Top 5 (18/12/2013)

Week beginning: 18/12/2013 (UK Date)

This post will be up for two weeks as next Wednesday is Christmas and I won't be posting. I will be back on the 1st with the top 5, however this time it will be the top 5 of 2013.

5: All Hail Murray

Andy Murray is officially the face of UK sport in 2013, well according to the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Awards. Andy picked up the most prestigious  award of the night, won by so many British greats before him. Other contenders were Leigh Halfpenny for his triumphant performance down under on the British and Irish Lions Tour. There was Ian Bell for his three centuries against the Aussies in the Ashes. Justin Rose, who beat Jason Day, an Aussie, to the U.S open in golf. Sir Ben Ainslie, who helped to beat New Zealand (basically Aussies), in the America's cup. So what we can learn from this is that Britain beats Australia a lot.

4: Desolation Of Smaug

I only recently became a fan of the Lord of The Ring films, and this week will be moving on to the Hobbit films, which ties in nicely with my next choice, The Desolation of Smaug. This is the second in the Hobbit trilogy and sees the return of my favourite character, Legolas. The film opened to the public on the thirteenth of December, eleven days after the premiere in Los Angeles. Another thing about this film that I love is the song for it, sung by British musician Ed Sheeran. The song is lovely and so fitting for a film about destruction because of the sombre feel to it.




3: Beyonce Random Album

On the thirteenth, the Queen of the music industry, unexpectedly dropped a new album upon us entitled Beyonce. The album features fourteen songs and get this, seventeen videos. The surprise album has already had two singles released and no doubt will be hits. She has reportedly been working on this album all year in secret, only telling a select few. Of course, hubby Jay-Z and friend Kanye West make appearances on the album. The album celebrates a 'Beyonce Philosophy' that she can do what the hell she wants.

2: Christmas
The festive season is here, so everyone can put their trees up, blast the Christmas songs, eat loads of sweets without someone telling them off, and children around the world have sleepless nights in anticipation for the arrival of Santa Claus and their long awaited presents. I love this season as it is joyous and everyone comes together to celebrate and be thankful.

1: Nelson Mandela
I could talk forever about this man and what a legend he is and will always be. On December the 5th, the world lost a legend and this week, he was finally put to rest and the memorials of a lifetime began. A statue has been revealed in Pretoria and will forever be a reminder of the great man that was Nelson Mandela. Words are not enough for this man and mine especially would not do him justice, so I will just say Rest In Peace Nelson Mandela.

There's Only One Place That Calls Me One Of Their Own!

"Who says you can't go home

There's only one place they call me one of their own

Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home

Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact

There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home"

I have been home a week now and then this song came on my iPhone. For those of you who do not know the song, it is Who Says You Can't Go Home by Bon Jovi. This song relates to me a lot because when in Salford, everyone was saying to me that Salford is my new home, however I never used the word home about my flat, I would refer to it as 'the flat'. The line 'There's only one place they call me one of their own' really means a lot, because as much as I like living elsewhere, there will always only be one place which is truly home. When I was home all the time, I hated it, I always felt like I was trapped and everything was so predictable, so as soon as I got the opportunity to leave I ran as fast as possible as soon as I could, however looking back at it, it wasn't that bad. Sure, it had its downfalls, but I felt safe there, I knew the people, I knew the secrets and it was comforting and as soon as I was on my way home, I realised the town wasn't trapping me, it was giving me an escape from the real world, so that when I was released into the big world, I had a security, one place where I could trust.

So my questions today are: Do you like your hometown? Do you live there? Would/do you miss it?

Dream Update

Seeing as though this blog is all about me chasing my dream and all my thoughts and views along the way, I thought it would be a pretty good idea to tell you all the status of my dream.

Well, at the moment, I am currently studying Performance Media at the University of Salford, near Manchester. This course teaches me all about the industry of film, TV and radio acting, as well as the behind the scenes things, such as editing. This is very helpful for me because I am a stage actor and if I want to break into the film industry I need to gain a whole load of experience so that I know what to expect and don't look a fool in front f professionals. I am also expanding my options by still working for the Riverhead Producers, a group that I was the first member. The aim of the Riverhead Producers are to get young people involved with my local theatre by putting on shows, whether it be music, theatre, comedy or art events. We are currently putting on an improv comedy night, of which I am going to present. I have stated earlier and in another post that I currently live in Salford, which is near Manchester, the new home of the BBC. The University of Salford has great connections with many major companies in the industry and regularly has people come in and do workshops; this means that I can gain valuable contacts during my three year stay there, even though I will probably move to Manchester permanently after uni. I will only be 20 when I get my bachelors degree so I will have plenty of time to break the industry.

My questions today I want you to think about are: What are your dreams? How do you intend to achieve them? When do you intend to achieve them? What do they mean to you?  

A Time For Reflection And Change

As this year comes to a close in a few weeks, it is the time of year to celebrate the year and look back on all we did right and all the things we wish we could change. However as the clock strikes midnight and pushes us into a new year, we forget all that is behind us and look forward to another year of life and we also make resolutions that we wish to complete so that we feel we have bettered ourselves.

Looking back on this year for me personally is quite a proud moment because of all I have achieved; I took my A Levels and came out with great results which gained me a place doing Performance Media at Salford University. I also have done a lot of performing, including what I feel to be my best two performances to date; Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd and as Sonny LaTierri in Grease the Musical. Grease was a major highlight for me because I am not the most talented musically or dance wise and to be able to pull of a principle role in a musical, with great feedback, was a massive achievement in my life. I also cemented a lot of friendships during the rehearsal period as well as making new friends for life. I have also moved out my home into a flat, which for me was quite big, as I had never used a washing machine or iron before.

Of course the year has not been all achievements, there have been downfalls of mine. I have been in love and fallen out of love, had a slight addiction to alcohol, of which has now been conquered, I have had injuries, lost best friends, been a jerk, and had a lot of trouble with money, but I choose to not dwell on those, as all have made me the man I am today, who is someone I am proud to be and is someone I hope will make all those around me proud.

