Profile: Satoshi Tajiri

By Samuel Peace

Early Life:

Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of the Pokémon franchise, is regarded as one of the most influential people in gaming. Being the mastermind behind the phenomenon not only saved the Gameboy, but also revolutionised social connectivity in games. Born in Machida, Tokyo, on August 28^th 1965 to a Nissan car salesman and a house wife, he grew up with a keen interest in bug collecting. Little did he know however, that the hobby which earned him the nickname ‘Dr. Bug’ among his peers would eventually lead to the idea which still manages to entice millions of people worldwide today. As a kid the area in which Tajiri lived was still rural. There were rivers, forests, ponds and other natural habitats, thus making it the ideal place for insect gathering. Tajiri was so fascinated that he wanted to become an entomologist as a profession, and he would often think of new ways to capture insects. In a Time interview he said how his approach to catching bugs differed from all his friends, yet he was able to end up with the most.

Unfortunately the natural wonders that Tajiri once beheld were soon ‘urbanized’ as new homes and shopping centres took over the landscape. However, as he became a teenager an interest in the arcades arose. Gaming soon became his new passion with Space Invaders being a favourite of his. Sadly this then new type of entertainment was frowned upon by most. Society and even his parents thought he was weird and a ‘delinquent’ for playing them. People looked at him as if he was some sort of criminal. Despite this he was not deterred and he became more and more interested in the making of games. His curiosity led to him planning his own titles and taking apart Nintendo’s Famicom console (NES in America/Europe) to see how it all works. In 1981, Tajiri entered a game-idea contest which was sponsored by Sega. His submission, an action game called Spring Stranger, helped him to win it.

Career Start:

Tajiri’s obsession with gaming had a massive effect on his education. Constantly skipping classes he nearly failed to graduate at all. He was forced to take ‘make-up’ classes in order to achieve his high school diploma. His distraught parents thought he was throwing his life away, so his father offered him a job at The Tokyo Electric Power Company. “I thought he could at least make a living that way,” he said. However, Tajiri already knew what he wanted to do and refused the job. Skipping college all together he decided to go to a two-year technical school at Tokyo National College of Technology, where he studied electronics.

At the age of 17, and around the same time he won the Sega contest, Tajiri decided to start his own ‘fanzine’. Because the World Wide Web had not been invented, fanzines (fan made magazines) were the only way people could communicate their thoughts and ideas. As an avid arcade fan, Tajiri decided to start his own fanzine called Game Freak. The fanzine focused on the arcade scene as you would expect. It contained news and guides among other things. It was usually around 28 pages and was written in longhand with Tajiri’s ‘loopy’ handwriting then stapled together. It cost around 200-300 yen, enough to cover his gaming expenses if it sold. Shortly after starting up Game Freak, a guy named Ken Sugimori (who would go on to illustrate the original 151 Pokémon) saw the fanzine in a dōjinshi shop (a shop which sells self-published – often amateur – bits of work) and decided to get involved.

Game Freak had decent sales during its run (1981 – 1986) and was especially popular amongst gamers at the time. As the popularity grew and the number of contributors rose, Tajiri decided to start printing it professionally. His best selling fanzine was a special issue based around the game Xevious. It included a guide on ‘how to score a million points’ and managed to sell a staggering 10,000 copies. As the number of contributors grew, so did the gaming discussions. Tajiri learnt a lot more about his passion and realised he wasn’t happy with the quality of most games. This was around the time of the video game crash in 1983 where a plethora of bad games and pong knock offs saturated the market. He became so frustrated that he and Sugimori decided to make their own games.

Tajiri spent a couple of years learning the Family BASIC programming language so he was able to understand the process of making games for the Famicom. He went on to buy development kits and transform Game Freak into a video game development company. Then around 1989 they pitched their first title to Namco. They had built a 80s style arcade game called Quinty (Mendel Palace in the west). It was a simple non-scrolling game (1-2 players) which mainly involved flipping over tiles. The tiles when flipped would push enemies back and sometimes reveal power ups. The aim of each level was to ‘pop’ all the enemies by pushing them into the walls. Namco was Tajiri’s first choice as he was a big fan of their work (especially Masanobu Endo’s titles). Game Freak continued to make more games including the 1991 game Jerry Boy (Smart Ball in the west) and Yoshi – their first collaboration with Nintendo.

Pokémon Era:

The idea for Pokémon came when Tajiri saw the Gameboy and its link cable for the first time. Up until the creation of Pokémon, the link cable was merely used for competitive reasons. But Tajiri’s first thought was not to compete, but to communicate. He had a vision of his childhood where he would catch insects and share his findings with his friends. But with urbanization, many modern children could not experience the same thing. He thought that perhaps he would be able to make a game which involved a similar collection aspect with the added benefit of players being able to share their findings with friends via link cable. Being a big TV, anime and manga fan, Tajiri also took inspiration from Ultraman’s capsule monsters.

Game Freak pitched the idea to Nintendo in 1990, and although Nintendo did not fully understand the concept, Tajiri’s good work with other Nintendo games such as the acclaimed The Legend of Zelda earned him their trust. Put under the guidance of the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda), Game Freak spent six long years creating the first Pokémon games – Red & Green (Blue in the west). The production was difficult and nearly bankrupted Game Freak. Five employees quit and there was barely enough money to pay the rest. Tajiri decided not to take a salary and instead lived off his father’s income. Creatures Inc. A subsidiary of Nintendo helped out Game Freak by investing some money in order to help with the completion of the games. In return they were given one-third of the franchise’s rights.

