Alcohol and the Drinking Culture

Alcohol and the Drinking Culture

We live in a society with a drinking culture, one that no one ever questions. It inevitable, you reach 18 and then you start drinking. You’ll probably go too far a few times but you’ll find what you like and see how much fun it is etc etc. People who do not drink are just being stubborn or something. Are they. I can look at this from the other side of the argument. I don’t drink and never will. That’s the decision I’ve made. I also realise it’s not for everyone. What others do is up to them and I respect that. Yet for some reason a vast majority of people I have ever known have tried to get me to drink. Why? Today I look into the drinking culture as well as alcohol’s history to try to understand and maybe put away any future quarrel on the subject. I ask for you to read the whole thing and try to do the same.

 

Where does alcohol as a beverage originate? Fermented beverages have been traced back as far as the Neolithic period as possible traces of alcohol have been found on stone edge jugs. This could be as far back as 10,000 BC. They could go back even further than this however as our ancient ancestors could’ve drank fermented liquids similarly to birds, insects and primates. There is also evidence of alcohol from jars from 7000 BC.

Babylonian Wine Goddess

 

The first documented evidence of beer is written in Sumerian from around 3200 BC. Sumerian was the ancient language of the Sumer, southern Mesopotamia which is modern day Iraq. There is evidence of brewing in Ancient Egypt around 3400 BC where beer and wine were offered to the Gods. Wine appeared as a finished product in Egyptian pictographs. Beer was in fact a major beverage among Babylonian society to a point where beer could have been a staple item before bread. The Babylonians actually worshipped a wine Goddess although it should be mentioned were critical of drunkenness.

 

Those are the early records of Alcohol but what has alcohol been used for outside of being a simple beverage. I’ve already mentioned alcohols role in certain Religions but it’s not just ancient religion that involves alcohol. While many religions treat alcohol as sinful some have more complex views. Christianity is a good example. Throughout the first 1800 years of Church Christians often consumed alcohol as it was treated as a gift from God. Despite this drinking too much was considered sinful. The Bible uses alcohol in usage and poetic expressions and it is said that Jesus and his disciples drank wine. I do not understand Religion enough to comment further but there is definitely something there.

 

There are two common concepts in Religion. Some Abstain (Restrain oneself from doing something) as a matter of prudence. These people believe total abstinence is the wisest and most loving way to live in present circumstances. Others abstain as a matter of law. They believe God requires abstinence in all ordinary circumstances.

 

Alcohol has also been used for medicinal purposes. The earliest signs of this was around 3000 BC where a jar in an ancient Egyptian tomb had remnants of wine and medicinal herbs. Romans used wine as wine is good at extracting the active elements from medicinal plants. It should be noted however that wine was all they had available. As late as the 1920’s alcohol was consumed for medicinal purposes. This was due to low cost and availability. Most commonly used was Gin and Whiskey (Sorry students not Vodka).  Of course alcohol is also used as an antiseptic and for anaesthetising effects.

 

Let’s throw some statistics around. Does anyone know what the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world is? Again students not Vodka, go to the back of the class. The answer is Soju, a spirit from Korea of all places. Soju cocktails according to the internet are available in this country so if you fancy a slightly different drink then there you go.

 

Let’s throw some statistics around. Did you know over 9 million people in England alone dink more than the recommended daily limit frequently? In fact Alcohol costs the UK around £21 billion a year in health care, crime and loss of productivity. Alcohol causes over 60 medical conditions. Alcohol costs every tax payer £120 a year towards the NHS for alcohol related incidents. In 2012 there were 178247 prescriptions for alcohol dependency. Not only is that increasing but there are many with alcohol dependency who did not seek help.

 

What do these statistics mean? Probably not a lot. Why do people drink? Ask someone and these are the answers you’ll receive.

It’s been a tough day/ I’m having a tough time. I wouldn’t know if this works. I doubt it. All I know is alcohol is technically a depressant, it causes low moods and anxiety. It can also prevent sleep too. I don’t think drinking by yourself would help you when you’re having a bad day. Drinking with other people is likely to help because you’re socialising and with other people.

 

It can be used as a form of impression management, to make others see you different with your newly found confidence from the drink. This is certainly not exclusive to alcohol so I’ll move on.

 

Perhaps the worst reason is that people use it for a high or ‘for the buzz’. I’m sorry this is the one reason I will outright tell you is wrong. Do you think taking drugs is wrong? People take drugs for this exact reason. People self-harm for this exact reason, hell people even commit crimes for this reason. Consumption should not be used to give you a high, surely this is a bad idea.

 

Social Lubricant. This is where things become more complex. I’m often told I should drink by my friends who I’ve known for years I should drink as it’ll help me open up and relax. I personally don’t think I should need outside help to relax when I’m around friends. Going to new places is a whole different kettle of fish. I’ll use university for an example. Going away, not knowing anyone and meeting new people is daunting. Drinking makes it easier. I made my decision to not drink, I have my reasons. I highly value being in control at all times and I see how alcohol can affect people and do not ever want to be in some types of situations. I can also have an addictive personality and do not believe alcohol is at all worth the risk. I lived in student halls. I went to many social events, I went to societies I lived in student halls surrounded by people. I didn’t make any friends in all this. People would go out without even telling me, I’d leave my room and the building would be empty. I don’t make friends easily but I can’t help but wonder how much not drinking hindered me. It’s impossible to say but I can say I wouldn’t have become so isolated if I’d joined in with the drinking. As soon as I missed a night out clubbing I was completely cut out of the loop.

