New Year, New Me?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Don't deny it. You've been singing all the Christmas songs, you've got the advent calendar and you're looking forward to being a slightly constipated stuffed animal by Christmas evening. But we can't forget the most important parts of Christmas.

From the Christian point of view, it's to celebrate Jesus' birthday. A holiday to celebrate the birth of the Saviour with your loved ones. But it's also the time of the year to be reunited with more distant relatives and remember the ones who didn't make it to be there.

When you can, in the next couple of days, try to make someone else's Christmas better. Small acts of kindness. You never know, it could mean the world to them. After all, no one should have a bad Christmas, one full of sadness and dejection.

So appreciate every gift you have because it's the thought that counts. Yeah I know, it could be clothes that don't even fit but just go with it. Enjoy the time you spend with your family and don't neglect these moments.

And of course, a new year is coming. Oh and the millions of new year resolutions that will hardly last to the end of January let alone the full 12 months.

So why do we still make new year resolutions when we don't really follow them? Just a way of renewing fresh hope for a better life?

Whatever the reason is, I guess the key to successfully completing a new years resolution is to focus on just one thing. Just one thing you want to change about yourself or your life. Something achievable, something realistic. So you can put energy into making sure you're actually organised to do it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm as guilty as anyone with this. Things happen and as soon as you don't feel like doing it one day, it all starts to fall out of the window.

If you want to go the gym more, set reminders on your phone, follow motivational accounts on social media, have a weekly plan.  Want to do better in school? Then stop neglecting work, do that little bit extra, get help from friends and teachers etc.

Exhibit A of organisation

There's loads of things to look forward to in 2016. For me it's definitely the Olympics and Euro 2016 which will make for an amazing summer.

But for you? Maybe one of your favourite artists will be playing a gig near you, maybe you'll meet someone you like out of the blue, maybe you'll ace any exams that come your way. You never know. It's always nice to have hope isn't it?

Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

The Value of Human Decency

From childhood all of us are ingrained with the doctrines of 'niceness' or 'politeness' or even, in their simplest form, 'humanity.' (Hands up if you never heard 'Sharing is caring', 'Treat others as you wish to be treated' or anything along those lines). My parents were undoubtedly slightly more forceful than most in trying to enforce this message, and by slightly more forceful, I mean mercilessly beat me until it was drilled into my head that stepping a foot out of line was wrong. 

Swearing - beatings.

Hitting people - beatings.

Rudeness - beatings.

Even using my left hand to give them things or eat, seen in my culture as being rude would occasionally earn a slap or at least a stern talking to.

Just in case any of you don't know your left from your right.

I like to think that without my (with hindsight) admittedly somewhat excessively painful upbringing, I wouldn't be the same person I am today. I enjoy some degree of success in my academics and I'm (in my opinion) a polite and caring fully functioning member of society. But when I think about it, aside from the academia, I've realised there is no denying that my value of what classifies as acceptable has changed so much that it has now become almost unrecognisable from a 6, 7 or even 11 year old me. 

Back when I was just a young child I kinda just took it for granted that I'd grow up in a perfect little bubble of decency and politeness. A world rife with 'bless you's, doors being held open and people smiling at each other on the tube.

Happy days.

As I grew up, sadly enough, I realised this isn't the case. Small things like smiling at someone in public rather than staring them down or saying 'bless you' to someone aren't common place, and the utopia I once expected is yet to come into fruition. I truly realised the extent of this about a month ago. I'd just refereed a game between a bunch of year 8s (I'm not even qualified, basically got paid 30 quid to just stand there as part of the decoration) and I was waiting at the bus stop to get back home. 

This guy comes over and waits next to me and I was immediately distrusting of him. He checks the bus times and tells me it's due in a minute, completely out of the blue, despite holding absolutely no relation to me. Once the bus came he even steps out of the way and allows me through with a 'you first'. Human Decency. 

The boy simply does something you'd like to think anybody would do but I immediately distrust him and I'm even moved to the point of writing a blog entry about it on a blog which isn't even my own. When did we become a society in which simply allowing someone onto the bus before you was an act to be celebrated? Are we really so selfish as a society that these things strike a chord with even someone like myself who had the respect for others beaten into me?

