15/10/18: BBC - Broadcasting Blunder Classic and Kanye's Double Whammy

Intro

Week 9. I don't really know what to put in this weeks intro, nothing amazing's happened. Imagine this is some kind of funny anecdote or something like that.

TV



Ever hear the term stop the presses? Well, it turns out the BBC really likes it. So much so, it thought it would give it a try.

On Wednesday, the broadcasting giant was forced to show pre-recorded footage due to 'technical issues', as stated by the BBC's PR team on twitter. It is thought the issue involves the software on which the BBC runs it's shows.

It is also believed that the BBC World service suffered similar issues but was able to broadcast as normal, as a backup system was in place.

For the most part the footage on show seemed to be normal if a little familiar, until one take a glance at the upper right of the screen where could be seen a little message that read 'recorded'. However, the footage was only an hour old so to many it would still be new.

Still, I think it's pretty apt that in the age of fake news, the news isn't new.
(Source: The Independent)


Culture




Now, this is something that fits my remit of the weird and funny, but is close to me for once.
The annual Lincoln Sausage Festival was held on Saturday but with a notable absence.

Mr Sausage, the festival's beloved mascot has retired for a year and many were distraught at the news. One Mascot maniac tweeted (read this without laughing, I dare you) "This has left a deep, deep sausage sized pit in my stomach. Goodnight sweet prince". I was there on the day and a number of people said they felt "devastated" by the news.

There were calls to find a temporary replacement for the Mascot, but according to the organizers, "nobody has reached the high standard set by Mr Sausage". This comes after last year's festival when the famed banger was a apparently looking a little worse for wear. 

However, all is not lost. Mr Sausage is set to return for the 2019 festival, and he won't be alone. Apparently, He has taken the year off in order to get married to his long time girlfriend Miss Sausage, and there are talks that by 2020 there could be a little chipolata.

Hopefully she can make an honest snag out of him. Hot Dog!
(Source: LincolnshireLive, the Linconite)


Art



Remember last week, when that Banksy painting shredded itself mid auction and all the art buffs' faces were priceless? well it seems the woman who won the bid has decide to keep the prolific piece of art.

The details of this story are in last weeks post but as a quick recap: Banksy's famous Girl With Red Balloon was at auction in Sotheby's, when as the hammer went down, a shredder hidden within the frame was remotely activated, thus partially destroying the piece.

However, where many would have simply gone home and cried at the lost, the woman who placed the winning bid saw things from a different angle, saying "I began to realise I would end up with my own piece of art history".

The piece has now been given a new name, Love Is in the Bin, and art critics have been suggesting that Banksy tried to make a statement with this latest stunt about children growing up too fast, but personally I just think it's quite funny.
(Source: the Guardian)


Politics



Kanye West. One of the biggest names in music and in truth, politics as well. Recently, West has been all over the news sparking the ires of critics everywhere with the erratic nature of his actions.

In just the music infosphere, he made waves when he abruptly decided to change his stage name to just 'Ye', hour before his appearance on Saturday Night Live, where he was expected to debut his latest album 'Yhandi'. He announced the change on Twitter: "the being formerly known as Kanye West. I am Ye". the word is also the name of his 8th album and has been a nickname for a long time.

Meanwhile in the political world, Ye met with American President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, and proceeded on a ten minute rant about everything from prison reform, to planes, to superheros. And while he did make some interesting points about bringing back industry to America which is good for the country, he also made some rather scary suggestions besides it. Abolishing the 13th amendment, the one that outlawed slavery, for example. He also announced a possible run for thee 2024 election, and frankly I'm not sure how scared I should be at the idea.

With all the biblical imagery that he used to refer to the name change and the talks about alternate universes and running for president, it all feels like a man with an over-inflated ego and a lot of influence: a dangerous combination.
(Source: the Mail Online, BBC News)


More Culture



Another day another royal wedding. On Friday, Princess Eugenie and long-time partner Jack Brooksbank tied the knot at St George's chapel in Windsor Castle.

