Well, this was certainly much more entertaining than last weeks fare. Much better performances from all 3, and only 1 mention of the 'Special Relationship'. Still looks like Clegg gave the best performance, and it looks more and more inevitable that we're heading for a Hung Parliament.
Final verdict: Better than the first debate, but a lot of repeating old ground. Soundbites are sounding more and more obvious now.
Thursday, 22 April 2010
The Televised Debate: Round 2
I didn't cover my thoughts prior to the 1st debate, but all I've got to say is that I was just as surprised as everyone else by Nick Clegg's performance. He actually seems to have some sort of personality! Shocking!
Anyway, 2 weeks on from the first ever TV Leaders Debate and we're ready for the 2nd helping courtesy of Sky. Now its International Politics on the agenda, and it'll be interesting to see just what the three of them have to say about our dwindling status as a world power. Still, at least we have Trident...if Clegg doesn't have his way.
Predictions:
What'll be discussed: Afghanistan, fallout of Iraq, Iran.
What'll be avoided: The EU.
What'll annoy me for being discussed: The UK-US 'Special Relationship'. Bleugh.
Anyway, 2 weeks on from the first ever TV Leaders Debate and we're ready for the 2nd helping courtesy of Sky. Now its International Politics on the agenda, and it'll be interesting to see just what the three of them have to say about our dwindling status as a world power. Still, at least we have Trident...if Clegg doesn't have his way.
Predictions:
What'll be discussed: Afghanistan, fallout of Iraq, Iran.
What'll be avoided: The EU.
What'll annoy me for being discussed: The UK-US 'Special Relationship'. Bleugh.
Monday, 8 March 2010
An Idea Keeps A-Brewing 1
For anyone who knows me already, I've been a writer of fan fiction and original works since I first signed onto Fanfiction.Net in 2006. Before that I'd always enjoyed writing and coming up with story ideas and concepts that I thought would make good stories. I'm still on Fanfiction.Net, but reviews have dropped since I started uploading new stories, and the fun has mostly gone out of it. I'm much more into original story writing now, as I will now explain in my new project idea.
This idea first came to mind when I purchased the Bryan Talbot Graphic Novel 'Grandville' from Travelling Man in October. I've always been a big fan of anthropomorphic (talking animals) stories, and this book was the first I'd seen that wasn't a childish 'funny animals' story, but rather a serious and truly enjoyable read. It made me come to start to wonder whether I should have a crack at coming up with my own Graphic Novel idea in the anthro style. So since October I've been coming up with various ideas and concepts that I think would make a good and interesting read, and the idea I came up with is...
'New Britannia'. More on the ideas in a minute.
For anyone who hasn't read 'Grandville', the story is set in an alternative history where France won the Napoleonic Wars and conquered the whole of Europe, Britain included. The plot begins some 200 years later in a steampunk, Victorian world populated by anthropomorphic animals. Now, I love anthro stories as I've already mentioned, but I also love steampunk as well as Victoriana. And alternative histories are rich in untapped story potential. So several ideas for 'New Britannia' came about from me reading and enjoying 'Grandville', as well as thinking I could do a different spin on it. No, not stealing the concept. But using it as a basic template.
The other Graphic Novel I have to thank for my ideas for 'New Britannia' is Alan Moore's 'V For Vendetta'. In fact, when I first started seriously coming up with ideas for my graphic novel project, I rushed out and bought 'V' in the hope that the ideas I was coming up with hadn't already been thought up by Alan Moore in the 1980's. Thankfully, this wasn't the case and my ideas remain original for now. Like 'Grandville', V set me a basic template for what I wanted to do with my project.
I would carry on and explain more about my thinking process, but I think I've made this post long enough already. I've mentioned now the original starting points for my new idea, so next time I'll begin laying out my ideas and concepts for 'New Britannia', and why I think it would be a really enjoyable project if I keep at it.
This idea first came to mind when I purchased the Bryan Talbot Graphic Novel 'Grandville' from Travelling Man in October. I've always been a big fan of anthropomorphic (talking animals) stories, and this book was the first I'd seen that wasn't a childish 'funny animals' story, but rather a serious and truly enjoyable read. It made me come to start to wonder whether I should have a crack at coming up with my own Graphic Novel idea in the anthro style. So since October I've been coming up with various ideas and concepts that I think would make a good and interesting read, and the idea I came up with is...
'New Britannia'. More on the ideas in a minute.
