Why You Should Celebrate Your Birthday Every Day

by Zoe Dukoff-Gordon

(source: visualinsights.blogspot.com)

Our mothers and fathers probably made a big fuss over our first birthday. They would have made a cake, invited all the family down, bought lots of presents, decorated the house with colour-coded balloons and streamers. And when we become old enough to have our own ideas, we’d ask our parents for a themed party based on our favourite character from a book or film- maybe ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Peppa Pig,’ ‘Mickey Mouse...’


And, as we become older, our parties become more sophisticated: possibly bowling, swimming, go-carting or laser-quest, until we get to the age where it’s just a night out with friends or even a cup of tea in the afternoon with family. We get to the stage where birthday parties are just too repetitive, too monotonous and even disappointing. As the years move on, the excitement fades away, the day becomes more indistinctive, the pile of presents diminishes... Where did all the excitement go? Our earlier anniversaries we can’t even remember!

But what I have started to believe is that they can be too full of high expectations. We are expected to have a nice day, be happy for the ongoing 24 hours, excited for the few presents we receive (sometimes even fewer we actually like!) Yet none of this should matter. The date of your birth is something to celebrate but not just on that day but every day. In order to have a true ‘Happy Birth-Day’ we need to celebrate our life every day in finding joy in the other 364 days in the year.

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Amazing Technology You Never Thought Could Exist, But Now Does…

by Hugh Summers

 360º 3-D Holographic Displays: We may have seen these in Star Wars, yet did George Lucas or we, the viewers, ever believe this to be achievable? In fact, it has been achieved, yet perhaps not in the form which we quite imagined.

“The ZCamTM is a video camera that can capture depth information (which is used to build the 3D model) along with video and is produced by 3DV Systems. The technology is based on the Time of Flight principle. In this technique, 3D depth data is generated by sending pulses of infra-red light into the scene and detecting the light reflected from the surfaces of objects in the scene. Using the time taken for a light pulse to travel to the target and back, the distance can be calculated and used to build up 3D depth information for all objects in the scene”. This, in theory, means they fire infa-red rays at an object which return to the computer and allows it to judge different distances, causing it to build up a 3D image. This image is then sent to a projector which projects the image onto many panels of glass or Perspex (or something of a similar optical density) which builds up the 3D image:

Of course, that’s quite a lot to take in, so here’s an arguably slightly simpler version of 3D holograms. The other option is being developed mainly in Japan. In 2011, the Japanese produced what we all know a true hologram to be. They can produce 3-D (albeit simple) images in mid-air. They do it by focusing lasers on certain points in the air which causes the ionisation of the gases in the air. Although I won’t labour you with the facts of ionisation I will simply say that the ionisation causes a spark in the air which acts as a pixel. Although the pixels are large and the refresh rate of the pixels (how many flashes per second) is quite low, this is an amazing, if not very dangerous advance in technology: Robotic technology:

As you may well know, robotics covers a wide spectrum from artificial intelligence to actual moving humanoid robots. In the past decade we have produced robots worth millions of pounds. Please don’t misinterpret that as me suggesting that these robots are insignificant, it is in fact quite the opposite, and these robots can recognise objects, climb over objects and even make mistakes and learn from them. Although this prospect is mildly daunting from a Terminator-esque perspective, it is simply astounding and probably one of the most prominent beacons in the advance of human technology.

Yet I am concentrating mostly on A.I (artificial intelligence). As many people know, one of the most impressive A.I’s to date is Siri. Siri has almost impeccable voice recognition technology, as far as I have observed and is widely used today (although Microsoft word doesn’t seem to recognise Siri as an existing word; evidently Bill Gates is still trying to demote Apple to this very day). Yet perhaps this is the only reason we are so astounded: the fact of its availability.

This is why I find CES so interesting. CES (Consumer Electronics Show) has consistently amazed the world in what it showcases. This year, the new 4K television was released (almost four times as detailed as 1080p HD T.Vs). Anyway, I digress; what really amazed me at CES was the Audi car which can park itself! Although this technology may not seem amazingly impressive, it leaves a higher impression of awe than the title suggests. You simply get out of your car, hit a button on you smart phone, and watch the car drive off to park itself. Then when you have finished whatever endeavour you set out to complete, you simply walk up to front of the car park and, again, press a button on your smart phone which calls it back to you. Although it is probably far more interesting than what I have explained it to be. I hope you have enjoyed reading the article. Also, here is the video presentation of the car at CES 2013:

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How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolution

As January ends, Jack Rockett explores way to keep your New Year's Resolution beyond the the first month of the year. 

At the beginning of the year, it’s always the same. Everyone talks about their New Year’s resolution and how they broke it on the 2nd of January and that is because we want to change suddenly. If you want to succeed, make your resolution easy. Just because it is January 1st you suddenly want to do all these things. Some of our most impossible favourites are:
 

·         Be nicer

·         See more family

·         Study more

·         Be better behaved

·         Quit smoking

·         Cut down on chocolate

·         Stop drinking

          (And the far too clichéd) GO ON A DIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of the time, these are things that are very hard to crack. Either you can’t be bothered, love food too much, love wine too much or just love yourself too much, but there is an easy way out. Change your resolution to ‘Love myself more’.
 

It’s mine and so far I’ve kept to it very well. When there is a big decision, just instantly think of factors that affect you. With free opportunity, do what you want to do. After completing a task, spend a few minutes or even half an hour savouring it and feeling proud about what you have achieved. It makes you feel so good.