The day went how you'd expect any royal wedding to go with extravagant clothes and lots of hats, that the wind may or may not have had a lot of fun with.

One point to note was the blushing bride's dress. The Princess insisted on a low backed gown for her special day, to unapologeticlly bear the scar on her spine from a surgery that corrected her scoliosis. She chose to do this in a show of support for Royal national Orthopedic Hospital, in a bold yet humbling statement about body image.

However, I don't know if you heard the sound of thunder being stolen but apparently Harry and Meghan announced a pregnancy to the senior royals attending the wedding. This has since overshadowed the wedding with media outlets crawling all over the details, but it's likely just a happy coincidence that the two events occurred.
(Source: the Telegraph, Vogue, the Mail Online) 

08/10/18: Theresa May, Dancing Queen and Shreddy, Steady, Sell!

Intro

Week 8. I finally feel like I've started my course proper. I've even done some reporting, which was kind of fun, when it wasn't terrifying. It'll probably get easier, but still, accosting random people for their opinion on Oktoberfest is interesting to say the least.

Politics

The robot that currently holds the position of Prime Minister, Theresa May, made news for two different reasons this week. 

First and foremost is the conservative party conference happened, but if you've read any of my other posts, you will know that I don't really talk about anything important because my aim here is to make you smile, and the word Brexit brings about as much joy as, say,  'lamprey eel', 'Monday hangover' or 'Jacob Rees Mogg'. *bud-dum tish* politics humor (I hope).

The reason I am talking about the conference is it's opener where the PM awkwadly saunters onto stage, haltingly her moving her arms and hips to the tune of ABBA's Dancing Queen, possibly in an attempt to find Sarah Connor.

This harks back to May's previous attempt at cutting shapes during her trade trip to Africa, where she tried her hand at boogieing her way into a trade deal. However, many who viewed the footage ridiculed her for her 'routine', and so this weeks jig was likely an attempt to take back ownership of the joke and while this might have worked for some, I have common sense and believe she simply looked more like a fool.

(Source: The Guardian)

Art

The elusive street artist, Banksy, has made waves again this week, when one of his pieces, 'Girl With Red Balloon', was due to be sold at auction. It depicts a little monochrome girl reaching for a bright red heart-shaped balloon, in a brilliant contrast of colours.

On auction at Sotheby's on Friday, the famous piece is iconic and was set to rack up a high bidding value, but no-one expected that as the hammer went down on the winning bid of $1.37 million, the painting began to shred itself in front of all present.

It turns out that a remote controlled shredder was hidden in the bottom of the frame and when the sale was over, it is thought Banksy himself triggered the shredding, with a tweet from his account that read 'Going, going, gone...'. In a statement on Sotheby's website Alex Branczik, the senior director and head of contemporary art said, 'it appears we have been banksy'ed'.

It seems much like the balloon in the painting, any dreams of owning the piece have floated away.
(Source: Fortune, Sky News)


Economy



On the subject of things getting shredded, this is likely to be the nightmare of man a sane person: finding your savings in the shredder.

For Utah couple, Ben and Jackee Belnap, this nightmare became very much reality. The pair had borrowed around $1,000 from Ben's parents to pay for season tickets for the University of Utah American Football team, and saved up to pay them back.

However, when the time came, the money was nowhere to be found, until, that is, they looked into the shredder, where, much to their horror, the cash was now in pieces via the handiwork of their son 2 year old son, Leo. Jackee told news station, KSL TV, 'Leo helps me shred junk mail and just things with our name on it, or important documents we want to get rid of'.  

All is not lost, though, as the US Treasury Department of Mutilated Currency Division stated that the couple would be entitled to 'a redemption at full value' if the pair sent all the pieces and if they could be pieced back together.

Still, it makes me wonder, if a department already exists for this sort of thing, how often does it occur.
(Source: BBC News)


Nature



Now for a different nightmare scenario, one that I find arguably worse, or better depending on how you look at it.

