How I fight Insomnia

When I say insomnia I don't mean when you are clinically diagonised with it I mean when you can't sleep maybe two nights on the run and at its worst, its slightly annoying.

The best way to combat your mind just not switching off is to simply stop trying. I've heard this being said many times but it has never been actively explained. For example if you can't sleep just get up and do something else.

Don't sit up in bed and read a book or watch a film in bed, get out of bed go into your living room and read or watch in there. It works for me everytime. Right now I am sitting up typing at 4am. Its also dawning on me that I may have done this blog before.

Anyway I believe the fact that you are completely removing yourself away from the bed helps taking your mind off sleeping. People may say 'oh but I have to get up in four hours' most likely you are going to be lying in bed for four hours doing nothing, might as well do something constructive.

It doesn't even have to be productive, watch a film you've never seen before or start that book that has been sitting on your shelf or play a computer game. Use that time to do the things that you never get a chance at doing even if they are completely pointless.

It works for me with good effect because before I know it I'm feeling tired again. Hope this helps, if not e-mail me and we can stay up late together and create an underground fighting club with our alter ego's our mind produced to help deal with our insomnia!

I Have No Idea What It Follows Means.

I don't. I've dwelt on the subject for a good several hours and no exact theory has came to mind. The filmmaker has left a lot of clues throughout the film, mysterious breadcrumbs that don't even add up to a full slice.

There is one thing I am certain on however: I've read a few articles on the film and quite a few of them fixate on the Sex part. Most people assume there is a metaphor 'sex is bad', STD's, virginity etc. To me its too obvious, it doesn't take a film fanatic to understand that the strength of the film lies in its subtly. The whole 'sex to pass it on' is just an arbitrary device in terms of meaning. The sex part is purely superficial. We identify with sex when we grow up so its easy to understand. I was thinking 'I'd be fucked because I couldn't get a girl to sleep with me.' That's where the 'pass on' device works. There is no hidden meaning behind it, that's just how it gets passed on. If it was handshakes or borrowing someone's clothes to pass it on, it'd be harder for us to connect with that idea. The filmmaker himself said to Rolling Stones "It's not a moral film," Mitchell says in regards to the issue. "Obviously, you get this through having sex — but you also survive by having sex, since that's what is passing this on. It's a bit more complicated than just 'sex equals death.'"

The meaning of the 'creature' and the film lay much deeper. In all those articles I have read they do not address one very important and bizarre clue. The film is obviously set in the 80's or wants to convey that time. From the music, to the props, to the clothes everything screamed 80's. Yet Jay's friend is constantly reading from a seashell that looks very much like a weird Ipad, Kindle thing. Now if anyone knows this was an actual device in the 80's and I'm just ignorant of that, then fair enough. If it isn't however there is definitely some meaning behind that. EVEN if was in the 80's, isn't it weird as well, why isn't she just reading a book? What does the story in seashell mean in conjunction with the film?

There is something very evident about sandwiches in this film and water. Sandwiches are purposefully shown in the film and definitely not in an off-hand way. Some scenes start looking directly at them. Jay likes to swim and we see her treading water in her pool in her back garden. After a major plot point happens we catch a glimpse of her swimming pool has been broken. Like someone has sabotaged it. At the 'final' battle the creature won't directly get into the swimming pool. When it does and bleeds, the blood spreads and encompassing the water, almost as if it is taking it over, infecting it.

This film is great. The way it ends may not be liked by many people but it is the only way to end the film. There is little closure which is basically how all the characters in the film will feel so I get that and love it. If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend it as it is a modern classic and the cinema is the only way to see a film as good as this.

Why MMA Has Ruined Friend Fights

I'll tell you a time when you and your friend would be playing footy or bored and the urge to fight would come over like any red-blooded male animal. You were friends however so no punches were thrown just good old fashioned grappling. Pure strength, instinct and leverage were your only means to win. Headlocks and leg-sweeps were your techniques. It would end in laughter as you both released each other and carried on growing up.

