Confession of a grammar snob

Their are two many common mistakes used in words too day, weather its the misspelling off wards, the plaice of grammar ore your inn stead using a word's homonym.

The internet has opened up a whole new platform of opportunity for amateur writers, bloggers and everyday social network users. Those who find fame and recognition on the internet are more often than not recognised for the content of their writing and often not for their lazy, spell-check reliant prose.

But my snobbish rant does not come from seeing an emotionally suffocating Facebook status from a 14 year old about how "wkd last nite" was or her confession of Justin Beiber being the "totes laav of my lyf". No my rant comes from seeing something in the real world, the streets of Winton to be precise.

A hand written sign, stuck in the window of a second-hand, odd bits and bobs shop near where I live caught my eye. "Smile your on camera". A clear warning to any scoundrels who get the urge to steal any of the second hand VHS players or bikes that they will be captured on CCTV.

I blame my English Language A-Level teacher for how anal I have become about grammar especially in a public place. For those who haven’t realised yet I am in fact ranting about the use of “your” instead of “you’re”.

A closer inspection highlights that in fact YOU ARE on camera, shortened to "you're" not "your".

Everyone does it, even a self confessed snob like me. But watch out for those tedious signs out there, which should have been written with due care and attention, especially when they are only four words long like this one.

P.s. Well done to those who actually spotted the mistakes in the first sentence. For those who didn't buy a dictionary!

Q&A: Japan Earthquake and Aftermath

On Friday the 11^th of March an underwater earthquake caused literally a wave of destruction as a tsunami and aftershocks tore the East Coast of Japan apart. Current news may have moved on to the death of Osama Bin Laden and the future of our Coalition Government, but I want to look atJapan as it sits in its state of disrepair and how it got there.

Why was this earthquake different to others that have hit Japan?

Firstly the strength of this earthquake was far larger than most that hit Japan, it had a magnitude of 9.0 and lasted for 6 minutes. The source of the earthquake was beneath the surface of the Pacific and not only moved the landmass of Japan but the water surrounding it. It was known as anUndersea Megathrust Earthquake, preceded by a number of foreshocks and then followed by hundreds of aftershocks, varying in magnitudes.

The colossal size of the earthquake resulted in a tsunami that sent a wave of destruction across Japan’s northern islands, tearing the coast apart. The height of the waves varied from 3 metres high to 3 storeys.

Search and rescue team in Mayko, Iwate

How were the people of Japan affected?

One of the true horrors of this event are the lives which were lost. The Japanese National Police Agency confirmed that there had been 14, 755 deaths and 5,279 injured from the horrors. But the staggering figure is that of those missing likely to inevitably lift the overall dead with 10, 706 people still unaccounted for.

Whole towns were wiped out such as the Taro district in Miyako, Iwate. 190,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged across the east coast of Japan and power supplies were completely cut off.

Japan sent out a warning via the Earthquake Early Warning System one minute before the earth quake hit, which is thought to have saved many lives. The system as more than 1,000 seismometers in Japan that sent out the warnings of the impending earthquakes.

How was the environment affected?

Of course, not only were human lives lost but animals and livestock were also killed, various stories appeared in the press about amazing survivals of towns where thousands perished but pet dogs still wandered the streets.

A long-term environmental affect will come mainly from the damage done to Japans Nuclear Power plants. Cooling systems in the Fukushima Daiichi power plant failed and since the 11^th engineers have been working to fix this. The surrounding area has been evacuated and remains a deserted wasteland, half in ruin from the tsunami, half in a state of abandonment.

Officials from the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety agency reported that radiation levels were at 1,000 times higher than the normal level. Onagawa Nuclear plant was partially damaged by fire, which in early April resulted in a radioactive spillage. The third and least affected nuclear power plant at Tokai automatically shut down one reactor and avoided another catastrophe.

Where is Japan now?

Almost two months on Japan is still in a mass crisis. Thousands of people have lost their homes and remain evacuees within their own country as they have fled contaminated areas or remain to clean up the rubble, which once made up their lives.

