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Is Netflix Good for the Anime Industry?

Common Sense Contributors
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By Daniel Okotako.

Anime is childish

When one thinks of anime, there is a typical perspective that it’s for children. But, I’m here to tell you that that’s just a lack of understanding. It’s a billion dollar industry that has middle-aged men hooked. Anime has many genres for the young and the mature, which makes it unique because animations have been viewed by the west as a childlike form of entertainment.

Many avid anime viewers would agree that in the West, Dragon Ball Z and Naruto were the flagship animes that grabbed the attention of people who were exposed to it for the first time. And now, because of this popularity of anime outside of Japan, Netflix believes that it has a huge market potential, making an investment in this industry worthwhile.

Original Dragon Ball Z characters created by Akira Toriyama.

What Have They Got Planned?

Netflix have announced that they’re hoping to invest a massive portion of US$8 billion in creating 30 anime series and 80 new original films for release in 2018. This is up from their initial US$6 billion projections. Some of the anime series’ that have been given the green light include: Cannon Busters; A.I.C.O Incarnation; Devilman Crybaby; B The Beginning; and Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya, to name a few.

Despite this influx of investment by Netflix, the release of their most recent project, Neo Yokio in September 2017, whose lead voice actor was Jaden Smith, wasn’t received well. Similarly, their live action film of the globally successful anime Death Note received devastatingly bad reviews. So, why is Netflix cashing in on such a niche market?

Netflix’s Neo Yokio was met with generally negative reviews.

Bad Publicity

The company knows that bad films or series doesn’t necessarily equate to people not buying into their service. In fact, it’s rather the opposite, and here’s why:

When a form of entertainment is really bad, what tends to happen is that it receives such a backlash from social media that it raises awareness of the series existence. This creates consumer curiosity and encourages people to buy the Netflix service even though they know the quality of the product is bad. People simply don’t want to miss out on all of the hype. In other words, there is no such thing as bad publicity. And, considering the fact that Netflix is a for-profit company, their incentives aren’t necessarily to make high quality anime that ‘otakus’ (obsessive anime enthusiasts) across the world would love, but rather, to make as much money as possible.

That being said, I doubt Netflix believe that they can’t use this marketing strategy for long. Sooner or later, destroying another big hit like Death Note as a ploy to gain customers, may just backfire, resulting in a decline of people watching the anime, or even worse, a drop in subscriptions.

Netflix Need The Japanese

Over the past few years, Netflix has been trying to increase its library so that up to 50% is formed of original content. But, is including anime as part of that plan beneficial for the anime industry? The Japanese anime industry has been quite stagnant in recent years because it would seem Japanese publishers operate business more cautiously. They tend to avoid taking risks unless they are 100% sure that they would be able to succeed. Consider the fact that the Japanese rely heavily on DVDs, Blue-ray and physical CD sales even though anime is now being consumed on a digital platform and is more profitable, evidently bringing awareness to a larger market in the West.

Nevertheless, anime fans outside of Japan are very passionate about it, so if Netflix are serious about producing quality anime, they need to put their tail between their legs and liaise better with the Japanese industry. They want my advice? The Japanese should produce it and the West should solely distribute it. I refuse to sit through another Death Note.

 

 

Daniel is a Mathematics with Computer Science student at the University of Essex. He has a strong passion for technology, specifically machine learning. He is also interested in Hip-Hop, Japanese culture and poetry. In his spare time he loves creating websites.

Twitter: @_dantako

Shutdown Battle Exposes Democrats’ Rifts

Alex Davenport
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Shutdown Battle Exposes Democrats’ Rifts

The response to the recent federal government shutdown shows that at times, the Democrats can be their own worst enemy.

Much of the coverage surrounding the vote to end the government shutdown has centred around how the Democrats, under Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, have ‘lost their nerve’ and ended up backing down for very little in return.

The Democrats were criticised by political opponents in Congress and the media for causing the government shutdown by opposing any legislation to prevent it without specific protection for ‘Dreamers’, young undocumented immigrants facing the threat of deportation under the Trump administration. Sensing public opinion was turning against them, having been portrayed as prioritising illegal immigrants over the uninsured American children the original bill was pledging to fund insurance for, the Democratic leadership opted to back down in exchange for a somewhat vague commitment from Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell that legislation on Dreamers will be put forward next month.

 

The Democrats’ leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer (Source: AP)

A disappointing outcome for the party as a whole, to be sure. But a closer look at the Democrats’ response to the issue belies the ideological faultlines running through the party. The only five Democrats (Joe Manchin, Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Donnelly, Claire McCaskill and newly elected Doug Jones) to back the original bill that was defeated by the party as a whole are generally on the right of the party, and all represent Republican-leaning states. Four of these senators are up for re-election at the mid-terms later this year, something they may have had one eye on while opting to side with Trump and the Republicans on this issue.

On the other side, there is an increasingly prominent and vocal left wing of the party. A list of the senators who defied their party leadership to vote against re-opening the government on Moday reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of potential 2020 presidential candidates. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker – all among the most influential senatorial Democrats since Trump’s election victory – were among the rebels. Taking such a stand will surely have endeared them to majority of Democratic supporters, who were angered by Schumer’s decision to back down on the shutdown. Continuing to please this group, particularly while they are being disappointed by the rest of the party, can only help the more left-leaning Democrats in their long struggle to win their party’s nomination in around two years’ time.