During the six years of making the games, Tajiri also helped with other projects including two Mario spin-offs, Japanese only – Mario & Wario and the 1994 game Pulseman. In this time Tajiri had developed a strong relationship with Miyamoto and therefore decided to pay tribute to him in Red & Green. The main character’s default name in the games is ‘Satoshi’ as it’s based on Tajiri’s childhood, while the rival’s default name is ‘Shigeru’. These names were also used in the anime (although western audiences were given Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak). By the time the games were completed the Gameboy was becoming outdated and interest in it was waning. There was no enthusiasm from the media and most people expected it to fail. Tajiri was worried Nintendo would reject the game, but thankfully it was released. While sales were slow at first they soon picked up and eventually the games were among Nintendo’s best selling. In fact they near enough resurrected the Gameboy single handily – a new key franchise was born.

There are many theories as to why Pokémon succeeded such as the hidden Pokémon Mew which led to many eager people trying to obtain it, and the affordability of the ‘outdated’ Gameboy. The franchise continues to do well to this day, with Tajiri now 47 taking a back seat role as executive producer while Junichi Masuda (sound designer for Red & Green) has now taken over as director. Despite the success of Pokémon, little is ever seen or heard of from Tajiri as he is media shy. There are rumours that he has Asperger Syndrome, but some people dispute this. He is known for having irregular sleeping hours too, usually working 24 hours straight before having a 12 hour sleep. There is no doubt that there are many mysteries left untold by Tajiri, but he will forever be known as an inspirer of generations.

Video Game Console History

By Samuel Peace

The video game industry has become a huge player in today’s multimedia market. It has integrated itself into mainstream society with big blockbuster titles such as Call of Duty making more money than top Hollywood films. Mobile and social gaming have also become sensations with advanced smart-phones and social networks offering new addictive and connected ways to play. This enables more people than ever to play video games as a dedicated gaming machine is not now required to enjoy these interactive experiences. Because of this it is widely foreseen by industry experts that the video game home console will go the way of the Dodo. This isn’t hard to believe either as current consoles are showing their age and are struggling to compete for sales as cheaper games are easier to find on other devices. However, the quality of a big budget, top selling blockbuster such as the previously mentioned Call of Duty series can only be found on a console (or its PC rival). While there are sometimes mobile versions (or clones), these are always watered down and have awkward controls which simply cannot give the same experience. Also console makers Sony and Microsoft are hotly anticipated to be releasing their new systems by the end of 2013. If designed well they should be able to offer everything their competitors can and more. In preparation for the next ‘generation’ of consoles let’s take a brief look at the history of home gaming…

Generation 1 (1972 – 1977) & Generation 2 (1976 – 1984):

It’s now been over 40 years since the arrival of a home entertainment system. Television engineer Ralph Baer conjured up the idea during the 60s where he was able to make a two player game called Chase. Two lights appeared on the TV screen which were controlled by two different people. Though simple it was a first for interactivity on a TV. Baer later sold his concept in 1969 to electronics company Magnavox. Then a few years later in 1972 the Magnavox Odyssey was born. This now primitive piece of hardware came with six special cartridges which gave the console different command codes when plugged in, which then activated the games which were built into the console. To go with these carts were special translucent overlays which were stuck to the screen and acted as graphics for the game. Unfortunately the original Magnavox Odyssey only managed to sell about 330,000 units, but the Odyssey 2 in 1978 sold 2 million.

Several other companies including world renowned retro kings Atari entered the fray not long after the Odyssey’s release. Atari first hit the mainstream when they created the game Pong for arcades in 1972. They followed this up by releasing a home version in 1975 which helped start the second generation of consoles. This new era (known as the 8-bit era) saw a flurry of machines trying to replicate the success of Pong. These systems all had microprocessors and cartridges with built in memory. This meant that the games were now on the cartridges instead of the console allowing for more games to be made available. The Fairchild Channel F was the first to use this new technology in 1976 but only sold 250,000 units. However it was the Atari 2600 who took the glory by selling a phenomenal 30 million systems (as of 2004). This monster of a machine came out in 1977 and fast became an icon of gaming’s past with retro classics such as Space Invaders and Pac-Man making their debuts on a home console.

Video Game Crash of 1983:

The future of home gaming was thrown into doubt when the video game industry crashed and went into recession in 1983. Company after company went bankrupt causing many of Atari’s competitors to vanish. There were many factors as to why this had happened. For starters the market was flooded with consoles all vying to become the next ‘Pong sensation’. With Atari doing stupendously well it was no surprise that other companies wanted a piece of that success. Unfortunately this along with a plethora of bad games and a surge in PC gaming over saturated the market and turned it sour, thus causing consumers to lose interest. The eroding market quickly needed a saviour.