I will post in a few weeks about my new year resolutions. So my questions today are: What has this year meant to you? Have you learnt from these experiences? Were they worth it? 

My New-found Sobriety

Most people that know me know that I like a drink more than anyone on the earth. I earned the nickname 'Alcoholic', or at least I called a nickname to escape the reality that maybe, just maybe, I actually was that very thing. Once I got to university, the drinking escalated to the point where I was drinking everyday and without reason. I wasn't celebrating, I wasn't forgetting, I wasn't consoling myself, I wasn't having fun, but yet still I persevered with drinking as a regular daily occurrence. One day I was at a flat party in Salford and I had 6 beers with me; the plan was to drink all them and then get wasted on whatever I could find, but something that night clicked in my mind and I thought to myself 'Why do I need to drink, I'm happy and drink makes me the opposite.' So I went the rest of that night without drinking a single thing, then I did the same the next night and, to be honest, I was the happiest I could ever recollect. This made me make the life altering decision to quit drink all together. I can't say I won't drink ever again, it's probably an inevitability, but for now I want to enjoy life to it's fullest so that when I do have a drink, I know when to stop and know that I don't need to have a drink and it's a choice.

I'll leave you on a question. Is there anything you do that you have no reason for doing and that your life would be better off without? If there is, make the change and reap the benefits. 

Ho Ho Holidays!

It's that time of year when everyone wishes for snow and asks their loved ones for presents. It's the time of year when you have to suffer awkward conversations with family members you see only at this time of year. It is also the time of year, where everyone stops the arguing and just enjoys themselves and is grateful for all they have. Of course not everyone celebrates Christmas, but then again you probably won't be interested in this if you didn't.

So I digress, Christmas is one of the few times of the year of which the whole family is together and we all celebrate with one another. I personally love this holiday, not only because we get gifts, but because everyone seems more cheerful. People stop worrying about the small things and embrace each other more openly. Of course, I love the music, the decorations, and the food as well, but the happiness is the thing that gets me the most. Then I start to wonder, why aren't we always this happy, what is so special about this day, that makes the majority of the world stop for a moment and just enjoy life. I mean in World War One, it stopped the war for an entire day.

So could it be because of the birth of Christ, one part of the holy trinity, which brought hope to millions of people. It could be, Jesus in my mind is synonymous with hope and belief in the goodness of mankind. However, most of the people that celebrate Christmas aren't actually religious, they just know the tradition of the festive tradition. So why are we all happy on one day? It's because, on this particular day, there is a magical feeling, which just makes you not want to fight and makes you just relax and enjoy life. This one day, restores faith in humanity, because we think not of ourselves, but of others around us.

So to one and all, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'm Back........Again!

Ok, so last time I'm said this it didn't exactly last very long. The reason for this, was that I had underestimated the workload for the start of uni. But, now I am home for the festive season of Christmas, so I shall be posting more often. Thanks to anyone who has viewed the blog in my absence, as I am now at 998 views, so after this I will probably have surpassed 1000, so I thank you. If you have any suggestions for the blog, articles I should rite about, features I could include etc... please feel free to comment or go to the ask me page. Once again thanks, my next post will be about the Christmas period.

Independence

All the time leading up to going to University everyone was really excited and one of the reasons for that was the idea of independence. I loved the idea of not having my mother nagging me to tidy my room, but now that I finally have that independence, it makes me miss that, because that drove me to actually do the things that needed to be done. Without that nagging, my room is a tip, my washing is building up, the dishes are never done, and the food I eat is very basic and poor at times. So my advice for anyone who is readying themselves for University; embrace the time before you leave, when you have good meals, your bedroom is tidy, and the place you are living is hygienic, and if you can, learn as many skills as possible so that when you are independent, it isn't actually that bad.

First Assignment

So the first assignment I got at university was to write a two minute monologue about anything and perform it in a few weeks. The only rules, it had to be two minutes and it had to feature a prop. I love writing, so I felt right at home with this. During the class, I was already writing and staging several performances. However I felt that when it came to writing them, I had no real connection to them. Straight from the off I had already decided that I wanted to do a serious performance as I was fed up with comedy, so I started thinking about my life and things that have happened, to jog the emotional memory. This came up with some good results, however it just seemed to predictable, talking about my own life, as myself. So instead, I took an idea from my own life and created a dramatised version, featuring other characters, so that I could relate, but still advance as an actor. At some point in the near future I will post the monologue and maybe even a video.

I'm Back

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few months, however my life has been hectic. Firstly I was in the stage musical of 'Grease' during the last part of July and early August, playing the role of Sonny (the comedy role, surprise surprise). Grease was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I made friends that I am proud to call friends for life. After I had finished the show, my entire life became centred around the results that would define the rest of my life, A Levels. These were a daunting few weeks, however the results were in, they had been counted and verified and I got into Salford University, my first choice. So that is where I'm at at the moment, living it up in Salford. I have made some great friends and I'm enjoying the social life, I mean who wouldn't. I shall be posting more often now about University experiences, stuff that has happened and just random views and opinions I have.  

Top 5 (24/07/2013)

Week beginning: 24/07/2013 (UK Date)

5: Harry Potter Season Back

ITV have started their movie seasons again, with Star Wars kicking it off for the past month and a half, but now they are moving onto the most popular film franchise of all time. I am a huge fan Harry Potter and own all the DVD's and am excited that more people will get to see the wonder that is Harry Potter. It has got me into a Harry Potter movie so I have started watching them all on DVD, as has my sister, but I'll still watch them on the TV and endure the breaks. Catch them every Saturday afternoon.

4: Red 2

The sequel to Red is creatively titled Red 2 and features the return of Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise-Parker, Brian Cox and a few others. The film is a comedy-action film, like its predecessor, and stars Bruce Willis as an agent, who is being hunted down alongside John Malkovich and Mary Louise-Parker. The person hunting them down is Helen Mirren. I won't ruin the film, however this is a great film and you should go and check it out.

