The Megaphone : A Debate Blog

Hello, kids. It has been a long time I know, but I’m back and I’m bigger than ever… I don’t know why, that just sounded right.

Anyway, I have got a lot to get off my chest, but let’s start with an easy one. Since the invention of the amazing boredom saver known as the TV people have been reading less and less. Along with the TV we have computer games, which are also an ace boredom killer. I suppose the internet has probably got people reading a bit, but that’s not proper reading… you’re reading this, but if anything it will probably make you less intelligent and less cultured.

I have to admit that I’m not a big reader. I get really into a book, but then I can’t be bothered reading it so I leave it for a bit… then when I go back to reading it I have forgotten what has happened so I have to start again and it’s a vicious cycle. The last book I actually read from start to finish was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, which admittedly is a kids book, but a very good one. I am currently reading Russel Brand’s autobiography, as Sarah thinks I have a man crush on him… I do not.

So do you read, what are you reading, do you think the next generation of kids will be silly because they play Halo instead of reading Dickens… let me know.

Big Love… Ryan

Chris Evans on Radio 2 has been asking this question, so in a blatant act of plagiarism I am asking the very same thing… Pajamas or no pajamas?

I realise it’s pretty freakin’ cold at the moment so you’d think everyone would be wrapping up, but it appears from his show that everyone is still braving the sexier/colder option.

I have to admit I am a boxers or pj bottoms man. So what about the rest of the universe… Pajamas or no pajamas? Leave me a note in my scantily clad comment creator.

I realise this post is a little belated, being that lent is already three days in, but I shall continue anyway.

I am not a religious person in any way, but I have decided to give something up for lent anyway. Sarah is giving up crisps and apart from that one slip up which I have already forgotten about she has done it perfectly. I have decided to give up something that I should never have started in the first place, and that is watching crap TV.

I know what you’re thinking… Ryan that is not possible.

I spend loads of time watching rubbish stuff like Corrie and Eastenders because Sarah wants to watch it and I’m not just going to go in the other room and never see her, so I watch it too… or I stare into space just beyond the TV. Or those times when you know there is nothing on until like 9pm, so you just channel surf, hoping and praying there will be an episode of Friends you’ve never seen on or something… which there never is, and then before you know it it’s 9pm and that thing you wanted to watch is on.

So what I intend to do is do something else when that rubbish stuff is on. Like draw / design or read or make something. I have been doing this already and am finding it very fulfilling and productive.

So what are you giving up for lent this year?

Don’t worry this isn’t going to be a list of 2008 films, it’s going to be like 5 films I’m excited about which are going to be released in 2008.

So I don’t know why, but there hasn’t been a film I’ve wanted to see in the cinema for ages… but all of a sudden there are loads of films I want to see. This post is going to be a trailerfest by the way.

Be Kind Rewind

I will start with the film I am most excited of all about. It is the release of Be Kind Rewind which comes out on the 22nd February. As you may know I have a man crush on Michel Gondry, so I am always excited about anything he does… excluding like going to the shops, having a wee… you know what I mean.

Juno

I am also very excited about Juno, which I have been avoiding watching on a bootlegged DVD which is flying around in here in favour of the big screen experience. I could have gone to see it for free with SeeFilmFirst, but I was busy last night grrr.

Jumper

I am also excited about Jumper (which is not about those ones your gran knits for Christmas). I am not just excited about this because Rachel Bilson appears to make an appearance in her brassiere (which is obviously included in the trailer), but it also includes people with superpowers and other geekery.

Cloverfield

Then of course there is Cloverfield which comes out here today and is produced by JJ “Lost” Abrams. I will be venturing out to see this sucker. The problem might be that it has been massively (over?) hyped and I hope it isn’t a let down. I have heard reports that the whole film is ace, but the end is poor. Please don’t tell me what happens if you have already seen it.

No Country For Old Men

I also want to see No Country For Old Men. I am a big fan of The Coen Brothers. This has already been released, but only in those cinemas that show good films (of which there are none anywhere near me).

And More…

I will definitely have to wait for the DVD release of Paranoid Park, which also looks good. And Forgetting Sarah Marshall by Judd Apatow of Knocked up and Superbad fame.

Also coming out will be loads of sequels and prequels and stuff, like the new James Bond film, The Dark Knight (with Heath Ledger… like you didn’t know) and even a new Indiana Jones film. As well as Harry Potter and Rambo.

So… which 2008 films are you looking forward to? Also, have you seen any good films already this year?

I can’t believe it, according to this article (and many more) The Gladiators is making a comeback. I used to love The Gladiators. Although I was a scrawny child I knew I could do better than those pathetic contenders… they couldn’t even do the Travelator, come on!

When I was at school, me and my friends always used to argue who was the hottest out of Jet and Lightning. There was a definite divide in opinions between the people who (wrongly) thought Lightning was hotter than Jet and (correctly) visa-versa.

When I think about it, it is probably wrong to fancy girls who really could kick the crap out of you, but when you are as weak as me, that is just a fact of life you have to get used to.

So which Gladiator did you used to fancy? If any, maybe you hated them all… although no one can deny that Wolf was a handsome devil wasn’t he?