4 schools in London, Ellen Wilkinson Primary School, Star Primary School, Lister Community School and Rokeby School, have been closed due to infestations of False Widow Spiders. The critters are the UK's most dangerous species of spider and although their bites aren't lethal, they can cause unpleasent swellings.

According to Star Primary, in a routine check, Newham council discovered the infestation and stated they "believe [it] is contained to the outside of the building and that this needs to be treated immediately before the eggs start hatching". While the schools are closed however, pupils are still being sent work and will remain in contact.

Still, thinking of school and spiders put together is a pretty horrible prospect to behold.
(Source: BBC News)


Film



Jumping from one spider themed story to another, I have just returned from seeing the Spider-Man anti-hero flick, Venom. You've probably heard most of what i'm about to say already from other critics but maybe I'll surprise you.

The universal consensus is that the film itself is, in a generous sense of the word, lukewarm, and I would agree with this. The plot largely falls flat and feels unimportant when the stakes it sets are pretty astronomical, and the first hour is simply exposition which, while I hesitate to say boring, is largely unnecessary. The characters besides Venom and Brock seem 2-dimensional, with little building, development or arc for that matter.

However, Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock and Venom combo is truly extraordinary. If you saw Eddie in the street, he would look visibly psychotic, talking to himself and making unexpected movements. Even when fighting, Eddie moves like a puppet, dancing to Venom's viscous, black strings. But in Brock's head, the rapport between man and monster takes on an effortlessly hilarious tone. Venom's dark deadpan humor sparks brilliantly with Brock's moral compass, and the line 'it is not OK to bite people's heads off', has never found a more perfect match in a film. 

There are thousands of other little things I want to discuss about the duo's relationship, but then I'd be here all night, so I want to start my final point by linking back to the film's other characters. Yes, they are done without much depth to them but maybe that's the idea. In Eddie's situation I doubt your focus would rest on anything other than the creature that's sharing your skin and this seems to be reflected in everything bar Hardy and his pet (make of that what you will), and intended or not, to give a genuinely good representation of psychosis in a film is rather rare, and that alone makes it an interesting watch, even disregarding Hardy's talent.

In short, imagine Deadpool crossed with Aliens in the Attic, with a smidge of Split, I assume (I never saw that one).

29/09/18: Why Fly When You Can Run and J. K. Rowling and the Chamber of Mild Racism

Intro

Week number 7, if I'm not mistaken. Mostly light funny stuff to talk about this week, which is fun. It makes my job easier. I probably should write about the big things, but enough people are doing that as is and, frankly, sometimes we need a bit of escapism.

Travel

Simply typing the title for this one made me chuckle. Earlier this week, a man who missed his flight, at Dublin airport, tried to catch it in a different way.

In a scene straight out of a Simpsons sketch, the passenger, in his 20s, broke on to the apron through a security door and proceeded to run after his taxiing flight, yelling 'wait!' at the pilot, in an attempt to flag the plane down. Taxiing seems a particularly apt word in this instance.

He was then tackled to the tarmac by Ryanair staff, and subsequently arrested by police. He and a woman were apparently late for a 6.50am flight to Amsterdam and, according to a Ryanair Spokesman, "were engaging with Ryanair staff at the gate and the male passenger was becoming agitated. He was banging on the window to try and get the aircraft to wait".

No-one was hurt in the man's antics, but he will appear at the Criminal Court of Justice on Thursday.
(Source: The Independent, ITV)


Film



This week a new trailer was released for J. K. Rowling's upcoming blockbuster, Fantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindlewald, but Twitter has found itself annoyed again at casting.

A number of disgruntled fans complained on the social media site, that the film's only Asian actor was to play a snake that was enslaved to a villain. The author hit back with a tweet stating "the Naga are snake like Mythical creatures of Indonesian mythology, hence the name 'Nagini'. They sometimes depicted as winged, sometimes as half human, half snake. Indonesia comprises a few hundred ethnic groups, including Javanese, Chinese and Betwani'.