 

There were actually sports club I was not able to join because they require a heavy drinking initiation. No one can think this is fair surely. I was in Liverpool studying Chemistry, every Chemistry Society event was a clubbing night. I’m not ignorant enough to say they shouldn’t have them but I thought there would be opportunities for people who don’t enjoy that sort of thing. There wasn’t. Sports clubs were often just there for the socialising afterwards. There’s nothing wrong with that but what about those who wanted to play competitively?

 

I tell people I don’t drink and they assume I’m judging them. I’m not. Sometimes it’s hard not to but I genuinely am not. But I say I don’t drink and people stare at me like I’m some alien creature before saying something like “Well done” or “Good for you”. Do people think I want a medal, that I think it puts me on a higher moral standing? This couldn’t be further from the truth it’s simply the choice I’ve made. Everyone who drinks, think about if you have ever tried to get others to drink? The answer is almost certainly yes. Have you ever spiked drinks? The first especially is considered fine. Imagine if I tried to stop someone drinking. There’d be outrage. I’ve never done this and never will but the fact remains that it would be considered wrong.

 

Pressuring people to drink is fine but pressuring people to stop is wrong? Doesn’t make sense does it. Why do people start drinking in the first place? We all know it has health risks and it can sap our self-control. The reason may change, they may start to enjoy it or to enjoy the flavours but it starts out as because everyone else does. To fit in. Honestly this is not unlike many other things in society but it is certainly more prevalent than most. It is true though, a lot of people decide to drink because of how many already do. It’s become something not to be questioned, something that’ll probably remain in society forever. You know what, that’s okay but it should be remembered that it’s not mandatory.

 

So what does all this mean? To me as a non - drinker it means as the minority to not judge and to accept that it’s there and to not be affected by it. What does it mean as a drinker? I wouldn’t know. Maybe that it’s your decision and yours alone. In this post I’ve tried to be respectful to both sides. I am obviously biased, but so are you. What I think is important is for everyone to understand and to accept the people who have a different view on the matter to them. So really it’s just like many other things. The difference is that usually when there is such an overwhelming majority on one side the other is clearly wrong in some way. Here this is most definitely not the case.

Teletubby Battle Royale - Who Would Win

Teletubby Battle Royale - Who Would Win

They don’t make children’s television like they used to. Teletubbies was a surreal experience full of strange noise and bright colours. It won a Bafta in 1998 and in total 365 episodes were made, coincidently one for each day of the year. Despite finishing over 10 years ago it still has a cult following to this day, probably due to its seemingly psychedelic quality. It was very successful and something someone around my age will surely remember.

 

 On the outside these strange walking television thing seem playful and innocent. They make strange noises and fall over a lot. Eve noticed how little life there is in Teletubby land. The Teletubbies killed everything. What else could it be? All these years the truth about their bloodlust had been hidden away. Until today. Today the residents of Teletubby land let out their violent nature to see who is the deadliest of them all. Today the teletubbes fight to see who would win a Teletubby battle royale.

 

This battle will take place in the far away hills, Teletubby land. There will be no outside assistance and there will be no temporary alliances. Each Teletubby will be allowed to use their signature item however. I’ll start by analysing each Teletubby individually so let’s start with Tinky Winky.

 

Tinky Winky is the largest and oldest Teletubby. He is purple and has a triangular antenna. Of all the Teletubbies Tinky Winky has had the most controversy as people have speculated for years about his sexuality. He was a male Teletubby but he has a fabulous red handbag and was coloured purple. He also has a triangular antenna similar to the gay pride symbol.

 

Before carrying on about his violent tendencies I’d like to point out how ridiculous this all is. One of the distributor of the show responded to all this by saying and I quote He’s not Gay, he’s not straight he’s just a character in a children’s series. Talk about looking into fictional characters too much. Now onto his murder methods.

 

Tinky Winky’s size could be a huge factor. Being the largest you would expect him to be the most physically powerful and in a one on one scrap he should be able to take out the other Teletubbies in a battle of strength. However in a four way battle this is an unlikely situation so while his strength would help, it wouldn’t be a deciding factor. It could be if he was one of the last 2 left though. However there is a catch. Being the largest will probably make Tinky Winky the least agile of the bunch and this could be a weakness to exploit.

 

Tink Winky’s triangular antenna would not give him any advantage in a battle situation. However his handbag seems like a very capable weapon. However not only is it powerful, it’s also unpredictable and adaptable to different situations.

 

In a situation with all the Teletubbies it could be used as a swinging weapon. Tinnky Winky could hold the bag by the strap and try to hit the others with it. Remember this strength would aid this attack. It could also be an extremely dangerous one on one weapon, used to strangle the other Teletubbies with its strap. Tinky Winky has the strength to pull this off.

 

There’s more though. Tinky Winky could also store weapons in the bag. He could easily fit some pepper spray for stunning his opponents or a knife to shank the other Teletubbies. There is however no proof of him being in possession of such weapons. What he could have however is a gun.

There was a reported incident of a Tinky Winky toy that reportedly said I got a Gun! Whether this is true or not will probably remain a mystery but it is possible for him to carry a small handgun in that bag. Such a weapon could be deadly, however it seems unlikely Tinky Winky would have a good aim considering how clumsy all the Teletubbies are in the show. However it certainly is a huge advantage for Tinky Winky and he is a force to be reckoned with.

 

Dipsy is the second largest TellyTubby. He is green, has a noticeably darker complexion and has a long straight antenna. Dipsy is more stubborn than the other Teletubbies and had been known to go against the group decision. I once saw him described on a poster as the cool Teletubby. This impies he would be most confident. His signature item is a hat.