If you are mean to a person, you are to not hate yourself and feel really bad. Of course you will feel a little bit bad but don’t let the guilt overrun your life. Just apologise to the person, come to a fair agreement and then shake it off your shoulders.

When someone shouts at you for no reason, make sure that you demand they calm down and apologise for the way they talked to you, but you must still be nice. Anyone you talk to should be treated with respect unless they are horrible to you, as, if the others like you and the way you act, you will feel better.
 

I hope this article has helped you get rid of ‘DIET’ from your list. Still, these are things you have to deal with. Don't wait until February 1st. Do it today and become better over a period of time.

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'Every time an elder dies, a library burns with him.'

by Joanna Godfree




A legal opinion on the rules for buying and selling goods
(source: ismailimail.com via nytimes.com)



 

 

'Every time an elder dies, a library burns with him.' (West African saying)

Of course to a librarian the burning of a library is the extreme opposite of all that we stand for, that is, the preservation and free dissemination of information and ideas of every sort. So it is with horror that we hear that, as well as the bloodshed, two libraries of world importance were burned on Saturday 26th January by Al Qaeda allied fighters in Timbuktu, Mali, as the insurgents fled from the city before the arrival of French troops and the Malian army. Thus the detailed and fascinating records of thousands of lives and of a rich and ancient culture may well have been destroyed, an inheritance which was recognised formally in 2009 by the building of the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research Institute - named after a Timbuktu scholar of the 18th century - to conserve and study these ancient and fragile scrolls.

According to Luke Harding in The Guardian, Monday 28^th January:

'The manuscripts had survived for centuries in Timbuktu, on the remote south-west fringe of the Saharadesert. They were hidden in wooden trunks, buried in boxes under the sand and in caves. When French colonial rule ended in 1960, Timbuktu residents held preserved manuscripts in 60-80 private libraries. The vast majority of the texts were written in Arabic. A few were in African languages, such as Songhai, Tamashek and Bambara. There was even one in Hebrew. They covered a diverse range of topics including astronomy, poetry, music, medicine and women's rights….

Some of the most fascinating scrolls included an ancient history of west Africa, the Tarikh al-Soudan, letters of recommendation for the intrepid 19th-century German explorer Heinrich Barth, and a text dealing with erectile dysfunction. A large number dated from Timbuktu's intellectual heyday in the 14th and 15th centuries … By the late 1500s the town, north of the Niger river, was a wealthy and successful trading centre, attracting scholars and curious travellers from across the Middle East. Some brought books to sell.

 

 

The burning of books (biblioclasm) has always been a powerfully symbolic act, a physical and spectacular expression of rejection by one group of the strongly-held beliefs of another.  Ray Bradbury enshrined a prophetic vision of a state-run system of official book-burning in his 1953 fable 'Fahrenheit 451' (as Bradbury understood it, the burning point of paper). This is how the book opens:

'It was a pleasure to burn.
It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history…Montag grinned the fierce grin of all men singed and driven back by flame.'


Over the course of the story Bradbury charts the tentative efforts of Montag the fireman to identify the source of his own inner desolation in the midst of this dystopian world; later in his painful journey he comes upon a group of men seated round a bonfire, sharing the stories they have made their own, and in a moment of epiphany he realises that the fire 'was not burning; it was warming! … He hadn't known fire could look this way. He had never thought in his life that it could give as well as take.'

There are reports that a number of the Timbuktu manuscripts had already been taken away and hidden in various locations around the town, in anticipation of possible attack. We can only hope that this is indeed the case; the international outrage that has greeted the burning may at least shine a light on the value of these irreplaceable treasures so that we can better preserve what remains.

For further reading:

More on the  conservation project:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/science/20timb.html?_r=3&scp=1&sq=timbuktu&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&

Book Burning, 213 BC–2011 AD:  http://www4.uwm.edu/libraries/burnedbooks/

 

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Review: Django Unchained

by Will Hine

Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx
(source: The Guardian)

As Quentin Tarantino burst into the box office in the early 1990s he redefined cinema for the next decade. Using a non-linear storyline with heavy dialogue, Tarantino has created a host of satirical and iconic stories and characters in film history. Over time, Tarantino's reputation has grown; this has allowed him to develop edgier and more adventurous films and Django Unchained is no exception.

German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) frees a slave called Django (Jamie Foxx) and offers to make him a free man if he helps identify three brothers so that he can collect the price on their head. After completing this mission and upon Dr. Schultz's discovery of Django's 'talent' for the line of work, they agree to work together over the winter, and in exchange the doctor will help Django reunite with his enslaved wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), rescuing her from cotton field owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

As in Tarantino's Inglorious Barsterds, the opening scene is utter brilliance. With a score created by 'the' western maestro Ennio Morricone, Tarantino's usual traits begin to take light. A group of slaves are being led through the desert by men on horseback; by night they reach a wood and from the darkness arrives a horse and carriage with a large tooth on the roof. The mix between hardship and the bizarre drives the narrative throughout the film.

Leonardo DiCaprio
(source: toutelecine.com)

Waltz is every bit as captivating as he was in Inglorious Basterds, but this time he conveys a strong moral fibre that one wouldn't usually associate with his line of work. Foxx is also in fine form, clearly having a blast playing the trigger-happy Django, while Leonardo DiCaprio  lives up to expectations as the eccentric, nefarious Francophile Calvin Candie. In one scene, DiCaprio cuts his hand accidentally but manages to stay in character and finish his scene. Though not scripted by Tarantino, the action works to great effect to accentuate Candie's instability and manic traits.

