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Month: February 2017

Venture Further: a taste of success

Manchester Enterprise Centre is looking to support the next big start-up from the University of Manchester through Venture Further 2017, inviting students and recent alumni to submit a business proposal to an expert judging panel of enterprise and business professionals.

The competition allows for individuals or groups to receive expert feedback on their business ideas and gives them an opportunity to win a £10,000 cash injection to get their business off the ground.

Previous winners and finalists have included craft beer company Shindigger Brewing Co., baby carrier business Joy and Joe, online payments system MishiPay and social enterprise Social Growth.

While studying for his PhD in Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, University of Manchester student Leopoldo Herrera-Rodríguez noticed that so often students who create their own start-up fail to move the business forward, due to a lack of access to the right skills. Recognising the need to remove this significant barrier to progress, Leopoldo founded Student Talent Pool, a service that matches students with certain skills to internal university start-ups.

Working with his team of Alex Geddes and Eileen Brandenberger, they entered their idea into Manchester Enterprise Centre’s Venture Further competition in 2016, and were announced as runner up in the social category.

“Students often struggle to bridge the gap between having a great idea and transforming that into a viable business that attracts investment, as they do not have access to the broad range of skills necessary to do this,” Leopoldo says. “A classic example is someone who has developed a brilliant concept for an app, but does not know an app developer, so the project falls flat before it has even begun. We knew that there was huge pool of talent at the university, and we wanted to leverage this to ensure more start-ups had the chance to be successful, uniting people with a common entrepreneurial spirit.”

“Today’s job market is incredibly competitive, so the more hands-on business experience you have, the better. A start-up environment is the perfect place to refine and build on your existing skills, but also develop new ones — the collaborative environment means you find yourself doing a bit of everything, which is a really valuable addition to anyone’s CV.

“Venture Further was a fantastic opportunity for us. We benefitted greatly from the interaction with other start-ups, as it allowed us to refine our own ideas by learning about the challenges they face. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the experience to anyone looking to validate their business idea, refine their business plans to make them the best they can be, and receive invaluable feedback and guidance from the experts at Manchester Enterprise Centre.”

Dr. Martin Henery, Venture Competition Director, said: “Venture Further is the perfect platform to put your plans to the test. We are here every step of the way to help you take your idea and turn it into a viable business;  many past entrants — not just the winners — have gone on to launch and sustain successful ventures.

“By the same token, many of our students already have their own businesses, and Venture Further is here to give them a boost and take their enterprise to the next level.”

Venture Further is supported by Jacobs, Manchester Science Partnership and Waters. The deadline for applications is 29th March. For more information visit the website.

Refusing the Israeli Defence Force

At the age of eighteen, all Israeli men and women must register to join the Israeli Army, for two or three years respectively, unless they take the option for a year out to volunteer on social grounds before joining the army, or if they declare that they cannot serve for religious reasons.  Most Jewish religious girls don’t serve in the army. Tair Kaminer — now twenty years old — took the social opportunity, and arrived at an Israel-Gaza border town called Sderot in the summer of 2014 to begin one year’s work. Born into a political family, Tair was around those who opposed the occupation and already knew of her cousin, Madat, who had refused conscription in 2001. Because of this, she decided it was necessary for her to experience what she would be participating in, before she agreed to help the Israeli Defence Force. It was on this year out that she witnessed events that would lead to her refusal to serve the IDF, and land her 155 days in prison.

When the state of Israel was founded in 1948, Palestinians were pushed out of land they had inhabited for decades. After the Second World War, Jewish refugees emigrated to what they believed was their promised land from God. The West Bank (of the River Jordan) and the Gaza Strip remained the only Palestinian territories where Israelis did not live, but they were occupied by Jordan and Egypt respectively.  After the 1967 war, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip came under Israeli occupation, and Israelis began settling there.

Now the Gaza Strip is home to an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians. Situated on the West coast of Israel and bordering Egypt, a mere one-hour journey from the vibrant Westernised economic capital city of Tel Aviv, Gaza houses a large population of Palestinian refugees. Israel has held Palestinians under blockade since 2005 when Hamas (an extremist Islamic faction whose declared aim is to annihilate the state of Israel) gained control of the Palestinian government, and have since controlled what goes in and out of Gaza, including food, arms, and people.

The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) is responsible for enforcing this regime, and when young people in Israel are drafted, they serve this operation. Tair, keen to open her eyes to the reality of the conflict, therefore chose to spend her year living amongst those affected by the occupation (remaining in Israeli territory), in the impoverished town of Sderot, on the Gaza Strip border. Due to a “combination of what I saw, the war jibes amongst the children there”, and “racism towards the Arabs”, Tair decided when her enlistment date came in January of 2016, she would refuse to serve. Tair was moved by hearing the children she worked with talk of their non-existent summer holidays that year due to war, and joking that whilst they may get one next year, the year after is unlikely.

To finalise her decision, and to make sure she was making the right choice for herself, Tair did further research to find other past ‘refuseniks’, to investigate what the service as a soldier in occupied territories actually means, and what rights the Palestinians had. She described it “hard to enlist” once she had found out the answers. However, she also found that whilst it is the law to serve in the IDF, there are a handful of official reasons that can allow exemption. These include pacifism, health, religion or a lack of financial ability, since soldiers are unpaid. Tair did not fall into any of these categories, because she did not describe herself a pacifist, but simply against the policies of the occupation.

When Tair’s enlistment date arrived, she arrived with her parents and declared refusal on grounds of “conscience”. She would not serve the army, participating in a body whose actions were against her moral values. She was instantly sent to serve 21 days in prison; the standard initial punishment in the IDF. By the time of her release, she had had these 21 days reissued five times.

Near the beginning of her imprisonment, Tair was put in front of the ‘Conscience Committee’, whose job is to evaluate those who refuse service on similar grounds. Should they find her to be a legitimate pacifist, she could have been released immediately on these grounds. However, to be a pacifist is to reject all violence and wars, but Tair’s statement and refusal was against this specific regime. She recalls being asked “if you were in a room, with a gun, and Hitler walked in, would you kill him?”.  This kind of question was clearly chosen to throw people off, and get them back into uniform. But Tair was not willing to be labelled a pacifist as it undermined what she was standing for, and chose to return to jail.

I asked Tair if she was afraid. She replied “yes, I was scared. But what the Israeli government is doing and the consequences of serving are scarier.” She noted that every time someone was imprisoned for these reasons, especially young girls, there’s a lot of media coverage. For Tair and those trying to get a message out to get people rethinking and questioning their participation, this was more than welcomed, and Tair “hoped she had had some impact”.

Once imprisoned, Tair recalls what daily life was like. Since she was not in a prison for criminals, she lived amongst others with offences ranging from taking the same route of refusal as Tair, to rudeness to commanders, or simply not being dressed correctly. Insultingly, she was referred to as “solider” throughout her stay, as well as repeatedly having to announce “yes sergeant” or “present” whenever it was demanded of her. In the army, soldiers are ordered to pay “respect without reason” as Tair put it, to your superiors; something that she was not comfortable with. However, for the majority of enlisted soldiers, it is a reality they accept blindly; it’s just how the system works. Though she described the experience as “humiliating”, she said that in this sense, it was not more so than the humiliation of being a solider in training. However, her liberties were fewer. Though she had no personal phone and limited access to contacting her family, she recalls that the strongest punishment she faced was simply her lack of freedom.

