but she’s doesn’t make the sort of music that makes for huge hits.

Oh, this is one where the backing music destroys the vocals a bit. This is very similar to her biggest hit, This is the Life, but isn’t as catchy. 3/5.

The next bonus track comes from someone called Wynter Gordon. I won if she has sisters called Summer, Spring and Autumn? It’s called Dirty Talk and I think it’s a dance-y type track…

I just realised I know this song. It probably charted long before I started Chart Chasers. It’s a good dance track which is really catchy. The fact that I can recognise it when I must have only heard it a few times is probably a good thing. 4/5.

A modern classic next. It’s Flo Rida with Low.

Ah, this was back when Flo Rida was original and wasn’t just chasing commercial success. It’s such a great track and is fantastic on a night out. I have fond memories of this song playing at my Sixth Form leaver’s ball. Such a great tune. 5/5.

And our final track in this random selection is by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and is called AKA… What a Life. Being a former member of Oasis I expect an Oasis kind of sound to it, though a bit more rock-y. (Note: The song itself starts at 3:19)

Ah yes, this does sound familiar as it’s on a TV advert for Vauxhall at the moment. I’ve actually been wondering what the song was because I really like it. It’s this. I love this track and I can’t really explain why. I imagine it would be good to walk to this song. I love it and will now go and download it. 5/5.

That’s it for this week’s Chart Chasers. I can only apologise for the mixed up nature of it but blame the musicians for not releasing enough new songs, not me. Don’t forget you can see the top 40 with links to my thoughts on all the songs right here.

Dear 15 Year Old Me,

First of all I should make the point that you can never receive this message because it would mess up all sorts of time things. I know that I never did receive this message and if I did somehow end up receiving it my past and my memory would change and then I wouldn’t write this message in the same way. It would be a massive paradox. So this is a hypothetical post which you will never receive.

So for you it’s 2007 and you are still relatively early into doing your GCSEs and several months into your first proper relationship. To be honest you’re probably doing better than I am right now. I guess I should advice you how to proceed from this point on. That relationship isn’t going to last so if you can bring yourself to do it ending it now would prevent lots of heartache. At least try not to get too attached because by the end of the year it will all be over. Work hard on your GCSEs and you can do better than you will otherwise get. Study leave is actually for studying, remember that! Except don’t worry about studying for Music, that’s just a lost cause…

The next few years will be pretty good actually, pretty much until you leave Sixth Form. Do Geology, English Lit and History A-levels but definitely don’t do biology, find something more beneficial to do. When you start a big new relationship behave more like a normal human being and who knows how it might turn out. Go to uni to do teacher training, it’s what you were born to do and you know it at the back of your mind. When you get there try not to be such a prick to certain people- you’ll probably be able to work out which ones as you go along.

Of course even if you do receive this advice you won’t act on it because I’m sat here now wishing I’d followed exactly that plan and not messed so many things up. You are young and should be care-free. In five years time you have things to worry about but just get on with being a teenager and you’ll have a great time.

Yes, there are lots of idiots who make things hard for you but take knowledge that in five years time you will be half way to being a primary school teacher and at best they will be doing a menial job somewhere in the town. You are way better than them so don’t let them get to you.

Oh and you HAVE to get into comic books. If I had another four years worth of reading them right now it would be awesome. You’ll love them, probably even more so at your age. Find a way to do it. In fact back then bus services are way better than they are now so take advantage whilst you can.

Also if you can find a way to bet then do so on the following and you’ll be quids in by now:

Grand National: 2008- Comply or Die, 2009-Mon Mome, 2010- Don’t Push It, 2011-Ballabriggs, 2012-Neptune Collanges.

Premiership: 2007/8-Man U, 2008/9-Man U, 2009/10- Chelsea, 2010/11: Man U, 2011/12: Man City.

(Hey never miss a trick with time travelling messages!).