The interaction between Dr Schultz and Django is an easy chemistry; their conversations are memorable and are sure to go down as some of Tarantino's best work. The somewhat paternal actions of Dr Schultz in taking Django under his wing make both characters even more likeable. The pairing is comparable to that of Jules and Vincent (Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta) from Tarantino's 1994 classic Pulp Fiction. As in Pulp Fiction, the strained narrative contains a lot of rhetoric and takes politeness to a new extreme. If there is some degree of authenticity in Django Unchained, this would be in the courtesy of its characters. Moreover, in the dialogue, Tarantino, courting controversy as ever, mentions the 'n-word' in his script 111 times. An extravagant liberal, Tarantino is correct in that its usage was common in 1858 but his shattering of this social taboo is astounding and somewhat admirable in the deeper point that he is making about America's history of racism.

Tarantino's attention to violence is constant throughout his work; with Django Unchained being a western, it's hard not to notice. The special effects of the amount of gore literally paint one scene a new colour, due to the sheer number of henchmen being torn up by Django's gun in a confined space; the horror usually associated with such an act is completely turned on its head with a 'The Payback' (by James Brown) remix playing over the top. Ever the controversial director, Tarantino has been accused of confusing violence with normality. This is a harsh criticism, since Tarantino has always created unrealistic worlds in order to exaggerate his characters' motives. Consider the soundtrack: a western featuring James Brown, 2pac and John Legend whilst Django blasts a Colt. 45 isn't exactly an authentic portrayal of southern life in 1858. The film is not a big-issue movie but a homage to the spaghetti western.

Ultimately, Django Unchained is a film with an attractive story, excellent cast, superior soundtrack and a stellar script featuring some of Tarantino's smoothest quips and one-liners. Django Unchained is bloody, messy fun.

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CSI PGS!

by Sampad Sengupta

This week, PGS unveiled a new club to add to its splendid range of co-curricular activities: the Experimental Biology Club. In a rare and privileged move, The Portsmouth Grammar School has formed collaboration with The University of Portsmouth to perform novel research, which will contribute towards worldwide biological understanding; in particular, the club will investigate the developing field of ‘Forensic Entomology’. 

‘Forensic Entomology’ translates as the use of insects to help in solving crimes, particularly in murder investigations. In the first session, Dr Katherine Brown visited from the University of Portsmouth to discuss the scientific basis behind ‘Forensic Entomology’ and introduce exactly how this ”biological clock” can be used to solve crimes. In the words of Dr Brown, forensic entomology is “really applicable… it’s current, it’s now”. It is something which gained importance in the late 90s and is now used widely across the world to help in investigations.

Samples of insects

The types of insects used in these cases are mostly flies and beetles. Insects usually colonise the crime scene in minutes and stay there, which is one of the primary advantages of using these techniques. Different types of insects would remain at the scene for different lengths of time and pupal casings can remain at a crime scene for millennia; such ‘puparia’ are now subjects of research at the university. These insects can be used to determine the manner of death, whether it be stabbing, gunshots or poisoning, following analysis in the laboratory. It also informs scientists of the post-mortem interval (PMI), which is used to estimate the time of death of the victim, by studying the lifecycle stages of the insects. The knowledge of ‘Insect Succession’ i.e. the estimated time of appearance of the different insects at the scene is applied in this case; the lifecycle and relative growth timings of insects is also taken into account.

Dr Brown went on to say what experiments and activities were going to be performed at the school. The club will begin by honing students’ molecular biology techniques, such as DNA extraction and analysis, and then move on to attempt to extract DNA from insect artefacts (vomit and faeces residue left by insects at the crime scene). In a world first, the club will then aim to use this technique to identify the victim the insects had been feeding on through DNA fingerprinting techniques.

In future, the club will therefore also need to rear flies and larvae in the laboratory. In doing so it will be essential to be able to observe and identify different types of flies, including the most common species in the UK ­­- Calliphora vicina, Calliphora vomitoria, Lucilia sericata and Protophormia terranovae – and become familiar with their forensic importance. Another major objective would be to test the principles of ADH (Accumulated Degree Hours), which is used to determine the age or stage in lifecycle of the insects by taking into account the temperature of the surroundings as that greatly affects their growth and development.

It is hoped that the club will provide students with a chance to be involved in novel research, improve their practical/experimental skills, develop analytical skills and perhaps even be able to publish their novel research. Wish us luck as we delve into the science of decay!

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Having a Parent in the Armed Forces

by Will Sparkes

Given that there are so many military families in and around Portsmouth, and the number of children who go to the school with connections to the military, I’ll bet that everyone reading this will have a relation or friend with a link to the Armed Forces. However I don’t reckon a majority will know perhaps what one of us goes through in order to have the label of military child. I’ll give you the rough guide to what it entails, good and bad, to be associated with the organisation that employs over 400,000 people both in full-time and reserve employment.

1) The Pride
When you pull out your Armed Forces railcard at the station or your Dad comes to Parents' Evening or just to pick you up from school in his uniform, you just feel cool. You can feel the people looking at him and you know they admire him. Sure there are the people who say the wrong things (“Nice hat, mate!” to which my ever-witty father replied “At least it doesn’t say Umbro on it”), but the majority offer complete respect. The elderly stop him in the street and congratulate or thank him for what he does, while I beam at him stupidly like a 6 year old at Christmas.

