West vs. East

The Western media have done their best to create an adequate separation between ‘us’ and ‘them’ when reporting foreign and Middle Eastern news, in particular. Obviously, this distinction varies depending on the newspaper you browse through, ranging from the latent and almost unnoticeable overlooking in the Guardian to the boisterous feeling of Western superiority of the Daily Express or Telegraph. This separation is therefore almost effortless to the average reader in Britain whose news platforms focus on David Cameron saying “calm down, dear”, P Diddy drinking out of a bottle or never-before-seen photos of horses swimming in the ocean, quirkily placed under the unbelievably awe-inspiring “Sea-horses” pun. Al Jazeera, meanwhile, reports on Sudan rebellions, deadly Libyan clashes and Syria’s emergency call to the Arab league due to month-long extreme anti-governmental protests. It seems we are overlooking genocide, human rights violation, severe corruption and countries on the brink of or recovering from revolution to keep up with the latest X-factor rejects or Alex Gerrard’s immensely rapid return to wearing heels only ten days after giving birth. Only ten days? Could you believe that? (Who is Alex Gerrard?)

It is not clear whether the Western’s view of news is different to that of the Middle East, but it appears the lack of serious and major local political events has the tabloids searching for mentally unstable women who throw cats in wheelie bins rather than major political events which happen abroad. News coverage is traditionally separated into ‘Home’ and ‘Abroad’ or the equivalent, but it is rarely that anywhere ‘Abroad’ and outside of Europe, makes the headlines unless it glorifies a Western success or achievement, the death of Osama Bin Laden, Libyan airstrikes and Gaddafi’s death to name but a few.

Though the issue is clearly at hand it’s very difficult to blame the media. It must be acknowledged that despite the effort of charities, non-profit organizations and all kinds of pressure groups, the general public is not interested in anything that happens to occurs further than say 5 meters from their house, unless it is something to laugh at. It’s no wonder then that the highest selling British newspaper covered Osama’s death on a front page with the title “Bin Bagged”. Similarly, at this year’s Press Awards the prize for Biggest Scoop of the Year went to the Sun’s discovery of corruption in Cricket matches and not the WikiLeak tapes disclosing the hundreds of civilians killed by coalition troops in the Afghan war. The media do the prioritising for the public, but it seems the public is not one to disagree. It may be that with the thousands of stresses of everyday life, the capacity for empathy in the average individual cannot extend to the entire planet. Yet, this is not an urge to include nothing but foreign news in major tabloids. Nor is it an urge to cover foreign news more often than local news. Quite the opposite, it is merely a suggestion to prioritise some news over others. To place protection of the individuals above off-the-cuff cheap entertainment. To take stories and develop those as objectively as possible, by attempting to avoid the perpetual Western bias towards Capitalism and Democracy. To accept that one cause may be more worthy than another. And most of all to accept that there is nothing richer in value than the gift of awareness and if the media approaches a path that chooses to spread that gift with capricious intrepidity the public will become much conscious of its worth. Popular attitudes both are both mirrored and created by popular media. Popular media can risk its popularity in an attempt to change attitudes, but that would mean it chooses to accept responsibility and that is something no news platform would ever agree to.

So what is the conclusion you may wonder? There isn’t one. This is a matter one could never conclude. All I hope to achieve is to merely awaken that simple awareness that the Middle East is not as far away as it seems. That there is always another side to the story and that we should never settle without seeking it. So if I may leave you, the reader, with one thing that would be – did you hear Alex Gerrard is wearing heels? And she she only gave birth, like, 10 days ago! This is some ground-breaking news!

The Ex - Factor?

The X-factor is probably the most successful TV show on at the moment. But have we not seen all of this before? Each week we tune in to hear someone who ‘used to be a bad boy’, works at a biscuit factory, or is simply overweight tenaciously grip onto their 15 seconds of fame. Each week we remind ourselves that it’s not time to face the music, but rather the lack of it. Now, the auditions are finished which means most of the psychopaths are gone. And what are we left with?

This year the Beiber cut, Take That pose and Gaga mentality get you far. Once again, Mr Frankie I-Need-A-Hair-Cut Cocozza went through, despite James Michael’s obvious and superior talent. It was clear Gary’s song choice disadvantaged James’ performance, but even if it didn't showing your ass on TV can get you further than you think. The mentally unstable Kitty is also through. Just because we all love to watch a good breakdown.