Essentially, this issue comes down to the opening skirmishes in a battle for the soul of the party, one fought on both ideological and pragmatic grounds. The two extremes of the party clearly differed on their views on how to approach the shutdown, disagreeing on whether it was worth taking a step back on protecting Dreamers for the sake of restoring the government and enabling funding in other areas. Yet also it speaks to their views on the best way to challenge Trump in practice. Moderates view their best chance of winning over undecided voters in conservative regions, particularly those dissatisfied with Trump’s leadership, as offering a moderate alternative to their competition. Those further left, however, may point to Hillary Clinton’s failure in 2016 as proof that the adage that whoever holds the centre ground wins elections no longer applies. For them, the best way to take on non-establishment figures like Trump is with ‘outsiders’ of their own who offer a break with the past. If, and how, the Democrats are able to reconcile these profound differences ahead of crucial elections in 2018 and 2020 may prove essential to the ultimate direction the country takes.

DJ Khaled… and friends?

Emmabelle Nwadikwa
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DJ Khaled… and friends?

With the announcement of the acts performing at Wireless 2018 concert being released, the big question on everyone’s lips is “Who are DJ Khaled’s friends?”

With hits like “All I do is win“, “Wild thoughts” and “Shining“, Khaled is known for being a true hit-maker. So who could his friends be?

Featuring both Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, Wild Thoughts was a summer smash with it’s catchy lyrics and an instrumental sampled from Carlos Santana’s Maria Maria. Managing to reach the number one spot in the UK charts, Wild Thoughts could be the life of the Wireless festival.

 

By bringing together Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil’ Wayne, Khaled was able to create a fun summer sound which was only enhanced by the video itself which featured all 3 of the Migos and not just Quavo. Could this be a hint that all 3 of the Migos could be part of the travelling entourage ?

 

Calling on the iconic husband and wife duo that is Jay Z and Beyoncé, ‘Shining‘ proved itself to be the kind of song that you drive around listening to, singing along at the top of your lungs. Neither of the two have made much of a public appearance since the birth of their twins but this comeback would be fitting of the couple who are known for doing the unexpected.

 

https://youtu.be/fxPBu_vX9Q0

3 years ago Khaled gave us Hold you down which featured Chris Brown, August Alsina, Future and Jeremih all four of whom are wildly popular, not just based on this song but also based on their standalone music which could also be at play during wireless.

 

Even before that, 6 years ago we had the DJ Khaled x YMCMB collaboration “I’m On One” which some could say solidified Khaled’s status as a group hit-maker. It certainly wasn’t his first song featuring other artists but due to the popularity of the Young Money label at the time, this song instantly became a popular hit.

DJ Khaled is currently part of the TV show “The Four: Battle For Stardom” alongside Diddy, Meghan Trainor and Charlie Walk. He also has songs with Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, Nas, John Legend and so many more!

For a man who doesn’t actually have many lines in songs, DJ Khaled sure does have a lot of friends.

Oscars: And The Nominees Are…

Emmabelle Nwadikwa
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Oscars: And The Nominees Are…

With the Oscars taking place at the Dolby theatre on the 4th of March, the full list of nominees is finally out! The 90th academy award nominees are as follows

In the category of ‘Best Picture‘

  • Dunkirk
  • Get Out
  • Call Me By Your Name
  • Lady Bird
  • The Post
  • Phantom Thread
  • Three Billboards Outside, Ebbing Missouri
  • The Shape of Water
  • Darkest Hour
Get Out: Nominated for Best Picture

In the category of ‘Best Actress‘

  • Sally Hawkins – The Shape Of Water
  • Margot Robbie – I, Tonya
  • Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
  • Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird
  • Meryl Streep – The Post

In the category of ‘Best Actor‘

  • Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out
  • Timothee Chalamet – Call Me By Your Name
  • Gary Oldman  Darkest Hour
  • Daniel Day-Lewis – Phantom Thread
  • Denzel Washington – Roman J Israel, Esq

In the category of ‘Best Supporting Actress‘

  • Mary J Blige – Mudbound
  • Octavia Spencer – The Shape of Water
  • Allison Janney – I, Tonya
  • Lesley Manville – Phantom Thread
  • Laurie Metcalf – Lady Bird

In the category of ‘Best Supporting Actor‘

  • Willem Dafoe – The Florida Project
  • Woody Harrelson – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
  • Richard Jenkins – The Shape Of Water
  • Christopher Plummer – All the Money in the World
  • Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

In the category of ‘Best Director‘

  • Dunkirk – Christopher Nolan
  • Get Out – Jordan Peele
  • Lady Bird – Greta Gerwig
  • Phantom Thread – Paul Thomas Anderson
  • The Shape of Water – Guillermo Del Toro

In the category of ‘Best Adapted Screenplay‘

  • Call Me By Your Name – screenplay by James Ivory
  • The Disaster Artist – screenplay by Scott Neustadter & Michael H Weber
  • Logan – screenplay by Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green; story by James Mangold
  • Molly’s Game – written for the screen by Aaron Sorkin
  • Mudbound – screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
Logan: Nominated for Best Screenplay

In the category of ‘Best Original Screenplay’

  • The Big Sick – written by Emily V Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
  • Get Out – written by Jordan Peele
  • Lady Bird – written by Greta Gerwig
  • The Shape of Water – screenplay by Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor; story by Guillermo del Toro
  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – written by Martin McDonagh

In the category of ‘Best Foreign Language Film‘

  • A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
  • The Insult (Lebanon)
  • Loveless (Russia)
  • On Body and Soul (Hungary)
  • The Square (Sweden)

In the category of ‘Best Original Song‘

  • Mighty River – Mudbound (Mary J Blige, Raphael Saadiq & Taura Stinson)
  • The Mystery of Love – Call Me By Your Name (Sufjan Stevens)
  • Remember Me – Coco (Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
  • Stand Up for Something – Marshall (Common & Diane Warren)
  • This Is Me – The Greatest Showman (Benji Pasek & Justin Paul)