2) The Posh ‘Do’s' 
I’m not going to pretend I don’t --- seriously, we get to do some amazing stuff. During the summer of 2012, I watched the Royal Military Muster from the Royal enclosure at Windsor, I got VIP seats on London Bridge for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee river pageant. And it’s not just posh stuff either. It’s a great tradition that Naval and Army families make the voyage to Twickenham each year to watch the Army-Navy rugby game (not RAF because they are hilariously awful at the game). It’s, quite frankly, utter carnage, especially when the Squaddies discover the kegs and the Marines remember that it’s hilarious to not have any clothes on, especially between the posts of the pitch… mid-game.

3) The Other Benefits 

As mentioned before, I get money off my train tickets but that’s negligible. My Mum currently sings as part of the hugely successful Military Wives’ Choir, which I know for a fact is hugely beneficial to her, and it’s also a cracking conversation-starter. I’m in the process of setting up a Military Children’s Choir, in accordance with the Armed Forces covenant that I signed last summer, which promised to form a greater allegiance between the families and the council, but I won’t say much about that.

4) Dad’s Job – The Good Bits 
What can I say? He’s the captain of the Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol ship, HMS Protector, which is pretty flippin’ cool. It means that if you Google the ship’s name, hundreds of heroic news stories pop up, mainly about ship rescues, and also that I get e-mails entitled ‘Just another day at the office’, with the picture below attached.  Now you probably look at the picture and think ‘That’s amazing’ whereas, because I’m so conditioned to it (and also because it’s raining outside) I think, ‘You jammy sod’. I mean, he calls us up some days and, after 5 minutes, goes, “Sorry, must dash, we’ve got a pod of humpback whales off the starboard bow” or “Oops! There’s a 4km ice sheet in front of us, got to go!” Which is mean. Also, his jobs seem to match up perfectly with my Geography lessons. For instance, in Year 11, for my GCSE coursework, I had to write about piracy just after Dad had returned from Somalia, and, this year, I’m studying cold environments. Very. Very. Handy.

5) Dad’s Job – The Bad Bits 
I put this last, really just to try and give you the feeling I get when Dad goes away after he’s been on leave. It’s awful to be honest, waving goodbye to someone that you know you won’t see for perhaps 9 months, or for instance when they deploy to an active war zone, thinking you might never see him again. You think you’ll be fine and you won’t get down in the dumps, but I do. You can’t explain it but once you drive away from the dockside on the way to school it just hits you and you’re never prepared for it. It’s numbing and enveloping and the only way to stop it is by waiting. 

Although that is absolutely nothing compared to what my family experienced in November 2008. We'd been in constant contact with the ship for the entire deployment and then nothing for a week. It was terrifying and no-one knew what was happening until we woke up to the news saying that HMS Cumberland had been in a fire-fight with a suspected pirate group. It turned out fine but it was hugely frightening at the time. Dad’s been away for 286 days of the past year, and I can’t wait to get him home. It’s the best emotion to have to be sat at school, knowing that your Dad’s at home or almost there. I hope that I've given you an insight into my life, and I hope that you now know that my life’s not all bad or good.

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Why Blogging (Successfully) Is Harder Than It Looks

by Dodo Charles

So, I recently started a blog with my friends on fashion design, which I thought would be easy, but is in fact as difficult as trying to thread a minute needle. Setting up the blog alone was difficult enough. There was a whole array of decisions to be made, and for a not particularly decisive person, it was a challenge that I did not readily accept.

First problem- deciding what our main aims of the blog were. We knew that we wanted to specialise in vintage and indie clothing, but beyond that we were quite unsure. We also wanted to alter old clothes rather than start from scratch, so we needed to make this clear. In the end we decided that we would specialise in designing and altering clothes so that they had an indie or vintage twist.

The next problem encountered was: the blog’s name- it seems simple enough, but deciding on a name when there are three of you, each with different ideas, is not a fun task. We of course ended up using our great friend- the thesaurus, to attempt to find a unique word for clothes. Let me tell you now, there are not many enticing words out there… Eventually we decided to go French and our blog was named, La Grande Allure.

Right, the second hurdle had been jumped over, but there were still many to come, the first in the form of a layout design. Whoever decided that giving a person so much choice was a good idea, I do not salute you. We spent far too much time staring at a laptop trying to find the right format, but to not much avail until I wandered over from where I had been stitching a top and with the help of Sophie chose the one that best suited our vintage design.

Finally we actually had to write an entry. This was by far the hardest thing to do. I mean, how do you write something that would appeal to a bunch of people you have never met? Do you go for the formal approach or the slightly slapdash approach of pretending that they are your friends (if anyone actually reads it, that is)? In the end we went for a mixture, and actually recommended another fashion blogger’s blog; probably not our best move, but it boosts the other person’s views.

I said finally but I did not mean it because next came the laborious task of uploading the photos of the clothes we had made. This involved uploading all the photos taken to a computer, editing the ones we didn’t like, then choosing the best ones to go on the blog. Except to physically get them onto the blog we had to upload them onto the internet to get their URLs to be able to paste them onto the page. All highly stressful, but well worth it.