 

My Parents' Personal Favourite Weapons

I do strongly believe in the good in all people (We All Try - Frank Ocean) and I like to think some people in society are maybe simply too busy to think of how they can be polite and look out for others all the time. So many people make an effort, and I appreciate that, but so many more are simply completely self-absorbed and incapable of catering to the needs of others. 

Even if it's just one considered act of kindness a day, if I can leave you with one thing today, it's to simply try and make as happy and comfortable an environment as possible for those around you. You'll be happier for it and your friends and family will be happier for it. Hopefully our children will be able to grow up in a closer and more caring world than that we live in. Human decency isn't extinct. We just need to find it within ourselves. Nobody's perfect but we can all make an effort.

Here's 5... TV Shows You MUST Watch (Part 1)

Nowadays we spend the majority of our evenings stretched out on our beds with Netflix, All 4, or BBC iPlayer blaring out of the TV, as we relax and separate ourselves from our daily struggles. But it's crazy how many times I see someone tweet: 'Anyone know any good TV shows?'. 

Consequently, I felt it necessary to compile a well-rounded list of the best TV shows you've probably never even heard of. From the comedic to the dystopian, I'll delve into 5 masterpieces, which I feel could provide you with stunning and perhaps vaguely addictive entertainment. 

Consider this piece Ethan Ferrao's personal donation to all those people out there, who are currently browsing the internet in search of their next series to 'binge'. But without me digressing, let's begin:

Fresh Meat (2011-2013)

From the channel which brought you The Inbetweeners, this 3-season comedy series, starring Joe Thomas (or you may know him as Simon Cooper), was rather more hidden away. The only reason you may have heard of it is perhaps from Channel 4 adverts back in 2013. 

In fact, I distinctly remember seeing a short clip advertising the final episode and thinking 'I didn't know that show even existed'. Nevertheless, this Channel 4 series is about university students who are all thrown together to live in one house. 

They range from the intelligent Oregon (Charlotte Richie), to tough-girl Vod (Zawe Ashton), alongside the posh, big-headed JP (Jack Whitehall). Not forgetting the couldn't-be-more-average-if-he-tried guy Kingsley (Joe Thomas), good-girl Josie (Kimberly Nixon), and social freak Howard (Greg McHugh).

As the 6 main characters living in the house get to know each other, we see characteristics emerge which could be likened to The Inbetweeners, such as a bunch of awkward sexual encounters, potential but problematic relationships, drinking, sex and drugs.  

Yet all these very real problems come with an outstanding humorous aspect. If you want to know how to NOT act when you go to university, Fresh Meat is just the show you should watch. One of the greatest features of Fresh Meat is it's consideration of the entire social spectrum. 

When you take characters who you would never expect to mingle if they had a choice, and make them live with each other, you know it will be an entertaining crash of personalities, resulting in comedic and embarrassing consequences which never fail to cause laughter. If you don't laugh at this British comedy masterpiece, I fear for your sense of humour.

Utopia (2013-2014)

On the surface, this show looks like it's about a few comic book nerds who want to find a really special comic(!). 

No, no... don't dismiss this show just yet. It's far, far deeper, and shockingly darker than that (seriously the death count per episode must surpass a few records...). 

This show takes you on a rollercoaster, venturing into all kind of ethical questions, including genocide, government corruption, and the very real problem of over-population. It really does make you think. But don't get the wrong impression, this isn't philosophical. 

In fact some of the actions permitted in this show are some of the most brutal thinkable to human imagination. Now, I will admit the first few episodes are more bloopers than bangers, but from then on it really hots up.

You are immersed in a group of people who are outcast from society, constantly on the run from a vicious network of some of the most powerful people in Britain. 

To summarise, the show is about a group of anonymous Brits who meet one day to discuss a graphic novel on an online internet forum, thinking the novel is just a collectible. But the organisation known as The Network think differently, and they'll murder whoever it takes to find the novel - whether the victims are children, women, the elderly... basically they'll put a bullet through the head of anyone who can't tell them where Jessica Hyde (Fiona O'Shaughnessy) is. 

Essentially, the novel contains information which could, in the wrong hands, dictate the future of humanity. It's dark, brutal, terrifying, and so much more...

Take a look at the following video, it'll give you further insight into this truly magnificent 2-season show, which becomes increasingly spine-chilling as it progresses.