In the category of ‘Best Original Score‘

  • Dunkirk – Hans Zimmer
  • Phantom Thread – Jonny Greenwood
  • The Shape of Water – Alexandre Desplat
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi – John Williams
  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Carter Burwell
Star Wars The Last Jedi: Nominated for Best Score

In the category of ‘Best Animated Feature‘

  • Boss Baby
  • The Breadwinner
  • Coco
  • Ferdinand
  • Loving Vincent

In the category of ‘Best Documentary Feature‘

  • Abacus
  • Faces Places
  • Icarus
  • Last Men in Aleppo
  • Strong Island

In the category of ‘Best Cinematography‘

  • Blade Runner 2049 – Roger Deakins
  • Darkest Hour – Bruno Delbonnel
  • Dunkirk – Hoyte van Hoytema
  • Mudbound – Rachel Morrison
  • The Shape of Water – Dan Laustsen

In the category of ‘Best Costume Design‘

  • Beauty and the Beast – Jacqueline Durran
  • Darkest Hour – Jacqueline Durran
  • Phantom Thread – Mark Bridges
  • The Shape of Water – Luis Sequeira
  • Victoria and Abdul – Consolata Boyle

In the category of ‘Best Make-up And Hairstyling‘

  • Darkest Hour – Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski & Lucy Sibbick
  • Victoria and Abdul – Daniel Phillips & Lou Sheppard
  • Wonder – Arjen Tuiten

In the category of ‘Best Production Design‘

  • Beauty and the Beast – production design by Sarah Greenwood; set decoration by Katie Spencer
  • Blade Runner 2049 – production design by Dennis Gassner; set decoration by Alessandra Querzola
  • Darkest Hour – production design by Sarah Greenwood; set decoration by Katie Spencer
  • Dunkirk – production design by Nathan Crowley; set decoration by Gary Fettis
  • The Shape of Water – production design by Paul Denham Austerberry; set decoration by Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin

In the category of ‘Best Visual Effects‘

  • Blade Runner 2049 – John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert & Richard R Hoover
  • Guardian of the Galaxy Vol 2 – Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner & Dan Sudick
  • Kong: Skull Island – Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza & Mike Meinardus
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan & Chris Corbould
  • War for Planet of the Apes – Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon & Joel Whist

In the category of ‘Best Film Editing‘

  • Dunkirk – Lee Smith
  • Baby Driver – Paul Machliss & Jonathan Amos
  • The Shape of Water – Sidney Wolinsky
  • I, Tonya – Tatiana S Riegel
  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Jon Gregory

 In the category of ‘Best Sound Editing‘

  • Blade Runner 2049 – Mark Mangini and Theo Green
  • Baby Driver – Julian Slater
  • The Shape of Water – Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira
  • Dunkirk – Richard King and Alex Gibson
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Matthew Wood and Ren Klyce

In the category of ‘Best Sound Mixing‘

  • Blade Runner 2049 – Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill and Mac Ruth
  • Baby Driver – Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin and Mary H Ellis
  • The Shape of Water – Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern and Glen Gauthier
  • Dunkirk – Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A Rizzo
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi – David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Stuart Wilson

In the category of ‘Best Animated Short‘

  • Lou
  • Garden Party
  • Dear Basketball
  • Negative Space
  • Revolting Rhymes

In the category of ‘Best Live Action Short‘

  • The Eleven O’Clock
  • DeKalb Elementary
  • My Nephew Emmet
  • The Silent Child
  • Watu Wote/All of Us

In the category of ‘Best Documentary Short‘

  • Edith + Eddie
  • Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405
  • Heroin(e)
  • Knife Skills
  • Traffic Stop

The Shenanigans of Donald J Trump

Common Sense Contributors
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By Jireh Antwi. 

Donald J Trump is certainly not a man of mystery; he lays it out bare with what he thinks and his actions are sometimes incomprehensible, but whether you find him entertaining or not, you certainly think he’s terrifying now that he has the power of the Free World in his hands.

He’s accomplished a lot of things in his lifetime, and being elected the 45th President of the United States is certainly his greatest one to date, although I suspect if you were to ask him he would claim it was something else. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at some of his least greatest accomplishments.

President Trump with Union leaders in the Oval Office

Over the past few decades he’s been covered in controversy. Whenever the name Trump was mentioned in the news there was a hot take attached to it, from Trump University, his failed wine business and several other venture flops, the Hollywood Access take with Billy Bush that had the infamous line I’m sure everyone is aware of, to the sexual allegations he’s faced numerous times and managed to evade. He even managed to worm his way out of accusations that he had had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels and bribed her to stay quiet a few months into his marriage with Melania. Although, pushing a NATO leader to get to the front will always be my personal favourite debacle, and it really gave a glimpse into the psychological make up of who Donald Trump is.

Since his early days, he’s always wanted to be liked, always wanted to be adored by celebrities and others alike. I reckon if he wasn’t a ‘self-made’ billionaire he would certainly be content with being a reality star, luckily for him he has both, being the head of the Celebrity Apprentice came with more exposure given his catchy phrase ‘You’re Fired’. Having previous cameos in Home Alone 2, The Fresh Prince of Bel-air, Pizza Hut commercials and the movie Zoolander.

Donald Trump’s appearance on the hit show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as himself, making Will an offer to buy the Banks estate.