I just realised at this point only one series of Doctor Who has been on for you to watch. David Tennant is as fantastic as that regeneration scene suggests and you are going to love the next few series. I wish I could see it all for the first time! AND the last Harry Potter book is coming out in a month, it is seriously good. You were right, Snape is a good guy!

Oh and you should start writing a blog, it will be great for you. But make sure you promote it so that people actually start reading it straight away rather than writing to no-one in particular for a year.

OK, I’m done. You probably have so many questions to ask but this is a one-time only deal and you can’t write back. But take what I’ve said on board and life will be fantastic. It won’t be easy and in five years time things may still be hard but at least you’ll have less regrets than I do.

Love,

20 Year Old Me.

This post is submitted as a part of the 20SB 5th Birthday Blog Carnival, sponsored by GlassesUSA.com.Submit your own post here.

Nursery Times

Hello everybody. Now the main reason I didn’t post much this week is because I was busier than usual. I spent the week helping out at a local pre-school- in fact the very one I went to many moons ago. I did this to gain some experience of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which you have to do for my teaching course. Well you have to do one day and you have to do some “self-directed” placements so I combined the two.

Working with a bunch of children between 3 and 5 was interesting to say the least. For the most part they were lovely but they present challenges that older children usually don’t. For example some of their speech wasn’t very clear yet they would chatter away to me and they may as well have been speaking French for all I could decipher (the general idea but nothing specific). I also saw some very gruesome things involving snot which made me want to vomit. The phrase “get a tissue” was one which could never be said in anything other than a disgusted voice.

The most interesting thing about my week was the reaction I got being a man working with really young children. Generally the lower down the education system you go the fewer men there are and in pre-schools they are a very rare thing indeed. A lot of children treat the staff as if they are surrogate mums and in the same way I think I became a surrogate dad to some of them. This really meant that I was a sensible adult who they could be much rougher with. Fortunately I could take things like this and they were generally pretty good at stopping if they went too far. Some children also became a bit obsessive about me and I was pretty much their best buddy for the time I was there. Of course this creates various issues but I made sure I was sensible and ensured I went round all the children and gave none of them any preference.

I hope I might have made a bit of a difference to some of their lives in the short time I was there. It is certain that some of them don’t have a male role model in their lives and hopefully that is what I became. By the end of the week the majority of the children were at least comfortable with my presence, including some of the less certain ones. Maybe I’ve proven to some that men aren’t necessarily scary and have widened their experiences. If I’d have been there longer then I certainly would have achieved this.

Realising the positive effect that having a male role model can have I’ve been thinking that maybe where I ought to be teaching is at the lower end of the scale, in a reception class or at least a year 1/2 class. Plus I do enjoy working with the younger ones so it would be pretty awesome. I’ll have to get some proper experience teaching children of that age but this week might well have made a fairly significant change to my teaching career.

Overall it was a great week, although rather hard work. I had to get used to early mornings again and all the setting up and packing away at either end of the day was really hard work physically. But I seemed to make a good impression on the children and the staff and I got a decent report back which is always nice to read.

In other news, England’s football team are through to the quarter finals of Euro 2012 after beating Sweden and Ukraine. Neither game was particularly easy but we did have some luck, like this goal the Ukraine scored that wasn’t allowed because the officials didn’t think it crossed the line before John Terry kicked it away:

We’re owed a goal like that from a couple of years ago though so it’s only fair! Plus it was offside so shouldn’t have counted anyway. Our quarter final match is against Italy tomorrow night which will be something of a challenge. If we do beat them we have to play our nemesis team, Germany, so either way it seems unlikely we’ll make it to the final.

Over the last few days I have become addicted to the Facebook game “Song Pop”. You have to try and guess which song or artist is playing quicker than your opponent. There’s lots of different genres and I am pretty damn good at most of them I must say. If anyone dares challenge me you can using my username which is “zotwot”. But be warned, I really am quite good.

That’s all for today and I return to the usual simple life this week so I’ll have more than enough time to write lots of blog posts. Stay tuned for all sorts of great things to come!