For anyone who hasn't read 'Grandville', the story is set in an alternative history where France won the Napoleonic Wars and conquered the whole of Europe, Britain included. The plot begins some 200 years later in a steampunk, Victorian world populated by anthropomorphic animals. Now, I love anthro stories as I've already mentioned, but I also love steampunk as well as Victoriana. And alternative histories are rich in untapped story potential. So several ideas for 'New Britannia' came about from me reading and enjoying 'Grandville', as well as thinking I could do a different spin on it. No, not stealing the concept. But using it as a basic template.
The other Graphic Novel I have to thank for my ideas for 'New Britannia' is Alan Moore's 'V For Vendetta'. In fact, when I first started seriously coming up with ideas for my graphic novel project, I rushed out and bought 'V' in the hope that the ideas I was coming up with hadn't already been thought up by Alan Moore in the 1980's. Thankfully, this wasn't the case and my ideas remain original for now. Like 'Grandville', V set me a basic template for what I wanted to do with my project.
I would carry on and explain more about my thinking process, but I think I've made this post long enough already. I've mentioned now the original starting points for my new idea, so next time I'll begin laying out my ideas and concepts for 'New Britannia', and why I think it would be a really enjoyable project if I keep at it.
Friday, 26 February 2010
The Long Delay Ends
I started this blog with a lot of excitement in the belief that I'd be updating it A LOT MORE than I have done as of late.
But with the General Election looming ever closer, I'm making it a priority to start updating this site starting from today. So look forward to seeing more updates in the coming days and weeks ahead as we look forward, hopefully, to a new government and much more.
But with the General Election looming ever closer, I'm making it a priority to start updating this site starting from today. So look forward to seeing more updates in the coming days and weeks ahead as we look forward, hopefully, to a new government and much more.
Friday, 8 January 2010
A Retrospective Run Up- The 2010 General Election
I make no false impressions at the beginning of this post. I'm an old fashioned Conservative and a lover of the Old School. I'm not speaking towards the leftist, socialist or Communist viewpoint here, and I want to make that clear right from the start.
There's an old stereotype that seems to purvey throughout society these days that as soon as you enter University you become more left-wing, more socialist, and start wearing Che Guevara t-shirts and berets and begin crying out for the end of 'fascist' rule of the country in the style of the 'Young Ones' comedy show. I want to state here and now that that is a false stereotype, and I am living proof of that. I entered Salford University already having a right-wing, Conservative viewpoint, and that has only strengthened in the 3 years that I have attended as a student of Journalism and War Studies. My attitudes haven't changed, they've only strengthened.
Journalism and War Studies isn't exactly the most 'socialist' course on offer in Pretrospect. Journalism perhaps has become mired in the left-wing pool what with the BBC being seem as such a bastion of socialism and left-wing ism, but War Studies has not suffered this same stereotypical outlook. Indeed, War itself has throughout history been a tool of the most Totalitarian and Conservative regimes to achieve power and ambition, and that hasn't changed much into the 21st Century. But as a student of both Journalism and Contemporary Military History, I have been exposed to both sides of the argument, whilst also realising how interlocked both studies are.
War sells papers. Journalists make names for themselves on the battlefield. This hasn't changed in the last hundred years, and it doesn't look like ending any time soon.
I'm getting off track somewhat. The point of this little speech is that as a young student learned in the ways of both Journalism and War studies, I can see first hand how ill this country is. Going into 2010, with a General Election looming on the horizon, I can safely say that I am not part of the mass of ignorant, unlearned youngsters who will become of age to vote in their first major election this year. As a long-time admirer of all things political and historical, I understand how important this upcoming election is, and how very easily it can be snatched from us by too many people ignorant of the real issues.
The fact of the matter is that this country is ill. Gravely so. There is nothing 'Great' about Britain today, and it shows horrendously. We are the only major power in Europe still in the grips of recession. We have a government now 13 years old that has lost touch with the general populace. We're borrowing billions of pounds that will only deepen our recession woes and drag us further into an economic quagmire where there can be no escape from. The fact of the matter is- Labour has failed us, and its time to get rid.
Face it- as a Major Power Britain is finished. We couldn't drag ourselves out of recession on our own whilst all the other European powers did so. We're the puppet of a expansionist USA that dragged us into Iraq under false pretenses and who we are still at the beck and call of. We couldn't even save the life of a mentally ill British man charged with drug offenses in China despite 27 political pleas over 2 years. 'Great' Britain is finished. All we can hope for is to salvage our dignity, and at least the General Election offers us that much.