However, Trump’s words have landed him in hot water several times more so than one could count on their fingers – in fact, add a couple of hands to that. If it wasn’t his accusation of the Central Park 5 who were wrongfully convicted of raping a woman and never giving an apology, it would be the way he has spoken about his daughter Ivanka on several talk shows in quite an inappropriate manner. And, let us not forget about when he said that there were “very fine people” among the White Nationalists in the Charlottesville March back in august 2017 which resulted in the death of 32 year old Heather Heyer.

In his short time as president Trump has ramped up his controversies. Now, this could be due to the fact that he’s under constant spotlight and constant scrutiny, or, it could be that he’s now in charge so therefore it’s his way or the highway. So far he’s only managed to pass one major legislation which was a ‘tax cut’, this alone must have gotten him in the good books with the wealthy elite.

From day 1 he was obsessed with the numbers at his inauguration, stating that there were millions and millions who came out to see him in contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama. At most of his rallies before his time in the White house, and after his win against Hillary Clinton, he has rambled on ineloquently, repeating the same lines over and over, never being able to convey his messages adequately. I personally believe that he is easily distracted, and if he can’t talk about a topic that’s in relation to himself or paints himself in a positive light, he doesn’t show much interest. Some of his tell-tale signs and phrases are reiterating that he is ‘The least *insert negative trait here’ or ‘The most *insert positive trait here’ or ‘believe me’ when he’s lying (which is often).

45th President Donald Trump giving his speech at the official inauguration.

Halfway through 2017, there was speculations around his well-being. Psychologists, mental health experts and political commentators were anticipating that Trump had a mental health problem which was most likely to be dementia due to what seemed like bouts of memory loss and lack of concentration. As of recent, in Michael Wolff’s new book ‘Fire and Fury’, Trump’s own staff have been quoted as saying “he was incapable of functioning in his job”. Moreover, with his numerous trips to his Mar-a-Lago resort to play golf, which is now at 91 since the inauguration, it was contemplated that the job was too tough for him, which, during the election, he claimed was Hillary’s biggest problem.

As of recent, in an immigration meeting he was found to have said that he would much rather prefer good people from Norway than immigrants from “shit-hole countries” such as Africa and Haiti. At this point whatever he says is no longer a surprise to anyone, at least he’s living his truth so that no one can use it against him. Nevertheless, holding the highest office in government should surely come with more composure and decency, right? With still 3 years left in his Presidency we’re all waiting to see how his story unfolds, like if he’ll ‘build a wall’ and make Mexico pay for it like he promised, or if the Russia scandal will ever go away, but most importantly, and if and when he’ll actually start Making America Great Again.

At this point in 2018, Trump doesn’t seem to be slowing down or stopping any of his shenanigans which help fill up the daily news cycle. In the words of our dear Theresa May, now would be a good time to ask the question, is Trump ‘strong and stable’?

 

Jireh is a Microbiology and Molecular Biology graduate from the Manchester Metropolitan University. He has a passion for different sports, scientific discovery and trainer brands.

Twitter: @Ray_G95

All Star Break 2018

Common Sense Contributors
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By Jireh Antwi.

The Annual NBA All-Star games is being held at the L.A Staples Centre next month, the city of the historic 16x NBA Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles All-Star games 2018

This year, the All-Star weekend break will be different than previous years. Traditionally, All-stars from the East play against the All-Stars of the West and it’s been like that for a very long time. However, the reason for change is due to this format of the games producing boring and stale performances, as players made little attempt or effort to defend and the scoring line was ridiculous. The All-Star game is meant to be a showcase of the best players, but it has been getting out of hand as players were worried about not injuring themselves for their respective teams.

Even more problematic is that with the growing dominance of the stacked Western conference, it always felt like a sure win for them effectively making the final match not worth watching. To prove this, the historic MVP of last season, Russell Westbrook, hasn’t managed to get a starting role in this All-Stars, yet he plays in the Western Conference.

Luckily, with the help of Chris Paul, the President of the players association, a change was decided to even out the voting system, effectively reducing the fan vote to 50 percent and allowing a player vote and media vote of 25% each respectively. So, here’s how the new format works:

  • There are 2 captains from the Eastern and Western Conference and 5 starters from each conference that are pooled together.
  • The Captains can pick their players choosing first from the collective starters which finally ditches the East and West format.

This is the first time that players from different conferences will have the chance to play together and then from the reserves which will be announced today, 23rd of January, by the head coaches and the full team roster on Thursday the 25th. Hopefully this new format will allow the games to be more competitive with both teams actually trying to win.

NBA All-Star Starters from the Western and Eastern Conference

From the West, we have: The Golden State Warriors ‘baby faced assassin’ Stephen Curry who is the Captain for the Western Conference; the ‘Slim reaper’ Kevin Durant; New Orleans Pelicans big men Anthony Davies and DeMarcus ‘Boogie’ Cousins; and MVP contender Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

And the East’s starters being: King of the league and the Eastern Conference Captain, Lebron James for the Cleveland Cavaliers; Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving; the Toronto Raptors shooting guard and all-time leading scorer DeMar DeRozan; Philadelphia 76er’s Joel Embiid; and the Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Steph v Lebron: The Stats

  • Steph and Lebron are the captains this year because they led the votes overall respectively.
  • James will select before Curry as he has more votes overall: 2,638,294 compared to 2,379,494
  • This is Lebron’s 14th All-Star appearance tying Michael Jordan’s record and Curry’s 5th time appearance, the first Golden state warrior player to have 5 consecutive All-Star appearances.
  • James is averaging 27.7 points 8.8 assists, 8 rebounds, 1.7 steals so far, even though his Cavaliers are in a mid-season slump.
  • Curry is averaging 27.6 points and 6.5 assists and is leading his team to be the best record in the NBA.

The NBA All-Star Captains

Who Will They Choose?