Friday Review: Book Club

First of all I must apologise for the lack of posts this week. I’ve been busy doing stuff and I did actually write a whole post for you but then decided it wasn’t worthy of the recent high standards. Yeah, that really did happen. My second task is to welcome you to the latest innovation of the Friday Review, Book Club! The title is fairly self explanatory: I will review various books. Here come the reviews!

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

Jake Marlowe is the last surviving werewolf in the world and has had enough. He wants to let the group determined to rid the world of occult phenomena kill him. But this is easier said than done as vampires want to keep him alive as they believe werewolf bites to be a cure for their nocturnal-ism. But when Jake discovers another live werewolf everything changes...

This is a particularly dark take on vampires with Jake feeling no remorse for the monstrous killings. Plus it's full of graphic sex. Whilst a bit of graphic sex is perfectly fine, I think this novel did focus on it a bit too much. It got to the point where it I thought "yeah I got it, werewolves are horny, move on".

Still, it's a fantastic take on werewolves which is cleverly written. I felt like their was genuine wisdom and pain of someone who had lived 200 years coming through. Not for the faint-hearted but a great read none the less. ★★★★☆

 

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (The Millennium Trilogy #2)

Two people are murdered who are writing an article and a book for Millennium about sex trafficking in Sweden. Salander's guardian is also found dead and her fingerprints are on the murder weapon. Soon she become prime suspect but Blomkvist knows that it wasn't her.

Though it has a slow start, this book quickly becomes less of a mystery and more of an action thriller. Salander is in hiding yet still manages to solve most of the mystery herself. The story fills in her past and forces her to literally confront it once again.

Often a sequel cannot live up to it's predecessor but this was does that and more. With Salander the main suspect and the murders happening in the present it all feels more urgent and important. There's all sorts of fantastic fight "scenes" and the climax is one of the best I've read in an extraordinarily long time. Larsson was a real talent who created a fantastic character and a fantastic story for her. Now I wonder how the trilogy will end in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest! ★★★★★

 

Room by Emma Donoghue

I was recommended this book and decided to give it a go. Never before has a book taken me on such an emotional journey as this one did. Sure, lots of books have emotional moments but this one is full of them and I never thought a book could provoke the reaction within me that this one did.

It's hard to explain the premise without giving too much away. Jack is a five year old boy who has never known anything but Room. The book is written in first-person in his voice, something which is achieved remarkably realistically. Half way through the book there is a massive change in scenario and for me that was when it really got emotional. Witnessing true horrors through the eyes of a five year old who never knew any different is remarkable and a clever way of making a horrific story less unpleasant.

That's about all I have to say about this book. It's going to be revered in my memory as one of a special list of amazing books. On a mental shelf of incredible-ness... ★★★★★

Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker

This is not actually a sequel to Dracula but a collection of short stories by it’s author Bram Stoker. I've written a couple of lines about the most interesting ones.

Dracula’s Guest: This is part of the original Dracula which was cut to reduce the length. It has very little to do with Dracula (the character and the book) and is a bit of an odd story really. That being said they are some very creepy moments in it.

The Judge’s House: A haunted house story which is absolutely fantastic. It’s chilling.

The Squaw: A particularly gruesome story involving cats. Predictable but contains some fantastic imagery.

A Dream of Red Hands: The story of a bad dream and a man desperate to make up for past sins. Not exactly a horror story but it makes you think about whether people should be forgiven for their crimes.

Overall it's a great collection of gothic horror stories. In some ways it's very much of it's time with women feeling less important (they mostly faint in these stories), though I found that odd considering Dracula portrays some quite strong female characters. If you want some gothic horror then you can't go far wrong with this collection. ★★★★☆

 

The Spook's Blood by Joseph Delaney (The Wardstone Chronicles #10)

This is probably the penultimate book in the excellent Spook’s series.