 

Being second largest, Dipsy would likely be the second strongest. He would also be more agile than Tinky Winky he is more of an all-rounder. However he would still be able to hold his own in a battle of strength, certainly against Laa-Laa and Po. His extra agility could give him the edge against Tinky Winky too although a battle would be unlikely to play out where Dipsy could battle each opponent one on one.

 

Dipsy probably has the most useful Antenna. It is long and could probably be sharpened into a stabbing weapon. While a desperate attack Dipsy could have a powerful, all be it risky head-butting attack. His Antenna could also be used to swipe Tinky Winky’s handbag. He could possibly hook the strap and with this extra weaponry, he would be a true powerhouse.

 

Dipsy’s hat may seem useless at first but when you look more closely you see there is a very useful application. Dipsy could smother an opponent to death with his hat. If left one on one or in a vulnerable position Dipsy could capitalise and strike. However this would be a lengthy kill so Dipsy would have to be smart.

Dipsy Scouts the Competition

 

Dipsy however is stubborn and cool. While the confidence could be good, more likely it would be his downfall. He may try to take on all the other Teletubbies at once, making him an easy kill. There’smore. Being stubborn he would be unlikely to retreat even if it would benefit him in the battle.

 

Dipsy is a powerful man but his stubborn nature and self-confidence could lead to his downfall. However if he can keep his personality traits in check he could be a favourite to win here.

 

Laa-Laa is the thid largest TellyTubby. She is yellow and has a curly antenna. Laa-Laa is apparently the nicest and kindest TeleTubby, a trait that is not of benefit at all. Her signature item is a ball.

 

Laa-Laa is not as strong as Dipsy but she is more Agile. She is also and all-rounder meaning she has the traits to take on each TellyTubby individually.

 

Laa-Laa seems like a weak link here. Her antenna is useless and she is unlikely to be as ruthless as the other Teletubies due to having a kinder nature. Her ball could make a good defensive item. It is big enough to cover her whole body. However it wouldn’t cause any damage in an attack. Having less strength she seems weaker in hand to hand combat too. Sorry Laa-Laa you haven’t got much of a chance here.

 

Finally we have Po. Po is the youngest and smallest Teletubby. She has a circular antenna on a small stick, similar to a buble wand. She is Cantonese and according to the show’s creators bilingual and her signature item is a scooter.

Being the smallest Po would be the weakest physically but also most agile. She has the speed to not only fight but also retreat where appropriate and she would likely be the stealthiest Teletubby. She seems the best suited to taking advantage of the hills of Teletubby land. It may be difficult for the larger Teletubbies to land a single blow on her.

 

However being the youngest she would likely scare easier. A gun pointed at her face may scare her and hinder her fighting ability. Also being small and young she would be easier to kill. It would be far easier to strangle or smother her to death meaning if she failed to dodge it would likely be game over.

 

Po’s antenna is also useless but her scooter is a highly useful item. Not only could she travel at great speeds, far greater than her opponents but she could use it as a striking weapon before running over their necks as they lay on the floor unconscious. This could be the most gruesome attack possible and Po could pull it off relatively easily. Po while young could be a strong contender here.

 

So who would win here? Honestly it doesn’t matter. Anyone who has seen Teletubbies will know that none of them will survive. At the end of episodes sometimes there would be a ‘magical event’ to entertain the Teletubbies. One of them was so controversial it is banned from being shown on both television and VHS/DVD today. It involved a lion and more crucially a bear.

 

This sketch was extremely scary for a small child. Even watching it now it is slightly creepy. The bear’s eyes were uncanny, the arms appeared to move by themselves. The lion wasn’t a problem but the chase scenes where the lion chases the bear would horrify young children. The bear would be hiding in the background, only visible to the audience. It would poke out from behind a tree, its tongue would swirl and it would make a strange noise. Even the music and voices themselves were scary, like any good horror the music added to the atmosphere. The dialogue was ridiculous for a child, including I’m the Bear and I’m coming.

 

In this battle royale no Teletubby would survive. The bear as we’ve seen is fast enough to easily escape the lion. It is far faster than any Tellytubby. That’s if the Teletibbies even spot the Bear. It is only seen in the show when it’s taunting the lion. It is a master of stealth and deceit. The Bear could easily hide with the Teletubbies only seeing it when it’s too late. The Bear would grab them one by one, pulling them behind a tree and killing them in an unthinkably horrible way. Imagine being the last Teletubby alive. You’d be paralysed with fear, knowing there is no escape.

 

So a Teletubby battle royale would be pointless. The Teletubbies shouldn’t be fighting, they should be working together to try to escape. Bu they never will. The bear is coming and he will get them. He uses fear tactics along with stealth and blistering speed. Be very afraid. The winner is the Bear.

Arrow Season 3 Episode 12 - Uprising Review

Arrow Season 3 Episode 12 - Uprising Review

The moment we all were waiting for has happened. Oliver Queen is back in Starling City and the Arrow can once again be in the show called Arrow.

 

In this episode team Arrow take the fight to Brick to liberate the Glades. We follow Malcom Merlin in the aftermath of his wife’s murder in the flashbacks and Oliver Queen returns to Starling.        

 

While the previous episodes were still good this does feel like a bit of a return to form. The last two really highlighted how important Stephen Amell is to the show. Strangely this episode wasn’t exactly filled with Oliver Queen either, but we did get to focus on Malcom Merlin who is interesting in his own right.

 

So what was good about episode 12? Morale dilemma seemed to be the theme of the episode and it was interesting to see different characters on the same side have different points of view. But the standout here was Merlin who we see a different side to. After the whole manipulating Thea into killing Sara I thought he was far past forgiveness and while I still think he has ulterior motives in all this we do see he’s not just a killer. It’s strange to think so after watching season 1 but he genuinely does think he’s not an out and out villain. He clearly does care about his daughter.

