As you may know the European Parliamentary Elections are coming up soon. Now I am quite pro-Europe and believe it to be good for Britain and all other citizens of Europe, so what really ticks me off is those Xenophobes like the "British Independance Party" or the BNP who want to pull out of Europe all together. Fortunately those parties never get any seats in the European or British Parliament and probably never will. Now I fail to see what Britain could gain from pulling out of the EU. Amoung other things if we left the EU: Our farms and heavy industry would loose subsidies that presently help sustain them, our foreign trade would decrease, political relations with European nations would degrade and we would be unable to participate in future schemes such as the European Rapid Reaction Force which may help protect us against terrorism. These so called parties (because people like the BNP are just thugs in suits) preach on about how the EU is destroying our culture and our sovereignty but I fail to see how. The EU isn't a dictatorship governed from Brussels like these Nationalist fools would make it out to be, it is a democracy with representatives from all member states, including Britain. The laws passed by the EU are progressive, they help sustain the environment and I hope that, in the near future, they will take more drastic action to reduce Carbon emmissions. On the subject of culture: How does an alliance somehow change our social beliefs and way of life? The nature of Culture is to change with the times not to stay static, otherwise we'd still be poking each other with swords and going to the local hanging.
This brings me to my next point, Xenophobia and Biggotry in British politics, primarily the BNP. Though I am yet to see their Party Political Broadcast I have heard it is highly offensive. Offensive enough to be banned by Channel 5 and heavily censored by the other networks. One of the broadcasts involves a story about a girl being raped by a man of Asian decent. You can guess what happens after that: Lots of lunacy about how all non-Caucasian individuals commit crimes and how they're ruining our culture and traditions. As I mentioned before the nature of culture is to change and grow with the times and I find it hard to believe that Britain is becoming some sort of Neo-India. If they're so worried about changing culture why don't they have a gripe at globalisation? In a way it would be better if these thugs, these Facists, would be banned from preaching such obvious racism. But such is the nature of democracy that all people get a voice, no matter what their political views are, a stance which I agree with.  

Another rant I think. Today it shall be about reality tv programmes, and has been inspired by the release of Big Brother series 5! Series 5! Ok, the first series was different, it hadn't been seen before and so made a change of regular tv programmes. But did they really have to do it again? Then again? And then 2 more times?!?! It is proably the most pathetic programme I have ever seen; just a group of about 10 people locked in a house for a few months. They're not actors, entertainers, they're just normal people, wanting to have a tiny bit of false fame. Within a few weeks out of the house, I bet no one cares about them at all, and then we start again with a new series. Then they say things like 'I wanted to see if I could handle the challenge' CHALLENGE?!?!?! WHERE IS THE CHALLENGE IN THAT? What I would like to know is why are so many people attracted to watching this junk. And it's not just Big Brother. Things like 'Pop Idol' 'Fame Academy' 'Castaway' 'Survivor' and countless others. They are just normal people! Where is the entertainment value in that? And then I wake up this morning, put the radio on, and what are the presenters talking about? Yep, discussing the people who went into the Big Brother House last night. Well, I for one refuse to watch any of it.

Oh, I also managed to watch about 3 minutes of something called 'How Clean Is Your House?' This was possibly even more pathetic than Big Brother. It featured 2 women going to someones house and... cleaning it! Dun Dun Duuuuuuun! What is the point of such a rubbish programme? Do tv producers really think we have nothing better to do that watch people clean a house? Or in the case of Big Brother, LIVE IN A HOUSE??? And then there's 'The Salon' I've never watched more than about 20 seconds of it, but from what I saw, and from what I've heard, it features.... people getting their hair cut! (which reminds me, I must get mine done this half term at some point) How can people watch that! What is so good about watching what goes on inside a hair dressers? Terrible, terrible...
Gone are the good programmes with propper actors... not like the good ol' days...

Today my rant is at the Quintessential Evil corporation, Mc Donalds!