Overall the experience was incredibly time consuming but it was definitely enjoyable for the large part. Our blog is called http://www.lagrandeallure.blogspot.co.uk/

Please take the time to check it out.

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The Original 'Les Misérables'

by Laura Burden

“Red – the blood of angry men! Black – the dark of ages past! Red – a world about to dawn!”…since seeing the film of the musical of Les Misérables, reviewed in dazzling terms on this site by Ollie Velasco, who described it as “incroyable”, I am quietly confident that I am not the only denizen of PGS who has carried the songs in her head whilst navigating the school site.

At first touch, the novel seems impossibly chunky and those who have seen and loved the film or the musical will be astonished that such a weighty tome could be compressed into 158 minutes of cinema, however shameless its tugs on our heart-strings are. And yes, it’s a long novel – depending on the translation, it boasts of approximately 530,982 words (although this puts it a mere sixteenth in the Guinness list of the world’s longest novels). So how, amidst the frenetic daily life of a sixth former, is such a book attempted?

As with all things in life that seem enormous at first sight, such as a rich slice of chocolate cake, revising for a Physics exam or eating the apocryphal elephant, the answer is to tackle it little by little. Snatch the odd ten minutes here and there to progress through the work chapter by chapter. Speaking of the chapters, they are remarkably short and mean that the novel really can be consumed in minuscule doses.

The second factor that makes the novel less daunting than its size would suggest is that the cast of principle characters is not that large. Les Misérables is a multi-plot narrative but the focus remains persistently upon Jean Valjean and hence also on Cosette, Marius and Javert. Ultimately, it is a story of Valjean’s redemption: his fear of further incarceration and his moral and physical strength are what dominate the plot.

An essential qualification for the prospective reader of Les Misérables is a love of digression. Hugo’s novel does relate the story of Jean Valjean and those he loves and encounters, but there is so much more to the book than a simple story. Whole chapters are dedicated to ephemera, from the differences between various Catholic religious orders, to the characteristics of Parisian street slang. At times, particularly in the more lengthy chapters dedicated to attitudes towards the Battle of Waterloo, it is not clear if what we are reading makes any contribution to the plot whatsoever…but the trick is to regard yourself as a reader along for the ride as well as the destination, and enjoy.

The title Les Misérables is hardly subtle and yet Hugo’s approach to social and sexual injustice is remarkably understated. After Fantine, the grisette (working class girl) has been materially spoiled and impregnated by the wealthy student, Tholomyès, we are told proleptically, “We shall have no further occasion to mention Monsieur Félix Tholomyès. It is enough to say that, twenty years later…he has become an influential, rich and portly provincial attorney, a prudent voter and stern magistrate; but always a man of pleasure.” As we then proceed to witness Fantine’s poverty and degradation, from a factory worker dismissed for her “sin” to a prostitute who has sold her hair and her two front teeth to support her illegitimate daughter, finally dying without being reunited with Cosette, Hugo keeps his word and does not remind us of Tholomyès’ comfortable life but we are mindful of the contrast.

Fantine is but one character who is judged by society and yet displays a moral fibre distinctly lacking in those in authority. Many of the characters in Les Misérables sin and yet it is clear that the greatest harm is done not by theft, extra-marital sex or even cruelty, but by inflexibility. Fantine is exposed as being the mother of an illegitimate daughter by Madame Victurnien, who spends thirty-five francs travelling to set eyes upon Cosette as proof of the mother’s infamy, and is “highly gratified” when she sees Fantine dismissed and condemned to an existence of abject poverty as a result. Marius and his grandfather come close to being parted by death unreconciled despite their love for one another.

The greatest antagonism of the novel, that between Javert and Valjean playing out a continuous drama between hunter and hunted is perpetuated because of Javert’s inability, “to see more than one straight line” and acknowledge that, whatever Valjean may have been, it is not what he has become. Equally, the religious figures of the novel who personify goodness understand when to commit a small sin for a higher good. Sister Simplice, “who in all her life had never told a lie” understands that it is right to do so to help Valjean delay his capture by Javert and the saintly Bishop of Digne will lie to protect a thief from earthly retribution as there is a chance to save the convict’s immortal soul.

Les Misérables is a panorama that encompasses comfortable houses, carts of convicts, convents and the barricades. It is not dictatorial and we are invited to make our own moral judgements upon the characters forging their lives in the changing society of nineteenth century France. If you’ve ever found yourself humming “Castle on a Cloud” or wept at the latest film, give Les Misérables a try…of all the versions of the story, the novel really is the original and the best.

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What is the Enduring Appeal of 'Pride and Prejudice'?

by Katie Husselby

Lizzie Bennet and Mr Darcy (BBC version, 1995)
(source: The Guardian)

Today is the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice, which has led me to question how this novel has managed to maintain such a lasting popularity, where so many other romantic tales have failed to stand the test of time. If one were to look at the plot alone, it would seem to reveal nothing unique or previously unimagined in its formation. So what in particular about Austen’s writing continuously captivates such a varied audience two hundred years on from its publication?

From the first sentence, Austen establishes a new depth to the novel, by taking a “universally acknowledged” societal expectation and examining its effect on a single family. Thus, the story is immediately broadened from an individual and private experience to an application and example of the perils and restraints of our civilisation. The experiences, loves and marriages of the daughters of a clergyman, which the reader may at first see as trivial and ridiculous through Austen’s ironic portrayal of Mrs Bennet, are in fact revealed as the hinge on which early 19th century society turns. Our first impression of the book as a predictable love story have been suitably adapted by the recognition that it contains a daring critique of wider social issues that still affect us even today.