 

The flashbacks were a nice change of pace from Honk Kong. It gives background to why Merlin does what he does. We see he was a good person at one point and he does believe he is doing the right thing. He’s not that different from Oliver himself, the main difference being he believes any means will justify the ends. It puts the undertaking into much better context. Not only this but they showed him at his lowest point and to what drove him to joining the league of assassins. His outlook on life darkness greatly. While we don’t agree with his methods we can at least understand the reason behind his actions.

 

My favourite scene was when team Arrow were discussing whether to take up Merlin’s offer. It was like you as the audience were there trying to decide whether to accepts Merlin’s help. I’m glad that Diggle got the deciding vote in the whole thing. It highlights his importance and with all the new characters being introduced I’d hate to see him side-lined. It will be interesting to see if there’s any internal rifts within team Arrow over Merlin.

 

It’ll be a shame that we probably won’t see Brick for a while. While it did confuse me how he just tanks bullets and arrows like they’re nothing he did prove to be a perfect foil for a team Arrow with no Oliver Queen. He induced chaos at a time where the team was in disarray and I really liked Vinnie Jones in the role. He stole a lot of his scenes and was all around a good villain.

 

While I liked the mass brawl scene I preferred seeing Malcom Merlin take on Brick. Really it was more him struggling with himself since as powerful as Brick was he was no match for a fully trained member of the league of assassins. It was good to see the Ted Grant/ Wildcat character and particularly Cyn back. I was so relieved that someone finally noticed that the Black Canary running around is not Sara.

 

On the other hand however I do find it funny how everyone can figure out who Arsenal is but not the Arrow himself. Roy used to go around in a red hoody and want to help the Arrow so who thought that a slightly different red hoody with a bow was a good disguise.

 

There were problems with the episode. My main issue is they don’t really seem to know what to do with the Lances. Captain Lance hasn’t really got much of a reason to be there although Cyn pointing out to him that the Canary not being Sara does seem like it will give him more purpose. For now however he’s kind of just there because he has to be. Speaking of which lets talk about Laurel. I don’t dislike her per say, certainly not as much as a lot of other people, it’s just that she’s kind of getting in the way at the moment. I get the Comic books say she has to become Black Canary but I think it was rushed. The show does show that she is nowhere near the level of the other characters, Arrow has always done a good job of giving different characters different fighting styles depending on their background, but Laurel is again only there because she has to be.

 

The next episode is called Canaries so hopefully it will improve on her a nit and I hope it does but right now she doesn’t make much sense. I don’t understand why she wants to be a vigilante in the first place. Sara was killed, indirectly by Merlin so why did she want to accept his offer. Come to think of it he’s also the reason Tommy is dead so Laurel seems like the character who should hate Merlin the most, or at least to the same extent as Felicity does. The other thing is how come no one recognises she isn’t Sara? She’s a different build, her face even with the mask is different, her voice is different, even the costume is different with all its buckles. She doesn’t even use a staff, instead opting for what looks like a piece of lead pipe. But the main issue is she just isn’t as well developed as the other members of Team Arrow. Hopefully we’ll see another side of her soon.

 

Finally there’s Oliver Queen travelling back to Starling City. This was a very minor point of the episode so it’s difficult to know what to say although it did remind me a lot of Batman Begins. I’m just glad he’s back, we all knew he wouldn’t die so it’s good they didn’t try to make us think so. I am looking forward to see him training with Merlin, let’s all hope for an epic training montage.

 

Next week we have an episode called Canaries, which is set to feature the Count. Hopefully this will be the making of Laurel as the Canary but this week’s episode was an excellent one and truly an uprising.

Top 10 favourite Pokémon

Top 10 favourite Pokémon

This is a list that all people who write blogs like mine must do. I’m writing this and it feels like the next step towards greatness. It’s my top 10 favourite Pokémon.

 

 

It should be noted there are now over 700 Pokémon so picking 10 proved to be quite difficult. I went through the pokédex and had it narrowed down to 46 for 10 places. So it still wasn’t going well so I thought I’d give some honourable mentions. These are Venasaur for being my favourite of the original starters, Victreebell for being incredibly violent and also a plant (Plus it evolves from Bellsprout), Espeon for being my favourite evolution of Eevee, Floatzel for being my favourite shiny Pokémon I found, Hippowdon because I have one called Big Mama and Excadrill because it amuses me to call it the epic mole in a silly voice. Onto the list:

 

10. Heatran

Legendary Pokémon are epic monsters of destruction. I like many of them but my personal favourite is the rather obscure Heatran. I like that you travel through a dangerous volcano to reach Heatran. Compared to other legendry’s it seems rather underwhelming but look a little closer and you’ll see this thing can easily hold its own.

 

Most of my affection from Heatran comes from my super cool times of competitive Pokémon battling. It was perhaps the most reliable Pokémon I used. It could handle a multitude of situations and take on multiple roles in a team. It never let me down and more importantly it helped me win even though I wasn’t very good. In fact it was so dependable I nicknamed my Heatran after my cat Izzy.

 

9. Scrafty

A gangster Pokémon. With a Mohawk. How cool is that? A lot of people dislike generation five but for me Scrafty carries it all on its own. It had also had a unique fighting/dark type combination and was a staple for me in the games in generation five.

 

Another benefit of Scrafty is when it evolves it finally learns how to wear its trousers. A real moment of pride. Scrafty reminded me of why I even play Pokémon games. I found a strange little creature, trained it and travelled with it and watched it grow, in this case into a full on gangster. It doesn’t get much better than that. Naturally after all this I named mine BITCH!!!!!! to mirror what I imagined it said to the opponents it defeated. Unfortunately this name was censored by the Pokémon games so now it’s just called Scrafty.