One fan even called the casting an afterthought for the sake of representation, however Rowling has said this is not so as, according to her, Nagini is a maledictus, which is a female who has been cursed to turn into a beast, only she kept this fact a secret for 20 years. While this seems like a fair explanation, this isn't the first time creator of the wizarding world has been landed in hot water.

She has previously been criticized for her casting of Johnny Depp as the eponymous villain after claims of domestic abuse which he has denied and the fact that while Dumbledore is a gay character, this won't be portrayed explicitly. The film itself looks like it will be a success story, but whether these claims perpetuate remains to be seen.
(Source: BBC News)


Nature



Majestic right? This image of a rare white stag sneezing was caught by University student Oban van Schie in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire. He has described it as a 'one-in-a-million shot'.

The 19 year old took a motorbike ride into the country with an old SLR camera where he spotted the elusive fallow buck and proceeded to photograph the creature. Van Schie stated "I didn't realise what I had until hours later when I began editing my photos".

He then posted the shots on website Reddit where they received much acclaim, to the tune of around 90,000 upvotes on various subreddits. Many redditors suggested that the student should have watermarked the image as his own, as no others exist.

I imagine this also occurred to him some time later. He must have thought, 'Oh Deer'.
(Source: BBC News)

More Nature



If you haven't seen this video floating around the info-sphere this week, then quite frankly the rock you live under must be quite nice. This is another incidence of one-in-a-million captures, where a seal slaps a man, on camera, full in the face via the swift application of a held octopus.

Kyle Mulinder is a GoPro ambassador and was filming an advert for the product when the kung-fu mammal decided to display is crouching seal, hidden octopus fighting style. Not only had he captured internet gold, but on the camera he was attempting to advertise no less. 

As such, people have questioned the validity of the footage, but scientists have since revealed that the seal likely mistook Mr Mulinder for a rock, on which it could beat the living daylights out of it's be-tentacled prey.

However, if by some strange perversion of nature you haven't seen the clip, please watch it and see if your sharp intake of breath is high pitched enough to make dogs whine.
(Source: Newshub, Metro)


Crime



Over 10 years since "America's Dad" committed his atrocious assault on Andrea Constand, Bill Cosby has been sentenced.

The comedian was originally trialed for his crimes in June last year where the jury failed to find a verdict, but in April he was found guilty in a retrial. This week saw his sentencing hearing where Judge Steven O'Neill sentenced him to 3 - 10 years in prison and fined him $25,000 ($6,000 of which are the cost of the prosecution).

Wrists' handcuff-clad, he was taken to Montgomery County Correctional Facility. He declined to give a statement.
(Source: BBC News)

24/09/18: The Kitty Killer: More Myth Than Man and Blessing the Rains, All Night Long

Intro

Week 6. Sorry again about last week's post being a lot shorter than normal but my normal writing time (Saturday - Monday) was overshadowed by me moving into uni, so I had no time to do much of anything, let alone write. That said, I'm settled in now and so things should be back to normal. This week may include stories from last week however as a catch up. Enjoy.

Crime

The case of the 'Croyden Cat Killer' has left police stumped and pet owners everywhere terrified. However, it seems to have ended in what can only be classed as an anti-climax.

In 2015, an investigation was launched by the metropolitan police service into a number of reports regarding mutilated cats, centered particularly around the Croyden area. After numerous post-mortem examinations were carried out, Scotland Yard stated that no evidence of 'human involvement' was found and instead linked the deaths to the 'predation and scavenging by wildlife on cats killed by vehicle collisions'.

Included in the inquiry were around 400 similar cases of cat mutilation, with the fox being cited as a potential scavenging species. All such cases are now being deemed as 'no crimes'.
(Source: BBC News)


Music



Whilst American band, 'Toto''s, smash hit, 'Africa', may be one of the best known and loved songs of a generation, it seems one DJ is placing more faith in that love than he should.

