Sunday 29 July 2012

Top 5 Childhood Shows I Still Love


So over the past year or so I started thinking more about the cartoons I used to watch as a child and actually started watching them again, curious as to whether I’d still enjoy them or if I’d see them differently than I did back then. There were some that just didn’t interest me much or that I even thought were rubbish. There were however, some that I did love just as much as I did as a child.

The restrictions to this list:
-              They have to be mainly aimed at children.
-              I can only include ones that were out pre-2004 (when I started secondary school).
-              They have to be ones I’ve watched properly within the last two years.

5. Pinky and the Brain
This is one of those shows I’m proud to say I remembered the lyrics to the theme song before looking them up. This show was brilliant when I was a kid. I still really like it though I didn’t find it quite as good as I did as a kid, which is why it’s only number 5 on the list. Still really good though, I mean how can a show about mice trying to take over the world not be good?

4. Ozzy & Drix
Time wise this one just about makes it on the list. This show might actually be one of the things that started my love of medical science. It’s also really funny. Still, as much as I love it, I don’t love it as much as the film it’s based on.

3. X-Men: Evolution
This is the show that started my love of the X-Men series and is my still my favourite of the television series’. I’ve only re-watched a few episodes of this show recently, unlike the others on this list, of which I’ve watched all the episodes, but it still gets higher on this list for being a great show. And when I was a kid I had a really big crush on Nightcrawler. There, I admitted it. And to be honest, I still kinda see why. I should go find a bag for my head now…

2. Ed, Edd n Eddy
I didn’t actually expect this one to interest me as much as it did when I was a child but it did and it’s still as funny as I remember. The best part is for whatever reason I didn’t see the last season or the movie when I was a kid, so when I started watching it a few months ago there were new things for me to see, which was even better. Also noticed a few sex jokes I’d never noticed as a kid. People always say childhood shows are full of them but you have to watch them as an adult to notice. I have noticed it in a few shows but the ones in this show, though most were very subtle, were still really obvious to me. It may be because most were pointed out to me beforehand… maybe.

1. Courage the Cowardly Dog
Loved this show as a kid, still do. I love this one for trying to be creepy despite being a kid’s show. When this is brought up, some people talk about how much it actually scared them. Most didn’t scare me as a kid though I still found them creepy and entertaining, but some episodes really did. They don’t anymore thankfully (or sadly). It also has a lot of darker themes in general, though again you don’t always notice as a kid.

So that’s my list, hope you liked it, feel free to tell me what you think or what shows are your favourite from childhood.

Saturday 28 July 2012

My Best and Worst Advice


I could probably do a list post for this only that it is hard for me to remember the exact advice I've been give through life, or can’t remember exactly which elements of my life were based on advice. So to avoid another insanely long post, I've just decided to look at the best and worst piece of advice I've ever been given was, because these are the two that I would most want to share.

Best

Well actually, there should be a tie for this one. The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given, and this wasn’t directly given, more something that’s been stated repeatedly on different shows I’ve watched – live. It sounds obvious, I know, but you have to live. Now, some people believe we only have one life, some believe we go elsewhere when we die, others believe we come back here, some believe we go elsewhere and then come back here. Whatever your belief, I think it’s important to live your current life here to its fullest. If you have a dream do what you can to achieve it, don’t be afraid to take chances, use death as motivation rather than a deterrent (that’s not to say forget completely about safety), enjoy what you have, see the beauty in the world, and be happy. That’s the advice I’m living by now and it’s great, and not that hard.
The second best piece of advice I’ve been given, it’s so cheesy and overused by this point, but be yourself. That also works wonderfully though, although I’ll probably make an individual post on this one.

