Blog 14. My Family

Website: http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/player/gorillavid.php?id=61mkbnrfwmps

The children decide to treat their parents to a Spanish holiday for their anniversary, but the flight turned out to be a living hell since Ben picks a fight with the other passenger and a virus break, which forces them into quarantine on arrival at the airport. Back home, Michael admits he paid the trip with Ben's credit card. Now all he needs is a fast way of paying it back thus he decides to sell some antiques but it appears to be worth nothing except for an old mantle clock that Susan adores. They sold it but replaced it with a modern clock. As soon as Ben and Susan arrive from their holiday, the modern clock goes off and Susan blames Michael and Janey.

I have been watching My Family since I was little. I find it a hilarious show. The children cause a lot of financial problems for Ben and Susan. The house is never quite. I find My Family a good TV show to help and improve someone’s English. This show also shows the British lifestyle of a normal family living in England and the problems they tend to get. I would advice students to watch this because it is spoken in the beautiful British accent and it is easy to follow the plot.

Blog 13. The Inbetweeners

Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwmd8_xPEdM

Will decides the boys should go clubbing in London. Jay and Neil both warm to the idea, but Simon is reluctant to go, stating that his dad will kill him if he drives down to London. He is later persuaded to go because Carli and Rachel will be going as well. When the boys arrive in London, things begin to get out of hand. Simon is attacked by some men from a nearby bus stop. He also has to swap his trainers for a tramp's urine-soaked shoes in order to get into the club. The dates with the ladies did do not go well. After Neil is thrown out for masturbating in the toilets, the boys decide to call it a night. When they got to the car they noticed that it has been clamped by an Asian man.

I have never heard of the Inbetweeners until I went to Scotland. At first I thought that it was really dumb but if you watch more episodes, you realize that it is about young British lads who want to be popular and experience the adult life of a Brit. It is funny, but in a British way. This TV show shows the real life of young British lads, their opinion about beer and why they want to start to drink at that age. I think this is a very good show to help people understand more about the British culture. 

Blog 12. Jamie’s 15 minutes meals

Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8IGryJXLVI

\Jamie Olivier does two meals in half hours time. He is showing how to make healthy and delicious food that can be done within 15 minutes. During this episode he first makes a Mexican fiesta with his hot chicken fajitas and secondly he makes a King Prawns meal. With both meals he uses the same format. At first he says what it will be and look like at the end. Step for step he explains what you should do and if you cannot find the proper ingredients, he gives alternatives that you could use. Whilst the first step is being done, he starts with the next step. Whilst everything is cooking, he explains where some ingredients come from.

The way Jamie presents this whole show is like creating magic in the kitchen. Everything seems to go smoothly and easily. The meals that he cooks do not just look delicious but whilst he is explaining what he does and what it is for, it sounds incredible. I would say the chicken fajitas are more liking in taste but I would not mind eating the prawns. I think he presents this show really well and entertaining and showing how to cook lovely meals within 15 minutes. That is amazing. Looking how it is made, I can easily interpret what it should be instead of following a recipe in a cookbook.  

Blog 11. Mr. Bean

Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rgb-AbB1O0

Mr. Bean falls from the sky in a beam of light like he has fallen out of heaven. Bean rarely speaks throughout the episode and there is a lot of physical humour. In the first act, Bean goes to a Laundromat and realizes that he wants to wash the underwear what he is wearing. Accidentally he gets his trousers mixed up with a lady’s skirt. This escalates the taunting he receives from a bully. With revenge, Bean substitutes the bully’s soap with black coffee. Later, after retrieving his mutated washing from the drier, Bean needs to retrieve his trousers from the lady's washing so he climbs into the drier to find them. The lady returns and closes it without noticing Bean is still inside it.