3: Love/Hate

Love/Hate is a new crime drama set in Dublin, Ireland. The series is all about the criminal underworld in Dublin. The first episode was a introduction to the characters as well as giving a back story to where we join the story. Robert Sheehan, who starred in the original Misfits, plays the main character, whose brother gets killed in a drive-by early in the episode. The show is new to English viewers, however Irish people have already seen all 3 seasons, as it started in 2010 and season 3 finished on December 2012. Go and check it out on Wednesday's at 22:00 on Channel 5.

2: CSI:NY Final Season Reaches the UK

The ninth and final season of CSI:NY is finally here in the UK (wahhhaahahaaa). My favourite ever show on TV is finally ending, alongside CSI:Miami, which means if you want your CSI fix, you'll need to watch the Vegas version of watch old episodes. I haven't researched this because I don't want to know what happens and I know it has finished in the US so looking into it will probably reveal all, so this entry isn't very detailed. What I hope happens, is Danny takes Mac's position, as that's what he wants and Danny is my favourite character, Don finds love, Mac marries Christine, Sid does something crazy, Hawkes finds someone or gets a promotion and Adam, well lets hope something good happens to him.

1: It's a Boy

Yes the worldwide news that everyone was waiting on finally arrived, the royal baby was born and we now have a new Prince and a likely future King. The baby was born on Monday at 16:24 BST and was then named George Alexander Louis. This news reached all over the world and everyone suddenly became extremely patriotic. It is a wonderful thing because of the success of a Monarchy in a time of politics ruling, and the birth of a new royal, who is likely to rule the Monarch, is big news and great for our country.

Robert Frost

Robert Frost was an American poet. Most of you will probably have heard of him, despite having been dead 50 years. The reason; he was an influential character and his poems depicted the realistic manner of the world. He had works such as 'A Soldier' which is talking about the soldiers that fight for us and 'The Oven Bird' which is telling us, through a woodpecker's perspective, that life is too short. 

However my favourite thing that Robert Frost has ever written was “In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on.” The reason why this is amazing to me is because it really captures, in my mind, the main message of life. No matter what life throws at us and no matter how many time we are knocked down, it doesn't matter because life will carry on despite our troubles. This message for me is something that all people should live by, because if they do then they worry less about what went wrong and are more likely to focus on the positives, that life carries on.

Robert Frost, Poet and Legend

1874-1963

My Backup

So this evening I was thinking about what my backup job will be if I do not become a professional actor or something connected to that profession and I have found this to be rather hard because since I committed to a life in the arts it seems that I'm not qualified for anything else. So here are the options that I have considered.

Marine: I have always liked the prospect of the army and when I see the adverts for the Royal Marine Commandos, it just seems like such an amazing job. To do this job, I would have to improve my fitness, but I have taken a few practice tests for intelligence and I passed them with ease, so the physical side is the obstacle. To overcome this I am going to improve my fitness at university because this will benefit me in any job and in my everyday life.

Police: This is for the same reason of the marines, it seems like such a good job because you help people on a day to day basis and are recognised for your work. I should theoretically be able to get into the police force because I am intelligent, well appeared, and looking at the physical tests they seem to be in my capability.

Teacher: They say that those that can't do should teach, so this is why I have considered this job. I have always been good with younger people and have a decent rapport with them. Also I have always enjoyed helping people and passing on what I know to them. Yes most student despise their teachers, but I would have a different approach to teaching that would make students happy to come to my lessons.

Running my own business: This covers a lot of things, but it is something that has always fascinated me, being at the top of what you are doing, being in charge and doing something that you can call yours. I have had a few ideas for business, of which for obvious reasons, I will not divulge into, so if I were to pursue this I would not be going in blind.

Now some of you may be thinking that by having a backup, I am contemplating failure and this is negative thinking, however it is just a precaution. I will do everything in my power to become and actor, however there is only so long you can keep trying for before the ramifications of trying kick in. I'd rather not live with my parents in my mid twenties working in a crappy shop and going to several auditions a week without success, so that is why I have an exit plan.

Miley Cyrus

Ok so this topic has been one of the most talked about things all week and it is all about the child star who has grown up, Miley Cyrus. There are the two sides to the discussion, those who feel she has gone off the rails and is out of control and then there is the other side who just feel that she is growing up and it is up to her what she does.

So here is my take on the talking point of Miss Cyrus. She first rose to fame when she appeared on the Disney Channel as the sweet and adorable Miley Stewart, the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, who had a double life as the fictional superstar Hannah Montana. The show showed her life growing up and the viewers felt that they were watching her real life. Then Miley decided to try and part ways with the whole Hannah Montana and release music as herself. Then we slowly saw her start to leave the whole 'child star' image behind when she released 'Can't Be Tamed' where she was rather fierce and adult, to put it mildly. Now she has been doing her own thing with an attempt at having a serious movie career and then of course her controversial music career.

So that is the Cyrus story so far and I personally feel that she has made the right decision to break away from Disney, because if it was me I would feel that I had outgrown the channel. She obviously felt the same way and has tried to separate, however I feel that she went about it the wrong way about it. Her fans have grown up with her and they are now young adults as well, however she still has quite young fans and singing about sex and drugs and then having very provocative music videos will just enrage parents of those younger fans who look up to her and the older ones will always compare her to the child star they saw when they were growing up. I think her change in attitude was too sudden and it gave nobody time to adapt to the new Miley. It feels as though she woke up and decided to take every controversial artist out there and then combine them. I do admire her for taking the risk and trying to change because she stood up for her own life, however she rushed it and wasn't smart about it. I mean, look at Zac Efron, he starred in what is the biggest Disney Channel film franchise, but he managed to have a smooth transition away from child acting.

I will conclude that it's her life and it's up to her what she does with it, but that she also has to think about her fans and those young people who are very impressionable upon and she needs to think what is the right message to send to them. I personally love her for what she has done, but I'm 18 and old enough to make my own mind up, but those younger fans need a better role model.