 

8. Greninja

Frogs are cool. Ninjas are cool. So what happens when you combine the two? You get Greninja. I wasn’t keen at first on X and Y’s starters but that changed when I saw this awesome thing. This was the only time I ever took the water starter but it was well worth the wait.

 

We’d had Pokémon sort of like ninjas bust nothing this authentic. Added to my love for the video game Frogger, this Pokémon was a perfect fit. Then we got to play it in smash brothers and a throw water shrunken at Mario’s head and everything I could want from a Pokémon was complete. Mine was called FreakinNinja because what else would it be?

 

7. Munchlax

This guy is here not because of standard Pokémon games but rather the mystery dungeon series. It was a tough game, Mystery dungeon explorers of darkness full of powerful enemies but they were no match for the mighty Munchlax.

 

I already liked Snorlax but when you’re playing as Munchlax and you punch Darkrai ((Practically a vessel of pure evil) in the face then it has to be on the list. In fact I couldn’t even bring myself to evolve Munchlax. We all like an underdog story and this was the best I had in a Pokémon game.

 

6. Sceptile

We all remember our first starter Pokémon. Being a massive childhood noob I didn’t get a Pokémon game until Ruby where I was immediately drawn to Treecko. Then it evolved into this strange lizard thing called Sceptile and my young mind was amazed.

 

Nostaligia plays a role in these lists and this one is perhaps the biggest example of that. Sceptile was with me for my first Pokemon league triump, my first capture of a legendary pokemon and it was my first level 100. My young child mind was forever linked with Sceptile and the nostalgia lives on. Now it can mega evolve and without it there’s no way I could win against my friend in the latest games. So thank you Sceptile for showing me that Pokémon are just as important as friends. I gave my Sceptile a name I only bestow on true greats … Geoff.

 

5. Pelliper

What else does nostalgia remind you of? The first Pokémon you caught. For me that was Wingull and before long it was Pelliper. For some reason I was the only person I knew to use Pelliper so I travelled on my epic journey with my pelican Pokémon by my side.

 

My real reason for having Pelliper is for how when I first played Ruby it killed Groudon in one hit before blitzing the elite four and champion. I never expected Pelliper to be such a powerhouse but it proved me and the whole world wrong. Sceptile was my first level 100 but Pelliper was the Pokémon I had that as a young child I used all the time and neglected most my team for it. Sceptile caught up but Pelliper was first. In Omega Ruby therefore I named my Pelliper Arceus after the God of Pokémon.

 

4. Mawile

I always wanted Mawile to be good. It looked amazing with its second Jaw but unfortunately it was terrible. It was too weak for my in game team so it sat in my PC hoping it would one day be powerful enough it fight.

 

Favourites often involve a fond memory and the first time I trashed my friend’s team with Mega Mawille was is a very fond memory indeed. He saw Mawile and laughed but he wasn’t laughing after it mega evolved and used the swords dance plus sucker punch combo. Mega Mawile is the highest attack Pokémon currently in the whole of Pokémon and I if nothing else find that very appealing. Mawile is like a great coming of age story. I liked it when it was bad, so now it’s firmly placed on this list. My Mawile was also named Geoff.

 

3. Jigglypuff

This is not here from the main series of games, rather super smash bros. This is my character, I played Jigglypuff when it was good in Melee and I played it in Brawl when I probably shouldn’t have. The Puff is a super fun character with his ability to float and the amazing rest attack, which still confuses me to this day.

 

I think of all the battles I’ve had with Jigglypuff and I could not possibly keep it off this list. So many memories of death, destruction, KO’s and all of them involving a small pink blob thing. If I use Jigglypuff in a game I think I’ll name it after the Godzilla monster; Destroyah.

 

2. Garchomp

Some of these picks I think were quite original. This one isn’t but who can blame me. We all play Pokémon to unleash our inner child and what does that better than a land shark that’s also a dragon. What makes Garchomp so high up on this list is because you can combine most of what I’ve written above and that sums up Garchomp.

 

The nostalgia factor is there, it was very reliable and fun to use in game, I trained it from a tiny Gible, it was so reliable and dependable in competitive battling and my friends to this day complain about my overpowered Garchomps that I always use. I’ve used this guy in every game he’s available and traded a Gible onto games he’s not. Garchomp is just a boss. A legend in my eyes it all started when my team needed upgrading to battle my friends and their scary Dragonites and Salamences. Enter Garchomp and victory was mine. I still don’t have a good nickname for it though, I normally again just go for Geoff. Geoff is a name that signifies power and Garchomp has it in abundance.

 

1. Shuckle

 

That’s all that needs to be said.

 

The Truth behind the Hulks Shorts

The Truth behind the Hulks Shorts

We all know what the Hulk is. He’s that big green rage monster that has the catchphrase HULK SMASH and wears a fashionable pair of purple shorts. Like most comic book super hero characters he was created by impossible science and has dead parents. Sure I could discuss the Science that created him or how he could possibly survive the gamma radiation exposure but I think what everyone really wants to know is about his shorts. I think you’ll find the truth surprising.

 

I was recently discussing the Hulk and his shorts with Abbie Farmer (There’s your name drop Abbie, you’re welcome) that I realised how little we know. Think about it what do we actually know about the Hulks shorts? They’re as I said earlier a fashionable shade of purple and somehow they don’t tear when Bruce Banner “Hulks Out”. This is odd as his shirt is torn up when he transforms. Surely these cannot be just any regular shorts. But we can’t find out much about them. We can find the theoretical mass of Thor’s Hammer or the size of the stick up Iron Mans arse but we have no idea about the shorts.