It was a long night of performance and if there was anything we learnt it was that a. the new judges cannot pick songs and b. people need to STOP RAPPING! We also saw some scripted judge-hissy-fits and Gary’s dislike of every-other-act-who-is-not-on-his-team. And then there were the boy bands.

Nu Vibe, as Kelly Rowland would suggest PUT IT DOWN tonight, whatever that means, but where they really hit the spot was the last moment of their terrible performance when two of the boys showed their abs. Surely, there must have been some true reason behind this, they were asked – “It’s for the ladies innit?” was the response. As epic as that is, I was not surprised to see the band go through this week. The viewer’s needs are simple – ass or abs – you chose!

We heard the overly dramatic “best opportunity of my life” and “best moment of my life” yet again, and it truly makes one wonder how utterly miserable the lives of these people must be if a minute and a half on national television is the best moment of their life. If I ever find that to apply to me then I’d rather be doubting my existence than hoping to sing an 80s classic in front of a pink car, dressed in newspaper as dancers on canteen tables jump about me.

Then, of course, there were the “this is the first time I’ll ever be on stage singing to the nation”. Yes, at the lives final, this will be the first time, if we exclude all those other times when you sang in front of the nations, like in the auditions, boot camp, judges’ houses and that karaoke at your local pub ...

So tonight we said our goodbyes with (are names really needed?) the soldier from Afghanistan, two Essex girls, James Michael and some other young lady who I don’t believe I’ve bothered watching before. We also saw Matt Cradle for the first time since he won, just to remind us all of the X-Factor’s failure. Truly, was this the most motivational performance you could provide for these new acts? Though, I guess it could be worse. It could be Joe. I know what you're thinking - who's Joe?

I cannot believe that I’ve spent 3 hours of my life watching X-factor this weekend, but it seems the thrill of judging fame-crazed-teary-eyed-teenagers has now dissolved into the predictability, over-dramatization and just plain old dullness of fame-crazed-teary-eyed-teenagers. And while we’re on that – I hope Marcus wins.

P.s. Just to note how prophetic I am indeed - today's Guardian article seems to have plagiarized my otherwise excellent pun.

Mirela Ivanova

Conservative Conference: Economy & House Building

At the Conservative party conference this week Mr David Cameron held a 50 minute address teaching us how to look at the economy. He did not fail to proclaim that that the reason we are in such a debt deficit is excessive borrowing, nor did he miss this opportunity to once again latently blame the Labour government for all the issues he has had to deal with. As Labour accused the Conservatives of squeezing the living standards, which are expected to fall for very first time in over 50 years, Cameron once again showed what he is best at – misunderstanding that exact ‘bigger picture’ he is always reiterating. Like a toddler with his hands over his ears the Conservative leader led his conference with a series of clichés about the “spirit of Britain” and the need to “show some fight”, while earlier this week Labour outlined the predicted freeze in economic growth for the next 3-4 years.

The economy is being built “slowly but surely” and any time we doubt this merely because we cannot see the economy growing, Cameron assures us that this is because the first and most important stage of building, as with a house, that of the foundations is one you cannot see. The only problem with that metaphor is, well, that it’s wrong. I don’t think anyone has ever experienced house building while walking down the street but missed the bit where they build the foundations because it’s invisible. And if they were not observant enough to see the large building site right by their house, as I may guess Cameron is, they would have surely noticed the builders, carpenters, architects, engineers and tons of materials being taken to the site to help set the foundations of a house. George Osbourne’s work on nurturing British economy out of the recession, on the other hand, seems to resemble a dangerous game of architectural kerplunk far more than an actual economic policy.

It’s impossible to argue with the Conservatives, due to the infallibility of their belief in economic growth. Initially they had some figures to work with, but since then they’ve turned to blaming the snow. Now that it’s sunny, all that is left is to suggest that the economy is being built invisibly. Yes Cameron, together with the New Berlin Wall and the Newcastle Ninja Training Academy for Unemployed Professionals.

There is something, however, that the Conservatives have not failed to observe. The Tory’s women voters have been continually falling recently, yet the only thing Cameron and Co. (or is it Clegg?) have thought to do is to publically apologize for the “calm down, dear” remark the Prime Minister addressed at Labour MP Angela Eagle. The real reason women votes are falling is that the spending cuts are hitting women twice as hard as men, and that is the true issue that the Tories need to address.