Now                                                                                                            Then

 

GTAV

Gamers all over the place will all be talking about the upcoming game in the Grand Theft Auto series, GTA V. The game has been highly anticipated and is set to break every record going, highest pre-order sales, highest sales, most revenue, biggest game and many more. The game has covered things that no other games has dared to try and for that reason and that reason alone, this game is my favourite of the year.

We hadn't seen much of GTA V until quite recently with the gameplay and many interviews, which left a lot of the game up to our imagination, however they have released two trailers of which both gave analysts everywhere something to discuss. People were pausing the videos and scouring every detail trying to gain an insight as to what this game will include. The things we already knew were that; the game would return to Los Santos and would be set in the modern day, but the rest was left up in the air. There was many speculation over who was to be the protagonist, because there was a man in the first trailer, who was middle aged and people didn't like the idea of him being our only option. Then Rockstar announced the biggest selling point for the game, multiple characters. The revealed that we could play as any of three main characters on the same progressive storyline. Those characters were Michael (The man from the trailer), Franklin (A gang banger, who works for a repossession company) and Trevor (A nutcase). They then released three trailers, one for each of the characters.

Then after this we all got what we wanted, GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE, so we could finally see what the game itself looked like, not some trailer. The gameplay certainly didn't let anybody down and confirmed in everyone's mind why this is the game to purchase. The gameplay, swhowed us vehicles, gunplay, the changing between characters, how we could spend our money on tattoos, shares, customization. It also showedd us the new feature where you can plan out the missions, going in cleverly or just barging in, new past-times such as tennis, golf, biking, hunting etc. And not to mention the jaw dropping graphics that we saw.

Top 5 17/07/2013

Week beginning: 17/07/2013 (UK Date)

5: One Direction 'Best Song Ever' Trailer
One Direction fans across the globe will be screaming with excitement at the new trailer for the upcoming single, modestly titled 'Best Song Ever'. The trailer features Niall Horan is dressed up as a sort of tribute to Sir Alan Sugar, named Harvey. The other band members getting prosthetics put on to transform them into other characters. So this video will do well even if it isn't good because of the huge following that the former X Factor contestants currently have.

4: UK Heating Up
The UK is currently in the middle of a heatwave and the reaction has been pretty normal for British people, complaining no matter what the situation is. A couple of months ago we were complaining that it was too cold and now it is too hot, so who knows what whether is acceptable here. The country is currently at Level 3 warning and are really close to Level 4 warnings which is basically where people are told what to do in the current weather conditions. Temperatures have surpassed 30C and are looking to improve. (And yes I did include this story for a picture of girls in bikinis)

3: Alex G 'I Want Crazy'
It's the return of my favourite artist currently out there and she has no covered Hunter Hayes new song 'I Want Crazy' and she clearly does it justice. Equipped with just her guitar and a city at her disposal she gave us a great video with complimenting vocals. I have always been a member of #TeamAlexG and always will be, so any time she does something it is nearly guaranteed to make these charts. If you haven't heard of her then you need to go and check her out on YouTube or at her two shows in LA and NY later this month, details will be on her channel.

2: VMA Nominations Revealed
The VMA's are coming soon to pay tribute to the amazing music videos that we have seen over the past year, and of course the winners will go home with the coveted 'Moonman'. The show has been going since 1984 and is one of the big award ceremonies around and this year the nominees do the show justice. The big award nominees for 'Video of the Year' are Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars and Robin Thicke. Fans can vote for general VMA categories and to find out all the details visit MTV.co.uk 

1: Cory Monteith RIP
The saddening news came about on Saturday when Vancouver police found Cory Monteith's body in his hotel room. Suspicions arose when he was late to check out, so authorities were called. Cory, the star of Glee, had been struggling with drugs for most of his life, first going to rehab when he was 19 and again earlier this year. Cory has touched many people's life through his character Finn Hudson on Glee and through being a great guy off set. It has been confirmed that he died due to a alcohol and heroin overdose. His co-stars have all been grieving, mostly his girlfriend Lea Michele, who understandably has asked for privacy during these hard times. All I have to say is rest in peace Cory Monteith, you were a true icon and legend.

Top 5 (10/07/2013)

Week beginning: 10/07/2013 (UK Date)

5: Mumford and Sons Video

British folk rock band have released a new video for their latest single off of their album 'Babel'. The single is called 'Babel' and the video is shot in San Francisco and features the band appearing to multiply as the camera constantly turns around the room as the band members are playing varying instruments. The video is also in black and white as an artistic effect to show that they do not need colour to be interesting. The song itself slightly mirrors the story of 'The Tower of Babel', which is a Bible story which is about not trying to overstep the boundaries or trying to get too close to divine. It is a great song and the video is interesting so you should definitely go and check it out.

4: Monsters Go To Uni
Finally we have a Monsters, Inc sequel, or in this case prequel. The film is set before the happenings of the first film, and follows the story of how Sully and Mike meet. The relationship is rocky at first with Sully being the big jock on campus. Sully is seen as an arrogant bully, but the film shows how he changed and how the pair became friends. Another character that appears is Randall, who is Mike's roommate at university. This film will be one to watch and it is very suiting that the majority of people who watched Monsters, Inc when it was first released are now heading off to University. In the UK this film is released Friday 12th July.

3: 77 Year Drought Over

The British Wimbledon curse is over. We finally have a winner of the British Grand Slam, since Fred Perry in 1936. Andy Murray put himself in the history books by beating Novak Djokovic in the final of the Wimbledon Championships. Not only did he beat him, but he did so in straight sets, cementing his legacy in style. Murray has had a lot of momentum coming into these championships, with a Olympic gold medal and a US Open win under his name, so it was looking good at the start and then it only got better once the likes of Nadal and Federer had early exits. The win was a major moment in British sporting history and lets hope that this will spur on more sports people to go and win major titles.