In addition, Austen displays a surprising humour throughout the story, which increases its allure to different readers. The intelligent wit serves to undermine and satirize the experiences of the lovers (for example “To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love” and “A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment”), showing how the reader is kept in reality, increasing the authenticity of the story, rather than depicting it as a fairytale, unattainable romance. Austen’s forceful honesty and humour also brings the reader closer to the author’s consciousness, showing us the strength of Austen’s writing in a time when the position of the novel was disputed, and writing that included the thoughts and feelings of the characters not respected.

Bollywood version, 2004
(source: onlinehindimovie.net)

But if there is one aspect of Pride and Prejudice that strikes the reader the most, I believe it must be Austen’s strength of characterization in the story. From the vivacious and opinionated protagonist, to her small-minded and ridiculous mother, and from the pompous Mr Collins to the charming, sly Mr Wickham, all of the characters in the novel are given differentiated and detailed descriptions of their characteristics and personal development as the story progresses. Austen indeed shows her “belief of the inconsistency of all human characters”, providing the story with a liveliness and amusement that has been scarcely matched in any other narrative. This is reflected in the numerous film, television and theatre adaptations of the book over the years, which have even included Bollywood and Japenese versions, displaying the breadth of interpretation that it has received.

In conclusion, I think it would be impossible to pin down one particular feature of the novel that causes it to thrive even today, but Austen’s minute attention to detail, regarding the characters or the society in which they are set, along with her ironic, frank and energetic writing style, seem to provide a winning combination that appeals to people of all classes and generations. It is my belief that, another two hundred years from now, readers will still be enjoying the story of personal pride and prejudices overcome and marvelling at the simplistic hilarity of Austen’s writing.

Some other responses I received to the question, “What is the enduring appeal of Pride and Prejudice?”:

“I think Pride and Prejudice remains popular because of the clever characterization used and the humour with which she writes the story. I also like the parallels between the novel and Austen’s life, which allows her to give a more personal narrative.”

“The portrayal of Austen’s characters is so human and genuine that we are still able to relate to them 200 years on. They go through the same everyday traumas that we suffer, dealing with love and disputes and familial problems in the same way as we do.”

“Pride and Prejudice is still appealing because, no matter how many times we read the story, each re-reading provides a new interpretation or view that we had not previously noticed, or a humorous take on a societal boundary that is still in place today!”

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Blue Monday

by Bea Wilkinson

Blue Nude by Pablo Picasso
(source: overarts.com)

Last Monday, 21st January was apparently the most depressing day of the year. In 2005, Dr.Cliff Arnall calculated that the Monday after the first full week of January is the most depressing day of the year. Dr. Arnall figured out that late January is extremely depressing for a number of reasons, including cold, unpredictable and gloomy weather conditions, post-Christmas debts and stress, abandoned New Year’s resolutions and lack of motivation or anything to really look forward to. Dr. Arnall even created an equation to justify his idea. It seems difficult to ignore such a comprehensive list of depressing items, but it appears there are just as many reasons to believe that Dr. Arnall’s ‘Blue Monday’ theory is simply pseudoscience and should be overlooked and ignored. 

Several years ago, now defunct television channel Sky Travel ran a PR campaign to try to boost sales and encourage people to take a holiday. Sky asked various academics, including Dr Arnall, asking them to put their name to a press release, suggesting that the third January of each year is just gloomy. Despite an elaborate mathematical equation, it seems as though the calculations are incorrect.

Ben Goldacre (The Guardian) who first pointed out the flaws of ‘Blue Monday’ in 2006, said that the equations "fail even to make mathematical sense on their own terms" and believes that the idea of ‘Blue Monday’ is purely harmful: "I am of the opinion that these equation stories – which appear with phenomenal frequency, and make up a significant proportion of the total science coverage in the UK – are corrosive, meaningless, empty, bogus nonsense that serve only to caricature and undermine science."

 

So, it looks as though Dr Arnall, the man also famous for discovering the perfect day for eating ice cream and devising a formula for the perfect long weekend, is in fact incorrect and we had no scientific reasoning to feel extra down on Monday. Now, it is probably no more than a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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Holocaust Memorial Day: 'The Banality of Evil'



Adolf Eichmann on trial
(source: holocaustresearchproject.org)

 Fifty years ago, in 1963, Hannah Arendt published 'Eichmann in Jerusalem'*, her landmark account of the trial and execution of the man responsible for organising the mass transportation of millions of Jews to ghettos and extermination camps. 

Arendt, herself a Jewish refugee from Germany before the War, subtitled her book 'A Report on the Banality of Evil', focusing on the fact that Adolf Eichmann seemed to have committed his crimes not because he was a psychopath or anti-semitic, but because he was an unimaginative, ambitious careerist who justified his acts as "legal" under the laws of Nazi Germany and refused (or was perhaps unable) to confront the appalling moral consequences of his own actions. For Arendt, it is his very "averageness" that makes Eichmann so terrifying and so emblematic, "the uncomfortable but hardly deniable possibility that similar crimes may be committed in the future" by similarly "normal" men and women: 

"Half a dozen psychiatrists had certified (Eichmann) as "normal" --- "More normal, at any rate, than I am having examined him," one of them was said to have exclaimed, while another had found that his whole psychological outlook, his attitude towards his wife and children, mother and father, brothers, sisters and friends, was "not only normal but most desirable." . . . He himself said that "Officialese is my only language", but the point here is that officialese became his language because he was genuinely incapable of uttering a single sentence that was not a cliche (was it these cliches that the psychiatrists thought so "normal" and "desirable"?).