It will be interesting to see who Lebron picks first. It would be a good chance for him to pick Anthony Davis or DeMarcus Cousins as that could be a possible line up for him in the coming future. Or will he be picking the man he allegedly asked to be traded in, Kyrie Irving, knowing that they work well together? Either way, it should be an interesting draft that’s sure to create some headlines. Curry joked that he would pick all guards and make his team the shortest possible, and that another player he would like to draft is Giannis Antetokounmpo since he dunked on him last year so that it won’t happen again. Giannis is averaging 28.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists so far, he was also voted as the number 1 option by the players over Lebron James.

Joel Embiid against the Utah Jazz putting on a show

Embiid is the first sixer to play in an All-Star game since the legendary Allen Iverson in 2006, although, in the voting system it appears players liked the New York Knicks’ star player Kristaps Porziņģis more than Joel. This could be due to Embiid’s antics on the court rubbing the players the wrong way in a similar way to Draymond Green who’s known for constant trash talking. Or, it could simply be due to the fact that Embiid hasn’t played that regularly.

Unfortunately, the draft won’t be televised which is a real shame as it would have been fun to see the dynamics of the player interaction and who would be picked last. Nonetheless, these All-Star games are sure to be a good one.

 

Jireh is a Microbiology and Molecular Biology graduate from the Manchester Metropolitan University. He has a passion for various sports, scientific discovery and trainer brands.

Twitter: @Ray_G95

Czech Presidential Election Offers Hope for Liberals

Alex Davenport
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Czech Presidential Election Offers Hope for Liberals

The Czech Republic appears to be the latest battleground between forces of nationalism and internationalism.

The current Czech president, Miloš Zeman, is facing the toughest of battles to retain his position ahead of the second round of the country’s presidential election taking place on 26-27 January. Zeman, a former Social Democrat with increasingly right-wing views, had been hoping for 50% of the vote in order to win outright in the first round which took place last week.

However, in an unexpectedly poor showing, he received only 39% of the vote, forcing a second-round run-off against liberal academic Jiři Drahoš, who won 27%. While this may still appear to be a comfortable lead, the next four most popular candidates after Zeman and Drahoš all pledged their support for Drahoš, and have offered their campaign resources to support him ahead of the second round. Indeed, head-to-head polling suggests Drahoš holds a slender lead over his rival, meaning he will fancy his chances of pulling off what at the start of the campaign would have been considered as an upset.

 

New divisions dictate the campaign

Zeman vs. Drahoš constitutes the latest variation on a theme, following Leave vs. Remain, Trump vs. Clinton and Le Pen vs. Macron. Throughout Europe and North America, political competition is coming to be defined more by whether the country in question should promote liberal, internationalist policies, or strongly maintain national borders and reinforce the identities that go with it.

As a result, debates around immigration and international integration (in Europe’s case this is dominated by the EU) are overtaking issues such as the economy as being the most important and divisive during elections campaigns. The two Czech candidates sum up this growing divide perfectly: Zeman often rails against the dangers of Islam, however moderate, and has suggested a Brexit-style EU referendum, while Drahoš has expressed desires to improve relations with the EU.

The President’s ‘Zeman Znovu’ (Zeman Again) campaign has struggled to capture voters’ imaginations (Source: Blesk)

Symbolic role, but strong implications

It is important to remember that the position of president in the Czech Republic is a largely symbolic one, with most political power being held by the Prime Minister, their cabinet and Parliament as a whole. However, the role – and by extension, the current battle to fill it – are so significant largely because of their effects on the dominant political discourse in the country. As head of state, the president is afforded a unique platform from which to put forward, and consequently spread, their own views. Zeman has used this position to his advantage, using his rhetoric on nationalism and multiculturalism to legitimise his own extreme views. When Czech voters are given the opportunity next week, rejecting a President embracing politics which at best verge on the far right would send a strong message of openness both domestically and internationally.

Challenger Jiři Drahoš may be the person to change the aggressive rhetoric used by Zeman (Source: Reflex)

However, this election may indirectly have strong policy implications as well. Among the powers of the Czech president is the ability to invite parties to form a government. This is particularly relevant at present, as Prime Minister Andrej Babiš – a strong ally of Zeman and fellow Eurosceptic – is currently facing allegations of corruption, causing his government to lose a vote of confidence. Babiš’ survival may be dependent on a Zeman victory, as Drahoš has suggested he would prevent him from returning to power as a result of these allegations, potentially paving the way for more liberal, pro-EU parties to take power. In the battle for a so-called ‘ceremonial’ position then, there still appears to be much at stake.

How to Stay Warm in Style

Common Sense Contributors
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By Hannah Bamgbala

Winter. A season where everyone, if not most sane people throw on their warmest clothes to keep body heat. A season where covering up becomes our best friend whether we like it or not. As February draws nearer, the weather continues to drop in degrees, meaning less going out and a continuous piling on of more layers. On average, the weather this winter is roughly 1degrees Celsius minimum and 5 degrees Celsius  maximum. This in itself screams “WRAP UP”, but keeping warm in the bitter cold, whilst trying to look nice, can be a tricky task sometimes. It’s either you’re cold and you look good or you’re warm and looking nice is the last thing on your mind.

As a male, staying warm and looking nice can sometimes be easier than women, as men scientifically are naturally warmer beings compared to women. But, this doesn’t mean putting a good outfit together won’t be difficult.

