Joshes guide to hassle free night club dancing

So to all of us who like (or got dragged along and made to feel more awkward then a Star wars fan at a Star trek convention) to go to nightclubs one of the two things you can do without upsetting the very nice bouncers is drink and dance, since the latters expensive and dance does technically count as exercise the latter tends to be indulged in at some point. Of course many of use have had our dancing labeled sarcastically (and cleverly punctuated) 'dancing'.

This description has been pinned onto many of use. Though I say this description can be avoided with simply stealthy crowd pleasing techniques:
1. The song- Their two schools of thought on this. One is to keep with current muscial trends which are likely to be played at night clubs and be able to blag some moves out whilst it's on. Most can be inspired by a music video etc
2. Follow someone who knows the song- If you find someone who's developed a set of moves without many people giggling at them, it's simple stay a step ahead or pick someone a little drunker then your slightly sharper with pulling the moves out. This works well was things like the Cha Cha slide
3. Miming makes you like a miracle- Miming to a song you know just makes your job much easier, though it may come up one time that you can't as you simply don't know the song, simple it's dark and the lyrcis are fast paced, mime like fish trying to recite a piece of Shakespheare.
4. Stick with the group- The best move is to stick with the group or general moves of the dance floor, nothing flashy or Fame inspired or you might as well go and drink and wacth Fame.

Doesn't evert story need an ending ?

As you may have noticed probaly from my other blog i'm into comics. So now my cheap self promotion tricks over with let's move on.

One of (currently, changes more often the weather) is Spider-man. Spider-man stories have been going on for about since the distant year of 1963, and Spider-man doesn't look a day over what the editors say is about 30 years old. Over those years of webbing and the ocassional awesome costume change (refer to below)


As you can see your average Spider-man fan goes mental everytime your average web slinger get's a costume change. So as well as now other the years some things get better with time like the advancement of technology and some things get worse like TV shows. Spdier-man stories tend to have a simple hit and miss formula, each time a writer tries to do something mold breaking with the character it's poorly recieved, like when (I know it sounds like i'm making this up, but I paid for it and this is how the story goes) Peter Parker never gets married to Mary Jane confusing about a decades worth of stories.

This got me thinking, do some stories just need an ending ? Spider-mans history is a list of failures and sucessess with trying to keep it's readership with modernisations of the character and does lead to the questions, should Spider-man be retired ?

Wiriting that paragraph has upset my inner geek. I own over a hundred Spider-man comics and it was the first comic I began to collect seriously so I do have a little bit of a bond with the character. Though the sensible part of my brain tells me Spidey can't be this good for ever and it's not worth spending a fortune on stories which will dip in quality and will vaguely deal with a contunity which has expanded into it's own pocket universe.

Though it doesn't matter what i'll say the writers still have a love for him, the Marvel marketing department still see's him as a cash cow. I just think theirs a better way to keep a great story going but letting end in a way before we all beg for the ending.

The domino effect of protests ?

Ready for a quick vague history lesson? Well neither am I but we'll give it a go (the we'll being whoever reading this post)

As we know over the past few months people power is being seriously displayed in the Middle East. It started with Tunisia's angered public rebelling against its government then Egypt overthrowing it's corrupt dictator and now Libya rebelling against the longest running dictator Colonel Gaddafi.

Each incident has included the public reverting to brunt tactics of demonstrations and occupation of government and public areas. So far they've produced significant results (it's debatable if these results are in the best interest of the countries) without any real support from the UN except from certain powerful countries voicing disapproval for the current people in power.

Now for the real history lesson:
So all these occurrences have lead to think of one age old theory used by the USA. When communism was taking its hold in certain countries during the fifties and sixties, the justification for intervention was the domino effect. The domino effect believes that if one country falls to communism it's neighbours are next, then their neighbours etc..

Either this could be applied to the current situation with how the protest fever is spreading, will it really demonstrate the domino effect?. The question is where will it end? Could these trends in hard hitting protests be adapted in Western countries? Though the ultimate question is Will these protests bring around the right kind of change? 

Self promotion: Pursuit of arrogance ?

What up my fellow blog observing enthuasists ?

It's been a few weeks since my last post and it's felt a lot longer so I decided to write down so angry compliants in a constructive manner.

So as you probably know I'm a trainee first year journalist. What I've learnt since I've begun is confidence is certainly key and of course skills..and the other thing. What I've found during the lecturers and glances of freelance journalists is one thing, it seems to get anywhere in this industry is you have to arrogant and a (shameful) self promoter and these are just two qualities I really don't want to pick up, just like rickets or scurvy.