In this one Tom and the Spook head to pick up some books to start a new library after the old one was burnt down. However, it turns out it's all a trick by Romanian witches who are trying to summon the vampire god. It's up to Tom to save the Spook and defeat the vampire god, though he has Alice, Grimalkin and a newly introduced Spook called Judd to help.

It's dramatic and unpredictable and is probably the most disturbing book in the series yet. I do however feel that the format of a new enemy being fought off each book is getting a little stale. The relatively easy Spook's work is mostly ignored and for several books now we have been built up to the big climax. It's just about time the final battle happened.

It does provide some interesting additions to the overall arc. Tom is told he will have to sacrifice Alice to bind the Fiend. That's Alice is becoming closer and closer to being a malevolent witch. And the Spook gets older and weaker and it's clear early on in this book that Tom has shifted from being the apprentice to the actual Spook.

It's another great book but I feel it's time for the final battle. And I can't wait! ★★★★☆

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and please add a comment if you’ve read or want to read any of these books. The gap in posting is now over and there’ll be lots of fun new posts coming over the next week so watch this space for all the new stuff!

Chart Chasers #20

Hello and welcome to Chart Chasers, where I check out the latest songs that have charted in the UK! Today we have SEVEN songs to look out. Well sort of eight but you’ll see what I mean about that later on.

In our first song today Kelly Clarkson shows off her Dark Side. See what I did there? I’m guessing it will be a power ballad so let’s see what she’s got for us this time.

Yeah, this was pretty much what I expected. A decent chorus but a pretty dull song for for the rest of it, though at least sung by someone with a genuine talent. A decent effort but isn’t it time Kelly Clarkson did something a little different? 3/5.

Next up is Tyler James with Higher Love. Tyler was a finalist on The Voice UK, though he did not win. This song has charted due to the release of the compilation album of the show’s final 8 singers was released. Weirdly the winner of the show who had a proper single release has never made it into the top 40. This is Tyler singing the song. I am always freaked out by this as he has weird ankles. It reminds me of when Professor Lupin transforms into the werewolf in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban…

OK, I have to admit it’s not a bad effort but it’s no James Vincent McMorrow (the guy who did the original!). And his ankles freak me out. 3/5.

Katy Perry is back with the final single from the extended version of her album Teenage Dream. It’s called Wide Awake and I’ve not heard it before so fingers crossed it’s as good as some of the other tracks on the album.

That’s probably one of the best lyric videos I’ve ever seen. Clever idea. The song itself is OK but not a patch on other tracks from the album. It’s another 3/5.

For the umpteenth week running, Justin Bieber has yet another song in the charts. This one features Big Sean, who with a name like that should be part of a gang. This track is called As Long As You Love Me. Brace yourselves…

Justin Bieber AND dubstep! Is this bring as much stuff I hate and bung it into one track? Bieber’s voice work is not too bad here though. For her. 1/5.

Quick! Someone call an ambulance! Trey Songz is having a Heart Attack! No idea what this will be like so straight into it we go!

Hmm, this reminds me of Jason Derulo, which is no bad thing in my mind. Trey is like Derulo but not as good. Shame about the car crash. 2/5.

Last week I did you a terrible disservice. I thought I listened and shared the video of Lady Antebellum. Except is was a cover and not the real thing. This was the first and only time a mistake has ever and will ever appear on this blog (actually that’s a blatant lie!). So here is the real version of Need You Now.

Well this was much better than the cover I heard. I still don’t love it but it’s OK. 3/5.

Now next up should be Precision Tunes with Payphone. But actually it’s just a cover of a song by Maroon 5 which has yet to be released. This is a dirty trick that is happening more at the moment. Someone covers a popular song and releases it before the original is released. Stupid people buy it thinking it’s the original and it has a knock-on effect as more and more people see it and buy it. I think this is a awful ploy and shouldn’t happen. It’s not fair on the original artist and not fair on the people who are too stupid to know differently. Therefore I shall not be reviewing this track or any track which attempts to do this in the future. So there.