Watching Mr. Bean has been part of my childhood. I also liked that he came into trouble without really wanting to. This series I find is truly British humour by presenting it with physical humour and expressions. Mr. Bean is hilarious and giving an image of a child being in an adults body. Bean gives several unusual schemes and contrivances to everyday tasks. Yet, with rarely no words spoken throughout the entire episode one can still follow the whole story and know exactly what Bean is thinking, especially thinking of doing something mischievous. This is what makes this series such a hit!

Blog 10. Catastrophe Series 1 of 5 ‘Birth of the Planet’

Website: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm6tgz_ch4-catastrophe-series-one-1of5-birth-of-the-planet_shortfilms#.UPfucifo4l0

The Birth of the Planet is one of the five British documentary series telling the story of the catastrophic events that shaped planet Earth. The presenter is Tony Robinson and this first episode explores the most violent event in the history of the Earth when, four and half billion years ago, it collided with another planet named Thea. According to Bill Hartman, this collision created the Earth 23° tilt. The last Lunar Surface experiment from the Apollo programme is also being mentioned and that the moon moving away from the Earth’s McDonald Observatory, which is measured by the Lunar Laser Ranging.

This documentary is extremely interesting. Knowing more about how the earth was formed and the catastrophe that came thereafter, I find it remarkable that life forms were developed from two planets that have collided. The way Tony tells the story is very intriguing and after watching this first of five series, I want to watch the other four as well. This is done by a Brit and the pronunciation and accent that is used is very clear and understandable, like most British accents. I have also learned that the moon is moving way from our mother earth and that will eventually have a negative effect on our beautiful planet.

Blog 9. The Bachelor

Wbsite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcbnMpagMaM

The first series revolves around a single bachelor, who is very eligible, and a pool of romantic interests which could include a potential wife for the bachelor named Jamie Williams. Conflicts occur, both internal and external, but this gives the show an elimination style format. The bachelor first goes on large group dates with the women and majority gets eliminated during a rose ceremony. After several eliminations, the process cumulates with hometown visits to the families of the final four women, overnight dates at exotic locations and with the bachelor’s family with the last two women. At the end of this series Jamie chose Jodi Plumb to be his future wife.

This series I find is mindboggling and weird. I would be ashamed of the idea of me throwing myself at a man and I have to fight it out with other women so that he could choose me. Usually the series has a good looking and eligible bachelor but I find it sad that he wants to go on television in order to find his dream girl. Despite the eligible man and the exotic places that you get to see, I would never enter such a reality show because I believe that there is for each person someone in the world and you just need to look harder. The bachelor gets to kiss all 25 women. Living with your boyfriends other dates is not my cup of tea. 

Blog 8. The Voice UK

Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M606xNWAQig

It is an interactive reality TV talent show where it starts off by having blind auditions. Afterwards competitors are chosen and go through to the next round. The show has four judges/couches who are popular artists in from the UK. They are Sir Tom Jones, Will.I.Am, Danny O’Donoghue and Jessy J. This is the final Episode and the show is opened by Bo Bruce, a finalist of the show and from team Danny. Afterwards Lianne Mitchell, Tyler James and Vince Kido get to do their performance as well. All four finalists receive a standing ovation from all four coaches. Throughout the show guest artists, Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran get to do a performance as well. At the end Lianne has won the Voice of 2012.

The Voice UK come originally from The Voice of Holland thus knowing how it helps people being self conscious about their looks and not being judged on their looks but by their voice, is absolutely fantastic. In this final I find that each contestant has their own kind talent but my vote would go to Bo Bruce. Whilst listening to her, I got the goose bumps but eventually Lianne won the competition.  I think that this show will be still seen in the future because of its success and that more countries would want to have this show, because it is not judgemental. 

Blog 7. The Graham Norton Show

Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep9UfUx1y0A

The Graham Norton Show is a comedy TV-show. Every show Graham has new celebrities on his #red couch and they talk about the latest news of their career. This episode is a New Year’s Eve special and starts with Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike. Graham talks about the three decade of Tom being a success. After 17 minutes he introduces Billy Cristal, John Bishop and Hugh Jackman. Throughout the show Graham talks about the latest issue of each celebrity and shows short clips from that moment. After 48 minutes Graham introduces the couple Paul Hollywood and Mary May from the Great Bake-Off. As last, in the 53^rd minute Pink sings a song to round the show off.

