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.