To end today we have a new number one single by Cheryl. That’s Cheryl Cole, who has now dropped the Cole bit (It’s cos she’s split up and her husband is a cheating footballer bastard). This track is called Call My Name.

First let me talk about Cheryl. She is one of those people men all over the country love because she’s attractive. I must be in the minority which don’t feel the same. Don’t get me wrong, of course she is quite attractive but I can think of many more women who I prefer over her. I’m not sure she would even be in my top 100. The song itself is a catchy pop song and I like it more every time I hear it. But despite having already heard it quite a few times, I still don’t like it very much. It just feels like a quick and easy way to have a number 1. Nothing very exciting, just a pretty girl singing a catchy pop song. I’m going to give it another 3/5.

Wow, that was a low scoring edition. Join us next week in the hope some better songs will come along. And don’t forget you can check out the top 40 and my thoughts on all the songs in it on my Chart Page!

Guest Post: Top 5 Classic Games

It’s time for this week’s guest post! This week Ben Hughes suggests the top 5 classic online games.

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The internet is growing extremely fast. We have witnessed the rise of social networking, eBay and Google. We have instant access to maps and online encyclopaedias but it is very easy to forget why your broadband connection is so great. It’s because you can waste hours playing free online games when you’re meant to be doing work!

Below is a list of some of the classic online games that have distracted me over the years when I was meant to be being productive…

5. Trial Bike Pro

The first game on the list is a complete online classic! If you have ever wasted any time playing games on the internet then the chances are you’ve played Trial Bike. This is actually one of the trickier games to master. Retaining the rider’s balance throughout the levels is genuinely quite tough and before you realise it, you may find yourself shouting at the computer screen in frustration!

4. Bubble Trouble

Bubble Trouble is a game of skill and quick thinking which has the potential to occupy a large portion of your day. As with Trial Bike you will use the arrow keys to control your character. The aim is to burst the bubbles by shooting a line into the air to block its path. Once the bubble bursts it splits into more bubbles, which can cause confusion when there are 10 of them bouncing around. However, the best thing about this game is that there is a 2 player option. So now your online time wasting doesn’t have to be an anti-social activity!

3. Lemonade Stand

The Lemonade Stand was one of the first online games that I became slightly obsessed with. The aim of the game? To buy ingredients to make and then sell lemonade. It’s a brilliantly simple but highly effective concept. It may sound a bit dull, but I can guarantee that, before long, you will be tinkering with your recipe and waiting for that perfect sunny day in order to make your fortune!

2. City Jumper

You need to play this game to see for yourself how addictive it can be. You’re placed in charge of the welfare of a stickman who inexplicably feels the need to jump over large buildings. You only need to use 2 keys (the right and left arrow keys) to jump but the thought of your stickman coming to a bloody, gruesome end is enough to make you take this seriously!

1. Roberto Baggio’s Magical Kicks

With football’s Euro 2012 upon us you might like to get a bit of practice in. If so then look no further than Roberto Baggio’s Magical Kicks. This is a game that has occupied many hours of my life and if you have a go yourself then it is easy to see why. The game consists of trying to score free kicks from a variety of positions around the box. You need to judge the height, wind and swerve to execute the perfect kick and you will find yourself not being satisfied until you’ve scored from all angles.

Written by Ben from MoneySupermarket.com.

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Thanks Ben! If you fancy writing a guest post for me then check out how to do so here!

Friday Review: Prometheus

This is the first of what may become a regular thing. Usually the Friday review has lots of short reviews but I have decided to occasionally do extended reviews which have a bit of discussion about various elements of the film/book/game/whatever it is. Today’s is about Ridley Scott’s sort-of prequel to Alien, which is called Prometheus.

First of all let me try and explain the plot as best I can without spoiling it too much. A company funds an expedition in a space ship to discover the origins of mankind. Two doctors believe that we were created by something else and they quickly find evidence of this, though the creators appear to be dead.