First predictions as to what the damages would cost reached $120 billion but now experts are predicting the material damage alone could reach $300 billion.

Fundraising for victims continues in and around Japan

What can they look for in their future?

Japan is still in the recovery period with its government and Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, spurring the country on to calmly and cooperatively work as one to repair the damage. Japan Self-Defence Forces were sent to affected areas to help with the rescue and clear up processes.

The worldwide humanitarian response was massive including 116 countries and 28 international organizations and will continue taking part in the countries recovering.

So Bin Laden may be dead, David and Nick may be at each others throats but Japan should not be forgotten just because news has moved on. Next time I see a Red Cross tin I’m dropping in my change.

Only Girl in the World

Since September I have been living away from home for the first time in all my 19 years. Like most students I have found it scary but on the most part really fun. Learning to cook, discovering I can’t cook and then eating pasta and pizza for months on end. Staying up late and being noisy without fear of waking up the parents. It is the first taste of freedom most young people get.

Me and the boys

But after moving house at Christmas I have found myself in a house full of boys. I am the only girl. One girl, four boys, the delights and disgusts that I face every single day.

Breakfast: This is a very lonely time of the day in my house as the boys are never up before 12. My cereal is the only one on the shelf which ever sees the light of dawn and being up at this time allows me to keep an eye on the milk – which is like gold dust – and whether someone is pilfering yours.
Midday: The grunting caveman like figures emerge from there rooms usually as I’m returning from university and mumble something about “maybe doing some work later”. In the sunshine the kitchen table and chairs live in the garden and used regularly for smoking sessions and even one time for some revision. As the only girl I have automatically taken on some form of mother role so of course I’m nagging for them to do work, will they do it? No, of course not.

Serenaded during Revision

But when the sun is properly out I did in fact get a treat this week. One of the boys grabbed a guitar, the other one grabbed his beer and I was serenaded as I tackled some Media Law.
Evening: After just a minor 10 hours sleep from all of them by the time it hits 6 they’re awake and usually up for making as much food – and mess – as humanly possible.
Now I am a very messy person anyway but I know for a fact any neat and clean freak would probably die of a heart attack if they walked in my kitchen.
Getting Ready to Go Out: this has got to be the hardest part of the day. The preparation of going out is probably the one time any girl NEEDS another girl.
“What do you think of this?”
“What?”
“This dress, the make up, my hair I just spent AN HOUR doing?!”
“Yea its alright.”
Completely INFURIATING!!!!!!!!!
Out: But this is where being a loved and adored by your housemates becomes an advantage. Being out and having 3 of them out at the same time as you, somewhere in the same club, is always a positive. I’m not one to want guys all over me in a club, I go out to dance with the girls so when any unwanted attention comes by… “Toby! Tim! George!” Problem gone. Brilliant.

How George cleans the oven

They may be messy, lazy, a bit smelly and just a bunch of lads but they are my lads. They may clean the oven whilst getting drunk or acquire road signs but they are hilarious. Even though when I first came to uni I would never have chosen to live in a just a boys house; now I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Tales of a home hair dye disaster