As with any political party conference, Cameron managed to speak for just under an hour, but nonetheless say very little, though out of the two Clegg is usually the master of that. It’s a political art, I take it, to talk positively without saying much. Yet he concluded his address with a series of extremely passionate and articulate “optimistic” messages about “pulling together” and leading Britain to “its better days”. David, please, calm down, dear.

Mirela Ivanova

(Photo: The Telegraph)

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - Review

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the story of Cold War spy veteran George Smiley’s search for a mole in the highest level of the British Secret Service (a.k.a. the Circus). Based on the extensive and brilliant novel by John le Carre and following the footsteps of the critically acclaimed TV Mini Series with the epic Alec Guiness, this film has a lot to live up to. Luckily, under the pressure and high expectations placed on the script, cast and production they all deliver respectably. Gary Oldman is a heavy, melancholic and undeniably excellent George Smiley. Both Cumberbatch and Hardy uphold the hype around them with strong performances. And despite the undeniably Hollywood pretty-boy niche most of the cast fit in they deliver the right amount of raw human emotion that le Carre was trying to achieve. Most notably, Colin Firth, playing one of the most difficult roles in the admirable but heavily damaged Bill Haydon, is nothing short of impressive. Having read the book you might notice the fundamental simplification of the plot, but the only thing that may truly bug one is the seemingly unnecessary disruption of the order of events. With the lack of the thorough backstory le Carre provides the cast try their best to build, develop and break their characters in just over two hours, yet there is no time to even glimpse into David Dencik’s Toby Esterhase and Ciarán Hinds’s Roy Bland who get eaten up by the short script. Some of the scenes seem mildly relevant and at times the rapid scene-cutting-in-order-to-leave-questions-hanging-in-the-air might get annoying, but quintessentially the film grabs that one core idea that makes the story the heavy, suspenseful and dynamic thriller it is and despite its, at times obvious flaws (including the inevitable sex scene that is never mentioned in the book),without a single action scene or high speed car chase, it keeps alive that one thing which many modern film directors seem to purposefully eradicate (cough Micahel Bay cough)– a soul.

Mirela Ivanova

The Brand Bully

Latest research from UNICEF has revealed that “parents buy high status brands to protect their children from bullying.” I hope they did not spend too much money on the research as I could have given them that information for a tenner. I don’t know what it is with our society, but my theory is that the recession has driven people to carrying out useless and evident research in order to sustain the economy. I am sure UNICEF will also like to inform us know parents work and that’s why they don’t spend much time with their children. But, wait a second – they already have. In a study based in the UK, Spain and Sweden, UNICEF has concluded that UK parents “struggle to find enough time with their children”. Thank you, sergeant obvious. Next up someone will extensively research and eventually prove that prove humans are less likely to eat food if it is on the floor of a farm and covered in faeces. (I have copy righted this already, don’t even try.)

Despite the research’s uselessness the issue with bullying on the basis of possessions is not an new problem. Nor is it a solved one. With the construct of modern day teenager circles social materialism arises immediately. More often than not, however, the problem is entirely social, not psychological. 11 year olds do not really care whether its Nike or Adidas, they just want to run into trees and shout “poo”, but in order to get to that they need to present themselves a certain way. Adolescence has now become a carnival with a ticket that costs parents their hard work and children their individuality. It seems now, you cannot just be a teenager in order to enjoy carelessness and simple joys, but you also have to look, dress and speak like one. When I was 10, which was not so long ago, I assure you, everything was much simpler. You did what you wanted to do and that freedom made you a child, but as with everything in society, you have to be given boundaries in order to be protected. We can’t all enjoy the joyfulness of swings and roundabouts. This seems to be kids’ way of taking back the power. They don’t require much from you, to join. There is no exam, no interview, no personal statement – a 14 year-old has even outlined the candidate specification in the simplest terms – “You could live in a dustbin and as long as you have an IPod and a Blackberry you are accepted.” They are keen, but not discriminative. They are demanding, but not pushy. They are clear, but not complicated. They are the future of society. Soon, they will become my (and your) potential employers. Adults – prepare the BlackBerries.