Generation 3 (1983 – 1992) & Generation 4 (1987 – 1996)

In 1983 a Japanese electronics company named Nintendo decided to enter the unstable gaming market with the release of the Famicom (Family Computer) in Japan. They released their console in North America two years later under the new name of NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), and needless to say it took the world by storm. Managing to sell 61.91 million units (as of 2009) and creating one of gaming’s most iconic characters (Mario) the console almost single handily revived the industry. Its closest competitors included Sega’s Master System which sold around 11.8 million and Atari’s 7800 which sold about 3.77 million.

With the new revitalised game industry in full flow, the fourth generation was kick started with the introduction of 16-bit graphics. Following on from the NES, Nintendo bought out the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1991 (North America). Once again they dominated the market share selling a massive 49.10 million units. Although this was enough to win the generation, the biggest success story was Sega who’s Master System follow up the Mega Drive (Genesis in North America) sold 40 million units and created a new gaming icon by the name of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Generation 5 (1993 – 2006) & Generation 6 (1998 – 2013)

The fifth generation (known as the 32-bit and 64-bit era) probably had the biggest leap in graphical capabilities and gameplay since the very birth of gaming. The introduction of 3D graphics wowed people across the world and helped to create brand new gaming experiences. It also gave birth to a new competitor – Sony’s PlayStation. The console released in 1995 (North America) and blew people away with its modern technology and new IPs. The electronics giant used a newly developed CD-ROM for its games which held more data and was cheaper to mass produce. The popularity of the PlayStation saw it sell an eye watering 102.49 million units (as of 2007). Meanwhile Nintendo continued to decline slowly with the release of the last cartridge based console the Nintendo 64. It sold a solid 32.93 million but it wasn’t a scratch on Sony. Sega suffered too, but it was Atari who fell from grace as their Atari Jaguar sold a measly 500,000 units, thus the pioneers of home gaming bowed out of the hardware market.

Sega were in desperate need of a revival so they bought out the Dreamcast in 1999 to start the 128-bit era. Unfortunately only 10 million were sold so they too exited the hardware market. Sony once again dominated with the release of the PlayStation 2 in 2000. The system sold a record 153.6 million units (as of 2011) and has to this day not been beaten by another home console. Nintendo suffered greatly this generation as its GameCube only managed around 21.74 million sales. Microsoft also entered the ‘console war’ in 2001 with the release of the Xbox. This marked a return for North America into the home console market .

Generation 7 (2004 – Present) & Generation 8 (2011 – Present)

Generation seven saw the most tightly contested battle yet as Sony failed to repeat the success of their previous two consoles. Microsoft jump started things with the release of the Xbox 360 in 2005. Using a one year advantage they managed to gain a good market share and have sold a respectable 75.9 million units (as of 2012). Nintendo also enjoyed resurgence as they decided to shake things up by focusing on new innovations such as motion control rather than improving the power of their console. The Wii which was released in 2006 became a worldwide phenomenon and has reached 99 million sales (as of 2012). While Sony has suffered a fair bit this generation, it has still surpassed 70 million units and could take over Xbox 360 sales due to a strong presence in both Europe and Japan.

Nintendo whose Wii was behind in terms of power decided to make the first move in this eighth generation by playing catch up. Their console matches the power of the PS3 and Xbox 360 but it has an innovative ‘tablet-like’ controller. Sony has also announced their new PlayStation 4 which is expected to hit shelves before Christmas 2013. Microsoft have yet to respond.

Future:

Despite being little over 40 years old, the games industry has a rich history, one which is too big to fit into one article. While home consoles have enjoyed a lot of success over the years, it is hard to tell if they can stay relevant when a huge variety of devices are now able to play video games. What we do know is that once again Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft will battle it out for supremacy, however this time they might not be alone.

A New Journey: College

By Sam Peace

As the lone adventurer departed his transportation, he calmly walks a few paces before coming face to face with a street known as New Rd. The irony of this path reflects the beginning of our protagonist’s new journey. He takes his first strides towards land unknown to him with his only aim being: reach City College. His feet are greeted with lightly coloured bricks while the surrounding is filled with gleefully unique restaurants reminiscent of a foreign holiday. The vibrant setting is short lived however, due to the upcoming London-esque style of Jubilee St. This new passage is full of posh buildings made mostly of glass and black tiling. It’s the complete opposite to the experience just moments ago. Not stopping our traveller continues, soon a new route appears – Kensington St. A run down back alley with graffiti splashed over degraded buildings. It was an intimidating sight not suited for a night walker, thankfully though it was day.

Stepping onto the last road the explorer notices a towering sight in the distance; the destination is awaiting his arrival. Sydney Street is the last avenue; the last taste of freedom before the quest truly begins. Crammed full of quirky 20^th century boutiques, there are plenty of useful items available for purchase. But already fully prepared, the trekker marches towards the end of this short expedition. Arriving at the entrance he gazes upon the brick structure in front of him. Peering into the opening he takes a deep breath, and enters. What challenges lie within?

Cadbury’s Dairy Milk with Oreo

By Sam Peace

Thick white creamy waves hitting a smooth brown sandy beach is not a way to describe the flavour of a Cadbury’s Dairy Milk with Oreo, but rather the vision of paradise it represents. In a time when new innovative chocolate is rare for us UK residents, it comes as a somewhat refreshing surprise when two great brands combine. The combination is of pure brilliance, the glorious soft warmth received from a piece of Dairy Milk married to the creamy crunch of an Oreo biscuit. It is probably easier to describe it as the best of milk and white chocolate mixed with the smooth texture of a Lindt bar and the crunch of a cookie. If you are looking for a great composition, you like your milk and/or your white chocolate and you want to taste heaven in its devilish form then this is for you.

