Ok

By continuing your visit to this site, you accept the use of cookies. These ensure the smooth running of our services. Learn more.

The Amazing Life of Ant D - Page 7

  • Election 2015

    Reasons not to vote UKIP...

    many many reasons, short sighted policies on Europe, a fake leader who for an ordinary bloke had a jolly good upbringing and banking job (EXPOSING NIGEL    ) farage_2921024b.jpgand of course as you can see from THIS article, despite what they say an awful lot of their members and candidates just use this means as a continuation from the National Front and the BNP. DON'T VOTE FOR RACISTS, DON'T VOTE UKIP

    Reasons not to vote Lib Dem..


    I understand why people voted Lib Dem in 2010, they wanted a change from labour and still didn't trust Torys. They got into the coalition and subsided to the Tories. 1363971190878.jpgThey wanted to reduce tuition, it went up three-fold, they wanted to get rid of trident, now they back it? They are spineless and will do it again! And they are treating this election as a joke. They uploaded THIS VIDEO OF NICK CLEGG SINGING UPTOWN FUNK to their official YouTube account during the election campaign (it has since been removed) 

     

    Reasons not to vote Conservative..


    This one is simple, they are ruining the country!

    There are traditional Labour arguments such as the NHS which they are first killing off, there are now longer waiting times than in 2010 and less nurses and then they are selling it off bit by bit so that their friends can make profit.

     

    Welfare cuts are unfair and unreasonable, they have promised another 12 billion in cuts but as the graphic bellow from the HMRC, it is probably Dave's mates and the tax avoidance that should be cut first. tax_evasion_v_benefit_fraud_-_full_size.jpgWhy bring in the bedroom tax that hurts the most vulnerable and drop inheritance tax which the very richest benefit most from? Dave's mates again. And all the time stealth taxes such Boris' transport fares, who do they hurt most? The big city bankers who earn millions or working families on the minimum wage (note the minimum wage is less than the Living Wage)

     

    The Tories are also failing at the bits that they claim to be proud of, the Economy and Employment, they claim to have reduced the latter but this is largely due to an increase in zero hours contracts that benefit? Dave's mates, it allows companies to give workers no stability whilst knowing they can call on the work when it suits them. Then the final blow the Economy, they promised to cut the deficit by 2015, here we are and it hastumblr_lkx9anMVID1qjjgbro1_500.jpg INCREASED, they can shout all they like about economic growth but at the end of the day their austerity package isn't bringing it down.

     

    There is plenty more I could and should say but I know that the majority who will read this already know. DON'T VOTE CONSERVATIVE UNLESS YOU WANT WORSENING LIVING STANDARDS AND POLICIES THAT BENEFITS DAVE'S MATES AND NO ONE ELSE.

     

    Reasons not to vote Green..

     

    Natalie-Bennett-gr_2327342b.jpgThis one I write with a heavy heart, I like the Greens, ideologically they are very similar to myself, save the world, treat everyone equally, remove tax evasion and end war. Unfortunately they have no chance of winning and any vote for the Greens (apart from in Brighton and a few others) is a vote that helps Cameron back into power. A friend of mine has helped create a website voteswap.org to help Green voters make their votes count in constituencies where they have a shot at success. 

     

    And Finally, WHY VOTE LABOUR?

     

    3278254236.jpg1. Because Labour will stand up for everyone, not just the privileged few

    2. Labour will raise the minimum wage to more than £8 by October 2019 and promote the living wage.

    3. Labour will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts so that anyone working regular hours for more than 12 weeks can get a regular contract. David Cameron said he couldn’t live on one. If he can’t, then no one should have to.

    4. Labour won’t give tax breaks to millionaires (the Tories did in 2013, and they’re likely to do it again if they win). They'll cut tax for millions of people on low and middle incomes instead.

    5. Labour will clamp down on tax avoidance and ban ‘non-dom’ status (which was created in 1799 and a lot has changed since then…).

