My Favourite Rappers
People assume two things. The first is that I probably listen to Indie rock and like Muse. I don't really know what Indie rock is and I have only ever liked one Muse song (Bliss). The second is that rap music is a bunch of idiots going on about guns and arses. Well, if you have only listened to 50 Cent I can forgive you for thinking that. Here are a few rappers that are amazing lyricists, have incredible technical ability and will maybe broaden your musical horizons just a little bit.
#1 - Akala
My favourite rapper of all time. Listening to one Akala song will educate you more than the whole discography of Metallica. He is incredibly politically and socially conscious and addresses a huge range of issues in his music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjvUMr1-AAU
#2 - Logic
Similar to Akala but which much simpler lyrics and a very different technical style (slower). He also tends to address political issues in his music and I like him because there is something very humble about him. He doesn't really try that hard to be clever, he just gives the simple facts as he sees them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNlL3dyLAyk
#3 - Stubborn
Hasn't released that much material but his SB.TV freestyle is definitely one of my favourites. His lyrics really strike a cord with me and you can tell that he really means everything he says. His voice can be slightly annoying but I find that the impact of his music makes up for this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBTmb4xwUmI
#4 - Elro
This guy breaks every bloody stereotype in the book. He is a chubby white guy with a double chin and a posh accent who raps about completely random/inane topics. His lyrics are actually very clever though due to his incredible word play. "Rick Rosstrich."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx-C0tFa8YM
#5 - English Frank
If I saw this guy walking towards me I would probably shit my pants. However, the more you analyse his lyrics the more you realise he is promoting peace, love and kindness. He is the rap equivalent of the kind of people you see in Guy Ritchie films.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XctIKFATSnA
There are many more I could reference; Benny Banks, Hopsin, Lowkey, Giggs, Kreayshawn, Split Prophets etc. I wont though.
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Dystopian Fiction.
Dystopian Fiction
I love dystopian fiction and with books like 'The Hunger Games' becoming large franchises it is starting to experience something of a resurgence. These are my personal favourite dystopian novels.
#1 - Brave New world - Aldous Huxley.
I read this novel when I was sixteen and it was the first book that got me into 'serious reading'. Before reading this my small interest in literature was heavily shadowed by rock music and video games, how quickly this changed. Brave New World is what I view as the most accurate depiction of the way that western society is going. It was first published in 1932 and Huxley was amazingly accurate with many of his predictions. One of these is the concept of designer children. Huxley created a world where people are engineered to fit whichever role they are going to fulfil in life. Nobody feels the need to escape from this scientifically engineered caste system because they have all been bred to to want nothing more than what they have. As a sixteen year old (and still now) I viewed this as a much more realistic depiction of population control than 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' in which people are scared and monitored into submission. However, both have their truths, of course.
#2 - The Road - Cormac McCarthy.
This novel focuses less on it's dystopian elements and more on a story of survival, both mental and physical, of a father and son amidst a dystopian backdrop. It doesn't make any assumptions about the relationship between father and son, it just puts them into an extreme situation and allows the reader to view and make their own decision about it. I love this novel because it gives us a beautiful depiction of this type of relationship without being at all sentimental. However, I know people who have got completely different things out of the novel. The dystopian aspects are left completely unanswered and for this story it works.
#3 - The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood.
Atwood is a master of her art but writes with a completely humble style. She is one of those writers you can enjoy whether you are completely wordy and into literature or if you barely read at all. This is because it works on different levels. I do find that some of the dystopian aspects of this novel have become somewhat dated but I enjoyed seeing it from the viewpoint of a female character and a female writer. The most I got from this novel is the personal story of survival of the main character 'Offred'. Like Atwood's writing style, she is a humble character that we can all relate to. It also looks a the dangers that can come of repressing female sexuality, something Atwood (a feminist herself) opposed of many feminist groups at the time.
#4 - Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell.
Of course I had to include this in the list. Although I do not consider this the religiously accepted leader of dystopian fiction as many do it is still a great novel. You can link many of the novels themes to things going on right now such as the rise in multiple types of surveillance on the general public and the supposed 'war on terror'. This is your bread and butter of dystopian fiction and should be read by anyone interested in literature because it makes you think and question the world you live in. However, as I said previously, Huxley did it better.