Now in the present day every single person knows how you to choke you out whilst breaking your arm at the same time.Thanks to UFC, play fights are a thing of the past. If you want to wrestle your friend you'd better know how to reverse a triangle choke or at least how to do a clean armbar.

The scariest thing is everyone is too dangerous without them knowing it. My friend was in a training session and his sparing partner locked him into an armbar. There was an intent to win but the sessions focused more on technique. That didn't stop my friend's arm accidentally snapping in half and now he can't fully extend it.

The worst thing about all this though and I'm sure you'll agree is that I have no chance in winning. I was and probably never will be strong so I used to rely on my instinct and leverage. My wily body would wriggle out of amateur holds and my instinct would know the right way to bend and where to put pressure. This advantage has now gone as everyone has been taught (and then some) what I naturally already knew.

Now if I want to fight with my friends I have to go either cheat and gauge them in the eye or lose face. Either way some people are getting Prince of Dorned. Thanks MMA.

Who is the Best Dragon Ball Z character?

Dragon Ball Z is one of the best shows ever to grace the airwaves. A story rich with complex heroes and fearsome villians, the challenges the Z fighters face are rivaled only by the shows magnificence. The show had a large impact on my life in terms of creativity and critiquing. It started with critiquing the episodes, sagas and characters themselves. As I casually studied these I concluded an answer to one of the most important questions: Who is the Best Dragon Ball Z character?

Tien Shinhan

This is purely opinion based but it is a fact Tien is the best character in Dragon Ball Z. Not only is he Goku's first real solo antagonist (in terms of an equal fighter) but he continued to punch above his weight even though he knew he would die.

In Dragon Ball Goku faced a lot of challenges but it was only till Tien, under the guidance of Master Chen, did Goku face a physical equal. In the World Martial Arts Tournament Tien actually technically defeated Goku to win the championship, not a boast many fighters can claim. Like many of Goku's beaten opponents Tien swore an oath to one day defeat Goku in combat by training fiercely. Even after discovering Goku was a Saiyan Tien still chased his goal, unlike Yamcha, Krillin and Piccolo. 

Another unique aspect of Tien's character was even when he was 'bad' he still cared for and protected his friend Chiaotzu. Most of the adversary's the Z fighters faced it was all about number 1, with the exception of the Androids, although that could be contested. It showed a rare compassion before he fought for good, showing that Tien was not just black or white.

The best quality of Tien however was his acceptance of his inferiority to his enemies and his disregard for it. Time and time again we saw the three-eyed fighter destroy himself with the foreknowledge it would mean his defeat. The first example is of course against Nappa. Seeing his friend Chiaotzu give his life away to save him Tien went into a rage and matched the great Saiyan in power whilst missing an arm! 

The greatest of these however and what solidified his right to be my favourite, I mean best character, was his multipe Tri-Beam attack on second form Cell. Tien whose power level would have been miniscule compared to Cell managed to continually push the bio-mechanical monster into a trench of his Tri-Beam's making. His exhaustion over this attack nearly killed him but his refusal to be fazed by a power that only an Ascended Saiyan could beat. Even 17 who beat the Z fighters, including two Saiyans, with ease could not make Cell flinch with a full fledged attack.

It has not been all defeats and sacrifices for Tien. In Other World on King Kai's planet Tien beats the Ginyu squad were as Vegeta, Gohan and Krillin could not. Even after Vegeta's senkai boost he received from being defeated on Earth, he could not beat Racoome. Tien did have help from Yamcha and Chiaotzu of course but keep in mind it is Yamcha and Chiaotzu. 

All of these and you have to consider the fact that Tien is just a human. He has no senkai boost, no fusing abilities or transformations but pure determination and blind courage. Tien had no surprises for his enemies, except the techniques he had worked hard on himself. Training was Tien's only boost. Plus he taught everyone else how to fly so without Tien everyone would have to find their own flying nimbus.

Life Is Short - A Saying I Hate

The assumption that life whisks us by is a horrid idea. The majority of us control our own reality, we allow the world to influence us to some degree. Saying that life flashes by or 'I can't wait for the weekend' means that is how our reality will be effected.