Though the plot sounds different, it plays out very similarly to the original Alien film. The crew of a spaceship go an investigate something and gradually are wiped out my various alien threats and other things. It works well as a stand-alone film but there are definite links to the Alien films. It’s in the same universe for a start so things like the ability to freeze people and make androids are present and there is a huge link back (well forward I guess) to the Wayland-Yutani Corporation. In terms of it being a prequel it does do the job. We find out a bit more about the ship and dead creature at the start of Alien (or at least the type) and find out why the Xenomorphs etc exist. And it’s quite a disturbing reason actually.

The film is acted brilliantly. Most of the crew are quite forgettable (there’s 17 rather than the 7 of Alien) but the more memorable ones are fantastic. Charlize Theron is excellent as the expedition leader (she is gorgeous too I might add) and equally Idris Elba is great as the ship’s captain. He manages a pretty decent accent really considering he’s a Brit. You may know him as the gatekeeper of Asgard in Thor and British TV viewers would probably recognise him as the detective Luther. They are both relatively minor characters though and it’s Noomi Rapace who is the star. Her character, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Exactly the same name as one of the Third Doctor’s companions I might add) is clearly the new Ripley. Or the old one, because chronologically she came first. This whole prequel thing is confusing. Rapace is most well known for playing Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish film versions of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. You wouldn’t know it here though as the character is very different although still tough in her own way. I won’t give it away but in one scene she is properly fearless.

The best acting though comes from Michael Fassbender who portrays the android of the film, David. Incidentally the androids in the series are named alphabetically in real world order. The android in Alien is the first and is Ash and the one in Prometheus is the fourth and is therefore called David. Fassbender does a brilliant job of playing an android and it’s hard to imagine that he is actually a human being. Plus he manages to seem particularly sinister in parts, though it’s not really David’s fault as he just does what he’s programmed to do.

The special effects here are predictably fantastic. It’s actually relatively effect light and is certainly not CGI overload. The landscapes and the spacecraft look absolutely fantastic. My Dad has raved many times about the special effects in it and I suppose it’s understandable. These days such effects are expected but compare it to the original Alien and the difference is astounding. A little frustrating though is how all the computers in Alien look very 70s whilst in Prometheus they look very modern despite the fact it is set earlier. This is of course because of when the difference between when they were made but I would have quite liked it if Prometheus had shown old-school graphics or at least avoided showing modern ones. Still, it’s a relatively minor niggle.

I now wonder what will happen to the series from here. There is plenty of potential for a Prometheus 2 here as the surviving character/s (he says avoiding writing spoilers where possible) is/are going off to find more answers. And like the characters I feel that these answers are necessary. It also feels like more explanation could be given for the start of Alien. How did the spaceship they investigate end up on that planet? Where was it going to? And given what we learn about the race that fly them in Prometheus, why was the ship sending out a warning signal? Although Prometheus has answered some questions, it brings up many more. I just hope that if more films are made they don’t end like Alien³ and start to go severely downhill.

As you can tell, I rather liked the film. Personally I think it is on a similar level to the original Alien, though the aliens here aren’t quite as exciting/terrifying. I shall give it 4 stars but what do the proper critics think? Well I shall leave you with some of their thoughts.

SFX: Prometheus is already one of the year’s most talked-about movies. It’s set to stay that way – but unfortunately having fanboys pick holes in it rather than debate its grand ambitions is probably not what the filmmakers intended. 3 stars.

Total Film: You can relax. Prometheus is very good. Not as frightening as Alien, not as thrilling as Aliens, but a 3D sci-fi blockbuster that’s easily the saga’s most spectacular entry. 4 stars.

The Guardian: Ridley Scott has counter-evolved his 1979 classic Alien into something more grandiose, more elaborate – but less interesting. In place of scariness there is wonderment; in place of tension there is hugely ambitious design; in place of unforgettable shocks there are reminders of the original's unforgettable shocks... 3 stars.