#5 - Watchmen - Alan Moore.
I don't read many graphic novels because most I have looked at are fairly badly written. However, Alan Moore is of a different class and 'Watchmen' deserves all the attention it gets. Also, Rorschach is definitely one of my icons.
How can you not love this guy?
I love dystopian fiction and with books like 'The Hunger Games' becoming large franchises it is starting to experience something of a resurgence. These are my personal favourite dystopian novels.
#1 - Brave New world - Aldous Huxley.
I read this novel when I was sixteen and it was the first book that got me into 'serious reading'. Before reading this my small interest in literature was heavily shadowed by rock music and video games, how quickly this changed. Brave New World is what I view as the most accurate depiction of the way that western society is going. It was first published in 1932 and Huxley was amazingly accurate with many of his predictions. One of these is the concept of designer children. Huxley created a world where people are engineered to fit whichever role they are going to fulfil in life. Nobody feels the need to escape from this scientifically engineered caste system because they have all been bred to to want nothing more than what they have. As a sixteen year old (and still now) I viewed this as a much more realistic depiction of population control than 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' in which people are scared and monitored into submission. However, both have their truths, of course.
#2 - The Road - Cormac McCarthy.
This novel focuses less on it's dystopian elements and more on a story of survival, both mental and physical, of a father and son amidst a dystopian backdrop. It doesn't make any assumptions about the relationship between father and son, it just puts them into an extreme situation and allows the reader to view and make their own decision about it. I love this novel because it gives us a beautiful depiction of this type of relationship without being at all sentimental. However, I know people who have got completely different things out of the novel. The dystopian aspects are left completely unanswered and for this story it works.
#3 - The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood.
Atwood is a master of her art but writes with a completely humble style. She is one of those writers you can enjoy whether you are completely wordy and into literature or if you barely read at all. This is because it works on different levels. I do find that some of the dystopian aspects of this novel have become somewhat dated but I enjoyed seeing it from the viewpoint of a female character and a female writer. The most I got from this novel is the personal story of survival of the main character 'Offred'. Like Atwood's writing style, she is a humble character that we can all relate to. It also looks a the dangers that can come of repressing female sexuality, something Atwood (a feminist herself) opposed of many feminist groups at the time.
#4 - Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell.
Of course I had to include this in the list. Although I do not consider this the religiously accepted leader of dystopian fiction as many do it is still a great novel. You can link many of the novels themes to things going on right now such as the rise in multiple types of surveillance on the general public and the supposed 'war on terror'. This is your bread and butter of dystopian fiction and should be read by anyone interested in literature because it makes you think and question the world you live in. However, as I said previously, Huxley did it better.
#5 - Watchmen - Alan Moore.
I don't read many graphic novels because most I have looked at are fairly badly written. However, Alan Moore is of a different class and 'Watchmen' deserves all the attention it gets. Also, Rorschach is definitely one of my icons.
How can you not love this guy?Monday, 7 May 2012
The Working Weekend.
The Working Weekend
This bank holiday weekend I have been working hard. No, really. I had a huge mountain of work that has only seemed potentially manageable this past hour. My relief from work has consisted of the gym. I had a long session on Saturday and another on Sunday. Unusually for me, these were both with friends. I usually go to the gym by myself but I have found recently that going with someone actually makes me work a lot harder. I can feel the benefits of these sessions today because for the first time in a while I have that wonderful ache that shows you have been working hard.
The other thing that makes working hard bearable is nice food. I always have a collection of snacks available for these sit-ins. Currently in my cupboard are Wispa bars, vanilla doughnuts, crisps, Muller corners, Scotch pancakes and Braeburn apples (the best). You have to give yourself these little pleasures or realising that you have a backlog of work that is close to being impossible on the time-scale you have left would probably drive you a little insane. Keeping a sense of humour and reminding yourself of your own inadequacy in the Universe also helps.