2: The Ashes are back

For cricket fans this moment is very exciting because this is possibly the biggest event in the cricketing diary. For those non cricket fans the Ashes is a contest between England and Australia that has been going since 1882. It consists of a 5 match test series and the winner gets a small urn with ashes of a bail. The story between the actual ashes came about when Australia beat England on English ground for the first time in 1882 and a satirical obituary was written stating that English cricket was dead and it was to be cremated and taken to Australia. So begun the fight for the ashes with the loser having the representational ashes taken away from them. Funny fact for you though, the original Ashes themselves never leave England regardless of who win, because they are kept safe by the MCC, who claim that they are the rightful owners.

1: GTA V Gameplay revealed
Ok, this is the most exciting news to date in the history of the world; Rockstar have revealed the first ever gameplay of Grand Theft Auto:V. The gameplay itself looks absolutely amazing but what were we to expect. The features themselves are what make this game legendary, with the abilty to swap between any of the three main characters at anytime, the fact that each one has a special ability, the side games like tennis, gold and biking give the game an extra boost giving the person something other than missions to do. Other things that caught my eye were the ability to spend the money you have earned on tattoos, cars, houses and stocks, things that were present in San Andreas, the previous best game ever. Another thing was the ability to do missions your way, choosing how you want to execute them. And finally, the map looks amazing, the change from the rough area of East Los Santos to the luxurious hills and amazing mountain area. This is a game to own and cherish, and it comes out September 17th worldwide.

Just Watch!

http://www.rockstargames.com/V/videos/video/10851
Enough Said!!

Top 5 03/07/2013

Week beginning: 03/07/2013 (UK Date)

5: Tom Odell No.1 Album

So Tom Odell's debut album went straight in at number one in the UK Top 40 Album chart. 'Long Way Down' was released on the 24th June and debuted at the top spot knocking Kanye West's album 'Yeezus'. The album features songs like 'Hold Me' and his most recent hit 'Another Love'. Tom wasn't the only new number one this week as Icona Pop knocked off the huge sensation Robin Thicke from the top of the singles chart with their new hit 'I Love It'. So go check out both of these as they are both amazing.

4: Now You See Me

So the new film that has most people talking is the new crime thriller from Louis Leterrier, director of films such as Transporter 1&2, The incredible Hulk and Clash of the Titans. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson and many more. The film is about four magicians who become a group, who use their illusion powers to rob a bank for real and the FBI have to try and figure out how they did it. The investigation takes weird turns where they discover dark hidden secrets. The film looks absolutely amazing so you should definitely go and see it.

3: Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger Marry

A beautiful celebrity couple got married in what is being described as a lavish ceremony in the south of France. Avril, aged 28 and Chad, aged 37 got engaged last year in August after only one month of dating. Avril said “I just want to make sure I really enjoy this amazing time and I want all the guests who come to have this once in a lifetime experience. I want everyone to say, 'Wow!' and for it to be special for everyone, not just us.” This is Avril's second attempt at marriage after being previously married to Deryck Whibley, however this is Chad's first time, so let's hope they do well together as I personally love this couple.

2: Everybody! Backstreet's Back

Yes the long awaited news from Backstreet Boy fans is that they are OFFICIALLY back. They did come back for a tour with New Kids On The Block and made a huge super group named NKOTBSB, but now they are back as the original Backstreet Boys to celebrate their 20th anniversary. they have already started doing all their press appearances ahed of their new album being released on the 30th of this month. The new album will be called 'In a World Like This' and I for one cannot wait. I have heard the new audio and it is amazing so get pre-ordering now.

1: Teen Choice Awards Voting

You can now vote for your favourite actors, shows, films and music online for the Teen Choice Awards 2013 on Fox. Some of the categories are Best Villain  Scene Stealer, Country Song, Female Hottie and much more. To vote all you have to do is go to the website http://www.teenchoiceawards.com/index.aspx and then sign in or sign up (it's really easy to do) and then you can get voting by selecting the category and then clicking the one you want to win. You can only vote once per day so if you really want someone to win then I suggest you go on everyday and vote.

Circle Time

For those of you who do not know what circle time is I will explain straight away. This is an exercise where a group of people sit around in a circle and all answer the same question so that people can learn things about the people around them. The system is used in all different ways; at training programs, school, and in the workplace. However my experience of this technique of socialising was in school.

So this entry is about my views on the technique. So first off I have to say it works as an exercise to find out information about your peers because they answer things you wouldn't normally know, however this can be a negative thing because sometimes those things that we find out can be used against the person, especially in a school environment where bullying is ever present. Some people do not want to divulge certain information and in the school, in my experience, they are pressured into doing so.

Another negative of this is the questions. After you have asked the basic questions like where were you born or what are your parents occupations, you get stuck and end up asking question like, if you were a dinosaur what would you be. The questions become ridiculous and impossible to analyse the results. So what does it mean to me if Bob wants to be a T-Rex. The questions need to be relevant all the time otherwise the exercise becomes irrelevant. The questions also need to intriguing for the older people involved otherwise they become distant in the group because they see the exercise as childish and not for them. 

So my conclusions is that the exercise works if the questions are relevant and interesting and if the person being asked is comfortable with the question because then everyone is happy and people find out interesting and important things about others that they are around, not stupid things like what would you do if you had an extra arm.

Novel Extract

Here is a mini extract from chapter six where two of the main characters are trying to recruit some help from one of their former friends. At this point we are in Portugal and Donna is catching up with Jimmy after something has just gone down in a restaurant with her husband. So here it is:

The door of an old, shabby shanty about a mile away from the restaurant swung open and out stormed an angry and annoyed Jimmy screaming at the residents “Why don’t you go do that you pathetic losers? If you don’t want to tell me where he is I’ll go and find him myself you selfish, unhelpful…” He was now desperately thinking of something to say that could have an impact until finally he said “You err…err you…Portuguese people!” At this moment Donna came frantically running down a dusty path towards the shocked and surprised Jimmy. Once she reached him she started to stutter, but couldn’t get the words out due to her fast breathing. “What is it? Is Cormac in trouble?” he worryingly asked, to which he got the response he hadn’t hoped for, a simple yet frantic nod.

