There was some recent controversy over the reduction in size of Toblerone bars but I had noticed that since March, other chocolates have shrunk, too:
The above confirms my observations. To be fair, people should probably be eating less chocolate, anyway - myself included.
Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
"Just One Day (Melou Remix)" - Mighty Oaks
Most of the time, I prefer the original version of a song to any remixes that follow it; however, sometimes there are exceptions. This is one of those songs:
It's the Melou Remix of "Just One Day" by the Mighty Oaks. The Mighty Oaks are a German band, although its members are American, British and Italian, respectively. I came across the Melou Remix by accident on Soundcloud; funnily enough, I was linked to it after coming cross another song that I'd heard on SoundCloud by chance.
The original version of "Just One Day" can be found here. The original is still an awesome track - I just happen to prefer the remix.
It's the Melou Remix of "Just One Day" by the Mighty Oaks. The Mighty Oaks are a German band, although its members are American, British and Italian, respectively. I came across the Melou Remix by accident on Soundcloud; funnily enough, I was linked to it after coming cross another song that I'd heard on SoundCloud by chance.
The original version of "Just One Day" can be found here. The original is still an awesome track - I just happen to prefer the remix.
Monday, 28 November 2016
Term 1, year 1 close approaching
This week marks the start of the second-to-last week of my first-ever term at university. Yep - my first term at NTU is about two months, down from the 3-3 1/2 months my two first-terms at Central were in duration. While I've so far received fewer assignments, on the other side of the winter break, more assignments and also assessments will be on their way. The break will allow for some reading necessary to complete upcoming tasks.
Sunday, 27 November 2016
...and now for another!
I'm on my way to another birthday event...my own! My birthday isn't today but it's this month and today was the best day on which to hold a birthday meal. This event is an afternoon one and friends I met while at Central are who have been invited.
Saturday, 26 November 2016
One birthday party to attend this month...
This evening, I am out attending a friend's birthday party. His birthday was at least a week ago but it was better timing for him to hold his party today. Essentially, it's just a meal at a Chinese restaurant, with a few of his friends and family.
Friday, 25 November 2016
"Murder on the Dancefloor" - Sophie Ellis Bextor
Another song I heard from this past summer:
"Murder on the Dancefloor", however, is from 2001, not 2016, and comes from Sophie Ellis-Bextor's debut album, Read My Lips. This song is the only track I really know from Ellis-Bextor's work; I'd first heard of her sometime in the late part of the 2000s decade but have only started knowingly hearing any of her music since my family returned to the United Kingdom in 2010.
"Murder on the Dancefloor", however, is from 2001, not 2016, and comes from Sophie Ellis-Bextor's debut album, Read My Lips. This song is the only track I really know from Ellis-Bextor's work; I'd first heard of her sometime in the late part of the 2000s decade but have only started knowingly hearing any of her music since my family returned to the United Kingdom in 2010.
Thursday, 24 November 2016
Return to Central November 2016
I returned to visit Central this afternoon. My official reason for being there was to be filmed for a short media clip for the Nottingham Post's award ceremony next week. The filming took place in the college library (with permission) and consisted of me performing study-related tasks, such as reading a book or using a computer. The man making the film was kind and thorough with his work.
Since I was at Central for that, I also took the time to have a lengthy chat with the librarians and to see my History/Sociology teacher. I also encountered my Tutorials teacher and the lady who was my curriculum manager for my Access course.
In all, I enjoyed a highly pleasant afternoon. Being back again felt...like home.
Since I was at Central for that, I also took the time to have a lengthy chat with the librarians and to see my History/Sociology teacher. I also encountered my Tutorials teacher and the lady who was my curriculum manager for my Access course.
In all, I enjoyed a highly pleasant afternoon. Being back again felt...like home.
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
"Musicians vs Cellphones" - A Dose of Buckley
Adam from A Dose of Buckley makes another interesting point, this time about how he has changed his opinion of people who use phones at a concert:
What do you think? Do you think it's fine for people to use their phones at concerts provided they don't distract other members of the audience or are you against phone use at a concert?
What do you think? Do you think it's fine for people to use their phones at concerts provided they don't distract other members of the audience or are you against phone use at a concert?
Tuesday, 22 November 2016
First university assignment returned
This morning, my first university assignment was returned to me. It was from my module in (English) Literary Foundations and was a 500 word essay about a piece we had read within that module. I chose to write about the first few lines of William Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798".
My result was what is called a "2:1". It's below an Exceptional 1st and a 1st but above a 2:2, a Third and well clear of any failing grade. I was kept from a higher grade because I wrote my piece with a proper introduction and conclusion, which ate into the word count somewhat. On an assignment with a larger word count this would have been fine but for this essay it only needed a minimal intro and ending and more analysis. My actual analysis, however received plenty of good marks and little criticism, save for a couple of odd word choices.
Still, a good result for my first university assignment!
My result was what is called a "2:1". It's below an Exceptional 1st and a 1st but above a 2:2, a Third and well clear of any failing grade. I was kept from a higher grade because I wrote my piece with a proper introduction and conclusion, which ate into the word count somewhat. On an assignment with a larger word count this would have been fine but for this essay it only needed a minimal intro and ending and more analysis. My actual analysis, however received plenty of good marks and little criticism, save for a couple of odd word choices.
Still, a good result for my first university assignment!
Monday, 21 November 2016
Bad headline
Here is a good example of a bad headline:
Moving from 37% to 46% approval isn't a "soar" in popularity; soaring popularity would be if someone whose approval is above 50% has a significant increase. Improving numbers while being underwater is just that: Improving numbers. "President-elect sees poll numbers improve" would be a more suitable headline.