When I went to the gym on Sunday with my friend Ollie we did decline bench presses. I have never done these before. It involves putting the front of the bench on some sort of step so when you bench press (dumbbells in our case) your legs are higher than your head. It is more difficult than a traditional bench press and is supposedly good for your lower chest. On my first attempt at doing this I let myself slide down so my head was dangling over the end of the bench. I dropped the weights and tried to sit up but couldn't. After asking Ollie to help me up he tried pushing my shoulders which resulted in my sliding up the bench but still unable to sit up. I ended up just having to roll off like an awkward fish. Needless to say, I looked a bit of a twat.
I have spent a lot of my time this weekend sat on the exact same spot of my living room floor. I have my laptop in front of me, my printer/scanner to one side and I am surrounded by various folders and bits of paper. You can't help but reflect on things a bit when you are stuck in the same place by yourself for a while. When I look back on University I largely think 'there were a lot of good times' and 'why did I spend so much of it wearing shit clothes'?
Not always as bad as Noel though.
This bank holiday weekend I have been working hard. No, really. I had a huge mountain of work that has only seemed potentially manageable this past hour. My relief from work has consisted of the gym. I had a long session on Saturday and another on Sunday. Unusually for me, these were both with friends. I usually go to the gym by myself but I have found recently that going with someone actually makes me work a lot harder. I can feel the benefits of these sessions today because for the first time in a while I have that wonderful ache that shows you have been working hard.
The other thing that makes working hard bearable is nice food. I always have a collection of snacks available for these sit-ins. Currently in my cupboard are Wispa bars, vanilla doughnuts, crisps, Muller corners, Scotch pancakes and Braeburn apples (the best). You have to give yourself these little pleasures or realising that you have a backlog of work that is close to being impossible on the time-scale you have left would probably drive you a little insane. Keeping a sense of humour and reminding yourself of your own inadequacy in the Universe also helps.
When I went to the gym on Sunday with my friend Ollie we did decline bench presses. I have never done these before. It involves putting the front of the bench on some sort of step so when you bench press (dumbbells in our case) your legs are higher than your head. It is more difficult than a traditional bench press and is supposedly good for your lower chest. On my first attempt at doing this I let myself slide down so my head was dangling over the end of the bench. I dropped the weights and tried to sit up but couldn't. After asking Ollie to help me up he tried pushing my shoulders which resulted in my sliding up the bench but still unable to sit up. I ended up just having to roll off like an awkward fish. Needless to say, I looked a bit of a twat.
I have spent a lot of my time this weekend sat on the exact same spot of my living room floor. I have my laptop in front of me, my printer/scanner to one side and I am surrounded by various folders and bits of paper. You can't help but reflect on things a bit when you are stuck in the same place by yourself for a while. When I look back on University I largely think 'there were a lot of good times' and 'why did I spend so much of it wearing shit clothes'?
Not always as bad as Noel though.Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Small Things That Make Me Happy.
Small Things That Make Me Happy
The thing that people most often complain about me is that I am too negative. It is true that I am a pessimist and fairly cynical but if everyone was ultra positive then we would live in a world that resembled an evangelical church. I can promise you that this wouldn't be a good thing. Trust me. To prove my 'haters' wrong I will point out a few small things that make me happy on a fairly regular basis.
#1 - snacks.
I am a very health conscience person who exercises regularly and tries to eat healthily. However, whilst I make sure my body is getting all the good stuff it needs (fruit, veg etc) I do also keep it supplied with a reasonable amount of junk food because it's good for the soul. I do a food shop every day and I always make sure I indulge myself in something. My favourite pieces of junk include Crunchie bars, Milky bars, Wotsits, Pringles, Wine Gums, Fruit Pastilles, jam doughnuts and squidgy cookies. Listing these makes me happy.
#2 - old couples that still like each other.
It's far too easy to be cynical about love. I used to know someone that insisted 'people are biologically engineered to only be happy together for a maximum of seven years'. I'm not sure where he got this 'evidence' from but when you see an old couple that clearly have been together for decades and still love each other then you realise it really does work out sometimes. Then again, maybe they only met last week.
#3 - eccentric people.
You know those crazy people that stand in the middle of a street with a large placard shouting that you need to save your souls now because the apocalypse is coming next Tuesday? Well, I don't agree with a fucking thing they say but I do enjoy their eccentricity. I'm self confessed people watcher. Another favourite includes the cross dresser who squeezes himself into women's clothes four sizes too small for him, adorns himself in jewellery, wears a large black wig but makes no attempt to shave the obvious beard that covers his prominent chin.