Mirela Ivanova

The Jonathan Ross Show - Worth the wait?

Jonathan Ross has comfortably settled back into our TV screen, and finally, one and all has united into its favourite universal hobby – complaining. The complaint most often outlined remains the – “Uh, it’s the same thing though.” Now, I am not a big television fan, nor am I particularly observant or even a psychologist of any sort, yet was I the only person who did not at any point actually consider that Jonathan Ross will make any significant changes to his format when moving to ITV? I doubt that. I also doubt I was the only one who did not regret the similarity.

Ross is not what you turn to when you want your favourite actors face a thorough episode of soul searching, for such needs we look to Inside the Actor’s Studio, nor is Jonathan the place for full-gossip-and-laughs but no content, as Graham Norton provides that very service successfully enough. In fact, both of the shows mentioned fulfil a purpose. And the beauty of the Jonathan Ross Show (or Friday Night With… it makes no difference whatsoever) is his ability to balance both very nicely. The show is not too heavy on the viewer, it doesn’t leave you stressed out or particularly depressed, yet it is not hot-air entertainment which has you questioning the usefulness of the last hour you have spent listening to a story about Rihanna’s bikini wax. Ross has reached a well-rehearsed equilibrium of flattery, by proclaiming himself a huge fan of every-other-performer that has appeared and still managing to sound somewhat sincere, and having enough gut to ask one of the rising stars of British cinema, Benedict Cumbebartch, whether, in a recent theatre performance of Frankenstein he was, in fact, touching himself while waiting to appear naked to the public as the Monster. And it is his all-around goofy and yet sympathetic character that allows for this mixture of sharp, ranging to rude, comments to come off as lightly as, say, a feigned interest in one of the Saturdays’ “advanced sense of smell”.

We can try to avoid it, but Jonathan Ross is back as good as ever, and truly, as good as he can be. As I am on the verge to seem sponsored by ITV, I should like to point out that if there is anything I miss most it is the four puffs. Take them back will you! Surely, there wouldn’t be much work waiting for someone who’s CV is dominated by a singing career under the rather ambiguous name of “One of those Puffs who sang at the Jonathan Ross show”, but then again there could be a niche in the market. Now that’s an idea I’d like to see proposed to Deborah Meaden.

Mirela Ivanova

Cowboys and Aliens - Review

Cowboys and Aliens? No, no mistake at the box office there. This is a film about Cowboys and Aliens. And though many may glance at the A list names of Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Iron Man director Jon Favreau and conclude – well, it is unusual, but it must be good, it has to be admitted that the combination of state of the art Sci-fi and an old school western is nothing but ridiculous. Instead of grabbing the best of both genres and letting it commingle carefully, like a well-controlled nuclear reaction, the film manages to neatly pick out the biggest stereotypes of Westerns and Science Fiction and present us with an explosive mash up of the powerful manipulative villain in the little village and the slimy sleazy Alien vs. Predator extra-terrestrial life forms. Quite frankly, it’s difficult to take this film seriously the second alien attacks begin. Despite that, there are some notable performances, with House’s Olivia Wilde who makes her second blockbuster appearance in a film which Harrison Ford seems to have mistaken for the new Indiana Jones sequel, while Daniel Craig’s attempt at non-bond-talk and pulling off an Iron Man prop as a bracelet fail respectably. Wilde, however, does keep some dignity with her performance as the sidekick in an otherwise predictable plot. The film begins to drag on towards the end where everyone apart from Craig’s Jake Lonegran can now conclude this will end well. Wait, spoiler? Well, if you thought that was a spoiler then you might actually enjoy this film. Favreau’s directing is once again a massive-action-spot-on. The scenes do not drag on and the action is very well handled, sadly there is not enough script for Farveau to work with. Thus, Cowboys and Aliens takes potential and turns it into a dead-end-money-maker. Good for Hollywood, bad for, well… the viewers.

