Shame on who? The students

THE PRIME MINSTER HAS CONDEMNED the actions of students that led to chaos on the streets of Central London.

The vote to triple University tuition fees came in with a majority of 21 in the House of Commons at around 5:35pm late yesterday afternoon, but the unrest had started way before then outside Westminster. Protest organisers and the Met Police had agreed to a designated route for demonstrators through the capital, many stuck to the route, many did not and this is when it kicked off!

Benches were set alight, the statue of Winston Churchill vandalised, windows smashed, rocks, wooden missiles, and snooker balls thrown, as-well-as fences uprooted and thrust toward lines of Policeman. And the Police are to be blame? Shame on you. The complaint coming from young demonstrators caught out is that Officers were heavy handed and attacked first. Not from what I saw, and I was watching the live coverage on 3 different news channel, the aerial view from the news-copter exposes students as the aggressors trying to push through Police barriers and relentlessly hurling objects toward reinforced lines and the cavalry.

I can understand their frustration - I was lucky to escape any hike in fees whilst I was at University - but acts of violence will not bring about change. Without question the Governments proposals are controversial and unfair for thousands across the country, but that doesn't give people the right to violent protest, peaceful, loud and vocal protest yes, but never violent. They're lucky no one was seriously injured yesterday.

Malcom X and the Black Panthers struggled to bring about cultural change during the civil rights movement in the US with their aggressive tactics. Martin Luther King on the other hand exercised great patience in his quest to change a nation ....... Who was more successful? Dr King.

Reality television I can stand

IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME or have read some of my Tweets or Facebook updates you'll know that I literally cannot stand reality tv.

Ever since the success of Channel 4's Big Brother television producers have bombarded our screens with similar cheap, dumbed down series and new age talent shows creating this mind melting utopia for people to immerse themselves in.

As far as I'm concerned shows like XFactor, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Britain's Got Talent and Masterchef are worthless trash. Yes they can be entertaining, but surely that's as far as it goes? But the public just doesn't seem to see that. If people took more important issues - global warming, human rights, civil war and injustice - as seriously as they do these shows I'm sure we'd get a lot more done in the world.

But, hold the phone .... One show unlike the rest that has changed the landscape of reality TV is the BBC's Apprentice. Intelligent aswell as popular Lord Sugar's search for his newest recruit trumps all other mindless reality TV with one swift swoop. Instead of watching an overley dramatic karaoke show The Apprentice offers a slick programme fronted by a group of highly skilled 'go getters' who use brainpower, creativity and leadership to win.  It offers similar entertainment values such as contestants, drama, documentary filming and a panel of judges ... What more do reality junkies want? Oh yes, that's it .. Celebrities, flashing lights, shiny costumes, adverts to plug their forthcoming tour and an endless amount of endorsed products to give air-time too during breaks. We've been watered down to expect so little from TV these days trash programming has become the norm and the obsession with celebrity paramount.

Since when did it become so easy to get on TV for being stupid? A generation of bright minds lost to cheap telly, an exaggeration, sure ... But if only more reality shows could take a leaf out of Lord Sugar's book and create something that doesn't appeal to the lowest common denominator, we'd all be more inspired and actually learn something of value that doesn't revolve around designer clothes or the latest celebrity sex scandal.

Entertaining no doubt - mind melting ... Without question

Power over Policy - Lib Dems cheat the next generation of students

This post may seem out of date but I wrote it before the protests on my other Blog - decided to move posts over now :D ..


**



A LAST TRUMP ON THE BUGLE students make their way to the capital to protest against the rise in tuition fees.

Thousands of students and lecturers will blanket the country in a new wave of protests today as they continue to fight against Government plans to triple the cost of the price of University. 

The Deputy Prime Minster Nick Clegg signed a pre-election pledge earlier this year - with the Liberal Democrats - saying his party wouldn't raise fees until the next general election - this pledge clearly wasn't worth the piece of paper it was printed on.

Of course the Lib-Dems have been forced to negotiate and abandon some of their policies from their campaign manifesto, but something they were adamant about was abolishing tuition fees, a policy which gained them a lot of support.  Students and lecturers are furious Clegg's backed down and abandoned their policy for a share of the pudding with the Conservatives.

Currently the cost to study at a University in England and Wales costs just over £3,000 - Scotland don't charge their students. New proposals would see the cap raised with the maximum charge shooting up to £9,000, a far greater amount.

Many argue it'll discourage bright teenagers from poorer backgrounds applying and in the long run, damage our countries future by depriving us of the next generation of academics, lawyers, doctors, businessmen and women.


Some people support the hike because they believe the taxpayer shouldn't have to subsidize fees and students should pay for it all themselves, plus they won't have to start paying any of it back until they're earning over 25k and can afford to - a fair point, but here's the problem.

The sheer worry of having extreme amounts of debt upon graduation is massively off-putting especially when a degree doesn't guarantee a job at the end of it. Even if you don't have to pay it back right away, knowing that sooner or later you're going to be paying off masses of debt for years to come is fairly disheartening.

There's no doubt that loads of youngsters want to go to Uni for the experience and it's these people that we need to root out and close the gates to - cut the waste. If we're looking to save money shut down bogus courses like Surf Studies and Comedy Performance.

A good point raised to me was by someone saying, if the Coalition insist on taking more money students should be asking for more contact hours.

Like any story there are two arguments to support either side, for and against ... It's certainly difficult to agree with the Government on this one because it'll have so many negative effects especially on social mobility.

I was fortunate enough to escape any rise in price of a higher education and have an undergraduate and postgraduate degree. But if I were 18 again, and fees were tripled, I'd be looking for a job ... Not looking to cripple my future with debts.

Government Ministers vote tomorrow.

Television inspired football memories

I'm talking TV today, more specifically the outstanding US hit series Friday Night Lights. I can remember eagerly awaiting the Region 2 DVD release of the first series which was shown on ITV 2 back in 2006 or 07. Having missed pretty much the entire series on television I literally couldn't wait to get the box-set and absorb all the American High School football drama that I'd heard so much about.

The game of American Football has played a fairly big part of my life since the age of 17 - weird right as soon as I live in England! But there was always something about the classic Gridiron game that I found deeply interesting and full of intrigue. I say to people ...... "it's like a game of chess, and you'll never understand it if you don't give it a try".

I played at College and University (England) and never looked back. Whatever you've seen in American teen films about their beloved football ..... it's all true! And students and coaches over here do the best they can to replicate the ethos and attitude of an American High School team - meaning American Football has become the best organised game at University in the UK because of this Americanisation. Here's a short list of the types of things you can expect from a University team in the UK that make them as American as can be ...

American terminology - pants, "my bad" - hard work, too many practices, weight lifting sessions, cheerleaders,  player cheerie parties, dating cheerleaders, over-eating, protein shakes, going away to football camp, the best equipment and uniforms, encouragement to study on and off the field, respect - yes Coach, no Coach, Sir - how to be a leader, a great team-mate, confidant and overall .... Proud to represent your University and go through thick and thin with your mates, day in and day out. It's the notion of "All In". 

Being "All In" is in my opinion what makes playing the game so incredible - it's like an extended family for life.

 << Pre-Season Football Camp October 2006

All of the aforementioned brings me back to my original point which was talking about the TV Series Friday Night Lights. I guess I just wanted to explain that I made some terrific memories playing the game at University, which is why I enjoy watching the series so much.

I don't want to bore you with another 3 paras so I'll cut this post short and post again later - this time it will actually be about the TV show :D