#4 - pretending you're a musical icon.
Whether it's in the shower, your room or the kitchen I think most of us have moments where our inner rockstar comes bursting forth. I have a singing voice that I imagine to be similar to Boris Johnson's but that doesn't stop me pacing around my room and belting out songs to my imagined crowd of thousands of adoring fans. Even more cringe-worthy is my attempts to emulate my favourite rappers. Lets leave it at that.
#5 - random acts of kindness.
You know that episode of 'Friends' where Phoebe tries to complete a selfless act of kindness because she realises that her previous acts of kindness have been selfish for making her happy? Well, I think it's okay to try selfish acts of kindness. If helping that woman carry her pram up those stairs makes you feel happier then go for it. It's better than being a twat.
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Sunday Reflections.
Sunday Reflections
It is Sunday night and I'm looking at the usual mountain of work. I managed to waste a few hours today looking for a button. A button broke off my favourite pair of trousers so I went into town to find a replacement. After looking in about ten different shops I gave up. None of them sold big buttons. Furthermore, every time I asked someone "do you sell buttons?" I kind of felt they were looking at me as if I was insane. I have had to resort to the internet and will have a few hundred buttons arriving through my post in the next couple of days. The insanity of it all.
This week at University we have to all create a presentation on outdoor learning. It's such a tiny part of our huge workload that I think everyone is viewing it as a sort of annoying fly they want to bat out the way. Getting us to do a group presentation when we have multiple other things due in before we go on placement just seems a little...silly to me but so do many things.
It is coming towards the end of my time at university. I have been at Northampton University for approaching five years which is my entire adult life so it will be the end of an era. I am already starting to don my rose tinted spectacles and realising how much I will miss it and miss the people I have met. There have been many interesting memories from this strange little town.
The best years of it all were those during my Creative Writing degree. Throughout my entire degree I never found the work a chore (apart from Romanticism) because reading and writing fiction is my passion. It was often like indulging myself in a hobby rather than doing work. I think there was only about eight people doing the single honours course at the end but they were such an eclectic mix that seminars were always interesting.
When your on PGCE it's a bit different because you don't really have the time to lead the 'typical' student lifestyle any more but before this year I was definitely living that archetypal lifestyle. Being surrounded by lots of other young people and having lots of time on your hands is bound to end in alcohol fuelled adventures (which it definitely did). Of course, there were those that spent the three years just being stressed about it. I tried to avoid them.
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Things I Hate About Trains.
Things I Hate About Trains
You have probably all spent hours of your life wondering and worrying what I hate about trains. Well,
#1 - People who don't give up their seat for pensioners, disabled people and/or pregnant women.
If you are a young healthy person sitting down in a seat and somebody is stood next to you who fits the above description and is obviously going to have difficulty standing then you should clearly give up your seat for them right? Well, you would think so. However, some degenerates instead decide that they got there first and a silly little thing called compassion is not going to get them to move. I even once saw somebody post a Facebook status saying 'definitely not moving my bag to let some old biddy sit down'. Lovely.
#2 - The eater.
You are moving towards your destination in relative peace and comfort. Suddenly, somebody sits next to you and opens their bag of McDonald's. They have decided to get a large meal with a McFlurry and an extra cheese burger (student card?). They proceed to eat the entire meal with their mouths wide open and smacking their lips on every bite. The phone rings, will that pause them from eating? Of course not! They are able to slowly munch through the entire meal whilst shouting down the phone to their Auntie about the new Vodafone deal they should be getting. If you have seen someone shout and eat at the same time you will know well it creates an aromatic spray of food debris.
#3 - Bad music.
People on trains who decide everyone else in the carriage deserves to listen to their music ALWAYS have the worst taste in music. I'm talking Scooter, DJ Sammy, My Chemical Romance, R-Kelly and various other atrocities. If you are going to listen to terrible music you should be embarrassed about it enough to listen to it quietly in your room where nobody else can hear as I do when I listen to Cher Lloyd songs.
#4 - Not knowing where to look.
You are on train so crammed that if you look in any direction you are staring at somebody. You forgot to bring a book and your phone is on low battery. Time to contemplate your feet for the next two hours.