You just have to have the right items in your wardrobe. So here are some outfit ideas to help you stay both warm and looking good when you’re out and about:

Smart Grey Overcoat: £125.00 Asos/River Island

Black Turtle Neck: £25.00 Topman

Black Skinny Jeans: £25.00 Asos

Black Boots: £80.00 Office

You can mix and match from the colour of your coat, to the colour of your top, bottoms and shoes. Experimenting with mixing and matching is an essential part of choosing a great outfit. It allows you to get creative and become your own professional personal stylist.

During winter, a lot of people seem to draw near to darker colours, but for those who enjoy colour and need a bit of brightness, these next couple of outfit choices are for you:

This camel brown overcoat will go perfectly over any outfit, complimenting both darker and lighter tones very well. You can choose to wear something casual underneath like a plain black or white t-shirt and jeans with trainers. Or, keep it smart with a navy blue suit, white shirt, complimented with a burgundy tie and black or brown shoes.

Smart Camel Overcoat: £80.00 River Island

Cream Cotton Jumper: £18.00 Asos

Acid Wash Skinny Jeans: £19.00 Asos

Brown Chelsea Boots: £66.00 Asos

Both of these smart causal outfits can be worn to events, on a night out with friends or anywhere you may be trying to dress to impress. They are simple, yet warm and stylish. They don’t draw too much attention, but say just enough to not make you invisible. They are also really comfortable; no one likes looking good but secretly wishing the night was over. Want to dance? Why not? Want to jump around? Sure, you can. Knitwear and jeans or trousers can be purchased in stretchy material which doesn’t hinder your freedom of movement.

These last two outfits are for more causal ventures. For example, going to the cinema, shopping, the library etc. Like the first two, they are very comfortable and allow room for movement.

Navy Blue Cable-Knit Jumper: £22.99 Asos/Pull and Bear

Denim Ripped Skinny Jeans: £35.00 Asos

Blue Vans: £60.00 Asos

Long Camel Puffer Jacket: £99.00 Asos

Black Oversized Hooded Parker: £95.00 River Island

Grey Muscle Jogger: £30.00 Asos

Black Air force 1: £74.99 Office

Overall, these different outfits are basic examples of how you can keep warm and look good during winter. Struggling to find something to wear is no longer your problem. Forget about looking good on a night out, in winter you’re more likely to be chilling at your friend’s house, at least I know I am. Keep warm and in style, not because you have to, but just because it feels good!

Thank me later!

 

Hannah Bamgbala was born in London and is of Nigerian descent. She is passionate about freedom of expression in both Africa and photography. Hannah is currently a Fashion Media and Promotion student at The University For The Creative Arts Rochester and is looking to pursue journalism, photography and styling once she graduates.

Coexistence in the World’s Most Contested Capital

Common Sense Contributors
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By Ruth Foster

Since Trump’s announcement that the US is moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December 2017, it seems like everyone has an opinion on Jerusalem, Israel-Palestine, and what exactly peace will look like in the region.

 

Trump hold’s up proclamation of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

Trump’s announcement brought rejoice to right-wing evangelicals in the US and religious conservatives from within Israel, who see Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the State of Israel. Meanwhile, Trump’s announcement broke the hearts of the estimated 6 million Palestinians living between the State of Israel and the West Bank, as well as the Palestinian diaspora and allies of the Palestinian cause. As a result of his announcement, they saw their source of identity and cultural livelihood to be declared as illegitimate by an international power.

Trump’s announcement led to political commentary from all sides online, as well as riots and arrests on the ground in Jerusalem. Within all of this, those who are working for peace in the divided eternal city have been overlooked. These voices from within Jerusalem use both conventional and unconventional methods to build a community between the Eastern (Palestinian) and Western (Israeli) parts of the city, building resilient communities who can coexist peacefully. Although the rhetoric of many may paint the situation in Jerusalem as black and white, the work of these organisations shed light on the complex grey areas of everyday life in a divided city.

Israeli citizens react negatively to President Trumps declaration of Jersulam as their capital

Individuals have decided that in order to ensure a better and more peaceful future for themselves and their children, they must focus on what unites the people in East and West Jerusalem, rather than what divides them. These individuals know that peace is not merely a matter of international mediation and treaties imposed by foreign powers, but also the building of trust and interpersonal relationships across community lines.

Kids 4 Peace
Kids 4 Peace is an international NGO that works with Israeli and Palestinian youth in interfaith conflict transformation and interfaith relationship building. Founded in 2002, Kids4Peace is a global movement of Jewish, Christian and Muslim youth, which works in Jerusalem to provide after school programing for over 500 families between the different faith communities. They describe their mission as building communities that “embody a culture of peace and empower a movement for change”.

Hand in Hand schools
The Hand in Hand schools bring Jewish and Arab children together through schools and communities throughout Israel, with their flagship school in Jerusalem. Through teaching in Hebrew and Arabic, Hand in Hand’s mission is “to create a strong, inclusive, shared society in Israel through a network of Jewish-Arab integrated bilingual schools and organized communities”. At present, Hand and Hand schools have 1578 students and more than 8000 community members.

Jerusalem Double
If you walk down any street in Jerusalem, whether it’s Arab or Israeli, you’ll find people of all ages and backgrounds playing backgammon. This love of backgammon inspired Zaki Djemal, an Israeli of Syrian Jewish descent and entrepreneur, to co-found Jerusalem Double. Jerusalem Double is a backgammon tournament that brings together Jews and Arabs of all ages and religious affiliations, using backgammon as a vehicle for relationship and empathy-building. Since it’s founding, Jerusalem Double has won 2nd place in the Jerusalem Foundation Social Innovation Challenge, and has gained international attention from the New York Times.

You can find out more about Jerusalem Double through Zaki’s TEDx talk here:

 

Ruth is a final year undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh, originally from Northern Ireland. Her aim in life is to try and make the world a little bit better and care about the right things, which includes (but is in no way limited to) storytelling, politics, culture, and coffee.