“About ten men followed us there and they attacked him, Jimmy, they savagely beat him and took him away. He got me out of the restaurant and took it.” She burst into tears at the thought of what the men could be doing to her husband. She fell to the ground and wept into her hands. Jimmy sat down and put his arm around her in an attempt to comfort her, but as he did she wiped her eyes and stood up. “Those men wanted what he knew, so they have to keep him alive, so let’s carry on searching for the treasure and work out how to get Cormac back later.” She strongly told Jimmy. “Have you got the stuff we need?” she asked Jimmy, who was now looking guilty. “What?” Her voice had a sense of annoyance now. Jimmy stood up and sighed.

“This is the house my contact used to live at, but the current residents don’t want to tell me anything because they are IDIOTS!” he yelled at the shanty. One of the residents now exited the house and walked up to the duo.

“Eu disse a ele que ele tem na casa errada, se ele está à procura de Michael, então ele precisa ir ao lado porta” screamed the small tanned man at Donna. Donna turned to Jimmy and hit him around the head.
“You idiot, your friend lives next door to these people.” She turned to the man “Peço desculpas, meu amigo é estúpido” Jimmy heard the last word and felt insulted at what she could said to the stranger. Donna then shook the man’s hand and walked to the house next door. Jimmy looked at the man and then quickly looked at the ground in embarrassment and walked after Donna.
Once they reached the door, Donna stopped Jimmy and removed his backpack. “What are you doing?” he asked in confusion. She didn’t answer, instead she simply opened it up and searched around, until she pulled out her husband’s black nine millimetre glock. She showed Jimmy and pulled a face as if to say ‘that’s what I was doing’ “How did that get there?” Jimmy pleaded innocently.

So if you have any thoughts or just want to tell me your opinion, you can either comment below, or send me a message via the Ask Me page. Hope you have enjoyed this extract as there is much more to come.

Fear

I have previously blogged about the poem by Marianne Williamson about fear, so I wanted to write about my thoughts on fear.

I believe that fear is essential in life because without fear we wouldn't think about our actions and their consequences  which would lead to a world of crime and evil, because nobody would have anything to fear. Fear also motivates us because if we can conquer our fear then we are motivated to do more in our life and push ourselves to achieve things we wouldn't ordinarily do. Fear is always seen as the thing that holds us back, and that can be correct depending on your perception of that fear. Having that fear can make you more determined to overcome it making you a more strong willed person overall, which contradicts the argument that you are held back because that fear has in turn pushed you forward.

My fears are that the pressure of the lifestyle I want to lead will push me into a life that is very problematic with such easy access to drugs and alcohol. However if I choose to look at this from a different perspective, that fear could drive me to avoid that lifestyle by knowing that the thing I fear most is avoidable. So fear is a good thing in life because if the person is willing, then that fear can be the positive thing in life because it drives that person to a better life, by removing the complacent attitude. People think that if they stay safe in their life then there are no consequences, but the consequence is that the life becomes bland.

So my message is to embrace your fears and face them head on because if you never face them then you live in fear of the fear becoming reality and that is no way to live.

My Week In Diary Entries

19/06/2013- So today started off like any other day since I left school, waking up at around 9:15, watching Jeremy Kyle, getting some breakfast (Weetos today) playing some PS3 until lunch. After I devoured a sandwich at 12:30 i decided to watch a film I have never seen but always wanted to, 'Remember the Titans'. Now the reasons I wanted to watch this film were:

1. I love American Football
2. I admire Denzel Washington
3. I love films based around true stories
4. I love films

I have to admit I loved the film and would give it a good 8.5/10. Then after I had watched that I settled down to do a good 1 hour 45 minutes of applied business revision ahead of my exam tomorrow morning. I then decided to come onto my blog and write my views of the next generation of people. I also updated my blog with some new features and also did my very first top 5. After this I watched the NBA Playoff Finals game highlights which made for a very exciting watch. That all brings me to now, where I'm writing this entry, after which I will go and revise until 9:00 where I will watch The Apprentice and then You're Fired, do some more revision and retire for the night in preparation for the exam.

20/06/2013- Today was my last ever exam in life and I personally felt like it went well, at least better than the drama paper on Tuesday. Afterwards I hung out with two of my friends for a while, until I eventually returned home. After that went job hunting with no avail after one hour. Now some of you are probably wondering, no wonder I didn't find a job if I only searched for an hour but trust me you can walk around Louth town centre probably ten times over in an hour. The amount of times people said that they didn't have any jobs at the moment was crushing. All I want to do is earn a little extra money before I go off to uni and so I can buy myself some things. But, oh well at least I'll have more free time to myself. 

After the horrible job hunt was over I rang up my bank to sort out iTunes, as I received my second new card which didn't work either. I was put on hold three times and called back four times until the bank manager eventually said that I only needed 10p more in my account for it to work because of some stupid test Apple do with new cards. After this waste of time was over, I came back to my blog and added some contact forms so that people can contact me. 

And that brings me to now. At 7 o'clock today I will be going to the pub down the road for a end of business meal with my classmates and teachers. The night will probably end up in a bar somewhere after we go out after the meal, so the rest of today should be fun. It couldn't get any worse surely!

21/06/2013- So today was my hangover day after last nights antics. Last night me and my classmates celebrated the end of our time as business students by going for a meal and afterwards hitting the town. I had quite a lot to drink leaving me needing a lot of rest today, so my day hasn't been very productive. It has consisted of watching television, listening to music, playing some games and eating. I have a feeling that since finishing school I will be having many more days like these, seeing as though there are no jobs where I live, but oh well that's life.

22/06/2013- Today was alright for me, because I got some more of my book written, which has now taken the length to seven chapters. The book for me is quite interesting to do because it is like no other project I have ever done. It is proving quite challenging because the limits of my creative writing so far in life is short stories, scripts for plays and things like this where description isn't exactly key

After I had written some of the book, I went to my room and had a clear out of all my school work, of which took up two recycling bags. The feeling was great because it was like releasing all that work and was almost as if throwing the stuff out was like saying goodbye to school, which is both scary and exhilarating at the same time.