Each time Tair was to be released, a warrant was sent out for her to return the same day. Clearly a fearless woman, Tair often prolonged her stays at home from one day to two, and returned late, to be met with further punishments. All these tactics seemed to also contribute towards the army’s efforts to show the heavy price you pay should you refuse service on this ground, discouraging others who may feel they would like to do the same. Refusing to serve the Israeli army for certain reasons is not something you get away with lightly. All the while, there was the option to claim mental instability diagnosed by a psychiatrist who was, frankly, unlikely to claim she was stable. This would have allowed an early release back to comfort.

However, Tair persisted, and her story, which was documented in a weekly journal entry in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, clearly had some impact as there are currently three more girls in the same prison, serving for the same reason. Tamar Zeevi and Tamar Alon are currently serving their fifth batch of twenty day sentences, which by the end of February will have accumulated to one hundred days. Atalya Ben Aba is serving her first twenty days currently, too. Together, they are part of a resistance movement, named MESARVOT, which literally translated is the female word for refuse in Hebrew. It is a support network for those who have refused service, so they are not alone in their fight.

Since her release in July of 2016, Tair now studies Arabic whilst she volunteers in a school and continues her activism. “As a political activist you attend many political events and demonstrations where you need the Arabic language. In addition, it is always important to be able to speak other languages [other than] Hebrew, that everyone [is] forced to know because of the occupation. It is important so you can show that you are a real partner, it is good to have the option to speak it with your friends.” Whilst she feels the ever-present difference in the life of her friends contrasted to hers, she maintains she does not regret her decision not to serve in the Israeli army, but instead to fight for her beliefs.

Just me, being me

Attempting to describe my own style is own of those things I find strangely daunting, partly it’s the fear of sounding pretentious, equally realising it’s a very personal thing to describe. Do I really want to pigeon hole my own look? Then I remember I don’t wear anything that dramatically exciting in the first place.

Fashion has been my love since I was a child; I used to draw my mum designs of the clothes I wanted her to wear — trust me when I say my mum suffered a fashion blip from 2000-2007 (sorry mum). From there it blossomed; one, accepting I would never  make it as a designer, and two, exploring the clothes that I, me, myself, wanted to wear.

When I reached the age where I no longer looked like a spotty potato, I fell into the lure of wanting to look in some way ‘grown up’ or ‘sexy’: mini skirts, tight tops and skinny jeans were staples. I won’t deny it I still love those pieces now but I have advanced in my wardrobe too.

With age came the understanding that bodycon is not the only option. Slowly but surely I have ventured further into the plethora of fashion silhouettes, midi skirts, culottes, over-sized jumpers (a particular favourite) have merged with my itty-bitty clothes. I definitely always like to keep an element of my outfit fitted, even if that means wearing a giant jumper dress so my legs peak out of the bottom. There’s something in me that refuses to be demure all the time.

Since coming to university the greatest shift in my style has most definitely been colour. I never used to shy away from colour, and then I started working at DKNY — we wear black. Suddenly, my mind was converted to the joys of a neutral palette, minimalism and timelessness. However, the best thing working there has taught me is how clothes should fit; that the size of my clothes has no relation to my size. The number one fashion lesson for anyone — don’t fixate on size!

I would be doing my sense of fashion a dishonour if I did not devote some time to my numero uno fashion bae — the black ankle boot. Preferably pointed. I wear them pretty much every day, have varying heel heights and styles (depending on the occasion), there is no better shoe. Come winter I don my ankle boots with a giant polo neck jumper so I can look as much like Liam Neeson circa Love Actually as possible. In summer I part with my black boots in favour of Birkenstocks, plus, as of last year, the most divine pair of tan brown mules.

I don’t think I would feel comfortable to sum up my sense of fashion with an adjective or a phrase, but there is an inherent me-ness in everything I choose to wear. Much as I may love Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Alexa Chung or Liam Neeson’s clothes (read jumpers), my style is that moment of putting on an outfit and thinking it will make my day just that bit better. But don’t hold me to that when I turn up to lectures in my gym kit!

Advice column 1

Xavi: “I’m worried about exam results coming out really soon! How do I relax myself?”

If you’re worried about exam results, I’d recommend trying to take your mind off them. I know that’s easier said than done, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing you can do to change them now! Go out with your friends, ring a family member, or just go for a walk. Getting fresh air will help you feel better, and will reduce your anxiety. Hope it all goes well!

Anna: “I struggle a lot with anxiety, what help is available and how do I find it?”

The university has a really good Counselling Service which can help you out if you’re struggling with any kind of mental health issue. I would also recommend talking to someone; a friend, a member of your family, or even your Academic Advisor. One of the worst things for anxiety is to suffer in silence, so make sure you find someone you can talk to. There are loads of online resources available for you as well, like Nightline where you can anonymously talk to someone.

Jake: “I’m worried about not knowing what I want to do after university. Where can I get help and advice with this?”

First of all, it’s perfectly normal to feel worried and scared about not knowing what you want to do after university. Hardly anyone knows, so you’re not alone! If it’s making you worry a lot, then I would suggesting using the Careers Service and read some of the material they have on offer there, or make an appointment with a Careers Advisor who can give you more information and advice. Apart from that, just sitting down and having a think about what you would enjoy as a job might give you an idea of what sector or section of employment you would want to go into.

Are cocktails giving you brain damage?

One quick comment before I bombard you with scary facts about alcohol: it can be really hard in life to get it all right and be healthy all the time, and I’m not saying you should be all at once. We’re all under so much pressure in this world already, without feeling like we can’t enjoy simple pleasures and let loose every so often. It’s important to not feel deprived and to make fulfilling choices that feel good. I personally am working towards a mental state where I feel great about making the healthiest choice, and it’s a really exciting journey.

Alcohol is, unfortunately, one of the biggest killers in the world. Alcohol abuse is embedded into our society to such an extent that most people wouldn’t go to social occasions or music events if they weren’t going to drink. Decreased inhibitions, questionable decisions and ‘hilarious’ displays of clumsiness (AKA your brain shutting down) seem to be the only way that we can go out, enjoy ourselves, and fit in.

I am by no means tee-total or have any desire to become so while I’m still at university, but it’s something I’d really like to be by the time I’m 30 – I hope that most of the damage can be undone (or at least slightly repaired) while I’m still young. And yes, 30 is still young.

I’m writing a lab report on the “Effects of Ethanol on Performance” and subsequently have done a lot of research to find out what exactly ethanol does when it enters our body. The first thing that shocked me was the amount of evidence proving how bad alcohol is for you, and the fact that it’s a misconception that a little bit is good for you. No alcohol is good for you. Period. What’s good for you is the other nutrients in the drink e.g. antioxidants in wine, yeast in beer etc.

When the mainstream attitude to smoking changed around 2005 or 2006, the government ruled that all smoking products must have visual and written warnings of its harmful effects, but alcohol kills more people than cigarettes do! Where are the pictures showing brain damage and rotting livers on alcoholic drinks? The list of potential poor decisions, and the consequences of emotional and psychological trauma?

Alcohol is a Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant. Your CNS is made up of your brain and spinal cord and controls most functions in your body and mind. Ethanol (the alcoholic component of drinks) depresses the CNS; in other words, slows it down and stops it from working. Ethanol acts on various receptors in the brain: this results in decreased motor (movement) functions, confused thoughts, decreased awareness and poor coordination.