Mirela Ivanova

Limitless - Review

Limitless is a strange film. Not merely because the storyline is not particularly original, nor does the Hollywood cast offer an unforgettable performance, but because despite of both those things there seems to be some sense of piquancy which makes the not-particularly-impressive acting, reasonable directing and ok script - work. And does it work well. The action is breathless and dynamic and the plot runs with fluent rapidity. The story itself is somewhat intriguing, due to its likeable nature – I mean, truly, no more than 30 minutes in I wish a pill of that sort can get me to finish my book in three days. It seems it’s exactly the less-polished moments that give this film its edge, with Bradley Cooper’s slightly sloppy voice over or the unrealistic human interaction between Cooper’s Eddie Mora and his landlord’s wife. For what this film is, it’s undeniable that it is strangely entertaining. The story walks a very fine line between over-the-top-ridiculous and underwritten-sci-fi, which holds up all the way through. Bradley Cooper’s charm brings the character to life, while Robert De Niro and Alan Dale’s familiar faces help overcome the typicality of the Russian villain and order of events. There is a lot lacking in this film, but even so, the makers have done so well to cover that up that we barely notice the moth eaten holes in our jacket, just as long as it keeps us warm.

Mirela Ivanova

The Judas Kiss of National Media

It seems national media has developed into more than a news platform. Information given to different media stations causes fundamental contradictions and more often than not plays the kiss of Judas in the less-than-biblical situation of the disagreements between overpaid celebrities.

Now, let us take football, being the well-educated and passionate football fan that I am, nothing excites me more than another transfer rumour or hair transplants for sportsmen with receding hairlines. Surely that last one can quickly develop into a national advertisement for shampoo or some other hair product that does nothing better than all the others, but has a pretty package? If I were L’Oreal , I would certainly prefer to hear Wayne Rooney tell me to “Spray it, Updo and Undo-it” rather than the good-ole Cheryl Cole. Well, sure he will take some time longer to remember all the lines, but isn’t it originality adverts try to grip onto so desperately?

Having tackled (tackled, like in football get it? I told you I know my stuff) the hair issues let us move on to the other bit of ground-breaking football-related news (though news seems to be a term too widely applied). Returning to the biblical nature of everyday news (once again, far too widely applied indeed), Arsenal player Samir Nasri was recently rumoured, or rather tempted, by football giant Manchester United regarding a transfer, or rather – sin. Of course, Nasri’s protector Wegner did what Jesus would – denying any such sin and refusing to believe his beloved disciple would dare leave. The problem with media comes here – little young Judas, however, cared not for Jesus’ protection and being successfully tempted by the hissing United serpent he publicly declared that he shall not speak until he knows whether the interest (or sin, or whatever, the saying is somewhat musty) is genuine. Effectively, Wenger would feel betrayed, but what is worse than being kissed by your own Judas is being kissed by the Daily Mail. We can argue media has taken the role of the Judas kiss for many reasons. One, of course, is that the betraying Biblical character is exactly what they are after. Nothing makes news better than scandal and nothing makes scandal better than national publicity. So, thought the Daily Mail, why shouldn’t we give the Kiss? We are not related, so no-one will think we are gay and we are far too neutral to be blamed, I mean it’s not even our kiss, right? Well, right.

The next is a little more focused on the individual than the media. Biblical times did not really allow Judas to e-mail Jesus and end it on good terms, or change his Facebook status from “Disciple” to “Bachelor” so face-to-face confrontation was necessary. Today, however, we have all struggled to find more and more impersonal ways to avoid actual human contact in general, let alone when revealing some sort of unpopular information. Thus, Nasri took the modern option, the easier option, instead of going forth to carry out the Judas Kiss himself, he used the third party media. This reveals some truth of our society (I said some, I do know this is a story about football) and most of all how well developed the Judas-Kissing machine of our generation is. Celebrity scandals are no longer between people – they are between the image, the fan base, the ideal and suddenly everything the celebrity stands for.

This is why a sentence in the media had Nasri called a traitor; this is why even a dispute over bike helmets can turn the nation for or against anyone at any time. We like to judge because no-one’s listening. Little do we know, we can be caught throwing a cat in a wheelie bin next. God forbid.

Mirela Ivanova

Education vs. The Individual

“Much learning deadens or perverts poetic sensibility” – T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot was correct in pointing out that when it comes to education there is a lot to be desired. Examinations fail to judge one’s ability or intelligence in an area, as they merely require the right answers to the right questions. Without a doubt examination boards provide boxes for our thinking, limits to our potential knowledge and as many have argued education creates individuals fit for society rather than a society fit for the individuals. Many a times have I been deprived of intriguing or useful general knowledge, that being biology, physics, history or literature, simply because it is not likely to benefit my examination or “improve my grade”. And surely, exams do test useful skills such as time management, conciseness, organisation and analytical skills yet it seems those come as no more than a bonus to learning how to satisfy an artificial marking scheme in the hands of a dull, tired and apathetic examiner.