The Downfalls of Home Hair Dye
When I came to uni I prided myself on the fact that I hadn’t dyed my hair in around 3 years. I’d done the dye thing, done, gone, good. Copper and blonde highlights had been the first step, then completely red – that’s right I went there before Cheryl Cole and Rihanna! – purple for a little bit then in an attempt to return to brown I went black. So I can safely say that most of the colours I dyed it were not the ones I wanted, which it now appears, is ALWAYS the case with home hair dying.
But university appears to have given me back that false sense of confidence in home hair dying. Not a week ago I was loving my brunette hair, which thanks to a little bit of early spring and summer sunshine had got its usual flecks of blonde in. But then for some reason, whether due to a recent break up, or to escape the boredom of revision I decided I wanted to be BLONDE.
Not one to want to do stuff by halves I had the image in my head of me being peroxide blonde for the first time in my life. For the first time maybe even look like my mum who has always been the bright blonde mother with the brunette daughter – believe it or not people have asked if I’m adopted. So it was a good idea. WAS being the operative word.
The first hurdle I faced was that I am in fact a student and don’t have the money or possibly time to go to a hairdressers and sit for hours with my hair in foils.
Secondly came the challenge of how do you go blonde without a hairdresser and highlights? My genius idea, normal home hair dye. My foe in my early teen years as I rocked the bright red, moody, emo, sweepy fringe BUT of course I thought to myself “I’m older and wiser now, it cant possible happen.”
How wrong I was but still my confidence grew further. I threw to the side the first “dark caramel blonde” I had picked up off the shelf of Boots and bought a “frosty blonde”. Now this is quite a considerable colour jump but I WANTED TO BE BLONDE! Therefore I risked it but alas no biscuit.
The blonde I had envisaged in my head crumbled, to a light brown you ask? Oh no, because with home hair dye I am never that lucky. A light brown would have been fair to easy. Instead I am now a ginger. A shade of browny ginger that for a second in the mirror you think you’re fine then step into light and BOOM, you’re full on orange.

After the dye and in a complimentary light

Now may I point out I have nothing against ginger hair people. People like Nicola Roberts, Lily Cole and even one of my best mates rock the red haired look without any flaws. But with my dark eyebrows and brown bits still poking through my hair I can safely say I look like a fool.
LESSON: Home hair colouring is not my friend. It never will be. This week I will be re-dying my barnet hopefully back to some similar shade of brown as before. Natural colour is the best. Lesson learned. Next time I’m not going to waste £20 on hair dye and just tell myself NO TASH, DO NOT DYE YOUR HAIR!

Moore than I expected of Mr Brand

Review of the 2011 film, Arthur.

Arthur (2011)

30 years on from the original film, starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli, Russell Brand has thrown himself into this remake of Arthur. The almost fairy tale-like story line about an heir to a billion dollar fortune who is given a choice: marry and keep his money, which has kept him in his childlike New York palace, or follow his heart and lose it all.
His domineering fiancé, Susan, is instantaneously someone the whole audience loves to hate with her greedy ambition, scary father and a metal corset which gets her stuck in a captivating situation – involving a magnetic floating bed.
But the risk to his fortune comes in the form of girl-next-door, Naomi, who steals this selfish man’s heart.
Without wanting to purposely spoil the ending for you, I can confirm that like most fairy tales it has a happy ending. Which is even happier for any Russell Brand fans as we see him wandering the streets of Queens in his underwear.
But I don’t wish to dwell on the confortable storyline which made the original such a hit and one of those old films I would always watch on the TV with my brother. It is the choice of cast, which at first was slightly baffling, but in some strange way a girl from Pearl Harbor, a Calendar Girl, a seemingly unknown and an ex-heroin addict came together perfectly.
Playing a drunken playboy who lives lavishly and promiscuously hardly seems much of challenge for the ex alcohol, drug and sex addict.
But what may have turned into a predictable and unbearable performance was saved by the presence of Helen Mirren as Hobson, his Mary Popping-like nanny. The chemistry between the two worked perfectly as Hobson’s contrite and clipped insults merely bounced off of Arthur’s innocent ramblings.
Jennifer Garner's brilliant tongue in cheek performance as Susan was brilliant and matched perfectly with Brand’s quips and remarks.

Arthur (1981)

But for me one of the stars of the film whose talent shone through was Greta Gerwig who played Naomi. Her performance as the genuine albeit poor girl who to our great satisfaction Arthur falls for is reserved but has the punchy attitude combined with awkward sweetness similar to Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer.
With moments of intentional humour that have you laughing at possible sexism and borderline racist remarks. To the awkward moment when you realise the vicar hosting the wedding does in fact look like a cartoon character from a Disney film - Merlin from Sword in the Stone. The film offers continual chuckles and the director, Jason Winer, provides a modern take on the original with as much audience attachment for the loveable rogue Arthur, and maybe even another classic film in the making.