It also interferes with your ability to lay down memories and to learn by blocking specific signalling pathways. You’re all thinking, “well yes we know all that!”, “I frequently wake up with no recollection of the night before.” “My friend was throwing up all night last week, it was hilarious.” Why? Why is it funny to see people poison themselves, to the point where their body has to reject everything in their stomach so their organs don’t shut down?

Prolonged drinking causes irreparable damage in the brain, destroys your liver and diminishes your immune system. Short-term drinking decreases the effects of your immune system, making you much more likely to contract a virus or bacterial infection after a night out; and long-term drinking increases the immune system, causing inflammatory diseases and internal damage. Alcohol is commonly known to be bad for people with digestive disorders including IBS and interferes with a lot of medications.

Quick fact: the reason people with less body fat get drunk quicker is because alcohol is very soluble in water but not soluble in fat. So if you have more fat cells in your body, alcohol is less likely to pass out of your blood, and will head straight to the liver to get broken down. It also makes sense that if you’re a bigger, or a taller person, there’s more blood for alcohol to get absorbed into, thus the concentration of ethanol at any one point in your body will be less.

I understand that it is very important for people to belong in their society and to fit in with cultural norms, and social drinking is a part of that. I’m not writing this to try and convince everybody to stop drinking and boycott all bars and nightclubs, I’m writing this just to draw your attention to it. The next time your friend chooses not to drink on a night out, respect that decision.

If you see your friend about to cross the line between drunk and smashed, give them a glass of water. Value yourself sober. Your sober self is good enough, fun enough, and happy enough. And if you turn to drink to escape life, have a good look at what you’re escaping from and try and fix that instead, rather than just forgetting it for a night.

This article is taken from Sophie’s blog, Holistic Health and Relatable Science. Read more here.

Album: Jens Lekman – Life Will See You Now

Released 17th February via Secretly Canadian

8/10

Jens Lekman’s last album I Know What Love Isn’t was a more subdued affair than his first two: Jens’ inventive lyricism was present but musically the album was more reigned-in. Despite being a solid record, it lacked some of the experimental flair of Night Falls Over Kortedala. This unfortunately resulted in lower turnout at his live performances, which did not go unnoticed by Lekman.

In response the Swedish musician imposed restrictions on the subjects of his next album, aiming to make drastic changes to his style. However, finding this to be stifling and painful, Lekman went through a series of musical projects for inspiration. Five years later, the result is Life Will See You Now, an album that showcases a more mature and developed artist ready to dazzle once again.

As with previous albums, Life Will See You Now is composed largely of self contained quirky tales. Generally set to typical baroque-pop strings and pianos, Lekman litters tracks with synths and samples. Album opener ‘To Know Your Purpose’ sets the tone for the album, with a more full-bodied orchestral arrangement. Lekman deals with ageing in an unusual way, looking back on his teenage self through the eyes of an older person.

This peculiar, detached self-awareness is a continued theme throughout the album. ‘Postcard #17’, one of two remnants from his aforementioned experimental writing processes, addresses his insecurities following the release of his last album. It seems appropriate given the song comes from the postcard series, a collection of songs written and released on a weekly basis whilst Jens was trying to start writing his new album.

‘Wedding In Finistere’ mirrors ‘If You Ever Need A Stranger’ from Lekman’s first album, and again Lekman illustrates the changes in his attitude. Instead of his previous melancholic “matrimonial obsession,” he now exhibits a cynical glee at the the mixture of hope and regret he sees in the practice.

Perhaps due to this self awareness, Lekman gently experiments with his established style, to generally positive results. ‘How We Met, The Long Version’ is set to a traditional disco beat, while on ‘What’s That Perfume’ Jens reminiscences about a lost love over calypso steel drums and claves.

The previously mentioned ‘Wedding in Finistere’ combines warm brass and Caribbean drum lines to transport the listener effortlessly to the beach. Lekman’s lyricism and joyful composition on this track make it a definite peak of the album. Despite the experimentation, however, Lekman doesn’t stray too far from what he knows.

The variation in style through the album leads to some minor downfalls. Acoustic ballad ‘How Can I Tell Him’ lacks some of the flair found in the rest of the album, although Lekman compensates for this with his beautifully bittersweet lyrics. Closing track ‘Dandelion Seed’ also starts off with Lekman appearing to play it safe with a simple acoustic guitar line. But, as the organ comes in on the final verse and Lekman begins name-dropping places from his home town in a manner similar to his old albums it begins to feel less like he’s playing it safe.

Rather, he’s comfortable in the music he makes. Lekman realises he doesn’t need to overhaul his style, but simply expand it. With Life Will See You Now he adds another fantastic album to his collection.

Ashley Graham: fashion’s game-changer

Fashion can sometimes make us feel like we have to fit a certain size or be a certain weight. This, coupled with what the music and film industries label as ‘ideal’, can become extremely harmful. For example, think of the proliferation of articles telling us why juice cleanses are so beneficial, which celebrities are openly advocating the use of waist trainers on their social media, and how the sales of diet pills continue to increase. Are these fashionable slimming techniques really that healthy?

However it’s worth also considering the rising profiles of plus-size models who are not only changing the way fashion is exhibited on the runway and in glossy magazines, but are also re-imagining the world’s perspective on how we define health and beauty.

Vogue US made a recent breakthrough on inclusivity with its choice to make Ashley Graham the first plus-size model to be on its cover. However, the decision was met with much controversy when Graham was seen to be the only one seemingly covering her body while the other six models were not. Along with Gigi Hadid’s scarily photo-shopped wrist which hid much of Graham’s waist-line, many people took to social media to question why the only plus-size model in the line-up was the one directed to cover her body.

Graham hit back at these comments, however, and stated, “I chose to pose like that.. [sic] no one told me to do anything.” Graham’s assertion that Vogue US did not insist on her posing differently to the other models advocates her stance on how the fashion world is beginning to give a wider variety of women greater visibility. By actively promoting her healthy eating and exercise regime, Graham is an example of how it’s possible to live a healthy lifestyle without being ‘sample size’.

By tackling body positivity issues in TED talks and through various fashion campaigns, Graham has been fighting to break the barriers between ‘sample size’ and sizes which go beyond. Most recently, Graham made history during New York Fashion Week by being the first plus-size model to walk for Michael Kors, which has catapulted the need for the inclusion of plus-size women in the world of high-fashion.

These moves by Michael Kors and Vogue US show how the fashion world is beginning to acknowledge that women come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and that fashion has to be accommodating for everyone.

By promoting ideas of inclusivity, designer fashion has the ability to make so many women feel good about themselves, and hopefully more brands will follow on from Michael Kors’ excellent example: “I have always waved the flag for a wide range of customers. It’s my job. My job is to make everyone feel great.”

Style on stilts

When I started university almost three years ago now, I arrived with a uniform I adopted several years before. Black jeans, black top, black coat, black shoes… you probably get the picture. I took solace in the shade; there’s no difficulty in styling plus it’s flattering and easy to wear (although sometimes impossible when searching for that one particular black top amongst fifteen identical others). I resolutely believed I had found my chosen style of monochrome monotony, with an occasional guest star role of red lipstick or a pink top on nights out.

Following the indiscernible occurrence of an unexpected plot twist, my wardrobe converted to a cacophony of colour and material. Every item has a story to tell and, best of all, I can now tell my t-shirts apart (not that this makes dressing for the day any easier or quicker).