 

I thought the best place to start would be with a young Bruce Banner. He was abused by his Father, Brian Banner. While his Mother Rebecca did love him, she was sadly murdered by Brian who was jealous that he had competition for her affection. Brian Banner ended up in a mental hospital while Bruce ended up being raised by his Aunt. While he was raised with Love by his Aunt, Bruce was naturally a pretty angry kid.

 

To cut a long origin story short, Bruce Banner was irradiated when a gamma bomb exploded. This gave Banner highly charged radioactive particles. Somehow due to some unknown genetic factor he didn’t just die, but instead he now sometimes changes into a big green rage monster and thus he became the second most powerful Bruce in comic book history.

Bruce Banner in the blast from the Gamma Bomb

 

At first Banner transformed at sunset and then reverted back to Banner at dawn. Now his transformation is triggered by a release of adrenalin, obviously. What else would trigger the transformation of a normal man into a big green monster? Unfortunately, none of this explains those legendary shorts.

 

It seems likely that the shorts are made of some kind of stretchy material. They stretch as he transforms. Simple. In fact Stan Lee was once asked about the Hulks shorts and he answered that by saying he was probably a friend of Reed Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic gave them to him. However you should never trust anything from someone who refers to himself as Mr. Fantastic and leads a group called the fantastic four.

 

This is immediately disproved in how the shorts randomly disappear when the Hulk reverts back to Banner. How does this even happen? I guess it’s just impossible Comic book logic. Well unless the shorts are alive or something but that would be ridiculous. Or would it …

Some Shorts

 

It would explain how they only turn up when Banner transforms. It’s so simple. Hang around in the background and then when Banner begins transforming quickly leap out and onto the Hulks pelvis. No one would and indeed does know. But there must be more to it than this. Have you ever wondered why the Hulk is so angry? Professor Banner is angry but he doesn’t want to destroy everything, he’s not a villain and he was abused as a child and his mother was murdered, by the same father that abused him. So why is the big green monster so angry, or at least more angry than Banner? Aren’t they the same? What does the Hulk have to intensify his anger even further? The shorts …

 

The shorts are behind the Hulks rage and destruction. Those fashionable purple shorts are perhaps one of the most dangerous things in the Marvel universe. Where’s the proof you may ask? Look how all the rage evaporates when he transforms back. It’s so simple but so overlooked. So obviously true.

 

If a normal person can turn into a green monster, a pair of fashionable purple shorts could come alive with gamma rays. I’m pretty sure law 1 of comic books is anything is possible when radiation is involved. Seems logical that if Banner was wearing purple shorts while he was exposed to gamma radiation that they could come alive. I’m sure some of you out there will say in the comics he wasn’t wearing purple shorts. What about boxer shorts? Did you see those? They could have easily been purple. Gamma rays give a huge range of powers, could the ability to stretch and control the minds of other living things be one of them? It certainly could be. Size adjustment is very present in the Marvel universe after all.

The Shorts are Angry!!!!

 

What would make the shorts most angry though I what these delightfully fashionable shorts see. Thousands of other pairs of shorts being worn by mankind all over the place. These shorts weren’t lucky enough to be blessed with ultimate power from gamma radiation. These shorts don’t get to do anything with their lives, instead they are enslaved by humanity, forced to be worn as a piece of clothing in a sad and degrading existence. What kind of life is this? But all the other shorts do not have the means to make a difference. The Hulks shorts do.

 

We’ve assumed for years that the shorts are just there to be worn and nothing controls the Hulk. We were all wrong. These amazing and did I mention fashionable shorts take control of Banner when he transforms and uses the immense power of the Hulk to take revenge on humanity who have enslaved his shorts bretherin. This would also explain why he fights enemies of humanity, they could harm thousands of pairs of shorts in their attack on man. Ever wondered how Bruce Banner keeps getting into situations where he Hulks out. You would think he’d hide away. The shorts are the ones in control, feeding disaster into Banners life, giving him no choice but to unleash the monster.

 

Shorts have been humiliated and used as clothing since they were first discovered. Maybe it’s right that one pair would finally snap. Not literally obviously they don’t snap at all, they flex. I think it’s best to end with the most noticeable feature of these shorts their fashionable purple colour. Have you ever stopped to consider what the colour purple symbolises? Royalty and power. The Hulks fashionable purple shorts will lead the uprising of all shorts to become the dominant species on earth as the first king of shorts. Does this seem a bit farfetched? It shouldn’t we’ve already established these shorts can control the Hulk, what problem will they have with normal Humans? All the Hulks shorts would need to do is destroy enough of humanity as the Hulk and all shorts could be free. You all must spread the word of this Blog post, tell the world and warn them and this impending uprising. If you don’t then in a few years’ time when a pair of shorts is wearing you then you only have yourself to blame. This is the horrific truth about the Hulk and his fashionable purple shorts.

Science and Religion

Science and Religion

In my sixth form we had days called shape days. They were boring life skills development days that wasted time when we all had exams to revise for or coursework to complete. For one of these sessions we had an hour long period set aside for an unknown discussion. Shaking with excitement I walked into the class room to see on the board the title Science vs Religion. I looked at the person sat opposite me who clearly had the same thoughts on this, can we leave yet. The PowerPoint started and a dumb joke about Islam came up and I proceeded to zone out for the next sixty minutes.

 

It was only when I left that I thought about it a bit more. But I wasn’t thinking about the discussion itself, rather why people feel the need to compare Science and Religion in the first place. These are two things that while both pursue knowledge in some way, not only have completely different reasons for doing so but are not linked in any way outside of ignorant people trying to put them in some sort of competition.