Worst

This one was actually given to us in university by a motivational speaker, and though I can see where he’s coming from with this one, all I could think about was how much I disagreed with it. ‘Lock the past away’, take all the bad things that have happened to you, lock them up in your mind, and forget about them. For one thing, that to me just sounded like repression, and that is really unhealthy. I understand the point about moving forward and not letting the past bother you, but you can’t just forget about the bad things that have happened. That would mean it happened for nothing.
Really bad things can happen, and I know as bad as the things I had to go through were, there are a lot of people who had a lot worse. But no matter how bad it gets, I believe you should hold on to it, just a little. Yes, do what you can to recover and move on, but don’t forget, use it, become a better or stronger person because of it. Doing that actually makes the past easier to live with, and makes you a happier person too. It also helps reduce negative feelings like regret. It’s the past, good and bad, that made you who you are now. Forgetting it means forgetting yourself.

Weekly Update 28/07/12


What happened this week?

  • -          My pre-ordered copy of the new Kingdom Hearts game finally arrived. I was basically stuck to the post box between the time I got the email on Friday to say it had been posted to when it actually came on Tuesday. Only a few hours in so far but so far I love it!
  • -          Spent the day out with a friend on Thursday, had so much fun, then we both got pretty badly affected by the heat. I know I’ve adapted to it a lot though because otherwise it wouldn’t have only started at the end of the trip and would have been a lot worse. But exhaustion, dizziness, headache, stomach ache, weakness in the legs (that one probably more due to all the walking) and my face was still red from heat when I went to bed. I think I’m okay now. Anyway it was worth all the fun, and I got to go to my two favourite shops.


Plans for next week:

  • -          Dad’s birthday, 29th July
  • -          Got a friend staying at my house for a couple of days early in the week, plans so far include talking about cosplay, watching Bleach and swordfights
  • -          Going shopping with mum on Thursday to get the stuff for dad’s birthday party, we’re having it nearly a week after his birthday because certain people weren’t around this week
  • -          Dad’s birthday party next Saturday
  • -          Kingdom Hearts group meet on Sunday (normally this would be saved for next week’s update but, meh!)
  • -          Non-human related goals for next week: clean my room again before Monday, play more of the new KH game, finish Bleach series 8 (only 5 more episodes to go), Camp Nano (maybe), start planning for future cosplays

Thursday 5 July 2012

My 5 Most Loved and Hated School Subjects


Yep, following my current fixation on getting back to uni I’ve decided my new list post will be on the subjects I’ve loved and hated previously. Now, the title says school but this includes college as well. Getting right on with it...

Loved

5. Art
I’ve always loved art and drawing but in school it rarely seemed like a class and we never had a permanent teacher. Nevertheless, it was fun.

4. Science
There was a lot of classes that weren’t that great and I didn’t really like most of the people I was forced to sit with. One year the seating plan was so cramped in my section I had to sit with my book on my lap to have room to write and that was really uncomfortable. However, I did like the actual subject, especially biology which I always got high marks in. My favourite part was the year we had to invent out own animal to show our understanding of adaptation.

3. Psychology
I just loved learning about all the experiments and more about the way people’s minds worked. I feel it’s given me a lot of knowledge useful for future stories I’ll write.

2. History
I’ve always loved studying history, even outside of school. Classes were always fun though I wish we’d done more on ancient history. Again, I always got high marks.

1. English
Of course, it’s expected for a writer to choose this subject. My favourite parts were those that involved creative writing although the rest was great too (though I have some horrible memories from the last year in secondary school).

Hated

5. RE
I loved RE in school, learning about different religions. It wasn’t like that in college, we didn’t learn about religions but instead had to discuss various topics, a number of which hardly touched the subject of religion. For the most part I didn’t mind but I always disliked not learning about religions in a lesson called ‘religious education’.

4. PE
When I started PE in primary school I hadn’t played many sports so I wasn’t very good. Naturally, the other kids were horrible to me because of this. This in turn made me more determined not to play the sport, especially with them. I was never that interested anyway. In primary school the only thing I loved about it was the obstacle course, I miss that. It continued through to secondary school and unless it was running, hockey, dodgeball or badminton I hated it. Eventually they just let me sit at the side and read or play cards instead of join in.

3. Geography
All I have to say about this is that I never liked the way it was taught in school. That’s all.

2. Drama
I liked drama. I’m good at acting. It went well when we had to perform a play for the exam and the written coursework went well. But there was too much real life drama with the people in the class. And the rare times I actually got to share my ideas they weren’t listened to. I also would have felt better performing in front of them if they were the slightest bit encouraging. I will add though this doesn’t include a certain few members of the class who were somewhat friendly and encouraging with me.