Labour has let us down astronomically. Tony Blair lied through his back teeth to drag us into an unnecessary war in Iraq that has cost us billions as well as countless dead soldiers and civilians, all for nought. He now makes millions on the US lecture circuit, and yet still has the gall to accept a post as Middle East Peace Envoy, a position that he allegedly spends just 1 day a week on in favour of the more lucrative offering s by US banks and lecture theatres. He no longer cares for the poepl he supposeldy used to represent- the British public. His party, New Labour, is still in power and as we've seen from the Expenses Scandal and the recent 'Ice-Pick Plot' by Geoff Hoon and another frankly forgettable Labour 'feminist', there is no loyalty in a party that knows its beaten and whose members are now desperate to make the best deals for themselves without a thought for the British public they are supposed to represent. Do you really want to re-elect this party for another 4 years?
People will call me an ignorant youth for saying this, but its time for a change. This country needs new management, it needs to cut away the dead flesh that has rotted for the past decade. New Labour is the dead flesh that needs cutting away, and you the people have the chance to make it so in the months ahead.
Labour doesn't support you. Labour doesn't care about you. Stand up and make a difference. And be proud that you have the democratic right to do so.
There's an old stereotype that seems to purvey throughout society these days that as soon as you enter University you become more left-wing, more socialist, and start wearing Che Guevara t-shirts and berets and begin crying out for the end of 'fascist' rule of the country in the style of the 'Young Ones' comedy show. I want to state here and now that that is a false stereotype, and I am living proof of that. I entered Salford University already having a right-wing, Conservative viewpoint, and that has only strengthened in the 3 years that I have attended as a student of Journalism and War Studies. My attitudes haven't changed, they've only strengthened.
Journalism and War Studies isn't exactly the most 'socialist' course on offer in Pretrospect. Journalism perhaps has become mired in the left-wing pool what with the BBC being seem as such a bastion of socialism and left-wing ism, but War Studies has not suffered this same stereotypical outlook. Indeed, War itself has throughout history been a tool of the most Totalitarian and Conservative regimes to achieve power and ambition, and that hasn't changed much into the 21st Century. But as a student of both Journalism and Contemporary Military History, I have been exposed to both sides of the argument, whilst also realising how interlocked both studies are.
War sells papers. Journalists make names for themselves on the battlefield. This hasn't changed in the last hundred years, and it doesn't look like ending any time soon.
I'm getting off track somewhat. The point of this little speech is that as a young student learned in the ways of both Journalism and War studies, I can see first hand how ill this country is. Going into 2010, with a General Election looming on the horizon, I can safely say that I am not part of the mass of ignorant, unlearned youngsters who will become of age to vote in their first major election this year. As a long-time admirer of all things political and historical, I understand how important this upcoming election is, and how very easily it can be snatched from us by too many people ignorant of the real issues.
The fact of the matter is that this country is ill. Gravely so. There is nothing 'Great' about Britain today, and it shows horrendously. We are the only major power in Europe still in the grips of recession. We have a government now 13 years old that has lost touch with the general populace. We're borrowing billions of pounds that will only deepen our recession woes and drag us further into an economic quagmire where there can be no escape from. The fact of the matter is- Labour has failed us, and its time to get rid.
Face it- as a Major Power Britain is finished. We couldn't drag ourselves out of recession on our own whilst all the other European powers did so. We're the puppet of a expansionist USA that dragged us into Iraq under false pretenses and who we are still at the beck and call of. We couldn't even save the life of a mentally ill British man charged with drug offenses in China despite 27 political pleas over 2 years. 'Great' Britain is finished. All we can hope for is to salvage our dignity, and at least the General Election offers us that much.
Labour has let us down astronomically. Tony Blair lied through his back teeth to drag us into an unnecessary war in Iraq that has cost us billions as well as countless dead soldiers and civilians, all for nought. He now makes millions on the US lecture circuit, and yet still has the gall to accept a post as Middle East Peace Envoy, a position that he allegedly spends just 1 day a week on in favour of the more lucrative offering s by US banks and lecture theatres. He no longer cares for the poepl he supposeldy used to represent- the British public. His party, New Labour, is still in power and as we've seen from the Expenses Scandal and the recent 'Ice-Pick Plot' by Geoff Hoon and another frankly forgettable Labour 'feminist', there is no loyalty in a party that knows its beaten and whose members are now desperate to make the best deals for themselves without a thought for the British public they are supposed to represent. Do you really want to re-elect this party for another 4 years?
People will call me an ignorant youth for saying this, but its time for a change. This country needs new management, it needs to cut away the dead flesh that has rotted for the past decade. New Labour is the dead flesh that needs cutting away, and you the people have the chance to make it so in the months ahead.
Labour doesn't support you. Labour doesn't care about you. Stand up and make a difference. And be proud that you have the democratic right to do so.
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