In true Carrie Bradshaw fashion, I keep my money exactly where I can see it: hanging in my wardrobe. My parents and the loan repayment system probably have a different opinion as to where my money should be but we can’t agree on everything. Instead I argue my wardrobe to be more an investment towards my career goals as a fashion journalist: a walking résumé perhaps?

It only goes to show that our personal style continually evolves and adapts to our environment and new chapters in our lives. For instance, my wardrobe possibly contains a good half of all vintage products that circulated the Northern Quarter in 2015 or the Didsbury charity shops in 2016 (don’t knock ‘em til you try ‘em).

I hold the belief that our style and clothes strongly reflect who we are, which is in turn is strongly influenced by where we are. I often wonder how I would differ had I studied at a different university, lived in a different city, or denied the presence of any other colour in my wardrobe.

My friend once noted the striking contrast between our close group’s clothing choices. Each and every one reflects their wearer’s characteristics, presenting a group of very different personalities and personal style. But then, whilst the wardrobes clearly change enormously from person to person, they all complement one another — (insert any cliché “friends forever” quotation). As anyone who’s lived in halls or shared a house will know, it makes for one fabulously enormous communal wardrobe.

So in first year, I was black Nikes, khaki coat, and black body con dresses all over. Now, I am multi-coloured jeans, six-inch boots and vintage jackets. And whilst I like to think I’ve found my style, what suits me and what makes me feel good, it’s interesting to think how this might change in another three years… Hopefully when I don’t have to sacrifice a few meals to justify a new pair of heels.

Album: Ryan Adams — Prisoner

Released 17th February via PAX AM

7/10

Divorces are tough: take Ryan Adams’ word for it. Prisoner, his sixteenth album, is so inextricably linked to the recent breakdown of his marriage to pop singer Mandy Moore that it might have well have been titled Hey, Let’s Get a Divorce!

The record predictably delivers heartbreak coddled in Adams’ mismatched sonic universe, happily jumping from vicious power chords to handpicked folk; an impressive blend that he always brings together with his unmatched flair for melody.

On the album’s title track, he proudly wears his influences on his sleeve — his love for the Smiths bleeds through the jangly riff, whilst the broad, welcoming warmth of the song tips its hat to vintage Springsteen. The result is rainy Americana that sounds as familiar as it is new; it reminds us that Adams’ palette has grown considerably over the years (the wild, incomprehensible hair remains a distant remnant of his days as the enfant terrible of the alt-country scene).

‘Shiver and Shake’ is deliberately gloomy hark back to Adams’ take on ‘Shake It Off’, from his recent cover of Taylor Swift’s 1989. Both 1989 and Prisoner tackle the breakdown of relationships, but whilst the former had Adams capturing Tay Tay’s confident “It’s not me, it’s definitely you” sentiment, here he is excruciatingly fragile, vulnerable and regretful, his shaking a literal physical manifestation of how much he misses his ex-wife, rather than the figurative purging of so-called “haters”.

‘Breakdown’ has a magnificently curated sound. Built around an achingly handsome twelve-string riff, it is joined by a heavy melancholia of swirling guitars and heart-wrenching vocals from Adams, breaking back into his Nashville sensibilities. Unfortunately, the lyrics stop the song from being the centrepiece of the record; “Thorn in my side / Pain I can’t hide / Diamonds that won’t shine” comes across as a clichéd, even trivialised tirade.

This is peculiar, since it comes from someone whose previous work is littered with distinctive and unforgettable takes on heartbreak. However, given that the record is inspired from what he has admitted as being the toughest period of his life, it is tempting to take the words as ultra-transparent. After all, clichés almost always come from a place of great and terrible truth.

‘Do You Still Love Me?’ is another song that seems to suffer from the problem of sub-par lyrics being overlaid over a fantastic track. Still, the incandescent, epileptic sound of crashing guitars infuse the song with an intimidating insecurity, making you wonder if Adams’ question is more of a pathetic plea to not be hurt rather than one asking for the truth.

‘Doomsday’ finds him in better form with his words “my love, how can you complicate a kiss”, which features his trademark mournful harmonica, while ‘We Disappear’ is an ethereal closer driven by an unflinching drum-beat over which Adams finally seems to find acceptance. His echoing guitars accompany the album to the end, with a mild sense of something new on the horizon.

A couple of lyrical missteps aside, Prisoner is an accomplished addition to the canon of classic break-up albums. Tellingly, it leaves you inconveniently and impatiently waiting for your next heartbreak, for a passable excuse to stagger back into the all-too-lucid pain of the record.

Do not use ‘girl code’ to destruct ‘girl power’

Today, the term girl code gets used a lot throughout everyday conversations, films, television shows, and social media posts. If girl code was used in the way that it was originally intended, to support other women, to discourage cheating, to encourage honesty, and to ultimately enforce girl power, then I would not be able to fault it. As a concept, yes, girl code is something amazing and should empower women. However, this on most occasions never appears to be the case.

It has been brought to my attention how girls use the theory of girl code to punish another woman for a man’s actions. This act not only encourages a girl to remain in a relationship that she is not valued or respected in, but also belittles the place of women within society against men. It suggests that men can live a sexually free life with no consequences but that women cannot.

It is understandable that a girl that has deep emotional feelings for a boy would choose to believe anything that he says in order to keep him in her life. However, the story of a girl forgiving her cheating partner and remaining in a relationship with him whilst ridiculing, targeting, and holding an undying grudge against the ‘other’ girl has become too common within our society. The point that I am trying to make is that men and women should receive the same treatment in regards to their sexual behaviour.

If you forgive your partner, you do not have the right to mistreat the ‘other’ girl. Girl code encourages women to expose cheaters but what happens nowadays if you tell a girl that her boyfriend is cheating on her? You are automatically deemed as the one in the wrong so it has now become easier to just keep quiet. There is a reason that there is no such thing as ‘boy code’, but I’ll leave you to think about that one.

It is ironic to have a concept named girl code that has grown to ultimately revolve around men. You should be able to trust that your boyfriend will not cheat on you, rather than relying on other women to not engage in a relationship with him.

Some girls do not know that a boy has a girlfriend when engaging in sexual relations with him, yet more often than not, the boy gets away scot-free and all blame is placed onto the ‘other’ girl. At the end of the day, it is him that has loyalties, not a stranger. As hard as it may be, emotional feelings must be pushed aside when dealing with a situation such as those mentioned in this article and you must try to see the bigger picture.

A concept that once was about unifying women has become something that is now used to weaken them. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie claimed that “we raise girls to see each other as competitors not for jobs or accomplishments… but for the attention of men.

“We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.” If girl code continues to be used in any other way than its original intended form, we run the risk of strengthening gender inequality rather than eliminating it.

There are more important things to be in competition with a fellow woman for than for the attention of men. We cannot risk mistaking the need for ‘girl power’ with the use of girl code.

Record Reappraisal: Ryo Fukui — Scenery

At the beginning of the 1970s, American jazz at its most creative had long since been and gone. There floundered a genesis of newer genres, more innovative, exciting and popular than ever before. Over the years, jazz dropped lower and lower down the pecking order, increasingly playing second fiddle to rock, funk and soul.

Even the most revered of artists tried to keep up, welding their musical styles with more commercially lucrative music. Fusion grew and fusion failed. The United States had grown tired of the increasingly experimental and complicated developments, and people wanted music they could dance to. American jazz had become a musical underclass.