1. Math
This used to be one of my favourite lessons and I was great at it until it got to the last couple of years at secondary school. Then we got a new teacher who decided to teach it differently and in my opinion it was shit. I got completely lost and got my first u grade ever. I tried to study at home to make up for it but by then I was really demotivated. Then the next year we had another new teacher who just wrote what page to do on the board and pretty much left for the entire class. So there was no one to teach or help or anything. At least I still did well in the final exam.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

My Achievements in Life So Far

A while ago I was going to write a list of all the things I want to do in life and someone suggested that I also write a list of some of the things I’ve done already, just to see how much I have done and feel like I’ve already accomplished something. It actually did make me feel pretty good about myself. So here’s the list I came up with:

  • Finished primary school with the highest grades
  • Finished secondary school with 12 GCSEs all between A* and C grade
  • Got into my first choice college
  • Finished college with 3 A levels and 2 AS, all pass grades
  • Got into my first choice university
  • Been in a school play (primary & secondary)
  • Been in school rugby team (primary)
  • Performed guitar onstage at school show (secondary)
  • Been to Disneyland Paris twice
  • Been on tour of Paris
  • Travelled around the UK (Brighton, Southend, Birmingham, Norwich, Yorkshire, Liverpool and Manchester in England, Powys in Wales)
  • Organized a gig for charity
  • Written novel-length stories
  • Been to so many gigs I’ve lost count
  • Been to MCM expo three times in a row


So there it is. It really isn’t a lot yet and there are some bits that probably aren’t big enough to be on such a list but I felt I had to build it up a bit. I actually feel like I’ve achieved something in my life already now. I would definitely recommend writing a list like this. I would now add a list of the things I want to do in life but I’m still working on that, though I do now feel more certain I can make those things happen.

My Top 5 Creepypastas


I love creepypastas because when written well they can be amazing stories, as well as very scary. That’s the reason I got into them, I read and watch so much horror that I’m desensitised to almost everything, none of it scares me anymore, or if it does not enough. When I discovered creepypasta stories there were a few that really did. So I thought I’d do a list of my favourites. For the most part, these are the ones that scared me the most when I first read them. There are of course other ones that are really good and/or really scary that I didn’t mention here, and probably some others I really loved but can’t remember by name. Anyway, the list:

There another version I’ve seen of this but this one is my favourite, mostly because though well written and with a good storyline, I don’t like the end of the other version that much. Anyway, this one is a bit longer than the others but I read it all in one evening. It has some slow moments but it is really interesting and builds up a lot of tension, with some parts being incredibly creepy. The best part is how believable it is, particularly with the pictures included. I have a love of caving and scary stories set in caves and though I’ve seen a couple, this one is definitely the best.

Another set in one of my favourite locations for a horror story – a forest. This is another one that builds up a bit of tension and it has a number of creep moments, even if it isn’t the best written. It reminds me a little of the Blair Witch Project, which was one of my favourite films when I first read it. I’m not saying it’s exactly like it, there are a lot of differences, but that’s what it reminded me of. It’s a good story, another one that’s best read at night (aren’t all creepypastas like that?).

This one appealed to me because it included a human experiment and it has something I’ve found creepy for a while – the loss of all senses. I have to admit since first reading this I have wondered several times if such an experiment would be possible in real life, if that could actually be done to a person (physically done, not restricted because it isn’t ethical). And I found the events that happened were quite creepy, especially because the story is well written, especially the last couple of lines.

Following on from the last one, more human experimentation! For the most part, it’s really well written, and I found it really creepy the first few times I read it. One of the things I love about this story is how gory it is. There aren’t enough really gory stories that still manage to be scary. If only there was more…

This one is the exception of the list because it never actually scared me, but it is my favourite creepypasta. I really just love the whole story and everything that happens and I really like the creature in it, whatever it is. I’ve read a few creepypastas with similar creatures but none were this interesting to me. I think it’s well written as well, even if it is a bit simple, but there’s nothing wrong with that.

