Music From Another Dimension Review

Fresh from his ill fated "American Idol" exploits, Steven Tyler and Aerosmith have released their first album in 11 years. Boston's Bad Boy's were close to breaking up back in 2009 following yet another disagreement with Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry, but now they're back with "Music From Another Dimension."

With the new record Aerosmith have gone a completely different route to other classic rock bands such as Kiss and Rush, also with new albums this year. While they focus on their 70s styles, Aerosmith with "Music From Another Dimension" have gone back to the style of  their 90s commercial revival, reminiscent of "Get a Grip."

The album begins with a mood lifting outer space intro, before piling into the clumsily titled  LUV XXX. The bluesy rocking from the opening track is something that continues throughout the album, with Tyler's sweet as ever vocals sounding magnificent. Aerosmith then go into "Oh Yeah," a track which quite clearly was inspired by The Rolling Stones due to the vocal styles and the female backing vocals heard in tracks such as "Gimme Shelter" from The Stones. Not exactly what you want to hear from a band who are legends in their own right. 

Something Aerosmith have always done well is the power ballad, having huge success with tracks such as "Crazy'" and "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", and that doesn't change with "What Could Have Been Love."  A powerful tear jerker, but deep down it sounds like it could be Tyler's own personal ballad to Perry, with lyrics such as "leaving for a no-where bound train" implying more than meets the eye. But behind Tyler's emotional vocals you feel the track is missing that solo to really propel "What Could Have Been Love" into a classic. 

One of the early surprises from the album is "Beautiful," the backing vocals on the track compliment Tyler's rasping vocals brilliantly, reminding listeners that talent doesn't have to be produced in a studio.  Closely following this is "Lover Alot," a track which blends in with the Aerosmith back catalogue after jumping straight out of "Just Push Play."

The two most bluesy tracks from the album, "Out Go the Lights" and "Street Jesus"  are particular highlights from the album. Perry knew he was on to a winner with the guitar workouts laid down for these. "Street Jesus" is a track that is quite simply about a tramp on the streets, with an easy intro into the track the guitar and drum lines pick up pace,  and we have a fast paced Aerosmith album that suddenly make us forget that the Boston rockers  have been around for over 40 years now, two tracks that can wire themselves into Aerosmith's legacy. It's just a shame Perry's tracks where he leads on vocals couldn't match up to some of the tracks he'd written for Tyler. 

This is where the album falls short, ironically in the way that it feels too long. Perry's "Freedom Fighter" almost sounds like a country western track Tim McGraw could have performed, you have to feel this is a track the rest of the band let Perry have to keep him happy following their history. Tracks like "Freedom Fighter" remind you why Joe Perry's solo career never went anywhere. The other Perry track "Something" doesn't do much more than his other track, and reminds us all why Steven Tyler is just irreplaceable as a vocalist, Perry's style just isn't Aerosmith. 

Not all Tyler's tracks are perfect in the overstuffed "Music From Another Dimension" however, the country track "Can't Stop Loving You," is horribly out of place as a crossover ballad with Tyler's American Idol partner Carrie Underwood. The rest of the band must have had a day off from the studio when this was recorded, with lyrics seemingly chucked together because they rhyme (Hey I can’t stop loving you, 

because it’s all I wanna do). It's also one of four ballads on the album, too many for a hard rock album. 

It's better news for the rest of the album though, "We All Fall Down" and "Tell Me" are two of Tyler's cleanest vocal performances throughout the record. "Tell Me" is a slow jam looking back on previous years, again possibly a nod to the Tyler Perry feud from years gone by with lyrics such as "I think it’s time to realize it’s done."  "We All Fall Down" is a "safe" ballad, and also sounds like a rest bite for Tyler's screeching vocals on tracks previously in the album. Despite having an almost immortal voice, you're reminded he's getting on when you see him falling off stages and the likes. 

Stand out track here however is "Legendary Child." If Aerosmith were to ever write a biography and express it through the medium of music, this is it. Talking about shows they played forty years ago, and nearly losing everything after having it all, this is the track to remember. 