Enjoy your travels.
You have probably all spent hours of your life wondering and worrying what I hate about trains. Well,
#1 - People who don't give up their seat for pensioners, disabled people and/or pregnant women.
If you are a young healthy person sitting down in a seat and somebody is stood next to you who fits the above description and is obviously going to have difficulty standing then you should clearly give up your seat for them right? Well, you would think so. However, some degenerates instead decide that they got there first and a silly little thing called compassion is not going to get them to move. I even once saw somebody post a Facebook status saying 'definitely not moving my bag to let some old biddy sit down'. Lovely.
#2 - The eater.
You are moving towards your destination in relative peace and comfort. Suddenly, somebody sits next to you and opens their bag of McDonald's. They have decided to get a large meal with a McFlurry and an extra cheese burger (student card?). They proceed to eat the entire meal with their mouths wide open and smacking their lips on every bite. The phone rings, will that pause them from eating? Of course not! They are able to slowly munch through the entire meal whilst shouting down the phone to their Auntie about the new Vodafone deal they should be getting. If you have seen someone shout and eat at the same time you will know well it creates an aromatic spray of food debris.
#3 - Bad music.
People on trains who decide everyone else in the carriage deserves to listen to their music ALWAYS have the worst taste in music. I'm talking Scooter, DJ Sammy, My Chemical Romance, R-Kelly and various other atrocities. If you are going to listen to terrible music you should be embarrassed about it enough to listen to it quietly in your room where nobody else can hear as I do when I listen to Cher Lloyd songs.
#4 - Not knowing where to look.
You are on train so crammed that if you look in any direction you are staring at somebody. You forgot to bring a book and your phone is on low battery. Time to contemplate your feet for the next two hours.
Enjoy your travels.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Solar Powered Women.
Solar Powered Women
Last night I dreamt I was on placement. I was being observed for a lesson but when I stood up in front of the children I realised I had no lesson plan and no resources. Therefore, I had to improvise a maths lesson on the spot. It was terrible. I am quite used to teaching taking over most my life but dreaming about lesson observations seems a little excessive.
I am probably thinking about it a lot because I allowed myself to go home to Wales and relax for a few days with the family. Now I am back in Northampton I started the day by tidying the flat and my room (both were a complete mess). Once I had completed this a couple of hours ago I allowed myself to address the workload and was horrified to discover it was still there. Not only that, I have also almost run out of holiday. Seriously, where does the time go?!?!?!?!?
I have smugly completed the word count of my MA essay though so not all is lost.
On a side note, I once heard Jeremy Clarkson say something about beautiful women being solar powered because they only work in the sun. The recent sunny spats have definitely proved this to be true. People really do look so much better when the sun comes out and they put their summer clothes on. I went into town today when the weather was nice and experienced love at first sight 5 or 6 times with various visions in bright dresses. I did notice the usual group of Goth's in the centre of the high street still managed to clad themselves entirely in thick layers of black though, bless them.
Thank God for sunny weather hey?
Last night I dreamt I was on placement. I was being observed for a lesson but when I stood up in front of the children I realised I had no lesson plan and no resources. Therefore, I had to improvise a maths lesson on the spot. It was terrible. I am quite used to teaching taking over most my life but dreaming about lesson observations seems a little excessive.
I am probably thinking about it a lot because I allowed myself to go home to Wales and relax for a few days with the family. Now I am back in Northampton I started the day by tidying the flat and my room (both were a complete mess). Once I had completed this a couple of hours ago I allowed myself to address the workload and was horrified to discover it was still there. Not only that, I have also almost run out of holiday. Seriously, where does the time go?!?!?!?!?
I have smugly completed the word count of my MA essay though so not all is lost.
On a side note, I once heard Jeremy Clarkson say something about beautiful women being solar powered because they only work in the sun. The recent sunny spats have definitely proved this to be true. People really do look so much better when the sun comes out and they put their summer clothes on. I went into town today when the weather was nice and experienced love at first sight 5 or 6 times with various visions in bright dresses. I did notice the usual group of Goth's in the centre of the high street still managed to clad themselves entirely in thick layers of black though, bless them.
Thank God for sunny weather hey?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)