DJ Michael Savage has stated that he intends to play the number 1 hit on repeat for 5 hours at Bristol club, 'The Exchange', in order to raise money for an African charity. He also stated that people could be sponsored for how long they last on the dance floor.

According to Savage, he 'drunkenly suggested running a night playing just that track two years ago'. Although the original version will be playing in the main room during the event, the bar room will be playing remixed versions and covers of the song. However, I imagine that many people who attend the event will curse the rains down in Africa, rather than bless them, after the night is done.
(Source: BBC News)


TV



An interesting development occurred this week on talent show, 'America's got talent'.
A British schoolgirl, Courtney Hadwin (14), made it all the way to the final of the show, placing 6th, and if you've seen her audition in June you'd understand why.

Miss Hadwin walks onto stage looking nervous in front of the audience, even stating the fact herself. However as the music kicks in, it's almost as if a switch flips in her head and suddenly she starts dancing like she owns the stage. However, her voice is the real shock. With a deeply rock'n'roll sound, akin, strangely, to Axel Rose, she wowed judge and audience member alike with a uniquely powerful rendition of Hard to Handle by the Black Crowes.

After her monumental performance came to close, judge Howie Mandel pressed the coveted golden buzzer and saw her advance to the live shows, where she went on to make it to the finals as a fan favourite. Although she was beaten in the final on Tuesday by magician Shin Lim, she has been deemed a superstar in the making and certainly is one to watch.
(Source: The Sun, Wikipedia, Youtube, BBC News)


Technology



A story from last week, Twitch streamer, Guy 'DrDisRespect' Beahm had his home shot at by an unknown assailant. In the middle of one of his streams, Beahm suddenly leaves to check a noise that came from an upstairs window in his home.

When he returns he has broken character, sans wig and sunglasses, and proceeds to state 'someone shot at our house, broke our F***ing upstairs window'. He then went on to say 'I have to stop the stream'. During the next day, no streaming occurred but his channel proceeded to broadcast the message 'Doc and Family are safe. Proper measures are being taken while the stream is down for the day'.

Police currently have identified no suspects, but it is assumed that an angry viewer attempted to stop the stream through the use of an air rifle. He has resumed his normal streaming schedule, but it's chilling to think how easily such an attack was carried out.
(Source: TheVerge, Dexerto, Metro)


Culture



Bert and Ernie, Sesame Street's beloved duo, have had their sexuality put through the ringer this week. Mark Saltzman, screenwriter for the show, told LGBT magazine, Queerty, that he based the boys on his loving relationship with partner Arnold Glassman, an award winning documentary maker and editor.

He stated 'without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert and Ernie, they were [lovers]'. That statement seems to be infallible proof of the roommates feelings for each other. However, hours later, Sesame Workshop, producers for the show, dissented to this, saying the two are simply 'best friends', citing the fact that they 'possess many human traits and characteristics, but remain puppets and do not have a sexual orientation'.

It has since come to light, though, that Salzman's previous statement has been misinterpreted. In an interview with the New York Times, Saltzman stated, 'as a writer you tend to bring what you know into your work. Somehow, in the uproar, that turned into Bert and Ernie being gay'.

With that the argument seems to be settled like so many others, Die Hard isn't a Christmas film, Jaffa Cakes aren't Biscuits and Bert and Ernie aren't gay.
(Source: The Guardian, Vox, People)

17/09/18: Swinging into Victory and Son of Witcher: White-Washing

Intro

Week 5. So I moved into my flat yesterday and I have't really had a moment to just sit down and write. Normally I start writing posts on saturday and get half way through so this week's may very well be shorter. Also, I find I'm doing more gaming stories. Wouldn't mind writing about it for a career.

Gaming

So this week I managed to get my hands on Spider-Man PS4, and it is a masterpiece. Insomniac really has done the web-head justice.

The first thing on anybody's mind is the web-swinging. In so many of the Spidey games of days past, devs have failed at this seemingly simple hurdle, with a few notable exceptions like Spider-Man 2 and Web of Shadows. But every inch of traversal in this latest version is like playing a dream. It feels so smooth and I could happily just move through Manhattan for hours on end, zipping and swinging to my heart's content.