 . . . Except for an extraordinary diligence in looking out for his personal advancement, he had no motives at all . . . He was not stupid. It was sheer thoughtlessness --- something by no means identical with stupidity --- that predisposed him to become one of the greatest criminals of that period . . . If, with the best will in the world, one cannot extract any diabolical or demonic profundity from Eichmann, that is still far from calling it commonplace . . . That such remoteness from reality and such thoughtlessness can wreak more havoc than all the evil instincts taken together which, perhaps, are inherent in man --- that was, in fact, the lesson one could learn in Jerusalem.

 . . . The essence of totalitarian government and perhaps the nature of every bureaucracy is to make functionaries and mere cogs in the administrative machinery out of men and thus to dehumanize them . . this new type of criminal commits his crimes under circumstances that make it well-nigh impossible for him to know or to feel that he is doing wrong.

What we have demanded in these trials, where the defendants had committed "legal" crimes (i.e. followed the laws of the Nazi state), is that human beings be capable of telling right from wrong, even when all they have to guide them is their own judgement, which, moreover, happens to be completely at odds with what they must regard as the unanimous opinion of those around them . . . The argument that we cannot judge if we were not present and involved ourselves seems to convince everyone everywhere, although it seems obvious that if it were true, neither the administration of justice nor the writing of history would ever be possible.

 . . .  the lesson of the countries to which the Final Solution was proposed is that "it could happen" in most places, but it did not happen everywhere**. Humanly speaking, no more is required, and no more can reasonably be asked, for this planet to remain a place fit for human habitation."

From: Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil (1963)

* Eichmann was captured by Israeli agents while in hiding in Argentina, in 1960, and taken to Israel, where, in 1962, he was put on trial in Jerusalem for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was found guilty and hanged. 

** The emblematic example of resistance (and, therefore, moral agency) cited by Arendt is Denmark, where, despite Nazi occupation, over 99% of the Jewish population was saved from deportation to the death camps through the actions of individual Danish citizens and Danish government officials.

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'Diary of a Madman': Year 12 Art Installation

by Alison Dyer

Every year the Year 12 A Level group undertake a site specific installation project as part of their coursework. This year their work has been inspired by Nikolai Gogol's farcical short story 'Diary of a Madman', which records the gradual descent of the protagonist, Poprishchin, into insanity.

The exhibition will be on display in the Art department during the Year 11 Sixth Form Subject Forum on Monday, 28th January, 6.30 - 8.00pm. All are welcome.

See a video of the artists at work preparing the installation:

 

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A Storm in a Teacup

by Patrick McGuiggan

Sugar lumps – they drive the Irish crazy.

My recent move to England, after living in Northern Ireland for so long, has been a reasonably smooth transition.  However, there is one cultural difference that doesn’t sit well with me – sugar lumps. I can’t remember ever sitting in a cafe in Belfast and being presented with lumps of sugar.

I apologise if you are a fan, but a lump is simply not a quantifiable amount of sugar. When faced with these lumps, I often end up scanning the sugar bowl, frantically trying to assess which lump is equivalent to my usual one teaspoon of sugar – a skill set I have seemingly yet to develop.

Perhaps this is where the sugar cube comes in. At least that way the decision is made for you, but is there some sort of independent governing body which standardises the dimensions of these cubes? Are they all equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar? I would guess not. It all seems like a one big game of sugary Russian roulette and the odds are not in my beverage’s favour.

Right, so let’s say that somehow I could accurately and efficiently select a lump or cube of the correct size every single time. Problem solved. Well actually...no, because that leads me on to my next point. Sugar, along with every other solute, dissolves faster when it has a larger surface area. Essentially what you end up with is two distinct choices: stir like your life depended on it or enjoy the sugar all at once, in one sickly final gulp.

Bring back the humble teaspoon and granules, England, or I’m switching to green tea.

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Short Story: Place

by Charlotte Knighton

Place

They walk down the road, young and yet completely sure of themselves; this, after all, is a route they have walked for the best part of they’re lives. Yet today there is an air of excitement, tinged with just a little sadness, about them. They both know that this will be the last time they walk together down this road. One of them is leaving.

She wants to be sad and she knows that will come later and it will be worse than it has been before, in those brief times she has allowed her self to think about her new school, but she is too excited, anticipating the day ahead.

They cross the road and head down their favourite part of the daily walk. The road before they catch a glimpse of the school. It turns in only one place so is perfect for when they want to cycle fast and race each other. They slow past a broken down, rickety fence. It didn’t used to be broken down but having races has its hazards and the fence isn’t the only casualty of their manic races. They bend down and inspect the scratch of purple paint that still adorns the rotting wood of the fence. Like a smear of blood, the wire cutting into to the wounds of the fence, many of the wounds inflicted by us. They exchange jokes about the other's clumsy cycling and move on down the alley of houses and trees.

They run down the pavement. To some this may seem an odd thing to do, but the girls love the undulating feel as they fly along it. They seem as weightless as ghosts, gliding along sure footed, until one of them trips and nearly falls over, but is caught just in time by the other. They stop running as the pavement ends.