The IT Crowd (2006-2010)

So in my list of 5 TV shows, I find myself pointing towards Channel 4 for a third time. When I come to think of it, they really do produce some outstanding TV in all departments, whether it be comedy, drama or documentaries. 

The IT Crowd falls into the category of comedy, and yet another genius Channel 4 series. We are immersed in the lives of Roy (Chris O'Dowd), Maurice (Richard Ayoade) and Jen (Katherine Parkinson), 3 workers of a huge corporation who spend their time in the basement, performing the menial tasks of IT. 

Outsiders to the real world, and socially inadequate, the two men are true IT 'nerds'. They are the manifestation of all stereotypes linked with computer geeks; they hate sport, are desperate for women and know possibly everything there is to know about the inside of your PC. Of course, when they're faced with social interactions, things are bound to go wrong. 

Their hysterics when it comes to football, dating and crime result in some of the funniest, most embarrassing outcomes you could possibly imagine. Don't believe me, take a look at the following clip (apologies for the quality):

Prison Break (2005-2009)

Okay look, I know I said earlier that these shows wouldn't be well known, but this simply had to go in my list. It's truly thrilling. 

Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) walks into a bank, fires a gun, and gets himself arrested. Why? Because he believes that his brother has falsely been sentenced to death, and is willing to go to prison himself in order to break him out. 

Main directors Bobby Roth and Kevin Hooks take us on a rollercoaster, in his 4-season crime drama, with twists at every turn. The cliffhangers leave you drooling for more. It's so hard to write about, because the story thickens every episode, and there are a countless number of spoilers which I want to reveal and discuss, but quite simply I can't deprive you of the excitement. 

The show is all about scheming, intelligence and observance, because if you look away for just half a second, you're bound to miss something key. Scofield's plans, and the director's craft will have you thinking about what happened in every single episode, because the events all seem to connect. It will make you think 'How did that happen?', and then flash back to a previous episode, from which you start to make sense of the situation. 

Inspired, imaginative and innovative, it would be criminal not to watch this show.

The Pacific (2010)

This ten-part mini series explores a genre totally different from the others that I've gone into. This is far from comedic but rather it's saddening and intriguing and keeps you on hook throughout. 

'The Pacific' is an action, adventure and drama series about World War Two, following three intertwined stories about American marines as they battle through the horrors of the war in the Pacific. Action-lovers will fall helplessly for this show, as the quick-paced, energetic and life-threatening toils of war are put into perspective by director Jeremy Podeswa. 

However, this show isn't about the bullets soaring through the air, and countless explosions... Instead it's designed to give you a glimpse of the life of a marine. You no longer see just the raw statistics of the war, which have little to no meaning but rather you get personal plots, ups and downs, horrific conditions, the deaths of friends and more. 

This thrill-ride takes you from the ecstatic feeling of winning a battle, to times when the weight of war is simply too much and characters become psychologically distorted. This show really does make you think about every single life lost and the impact it has: their relationships, their family and friends and how all these factors play on soldiers' minds. 

Emotive, powerful and provocative, with genius filmography, this show may seem less watchable than the others I have listed but trust me: watching this series isn't something you'll regret.

And so it begins: A Rant on War

In #PrayforParis, I said that we shouldn't back down and let militants play with our fear. But I definitely didn't mean we should go and bomb the countries they're in!

Call me a pacifist but Parliament have screwed up. No doubt about it. They have decided to enter the vicious cycle that France are caught up in which will result in more lives being lost, it might even escalate to a war. Who knows?

The argument for airstrikes in Syria was that they have to hit ISIS hard in their homeland to diminish their power and drive them out. But the effect of these airstrikes are unknown. The only thing they can guarantee is that they'll destroy something. No one in Syria was safe before this but having extra warplanes bombing down your country, no one will be left in the west Asian country.

I can't even believe that they've even started to drop bombs. Obviously it's easy to say 'yes' when you're nice and comfortable in your own home. And Cameron has the nerve to basically call people against air-strikes "terrorist sympathisers"! The irony is is that Britain are terrorists to many over there. It's the invasion of Iraq all over again. There are just flaws after flaws after flaws.

It might be from Doctor Who but this is powerful.