The only other thing I did was watch some television and listen to some music. The main item of the day to watch was The Voice UK Final, of which Andrea Begley won, much to the nations surprise. My personal opinion was the Mike Ward should have won, not that it makes much difference because look who won last year in comparison to the runners up. 

23/06/2013- This day brought nothing special because I had nothing to do. I had a lovely roast chicken for dinner, played on the Sims 3 Pets on PS3. Later on I am going to go and watch Big Brother and possibly watch The Perfect Storm. I was planning on writing some more of the book, however I didn't feel in the right frame of mind for this task, so instead I had a lazy day. Sorry to disappoint.

24/06/2013- The main thing that happened today was my leaver's ball at school. We had a prom in year 11 but it was quite silly because it was supposed to be saying goodbye to most people, which for me it was, however most people were going back for another two years, however this time was different because we are all going off and doing are own thing.

The location was extremely posh and the food represented this, it was good quality but was enough to feed a mouse because apparently less looks better, however less doesn't suffice the £30 we paid for this food. However the evening was filled with amazing fun, dancing, chat and having one last hoorah with my mates.

At one point in the night a teacher, of whom I had never met before came up and said what a great actor I was and how much enjoyed the production of Sweeney Todd I was in, so that was quite flattering. We then had a chat about what I intend to do in the future and was I going to pursue acting as a career, of which the reply was yes.

After the meal was over we went back into town, I had a few drinks, got a kebab and chips and then went home for the night, so it wasn't the great hammered send off I was expecting, however it was fun none the less.

25/06/2013- So today was interesting, I went for a walk around Hubbard Hills, a massive park in Louth and I saw some of my old friends. I hung out with them for a while catching up on what we have been up to and reminiscing some old stories from when we were really childish people.

After that I went onto Facebook to see some of the images from last nights leaver's ball and seeing everyone's status about going to miss people was enough for me, so I quickly logged off and watched WWE Monday Night Raw.

Other than that, I went onto Sims 3: Pets on PS3 and did some architecture work, and created masterpiece houses, which kept me entertained for the majority of the night, until I finally settled down to watch my daily dose of bitching from the Big Brother house.

26/06/2013- Today I went out with one of my good friends, just to hang out because she was in Louth. When I went out we didn't know what to do so we went for a really long walk to my old neighbourhood where I lived some seven years ago. The neighbourhood was on the outskirts of town about one and a half miles away. The weather didn't exactly help the walk because it was sweltering and we were knackered because Louth has a LOT of hills. However it was all worth it because I saw lots of old things that were filled with many memories, saw my old house and just remembered what it was like to live in that area.

After that we went for a dinner at a restaurant with another of our friends. It was great to catch up over dinner since we left school. Overall the day out in town was quite fun because it was filled with old and new memories.

After I went home, I didn't really do much, other than make a list of day to day essentials for university that my mum wanted me to make so that she could see what I thought I needed on a daily basis. The list was quite long and apparently you don't need a hammer on an average day. After that I had my second burger of the day (after having a Tennessee burger for dinner and a beef burger for tea) and then just chilled by watching some television. 

Jobs

Over my lifetime I have considered many career paths before I ended up at wanting to act for a living. Most jobs had their problems, such as me not being smart enough to get the qualifications. So here are the main jobs that at some point in my life I have seriously considered.

First I wanted to be an A&E doctor, because I always wanted to help people and I watched shows like Casualty and it looked interesting to do. This job is something most people like the idea of, however the work load is high and most people avoid the job because of that. The reason that I avoided it was because I didn't feel that I could handle being responsible for other peoples lives.

Another job was archaeologist because i have always been interested in history and old things. The job seems really cool, to go to excavation sites and dig up fossils and artifacts and then analyse them, however I didn't personally feel that I had enough knowledge to undertake the job and would spend most of the time learning and would never feel confident enough on my own.

The other main job that I always wanted to do was being a crime scene investigator, because the job is challenging and it tests you. Also the job includes bringing people who have done wrong to justice through the power of science. Also I love CSI:NY and it seemed like such a cool job and I honestly thought that I would enjoy it, however the people who do the job are immensely clever and it would take me a long time to get to that level.

So I finally decided upon acting because it is something I am talented at and other people have told me to pursue acting. It is something I am passionate about and would love to do on a daily basis. It is a risky career path because lots of people want to do it, however I am determined to make it because it is my only viable option. 

Top 5 26/06/2013

Week beginning: 26/06/2013

5: Kim and Kanye's Baby Girl

The arrival of this baby was highly anticipated by the media for one reason only, what was the baby going to be called. Once it was revealed the baby was a girl the press were sure that the baby would keep up the Kardashian tradition of 'K', however they were to be shocked when it was revealed that the baby was to be called ........ 'North West'. That's right, another stupid baby names to add to the list of stupid celebrity baby names. Oh well, with North's parents being who they are, that baby is heading straight to the top, and then slightly to the left (sorry, couldn't resist)




4: Wimbledon Is Here!

Wimbledon has arrived and it has arrived with a band. Big shocks with early exits from Nadal and Hewitt and then on day three exits due to injury from Darcis, Azarenka, Wozniacki and Isner. This has made for an interesting start, but who is favourite to win. For me, Serena Williams has to win the Ladies title because she is on fire at the moment and for the Gentlemen's title it has to be Andy Murray because he has a nation backing him and he has proven that the Olympics that he can win here.



3: Nelly and Florida Georgia Line on The Voice

This is very exciting because I love both Nelly and Florida Georgia Line and I love their collaboration because rap and country compliment each other so well and nobody realises, but this is bringing it to the forefront on the music industry. They performed on the final of the fourth season of The Voice in the U.S along with Hunter Hayes, One Republic, Cher and many more stars. Check the videos out online because they are amazing, and the performances made for an epic finale.