Tuesday 3 July 2012

Two and a Half Men Season 9: My Thoughts


Okay so this post is probably a bit late in coming but I wanted to wait until the new series of Two and a Half Men finished before sharing my opinion. I know that was a couple of weeks ago but… yeah, I procrastinate. I will add, as well as trying to be a review/my opinion of the new season, this is also a sort of response to the reviews I’ve already read, which will be mentioned a few times. There are also spoilers for those who haven’t watched the entire 9th season yet.

Pros

My other concern was that the character they replaced Charlie with would be someone exactly like him. I was pleased to see that the new character, Walden Schmidt, is very different. And though many disagree, I find him to be a very likeable character and I think that Ashton Kutcher was a good choice for the role.
I also like the other new characters that have been introduced through the season. In many of the reviews I’ve read people seem to dislike the character of Zoe and find her annoying. Although she does have such moments, I find her to be a good addition to the show and I very much enjoy the rivalry that has developed between her and Alan. And her daughter is adorable.

Another positive thing about the new season is though it’s had to alter its plot, it still has a great storyline and is still really funny. Actually, I think the new storyline is beneficial to the show, I will admit that while I still loved it, the last series with Charlie was great, but before that I felt the show was getting a bit repetitive. I think the writers introduced Walden’s character well all things considered. The storylines developing throughout this series were great, particularly when it came to Alan, who has now become my favourite character in the show. I have to admit, I love seeing him get hurt. At first I wasn’t too sure about the way he’s developed into conning Walden for money and somewhere to stay, but I quickly grew to love the way he plots to do it and I can see how he would have developed into this from previous seasons. I actually used to dislike his character while somehow still feeling sorry for him, now it’s the opposite – I love him but whatever happens, good or bad, I enjoy it. Oh, and the grandmothers hooking up thing was hilarious. The end of the series was a surprise too, with Jake joining the army, but it was perfect.

Cons

Although I said I liked the new storyline, there are some elements of it I don’t like. I hadn’t actually considered this point until someone pointed it out to me, but the show has lost a lot of its original premise. The previous seasons were very much about Charlie’s drinking and sleeping around with different women. For the most part, those elements are no longer in the show and it’s become more like a family sitcom. It has lost a bit of its uniqueness. I also don’t like that a number of the characters don’t have as much screen time. With Charlie dead it makes sense that we would see less of Rose but seeing less of Jake and Berta did upset me a little because they were always my two favourite characters on the show. I just hope Jake joining the army at the end of the season doesn’t mean he’ll be seen even less. Over the last couple of seasons, another part of the storyline I disliked at first was Jake getting into drugs, although considering all previous seasons of the show it seems like the logical thing to happen to him. One benefit I now find with it is that it makes up slightly for the part of the show that was lost with the removal of Charlie’s character.

Thoughts

When I first found out Charlie’s character was being replaced – people are going to say I’m not a real fan for this – I really wasn’t that bothered. Although I liked his character, he was my least favourite of the main cast, and on top of that though I didn’t necessarily like the idea of him not being on the show anymore I knew that wasn’t going to change and my main concern was whether or not the show would be able to continue without him. It reminded me of the only other show I love that I’ve seen go through a similar transformation – Scrubs. After the main cast was replaced the show had one more season and was then cancelled. In that case, though I did like the last season, it was nowhere as good as the original scrubs, I still liked it generally as a show so at the time I was sad when it ended (though I do now think Scrubs should have ended with season 8). Anyway, my main concern was that a similar thing would happen with Two and a Half Men, with not enough positive response to continue after this season. So I was very happy when I found out there will be a tenth.

As it turned out, I really enjoyed this series and I can’t wait for the next one. I really like the way the plot and characters have developed and I think the show has coped well with the loss of one of its main characters. Though it isn’t the exact same show it was before, I think it’s close enough to say it is still Two and a Half Men.
In conclusion, the new Two and a Half Men, I love it and hope it shall continue for many seasons more.