Finally we come to "Another Last Goodbye," where Tyler won't let us forget the incredible range his vocals have. Screeching lyrics jump out of this ballad, reminding us why Tyler is one of the best in the business. 

"Music From Another Dimension" does feel a little too long on ending, you can't help but feel the album would be a far more solid piece had the fat been trimmed from the edges. Aerosmith have tried to bring their classic bluesy rock into the modern age. Fortunately because of the digital age you can edit playlists on the fly, do this right with "Music From Another Dimension" and you could end up with a classic. 

John Terry - Really A Loss?

This week John Terry announced his retirement from international football, putting it down to a lack of support from the FA in the wake of the racism allegation made towards him from Anton Ferdinand. But will he really be missed, as a player or as a character around the England camp?

Firstly, make no mistake, the reason the court proceedings ruled in his favour was farcical. They ruled that John Terry was only repeating what he thought Anton Ferdinand said, how likely is he to be racist towards himself? So before all this, was he really the footballing role model an England captain should be? Not exactly. Having relationships with an a team mate's ex wife is hardly a way to set an example to future generations, causing a rift in camp with Wayne Bridge which caused problems in the Chelsea dressing room, as well as drawing criticism from the media as he was at the time still England's captain.

But how about John Terry the footballer? In his prime there was no doubt he was an asset to the England set up and to Chelsea, a no fear no nonsense centre back who will be remembered fondly by some as a good footballer. However I feel he, much like many others in the England camp, had played a tournament too many and think it's a shame he couldn't retire on his own terms. England have desperately needed to introduce new blood into the set up, with players like Lampard, Gerrard and Terry losing the pace and sharpness that they once had. Terry recently has become better known for his quality last ditch tackles and for the way he throws himself in front of the ball preventing shots at goal, but I feel this is because he has lost that  pace and cannot keep up with the top players in the Premiership. John Terry never had much of a football brain when compared to other quality defenders in the league, his reading of the game was never top quality and with losing his pace this makes him very susceptible to being caught out at the back. For example, the best performances he had for Chelsea were alongside Ricardo Carvalho, and for England Rio Ferdinand, players with a far better reading of the game than Terry.  Terry made up for his poor reading of the game with a never say die attitude and his willingness to put his body on the line, something he will be remembered for, but now is the right time to step aside. With players such as Cahill and Lescott stepping up and the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling being introduced amongst others, John Terry's time was about up, with the players coming in being of equal ability as players with far more time and pace on their side.

As mentioned, it's just a shame he couldn't retire from the international fold on his own terms. He put his choice down to the FA, who were merely doing the right thing in investigating a racism allegation, something high on the list of things the FA wants to eradicate. If he retired on his own terms, he would have shown himself in a far better light, but now the impression given is one that shows the "player power" mentality of John Terry thinking he is bigger than the FA.

Def Leppard and Motley Crue Live - Review

A flashback to the glam 80s hair metal scene took centre stage at Nottingham last night. Def Leppard and Crue, massive during the 80s and scoring many top 10 hits, were supported by L.A rockers Steel Panther.

A prompt 6.30pm start (as emphasised on the ticket!) meant it was time for Steel Panther to take centre stage. A prologue of 'In the future' from the 'Balls Out' album played during pure darkness on the stage, before Panther exploded into life with 'Supersonic Sex Machine.' Panther looked like they'd been touring as long as Leppard and Crue, they knew just how to get a crowd going, with friendly banter and jokes being cracked off between each song which was almost as enjoyable as the music itself. Things such as bassist Lexxi Foxx asking "who likes to go to the zoo?" pretty much sums up the humour Steel Panther bring to their show. Playing an array of stuff from both studio albums meant they put on a fantastic opening to the night, ending with their most popular hit "Death to all but Metal." The only disappointment is that they weren't on longer, as they were fantastic.