2: Miami Heat win NBA Title

Miami Heat held off the San Antonio Spurs to win a second NBA title in just as many years. As a Knicks fan this isn't really that exciting, but the final series was very enjoyable and they deserved the win. My MVP had to be LeBron James, who once again played in a final with such skill that he seemed unstoppable. What they have achieved is great, however the Baltimore Ravens had a quick poke on twitter about their celebratory parade, with a picture of a bare road and the team going through the middle in comparison to their Super Bowl XLVII parade, however fans quickly stopped the Ravens fun posting pictures of jam packed streets in Miami.

1: Alex G Debut Shows and Contest

Alex G has revealed through her YouTube channel that she finally is headlining her own show. She had also started a competition for anyone to send in their videos of them singing to her and the best two will get to open one of her two shows in July. The tickets have also gone on sale along with VIP passes which allow you to hang out with Alex herself before and after the show. The two shows are on 28th July in LA and 30th July in New York, so if you are around on those dates, the show is not one to be missed. Also she revealed earlier on this year that she is currently working on her debut album, which hopefully will be released soon, and she will also be touring soon, so keep watching this blog for updates.

My American Dream

Since a young age I have always loved the U.S.A and have always wanted to move there, however some people have never understood why. I have never been there and I am through and through English. So this blog entry is to explain my reasoning.

My first reason for my love of America is that I have grown up watching American shows, such as Leverage, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, Everybody Love Raymond and much more and the lifestyle on these shows trumps the lifestyle I have here in the UK.

My second reason is the opportunities that America offers. There are a lot more chances to break into show business over there, sport is taken more seriously with scholarships and proper teams and high school just looks much more fun than school over here.

The third reason is the beauty of America, sure there will be rough parts, like there are in the UK, but when something looks good over there, it looks amazing, but over here, it's just good. Take for example these two photos, one is of London at night and one is of Manhattan. Manhattan just seems more alive and bigger and better. London has a few good buildings and then not much else. 


















There are more reasons but they repeat things made in these three points just in more detail, like the fact that I love American sport, so I will leave the reasons at these three.

Stranded On An Island

Today I was watching an ask me anything video on YouTube and one of the questions sparked my interest; If you were stranded on a deserted island what three items would you take and why? So I decided to write a blog entry answering my personal opinion, because it makes you think creatively and keeps your brain young.

At first I thought of cheat ways, like a fully functioning powerboat, fuel for the journey and food to feed me for the duration of my time there, however I thought this was boring and really if I had those items, I wouldn't really be stranded. So I then started to think again.

My first item would be a solar powered car, because the likelihood of the deserted island being rainy all the time would be ridiculous so this way I would have transport around the island, which would save my energy. Also the car could act as shelter at night and would hopefully be comfortable.

My second item would be a kindle filled with books so that I could read to keep myself entertained. Also it wouldn't be hard to transport around and it is less likely to become damaged like a book. Now there may be a problem with power but this could be solved by using the lighter holder in the car with a portable car charger (this of course would be included in the car).

My final item would be a spear so that I could go into the sea and go hunting for fish. They could be cooked by finding parts of trees and using rocks, that would already be on the island and creating a fire. This would keep my energy levels up and would stop me from starving.

Now it's your turn, have a think what you would take and why and tell me if you like.

My Novel

I am embarking on a very exciting project. I, Philip Marshall, am writing my first ever novel. If you have been reading the 'My Day' page then you may have seen the book mentioned. So this entry is going to give you a back story to the book.

The novel is set in 2010 and follows a group of normal people, a husband and wife and the husbands brother, who all set off on the adventure of a lifetime, hunting treasure. This book follows their hunt for the Lost Treasure of Lima, which is a real thing and the story of this legend is explained in the first chapter as I give a bit of information about the treasure. The partners are inexperienced at this thing and are only doing it for the mans grandfather and to spice up their marriage, however the man brings his brother along as he is good at this sort of thing. The story shows the strain on the marriage, relationships being tested, action because they get into trouble when others hunt for the treasure and new friendships being formed.

I am excited to see the progression of this book and will share details about it with you along the way. It is a long way away from being finished and will hopefully get some more people on board to help with the finishing touches, so I hope that you people will come on this journey with me and I will release extracts for feedback every now and then. 

Decisions

So today I was thinking about the significant decisions that have happened in my life and how those choices have affected where I am today.

One decision I made was starting to lose weight. Now, it wasn't drastic the amount I lost, but it was obvious that I had lost some because I had slimmed out. People that had know me when I was quite chubby were now coming up to me and telling me how slim I looked and how much healthier I seemed. This boosted my confidence and made me get out there more, instead of shying away because I was self-conscious. I maintained the slimmer form for some time, until I started drinking excessively, which started to make me seem chubbier again. Since I started drinking, I have had terrible moments where I was drinking everyday and then some where I wouldn't drink for a week and my weight was constantly changing. I made a decision to change my way and stop drinking, however I had a drink within three weeks, but this time was different as I had learned how to drink responsibly and I started working out again so my weight was back to being controlled. All these decisions about drink have led me to this point where I know how to control myself because I don't want to go back to drinking constantly.

Another decision that changed my life was joining my local theatre, because this led me to being able to act all year round and have an audience see me. This decision came about when I met someone who I know class as a very good friend, because they were the musical director for that seasons Pantomime, and he told me about the auditions. After this I saw my old music teacher and I asked him about whether I should audition and he encouraged me to go for it. So without those two people I probably wouldn't be going to University on the course I am going on. And I want to take this moment to say R.I.P Mr Shaw (who was the music teacher) and thank you for your words of encouragement.

My final decision was moving schools for Sixth Form. This decision was hard because I knew it would mean leaving a lot of good friends behind, however I knew it was for the best in terms of my future as it gave me the opportunity to do drama and media as a subject, which is what my University subject is a combination of. The decision also led to me meeting some of the best people I have ever met and some amazing teachers who have taught me so much in life. And if I hadn't made this decision then all of the other ones wouldn't have become reality, so this is probably the most significant decision