The Telegraph: There's entirely too much to process in a first viewing of Ridley Scott's Prometheus -- some of it good, some of it great, almost all of it mental. How the movie fits together -- both internally, and in sequence with the Alien series Scott launched in 1979 -- are questions its core audience will come out fiercely debating: those who've managed to hold in their dinner, anyway. 4 stars.

 

I hope you liked this review and if you did let me know so I know to write more in the future. Also be sure to share your own thoughts on Prometheus!

Maniacal Laugh…

Hi! Life here continues to be relaxing and not that exciting. It’s nice not having a lot to do but I wish I could be going out into the great outdoors doing things a bit more. Unfortunately the recent weather here has prevented me from doing such things. Despite it being the height of summer, at least it should be, the last few weeks have seen pretty much non-stop rain. In some parts of the country there have been floods and we’ve had some pretty severe storms here too. This is one of the few times that the South of England is having worse weather than most of the country. I find it really frustrating that it’s too wet to go out and do fun things.

Still, I made use of one afternoon where the rain subsided and went on a long walk. And I mean long, I walked nearly ten miles in only a couple of hours. I was exhausted by the time I got home and one of the muscles in my legs really hurt the next day. It was a great walk though and I saw loads of wildlife which was great. I worked out I saw 20 different species of bird, including Bullfinches for the very first time and a Grey Heron really up close.  I walked around a corner and there was this heron right at the edge of the lake near the path and it flew off when it saw me. It was only a few feet away from me at most and it was great to see a big and shy bird up so close. I also saw some deer and was only about a hundred metres away from one knocking me over and it came hurtling across the footpath in front of me at great speed. As usual I took lots of photos so here’s the best of those:

^{There are lots of foxgloves around at the moment and they look stunning. They are one of my favourite flowers due to their great shape and vibrant colour.}

^{This is evidence of all the rain we’ve been having. The river has burst it’s banks and you can’t really tell where it normally runs. The flood plains look fantastic though and the birds are loving it.}

^{I love pine forests. They look so formal and awesome. The other forests must look up to them like people look up to the Queen.}

^{One of my favourite sights of my town. The church can be seen from a great distance away and it’s the first thing I see of the town when I come home after being away. It’s also kind of special cos it’s where my Mum and Dad got married over twenty years ago.}

I also recorded a video whilst I was on this walk which is a combination of me being the world’s worst wildlife cameraman and doing random crazy stuff. It’s kind of embarrassing but I will upload it if people want to see it so let me know if you do.

It’s all go in the football world at the moment as the Euro’s are on. I’m not really a big enough fan of football to be watching every match but I’ve caught bits here and there and shall be watching all the England matches as I love supporting my country. Our first match of the tournament was against France and it was really close. We ended up drawing one all which was probably a good result in the end. We’re going to need to do well against Sweden and the Ukraine though if we’ve any hope of qualifying for the next round.

^{Lescott celebrates his first international goal. Nice work Joleon!}

I’ve been spending lots of time watching things over the last week. I feel I might as well seeing as there’s not much else to be doing. This has mostly been me continuing my mission to watch all the classic episodes of Doctor Who. I’ve got to 1971, 8 years into the show, but I’ve got a long, long way to go. I’m very much enjoying the adventures of the Third Doctor exiled on Earth and working for UNIT, especially now that I’ve got to the stage where the Master has turned up. I write up my thoughts on each story here so go and check them out if you fancy.

I have also watched The Muppets, which has finally arrived at my house in the form of blu-ray. I shouldn’t have been as excited as I was when I picked it up of the doormat but I couldn’t help it. I loved the new film and was desperate to watch it again. Which I did and then watched most of the special features and had a good laugh and the world seemed a better place. The Muppets have this effect. (By the way, the title of this post is a quote from the film). My current Facebook Cover Photo is a fantastic combination of this and the football:

^{(From The Muppets UK Facebook Page)}

Things are going to liven up a little bit over the next few weeks. Next week I am helping out in a nursery for the week so I can find out about the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) for my course and get a little experience in it. It’ll be a bit out of my comfort zone working with children so young but it should be fun. I’m also excited for various other things that are coming up over the Summer, including a research project climbing mountains in Wales, lots of work with disabled and special needs children and a week at the Edinburgh Festival. Plus I’m sure loads of other crazy things will be happening!

