The Best Things About 2019.

The Best Things About 2019

It would be easy to write off 2019 as being a bad year, what with another 4 years of Tory government (this time with Boris at the helm) to look forward to, climate change bizarrely not being considered a priority by many world leaders and that sausage rolls song reminding me that LadBaby is still a thing. However, like any year, there have been many positives to 2019 as well. Here are a few of them (let me know what I missed out):

#1 - School climate strikes.

Back in September, millions of young people went on strike around the world to promote action on climate change. This is great for two reasons: firstly because it promotes climate change as an issue we should all agree on (after all, it is just science) and secondly because it shows that the next generation of adults are hopefully much more prepared to tackle this issue. 

#2 - EU bans single use plastics.

Again, on the theme of looking after the planet, the EU has agreed to ban single use plastics after 2021. It is not difficult to see the damage that single use plastics have on the environment (you literally only need to watch a David Attenborough documentary) so this is a great step in the right direction.

#3 - Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. 

Baby Archie became the first dual heritage person to be born into our royal family (please correct me if I'm wrong) which shows the royal family becoming just a little more representative of the diversity in our country. Also, most people just love a royal baby. 

#4 - Greta Thunberg. 

I think most people like her, some people seem to bloody hate her, but Greta has definitely helped raise the profile of climate change around the world.

#5 - Women's World Cup.

As far as I could tell, the Women's World Cup was promoted this year as being much more of a big deal than it ever has been in the past. This helps to not only promote the sport but is hopefully a push in the right direction for women eventually achieving equality in football and maybe even sport in general.

#6 - Children's lives being saved.

According to 'Beautiful News' many of the main healthcare issues that have killed children in the past are now heavily in decline. These include: respiratory diseases, diarrhea, measles, malaria, meningitis, tetanus and AID's. 

#7 - Black female beauty being celebrated.

Don't get me wrong, beauty pageants hardly seem to be a way of looking towards the future although I've never actually watched one so I might be wrong. However, in 2019, for the first time ever, five black women now hold the top pageant crowns. You only need to watch this video to see how much this can mean for other women. 

#8 - More trees.

Many organizations and governments are increasingly realising the importance of planting more trees to help protect the future of the planet. This includes he Arbor Day Foundation which has committed to planting 100 million trees in the hopes of removing 578,000 tons of chemical pollution from the air.

#9 - Humpback Whales return.

From there being just hundreds of Humpback Whales in the 80's, there are now over 25,000 of them. This is largely due to bans on whaling. 

#10 - Baby Yoda. 

Despite me knowing nothing about The Mandalorian, Baby Yoda seems to have made many people very happy. Plus, he has spawned some pretty good memes.

Have a great rest of the year and here's hoping for lots more positives to come in 2020. 

Unexpected Positives To Another Tory Government.

Unexpected Positives to Another Conservative Government

We are awaiting another election and it looks as though the Conservatives are going to win again. However, despite the naysayers saying that this will be an obvious disaster for the country, I have managed to find a few positives that another Tory government will bring.

#1 - British Breaking Bad.

Breaking Bad is my favourite series of all time. It was GOT until that last season but please don't get me started on that. It has often been said that Breaking Bad could never be set in England due to our amazing NHS. However, under another Tory government, it looks increasingly possible that the NHS could be at least partially privatized. That means the possibility of a British Breaking Bad! 

#2 - Memes.

Boris Johnson has an entire image that is pretty much geared towards making unsuspecting people few him as a bit of a harmless, lovable rogue. This makes him perfect meme material. With Boris in charge for a full term, I'm sure he will provide us with plenty more laughs in meme format. I mean, we're gonna need it. 

#3 - Billionaires will be protected. 

A lot of people have been very concerned about the huge amounts of wealth amassed by Britain's good, honest, hardworking billionaires being under threat from Jeremy Corbyn's proposed taxes on the super rich. Luckily, these massive fortunes will be well protected under lock and key by Boris. This may even provide another British television boost in the form of more episodes of Rich Kids go Skint. 