I like to think I'm a modest guy and I hate blowing my trumpet (mainly since I don't have one) and the idea of going around saying (in a dramatised fashion) "Hey I'm totally brilliant, I'm so super amazing and better then everyone", I've spent a majority of my life being put down by people like this and don't want to put anyone in a situation like that.

It just feel likes I've got a needless ruthless edge I don't need, I know as a journalist we need to advertise our skills but I prefer to let my (well mainly the best ones, which maybe aren't many) work do that talking, and not my attention hungry ego.

Confidence is good but it's difficult to keep in check before it becomes shear arrogance. I've always found arrogance is the main ingredient in major downfalls, something which has happened to me when I've over stepped the mark and to over people and it's tends to be a cruel reality check tasting a lot like bland chicken mixed with nasty stuff.

I just don't what to wind like an over confident editor who's basically hated and has no passion for their job but is just more interested in boosting their ego's that little more.

OK this post may have been slightly motivated by jealousy and irritation that I've found some of these arrogant individuals (with media experience and not) tend to be the ones that win the metaphorical day as if their some glorified Superman/woman individual whilst I'm the hideous bad guy who gets nothing. However with the ever changing landscape of comics and the representation of heroes and villains changing you never know that hideous (but compelling pretty in a morbid manner) chap may just prevail all justice style and all..

Embarrassing viewing habits ?

Round 2 Blog !

So here I was having a quiet Friday night surfing 40D when I stumbled on an interesting thought. I was watching Embarrassing bodies simply because I have a grotesque fascination with body ailments. This got me thinking, was I watching the show for the right reasons ? It must take a lot of courage and desperation to take this route and expose yourself on national TV to get help and educate the nation in all things medical. But here was me just watching the show because I was curious about the bizarre ailments advertised and what could possibly be so unbearable would make people go on TV and show if off.

This lead me to one strange idea, could 21st century reality TV shows including Big Brother (it was canceled, but it will spawn clones trying to mimic it's success), I'm a Celebrity etc be the new form of (crudely put) freak shows ?

Think about the conventions of a freak show (established centuries ahead of reality TV):
1. Display some kind of bizarre component of a human(s) and defy convention
2. Market it like an entertainment event similar to the likes of legitimate theatre, or simply entertainment
3. Allow people to view it and sell it like a social presentation like a zoo.

Break down your standard reality TV show:
1. Place a certain of amount of individuals who are don't represent conventional members of the public.
2. Market it like an entertainment show
3. Allow people to view it through the most popular medium TV.

Notice the clever bolding to empathise similarities ? , the way we view and satisfy these curiosities of seeing bizarre occurrences has evolved, out desires haven't. I have a feeling human beings need to see the weird oddities of overs to somehow reassure them that they're OK and maybe things aren't to bad in their lives, while some take some kind of strange entertainment at gawking at said oddities.

Tron: My thoughts and ideas

Welcome kids to first year extra, they'll be where I'll be doing a series of 6 blogs or more on aaaanything I want for a separate class. Today's self indulgent/rant/info-blog is about the movie franchise Tron.

To be concise- It's so underrated and ignored

When I was much younger I remember seeing the original on TV and regretted not giving it my full attention after seeing that yes the visuals were outdated but was something that stood out in the crowd, since then I tired desperately to cacth on TV or on DVD with no luck. Doing my research I found Tron was hugely popular when it came out and was a box office (made it's budget back) and critical success.

So one thing which baffles me more then why a needles in a hay stack is why did it disappear ? It didn't live on in comics,cartoons,games or any nerd medium. Why from a capitalist corporation like Disney who over produced any franchise which was half decent (and those that weren't *cough* High school musical) why did Tron die out ? Why do we get a ton of cheap straight to video sequels of classics like the Lion King and of course three High school musical films and something which as mould breaking as The Matrix or Star Wars is forgotten and gets a few cheap rides inspired by it and a cheap cameo in Kingdom of Hearts ?

What Tron was putting out their was something as mould breaking at the Matrix. OK maybe it's better Disney didn't bloat it out, but still it didn't deserve to be carelessly forgotten and get a belated sequel (which was awesome), surely another studio like Warner Brothers saw the potential in such an idea ?

Enough rant now some nerd demands:
1. Since Disney are producing a prequel animated series to the sequel, I want it to be on the same level as the new Avengers cartoon and it should be handled by Marvel studios (Who are now part of Disney, my juries still out on that one).
2. Marvel should do some more comic work and explore different elements of the story, like the massive twenty year gap in between. Or do a crossover with the Marvel Universe, the tie-in variant covers really swayed me.- Best variant since the black suit ?
3. I want a Tron themed superhero, pretty please ? If they can give Spidey an awesome variant cover imagine what else they could produce ?
4. Please please please let the next sequel not do a Spider-man 3 or a Batman Forever.

Ok, enough wanting, that's blog 1 kids.