Watson Ends Wait

With her Olympic silver medal and US Open success Laura Robson seemed to have cemented her place as the golden girl of British tennis.

Heather Watson, two years Robson’s senior, had been shunted out of the limelight.

She watched as her rival picked up the plaudits and became the first British woman since 1990 to reach a WTA Tour Final.

She watched and she waited.

Then, when Robson was knocked out of the Japan Open in the quarter finals last week it was Watson who kept the flag flying.

The twenty year old not only matched Robson’s achievement in reaching a tour final but went one better, beating Taiwanese rival Chang Kai-cheng in three sets.

The triumph has catapulted Watson into the world’s top fifty, overtaking Robson as Britain’s number one.

And the Channel Islander will be hoping that this latest success will be a stepping stone to even greater things.

With a third round appearance at Wimbledon already under her belt Watson will be aiming to do even better next year.

But Robson can’t be forgotten, especially given the progress she has already made under acerbic Croatian coach Zeljko Krajan.

Krajan has previously worked with Dinara Safina, masterminding the Rusian’s march to the summit of the women’s game and Robson has credited his tactical nous with improving her skills.

Watson meanwhile has even more distinguished help.

She lives and trains at the famous Bollitieri Tennis Centre under the guidance of Nick Bollitieri himself.

The American has already taken the likes of Becker, Agassi and the Williams sisters under his wing.

But Watson admits that it is Robson’s success which is her greatest motivation, saying, ‘we’re both very competitive…when we see the other doing well, it pushes us.’

Tennis fans nationwide will be hoping that the duo will keep on pushing each other all the way to the top.

It is thirty five years since a British woman won a major title, but it may not be too long before these two inspire each other to compete on that sort of level.

That is something to think about.

 

Charlie Stockton

Jimmy Savile’s knighthoods cannot be stripped

By Jenny Berg, Serena Doherty, Rosy Matheson and Lalage Wordsworth

The Conference of Bishops in England says it’s too late to strip Savile of Catholic Knighthood.

There have been calls for Jimmy Savile to be stripped of his papal knighthood following allegations of sexual abuse. However, bishops in England and Wales say they can’t because it expired with his death.

The Catholics Bishops’ Conference in England and Wales say that Sir Jimmy Savile would not have been awarded a papal knighthood if the allegations of sexual abuse had come to light earlier.

However, there is no process to posthumously remove a papal knighthood which dies along with the recipient.

Savile, a devout Catholic, was made Knight Commander of St Gregory the Great for his charity work by the pope in 1990, the same year he recieved an OBE  (Order of the British Empire).

Eileen Cole, a media officer with the Catholics Bishops’ Conference said, “All abuse is a tragedy and our paramount concern should always be for those who have suffered abuse.

“The allegations of abuse by Jimmy Savile are deeply shocking and need to be investigated by the police so there can be a resolution.

“Once the police have completed their investigations many aspects of his life may have to be reviewed.”

Likewise the Honours Forfeiture Committee cannot strip Savile of his OBE either.

A cabinet office spokesperson said:

“There are currently a number of police investigations underway into the allegations. The Order of the British Empire is a living Order and individuals cease to be a member when they die.

“An appointment as a Knight Bachelor would also cease on death. However, that doesn’t mean that the committee won’t consider the impact on the honours system of cases such as the one under discussion.”

However, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, has suggested that the removal of Savile’s honour might be an option. He said:

“[The forfeiture committee is] not chaired or sat on by me but it is responsible for looking at honours and the removal of honours and obviously they have to do their job properly.”

Knighthoods can be removed from living members but it’s extremely rare. The last knight to be debased was Sir Anthony Blunt, whose knighthood was withdrawn in 1979 after he was exposed as a Soviet spy.

People in Brighton and Hove have mixed feelings about stripping Jimmy Savile of his knighthood:

David McConnell, 65, from Hove

“Yeah, absolutely but they’re meaningless anyway. I’m sure there are sirs who’ve done worse than he did.”

Sammy Strongheart, 30, from Brighton

“No, I think it’s against his rights to have anything stripped away.”

Sussex businesses booming despite the recession

by Roberta Radu, Lareese Craig, Jess Strudwick, Oran Burke

Businesses in Sussex are defying the recession better than the rest of the UK, a survey of employers suggests.

Fifty per cent of employers in Sussex are optimistic about the health of the local economy, the study by Sussex Enterprise and recruitment company Hays revealed.

Helen Kirk-Brown, a director for Hays in Sussex, said the survey “painted a positive picture” for the county.

Businesses in Brighton now favour a new approach to surviving the recession by focusing on investments, and hiring more staff instead of cutting back.

Dan Doidge, 34, Pizza Express manager at a Brighton branch, said: “We’re optimistic for the future. We are hiring at the moment, normally we would hire when we need to but we haven’t had to cut down too much.

“We are trying to improve service instead. We had a refurbishment about two months ago so we are on a different level. We have a positive outlook so we hope to gain by investing,” he added.