#4 - We won't have to be PC.

It is well known that we are a generation of over-sensitive snowflakes that are far too easily offended. Unlike previous generations who never got offended by anything (except immigration, rock music, rap music, environmentalists, unions, wind farms, vegan sausage rolls etc). However, with Boris setting the precedent of making openly derogatory remarks about black people, Muslim women and gay people, Roy Chubby Brown fans can be reassured that they aren't out of touch, it is the young people who are wrong.

CBBC Classic Shows Tier List.

CBBC CLASSIC SHOWS TIER LIST

You may have recently read an article about the outrage caused by a recent tier list that CBBC posted on its Twitter. Now, we already know that most opinions shared on Twitter tend to be wrong but this one really did take the biscuit (great saying btw). The first thing I noticed was that they had put Newsround in the bottom tier and ChuckleVision in the mid-tier. What?!?! Anyway, here is my attempt at creating my own CBBC shows tier list. Keep in mind 3 things: 1) this is just my opinion. 2) I've had to leave off shows I don't remember (wtf is Ooglies?). 3) I've only included shows that CBBC included on their tier list so there are quite a few classics missing i.e. Arthur. 

Hmmm tier:

Basil Brush - Even as a kid, it just wasn't funny. 

UBOS - Really bad attempt at cashing in on the Harry Potter craze back in the day. 

BAMZOOKI - Children design their own robot things to complete challenges. Good idea but was poorly executed and a bit dull.

The Slammer - Talent show type format like BGT for kids. Was alright I guess.

Mid Tier:

Dennis the Menace - Was never quite as good as it should have been. Didn't live up to the comics. 

Mona the Vampire - Amazing theme tune but a fairly average cartoon. 

Raven - Did well to have a bit of a different vibe to other children's game shows but wasn't quite as exciting as some.

Top tier:

50/50 - Always seemed like the kids were genuinely having fun on this show. "Flynn, what did they win?". 

Get Your Own Back - A great format for a game show and Dave Benson Phillips was probably one of my favourite hosts from that generation. 

Smart - Really nice, genuinely chilled vibe for a children's show. Never seemed patronising and I would have had a go but I never had any bloody pipe cleaners. 

Deadly 60 - Very informative and another show that was massively helped by having a great host in Steve Backshall. 

Tracey Beaker - I've always really respected Jacqueline Wilson as a children's author and Tracey Beaker is no exception. It also had a really diverse cast including being one of the few shows I had seen that included children with disabilities. 

Dick & Dom in da Bungalow - Who can forget classics such as bogies, don't drop the sausage and baby racing?

Legend tier:

ChuckleVision - The Chuckle brothers took a show that appeared to have a tiny budget and practically the same story-line every week and they still made it entertaining! They always seemed to be genuinely likable and the nation (including me) mourned when Barry Chuckle died last year. Also, if you haven't seen their collaboration with Tinchy Stryder then you need to watch it now. 

Horrible Histories - This is one of the few children's TV shows that I still find genuinely funny and interesting. As a teacher, I have used clips from the show many times in my lessons. They really make the children laugh and present information in a way that they don't forget.  

Newsround - A really consistent show that has barely changed it's format since I was a child and it doesn't need to. 

Which shows do you think I put in the wrong place on the list and which classics did they miss that you wish they had included on their list?

My Top Graphic Novels.

My Top 5 Graphic Novels

In the literary world I think graphic novels can still be a bit looked down upon although I do think more and more people are realising that graphic novels may have more scope than they initially thought. One of the main reasons that I like reading them is simply because it makes an interesting change from reading more traditional novels. They are easier to read which, after reading some 500+ page tome, can be a welcome break. I'm fairly new to the world of graphic novels but here is my top 5 list of the ones I have read so far (and only 2 of them are about superheroes). 

#5 - Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller. 