    6. Labour will cut the deficit every year and balance the books, sensibly and fairly, without the extreme spending cuts the Tories are planning to make.

    7. Labour will scrap the Bedroom Tax (from day one) that hits the disabled and most vulnerable in society.

    8. Labour will control immigration with fair rules and make it illegal for employers to undercut wages by exploiting workers.

    9. Because Labour are the party that will save the NHS.maxresdefault.jpg

    10. Labour founded the NHS in 1948, it is one of the party’s proudest achievements, and they have saved it from crisis before.

    11. In five years of Tory-led government the country has seen rising waiting times, increasing privatisation and falling standards.

    12. Labour will train and recruit 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more doctors by 2020, paid for by tackling tax avoidance, a levy on tobacco companies and a tax on the most expensive properties worth over £2 million.

    13. Labour will guarantee a GP appointment within 48 hours – and on the same day for those who need it.

    14. Labour will radically improve mental health provision, especially for young people, by prioritising investment in under-18s and making sure teachers are trained to spot problems early.

    15. Labour will stop Tory privatisation of the NHS and cap the profits private companies can make from the NHS to ensure resources are spent on patient care.

    16. Because Labour are the party that cares about creating opportunities for all young people.

    17. Labour will cut tuition fees from £9,000 to £6,000 (which will help students but is also good for our economy).

    18. Labour will make sure that there is an apprenticeship for any school leaver that gets the grades.

    19. Labour will improve technical education and careers advice in schools to help students prepare for jobs.

    11_45_3_web.jpg20. Because Labour will end rip-off prices on services that people rely on.

    21. Labour will freeze energy bills until 2017 so they can fall but not rise, and give the regulator the power to cut bills when wholesale prices fall. No-one should have to choose between heating and eating.

    22. Labour will get a fairer deal for renters by banning rip-off letting fees and capping rents so they cannot rise by more than the rate of inflation during secure three-year tenancies.

    23. Labour will freeze rail fares in the first year of a Labour Government while we reform the railways.

    24. Because Labour are determined to tackle climate change and create a million green jobs.

    25. Because the choice at this election is between a Labour government or five more years of the Tories.

    VOTE LABOUR ON MAY 7TH 2015

  • Top 25 Tracks of 2014

    Me again, with my top 25 tracks of 2014. As always its a good mix of genres and will almost certainly not coincide with anyone else's. This is not to say mine is correct but I do think it is rather splendid. 

    Rules are the same as last year, 25 tracks, not more than one per artist and all have to have been released as either a single or part of an album in the past 12 months.

    25. Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk

    24. FKA Twigs - Two Weeks

    23. Peace - Lost on Me

    22. Bipolar Sunshine - Daydreamer

    21. Hozier - Take me to Church

    20. Maximo Park - Leave this Island

    19. Superfood - Mood Bomb

    18. Royal Blood - Figure it Out

    17. Azealia Banks - Chasing Time

    16. Bellowhead - Gosport Nancy

    15. The Rusty Suns - Lover Not a Fighter

    14. Jack White - Lazaretto

    13. Sigma - Nobody to Love

    12. Circa Waves - Stuck in my Teeth

    11. Eugene Quell - Weird Purr

    10. Milky Chance - Flashed Junk Mind

    9. Native Sun - Solei

    8. Dominique Young Unique - Throw it Down

    7. The Holloways - Goodnight Irene

    6. Spring Offensive - Speak

    5. John Legend - All of Me

    4. Bombay Bicycle Club - Carry Me

    3. Beaty Heart - Lekka Freakout

    2. Jamie T - Zombie

    1. Many Things - Dear One

    Number 7 technically breaks the rules as it wasn't officially released, it was actually an unreleased demo that became available to the public shortly after The Holloways former member Rob Skipper died earlier this year. And as it is my list I will allow it!

    You can listen to most of it should you wish at the following Link; Ant D's 2014 Singles Playlist
    To hear the Holloways and Native Sun you'll have to dig a little deeper as they aren't available on Spotify.