A third of employers plan to recruit more staff next year and two-thirds said their workforce had not been affected by the 2008 credit crunch.

According to a report in thisissussex.co.uk, in the next 6 months there will be 1000 new jobs available between Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Hastings Direct.

East Sussex County Council assistant chief executive Simon Hughes said: “We’re pleased with the optimism shown by the businesses Hays surveyed.”

Employment vacancies in Job Centres in East Sussex show a year-on-year increase of more than 1500 new jobs for May 2012, compared to the previous year.

Analysts from SQW, a research consultancy, said that they expect overall employment to rise by 5% in West Sussex by 2026, with the best performing sectors being finance and business.

Fiona Jenkinson, 39, a store manager at Silver Scene on Prince Albert Street thinks businesses in Sussex are coping well, but other regions are struggling. She said: “Bristol has been affected a bit more and areas in the south-west. In Taunton, shops are closing and are not reopening so the town seems to be going down.”

Thousands in Anti-War Peace Walk through Istanbul, Turkey

The people of Turkey come together in unison against war with Syria over water supplies for Israel.

http://www.yurttasgazeteci.com/2012/10/photos-of-anti-war-protest-in-istanbul.html

by Malcolm Cook

What would T E Laurence say as thousands flood the streets in Istanbul to rally against the conflict with Syria. Although the main issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict has always been the Palestine question, water has been a continuous matter of dispute that is intrinsically linked to it.

The Golan Heights water is the source for more than 55% of Israel’s fresh water needs and forms part of the ground water reserves that supplies Israel with most of their water supply.

The ‘Line of 4th June 1967′ issue, which has become part of the Arab-Israeli dialogue for years. It outlines the withdrawal demanded of Israel by Syria in the context of any peace treaty. Conceptually, the line of 4 June 1967 was the confrontation line, on the day before the outbreak of the 5 June 1967 war.

Only along one 15-kilometer stretch did this dubious line correspond with the international boundary between Palestine and Syria instituted by Great Britain and France in 1923. Neither did it correspond to the mutually agreed UN brokered Armistice Demarcation Line agreed to by the parties in 1949, after the first Arab Israeli war. The root of the Arab-Israeli water issue can be traced back to 9th March 1916, when the Sykes-Picot Agreement was signed between the British and the French.

T E Lawrence (of Arabia) was gnawed by these doubts. When he rode off to enter Damascus in 1917, alone and with a price on his head, he wrote an agonized note to his chief in Cairo: “Clayton, I’ve decided to go off alone to Damascus, hoping to get killed on the way… We are calling them to fight for us on a lie, and I can’t stand it.”

It was his view then and later that the Allies had persuaded the Arabs to take up arms against the Turks with a false promise, and that even as the Arabs were fighting, the British and the French were secretly laying claim to the spoils of war in advance, and sharing between themselves the areas that the Arabs had been promised: Lebanon and Syria for France, Palestine, what is now Jordan, and what is now Iraq (with its rich oil reserves) for Great Britain, leaving for the Arabs only a few worthless strips of desert, without major ports or sensible frontiers, like throwing them the carcass of a chicken once the meat had been carved away. The land grab continues.

Twitter outrage at Shadow Chancellor’s Speech

Anna Hayward

Twitter exploded with outraged tweets earlier today criticizing the shadow chancellor’s announcement of new policies for a two year stamp duty and a promise to build 10,000 homes.

The tweets reacted to Ed Ball’s speech at the Labour conference in Manchester. In his speech the chancellor called out for urgent action to aid growth and that a review of a long term plan to help rebuild Britain’s economic infrastructure was essential.

The speech announced that the Olympic Delivery Authority, Sir John Armitt, would offer independent advice to help the Labour government’s decision making to strengthen and rebuild Britain’s economy. He followed this by announcing a controversial plan to use some of the £4bn from the 4G mobile phone spectrum to pay for 10,000 new homes to be built. The icing on the cake was when Balls proposed to allocate the remaining money on a two-year stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers on properties worth up to £250,000.

However despite Ed Balls heroics twitter followers were adamant that his policies were weak. It seems as if the failings of the Labour party under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are far from forgotten.

Many tweets attacked the Shadow Chancellor and the Labour party saying:

“…think the fact that ed balls still has a job is all u need to know about the Labour party”.

“Too far too fast isn’t that the spending policies of Ed Ball”.

“Dear Ed balls, if ur going to talk about the NHS don’t forget to mention the 12b labour were going to waste on their it system”.

One angry tweeter even went as far as to say: “A guy whos name describes what people think of his policies”.

However not all tweets were negative. One tweeter wrote: “Ed balls gave the best speech of the conference so far”.

Ed Ball’s blunt and public mocking of the Conservatives is just the beginning. The political tension is coming to a head as each side fights for its time in the sun. Which side will you choose?

Sussex County Football League Division One Review

Steve Davies’ stoppage time winner meant that table topping East Preston extended their lead to six points after beating the 10 men of AFC Uckfield 2-1 at The Lashmar. Matt Axell fired the hosts level after a goaless first half, before James Rhodes scored his first of the season for Uckfield but Davies’ late effort stole the points as Greg Manton saw red for his protests against the goal.