Mc Donalds as we all know is a massive particularly eevil American fast food chain selling fatty undercooked overpriced burgers to the customers, (they claim that 100% beef goes into each and every burger although I highly dispute that claim).
Mc Donalds has taken my disgust a step further lately by their new "hip, cool" style advertising campaign aimed at the most vunerable group of people, Children. They have changed their slogan as many will have noticed to "I'm Lovin' It" which on its own is appalling as there is no such term in the English language but no, They go a step further and have made their new happy meal adverts to comply with this new hip, young, cool image, the Advert begins with a group of about 5-6 kids asking "what's in the boxes that always rocks?" (In my opinion it should be "what's in the box which always flops?" but that's just me) and in the advert these young children get sucked into the happy meal box (of evil and obesity)and end up in the world of whatever the toy at the time is (most recently "Noddy") and start chanting an awful attempt at rapping which will make you sick to the stomach using terrible rhymes like "today we're gonna' go far, to the tiny planets on a white so-fa!" (shudder)and the thing about these adverts that ticks me off the most is not the fact that their polluting our young children's (and to a certain degree many adults) minds but they've started referring to Mc Donalds as "Maccy D!" THIS IS A TERRIBLE AND VOMIT INDUCING TERM, THERE'RE TRYING TO TURN THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHILDREN INTO A GROUP OF INNER CITY STYLE SPEAKERS LIKE BY CALLING EACH OTHER JAMMY D AND DERRY F! EGADS THIS IS NO DIFFERENT TO WHAT HITLER AND THE NAZI PARTY TRIED TO DO TO GERMAN'S YOUTH BUT AT LEAST THEN HE WASN'T TRYING TO POLLUTE HIS LANGUAGE HE WAS TRYING TO STRENGTHEN IT!
Another new horrifying addition to the new "I'm Lovin it" style Mc Donalds is the new salads plus range, this is simply Mc Donalds trying to escape the stigmatism that it is unhealthy so they are trying to trick people into buying their new "green" salad ranges of food. This is the attempt to attract the on the go, health conscious mum into the restaurant so that the kids can nag their parents with more weight behind their argument than before.
I'm of course not going to fall for these clearly evil ploys but then again they are only acting in the interests of our "clearly" non-evil capitalist democratic system (yeah right) whoopee go capitalism (err no) this is what the American government and much of our "righteous, free western world" want us to think.

Hello all, I haven't posted here in aaaages, so I will, like jon, describe what has been happening to me since February 28th (the last time I posted here).

I have been very bored a lot of the time, as I rarely go ut at weekends or after school. I've done a little revision, but not as much as I'd like to though. Had a German oral on Wednesday, which went much better than I had expected. Most of the questions were fairly easy. The next exam is on Tuesday, 2 days time and happens to be a German listening. I'm not too worried about that though, I'll do a little revision for it. Maybe learn some vocab. I'll need to do a lot of revision for business, biology, chemistry and maths. I'm not worried that much about the other exams, but I will revise for them, just not as much.

In other news, this blog was meant for rants, but I haven't got much to rant about at the moment. I've done rants about most things that annoy me already. But now I come to think of it, I was rather annoyed about the subject of our geography decision making GCSE paper. Yep, it was football. Probably the worst topic of all. These examiners are trying to get children interested in their work by making it about subjects they think the kids will enjoy. No thought goes out to the people like me and my friends who happen to hate football. These kids are having their minds corrupted into enjoying their schoolwork because it is vaguely to do with football. Well it won't work on me.

Well as you can see I haven't posted here in a while. This is mostly because I can think of nothing new to rant about and I've been putting most personal news in my personal blog. Well I think I'll recap on the past month's events and follow by looking forward, into the unknown.

Recent Events:

1. I managed to procure a copy of Macromedia Studio MX !!! Now usually this dandy piece of software would set one back £700 but not for Jon! Since I'm a student I was able to buy the Student Version, which contains all of the same programs (Flash, Fireworks, Dreamweaver and Freehand) and the same features, but only costs £170. Woohoo!
2. Now you may have noticed in the randomly generated image at the top of the page a picture of someone looking like an orange - well thats me. Using Flash I have also made a Jorange Tree, which talks. You can visit it here.
3. I did my German Speaking exam yesterday and it went very well. For some obscure reason I'm very good at speaking German. But sadly I don't want to continue learning German at A-level, in some ways I see it as a bit of a waste, not taking something I'm good at, but meh, I'm sure it will be a good base if I want to learn German in later life.