Elsewhere in the world at this time however, the genre experienced a rather contrasting fortune. In ’70s Japan, jazz was only just beginning to dig its feet into the ground. After World War II had come to its atomic conclusion on the western shores of Honshu and Kyushu, American culture was seen as being too, well, American. In fact, during the 1940s, there was even an attempt to ban jazz music wholesale, being labelled “enemy music”.

This hostility did not prove to be so steadfast. During the post-war Allied Occupation, the presence of American troops in the Land of the Rising Sun began to increase. Growing weary of native traditional music, slow and folky, troops lusted for the music that had once graced their ears back home. Musicians were hired, shown, and taught. Japanese jazz was kicked off with a swing.

As the years went on, Japan’s newfound national obsession with jazz ballooned. It was in 1976, though, that the genre came to a previously unreached summit, when Hokkaidoan pianist Ryo Fukui released his debut record Scenery. Incredibly, Fukui had only began to learn his instrument six years prior, self-taught from the age of 22. Encompassing mastery seemingly far beyond these few years of experience, Fukui stunned Japanese audiences with distinct takes on classic jazz standards.

Entirely instrumental and driven by the piano playing of Fukui, the hard bop style is remarkably accessible, and yet to no detriment of quality: a combination considered almost fictitious to most. Playful tunes meet possessing ballads: grippingly melodic keys sweep and swathe backwards and forwards amongst themselves, a musical winding forest pathway. It’s gorgeous.

The album is a dreamland: at once as sombre as it is uplifting. The second track, ‘I Want To Talk About You’, aches the heart: a slow, pleading yet peaceful tone gracefully wanders by. Astounding both in aesthetic and technique, gliding keys simply ooze one into the other as smooth as butter. And yet immediately afterwards, the third track ‘Early Summer’ erupts into a sky-high tempo piano solo, a tip-toe chase as frantic as it is wonderfully crafted. ‘Scenery’ is a melting pot: its stirrer, Fukui’s consistently powerful, elegant style.

Out of everything, the truly great feature of this modal masterpiece is the creation of such originality from such often heard jazz classics. There is a clear presence of creative improvisation, refreshing and reworking plenty-played tracks from Crosby and Coltrane in a distinctly unique manner. And for as much as the piano leads the way, the others in the trio only add to the superb aural quality of the music: the drums are resounding yet skillfully tethered and the bass pleasantly wanders, cumulating in a brilliant solo on the penultimate track ‘Autumn Leaves’. It’s really quite a combination.

The album ends with the eponymous sixth piece ‘Scenery’, sublimely mingling the noticeable dichotomy of mood throughout the album together into one track. Both gleeful and earnest, this final track is almost ceremonial of the album’s impending conclusion. As easy as it is to become saddened by the definiteness of the music, it is just as easy to become saddened by a reminder of the absolute absence of acclaim this album and its creator received. It feels such a shame that a wondrous creation of sound borne of supreme natural talent went by almost unnoticed around the world.

After crafting another beautiful album the following year, Mellow Dream, Fukui rarely visited recording studios. He was a believer in the power of live music over anything else: to him, performance and improvisation were essential. Frequenting the jazz clubs of Tokyō and Nagoya, Fukui became a fan favourite: revered only by word-of-mouth. A year after his final recording, a live album from his time at the ‘Slowboat’ jazz club closer to home in Sapporo, Fukui sadly passed away with malignant lymphoma in March 2016.

The music world is rife with injustices. Surely amongst these, one most prominent injustice can be said to be the music the Western zeitgeist has failed to even acknowledge. Japan may have been late to the jazz party, but they brought one of the best gifts to the table. Scenery didn’t attempt to break barriers. It is simply an incredibly personal, supreme blend of jazz from all eras: and a crying shame that it is as little-known as it is exquisite.

Are the police letting students down?

Last week, my close friend was violently assaulted on Oxford Road in broad daylight. She was walking down the busiest university street a mere 200 meters from the Students’ Union. While heading into Subway, she made eye contact with a homeless man. He must have taken this the wrong way as he followed her to the door and began aggressively yelling at her and then proceeded to punch her in the back of the head three times.

Fortunately, four men, to whom I will always be grateful, came flying out of Subway to her aid. They scared him off while managing to capture a photo. Apparently, he claimed that he had tried to “flirt” with her and she had not responded so he found it necessary to attack her. Worryingly, as he fled a pair of sharp pliers fell out of his pocket — the incident could have been far more severe. As it was, my friend escaped with a mild concussion.

I have come to realise that this sort of story is not too unfamiliar to Manchester students; the majority of people I have told have reported similar incidents (though few as violent) along Oxford Road. Even worse, this story, so far, is not the most remarkable, but what followed was. The four men who helped my friend continued to look after her in Subway and then called the police.

They waited over an hour and, after calling again to check if they were still coming, the police said they were too busy to come in person. They took my friend’s number but gave her no log number and only called her briefly two days later to confirm her name and basic details of the incident. They didn’t ask for the photographs of her attacker nor were they clear as to whether anything would be done to find the perpetrator. If the police were to have done their job, they would have four witness statements, pictures of the assailant, and CCTV of the whole incident. I think this would be considered a ‘watertight’ case.

Instead, a mentally unstable and violent man still roams the streets, a danger to himself and others. Having reflected on these events for a few days I have come to the conclusion that the police have neither the budget nor the inclination to properly protect students, and perhaps the rest of the population. Either way, this is a local and national embarrassment.

I myself was burgled at the start of this year and it took over a week for the police to come round to take statements. In fact, the thieves even made the mistake of ordering from my housemate’s Amazon account, allowing us to view their address. Yet, even then the police did not seem capable of apprehending them. It must be noted that all the individual officers and staff that I encountered were incredibly professional and helpful. Rather, it appears that there are just not enough of them.

Hence, this is a systemic issue. After calling the police for the sixth time, my friend was told that Greater Manchester Police would not investigate the incident because a) it would not be in the ‘public interest’, and b) it was not worth the expenditure of resources.  The person she spoke to on the phone also said the reasons why there are “seven officers out in the field for South and Central Manchester” was excessive paperwork, not cuts to police funding. I find this to be unacceptable.

Perhaps most worryingly, the official she spoke to recommended that, for “personal satisfaction” my friend could take things into her own hands by publicising the details of the incident on social media. This seems very desperate and dangerous advice. The homeless man that attacked my friend was not an evil man but, rather, a highly unstable one. If someone were to see this man in the street, perhaps after hearing a warped version of the original incident, his safety may be put at risk.

If the police are failing to keep university students safe on the road which runs through the heart of the campus, then the university has a responsibility to provide more security. There appears to be fewer guards patrolling the university campus this year compared to last.

Moreover, the homeless problem is worsening. In my first year as a fresher I was struck by the number of people sleeping rough and begging on the streets of Manchester, especially along Oxford Road. Many of them would ask you for change. For the most part, they would wish you a good day regardless of your level of charity. However, there is a more worrying nature to many of those on Oxford Road. They ask more earnestly, even fervently, often not taking no for an answer, with some even following you meters down the road. The university must react to the challenges stemming from the growing homeless problem because it compromises the safety of students. I am not certain of the best solutions moving forward, but if students are paying the university £9000 a year we should feel safer while walking through its very centre.

I believe that students should demand more from the police force and more from the university; I would like to see more.