Second-placed Ringmer could only take a point from their home match against Selsey after an entertaining 2-2 draw. Dan Towers put Selsey ahead, before former Manchester United Reserves player Marc Whiteman equalized four minutes before the break, but it was Selsey who held a lead going into half time through Rob Wimble. It proved a tough day for the sides at the top of the table, as Peacehaven & Telscombe had to come from behind to draw against Dorking Wanderers at Piddinghoe Avenue. Craig Duffell’s first goal of the season broke the deadlock before half time, but Ashley Jones’ second half effort denied Dorking a surprise result.

Rye United succumbed to a 3-1 defeat at Hassocks. Phil Gault opened the scoring for the Robins before Andy Atkin’s equalizer just before the interval. Gault’s strike 15 minutes from time was then followed by Nathan Miles’ effort as Hassocks made it 5 league games unbeaten, lifting them to 7^th with 16 points. Rye’s loss allowed Redhill to climb to fourth, as Leo Atkinson’s 10^th minute strike was all that separated them from Shoreham at Kiln Brow.

Meanwhile at the foot of the table, Worthing United remain winless after a 3-1 reverse at home to Hailsham Town, who picked up their second win of the season. Tom Donnelly had put United ahead just after half time, but goals from Dean Stevens, Jamie Salvidge and Danny Leach lift Hailsham above local rivals AFC Uckfield to 18^th.  St. Francis Rangers picked up their first three points of the season with a surprise win at Arundel. Alex Biggs gave the Mullet’s the lead going into the break, but three goals in 10 second half minutes courtesy of Charlie Romain (2) and former Brighton & Hove Albion player Geoff Pitcher stunned the hosts and gave Rangers a valuable three points.

Martin Gander’s Lancing are sixth after a comprehensive victory at Crowborough Athletic, who saw Chris Ransome sent off for two bookable offences. Dan Turner got the ball rolling for the visitors just six minutes in, before Darren Boswell fired in his fifth league goal of the campaign after half time. Grant Philpott completed the rout in stoppage time in front of 111 at the Crowborough Community Stadium.

East Grinstead Town upset the odds as they secured their second league win of the season at Nyetimber Lane as they came from behind to beat Pagham 2-1. After Joe Briggs put The Lions ahead, goals from George Hillier and Sam Cane (his third of the season) lifted The Wasps to 15^th with 8 points.

Elsewhere in the County, Chris Agutter’s late equalizer completed Sidley United’s come back at Chichester. After going two goals down through Dan Watts and Harry Dye, United bounced back and Agutter added to an earlier strike from Alan McMinigal to share the points. Finally, Lingfield overcame Horsham YMCA 3-2 at the Sports Pavilion as Daryl Coleman netted a brace, which was also added to by Freddie Fleming. Martin Smith and Dean Cox replied for the visitors, who lie in 16^th and have lost their last three league games.

- Anthony Scott

Jellyfish are cool

By Chloe McCormack

The Brighton Sea Life Centre unveiled its latest attraction this summer- a jellyfish disco!

This filled me with great excitement, as Jellyfish are pretty much my favourite thing in the world. When I die, I hope to be re-incarnated as one. My life cycle will be short (between a few hours to several years depending on which type I am) but I like to imagine I will live in bloodless, brainless pleasure for that time, wending my ghostly, membranous way up to 12,000 feet beneath the ocean.

Initially I fell in love with jellyfish after seeing them at the London Aquarium. Like enormous lava lamps, the circular tanks were filled with tiny medusea in myriad hues. Up close they are beautiful; trippy apparitions undulating silently, with tentacles dragging like seaweed.  After this encounter I was fascinated with them, but it was only after a little research that I began to realise how incredible they really are.

And like all true fanatics- I intend to convert to my Cult of Jellyfish (current membership: one), so here are some fascinating facts about jellyfish:

Estimated to be over 500 MILLION years old- they are the oldest living multi organ animal in the world. Essentially, they are elaborate amoebas, who’ve evolved so successfully that they’re found in every ocean.

Jellyfish do not have specialized digestive, nervous, respiratory or circulatory systems. Basically they don’t have nerves, lungs, stomachs, or blood.

Although some jellyfish are more equal that others; a Box jellyfish has 24 eyes, two of which are capable of seeing color, and four parallel brains^. This makes it one of the only creatures capable of having a 360 degree view.

All Jellyfish, however, have sexual organs and can reproduce sexually or asexually. This is, when you think about it, pretty handy.

And finally, there is a type of jellyfish that can live infinitely. Post reproduction it transforms from medusa (which is the name off a fully grown jellyfish) back to the polyp stage, thereby escaping death.

So, go to the Brighton Sealife Centre soon (you can pick up two for one vouchers for free in most Co-operative supermarkets in Brighton) and marvel at these gelatinous zooplankton and their extraordinary idiosyncrasies.

 

The Lib Dem conference in Brighton

 List of MP’s Present.

• Tessa Munt – MP for Wells, Somerset

• Tim Farron – President of the Lib Dems and MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale

• Lord Oakeshott, – Lib Dem Peer

• Gordon Burthwhistle – MP for Burnely

• Brian Paddick – Former Lib Dem London mayoral candidate.