It mustn’t be overlooked, however, how many difficulties one faces when trying to provide any kind of education to such a mass of people. Considering the population size and demand for knowledge, the current system is as adequate as is possible in creating some sort of semi-universal criteria for intelligence. Adequacy is not perfection. When exploring the education ladder one faces more and more freedom. In certain A level courses, in history for example, you are given the freedom to choose any event or individual to research and literature can provide the freedom of choosing not only both texts but also the question in mind. These, however, are both coursework materials, which is why students achieve more in their coursework than their exams, simply because they are offered education which is a lot more focused on the individuals. The one on one contact allows for material accustomed to each person specifically, together with feedback or criticism that is both more appropriate and less contrived. Examination still remains as an issue, despite the many claims that exams are the only test to true ability. A time limit and pressure, however, are certainly not the conditions that act as a catalyst to great ides. Surely, Shakespeare did not follow AQAs criteria for creative writing when writing Hamlet or Othello, both of which would probably not strike the examiners as remarkable work when compared to the mark scheme. “Description lacks depth” one can see it saying.

Furthermore, in a philosophy exam, in the art of thinking, you get awarded no marks for original ideas. One could be the next Plato, Descartes or Kant, but if one fails to outline the strengths and weaknesses of the “theory of empiricism” he is not “intelligent” by the standards of an exam board. One can but wonder whether our modern society could even produce such minds. If funds could be provided, education should return to its roots where students became qualified when asking their teacher a question they could not answer. Well, of course, that probably creates just as many problems as our current system, but it allows freedom for those who need it and opens the marking scheme’s otherwise sealed box.

We mustn't forget, however, that education has a purpose and that purpose is not to encourage the flourish of the exceptional individual, but rather to provide a basic awareness to the masses. That is one purpose it fulfils.

Mirela Ivanova

Hamlet @ The Globe

Director Dominic Dromgoole presents us with a travelling production of Hamlet. This raw and traditional representation of the play offers us some excellent performances. Simon Armstrong’s Claudius is vicious, cunning and powerful, and despite his, at times, loose anger, he holds an incredible sense of authority which makes it impossible to avoid him. He even offers some humour, Rosencrantz and Googlestrub?

John Bett’s Polonius balances his character’s vices brilliantly and maintains the audience’s sympathy through laughter. Both Horatio and Laertes (Ian Midlane and Alex Warren) are a joy to watch, managing to break away from the usual stereotypes their characters hold, and showing a satirical Horatio and an unusually honest and respectful Laertes. What this play lacks, however, is Hamlet and Ophelia. Young Joshua McGuire offers us an energetic, innocent and, more often than not, a rushed Hamlet. Though he manages to bear the weight of mad Hamlet respectably, McGuire offers no depth to the character and even the most famous and symbolic lines in the play ‘To be or not to be’ come out as merely “words, words, words”. The same applies to Jade Anouka’s Ophelia. Tonight, her otherwise heart-breaking soliloquy is overshadowed by a pigeon trapped in the ceiling of the Globe. Both would be much better suited to the roles of Romeo and Juliet as their youth is honed by their rushed and at times shallow acting.

There are some slight modifications to the script, supposedly in an attempt to make it more accessible. Yet, the only difference between “the lady doth protest too much me thinks” and “The lady protests too much” is the lack of sentiment the ‘modern’ version holds. Some of the best parts of the play are also spared to the audience tonight, notably, the heavily shortened speech by Hamlet to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern where he urges Guildenstern to play upon a pipe.

The last few scenes of the play seem more comical than tragic. The struggles and deaths seem overdone and the, at times, inadequate acting of McGuire leaves us more sympathetic towards Horatio than to the eponymous protagonist. Sadly, the exceptional performances of the majority of the cast seem overshadowed by McGuire’s Romeo who happened to be in the wrong play tonight.

