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)

27/08/18: Karma's using hacks and Trump's Wild Week

Intro

So, week two of the blog and I hope you're enjoying reading it, 'cause I've become invested in writing it. Also there's no order to what I write, it just depends on what I write first and if I can joke about it... mostly.

Gaming



First this week, the Call of Duty (CoD) world championships took place, conquered by E-sports team Evil Geniuses, who won the $600,000 grand prize. While the prize is sizable, the tournament itself isn't very news worthy per-say, but the story preceding it has bred shock across the world.

Earlier this year, Douglas 'FaZe Censor' Martin made waves on the internet when he announced that he had broken up with his girlfriend of three years, weather-girl Yanet Garcia. At first sight, this seems like an issue that everyone has experienced at some point or another. However when one considers that miss Garcia is considered one of the 'top 10 hottest women on the planet' and the reason Martin ended things was to focus on his Call of Duty career, many would and have called him mad.

Arguably, Martin possessed the dream, rockstar-gamer lifestyle that every teenage boy could be EnVyUs of: playing videogames for a living and a supermodel on his arm. But while many would lambaste him as a noob, it is understandable. E-sports as a career, among others in the gaming world, can be incredibly lucrative, if one has the talent to back it up, and Martin, taking third place alongside his team and the $100,000 prize, clearly has the talent. So in truth, he's appears simply to be following his dreams over a relationship at the moment which is hard to argue with.

However, as he only came third after claims he would win in his video detailing the break-up, could the universe be sending him a sign? One that reads: 'Dude, just take take the L'.
(Source: Business Insider, Newshub) 


Sports



I know I said not to expect a sports section but, much like the first story of this weeks post, my interest is not in the match itself, but more the participants.

YouTube heavyweights (masterful pun), Olajide 'KSI' Olatunji and Logan '-REDACTED-' Paul, competed in a highly advertised boxing match this week, the latest in a series of events, sparked after Paul's controversial vlog in Aokigahara Forest AKA the 'Suicide Forest'. In the down-spiral that followed, KSI proceeded to challenge Paul to boxing match during his victory over fellow YouTuber Joe Weller. 

It could be that KSI sought to enact social justice upon Paul for his bad taste in vlogging location, that he intended to simply further his boxing career or to take advantage of Paul's current public focus. However, the reaction of fans and the outcome of the fight largely suggest the latter.

The fight ended in a draw, with both sides claiming they thought they had won. Many have since suggested the fight was staged in order to make money and with each walking away with around £30m-£40m or more, it's not hard to see why. The adage of an upcoming rematch in the face of this result, increasing that number exponentially, only seems to add fuel to the fire.

The two fighters are not the only YouTubers with skin in the game, however. Felix 'Pewdiepie' Kjellberg, posted a video weeks before the fight and regarded them both as 'Scumbags' for their respective chequered pasts, both of which seem to mirror the other on a number of issues. However, Pewds is not completely without sin himself arguably ruining the lives of many YouTubers by catalyzing the demonetization issue, and receiving reprimand for a number of inappropriate comments. This suggests that Paul and KSI aren't the only ones seeking to make something from this fight and that we're all just getting sidemanned.
(Source: BBC News, The Express)


Politics




This past week has been described as one of Trump's 'worst weeks' and its not hard to see why.

In a torrent of legal trouble, two major associates of the Trumpalump, his former campaign manager and his personal lawyer and fixer, went to court over eight separate felonies, each, Making for a grand total of sixteen. The campaign manager, Paul Manafort was convicted on eight felonies relating to various financial frauds while, on the very same day, Michael Cohen, his lawyer pleaded guilty to eight felonies of his own, two of which involved payoffs to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, regarding two of Donald's less pure moments.

Not only this, Cohen then went on to state under oath that payments were 'for the principal purpose of influencing the election' and were made 'under the direction of Trump', thus implicating the President as an uncharged co-conspirator on two admitted crimes.

Trump made a number of other blunders, in various interviews that seem to simply add fuel to the fire, but his week has been rounded off with something satisfyingly inane: at a visit to an Ohio children's hospital, he managed to colour the American flag wrongly by adding a blue stripe to his own version of the star spangled banner.

It seems the copious layers of fake tan he applies aren't the only things making him look like an orangutan lately.
(Source: Forbes, The Independent, Sky, GQ)


Religion



Over the weekend Pope Francis made a historic trip to Ireland, the first papal visit to Ireland since Pope John Paul II's visit in 1979.

However, the 90 minutes he spent on Saturday with the survivors of clerical sex abuse are the most striking. The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, remarked that the Pope was 'moved and shocked' by what he heard and he told the survivors he though of the abuse suffered as 'filth'.

After the meeting, Pope Francis made a 'personal handwritten' prayer in which he begged for forgiveness for a number of abuses perpetrated by Church leaders. 

It was read during Mass the next day.
(Source: BBC News)


TV



It was announced earlier this week that Declan 'Dec' Donnelly will receive a new co-host on the reality show to fill in for his long time partner, Anthony 'Ant' McPartlin.

McPartlin, earlier this year, was convicted on a drink-driving charge which led to a 20 month ban from driving and an £86,000 fine. In response to this, the presenter announced that he would be taking a year off from television, to attend rehab.

In the meantime, a number of shows have been affected due to Ant's hiatus from the screen. One example being Saturday Night Takeout, which bears the names of the duo, will not air during McPartlin's break. However, ITV have announced that Dec will continue to host I'm A Celebrity, with a new, currently unnamed co-host.

ITV's director of television, Kevin Lygo, stated: 'It's going to be Piers Morgan. No I don't know, it could be Jeremy Corbyn. I can't say'. This has led to mass public speculation, with bookies listing Scarlett Moffat and Stephen Mulhern as favorites for the position.
(Source: BBC News, Sky)

20/08/18: Gay Frogs and the End of an Era

Intro

Since this is the first post, The stuff I discuss may be more than week old, but still new hopefully (enjoy).