Time itself is completely subjective. This isn't pseudo-science, this is fact: the larger the gravitational pull the slower time will move. For example a day on a planet with twice the gravitational pull of Earth will be 48 hours. However it will 48 hours to the people on Earth but the people on the planet it will be 24 hours. The people on the larger planet are existing at twice the length of time to the people on Earth. The previous statement is actually false since time is subjective, it could easily be Earth's time is quicker but again this statement is based on a point of view not an objective view point.

To bring it back to our reality we do control how we perceive time. If we perceive life as short and existing in the blink of an eye then that is how it will exist. Yet if we look at if from the view point of a housefly our lives take a huge amount of space in the linear progression of time. Life does not flash by it simply is there and we must seize it. Not that Carpe Diem bullshit because how can you seize the day when you are working a 9-5, with 2 kids and a pile of bills to focus on. We just have to be aware that time is simply a man-made construct to objectify existence and not a depressing measurement for how ineffectual we are to the grandness of reality.

The most important thing is everyone has to stop using the phrase 'I can't wait'. I am against the banning of most things, except recreational usage of bicycle shorts but I could be argued into the banning of the phrase. To be clear I am not saying impatience is the worst thing ever because I can be extremely impatient a times. The statement is against overlooking the extraordinary mundane things that happen in between the boring exceptional things we get excited for. Enjoying your morning routine, or your commute to work, or Tuesday nights can be difficult but simply experience them, live them. Don't overlook the moments because they make up the majority of your time which make them special in their own right compared to the unique experiences we all look forward to.

And that's it: We don't have to stop being excited for these brilliant unique collection of moments we just have to look forward to them. I've came to the conclusion that we don't actually exist solely in the present because the present is always in the past, the exact present is continuous steam of future into present into past. Looking forward is being the future, present and past. 'Looking forward' to something is being excited about the continuous stream of time and how we exist in all those beautiful drops of  the ocean of time because to quote one of the most amazing films ever 'What is an ocean but a multitude of drops.'

It's Just Getting Too Much

I am a man of winter. I'm so English I always had an affinity to the weather during the winter but in New York it has just became too much. This is what I am feeling right now...

Games I Can't Stop Playing

Nostalgia is one of my biggest flaws. A wise man once said 'Look forward not back' I constantly disregard this saying when it comes to games. I am not saying games today aren't as good as their predecessors, but my golden years of gaming are definitely behind me. This has led to me always replaying old games, to recomplete or just have fun on. Below is a list of my favourite games to replay:

1. Tony Hawk's Underground

The first and best in the series has to be first in the list. I've completed it countless times as the story, gameplay and characters were so easy to fall in love with. It combined the addictive over-the-top play of the Tony Hawk's skating series with a great rags-to-riches story. It was also one of, if not the, first skating games in which you could jump off your board and walk around and also drive cars. The story did not take anything from the gameplay which was consistently crazy and fun. An easy game that you can jump on no matter your mood.

2. Halo: Combat Evolved

We all know this game as the one of the most revolutionary games ever. Changing a lot of things not only in FPS but games in general. This particular game did not have the online multiplayer it's successors had yet to me me it was the best out of them all. The action was perfect as there was no online multiplayer distracting the game developers so everything was focused on the single player. When compared with Halo 2, 3 and 13 you can see were the story got the benefit on the first time around. None of the Halo's have managed to captured the atmosphere this game had, none of them could better or even equal the twisting yet simple storyline, and none of them could better the level Assault on the Control Room.

3. Warriors

Even Rembrandt was sick, RIP.

The PS2 release was how a movie to game...game should be made. Every game company wanting to make the transition should study how this game was made. It was perfect. It had a rich and unique back story for all the fans of the film who wanted to know more about their characters and favourite street gang. It played along with the film as if the two were twins. It also contained some of the most gruesome and violent fighting systems ever, for example Cleo jumping on people's heads during rage mode. This game was just so much fun. It took nothing away from the film, it made you want to watch the film more which in turn made you want to play the game more.