We should not give in to ‘alternative facts’

On Meet the Press, 22nd January, presenter Chuck Todd questioned counselor Kellyanne Conway about the administration’s claims that Trump’s inauguration crowds were the largest ever. The conversation was spirited and evasive on Conway’s part. Todd pressed, demanding an answer as to “answer the question of why the president asked the White House press secretary to come out in front of the podium for the first time and utter a falsehood?” At this point, and with a gulp as if she was swallowing back vomit, Conway said that the administration had simply presented “alternative facts.”

The phrase has stuck. Since its conception in that fateful interview, the spectre of the alternative fact has become a mainstay of modern life. Did you make an unverifiable claim on a large public platform? Invoke an alternative fact. Unable to prove that three million voters were shipped into New Hampshire for electoral fraud? That fact was alternative. Lose a bet that you could down a pint in under three seconds? It was alternative beer.

Unfortunately, the “alternative fact” excuse seems to perfectly crystallise the new world of ‘post-truth’ politics. The phrase embodies all the contradictions and linguistic contortion of the Trump presidency, as well as the general lack of social consensus of objective fact. It seems to be something from satire rather than a serious statement from a Washington representative. It’s so fitting that it makes one wonder if it was intentional. The term even has its own Wikipedia page (“Part of a series on Misinformation and Disinformation”).

And this is in the wake of 2016, which has been hailed as ‘the year that facts died’. Indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary chose ‘post-truth’ as its word of the year, due to the increasing reliance on how true something ‘feels’ rather than whether or not its provable. As Stephen Colbert aptly summarised it a decade ago in his satirical White House Correspondents Dinner, “We go straight from the gut, because that’s where the truth lies.”

Unsurprisingly, sales of George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four have rocketed in the wake of the Newspeak-esque coinage; the novel reached #6 on Amazon’s best seller list. Twitter users have been quoting eerily apt extracts from the book: “If all other accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth.”

The alternative fact looms large not only in the US, where the President claims to have had the largest electoral college winning margin since Ronald Reagan (which was immediately shot down by a reporter), but also on our side of the pond. You may remember the infamous Leave-campaign bus, with a £350 million per week promise of funds for the NHS, a claim that seems to hold no water and shows no sign of materialising.

The problem lies in part with the deluge of information we face everyday. While the unprecedented access to data is no bad thing in itself, the sheer volume is overwhelming and clearly leads to conflict about the ‘facts’ of reality. On The New York Times website, William Davies observed that, “There are too many sources, too many methods, with varying levels of credibility, depending on who funded a given study and how the eye-catching number was selected.” Furthermore, he noted that it’s possible to have almost any fact endorsed by an ‘expert’ or other institution.

However, the situation is not as bleak as it may seem. Luckily for us, there is an objective reality which no amount of falsehood can alter. Take one of President Trump’s central campaign promises, the border wall with Mexico. Before his victory at the election, Trump estimated that the wall would cost around $8 billion, the number creeping up over the course of the campaign to around $12 billion. But, the actual cost would be around $25 billion for raw materials alone, excluding labour and maintenance. In addition, the US government has attempted previously to build border-walls, which have failed due to the difficulty of violating private property and burial ground rights. This particular issue was discussed in great detail and with much hilarity by John Oliver on Last Week Tonight.

The wall then, like the inflated inauguration crowds or the elusive £350 million for the NHS, is contradicted by reality. What John Oliver does on his show is the kind of journalism we need: to take claims and facts and interrogate them not just in satire for comedy’s sake, but in the wider media.

We may not be able to enlighten the Trump administration about the nature of its lies, but for the sake of the world’s citizens, we have a duty to stand by principles of truth. We should not let the demonstrable lies of others lead us to abandon fact. We should not allow post-truth politics and alternative facts to hijack meaningful conversations. As the above-mentioned quote from Nineteen Eighty-Four goes, the lie only passes into truth if everyone believes it. It is critical, then, that we resist falsehood and pursue truth.

Review: The Lego Batman Movie

The Lego Movie was a surprise to many, it overcame a lot of people’s expectations and due to its success we now have The Lego Batman Movie; directed by Chris Mckay and starring Will Arnett as Batman. The Lego Batman movie is ultimately a spin off to its predecessor rather than a sequel, as the entirety of the film stays within the Lego DC universe; thereby having fewer references to other Lego franchises as a whole. The film centres around our favourite caped crusader who’s really quite a narcissist, which is not what people expect when they think of the mainstream Batman.

The huge advantage this movie has is the property of Batman itself. Over the years Batman has had a large range of media that this film can pull from, you have weird characters and that you may even ask yourself, “were they actually real?”. The film embraces this by poking fun at all the other incarnations of Batman over the years – having references to as far back to his first appearance in 1939 and even brave enough to delve into the really camp era of Batman in the 1960s. There are call-backs to all versions of Batman, and if you are a long time Batman fan being well versed in the Batman mythos, a lot of the subtler jokes are only going to enhance your viewing experience.

The beginning of the film immediately establishes the tone of the movie, maintaining that huge sense of humour, giving the film such a high level of energy. This is apparent throughout the majority of this movie, where they have a continuous flurry of jokes, to the point where the jokes are so tightly packed together it can sometimes be exhausting to process it all. There are parts where the film does slow down to the point it can be a shock, in contrast to the first half an hour of this film of high energy — you aren’t initially segued into the more heart-felt family dynamic of this film. That being said, the theme of family and how people need one another is a strong element in the story, and one that works well.

One of the highlights of this film has to be the Joker, depicted by Zach Galifianakis. Galifianakis’ portrayal of the Joker has the character in a love-hate relationship with Batman. It’s presented in a version of a lovers spat, as the Joker wants Batman to admit that he loves to fight him and hates him, and above all else he needs the Joker to feel complete. But Batman can’t admit that as he has emotionally isolated himself from everyone, which creates a hilarious scenario leaving the Joker feeling betrayed and unappreciated.

Moreover, the animation is a delight to look at, with its unique aesthetic style of looking like the actual Lego sets you can purchase. The colours are done brilliantly, with the use of dark colours and bright oranges to make Gotham city look visually pleasing. The presentation of the Lego style of stop motion animation makes everything in this film that much more endearing. The fact that Lego are building blocks for creativity, the film is only limited by its imagination.

If you are a long time Batman fan, I would highly recommend this film for you. However, if you are a fan of films in general, there’s enough in this film to keep you engaged and certainly enough to have you laughing out loud. The Lego Batman Movie is a breath of fresh air, highlighting the lighter sides of the Dark Knight — showing us that Batman is a superhero that doesn’t need to be constantly dark and serious to be enjoyable.

4/5

The style file

Most of the time I don’t tend to follow the rule ‘less is more’; instead I live by the motto that more is absolutely fabulous. This mantra means that I often mix leopard print with fur and/or feathers and my trusty leather look trousers.

My style is similar to a child in a sweet shop; I want to wear all of my favourite items at once so my feather jacket from Mimi and Bow with my faux fur stole from Zara is not an unusual combination for me. Whilst I have a few daring pieces, I tend to keep my top and trousers/skirt simple and in plain colours. A classic V-neck t-shirt is the ultimate companion to my wardrobe, while in winter I usually opt for a fluffy grey jumper or a turtleneck.

Leopard is my go to print and is usually the only pop of colour in my otherwise monochrome look. About four years ago I bought a leopard print cocoon style coat from Tesco — yes, Tesco which happens to be amazing for the odd designer inspired pieces at super affordable prices — which has seen me through the seasons.