So Now I have exams on the horizon. I'm planning to do a lot of revision over study leave, lets just hope it works

The subject of today's rant is about a certain animal like acquaintance I am forced to be in contact on a daily basis I have named him in my list of people I hate. That's right folks its that dog you love to hate, Paul Leonard.
Me and him were having one of our daily discussions which go along the lines of:
ME: Paul you wanker, piss off
Paul: (in a harsh and threatening untertone) err no Dave you fat piece of shit
now let me explain to you the facts Paul is a scrawny some what weak person. Some may say, "wait he might really be strong for all you know" well your wrong as in the past he has been beaten up by a year nine much smaller than himself and was tripped up once in football and broke his leg. Not only that he has punched me before and I would say that it was nothing to go crying about.
Now this all brings me to today's escapade
Me: (holding a water bottle chuckling menacingly, pretending to tip it in to his bag which to add insult to injury had infect happened to him the day before)
Paul: Dave! Stop it or ill kick the shit out of you
Me: yea right ill believe it when I see it.
Now let me just emphasize the point pails fighting and brute strength track record is very poor and not to mention I am very strong (I'm not trying to tute my own horn but I am) and I am well trained in Ju Jitsu so any pathetic attempt to "beat the shit out of me" would have been met with a painful blocking technique and then an even more painful arm, wrist or shoulder technique, not to mention all of his current threats have never come to light so I really just ignore his unvaried and non fear inspiring threats and insults.
well that's a few thoughts off my chest for now.

Roodbois continue to baffel me
Only today two of my friends were beaten up by roodbois in a horrific fashion. to be specific one of my friends stepped on a roodbois foot as he tried to trip him up and for that they were jumped twice and were outnumbered 6 to 2! As if that wasnt cowardly enough they then proceeded to take the one who trod on the foot in question and he was hit round the face with a crash helmet as well as being continually punched around the face. All I can say is : MUST WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE WE ARE CONFRONTED BY FOOLS LIKE THIS OF VERY LITTLE OR NO INTELLECT OR COMMON SENSE! APPARENTLY SO AS WE NOW MUST BE CAREFUL NOT PROVOKE ONE LITTLE BASTARD WHO THINKS HE'S HARD! LEST WE FACE THE PROSPECT OF BEING JUMPED BY HIM AND FIVE FRIENDS!
WHATS HARD ABOUT THAT ANYWAY! AS THE IDEA OF BEING HARD IS FIGHTING YOUR OWN BATTLES OR AT LEAST EVENLY AS THIS CASE IS, WITHOUT USING WEAPONS! HARD! COWARDS MORE LIKE IT ARRRRGH I HATE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARRGHH THE PAIN (that's right I'm back)
The subject of my newest rant is that of my very first one. MUSIC!

Music in our fair land (its a bit of a dump really if you go to some council estates) has reached a new low. Why?
Because topping the charts at the moment is "DJ casper" with his hopelessly lame dance hit the "cha cha slide". I have two reasons for hating this tune
1: It is completely unimaginative and is stupid with pathetic dance commands like "slide to the left, take it back now Y'all"
2: I had to endure this song twice daily for two weeks in august last year while on holiday in turkey (Turkish music is a hell of a lot better than that believe me its quite catchy, no wonder they won the eurovision song contest n.b I had to endure that song everyday too but that is a lot more manageable)

Another problem is busted once again
If it wasn't bad enough they tarnished the good name of rock with their previous songs but now they have done a cover of "teenage kicks" a brilliant song and their equivalent has made me cringe what with their sickly sweet untalented young vocal chords (ARRRGH!)

My moan today is inspired by my friend Deutsches, a link to whose blog is on this page.