Twitter: @fosttweets

50 Shades of White

Common Sense Contributors
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By Uzma Chaudhry

People of Colour: “Wow, it’d be nice to have a foundation that isn’t ashy on my skin, or a mixture of 8 foundations and my brown eyeshadow.”

Beauty Industry: *crickets*

People of Colour: “… just one…foundation range for…darker skin…?”

Beauty Industry: ???

People of Colour: That’s not quite-

Beauty Industry:

YSL’s ‘all inclusive’ concealer range

I don’t think I’m alone as a woman of colour stepping foot into any drugstore (or for special occasions, a Harvey Nichols) in search of a foundation to cover the latest spot that has set up camp on my chin. As you approach a glossy counter cluttered with shiny bottles, fluffy brushes and an assortment of powered gold, you look to the make up assistant, hoping she’ll sense that you feel a little out of your comfort zone.

Perhaps this experience isn’t synonymous to women of colour. But where it differs is as you sit down to get colour matched, the assistant analyses your “exotic” skin as she hovers over the (only) 2 dark shades creating this illusion of there even being a choice. She politely smiles as she dabs a blob of gunk onto the back of her hand and scans your face for the lightest area in the hope you may not notice that it’s still 8 shades too dark.

This experience is sadly not new to people of colour, ​and naturally, this lack of inclusion is not by any means limited to the beauty industry. There seems to be a scheduled cycle of outrage at the lack of inclusivity followed by a empty acknowledgement of the error of their ways shortly followed by another post like this…


This isn’t exclusive to 2018, or ’17 or ’16 but articles have highlighted this where the industry is wilfully ignorant to the lack of diversity. And I don’t feel like the issue is as simple as “just create darker shades”, for that doesn’t address the institutional racism that extends beyond the lab where the colours are mixed. It seeps into the marketing departments, into the social media teams and bubbles up towards the CEO, where it’s projected through damaging tokenism that allows ashy foundation to gather dust on the right side of the shelf.

To not mention Fenty Beauty in a piece that highlights the skewed range of cosmetics would surely be a sin. Fenty Beauty, after a month was worth $72 million according to Women’s Wear Daily. There’s not a great deal left to say besides the fact that women of colour are indifferent to the meaningless attempts of inclusion because…we have Fenty.

 

Uzma works full time in business sales at Telefonica. She is studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics part –time with Open University as a means to make sense of the world in which we exist! She is a v·inspired ambassador whose work revolves around empowering young people into volunteering and leadership. In her spare time she enjoys musing in her blog and has writing pieces on faith and race, offering a more holistic perspective on current affairs. If she has any juice left by the end of the week, she creates Youtube videos for her channel Caruzmatic as well as run a small venture in selling her bespoke art for ucdesigns.co.uk

Twitter: @Uzzywuzzy

What’s All The Fuss About GDPR?

Common Sense Contributors
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By Takudzwa Gezi

You may have recently heard a lot in the media about the ‘GDPR’. So what’s all the fuss about?

Background to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
With less than 5 months left, the deadline of the GDPR is fast approaching.

The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), replaced the Data Protection Directive in April 2016, and will be enforced on the 25th of May 2018. But why the replacement after 20 years you may ask. In contrast to the Data Protection Directive, the European Commission designed the GDPR to harmonise data protection laws across Europe, thus reshaping the way organisations across the globe approach data privacy of European citizens.

Does the GDPR apply to the UK since it will no longer be in the EU?

The UK will not be exempt to the GDPR.

To some, it may come as unexpected. The GDPR applies to any company around the globe that works with EU citizen’s data, thus making it the first global data protection law. For those organisations that do not comply, they can expect to see hefty fines of up to €20m or 4% of the organisation’s annual global turnover.

So what exactly are the GDP Requirements?

The European Commission has outlined the 7 GDPR requirements that organisations must adhere to by the 25th May 2018, if they are not too face these hefty fines.

Consent:
• When obtaining consent, terms and conditions must be simple to understand for the customer.

Breach Notification:
• Processers have a 72-hour period to report any breach of data to controllers and customers.

Right to Access:
• Customers have the right to enquire about their data and get a free electronic copy of their personal data.

Right to be Forgotten:
• If data is no longer relevant to initial purpose, customers can demand the data to be erased.

Data Portability:
• Allows customers to obtain and reuse their personal data for their own purpose by transferring it across different IT environments.

Privacy by Design:
• Taking Data Protection into consideration when designing systems, and implementing appropriate technical and infrastructural measures.

Data Protection Officers:
• Qualified DPO’s must be appointed in large organisation that handles data.

What’s to come…

It is now time to act

So the EU has already put the GDPR in place with enforcement coming this year on the 25th of May. It is now the time for organisations to start asking themselves some key questions if they are to be successful; what personal data do we collect? Who handles our personal data? Why do we have this personal data? Where do we store the data? When do we dispose of the unnecessary personal data? Answering some of these questions will in turn help organisations on their way to compliance before the 25th of May 2018 GDPR deadline.

Takudzwa Gezi is a BA Business and Economics graduate from The University of Manchester. His strong interest in Economics and Politics, coupled with a passion for Technology, has left him with a desire to make a positive impact to the world around him. The TCS Network’s vision has given way to the start of his journey. Outside of work, he enjoys continuously challenging himself by learning new programming languages such as JavaScript, as well as constantly improving his skill in music production.
LinkedIn: Takudzwa Gezi

Simone Biles speaks out #MeToo

Emmabelle Nwadikwa
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Simone Biles speaks out #MeToo

Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles joins over 130 athletes who have said they were sexually assaulted by the former US women gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.