Next up is combat. While SM 2018 does nothing new, it does the old very well indeed. It follows the Arkham beat-em'-up formula perfectly, with the classic Spider-man seasoning. Both the clever quips and web-based gadgets really serve to make you feel like the wall-crawling hero about town in a way that past games have failed to.

Finally, the characters are all incredibly rounded and human. For most that might not be a big deal, but for me i want to be drawn into a story and it's world. Every person from the heroic spidey to the dastardly Mr Negative seems to have their own personal demons and quirks that layer them as characters and makes them feel all together more real. For example, when Peter heads over to MJ's to stay the night, the conversation he has with himself feels so relatable, with it's notions of affection and insecurity.

At time of writing, I haven't finished it but cannot wait to play more.

Film and TV

On the subject of gaming news, Netflix is adapting the beloved game and book series, the Witcher, originally by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski into an 8-part TV drama, to be released in either 2018 or 2019.

While this is a very exciting prospect with a lot of potential, Twitter has been up in arms recently due to the casting choice of an originally white character, Ciri, protagonist Geralt's surrogate-daughter. The people behind the show chose a BAME (black, Asian or minority ethnic) actor to play the pivotal role, and people have reacted with mild levels of racism, which is funny, considering much of the Witcher focuses on fantasy xenophobia.

I understand the opinion, however. Many fans will have become accustomed to a Ciri who they know and love and to take part of that away would feel like a sort of betrayal. But, at the same time, the reaction feels childish and, in some ways, the people feel akin to the monsters Geralt fights.
(Source: Digital Spy)

Outro

I really am sorry, but at time of writing it is 2 in the morning on Tuesday and i haven't had a moment to just detox myself, let alone properly write. Hopefully you understand but next week things should be back to normal. Again I am very sorry but I am in dire need of sleep. I should've started earlier in the week to be honest.

10/09/18: Jamie the Jerk Jerk and It's Always Terrifying in Philadelphia

Intro

Week 4 of the blog. Hope you're still enjoying if you have been reading. If this is the first time, welcome, but try out the other posts, you might chuckle. Next week's post may be shorter than in the past because that's when I move in to my uni accommodation but there will definitely be one and I'll try to keep with the standard that I've set.

Food

So this week, celebrity chef and scourge of soft drinks, Jamie Oliver, has defended his new 'Punchy Jerk Rice' dish after it faced a vicious backlash from Jamaican food lovers and MPs upon it's release.

But why has the microwavable suffered so much hate in the first place? It is because of the use of 'Jerk' to describe it. Jerk is a traditional Jamaican style of cooking chicken that was originally developed by slaves who escaped into the wilds of the country when the British captured the country from Spain in 1655. The Slaves had to adapt to their surroundings, by using natural food sources, such as allspice and scotch bonnet peppers, to create the spicy sauce and different meats.

However, Mr Oliver's dish has a notable lack of these ingredients and many Jamaican food lovers have said that, as a result, Jerk's distinctive taste is absent. Another celebrity chef, Levi Roots, the man behind the famous jerk-infused Reggae-Reggae Sauce, has called Oliver's decision to launch the rice a mistake, adding that he himself had instructed Jamie on how to make an authentic jerk chicken dish in person years before.

The rice also attracted the ire of Labour Mp Dawn Butler, who accused the chef of 'cultural appropriation' in a tweet by asking if he 'actually knew what jerk was', and saying 'it's not just a word you put before stuff to sell products'. After all of this and more, Oliver has finally weighed in stating 'when I named my rice my intention was only to show where my inspiration came from', as well as citing his previous experience with 'flavors and spices from all over the world'.