With Steel Panther leaving the stage, the curtain that served as their backdrop came down, which revealed Tommy Lee's much talked about 360 degree drum kit. Despite the sound teething problems Crue did put on a show that involved all their biggest hits. Even during the sound issues, drummer Tommy Lee came to the front of the stage and kept the crowd entertained. Crue certainly started with an unexpected bang, out of nowhere the curtain dropped to a flurry of ear drum bursting fireworks as they played 'Wild Side,' the opening track of their set. Motley Crue certainly enjoy being on stage, with vocalist Vince Neill still hitting the high notes and bassist Nikki Sixx still having as much stage presence as he ever has. The moment most were anticipating however was Lee's 360 drum kit in action, and wow did it deliver.

With the back screen showing a hand under the drum kit, Lee began to play out his solo as hit 360 drum kit started to turn him round in a vertical loop, with the hand following. After playing his solo upside down and sideways which was phenomenal, Tommy then invited an audience member to join him on his drum kit. What was to follow was just surreal, a fan back to back with his drumming hero, doing a full 360 loop several times to the song 'Love Rollercoaster' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Certainly not something anyone will forget about anytime soon. A good selection of old and new were played by Crue, from 'Shout at the Devil' all the way to the more recent 'Saints of Los Angeles.' 'Shout at the Devil' was in particular brilliant, with thousands fist pumping and yelling "shout" in unison with Crue.

The show that was put on was so lively, to say the band are well into their 50s they showed no signs of slacking off, with guitarist Mick Marks blowing up several of his amps during the show. Nixx Sixx yelling "I can't believe we're still alive!" pretty much sums up the nature of their live shows and their lives off stage. They  were just born to rock crowds.

The big hitters were left until last, with 'Dr Feelgood' and 'Girls Girls Girls' being the penultimate songs in the set list. Both were fantastically done, with lead vocalist Vince jesting starting up a motorcycle, which stalled, before revving into gear for the opening of "Girls Girls Girls." That wasn't all they had to offer, after a minute of leaving the stage Motley Crue came back to end with 'Kickstart my Heart,' which signaled the end to a lively set full of fireworks, explosions and pyrotechnics. On leaving the stage the crowd had fake blood thrown all over them, much to everyone's amusement. Before the show Nikki Sixx was on 'Kerrang! Radio' and said that Motley Crue will probably stay around another 5 years before doing a farewell tour. This could well be their penultimate UK tour, if so they're going about it the right way, going out with a literal bang.

With Crue leaving the stage, the bar was well and truly set for Def Leppard, and they didn't fail to deliver. The stage setup was huge, with there being 2 levels to the stage with drummer Rick Allen in the centre, allowing Leppard to dominate the stage. They opened with new track 'Undefeated' before going straight into big hitter 'Rocket.' The American leg of the tour had the extended version of Rocket, which was sacrificed for the shorter radio version in this case which was a disappointment. Def Leppard did get the crowd singing along to the hits, and even got the crowd to sing 'Happy Birthday' to 54 year old guitarist Phil Collen.

An acoustic set was played in the middle of all heavier songs, with lead Joe Elliot inviting the crowd to 'join the band for 10 minutes' and sing along. 'Two Steps Behind' was followed by an acoustic start to the track 'Bringing on the Heartbreak' which then exploded into action as the final chorus turned into the heavier rock version. The big hits were all left to end of the set list as the crowd got louder, with the momentum of all the greatest hits Def Leppard have to offer built the atmosphere around Capital FM Arena.

Def Leppard have always used the screens at the back of the stage to great effect, but 'Photograph' was a particular delight. Eyes were taken off the band and onto the screen, as a montage of photos from the bands formation in 1977 all the way up to now lit up the screen, a particular highlight of their set. Other big hits such as 'Animal' and 'Hysteria' encouraged the crowd to join in with the catchy tunes, Nottingham was rocking.  Joe Elliot sounded as good as he has anytime in the last 10 years, with Leppard rounding off their set with monster hit "Pour Some Sugar On Me." The crowd loved it, the applause and screaming at the end of the track signalling that this was what they'd been waiting for.