4. DOOM for PSX

There will be some whiplash from this statement but do not go into a frenzy just yet let me explain: The PSX version of DOOM was the best, better than the PC and N64. Now the N64 version was nothing much but the PC version was obviously a good game. It had a storyline and better graphics, modding etc. But the game itself was not as good as the PSX. The reason being was mainly the atmosphere. The music in the PC version was all heavy metal and it led the player to be more courageous and have little fear of what he was up against. The PSX version created an atmosphere of fear, the echoing of tortured souls, angry demons, and brainless zombies as well as an eerie soundtrack made this game quite frightening. Especially when you turn a corner and suddenly there is a Hell Knight towering above you and lets out a grinding roar which tests your bowel reflexes. All this coupled with the fact it was the first game I had with the PSX made a perfect DOOM shaped hole in my heart that needed refilling annually.

5. Resident Evil 2

I have talked about some of these games in my previous blogs but none so fondly as this bad boy. The best out of the Resident Evil series which combined the Horror of 1 and the action of 3. A perfect balance that led to me playing this game so many times I actually completed with it in 2 hours and 37 minutes without dying, sadly I saved which was a dick move but whatever I got over it so should you. This record may not be the best out of those youtubers out there but it was something I am certainly proud of as an 'Amateur Gamer.' The graphics had a great upgrade from the first and cutscenes meant a move immersive story, but more importantly the game was basically four games in one. Complete it with Leon and Claire separately you have the same story more or less. However continue the save with the discs reversed and you get a whole different face to the game as the stories entwined creating a story few games had achieved at this point. 


6. Mass Effect series (but 1 in particular)

It hurts, it still hurts. Ever since I ended three after that bastard update I haven't played it since but before that I completed these games so many times. It was ridiculous. Even though the action was a bit awful and the team AI was atrocious the story was just amazing. So in-depth so meticulously thought out and (up until the end of 3) the decisions had fantastic and interesting impact in the later story. Some of the most extensive and breathtaking environments any game has created. I played this game so much I discovered how many people you could have sex with on the first game, three is the answer (if there is more let me know). I completed it with all the classes, maxed out so many different characters, the greatest of my creations being Being-Willy Shepard of course, no wonder they never said my first name in the entire series! Brilliant and even though the end of 3 kind've fucked my life up forever I'm sure I will come back to it at some point...maybe. Just the Reaper Indoctrination theory would've fixed everything! If they had played along with it after that update it would've been fine, but no they had to ruin it, why did they land the Normandy in front of the reaper at the end just to save two of your teammates like WHY! Everyone knew it was a suicide mission, so why did they want to be saved? FUCK!!!

7. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Okay let's bring it back to a happy place. Oblivion. No game has taken up so many hours of life than this game. My first place through, a Dark-Elf Warrior by the name of Penis-Face took at least 287 hours for me to stop playing and think 'Ok I've done enough.' I bought the game on a whim but it sent a message to the world saying 'This is how you make an RPG.' Built on the success of Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind it went on to achieve even greater feats. The endlessness of this game was staggering as the main storyline lay forgotten in your list of quests and murdering a bunch of people in a locked house in Skingrad for the Dark Brotherhood was your priority.

8. Sonic Adventure Dreamcast

Lastly but certainly not leastly was this glitchy, annoying but addictive game. One of the launch titles for my favourite console ever, Sonic Adventure re-launched a series that I had zero feelings for up to this point. After I had always returned to this game completing it over and over again. I knew it was a bad game in terms of dialogue, level design, animation, and gameplay but it was still just so much fun. It did have its plus points the character selection gave this game real lasting ability, the graphics were beautiful, and the story was actually good when you take into account all the characters who you could play lapped over each other without any error, impressive when compared to the gameplay. All these points gave Sonic Adventure a real quaint feel to it, even though it would be really frustrating at times, most of the time it was a nice relaxing game.

That's my list, I have stupidly sold a few of these games so if you have them lying around the house message me and we'll talk.

P.S. GTA would have been included but it was waaaaay too obvious.