    And so we have another 12 months gone. They are getting ever quicker

     

    END

     

  • My Year in Books

    20141212_100605.jpg

    It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and therefore you'll be expecting the end of year lists to start clogging up your news feeds and I have never been one to disappoint a hungry public. This year though in a break from the norm I will add a new list to that of my singles and albums of the year, this time around I will share with you all the books that I have read this year. My 2014 New Years Resolution was to read more and for once I actually fulfilled it, I have read more books this year than I have in just about the rest of my life combined. So without further ado here is my list;

     

    1984.jpg

    1. George Orwell - 1984

    The book that started my resurgence into the world of literature was a true classic. I had thought that if there was ever to be a piece of fiction to get me out of my slump that it would be this and I was right. I loved it, surprisingly enough I didn't really know the plot before I read it despite its classic status, yes I knew all the buzz phrases; Room 101, Big Brother, et al. but only through reading it did I really understand its importance. The first book this year and probably my favourite.

    2. Nicco Machiavelli - The Princeprince.jpg

    In truth this is a book that I really should have read previously considering it was one of the core books of my first year Politics degree but back then I just cleverly took passages that I knew would be relevant rather than reading it cover to cover. In doing so this year I discovered it a fairly harrowing read and for something originally penned in the 16th Century it is clearly still relevant to today's world. At just over 100 pages it should have been a fairly quick read but some parts I felt I had to go over couple of times for it to really sink in. A very interesting book indeed.

    brave new world.jpg3. Aldous Huxley - A Brave New World

    A Christmas present from my little sister this kept to my short lived desire to read Dystopian fiction and did not disappoint. Another classic by all accounts but, due to my embarrassingly limited knowledge of literature, a book I had not previously heard of. In reading it there are obvious comparisons with 1984 and it is easy to see in hindsight why they are the two leading lights in the field. On the whole I really enjoyed Brave New World even if I thought the last chapter was entirely unnecessary. 

    4. Karl Marx & Frederick Engels - The Communist Manifestocommunist manifesto.jpg

    Another shorty, I cheated really in my path to greater numbers, this is another that probably would have significantly enhanced my chances of getting a better mark at University but why live in regret when I can get the benefit of the knowledge 5 years later. The reading of this 'pamphlet' also coincided with the London Marx Walk that I took part in earlier this year, which as it sounds was a walk around some of the landmarks in central London that are significant in the life of Marx. Essential reading for any left leaner and still thoroughly relevant.

    shane macgowan.jpg5. Victoria Mary Clarke & Shane MacGowan - A Drink With Shane MacGowan

    This the first of the years biography section, this book was written as a question and answer session over the course of a couple of months between Shane and his wife Victoria. He comes across very much as I expected as a genius who is thoroughly out of his mind. Equal parts brilliant philosophical thought and drunken ramblings. Both give you a wonderful insight into the life of one of my favourite musicians. Quite a long read but then he has had quite an eventful life.

    6. Yevgeny Zamyatin - We we.jpg

    Another Dystopian fantasy, this one although a classic not quite as famed as the previous two. Again I had no previous knowledge of this book and only found it by searching for books in a similar vein to 1984 and Brave New World. For a short book it took me a while to get into it but when I did I found it as enjoyable a read as the others. Similar themes as expected but told in a different way, We is written as a diary of a man losing his mind/freeing himself from the state oppression. This book gained reputation across Europe far before it did in Zamyatin's native Russia, where the book was banned until relatively recently as anti-state propaganda, their loss though was the rest of the worlds gain.

    republic.jpg7. Plato - The Republic

    This one again, from my University reading list was the first book this year that I really struggled to finish. This is not to say that it isn't very interesting, it is just written in a way that is not particularly easy to read and considering that the original was written more than 2000 years ago I guess it is not too surprising. I hate to repeat or sound cliche but again this book is remarkably relevant for something that was written so long ago and some practices of a perfect democracy I would gladly see put in place today. Written as a conversation between intellectuals, the book tries to discover the ultimate good. Although not an easy read it is probably one of the more memorable books of the year.