It is light enough to wear in the spring but also great for winter when you can layer underneath it. It is perfect for throwing on at university to brighten up my outfit when my daily look is a boring uniform of jeans and trainers. Somehow the Baltic library doesn’t seem to be a worthy destination to rock my feather jacket.

Whilst prior to university I was adamant that I would not convert to a casual everyday look, it had never been my style; I have found myself wearing a variation of the same items each week. Comfort and warmth have overtaken my desire to be well dressed — but my university look of jeans and a jumper definitely does not define my style.  Jackets are my absolute weakness. Biker, bomber, fur, or fringed you name it and I probably have some variation of the style hanging in my wardrobe.

Encouraged by my mum from a young age that a good jacket is an investment piece, I have acquired a huge selection over the years. Luckily I have bought the same size in jackets for the past six years so I now have quite a collection of different styles.

I am a total hoarder when it comes to clothes, so I very rarely throw anything out, meaning that I do have some questionable items hanging in my wardrobe, but as my wise mother says ‘fashion comes round in a full circle’ so I must hang on to my more out there pieces because they will almost definitely be cool again. For now I am waiting for purple sequin blazers to make a comeback…

Heeled boots are my ultimate footwear choice but I am also majorly coveting mules at the minute, my favourite are my mules in, you’ve guessed it, leopard print that I spotted in River Island just before Christmas and have been a firm fixture of my wardrobe ever since. Currently I am styling them with my leather look jeans. The shoes are perfect for dressing up a plain outfit. Despite having a heel, the shoes are comfortable and great for transitioning my outfit from day to night.

When it comes to jewellery, I am definitely not a simple kind of gal. I am usually draped in bangles, necklaces and rings by my favourite jewellery designer Daniella Draper, a brand started by a local girl from Cleethorpes.

A battered silver aesthetic complete with stunning stones from citrine to amethyst and rose quartz, the jewellery is completely different to styles you would ordinarily find on the high street. These accessories complete my look and give me, along with most of the female population of Cleethorpes, a signature jingle jangle with every movement. Not quite appropriate for the lecture theatre.

According to my housemates I channel the Posh Spice look circa ’96, I am not sure that’s entirely true but I’ll take that over Sporty Spice any day. Long live the LBD and fabulously high heels.

Personal style

In my eyes, having your own personal style is of paramount importance. In a sense I would say I am massively into fashion and style, perhaps not in the high fashion sense, but I really love looking for new styles and trying out new things. If I had to sum up my style in three words it would be mad, pink, rainbows.

There are most definitely recurring themes throughout my wardrobe. I am almost always wearing Doc Martens, and more often than not I’m also in leggings (Black Milk and American Apparel are my favourite). I love love love pink, bright patterns, and characters such as Mulan, Hello Kitty, Miffy, and My Little Pony. I’m not so good at dressing smart or looking sophisticated, and in my eyes nothing beats high waisted leggings and a crop top on a night out.

I would say that a lot of my inspiration comes from Japanese fashion, particularly the streets of Harajuku. There are a lot of different denominations of J-fashion and I wouldn’t say I subscribe particularly to one; but rather I enjoy forming new ideas from exploring a variety of them. Growing up in Brighton has also had a large influence in shaping the way I look. With so many people expressing themselves through their appearance and countless individual shops, it’s so easy to be influenced by all the cool characters around you.

Alongside clothing, I believe hair and makeup are just as important within personal style. I have never focused particularly on accessories, and despite having twelve piercings I tend to always keep the same jewellery in them, so not very exciting. Like the rest of my clothes, my hair and makeup are tainted with glitter and rainbows. My hair is currently pink with streaks of blue, lilac, lavender, and green in it. I frequently change up the colour, but some sort of pink is always involved. I’m super into make up as well, hence why I write for the fashion and beauty section, and I love experimenting with lots of highlighter, different lip colours and fitting as many shades of eyeshadow onto my eyelids at any one time (my record is eighteen, in case you were wondering).

Even when I am working out or in my pyjamas, my look is consistent. My pjs are usually pink with Hello Kitty or Miffy on them, and my gym clothes tend to be made up of patterned leggings and bright pink tops, feeling good within yourself and your clothing is important whether you’re working out, napping, or doing a food shop, so I always leave the house in an outfit I’m happy with.

I do get a lot of stick from strangers because of my appearance, laughing, pointing, staring, making comments and on one occasion a man at the bus stop gave a small scream when I turned round and he saw my green lipstick. But the positivity that stems from my wardrobe, make up collection, and the compliments on the street makes me so happy, so who cares what anyone else thinks?

I truly believe that surrounding myself with cute characters, bright colours and a load of pink makes me so much happier and brightens my day, and is enjoyed by those around me.

 

 

Photo: The Mancunion

Where will this populism lead us?

The inherent instability of Donald Trump’s administration will end in one of two ways. Either, a) the President with be arrested or impeached, or b) the United States will declare war against a weaker, and predominantly Muslim, nation, under the pretext of security. Soon, it will not be enough for President Trump to enact security at home, and so he will take measures abroad. As well as security issues, such actions will also serve to cover for his apparent lack of ability to lead a nation of any size, let alone the U.S. This lack of political ability is well demonstrated by the recent resignation of Michael Flynn from the administration.

This turbulence, though, serves a purpose; it is part of a observable pattern within authoritarian political movements, which can be summarised as follows: Step one: identify a grievance unique to a particular group in society (the target base). Step two: reinforce and exaggerate the extent of the grievance. Step three: scapegoat a group as the supposed cause of national problems. Step four: conditioning the base target group to associate a problem with the scapegoat.

Step five: promise solutions to solve the problem, and punish those causing it. Step six: pass the solution onto the target base, stating that they must share the weight of the burden such as sacrificing liberty for security. Step seven: continually state that the problem is not yet solved and more must be done. Step eight: take steps to (further) militarise aspects of the culture and society. Step nine: portray those who are not a part of the base as traitors to the cause. Step 10: declare war against internal and/or external enemies.

Whilst all of these processes are carried out, there are also attempts to silence dissenters, and a gradual but overt elevation of the candidate to increasingly high levels of status to the point that a cult of personality begins to form. In addition, there is also the constant use of emotion over reason as a tool of persuasion, typically coupled with a growing language of struggle and violence. Those who critique the movement are referred to as weak or infantile to reinforce the beliefs of the base.

In every populist, nationalistic, and authoritarian movement these steps are followed. The exact order may vary, as this is dependent on the nature of the movement itself and its context. Nevertheless, it is clear that many of the tactics utilised by Donald Trump and his puppet masters, as well as the various other demagogues across the world, follow such a pattern.

Within the British media, too, there are people responsible for recent tides of populism. Propagandists in multiple outlets have frequently scapegoated immigrants as the causes of all problems in society, whilst reinforcing irrational attachments to dogmatic nationalism and identity. In fact, it is more accurate to say that they are beneficiaries of it. Increasing nationalist sentiments results in increased profits for outlets peddling it as a product.

If this current period of Western politics results in a declaration of war by a strong country against a weaker one, people must recognise what is unfolding before them, regardless of the morality of the weaker power. Whilst terrorist organisations such as so-called ISIS must be defeated, it is likely that the major powers involved in the conflict will find ways to prolong it. Either the focus will move to another group, or there will never be a decisive victory, and so some form of conflict against an ever-present threat will continue. If Vladimir Putin is allowed to acquire even greater power in Syria, under the guise of being an ally in the fight against ISIS, victory will never be achieved by the democratic and liberal world.