So it has been a while since my last post. The break has done me some good. I was starting to feel like this blog was taking over my life. In conversations with people instead of chatting away I was thinking ooooh I could blog about that and not paying attention. So anyway, I felt like I needed a break to get the blog/life balance back on track. This T-shit sums up how I was feeling.

So anyway, onto business. You must have seen all the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Chicken Run programme, or seen him on the news or whatever. He is also getting Senior Oliver involved, which pretty much means it is going to become the biggest thing on the political agenda before too long.

So what did you guys think? Do battery chickens have a good enough life, or is it free range all the way for you? Maybe battery chickens lives could be improved a little bit and then they would still be cheap, but not abused.

I have always bought free range eggs, I have now vowed never to get another battery chicken. It is no life for a chicken. I think if you can’t afford to buy a normal (free range) chicken that has lived a normal life that every chicken should have the right to live, then maybe that should mean you can’t afford to buy a chicken full stop. This is just my opinion - What are your thoughts?

Big Love

Ryan

So apparently John Terry of Englad and Chelsea footballing fame gets paid a tasty £130,000 a week. The average wage in the UK is something like £23,000 a year. That means, and please excuse my shockingly bad maths skills… 5 years and 8 months to ear what John earns in one week. That’s 2,063 days to earn what he gets in just 7 days.

So today I want to know if you think footballers wages are fair, or do you think they get paid far too much.

I personally think it’s good that they get paid a lot of money, because there is loads of money made from ticket sales and I think it’s good that they get a big portion of that… it is after all the footballers who are entertaining the crowds. A lot of people complain about footballers getting paid too much, but I would much rather they get the money than some guy who wears a suit and smokes cigars rolled on the thighs of virgins all day.

So do you think they get paid fairly or is it ridiculous how much they get paid.

I know I haven’t updated ina while, I have been busy with freelance work and stuff. I have however been posting the random crap I find on my tumblelog. Things like the wonderbra spoof on the Dairy milk ad, which is well worth a watch… for more than one reason. And quotes from the likes of Richard Kelly (director of Donnie Darko) and Bat Pegs, which are ace.

Anyway I apologise for the poor spelling of which I’m sure there are loads as Sarah’s computer doesn’t do a spellcheck as you type and I’m in a rush. So on that note, in the words of Duncan Banatine: I’m out.

You have a dirty mind.

Today I really want to know what people think of the big toothbrush debate. Are electric toothbrushes actually better than manual ones?

I have been considering buying an electric toothbrush, because on TV ads they really get rid of the dirt with ease. Plus in the morning, I am pretty much incapable of getting myself dressed, let alone the manual labour involved with getting your teeth clean. I have a feeling though that those TV ads are about as real as Kate Moss’ eyelashes.

There was a freelance guy at my work for a while, and one day he came in after being to the dentist and he said the dentist had suggested he buy an electric toothbrush. The dentist has never suggested I buy one, so maybe he was just rubbish at brushing his teeth. Or maybe they are better, I don’t know.

So should I buy an electric toothbrush? What kind of toothbrush do you use?

Let’s settle this once and for all, what is better… electric or manual?

In yesterday’s post I mentioned that I had started a new blog… and I wasn’t kidding. I discovered the most amazing thing ever for lazy blogging mofos like myself. It’s called tumblr. I’m not very down with the technology as I’m sure you’re all aware by now, so it’s probably old news… but I only just stumbled across it and I love it, so I’m going to tell you about it.

Tumblr is a way of keeping a tumblelog which is like a blog of really short posts about stuff you discover on the web, or overhear or want to say. It’s a bit like keeping a blog of stuff you’d normally submit to delicious, digg, stumble upon, clipmarks and twitter.

So anyway you can check out my new tumblelog, brown boxes here. Let me know what you think. If you already have a tumblelog, then let me know the address and I will check it out.

I would advise that everyone starts one, they are really easy to update and a good way of looking back over stuff you discovered online, but might otherwise forget. If you’re a lazy blogger like me then it really is the perfect tool for you. Oh, I forgot to mention, the default design is really nice too.

Hello, I must apologise for my absence over the past few days… ok weeks. I have been mega busy with work and doing some freelance design, and re-designing the main part of my website… I intend to apply that style to this blog (when I find the hours), so any comments would be nice. I have also started another blog, but more about that later. I have also started teaching myself to write php and mysql which is not as much fun as you’d think.

So anyway. Today’s question is based on this thing I found while perusing the interweb as I do.

I found this video of a woman spinning around, and don’t even ask me how it works, cause it makes me fill ill thinking about it… it’s like when I think about how big the universe is, when I feel overwhelmed I feel ill.

So anyway this woman is spinning around. I see her going clockwise and can’t understand why anyone could not see her going clockwise, but Sarah can and so can other people.

If you can see her going clockwise apparently you use the right-hand side of your brain more, and if you see her going anti-clockwise… you’re a freak of nature and you use the left-hand side of your brain more, which is the useful side of your brain.

Click here to see the spinning woman… then come back here and tell me if you see her going clockwise or anti-clockwise.

So I’m sure you are all aware of this news story. Radiohead are selling their new album In Rainbows at the amazing price of… “whatever you’re willing to pay for it”… That can even be £0.00 (just a 45p credit card handling fee).

I have been trying to work out if this is a good or a bad idea. At first I thought it was going to make a massive loss, but I believe it is download only, so there is no postal cost.

Read the rest of this entry »