I can't imagine that Mr Oliver intended to offend anyone with the naming of his rice but I do believe that he should have been more careful when he did, so as not to seem like... a jerk.
(Source: The Independent)


Crime



Now, I, like many people all over the world, HATE bugs and the this week I saw a story that, while a tad old, is straight out of a nightmare: approximately 7,000 insects and lizards worth around $40,000 were stolen from the Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion... and they could be on the loose.

The CEO of the museum, John Cambridge, stated that 'the majority 80 to 90% of insects housed in the museum were taken', in an interview with Fox News. Both he and the police suspect that the theft was an inside job and among those taken are 80 rare, venomous or endangered species, such as the rhinoceros roach, the six-eyed sand spider, the red spot assassin bug, zebra tarantulas, and desert hairy scorpions.

It is believed the theft took place on the 22nd of August and 'maybe other days' as security cameras captured footage of staff carrying boxes of insects on multiple days starting on August 21st. Cambridge also stated that he 'knows exactly who the culprit are as all their stuff was missing and they didn't turn up for their shifts'. The perpetrators also apparently stabbed their employee shirts into the wall with knives and left them there. It is thought the animals were taken for the purpose of resale.

The institute has since set up a GoFundMe page in order to replenish it's stock of critters, and other collectors and groups have donated their own specimens in the meantime as both the 3rd and 4th floor of the museum have been closed. While I am glad the museum is starting to recover, I don't think i want to visit Philadelphia any time soon.. or ever, for that matter.
(Source: Viral Today)


Gaming



Red Dead Redemption 2 is arguably one of the most highly awaited games of this year, with it's predecessor selling around 15 million copies at last count and racking up a number of awards including game of the year in a number of different competitions.

However, last weekend at the 2018 GME conference, Rockstar studios treated a number of Gamestop employees to a 20 minute live demo for the upcoming western shooter, and apparently they found it... boring. Many of those who bore witness took to Reddit after the conference, calling it a 'horse riding simulator' for much of the demo and saying that they and their colleagues began to actually fall asleep during the showing.

They did go on to say that the action shown was good and many agreed that when it is finally released, it is going to be one of the greats, but what was shown should not have been put into the demo if Rockstar want people to be hyped. Also, this all apparently took place at the very end of the weekend and so many participant were likely very tired by that point so it's understandable as to why they'd want a quick nap.
(Source: Metro, IMBD, Forbes)


Music



This week, Paramore front-woman, Haley Williams announced that the group is axing fan-favourite song 'Misery Business' from their live set-list. She declared this at a one off concert the band held in their home town of Nashville on September 7th, that marked the end of touring for their 2017 album, 'After Laughter'.

The song itself has been the centre of a heated debate as to whether the lyrics are 'anti-feminist'. Before the group began to play the song, Williams stated 'this is a decision we've made because we feel that we should, we feel like it's time to move away from it for a little while'. The debate itself surrounds lyrics of the second verse: 'Once a whore, you're nothing more. I'm sorry, that will never change'.

According to Williams, she wrote the lyrics when she was 17 and has made a number of efforts to distance herself from her teenage emotions. She also refrained from singing the second line during the Nashville show.

Fans, however, have posted all over social media with talk of grief at the song's retirement but seeming to understand the band's decision to discontinue the hit. But, all in all, fans seem to be in misery dealing with this business.
(Source: NME)


Politics



On Thursday, India's Supreme court made a historic decision to overturn law and legalize homosexual relations.

The ruling overturns a 2013 judgement upholding a colonial era law, commonly known as section 377 that defines gay sex as an 'unnatural offence'. The court now holds that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a 'fundamental violation of human rights'. While majority opinion in major cities was in favour of the decriminalization, there is still strong opposition in the more rural areas of the country as well as religious groups.

The ruling itself was headed by Judge Dipak Misra and the result was unanimous, denoting a landmark victory for India's LGBT community. Misra labelled the older law as 'irrational and arbitrary' while another judge on the panel stated 'history owes an apology to LGBT people'.
(Source: BBC News, The Guardian)

03/09/18: 99 Weird Balloons and Wed Sheeran

Intro

Week three of the blog. I've decided I'm gonna include any announcements for the blog here or random little anecdotes, I think. Tite Kubo did the same when he was writing the Bleach manga and I always enjoyed those.