TDKR is a version of Batman that you don't really see in the films. He is older and a bit more vulnerable which makes him a more complex and interesting character in this story. It is considered by many to be one of the most important graphic novels of all time for good reason. 

#4 - The Best We Could Do - Thi Bui. 

This story has so many themes that it is difficult to summarise. It is a memoir and one of the main themes is immigration, largely based on the experiences of the authors parents who were from Vietnam. It's incredibly personal and moving and should probably be compulsory reading for anyone who claims to hate immigrants. 

#3 - Watchmen - Alan Moore.

Possibly the most famous graphic novel on this list and the first one that I personally ever read. Alan Moore famously lives in Northampton, where I went to university, and is a bit of a local hero. I saw him once in Waterstones and he had the exact look and presence you would expect of someone who wrote Watchmen. Anyway, I've said nothing about Watchmen but read it anyway, it's amazing. 

#2 - Maus - Art Spiegelman.

One of the many words that you could use to describe Maus would be epic. The story encompasses so much action, emotion, history etc that you feel like (wait for the cliche) you've been on a real journey by the time you've finished it. There are so many stories out there about the holocaust, as there should be, but this is definitely one of the more unique and memorable ones that I have read. 

#1 - My Friend Dahmer - John "Derf" Backderf. 

I loved reading this book from start to finish. It was just so...weird. It reminded me a bit of the work of Robert Crumb in that it was able to combine the surreal and the ordinary into an incredible work of art. It is about the authors experiences of going to the same school as Jeffrey Dahmer, giving us a completely unique account of this infamous serial killer. 

I still haven't read that many graphic novels and would be interested to hear your recommendations. 

        

   

Good And Bad About Boris.

The Good and the Bad About Boris

In a move that feels like great material for a dystopian novel, it seems very likely that Boris Johnson will be our next prime minister. Personally, I don't think Hunt has a chance of beating Boris but, obviously, I could be wrong. Boris is a classic Marmite type character. Most people I know can't stand him but the few supporters I do know absolutely love the guy and think he's hilarious. You know, the same people that enjoy watching Roy Chubby Brown stand-up. Anyway, to be fair to Boris, here are a few of both the good and bad points about him as a person and potential prime minister. 

Good - He has funny hair.

Bad - He lied to Brexit voters.

Boris' claim that 350 million pounds a week would be going to the NHS if we left the EU was such a big lie that even Nigel Farage and the Daily Mail refuted it. You know things are bad when you have less honesty and integrity than Farage and the Daily Mail. 

Good - His dad seemed nice on 'I'm a Celebrity'. 

Bad - His racist/Islamophobic comments. 

Boris famously described Muslim women as 'looking like letterboxes'. He has also previously described black people as 'picanninies' with 'watermelon smiles'. These aren't even things that he was secretly recorded saying in private conversation or anything like that. He literally published them for the public to read. Probably endearing himself to more of those Roy Chubby Brown fans. 

Good - That time he got stuck on a zip wire. 

Bad - He wants more cuts. 

Austerity and cuts to public services have had a hugely negative effect on ordinary people (low income workers etc) in the UK as seen in many examples such as the huge growth in people relying on food banks. Furthermore, the economic growth of Britain following the recession was actually slower than most other countries in the EU (with far less cuts) despite austerity. However, Boris felt we didn't go far enough with the cuts and stated that we should have continued with them. He also dropped targets for affordable housing (despite owning multiple homes himself) during his time as London Mayor. 

There are lots more good and bad points about Boris but most of us don't get to choose whether he becomes the next prime minster anyway. The good news is that the memes are probably going to be out of this world. 

Fast Food Tier List.

FAST FOOD TIER LIST

I was inspired by this video to create my own fast food tier list. Anyone that knows me knows that I am pretty obsessed with food. However, I'm proud to say that I am in no way a 'foodie'. Although I am generally pretty healthy, have a good diet, often cook from scratch and enjoy the odd sophisticated meal; I also unashamedly love fast food. Here is my personal opinion fast food tier list:

I will talk you through my list from bottom to top.