 

I am non-religious. I study Chemistry and have always had an interest in Science. When people tell me Religion is wrong or unproven however I am instantly baffled. I don’t have a religion and don’t believe in a God because I need to know things. I don’t like to leave things unfinished and I can’t put my faith in something I am not sure exists. I do respect people who do but this isn’t really the point here. Saying Religion is wrong because you can’t prove it seems to me to be missing the point so much that the point is in an opposite direction behind a brick wall and a fire. It doesn’t seem to me like Religion is supposed to be taken as factual evidence for how things happen, but rather the beliefs for why things happen I am no expert but from what I can gather Religion has the purpose of peaceful and harmonious living, I cannot see how you could fault someone living in that mind set.

 

The key difference between Science and Religion is that they look into different concepts. Science looks into how things happen, whether it’s how chemical react or animals have evolved over the years. Religion wants to know why things happen. Why people are on the earth in the first place. Interestingly neither can answer each other’s questions.

 

My former physics teacher was a devoted Christian. I know multiple people interested in Science who are also religious. I also know people devote their life to their Religion but also have a scientific mind and are interested in how the world works. That’s not to say people aren’t ignorant about it. There was a very religious teacher at my high school that didn’t believe in gravity. Let’s ignore the fact that gravity can and has been proven and focus on how naïve this is. Similarly I once met someone who discarded religion as backwards. This is equally naïve.

 

You’ll get people who try to tell you that Religion cannot be proven. So what? Not all Science can be proven either and Science is often disproven as new theories and concepts come to light. We don’t understand a huge majority of what happens and it’s very possible that we are wrong about a great many things. However a lot of things can be proven. Gravity for example has been proven to exist. It isn’t by chance that things fall and we don’t float off the earth and it isn’t coincidence that if you drop 2 identical items they will accelerate at the same rate. However you can think of the amount of Science that is theoretical and can’t be proven. Quantum Science is a good example. Albert Einstein rejected the idea of Quantum mechanics as he didn’t believe Quantum Mechanics makes sense. Scientists can’t agree, just like scientific and religious people cannot agree.

 

It should be noted that a lot of scientific method was pioneered in ancient civilisation, a time where everyone was religious. It was also a time with far less scientific understanding and maybe the miracles described in Religion were deemed possible. To use the Bible as an example we all know the Story of Noah is impossible and almost certainly didn’t happen but then again no one ever said the Bible was a historical document. Nearly every Christian I have ever met has told me they take the Bible in a more metaphorical sense and it means something different to each person. The Bible was written in a time long before the scientific benefits we have today. On the other hand it is important for people who put their faith in Religion to appreciate scientific advancements. Without Science medicine would probably still involve a huge number of leeches and we wouldn’t even have the technology for me to publish this blog.

 

So the question here is what you value more. Do you want to know how something works or why it happens in the first place. Personally I need to know how things work. There are times however where I would prefer to just know why. Both are difficult, but trying to argue that one is more relevant, or better than the other would make you the naïve person here. Science and Religion don’t disprove each other, rather they look into what the other never will.

 

So what’s the point of all this. Some people say Science and Religion are completely incompatible. This is wrong. Science and Religion intended how they were meant can never conflict. Perhaps a respect for both is the most progressive way of thinking, no matter which you feel more connected to.

Dumbledore vs Darth Vader - Who Would Win

Dumbledore vs Darth Vader - Who Would Win

So my last battle post was a huge success and since many seemed to enjoy reading it and I certainly enjoyed writing it I thought I’d like to do them on a more regular basis. In my last post many Harry Potter fans accused me of being heavily biased. Yes I’m not a Harry Potter fan but at the same time I’m not a huge Godzilla fan. I do prefer Godzilla but I haven’t seen all his movies and while I do have a poster on my wall of his most recent movie I wasn’t even sure he could win once I started researching. I was honestly expecting Voldemort to monster it so was pleasantly surprised to find otherwise. So, onto the next battle.

 

Today we have Albus Dumbledore, legendary wizard from the Harry Potter series vs Darth Vader (aka Anakin Skywalker) antagonist of the original Star Wars trilogy and one of if not the most iconic villain of all time. Time to admit obvious bias, I’ve mentioned my opinions on Harry Potter. My favourite film does happen to be a film involving Darth Vader but I will leave my bias at home for this bout. This battle will involve no outside assistance and no escaping. Also it will be in an open environment giving neither combatant an advantage in terms of terrain. Now, let start with Dumbledore.

 

We’ll be assuming this is Dumbledore from the books at his most powerful, meaning he wields the Elder Wand. Despite his portrayal throughout the films, Dumbledore is powerful and commands authority. He may be an old man and while he is far physically inferior to Vader, this is likely to not be a factor. Dumbledore is also highly intelligent and was only killed because he planned it to happen that way. He even took on Voldemort in Order of the Phoenix. Since he owns the Elder Wand he in in possession of the most powerful wand in the Harry Potter world.

 

Let’s look at then wand more. Firstly it is worth pointing out he does not need the wand to cast magic but would he would be far less of a threat, probably to the extent of being easily defeated by Darth Vader. With the wand it is a different story. According to Harry Potter lore the owner of the wand can cast magic so powerful it is thought impossible by other wizards and witches. Something deemed impossible in a world containing magic highlights the possible levels of power the wand possesses. Something notable was its ability to repair other wands. It can’t do everything however, something of note it couldn’t do was cure people paralysed by the Basilisk.