Freedom by its very definition entails a degree of insecurity. But with it comes potential and power to choose how we live. Life might feel safe within a cage, but this is not really any sort of life. Plans are underway to surround the Eiffel Tower in a blast and bulletproof wall. Whilst such a construction might defend the tower from attacks, it furthers that sense of required security — of total safety over freedom and risk.

Whenever a cog in the propaganda machine starts to call for support of a dear and all-powerful leader, they do so to control the ideas of the audience. Those who disagree, even if they are demonstrably right in what they are saying, are silenced. All the while, the believers feel safe in their echo chamber of group-think. This is already the case in Britain and the United States, wherein both the left and the right wings attempt to pressure the centrists to conformity in one way or another.

Collectivism inevitably leads to conformity, which in turn suppresses rational thought, then unstable and vicious political movements. And so the cycle goes. Those wishing to oppose all of this need to realise that it is not inevitable. All of this can be prevented if centrists, united, speak out in a louder voice, and take action more visibly than at present.

Only when there is no opposition can demagogues succeed. This is no time for apathy.

READ THIS: Pewdiepie and clickbait

The popular Youtuber, ‘Pewdiepie’, or Felix Kjellberg, has recently been the subject to a media storm concerning allegations that he had made ‘anti-Semitic’ comments and advocated ‘fascist’ beliefs. He has been coined an anti-Semite by multiple major news outlets, most notoriously, the Wall Street Journal. 

One action that has led to these accusations derives partially from a video in which Pewdiepie displays two men holding a sign that read ‘Death to all Jews’. For this — and nine other videos which the Wall Street Journal found to contain anti-Semitic or Nazi imagery — the young Swede has faced fairly severe consequences. His network, Maker Studios, cut ties with him and his show, Scare Pewdiepie, which has been cancelled. He has, however, retained access to his 53 million YouTube followers.

What startles me is the unbelievable power that some media outlets have that allows them to twist the truth without facing consequences. I believe that, whilst his jokes were indeed crass and a little puerile, upon closer inspection it is clear that Mr. Kjellberg is certainly no ‘anti-semite’. The headline ‘When did fascism become so cool’ from The Independent is an outrageous misrepresentation of the Youtuber.

Whilst his choice of words were stupid, Mr Kjellberg has clearly stated that he was demonstrating the lengths to which people would go to for five dollars. He even says in the video, “I didn’t think they’d actually do it!”, and that “I’m not anti-Semitic or anything”.

The Wall Street Journal, took his video completely out of context. They portrayed the man as an active supporter of anti-Semitic beliefs. They even used a video of him dressed in a fascist uniform as evidence for their claim, one in which he was satirising the media’s representation of him by dressing up as a racist. Because of this horrible and repeated falsification, his reputation has been inexorably tarnished. Even esteemed author J.K Rowling jumped on the bandwagon without proper research, re-tweeting the aforementioned article from The Independent.

By no means am I excusing him of all blame. With such a large viewership, he simply must act as a role model and should have been more sensitive to the fact that many of his viewers are children. However, this relentless personal attack on him is extremely worrying.

Furthermore, there is an underlying issue in journalism here: fake news, clickbait, and hyperbole. Larger news outlets are capable of spreading malicious rumours, influencing millions of people and sometimes simply lying to their readers unchecked. This is particularly the case in regards to online news. Do we receive much real news anymore, or is it just another clickbait title made to draw you in?

Part of the reason Pewdiepie was targeted is that he is the most subscribed-to, and arguably the most successful, Youtuber on the planet. This means that any story defaming him, or portraying him in a negative light was bound to generate a lot of attention. The result has been the spreading of unfair and malicious lies.

He is not the first online figure to have been publicly defamed. In 2016, there was a particularly nasty case of false reporting, whereby one Youtuber, Keemstar, who runs the news channel ‘Drama Alert’, accused a sixty two year old Twitch streamer of being a paedophile and in doing so reduced the man to tears on his own video game stream. Whilst Keemstar made a public apology, the spreading of spiteful rumours about an innocent person for clicks — in a similar vein to the Wall Street Journal‘s work on Pewdiepie — borders on psychotic.

Perhaps one reason for the recent prevalence of this issue is that so many more people use online sites to get their news, rather than picking up a physical paper. Of course, for online media outlets, the more clicks, the better. Therefore, there is a temptation for writers and editors to use fantastical, eye catching headlines to lure in the reader. As a result, many outlets are running similar stories in order to captivate as large an audience as possible.

My final example of ‘false media’, is the incredible blunder that many outlets made in sharing the headline that CNN “Aired 30 minutes of pornography”. This headline went viral and was reported widely across social media, until it was revealed that the source of this news was a single tweet saying “uhhh CNN is straight up porn right now”. After this was discovered, many sites either deleted the headline or changed it to “CNN denies airing pornography”. The fact that insufficient checks or background research was performed for these articles exposes the illegitimacy of certain outlets and the danger that they pose.

All of this makes the reader further question the accuracy of all online content. One might presume that, as technology advances, and knowledge becomes more readily available, the reliability of these articles would improve. However, we are faced with quite the opposite: a degenerative news system whose main priority is money. I would simply advise caution with what you read online.

Live: Blaenavon

Thursday 16th February 2016

9.5/10

Upon my arrival at the Albert Hall to see Sundara Karma, I was told very good things about Blaenavon, who were tonight’s main support act. Arriving just in time for Blaenavon’s performance, I was far from disappointed. The band’s presence was instantly entrancing when they stormed the stage, receiving roars from the brash Manchester crowd. The atmosphere felt like I was watching their own headline show. Beginning their set with ‘Hell Is In My Head’ I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. Lead singer Ben Gregory dressed in a beautiful beige suit, instantly made an impression. “I’ll be the only one you’ll ever find” he beams, the sensual guitar riffs that follow, result in the crowd moving everywhere, bodies flailing to the beat. “Lets Pray” shortly follows, an upbeat and melodic track, sees all the crowd singing “Lets pray, lets pray, lets pray for death” in sequential unison, whilst a mosh pit opens in the process. Before playing their next track, Ben takes a quick moment to thank Sundara Karma for taking them on tour “It’s been sweet”, announcing that this is their last night of the tour. Talk about going out with a bang.

After a short pause, filled by the crowd roaring “Manchester La la la” common courtesy of Manchester night life, the band proceed to play ‘My Bark Is Your Bite’ clearly an old, fan favourite. Fans’ hands, whether old or new flail in the air; the crowd surging from front to back. New single ‘Orthodox Man’ shortly follows, already a familiar track with many of the audience members who can be seen singing the song word for word. ‘I Will Be The World’ beams loud, euphoric guitar riffs, the band proceed to throw themselves across the stage, using every ounce of their energy, with Ben throwing himself to the ground, the trio still retaining immense synchrony. No wonder the crowd are going wild in response. Closing their set with ‘Prague’ it seems like a fitting end to an astounding set. All the crowd jumping around going mad, screaming the lyrics “It’s you I said, keep running in my head. I swear its old” the dark, tuneful guitar riffs that follow create a euphoric environment. Ben then proceeds to go into the crowd, who seem elated by this “We’re a band called Blaenavon, thank you so fucking much”, and with that it was all over.

Blaenavon’s performance was something special. They made an everlasting impression on myself and countless others.  If this is what Blaenavon’s support slots are like, who knows what’s in store when the band return for a headline show at Deaf Institute in March. One thing’s for sure, if tonight is anything to go by. It will be something to remember.

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