Same-Sex Marriage

A huge issue across the world right now is that of same-sex marriage. In countries all over the world there has been debate over whether we should allow people of the same-sex to get married. And the results at the moment are disturbing. Last month voters in North Carolina voted FOR a constitutional amendment defining marriage solely as a union between one man and one woman. This made NC the 30th state to openly ban same-sex marriage. Today in the UK the Church of England has spoken out against gay marriage which the government have been proposing should go ahead. Currently in the UK you can have a “civil partnership” which as I understand is a marriage in everything but name and legal status. 

Here’s a section from BBC News about what the Church of England has said:

The Church of England said by opening marriage to gay couples, an institution defined for centuries to be exclusively between a man and a woman would have its meaning "hollowed out" and reduced to the level of a "content free", "consumerist", agreement.

The irony here is ridiculous given the timing of this. On this very day in 1509 King Henry VIII married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. As every good history student knows Henry decided he wanted a divorce but as the Catholic church wouldn’t allow it he set up the Church of England. So the CofE was set up specifically for the purpose of a divorce. So this organisation against redefining marriage was set up specifically to redefine marriage.

I am in no way an expert in the religious side of things but as far as I can tell the majority, if not all, of the “homosexuality is a sin” bit, is in the Old Testament. Now this comes largely down to religious beliefs but most people do not take most of the Old Testament literally. The modern viewpoint is generally that it is a series of stories which are a guidance on how to live your life. Much of it can be kind of considered irrelevant. But isn’t it odd how these bits are often taken unquestioningly. Let’s not forget this is a document which is extraordinarily old when people’s viewpoints where different. Jesus himself wandered around with 12 guys all the time. And can you imagine Jesus returning to Earth and telling gay people to stop being gay and he will forgive them. I know I’m not religious but if I was I would think Jesus would happily accept people being homosexual.

But fine (I say fine but I don’t mean fine), if religious groups are too stubborn and/or stupid to allow gay marriage then we can manage without them. When/if I eventually get married it’s extremely unlikely that it will be in a church. For one thing I was never christened so I’m not entirely sure it would be allowed anyway. But not being religious it would be a sham to get married in a religious ceremony. Straight people get married in registry offices and all sorts of weird places (caves, beaches etc) so there’s no reason gay marriage couldn’t happen alongside these things.

I do wonder quite why gay people have been picked upon so much. I think it’s the traditional human fear of the unknown. This is largely think is what causes racism but that’s a relatively minor issue these days compared to what it used to be. In the majority of the world people have equal rights no matter what their race. But yet gay people do not. I can sort of understand an initial fear of other races at the time when races just did not mix but homosexuality is not a new thing. All sorts of famous people were gay, or at least there is strong evidence to suggest they were. For example: Alexander the Great, Emperor Hadrian, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Tchaikovsky, Oscar Wilde, E.M Forster, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke and countless overs. It can’t be denied that all of those people did incredible things regardless of their sexuality.  And that’s kind of the point of my argument. Being gay makes you no worse than any other person. Loving someone is always a good thing, it doesn’t matter whether they are the same sex or not. In a world where heterosexual marriages can last only a few days and divorce rates are higher than ever, how can it be argued that same-sex marriage ruins the sanctity of it?

It would be nice to think that within the next couple of years gay marriage would become a common sight across the world but it seems unlikely. I hope though that my generation can see past the issues our forebears have and will be one day able to make a world which is much closer to being truly equal. By all means insert your own opinion in the comments section and I will discuss them in a post at a later date.

I think I’ll end with a few funny but still with serious messages, placards that have been held up to support gay marriage and/or gay rights. We just can’t have a world without people like this!