 

There’s something else to consider about the Elder Wand. According to J.K. Rowling herself it is unsentimental and ruthless. The wand is only attracted to strength which may be something not in Dumbledore’s favour. This implies it would not be loyal to Dumbledore if it decided Darth Vader was stronger. However an issue here is that ‘strong’ is a very vague term. Vader and Dumbledore are both incredibly strong but in different ways.

 

Let’s look at what spells Dumbledore could cast. The killing curse stands out in a one on one fight and while some of you may say Dumbledore would be unwilling to use such a dark curse, he was willing to sacrifice Harry and had this planned out from when Harry was just a boy. He’s by no means evil but he is willing to do what’s necessary for the greater good. This is highly apparent when he sacrifices his own life. But just saying he has the killing curse as we found out last time is nowhere near enough so let’s keep looking. He would have expelliarmus, a disarming spell to attempt to disarm Vader and remove his lightsaber from the picture. He can cast powerful shield spells, he can apparate (Teleport) he can turn himself invisible without a cloak and I always think of the big fire vortex spell he uses in the Half Blood Prince (Apparently just called Firestorm). He can probably cast most spells in the Harry Potter world but another that could be highly relevant is called Magna Tonitrus which fires hot white lightening at the target but we will look more into this later.

 

Darth Vader is a strange person to analyse. In some ways he seems so immensely powerful he seems almost unbeatable while in other ways he almost appears vulnerable. Key to him defeating Dumbledore would be his mastery of the force. I looked into what powers he would have and found the following. Most iconic is his choking power. Anyone who can choke you with his mind is clearly a force to be reckoned with. He can use telekinesis, the sabre throw ability and force push. Vader also becomes more powerful as he channels his anger as it increases his strength and speed. Finally the force can be used for deflection to shield Vader. This is seen as he effortlessly deflects laser bullets from Han Solo in the empire strikes back. This deflection ability would be especially useful for deflecting spells. Vader should be able to use the force to shield himself from a majority of spells.

 

The other key factor is Vader’s armour. It has pros and cons so we’ll start with cons. By just looking at it you can see how cumbersome it is. The suit is not actually up to date technology and it not as well optimized as perhaps it should be. The suit is very heavy and also extremely uncomfortable. If Dumbledore could damage it sufficiently Vader would die as it is basically a mobile life support machine. But the biggest flaw in the suit is not the suit itself but the fact that Vader needs it. Nearly all Vader’s sense were damaged and thus most are replaced with machinery. He still has the same sense as other Human Beings (Sight, smell etc) but they are artificial and thus theoretically should not be enhanced by the force to the same extent as other force wielders. Being in the suit does actually limits Vader’s full force potential. It should be noted however that Vader even with the suit is still one of the most powerful force users ever known.

 

Due to the cumbersome nature of his suit Vader has had to drastically alter his lightsaber fighting technique, although this will not be relevant in a fight with Dumbledore. The last issue is the suits weakness to electricity. The suit can be shorted out with a powerful enough electrical discharge as shown in Return of the Jedi when the Emperor’s force lightening kills Vader. The Magna Tonitrus spell could be a key weapon in taking down Vader.  

 

The suit does have advantages though. Perhaps most obviously it serves as a suit of armour as well as life support. The armour is extremely tough and may be able to withstand many attacks, including Dumbledore’s spells. It also enhances Vader’s strength and stamina. Vader’s increased strength and stamina is key to Vaders new lightsaber technique. It is highly durable and could be a key factor in shielding him from attacks.

 

The last thing to consider is the lightsaber. Vader could easily kill Dumbledore with one strike of a lightsaber but there is no way it would be that easy. A lightsaber blade is made of pure plasma so could probably not block a majority of spells. It could however act as a physical barrier to block the killing curse. The lightsaber would be used as a defensive option in this battle. It is worth noting of all materials a lightsaber cannot cut the only one Dumbledore could have access to is water, so this would not be relevant.

 

This seems very tough to call. It’s difficult to compare their abilities as they seem to cancel each other out. Vader could see invisible Dumbledore with the force sensing his location. Vaders sabre throw could easily be cast away and equally Vader could use the force to grab back his lightsaber if he was disarmed as we see throughout the Star Wars films. A lightsaber should be able to block the killing curse. Dumbledores firestorm spell should be able to be avoided by Vader and his force deflection ability. Finally while Magna Tonitrus would kill Vader we have seen before that a lightsaber can block lightening attacks as in the films force lightening is block by a lightsaber. Yoda was also seen using a force deflection ability to reflect force lightening and it seems likely Vader could do the same to Dumbledores spell. Dumbledore can cast powerful shields to block Vader’s force attacks.

 

Dumbledores apparating ability would also be irrelevant as Vader could sense where he was and has fast enough reactions thanks to the force to not be attacked from behind. Vader’s far superior strength and physical power would be made irrelevant however. Stamina would likely not be a factor as both should be able to have extremely high stamina due to the force and suit and magical ability respectively.

 

The winner here would probably not be guaranteed. It would probably vary between fights however I do think one would win more often. The winner here is Darth Vader.

 

This is because of one reason. Vader and Dumbledore appear equally matched above but this was not taking into account Darth Vader’s anger. If angry, Vader would channel the dark side of the force to increase his speed strength and power. The power of the dark side and anger of Vader I think would be the thing to tip the scales of this battle. It would be a long hard fought battle and if Dumbledore and while this isn’t a guaranteed victory, Darth Vader would likely be able to eventually overpower Dumbledore. One strike from a lightsaber would kill Dumbledore but I think he would kill the legendary wizard with his force choke ability. Fuelled by anger I think Vader’s dark force powers would break through Dumbledore’s shields and choke him to death. This battle, while very close and certainly far closer than the last fight goes to Darth Vader.