D - Subway - Below average sandwiches that are genuinely worse than anything you could easily make for yourself at home.

C - Wendy's - I have only ever eaten here about 3 times as there doesn't seem to be many of them in the UK (are there any left?). Generally, I found their burger concepts to just be a bit odd. 

B - McDonald's - McDonald's don't make the best burgers in the world but I do think that they are very distinctive which gives them a certain nostalgia. Their vanilla milkshakes are still one of my personal favourites. 
   
   - Pizza Hut -  You can't beat a Pizza Hut lunch buffet. They still do a thin crust better than the other pizza restaurants on this list.

   - Papa John's - Narrowly misses out on my favourite takeaway pizza chain to Domino's. Excellent sauces.

   - Burger King - Overall, they do a pretty good burger, my personal favourite being the traditional Whopper. The only reason they aren't higher is because of their occasional tendency to completely mess up an order.

A - KFC - I've read online about the falling standards of KFC since it's heyday. However, I never ate there as a child, largely due to growing up in the countryside and not having one nearby and being a vegetarian for a number of years. Therefore, I can only judge it on its current merits. For me, they do the best chicken burgers and the fried chicken is still pretty good 98% of the time. 

   - Domino's Pizza - In my humble opinion, Domino's do the best takeaway pizza. 

S - Five Guys - For me, Five Guys is the god tier of fast food. Their burgers are the best takeaway beef burgers I have ever eaten, their fries are amazing and their hot dogs are well worth discovering if you've never tried one. The most common criticism I hear is that it is overpriced and, yes, it is. However, as far as fast food chains go, it is still above the rest in terms of taste and quality. 

Anyway, what would your fast food tier list be?

Other Consoles Needing The 'Mini' Treatment.

Other Consoles Needing The 'Mini' Treatment

A recent trend has shown big companies releasing 'mini' versions of their classic consoles which are essentially plug and play systems. There have been these types of systems released before but I don't think it became as popular as it is now until Nintendo released the NES mini which was followed by the SNES mini and the Playstation Classic from Sony. Here are a list of consoles that I think most need the 'mini' treatment next. Some of these may have had plug and play versions of them released before but I think they're deserving of a new/improved iteration. 

#5 N64 Mini

I actually have played very little N64 throughout my life. This is due to me only having one many years after it was released and, even then, I mostly owned the 'bargain bin' type games for it rather than the classics. To give some perspective, the game I remember spending the most time playing on it was 'Ready 2 Rumble Boxing'. Not quite Mario 64. However, the N64 is still the most fun I've ever had playing multiplayer games. This is due to some of my friends having one. Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye and especially Smash bros (along with four controllers) would be more than enough reason for me to buy this if it was ever released. 

#4 - Megadrive Classic

The Megadrive has had about a million plug and play versions of it released. However, the reason we need another one is because none of the previous versions of it have ever done it any justice! The Megadrive is my favourite console of all time and it has such an incredible library of games, many of which could be described as 'hidden gems'. If Sega was to actually put time and money into making a quality 'mini' version of the Megadrive with more than just the same old games that have been released on every previous version, I think a lot of people would still buy one. 

#3 - Saturn Mini

The Saturn is probably my most underrated console on this list. It never stood a chance when it was first released because it was up against the mighty Playstation and N64 but it still had a decent game library that could definitely do with a second chance at being appreciated. This includes some classics that weren't included on the Playstation Classic such as the first Tomb Raider game. 

#2 - Windows 95 Classic

This might sound odd due to how easy it is to download old PC games but, if a mini, plug and play version of a classic windows PC (complete with ugly keyboard and mouse) was released, I for one would definitely buy one. This is because I think it would be a new, interesting way to rediscover the huge library of classic PC games from the mid 90's. Civilization II, Duke Nukem 3D, Warcraft II, Diablo, Dungeon Keeper, Carmageddon, Theme Hospital...the list is endless.    