• Simon Hughes – Depertury Lib – Dem Leader

Along with 250 other people at 8.30 in the morning, I attended a Lib Dem Q + A at Brighton
nightclub, Oceana. A surreal moment witnessing MP’s in a nightclub! Ironically the night
before it played host to a foam party where it apparently left a lot of mess. I could use this in
a clever way and link to certain political mess, but I won’t.

The event was filmed live for radio station 5 Live and hosted by award winning Journalist,
Victoria Derbyshire. As an aspiring journalist and interviewer myself, I have followed
Vitoria’s career for a while, particularly her interview style and it was great to see her in
full flow today, putting the politicians to task and making sure they give a full answerand
justification to their comments.

Having my seat listed as reserved and armed with my pen and notepad, I felt a bit like a
political journalist. These delusions of adequacy didn’t last long though, I was asked to make
way for a Lib Dem councillor. Still, on with the show..

Audience members seemed to represent all sections of society, cleverly constructed, I suspect
by the producers of 5 Live to get a range of opinions. An example of this was shown through
a member of the audience who was a community mental health assistant and a dad to a
disabled boy and was disgruntled with the tax credit system cuts, explaining that without
it, he wouldn’t be able to survive. In contrast to this, later on, another audience member
explained that she was a high wage earner and said that because of the 5 p tax cut made by
the coalition government – she couldn’t contribute as much money into the system as she’d
like to.

At times, there were certainly moments of hostility. This was noticeable in an exchange with
a student and MP, Gordon Burtwhistle. The student talked about what he called sarcastically,
Nick Clegg’s ‘revolutionary’ idea where he could dip into his parents pensions to buy his
first house. The student then spoke about how public sector pensions were low, called the
scheme a shambles, and then addressed all the MP’s and asked “ What pension is this that
I’m supposed to buy my house? “ After the round of applause for the student, Burtwhilse
answered by talking about how people who have pensions have lump sum payments when
they retire and mentioned about the pension scheme he had at an engineering company he

worked for before becoming an MP. The student then interrupted him saying, “Good for you,
where’s my money?“ to another round of applause.

“Clegg’s apology will never be enough”, said another student. Explaining how he simply
couldn’t afford university education. Burthwistle again commented by saying “ I don’t
think Clegg should have to apologise at all” and elaborated by saying how some students,
depending on earnings, won’t even have to pay it back, or at most, a small amount per month.
This, as you would imagine, didn’t go down too well amongst many students.

In fact, as a result of this comment, one student commented “ Even though Lib Dems are in
government we shouldn’t say they are in power”

Further cry’s of “You Lib Dems are not helping any vulnerable people in
Society “and “You’ve helped the Tories attack working class people “ filled the air. The more
hostile the people were, the more them MP’s squirmed.

Not only was there hostility between the youth and Lib Dem, but also within their own
party. There seems to be an incredible amount of disillusionment within the party with one
councillor even remarking, “The Coalition has been a hideous mistake, the sooner we’re out
of it, the better” Waiting for the claps to die down, the councillor then delivered the final
blow to the Lib Dem MP’s supporting Mr Clegg. “I would accept Clegg’s apology if it was
with a letter of resignation, Nick is out of touch and aloof”

A voter then said “I’ve voted Lib Dems all my life, next election I will be voting UKIP
because I know exactly what they stand for”. At this point I looked at the MP’s to see their
reaction. Judging by their knowing look, I think the UKIP party have been mentioned by
disgruntled members quite a lot this year!

It wasn’t all negative press for the Lib Dems though. A young, disabled woman commented
on how she thought the Lib Dems have done well, but unlike other political parties, they
don’t shout about it. This was certainly a contrast to the other disabled people in the audience
who complained about benefit cuts.

It was interesting to see first-hand how MP’s avoid answering questions. Lord Oakeshott, a
Liberal Democrat peer, answers questions about the leadership of the party – and wouldn’t
commit to answering whether or not Nick Clegg will lead the party at the next general
election.

Overall, It was a fantastic to be part of this. Not only did this provide me with experience of
reporting from an event, but it also ties in well with Public Affairs – part of my journalism
course. Also, as an undecided and neutral political supporter – I can write this without subject
to too much bias!

- Sam Evans

The Taj Mahal comes to Brighton

Emily Sargent

In the wake of the iPhone 5’s release, there were bound to be a few glitches. Of relevance to us – according to the new iPhone, the Taj Mahal can now be found in Brighton.

I really enjoyed this. I like the idea of following their directions:

“Walk 50 yds… Turn left at Harry Ramsden’s… Keep straight past Venus Hair Design… You have reached the Taj Mahal.”

Other elements of Brighton have actually disappeared according to the device – the clock tower, for example. But obviously that is not nearly so hilarious as the appearance of an enormous palace. I have scoured the internet to see whether or not other cities have recently received world wonders – ‘Hull acquire two pyramids’, for example, but it seems we’re the only ones.

I don’t tend to notice how reliant I am on technology until it goes wrong. A former deputy editor at The Times who gave a guest speech in college last week conceded he would be lost without his iPhone, and I’m sure he’s not the only one. It is very easy to throw blind faith at applications like maps with a successful track record, but it’s worth reminding ourselves that they are not infallible.