Politics

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? no, it's a giant balloon in the shape of the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, clad in a yellow bikini. The 29ft blimp was launched from Parliament Square as part of a campaign to remove Mr Khan from office.

In total, campaigners raised £58,182 in order to put the balloon in the air. It was conceived by organizer Yanny Bruere following the Trump Baby balloon protest that occurred during the Commander-in-Chief's visit in July. The Mayor has since commented on the balloon, saying that anyone is welcome to look at the balloon, but that 'yellow wasn't really his colour'. The bikini wearing nature of the balloon is a nod to the mayor's disapproval toward TFL's 'Beach Body Ready' advert in 2016.

However, Mr Bruere has been hailed as an advocate for alt-right causes. He has denied this outright, instead claiming that he has been doing the same as those who led the Trump Baby protest.

Lets just hope that the mayor's ego doesn't get inflated (sorry).
(Source: BBC News, The Guardian)


Entertainment



Much to the dismay of teenage girls everywhere, singer Ed Sheeran has strongly hinted that he and long-time girlfriend and fiance, Cherry Seaborn, tied the knot.

In an interview with Access Online, Sheeran was asked if the pair had set a date for getting hitched after their engagement anouncement in January. He then proceeded to hold his hand up, ring-finger bound, in what is likely the best example of thinking out loud.

The couple have been friends since childhood and in 2015 began dating. With this announcement coming after the release of Sheeran's smash-hit, Divide, last year as the best-selling album of 2017, it seems Ed really has hit upon a good rush, and hopefully it continues.

Still, I'd like a photograph.
(Source: BBC News, Standard)


Health



Now for a story a little closer to home. This week has seen the latest step in an amazing journey of recovery.

Chloe Jacques woke up on an average morning last year, and preceded to get ready for college. However, she never attended that day, as she suddenly collapsed in her bedroom due to a vicious stroke. She was then rushed to A&E where an MRI was conducted and a blood clot was found on her brain, after which she was transferred to the Walton Centre, where she was placed in a medically-induced coma for 2 days, while doctors operated to remove 90% of the clot. She was then transferred to the Liverpool Royal Hospital where she began her recovery. As a result of her collapse, she was left with a swelling on her brain, unable to walk and lost the feeling in the entire left side of her body.

However, it has been 7 months since then, and Miss Jacques has been able to graduate not only from being wheelchair bound to walking unaided, but also from college. Now she is raising awareness for the condition, including completing in a 5K run, in which she managed to raise £5,000 for the Walton Centre, which she says were the people who 'primarily saved her life'.
(Source: Liverpool Echo)


Business



The government has put plans in place to enforce a ban on energy drinks being sold to children.

the sale of such beverages as Monster Energy, Red Bull and a number of others are set to be restricted to adults, amid growing concerns about the impact that high-caffeine, high-sugar drinks are having on children's health. The proposal for the scheme's implementation is to be unveiled on Thursday, with the principal question being whether 16 or 18 will be the age that the restrictions will apply until.

Theresa May has said that this has linked to the government's plans to tackle obesity, the main argument in favor of the ban is the high caffeine content that the drinks include, which has been linked to a number of health problems such as headaches, stomach aches, sleep problems and hyperactivity, which, bar the hyperactivity, sounds like the symptoms of being drunk.
(Source: BBC News)


Actual Politics



Alex Salmond has resigned from the Scottish National Party (SNP) after claims of sexual misconduct.

Last week, it was found that two Scottish government staff members had lodged complaints earlier this year against the former first minister, about his conduct during his time in the position, this coming only weeks after a new complaints procedure was put in place. He however has denied the claims calling them ridiculous and the complaints system itself unjust.

As a result, he has formally began legal action against against the Scottish government. The current first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said she 'felt a huge sadness about the whole situation'.
(Source: BBC News)