Reading Festival Timeline

1961 First remnants of the festival can be seen at the National Jazz Festival held at Richmond Athletic Ground in Surrey. The set consisted of a small Marquee with jazz musicians.
1963 Rock makes its first appearance with the presence of Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones.
1964 It became the National Jazz and Blues Festival and the growing popularity of band the Rolling Stones sees them up their performance fee to £1000 from the £30 of the previous year.
1965 A weekend ticket costs 20 shillings, a pound in old money
By 1970 headliners of the National Jazz and Blues Festival have been the like of the Yardbirds, the Who, Manfred Mann, Cream, Pink Floyd, Cat Stevens and Black Sabbath. The sites of the festival have changed several times being held at Windsor Racecourse, Kempton Park and Plumpton
1971 Reading becomes the permanant home for the festival
1973 A weekend ticket now costs £4.40 with day tickets costing no more than £2
1978 Although mainly known for its focus on classic rock this year it dabbled in the rising scene of Punk Rock. The Jam, Sham 69 and Penetration all played but this saw a clash between the two sets of fans.
1979 The Ramones headlined, as well as The Police and Inner Circle, but the festival shifted back to its rock origins and from then on became well known for its focus on heavy metal and rock music.
1980 This decade doesn't start too well as five bands pull out of the original line up but Slade, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Whitesnake manage to turn up
1983 Billed as the last Reading, the headliners are The Stranglers, Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy.
1984/5 Conservative Council bans the festival by reclaiming the land to develop and build on it. An attempt to move the event to Northamptonshire fails in 1984.
1986 Farmer Desmond Drayton grants the use of his land which is situated next to the old site of the festival. Reading is back!
1987 The Mission, Status Quo and Alice Cooper headline on the festivals 25th Anniversary. It all goes a bit goth with appearance from Field of the Nephilim, All about Eve and The Mission
1988 They came under new promotion and for a couple of years went disastrously down the road to commercial bands.
1992 Saw the last UK concertof Nirvana, one of their most famous performances. Kurt Cobain was wheeled on stage in a wheel chair parodying the media's scrutiny about him having a mental illness. Brit Pop bands such as Suede start to make a high profile appearance.
1994 Headline acts are Cypress Hill, Primal Scream and Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
1999 The first Leeds festival was opened after the Reading site could no longer cope with the high demand. Through out the nineties Brit pop and Indie dominated along side Rock. With notably memorable performances from the last remnants of the Stone Roses in 1996 and various rap artists also playing such as Public Enemy and Ice Cube.
2000 Oasis, Pulp and Stereophonics heldlined leading Brit Rock from the nineties to the noughties
2003 Due to large riots at the previous year's Leeds the site was changed and security tightened.
2005 By the mid noughties the stages started getting more and more elaborate. The Bloc Party laser show of 2008 is one of the most notable of the new techonological advances in band's performances
2006 Tickets sold out in a record time of under 2 hours and as Glastonbury Festival didn't take place that year it led the way as the top Rock festival.
2007 Red Hot Chilli Peppers headlined along with Smashing Pumpkins. Razorlight also headline on Reading Friday and Leeds Saturday receieving heavy criticism.
2008 A return to metal and heavy rock was seen as Rage Against the Machine and Metallica headline with other performances from Queens of the Stone Age, Avenged Sevenfold and Tenacious D. The Saturday in Reading and Sunday in Leeds saw it tone down to the indie rock which had been headlining in recent years such as the Killers and Bloc Party.
2009 Headline acts of Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead were greatly praised. The Radio 1/NME stage saw the likes of the Gossip and the Lostprophets.
2010 This year welcomed the reunion of punk rock band Blink 182 who headlined at both Reading and Leeds. But Guns and Roses disappointed but starting their set an hour late then over ran to the point where their sound was cut off.
2011 Zane Lowe announced the line up for this year's Reading and Leeds Festivals on the 21st March. Headliners are Muse, My Chemical Romance and the Strokes. One day on and tickets still havent totally sold out, unlike previous years when they sold out in a matter of hours.