Technology

 

So this week, controversial broadcaster and living meme, Alex Jones, has been suspended from the social media site twitter this week. The Infowars presenter, Known for his conspiracy theories, including claims that the 9/11 attack was staged by the government and his infamous comment about gay frogs, has had both his main and secondary account's locked. 

It is currently unknown as to why Jones' primary account has been suspended, and after subsequently posting a video to his secondary account, it was also relegated to read-only mode. However, the New York times has made a link to a previous post where Jones urges his followers to take action against the media by saying 'ready you're battle rifles'. Twitter chief executive, Jack Dorsey, claimed that Mr Jones has been put on a 'time out'. 

In my opinion, this is an apt response as the plethora of claims Jones has made range from the downright ludicrous, such as the view that the US government possesses weather weapons, to the oddly believable, such as Lady Gaga's dance at this year's Superbowl being satanic. 

Obvious sarcasm aside, many people follow Jones and his views and with these bans coming straight after a post from Jones claiming that a recent cyber attack on the InfoWars website was a plot by the FCC, the media may actually be feeding the fire of 'the Most Paranoid Man in America'. 

It appears Jones may have lost this infobattle, but not the infowar.
(Source: BBC News, Rolling Stone)


Music



On a sadder note, soul music legend, Aretha Franklin has died at age 76. The artist, who had rightfully earned the title of 'Queen of Soul', was reported as dead by a family spokesman at 9:50 on Thursday.

She died surrounded by family and friends at her home in Detroit. The official cause of death was due to advanced pancreatic cancer, as confirmed by Franklin's oncologist, Dr. Phillip Phillips.

Over the course of her career, Franklin has inspired countless artists, and undoubtedly changed the music world as a whole. She was the first female artist to be inducted into the hall of fame, has the largest number of top 40's of any female artist and has become an icon for both black people and women everywhere.

Personally, I have never really listed to Ms Franklin, but she has my respect for everything she has done. This opinion has been echoed across the world by celebrities and citizens alike with thousands making posts over social media mourning her death, including such artists as Adele and Liam Gallagher to name a fraction. It is safe to say she will be missed dearly.
(Source: Wikipedia, CNN)


Politics



The first Transgender major party nominee for the position of US governor has been made. by the democratic party, in the state of Vermont.

Christine Hallquist, (62), is a former executive of Vermont electric cooperative, who won her election against three other candidates including a 14 year old boy, and a Navy veteran.

Ms Hallquist, however, is not the only transgender person to run for a government role and trans runners aren't alone either. This year has seen record numbers of Female, lesbian, gay and transgender nominees.

On the same night as Ms Hallquist's win, a Somali-American woman won her own battle for the position in the state of Minnesota, and the state of conneticut is set to receive it's first black member of congress. 

This is an amazing step for equality, and hopefully this means the world is on the path to a brighter future. However, weather these candidates will be effective remains to be seen, as if something is done simply for the sake of equality in the face of better judgement the outcome is always disappointing, for example the 2016 Ghostbusters movie.
(Source: BBC News)


TV and Film



The Netflix original series, 'Disenchantment' was released this week and, personally, I preceded to binge the entire first series last night in one sitting.

The Simpsons creator, Matt Groening's new fantasy sitcom follows the adventures of the alcohol swigging princess, Bean, a socially inept elf, called Elfo and a loveably sardonic demon by the name of Luci, in the ironically named kingdom of Dreamland and beyond.

Both Elfo and Bean begin the story in situations in which neither are happy, while Luci is simply along for the ride as equal parts mocking straight-man and problem-instigator. Besides the three protagonists, there are a plethora of intriguing characters, including a sexually fluid wizard, dancing vikings, a royal pig and a king with serious anger management issues.

It is a brilliant homage to the fantasy worlds created by people like Tolkien and Martin, and any fan of such settings would enjoy both the very on-the-nose puns and the far more subtle humor, and while it's animated style may seem childish to some, often times it perfectly illustrates the human condition and taps into everything from love and friendship to betrayal and loss.

It's great fun to watch and had me splitting at the sides so, please, give it a try.


Gaming



Hello games' infamous flagship creation, No Man's Sky, has been making headlines again recently, but this time for the right reasons. 

The latest update to the widely known space simulator, titled 'NEXT' has implemented multiplayer support and a great number of new features including quests, a massive visual overhaul, the ability to build a fleet and character customization, which all serve to increase the immersion and make it feel less like just another simulator and more like the living breathing universe, Shaun Murray and Hello Games advertised it's original release as.

The big change is multiplayer support. Obviously exploring a massive universe, such as the one in No Mans Sky would be made infinitely better by the company of friends and would make you feel like you're in an episode of Cowboy Bebop or the next issue of Guardians of the Galaxy and so to finally receive multiplayer support after 2 years has made many gamers happy.

However, do not mistake this for praise. In my book, Murray is still evil. He still lied to the thousands of people who pre-ordered the game or bought it at release, as what I and many others found was a quiet and altogether lonely experience. Realistically, space is a big place and I'm not expecting interstellar dogfights every two seconds but that was what was advertised, and I'll be damned if that doesn't sound like a great experience. Additionally, players still have to pay for a PS+ subscription to use the multiplayer features, and it feels like throwing salt in wound right before putting on the plaster. What made this betrayal even worse is that it is during an era full of uncaring developers recycling old titles over and over or better yet, simply being EA. As such my trust for the industry is broken. I love games and I'm an optimist but now I'll always look at reviews where before i would get a game and hope for the best. 

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