Def Leppard left the stage, with Union Flags spread across the back screen. An encore was on the cards. Sure enough, Def Leppard came back out to perform power ballad 'Love Bites,' which hit the top of the charts back in 88'. Despite being a difficult track to sing vocally, the subtle key change suited Elliot and he powered out the big notes, a fantastic encore. There was one more track to come, with Elliot asking the usual question, "Do you wanna get rocked." Cue fist pumping and the whole crowd singing to the chorus, Leppard had left on a high. The set list was a well chosen oen from Def Leppard, who decided to mix things up a bit from their tour in the US. All the big hitters remained, but tracks such as 'Gods of War,' 'Women,' and 'Let it Go' were played to keep the hardcore Leppard fans happy, leading to smiles all round.

Overall the show could have been double the price and been value for money, with the gig lasting a gigantic 5 and a half hours. Steel Panther opened the set with a bit of fun to get the crowd going, then Motley Crue and Def Leppard came out with popular sets and performed like pros, both bands have been around for over 30 years and are still going strong. From a neutral viewpoint, i have to say Motley Crue stole the show. Despite Def Leppard being my favourite band, Crue almost made their set a stage show with Tommy Lee's drum kit, the explosions, fireworks and flames flying out of the stage. They didn't just put on a rock show, it was much much more.

As Def Leppard's set came to an end, the band came to the front of the stage to a round of applause and screaming from the crowd. The band took a bow,  with Joe Elliot telling the crowd, "Don't forget about us, and we wont forget about you," and "We'll see you next time Nottingham, and there will be a next time." On what was on show last night, it is doubtful anyone in the crowd will forget such a fantastic night of music. And if next time does come as promised, i can't wait.



       

 

Steel Panther - Balls Out review.

Much like their music, the album cover certainly stands out from the rest. 

Comedic hair metal rockers Steel Panther are back with more catchy riffs and over the top lyrics with their new album "Balls Out." Everybody shout, "heavy metals back!"

"Feel The Steel," Steel Panther's previous album, was without a doubt a cult success. Posing as a hair band from the 80s that only just got their break, they bring humour to their music while still remaining serious about making their music catchy and professional.

Featuring guest vocals from stars such as Chad Kroeger, "Balls Out" spends no time throwing what Steel Panther are about right in your face. Lead track "Supersonic Sex Machine" is a heavy track that is surely built for them to open their live sets with. Clever vocals and brilliant harmonics in the lead track set the tone for this album, which will surely be another cult success. 

The best track on the album has to be "Just Like Tiger Woods," which has clever hilarious lyrics as expected, but the song itself is as catchy as any Steel Panther have wrote. To give an idea of the kind of lyrics Steel Panther have gone for in this track, the chorus has the lines "If you wanna be like Tiger Woods, fill in all the divots in the neighbourhood" and other lyrics such as "lying through your teeth when things get tough," as expected, Panther certainly haven't held back. 

Steel Panther. 

And what Steel Panther album would be complete without a ridiculous hair ballad or two? Tracks "Why Can't You Trust Me" and "Weenie Ride" certainly are the type of corny ballads Panther have the knack of writing. Humorous lyrics with the serious tone of a love ballad are something no-one else in today's industry can pull off, it's now a style Steel Panther have created for themselves and have stuck with it to great success. I'm still of the opinion that Steel Panther could be far bigger if they had more radio friendly tracks, but if that happened you may lose the essence of what makes Steel Panther so delightful to listen to. 

"Balls Out" isn't as risque as "Feel The Steel," but musically they combine the styles of bands such as Motley Crue and Def Leppard with their own style, making them the most original "out there" band currently on the market. If you're someone who loved the rock style of the 80s, or just prefer to mock the style that was around 30 years ago, Steel Panther have catered for both audiences. 

9/10  

  

How to suffer infinite deaths. A review of Dark Souls.

*No Spoilers*

Now first off, i didn't play the spiritual predecessor Demon Souls, so i can make no comparison between the 2 games.

Blind it, or it ends you. 