Being a horrible map reader myself I am a little reluctant to return to a fold-out one, but maybe it’s worth considering. As we stride into winter winds they may require a certain amount of wrangling once open, but then there’s always the compass. I don’t know how they work, but if I needed directions I could throw one at passers by.

I’m also a becoming a little overwhelmed by the range of aps available. Last week I read a review of a new one for women, the Wonder Clock, which confronts the question “how much time do I have left?” by filling the screen with an enormous pink countdown of your remaining hours, minutes and days of fertility. I can imagine no better way for a woman to fill a silence during a first date.

“That ticking? Oh it’s just the haunting sound of my ovaries. How is your soup?”

Technology is going mad.

I’m going back to my 3210 with its Purple Ronnie fascia. Scrap that, I’m just going to pay people impromptu visits, holding up a chalkboard next to my face with what I would’ve sent in a text written on it.

Above and Beyond

by Lareese Craig

People are going gaga for vintage clobber at the moment but it seems to be next to impossible to find clothes that are both resonably priced and unique. So when I stumbled across Beyond Retro I knew I was on to a winner.

Situated in the North Laines, it sits perfectly amongst a whole community of fashion-forward boutiques and innovative retailers who aim to create a unique shopping experience for creative individuals. I was chomping at the bit as I gazed open-mouthed at this custard-coloured building in all its glory. I could literally smell nostalgia.

The Brighton store is particularly amazing. When you first walk in it stops you in your tracks, it’s hard to believe how so much retro can be in one place. Even the staff are à la mode. There are rails and rails of vintage finds and it can be quite a daunting experience if you’re a first-timer but it all adds to the fun of it. It’s nothing like the chaos of TK Maxx, the main difference being that Beyond Retro actually has a theme…

You could quite easily spend all day in there going through each individual piece. It has everything from chunky knits, dazzling sequin dresses, Christmas jumpers and second hand fur coats. It also boasts a nice comfy sofa which has proven to be quite the selling point for my weary shopping partners.

It’s well worth taking a trip to BR! Even if it’s just so you can add, ‘It’s vintage darling!’ to your fashion vocabulary!

http://www.beyondretro.com/

Is Brighton better than London?

by Roberta Radu

When I first moved to Brighton, I was surprised to see that I wasn’t the only Londoner who abandoned the bustling capital for the slightly annoying sound of seagulls and the easy-going bohemian air of the coast. Talking to former Londoners, who now declare themselves Brightonians at heart, I found that most people made a conscious decision to leave the city behind and instead settle for a more comfortable existence. The factors behind their relocations tend to vary from one case to another, but there is common ground at least when it comes to finances and family life.

Brighton is cheaper to live in than London

During a quick stroll around the centre I had a look at the housing market and found that entering the property ladder seems to be within the realms of possibility if you venture south, unlike London where renting and buying are as expensive as each other. Even when one does eventually get to buy property in London,  one has to accept that the dream turns into a nightmare if the only affordable thing on the market is a basement flat with no windows and a council tax worth a small fortune.

It’s not that far away!

If you ever miss London or need to inhale the toxic fumes that once spiced your daily intake of oxygen, you can always hop on a train to Victoria or London Bridge Station. It’s a 50 minute train journey to both and unless you’re deterred by the prospect of paying £9 per day for a return tube ticket, you could make it into a short weekend trip. That is, if you can afford a hotel.

The weather…

You will often hear Londoners moaning about getting their expensive suits drenched  after having forgotten their new umbrellas in a pub whose name they can’t remember. While good weather is certainly not an asset the English can boast about to prospective tourists, Brightoners do seem to get a bit more sunshine than their neighbours in the capital. In the summer, you don’t have to worry that Brighton will suddently turn into a hotspot for foreign tourists, because quite frankly they are all out and about in Spain enjoying the 35C+ temperatures that the English coast can only dream of.

As long as you stick to Brighton, there aren’t any bad residential  areas

When I was looking for a flat, I tried to gauge from locals whether there are any regions within Brighton that I should perhaps avoid. Countless of questions later, I was left to conclude that residents don’t have reservations about any area in particular. Ask any Londoner and they will be able to rant about at least five places they wouldn’t be caught in. Brighton appears to be safer so I can see why families would choose it over London.

 

QUESTION TIME TO IGNORE BRIGHTON POLITICIANS

By Oran Burke

One of the BBC’s flagship current affairs programmes will be filmed in Brighton tonight but will not include a representative from the Green Party. According to the BBC website the participants in tonight’s debate will be Harriet Harman, Danny Alexander, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Kirstie Allsop and Steve Coogan.

The programme will be broadcast from St. Bartholomew’s Church in Ann Street and invites members of the public to question the panel. It comes at the end of a week which has seen the Liberal Democrat conference take place in the city and the three main political parties will be represented but nobody from the local Green-led council or national organisation will appear.

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, has appeared eight times in three years as party leader, a fact which has previously been criticised by the Daily Telegraph for giving an undeserved platform to the her “nationally unpopular Green Party”. She recently resigned to concentrate on her parliamentary activities, making way for the election of Natalie Bennett in her place.

A parliamentary spokeswoman for Lucas emphasised that “the BBC is under no obligation to put a Green representative on the panel for Question Time – whether in Brighton or anywhere else.”