Mirela Ivanova

Rotten Easter Clegg

The hilarity in the house of parliament continues. This time, while Nick Clegg is out there preaching honesty to the House of Commons and teaching them to acknowledge that when it comes to the administration of internships there is "a lot to be desired", David Cameron pops up on the Daily Telegraph and lets the world know he is "very relaxed" about offering internships to people he knows, in fact, he has his neighbour coming in.

This continuous battle of remarks, in the media, between our leaders really makes one wonder whether the two should just check what they are saying with each other. When stepping into such an unusual, and quite frankly ridiculous, partnership Clegg and Cameron were the people who really knew how little they have in common. Yet, in stead of attempting to represent themselves as a united power and give Britain a sense of strength and security, they continuously contradict and attack each other in the most public way possible .

The core of this problem is even more specific - they never discuss the essentials. While Liberal and Conservative values clash on absolutely everything and their changes to education have caused the march of over 500,000 demonstrators in March, the two never fail to argue over something fundamentally insignificant. While NHS and higher education cuts are causing worry and unemployment, our Prime Minister makes sure to outline he is "not ashamed of" going to a public school. Thank you David, for a split second there, in between the unemployment and destruction of social mobility you are creating, I was so distressed at the thought that you were!

Mirela Ivanova

Beastly Review

This is the predictable and rather derivative story of Kyle (Alex Pettyfer), the rich, pretty and arrogant high school boy who gets cursed by Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen) and turned into a repulsive mess in order to explore the importance of inner beauty. He then develops a relationship with Lindy (Vannessa Hudgens) who sees through his ugliness and have you guessed it yet? Yes, they live happily ever after. For what it is, this film does offer an unusual and particularly unrealistic, take on Beauty and the Beast, and for who is in it, this film will probably attract a wide teenage girl audience, yet the characters lack depth and within the script, there seems to be no space for it. The otherwise impressive Neil Patrick Harris presents us with possibly the warmest character in the film, playing blind teacher Will. But even with his attempts to drag this film into the sphere of interesting, the work holds its weight in the foreseeable and not particularly impressive. The strangeness in the events and, most of all, the extremely implausible character response to all of the even more implausible events makes this film a weak desert. Eat only if starving.

Mirela Ivanova

The Gaddafi Issue

As the representative of the people and protector of all human rights violation the United Nations agreed on sending a series of air strikes to Libya. On March 19 the strikes began after a 10-0 vote and five abstentions. The country is now pronounced in official civil war and two entities are claiming government. The smell of revolution has filled the air, except where it is diluted by a series of French, British and American bombs. So, why Libya? With the rapid spread of revolutionary movements all throughout the Middle East and the, more than few, dictators in place who share Gaddafi’s principles why did the woodcutter of protection chose this riding hood’s house? When it comes to human rights violation and genocide China and North Korea both hold a big bad wolf and yet the Union has turned into the blind grandmother when the wolfs hold nuclear weapons. This process of protection seems to hold a prerequisite process of selection. Do we choose to protect rights or national relations?

Let us jump just under 100 years back. Its 1917 and Russia is in period of turmoil and civil war. Two entities are claiming government. Sound familiar? The League of Nations at the time, however, was just as useless as the air strikes have been toward Libya, so the Allies set out onto a mission to support the more liberal, more Western, of the two powers – the White army. Let us name them the Little White Riding hood for the purpose of this exercise, shall we? So the Little White Riding hood is provided with money and a big axe to cut of the big bad wolf’s head. Yet, no woodcutter comes to help her. The Riding hood is- well you can imagine the story. Was this useful? Not particularly. But was it fair? Well, yes.

It is about time that the United Nations stop trying to act as the overprotective parents who can solve all their children’s issues with force and punishment. It is about time we stop forcing and start supporting the revolution. Democratic revolutionary groups need resources, not an angered dictator. After all isn’t a process of revolution a process of evolution?

As western countries we went through this shift of power from the majority to the minority, far too long ago and it seems we have forgotten that state sovereignty still exists. These countries have rights over their people and the avoidance to follow them would not present the UN as the woodcutter at all. “This is not another Iraq” our prime minister reiterates, and yet that is what it’s shaping out to be. It’s time the UN drops the bombs (not literally) and digs deep in their pockets and installs a big bad alarm at the Grandmother’s door, to present Libya with the conditions that allow for revolution. Then, the big wolf would have to run back to the forest. Take Mubarak as an example.

Mirela Ivanova