Nassar pled guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in November and his sentencing began today. Accounts have been written by some of the women who have been assaulted. Whilst not many of them felt as though they could stand up in court and speak, the letters will count as testimony in the trial.

Biles shared her statement on social media with the caption “Feelings. #MeToo”

Since sharing her story Biles has received an outpouring of support with people commending her strength and wishing her well.

The future of Logan Paul

Emmabelle Nwadikwa
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The future of Logan Paul

After taking a shocking 11 days to respond to vlogger Logan Paul’s video that included him laughing next to the body of a suicide victim, YouTube has said that Paul will be sanctioned for his video.

Paul’s channel has a following of over 15.6 million subscribers and has, until now, been included in a premium advertisement line-up package reserved for Youtube’s most popular channels. The sanctions include the removal of his channel from the premium list, Paul being dropped from the YouTube original series ‘Foursome’ alongside other projects with other companies such as his project for French media company Blackpills and his new YouTube projects being placed on hold.

During a Q&A at the Television Critics Association press tour, when talking about whether YouTube would work with Paul again, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl said that “The most important thing to focus on is that actions should speak louder than words. Logan has the opportunity to prove that.” His refusal to give an outright answer as to Paul’s future with the company has outraged many and put YouTube under even more public scrutiny.

There is now also a Change.Org petition calling for Paul’s YouTube channel to be deleted which has received over 500,000 signatures so far. Eyes have been on the company since the video was posted especially as it was up for 24 hours without age restrictions before it was taken down due to volunteers from YouTube’s “trusted flagger” programme. Though Paul has stopped uploading videos while he takes the time to “reflect”, YouTube has declined to comment on whether or not since the scandal Paul has been receiving an income from his other monetised videos which include other offensive videos from his time in Japan.

According to a report from the Telegraph, Paul’s Japan videos may make £66,000 ($90,000) which means YouTube also stands to make money. With an income of $12.5 million last year, only about a quarter of which came from YouTube ads, it’s safe to say that Paul will still be financially secure especially as it’s been estimated that the loss of income from disciplinary measures won’t exceed $3 million.

 

Four mid-term candidates worth watching

Alex Davenport
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Four mid-term candidates worth watching

The coming year promises some fascinating contests in US politics. November’s mid-term elections will strongly affect the remainder of Donald Trump’s term in office. The Democrats will be looking to overturn the Republican majority in both chambers of Congress, and in doing so attempt to derail Trump’s legislative agenda. As well as trying to hold off this threat, Republicans are likely to face a hard-fought internal battle between Trump supporters and moderates, to gain the upper hand in the party. Amidst these clashes of policy and personality, these four candidates are particularly worth keeping an eye on as the drama unfolds:

 

Chelsea Manning (Democrat)

(Photo by Andy Kropa/AP)

The army ‘whistleblower’, who was convicted for leaking 750,000 documents to Wikileaks, including information about war crimes committed by US troops, has announced she will be running for the Senate in Maryland. The former soldier, who had her sentence commuted by Barack Obama, much to the ire of then-President-elect Trump, will be challenging 74-year-old Senator Ben Cardin in the Democratic primary. A particularly divisive figure, even in this age of polarisation, Manning will go into the race as an outsider against the establishment figure of Cardin. However, given her high profile, along with the fact that she is bidding to become the first transgender woman in the Senate, her campaign is likely to garner significant attention as the primaries get underway.

 

Randy Bryce (Democrat)

(Source: News Version)

Bryce is a near-perfect embodiment of the kind of voter Democrats have been haemorrhaging to Republicans. The ironworker, army veteran and cancer survivor, who goes by the nickname ‘Iron Stache’, hopes to win back the kind of blue-collar voters in Wisconsin that backed Trump in 2016, giving Republicans their first presidential victory in the state in over 30 years. His political ambition does not stop there, however. In running for the House of Representatives, he is contesting the seat of a leading congressional Republican: House Speaker Paul Ryan. Unseating Ryan seems an unlikely prospect, but even if the campaign simply serves to raise Bryce’s political profile, then it may not be the last we hear of the Iron Stache.

 

Lupe Valdez (Democrat)

(Source: NBC)

It would be unconventional for a Democrat to stand much hope of becoming governor of deeply conservative Texas, which has been governed by only one Democrat in the last 31 years. However, there is little conventional about 70-year-old Lupe Valdez. The eighth child of migrant Hispanic farm workers, the openly gay law enforcement officer has won significant acclaim in her role as Sheriff of Dallas County. She had been serving her fourth term in the role when she announced her resignation in order to run for governor. Indeed, not only is she among frontrunners to gain the Democratic nomination for the position, but she stands a plausible chance of unseating incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Her tough stance on law and order, traditionally an issue on which Republicans are perceived as strongest, is backed by her record as Sheriff and may win over floating voters, giving her an outside chance at a major upset.

 

Joe Arpaio (Republican)

(Source: LA Times)

The former Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, a man of almost Roy Moore-level notoriety among liberals, has announced his candidacy for the Senate. Hoping to fill the Arizona seat vacated by vocal Trump critic Jeff Flake, the 85-year-old is among the most ardent supporters of the President of anyone running for office. Indeed, he was the controversial recipient of the only presidential pardon to be issued so far by Trump, after he was convicted for failing to stop using racial profiling methods to track down undocumented immigrants. He faces a difficult battle to get to Washington D.C., however, being challenged in the Republican primaries by the more moderate Martha McSally, before the possibility of facing the Democrats’ Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who will fancy her chances at turning the state blue.

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