The Graham Norton Show is incredible funny shows were the British humour could be heard and seen. The way the show is set up, I think is a bit short for all the stars to express their fame but the idea of the show is to not make it too long. I find the show a bit intriguing and love to watch it. The fact that Graham is showing Rosamund to the couch by holding her hand, shows me the gentleman side of a Brit. Throughout the show everyone is open about their feelings and opinions which makes this show such a great show.

Blog 7: Killing Joke

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4723804/Murderers-given-life-sentences-spending-just-eight-years-in-jail.html

Shocking figures have shown that murderers given life sentence serves on average 8 years in jail. MP’s find the 275 killers released in 2010 and 2011 unacceptable. Tory MP Philip Davies have discovered these figures and states: “They lay bare how soft our justice system has become.

“Most people think a life sentence should mean life but many murderers serve less than ten years. He also states that these murders that have been released have gone on to kill again. He added: “Any serious offenders who are released on licence are subject to strict conditions and are liable to be returned to custody if they do not comply.”

Own Opinion:

People doing a crime, like murder and sexual abuse, should be punish. Taking a life means taking your own life as well. People have the right to life and people wanting to take another’s life should give up his own life  by sitting in a sell and never get to see daylight for the rest of his life or given capital punishment. If serving a life sentence and being released after 10 years, is not punishment. Thus I think the justice system should be more strict about the punishment the offender needs to get. Prisons also needs to help with this system, because this may prevent killers walking around in the future and it reduces crime rates. 

Blog 6:Obese people could face benefit cuts

Website:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/03/obesity-benefits-cuts

Summary

British obese people may face benefits cuts if they not comply to doing exercise. Westminster council and Local Government Information Unit propose smart cards to track claimants’ to check if they do fitness. This allows authorities to dock housing and council benefit payments to those who do not carry out their exercise prescribed by their GP. A report suggest linking benefit payments to claimants’’ lifestyle. However, a Westminster council spokesman thinks that the proposal would involve a ‘carrot and stick’ approach. Obesity increases health problems, making it a major burden of £1.5 billion per year, on the NHS. According to the Health Survey of England, 65 % of men and 58% of women are either overweight or obese.

Opinion

It is very important that people look after their body. It is a very delicate thing and therefore people need to participate in sports and do fitness to make their bones and muscles strong. I do agree with the propose that obese people need to be monitored to make sure they are doing something about their problem, in order to get benefits from the government. However, I men chooses to be an obese they should take the consequences that comes with it. If you are obese, your less movable thus less active thus very lazy. Therefore I think that the government should not finance them but help them, even if it not that simple. 

Blog 5:Fury as rail minister says fares are not as high as people claim

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/jan/02/anger-over-soaring-rail-prices

Summary

Britain railway tickets are the most expensive tickets in Europe. With rising train fares, commuters find it appalling. Railways minister thinks that train fares are not expensive enough. Although  commuters, who have a 4.2% increase in their season-tickets, will still need to pay more during peak hours. People travelling during peak hours use the premium product and therefore they should pay more. Norman Baker, a Liberal Democrat MP, said: [I]t is not that expensive if people take advantage of advance and off-peak tickets.” The Association of Train Operating Companies said the fare increases have led to "more trains, better stations and faster services". However, labour’s transport spokeswoman thinks otherwise. She thinks that people pay more for less service.

Own Opinion:

Using public transport, it is essential that it should be payable. Increasing the season tickets should actually work out less than buying an individual ticket. I think that the railway minister is completely insane to ask more money. If commuters travel during the off-peak hours, they should adjust their work schedule so that they could travel cheaper. If people pay more for travelling, they should see some advancements but in this case it is not. However, the UK is a very populated country , thus a great rail system is needed and to improve that, more money is obviously needed.