Children's Television. After reading Deutsches's blog and hearing of this 'Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow' programme, I had to watch it, just to see if it was as bad as he had described. It was. Possibly one of the worst programmes I have ever seen. It features these two grown men fooling around in a badly constructed studio whilst getting all the child 'contestants' covered in muck and mess. I was only able to watch about 30 minutes of it - it was that awful. I can't see why any child would want to watch such rubbish.

Not only is that programme awful, there is another that caught my eye recently. Bernard's Watch. A few years ago, when I was young, I used to like this programme, and watched it almost every week. It featured a small boy, who has come into possession of a watch, which when a button is pressed on top, freezes time, letting him walk around in zero time. A farily original programme, with a narrator explaining the story, and the actors not saying too much. The story lines were often fairly good too. Then came the next series, introducing Bernard's little girl cousin, whom he shared the watch with. This was a drastic mistake in my opinion, sharing the watch was a bad idea, but it was still just about watchable. Then came the most recent series, the first episode of which I saw only a few weeks ago. Not only has this got a different child playing the part of Bernard - they really should have kept the original, or ended it completely, but they have done away with the Narrator. HOW COULD THEY DO THAT?!?!?! Also, they have added a crappy special effect, showing some sort of energy pulse emited from the watch as the button is pressed. Finally, they have changed the parents, who now are just total idiots. Why did they have to ruin the series? It USED TO BE GOOD I TELL YOU!!! This site shows the original cast (it was better in the first series, without his cousin) http://www.whom.co.uk/whom/bswatch.htm

These are not the only programmes that have gone downhill, a lot of programmes now on are no way near as good as the ones I used to watch.

Through studying VietNam and world war two in history I have come to a very clear conclusion: Man is not a soldier. The effects the war had on these soldiers was phenomenal and would leave lasting scars in their very souls. I am not stating that man cannot be a soldier, quite the contrary, a man has the ability, at the time. to become a killing machine. But man is not a machine. I am instead reflecting on the horrors of war and its effects on the human psyche. Take VietNam: The soldiers there commited horrific atrocities and slaughtered whole villiages of innocents, they in escence turned insane, if only for an instant. These were normal men, but the confusion and emotional torment of the war drove them forward, it transformed them, momentarily, into killers. Now some would say that this was evidence for humanity being naturally evil, that we are so close to the edge it just takes one small nudge to push us over. However, consider the effects these events had on the soldiers once they returned home.  They could never forget, their lives were eternally scarred by what happened in that far away jungle of VietNam, they were eternally haunted by memories. It was not simple regret, no, it was absolute emotional torment. Their minds had caught up to them, the evil which once tainted their hearts was gone. The human soul is fragile.
World war two veterans, now around 80 years old, still remember the war with such clarity. Though it may not have seen so many atrocities on the side of the allies, it still gave just as much emotional torment. You wonder why old men recite war stories, why every conversation with them inevitably leads to the war, because it had such an effect on them. It touched their very soul and made sure they would never forget. What separted a german from a briton? A vietnamese person from an american? Nothing. If circumstances were different they could have been good friends, but society and warped politics labelled them as enemies. Man is not a soldier and is not suited to evil.
Today I saw an advert for a TV show, in which a British man, who was held in a japanese torture camp in the second world war, met his former torturer and warden. Obviously both men were now much older and one expected the japanese man to be a stern, facist bigot. They met in a quiet rural setting, atop a small mountain. When the two met, the japanese man (soft spoken and frail) broke into tears and hugged the Briton, he said, "war is a horrid thing". This man was obviously highly distraught and emotionally scarred. In the past he commited horrific atrocities, but he had changed so much. The extreme evil placed upon his shoulders may have seemed natural at the time, but in fact it had scarred his very soul and haunted him for the rest of his life, he couldnt have been more sorry.
The bare soul, untouched by foreign evil, is a fragile beacon of light. Perhaps the propensity to carry out evil rests close to the light soul and, if the man is swayed by some other foce, he can commit the most evil of acts. But these do not come naturally. As I saw, this evil will scar his soul for eternity. The evil is simply a farce. The truth, the goodness of the human soul, will arise in time.