The whole situation is wrong, anyway, as a President-elect who is backed by white supremacists shouldn't even be experiencing an improvement in their poll numbers, anyway.
Moving from 37% to 46% approval isn't a "soar" in popularity; soaring popularity would be if someone whose approval is above 50% has a significant increase. Improving numbers while being underwater is just that: Improving numbers. "President-elect sees poll numbers improve" would be a more suitable headline.
The whole situation is wrong, anyway, as a President-elect who is backed by white supremacists shouldn't even be experiencing an improvement in their poll numbers, anyway.
Sunday, 20 November 2016
Development in the next French presidential election
There has been a development in the next French presidential election, which is next year:
The Republican party of France held a primary, in which former President Nicholas Sarkozy was defeated, losing to Francois Fillon, a former prime minister. This makes the 2017 French presidential election the first since 2002 that Sarkozy has not been a main candidate. He was elected president in 2007 but defeated for re-election in 2012.
France is likely to have a right-wing president. The Socialists have suffered from poor poll ratings, so the incumbent president is unlikely to make it through the first of two main presidential elections: the primary and the second round. The second round is expected to be a contest between the right and the far-right.
The Republican party of France held a primary, in which former President Nicholas Sarkozy was defeated, losing to Francois Fillon, a former prime minister. This makes the 2017 French presidential election the first since 2002 that Sarkozy has not been a main candidate. He was elected president in 2007 but defeated for re-election in 2012.
France is likely to have a right-wing president. The Socialists have suffered from poor poll ratings, so the incumbent president is unlikely to make it through the first of two main presidential elections: the primary and the second round. The second round is expected to be a contest between the right and the far-right.
Saturday, 19 November 2016
Nottingham Post awards ceremony invitation
I have been shortlisted as a finalist for an award in the Nottingham Post Student Awards, in the Further Education category; as such, I have been invited to the ceremony. This ceremony will take place at a hotel in Nottingham on the first of December, to which I may bring two guests; we are to be served a three-course meal and the award itself I won't find out if I've won or not until they are announced. In a way, it will be similar to attending the Academy Awards! It should be a fascinating evening, regardless.
Friday, 18 November 2016
Banning some trolls (2)
Channel 4 News reporter Cathy Newman gave a bruising interview to alt-right (white supremacist) champion Milo Yiannopoulos. Rather than normalising the alt-right, Newman instead challenged Yiannopoulos on his and the movement's anti-semitism, misogyny, racism, name calling, white supremacy and other bigoted viewpoints. In the interview, Yiannopoulos tried and failed abysmally to both distance himself from the alt-right and to pin the name calling and bigotry on political opponents.
Newman's interview with the alt-right champion can be found here. These alt-right types must always been challenged and called out for their nonsense.
Newman's interview with the alt-right champion can be found here. These alt-right types must always been challenged and called out for their nonsense.
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Banning some trolls
Twitter has banned a bunch of alt-right (white supremacist) trolls:
According to the article, Twitter has not offered an explanation for the move but it wouldn't surprise me if the company enacted the bans as part of a crackdown on hate speech; since the election last week, hate speech and hate crimes are experiencing a massive increase as bigots feel emboldened by the result. The individuals who have been banned join Breitbart News goon Milo Yiannopolous as those struck with the banhammer on Twitter.
The alt-right are fast to whine about free speech whenever they are blocked but it should be noted that a private company like Twitter has no obligation to host bigoted views. No 1st Amendment rights are violated, as no one is being arrested. Also, alt-right types have no tolerance for criticism of them, anyway, opting to call anyone who does so a "cuck" or that they "need a safe space".
As the Southern Poverty Law Center said, "Good riddance."
According to the article, Twitter has not offered an explanation for the move but it wouldn't surprise me if the company enacted the bans as part of a crackdown on hate speech; since the election last week, hate speech and hate crimes are experiencing a massive increase as bigots feel emboldened by the result. The individuals who have been banned join Breitbart News goon Milo Yiannopolous as those struck with the banhammer on Twitter.
The alt-right are fast to whine about free speech whenever they are blocked but it should be noted that a private company like Twitter has no obligation to host bigoted views. No 1st Amendment rights are violated, as no one is being arrested. Also, alt-right types have no tolerance for criticism of them, anyway, opting to call anyone who does so a "cuck" or that they "need a safe space".
As the Southern Poverty Law Center said, "Good riddance."
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
"I Don't Feel like Dancin'" - Scissor Sisters
My fifth and final song in this unexpected "feel-good rush" is this one:
It's "I Don't Feel like Dancin'" and is by the Scissor Sisters; it's another on my list of "songs I thought I'd already written about but hadn't". "I Don't Feel like Dancin'" was released in 2006 and comes from Ta-Dah, the band's second studio album. My brother and I only started to hear the Scissor Sisters' music when we listened to Heart but we'd heard of the band prior to then, as Dad once asked us if we'd heard of the band and said they had a member called Ana Matronic, who he said is from Portland in Oregon (I think the Oregon link was why he asked).
It's "I Don't Feel like Dancin'" and is by the Scissor Sisters; it's another on my list of "songs I thought I'd already written about but hadn't". "I Don't Feel like Dancin'" was released in 2006 and comes from Ta-Dah, the band's second studio album. My brother and I only started to hear the Scissor Sisters' music when we listened to Heart but we'd heard of the band prior to then, as Dad once asked us if we'd heard of the band and said they had a member called Ana Matronic, who he said is from Portland in Oregon (I think the Oregon link was why he asked).
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