#1 - Gameboy Mini 

In my opinion, the console most deserving of a 'mini' version is the Gameboy. For my personally, the Gameboy evokes more nostalgia of childhood in the 90's than possibly any other console. Again, there are already many ways to emulate Gameboy games but I still feel like there is a place for a quality, officially licenced mini version of the console. Just the way it looked is iconic which is shown by how many people still have it as their iPhone cover. If they were to do a Gameboy Color version, you could even have the different colours they came in. Always clear purple for me. 

Anyway, what classic console would you want to see a 'mini' version of? 

My Desert Island Discs

My Desert Island Discs

I've always enjoyed the format of Desert Island Discs even though many of the guests give horribly pretentious choices (it is Radio 4 after all). I have occasionally considered what my choices will be when I'm famous. Ahem.     

#1 - Lauryn Hill - Ex-Factor

Music was a really important part of my early childhood because my dad played it in the house all the time. There were loads of albums that I remember him continuously playing. However, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill really stands out because I still consider it to be in the top 5 albums I have ever listened to. I could almost choose any song off this album but, for me, Ex-Factor is the song most ingrained in memory from all those years ago. 

#2 - The Simpsons - Do the Bartman

I was lucky enough to grow up in the heyday of The Simpsons. At one point, I remember after school television consisting of The Simpsons, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Buffy The Vampire Slayer (in that order I believe). I had a Bart Simpson t-shirt, Bart Simpson's Guide to Life book and we also had The Simpsons album. As a child, I legitimately thought Do The Bartman was a hip-hop classic. To be honest, I still do.  

#3 - The Corrs - What Can I Do

The Corrs, Talk on Corners was the first album I ever bought and Andrea Corr was my first celebrity crush. Sure, there were a lot of better albums I could have had as my first album (particularly in the 90's) but I will always have a soft spot for this one as being my first. Also, anyone what says they don't sing along to 'What Can I Do' when it comes on the radio is probably lying.

#4 - Nirvana - Lounge Act

When I entered my teens, I went through the mandated period of predominantly listening to rock/metal. Out of the many bands I listened to, Nirvana were the only one that I was truly obsessed by. Fandom is a rite of passage for teenagers and this was mine. Nirvana are possibly the epitome of teen angst which I had in droves (still do) but they also happened to make great music. 

#5 - Ludacris - U Got A Problem

'Back for the First Time' by Ludacris was my first hip-hop album. It's definitely not the best rap album of all time but it was the start of me exploring a new genre. I definitely have a few memories of playing this in the car when my friend passed his driving test and definitely looking like the whitest kids on the planet as we did so.

#6 - T2 - Heartbroken

No song reminds me of nights out at university more than this one. There were places that played better music but I always had more fun at the cheesier clubs where people didn't take themselves quite as seriously. They play this song occasionally at my gym and it takes me back to those fun, messy and often embarrassing times every time hear it.  

#7 - Akala - Absolute Power

It was a friend that first played me Akala and I immediately realised that I was listening to something different than anything else I had heard before. Listening to him is like an education because he manages to squeeze so many different ideas into his music (or interviews or writing) without it ever seeming condescending and pretentious. For me, he continues to be an artist I can learn from and, therefore, be bettered by. Plus, dragging my ex who hated rap music to one of his gigs was good fun.    

#8 - Dave - Hangman

I often see people sharing things on social media about how music isn't as good as it used to be. I totally disagree with this. There has always been lots of great music and lots of crap music whichever decade you look at and I am still discovering new music I enjoy all the time. Dave is an example of an artist who can make songs that are light-hearted and catchy or songs that make you think and reflect. He is one of many artists who allows me to continue enjoying the discovery of new music. 

Book - Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski

To remind me what it means to be human.

Luxury item - Paper and pencils

To continue sharing my ideas with the same amount of people that read my blog.

Anyway, what are your Desert Island Discs?