    8. Flann O'Brien - The Third Policemanthird policeman.jpg

    It is hard to remember exactly why I chose to read this book, I bought it on the cheap off the internet, I THINK it was a recommendation from Shane MacGowan in his book. If it was I don't think I will listen to any more of his advice (On literature that is, his musical recommendations are exquisite). I found this book the hardest to read of the entire year, not that it was particularly difficult I just didn't enjoy it and I only finished it through sheer stubbornness. On the whole I am a fan of the 'weird' of this world but this seemed unnecessarily so and the ending was just the kind of ending I hate. I won't be reading any more of Mr. O'Brien's work in a hurry

    animal farm.jpg9. George Orwell - Animal Farm

    After the disappointment that was the Third Policeman I went for something that I knew I was going to enjoy and that would be short and easy to read. Having read Animal Farm previously as part of a school project I knew that it would be all of these things. Little did I know just how easy it would be, I finished it in two bus journeys in just the one day. It was just what I needed to get my year of reading back on track.

    10. George Orwell - Keep the Aspidistra Flyingkeep the aspidistra.jpg

    I had bought this and Animal Farm very cheaply in a second hand book shop in Wimbledon and after my previous two trips down Orwell way I thought this would be another delight. I'm going to be honest, I didn't love it. Not an awful lot happens throughout the book, just the decay of a privileged man. I understand the point of it but it did not capture me in the same way as 1984 or Animal Farm. Maybe it is that I prefer the political messages rather than despair at humanity angle that he has gone for in this encounter. This was another book that slowed down my reading for this same reason that I just didn't particularly enjoy the subject matter.

    how not to be.jpg11. Paul Merson - How Not to be a Professional Footballer

    This book was the easiest book that I read all year, despite being well over 300 pages I managed to polish it off in a three or four days. It isn't at all well written and not even remotely insightful, it was just some light relief. Merson's autobiography is a real gossip mag of a book concentrating on his descent into drink, drugs and gambling addiction and a small amount on his career as a professional footballer. It was a fun read and with chapter title's such as 'Do Not Shit on David Seaman's Balcony' you know what you are getting.

    12. Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451farenheit 451.jpg

    My last foray into Dystopian fiction for the year and this time the tale of futuristic firemen who rather than putting out fires are instructed to burn all books that are found in the city. It is the tale of a Fireman who after an encounter with a free spirited young lady questions his whole being. Out of the 4 Dystopian novels that I read this year this was my least favourite but it was still good. I have very much discovered this year that these not too impossible versions of future realities I find fascinating and I will be looking into reading more of them next year. 

    libertines.jpg13. Pete Welsh - Kids in the Riot: High and Low with the Libertines

    A book that I have read half way before but didn't get around to finishing back in the days when literature was not my forte. Not that you can call Pete Welsh's account of boozy nights and obscene amounts of drug abuse high literature. The Libertines being my all time favourite band I can now say that I know far more about their beginnings and what was their inevitable end back in 2004. And I can't say that given me the greatest hope that this years reunion is going to be altogether successful in the long run. Another very easy read that I finished quickly. 

     14. Jad Adams - Tony Benn: A Biographytony benn.jpg

    A bit of a cheat really this one being on the list as I am only half way through it but at over 500 pages of particularly small print I have decided that it will very likely be the book that will see out my 2014. Reading about a great politician and a wonderful man who sadly passed away earlier this year seems a fitting way to end the year. As of now I am only into his early career but it is already amazing and for bonus points it taught me the word 'Recalcitrant'. If you don't know it, look it up, its a cracker!

    And so there it is, my year in books. I have thoroughly enjoyed this new chapter in my life (excuse the pun.. or don't, its your choice), and am planning on replicating it for next year and have already collected a number of titles that I am raring to read. If you lovely readers, any recommendations would be greatly received but if I don't like them I will go on at you about it. Just being honest. In the coming weeks expect my usual best of music lists for singles and albums. See y'all

    END