This is where they meet their friends to complete the walk together. Normally both are impatient for the others to arrive, they are always first, but today they seem to enjoy the few minutes of quiet and solitude. One seems to be looking around her more as if trying to fix everything to memory.

The ditch. She mustn't forget the ditch they spent many a morning trying to cycle down with varying degrees of failure. That ditch holds several blood stains, long soaked into the earth, but still, a part of her is in that ditch and she can feel it. Around it are rocks stood like sentinels, their uniforms once white but now a greying brown colour, trying in vain to keep the flood of children out.

The blossom tree. She mustn't forget the blossom tree they would pick flowers from in the spring, its beautiful blooms spreading out over the path like a fan of fallen soldiers, felled by a breath of wind. Rich pickings for adorning your bag or uniform, as we so frequently did while waiting, although today, we just sit and look.

  The house with the beautifully kept lawn, pristine even in the hot summer weeks when most other lawns are yellow and dying. She never touched that lawn, not wanting to intrude upon the splendour, feeling that it should never be disturbed by a mortal being,  that surely some pixie or sprite must tend to it. No, the lawn must not be forgotten.

The metal bicycle gates. She mustn't forget the metal bicycle gates. She remembers the euphoria of finally beating them and navigating a safe path through this most heinous of obstacles, not being tossed into the nettle patch by the cold, unforgiving touch of those gates.

Ah… the nettle patch. She cannot forget the nettle patch. It has left its marks on her skin too often to be forgotten. Although she does not yet know it, when she walks down this path in many years to come, she will still give this old patch of nettles a wide birth.

And finally the last thing that can never be forgotten, the most crucial of all, that will be remembered in her future life. She looks across the fields to where her school is just visible, protruding above the spiked gates, looking more welcoming than ever before. But is that not always the way? It's when she leaves a place, only then does she appreciate the many layers of beauty fitting together, like a puzzle made of thoughts, memories and experiences, to create a place so perfect it shocks her to the core. Yes, only when she is on the verge of leaving does she realise what she will miss.

        

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Frédéric Chopin: A Short Guide

by Aladdin Benali


In this article I will attempt to explain why Chopin was such an influential composer and pianist, guide you through my Top Ten of his works, their influences and, despite this article being on classical music, do this all without any hint of pretentiousness.

Autograph partiture by Chopin of his Polonaise Op. 53 in A flat major for piano, 1842
(image source: Wikipedia).

Frédéric Françios Chopin (for the purposes of removing pretentiousness we will call him Fred) was born in Zelazowa Wola (Poland) in 1810, but emigrated at the age of 20 from his home country shortly before the 1830 uprising against Russian occupation. Fred would never return home, becoming one of many expatriates of the Polish Great Emigration. Fred is most famous for his various piano solo compositions, which are separated into many forms but, in a shameless parody of the charts, here are the Top 10:

(1)       Fantasie Impromptu in C-sharp minor (Opus 66)

With the insane combination of triplets in the left hand and semi-quavers in the right, much of this piece is chaotic and edgy, which contrasts with the slow and sweet middle section.

 

(2)       Nocturne in C-sharp minor (Posthumous)

No falling autumn leaves could complete with Fred’s legendary and unique ability to produce such strong feelings of melancholy, the wonderful kind of depressiveness which you just can’t get nowadays. This is most epitomised in one of his 21 Nocturnes where the style remains both subtle and mature. Not only this, but this nocturne displays melodic distinction and charm.

 

 

(3)       “Raindrop” Prelude in D-flat Major (Opus 28, No,15)

The preludes are definitely some of the strangest compositions; published in chromatic order of key signature, many were written in Fred’s winter in Majorca, while he was dying of tuberculosis. For me, the best part of this prelude comes when emerging from the loud and suffocating middle section with the suspended chords.

 

(4)       “Revolutionary” Étude in C-minor

Many of these pieces are painfully difficult and instil fear into most mortals who are learning the piano; despite this, they are still beautifully epic. In the "Revolutionary” Étude in C Minor the left hand is required to perform heroic feats.

 

(5)       “Suffocation” Prelude in E-minor (Opus 28, No.4)

This is one of the most melodramatic pieces and was played at his funeral along with his Prelude in B-minor.

 

 

(6)       Ballade in G-minor (No.1, Opus 23)

At over 8 minutes long, this piece is somewhat more hard-core than the Nocturnes, technically challenging and with harmonic imagination. The ending is simply epic, with an extremely loud contrary motion and then parallel motion double chromatic scales.

 

(7)       Nocturne in C-minor (Posthumous)

This contains what I believe to be one of the most beautiful melodies ever written; characteristically of Chopin, the melody is cantabile, meaning lyrical.

(8)       “Winter Wind” Étude in A-minor (No.11 Opus 25)

A study which begins with a slow and calm introduction, swiftly followed by a mind-boggling and chaotic motif.

 

 

 

(9)       Prelude in A-Major (Opus 28, No.7)

One of the shortest pieces Chopin wrote this prelude is dreamy and surreal with a cheeky modulation in bar 13.

10) Mazurka in B flat major (Op. 17, No. 1)

Finally, the challenge is to identify what song from a famous musical took inspiration from both this piece and the previous “Raindrop” Prelude…

In conclusion, I hope that I have given you some insight into the works of a genius composer. By no means is this list all there is and there are many more wonders to behold.

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