No matter how shrewd the military intelligence will be, there's a huge risk that innocent lives will be lost from these airstrikes. Only a few weeks ago, an American plane destroyed, by mistake of course, a charity-funded makeshift hospital in Homs with at least 4 hospitals in Syria being destroyed by Russian planes before that. The government's all about protecting lives apparently, so why have they forgetten that those who haven't been able to leave their war-torn country, are the ones who are way more vulnerable.

Let's not forget that more fuel will be added to the fire. Any Muslims already vulnerable to indoctrination will surely be driven away for good if they see innocent people being killed. Some feel hated and alienated from British society. How do you think they're going to feel when they see and hear about what the government are doing? They're helping the ISIS recruitment programme! We're also giving them a reason to attack us in particular. "You're killing our people, so we'll kill yours" will probably be how it will go.

There's so many points I could raise so let me summarise the rest:

• A waste of money which could be spent on health, education and welfare
• Risking lives of British armed forces personnel unnecessarily
• People will lose pride in their country
• Political instability within Parliament
• Domestic violence against those who voted 'YES'

At least just after the terrible events in Paris last month, the youth of Britain have stood up for what's right once again. We're smarter than our elders think. Humanity seems to be going downhill but we can bring it right back up to the morals it should always have of peace and equality. Keep on fighting for what's right. Hopefully the government will back off before it's too late.

Some lyrics from Black Eyed Peas- Where is the love?
"Whatever happened to the values of humanity,
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality,
Instead of spreading love, we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity"




Let's be real. When is violence ever the best option?

Here's 5... Childhood Cartoons That You've Forgotten About

Get ready for a trip down memory lane with five of the tens of animated shows you probably watched when you were younger.

Arthur

Probably with the best theme tune ever, Arthur had everyone tuning in. The stars of the show are brother and sister Arthur and DW (who are aadvarks) and we follow their and their friends' adventures in the fictional Elwood City. The show was so popular that's it's still going on today, 21 years after its first episode. 

But obviously the characters haven't aged! I guess it's the talking animals and the relatable plots that draw kids in every day. The plot was simple back then but now they're touching on issues such as dyslexia to make the show more modern.

Try to get that theme song out of your head after listening to it!

Recess

Recess was probably not that popular but you must have watched it at some point or another. The series covered 6 diverse elementary school students: Vince, Ashley, Mikey, T.J., Gretchen and Gus (R-L in the picture) and their daily challenges in the school which is unofficially governed by a 6th grader, King Bob. 4 movies came out of the show as well which has to be a record. 

The show's diverse characters made it appealing to everyone and the classic 'evil' adults made it a complete kids show. A few episodes are available on YouTube if you want to go through some early 2000s nostalgia.

Kim Possible

"Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me"

(Don't lie. You definitely just sang that in your head.)

Kim Possible ( like impossible, get it?) is an average, boring high school student. Who just also happens to be a secret agent fighting supervillians on the daily...

She mostly works with her best friend Ron Stoppable (like unstoppable), who she later goes on to date, his talking naked mole rat Rufus and Wade, her information source.

Enemies have included a man obsessed with monkey-ninja, a professor with a henchwoman who's way more evil than him and a fat Scottish bloke whose main weapon is exploding golf balls. Disney Channel's action-packed 2nd ever animated series proved a hit.

Fairly Odd Parents

The show centres on Timmy Turner, a young boy who is neglected by his parents and tortured by his babysitter, Vicky. One day, he is granted two fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda, who grant his every wish to improve his miserable life. 

However, these wishes are guaranteed to cause problems that Timmy must fix. It's silliness and humour is obviously why it's still been going since 1998.

Lilo and Stitch

It started off with the movie. And the TV show became a hit. Stitch is an alien, one of many genetically modified experiments made by an alien professor. When the professor was sent to Earth on exile for some crime, all the other 625 experiments were scattered all over Hawaii. Lilo is a Hawaiian orphan who 'adopts' Stitch into the home she shares with her older sister, Nani.

A typical episode consisted off a new experiment (or cousin as Stitch called them) being set off with Lilo and Stitch finding and capturing the alien (they were always up against the bodyguard Gantu who was searching for the experiments for his villain alien master, Dr. Hamsterviel) to find a job it could do on the island.

If there's anything children and adults alike could learn from this, it's the importance of family. It was the major thing Stitch learnt about human life. "Ohana" and "family sticks together" sticks in the mind.

Any more cartoons you remember watching? Any idea for a ' Here's 5...' list? Comment below.