Now Dark Souls is a game that doesn't hold your hand what so ever, if you're the sort who struggled with the Fable series or would rather play motion capture games on Kinect, it certainly isn't for you. In a way it is a throwback to all the old dungeon crawling games of old, a game which needs plenty of grinding, lots of perseverance yet is ultimately satisfying. There is no difficulty slider or levels, there is just the one difficulty which is insanely difficult even at the early stages. A breath of fresh air to the gaming world if you like, while other series are dumbing controls down and making games simpler, Dark Souls challenges the hardcore gamer.

There is no real story to the game, there's a cracking cinematic sequence at the start that sort of sets the main plot of darkness taking over the world, but beyond that there's very little storytelling. The game really is a case of make your own story up as your character goes through the game. There are NPC's scattered around this open world game but there are little to no dialogue choices when engaging with them.

The game begins with a very good choice of character builds such as warriors, wizards and thieves, all with their own unique perks and abilities. I personally went for the thief, as i like to play the character that sneaks through and goes for the stealthy kills. You can also edit your persona, although the options are rather limited when compared with games such as Oblivion and the upcoming Skyrim where character customisation is practically limitless.

On starting the game there is a sort of tutorial, just explaining how to control your character with a few motionless enemies to focus your attacks on. The controls do give your character plenty of options, with quick attacks, more powerful attacks, duel wielding, blocking, shield bashing, forward rolls, sidestepping, practically any move you could think of. is available to all characters. Once you go through the tutorial, the real fun begins.

Beware, there be unseen enemies afoot. 

If you make a mistake you'll more than likely die. For example, a misplaced attack will be blocked, you'll be stabbed through the stomach and you die. An enemy attacks and you don't block, you die. Fail to see an arrow flying through the air towards your head, you die. A very punishing game, but the beauty of it is it makes progress all the more satisfying. As you go through the game and kill enemies you get "souls" which can be used to boost up various equipment such as swords and armour, or gain enough you can level up and boost some of your stats. As a thief things like agility are important to boost early, but despite this i found playing as the thief pointless. He does have his perks, as a master key he starts the game with can open a lot of the weaker doors in the game, but if you fancy sneaking around and stealth killing enemies, think again. In some areas there are so many undead skeletons and archers you have absolutely no possibility of stealthy play, merely hold up your shield and hope is the best you can do. Later on I unlocked a spell called "soul arrows" which you can fire at enemies, but timing those so you don't get hit with an enemy arrow or by a sword wielding skeleton involves precision timing.

One of many surprises lurking in dungeons throughout.

The basic enemies can be easy to take down, but punishing if you go charging in. It's a completely different matter for the bosses is this game. My very first boss encounter was a huge 60ft demon wielding a giant hammer in the Asylum, i ran around for a good 20 minutes trying to dodge the hammer blows and get an attack in of my own. After many deaths i discovered there was an exit from the courtyard where you were fighting the demon, turns out i didn't have to kill him yet. Later on in the Asylum after leveling up and getting better equipment, you fight him again and need to kill the demon to progress. Slightly easier, but i still died several times before defeating him. Worst thing is, after every death, you go back to the last bonfire which are like checkpoints in the game. So if there was 7 ghouls or skeletons between you and the boss, you have to kill them again and again.

Dark Souls has been described as a dungeon crawler, which i think needs to be taken quite literally. RB enables your character to sprint, which in this game is the most pointless thing you can do, you HAVE to crawl round all corners of every dungeon throughout the game or you'll be killed, simple. I recall a bit in the game as i was playing as my thief character, i ran up some steps into an open area, in front of me was a stone bridge. I continued to run towards it, when a dragon swooped down from nowhere and took the bridge out along with me. Lesson learned. Also just for the record I haven't completed this game. After spending around 6 hours trying to kill the innocently named "Moonlight Butterfly" I then met some gargoyles who have pounded me time and time again since.

But Dark Souls is that kind of game, the satisfaction being in beating the parts of the game that are punishingly difficult. It can be a disheartening, frustrating experience if you lack gaming experience and is one of those games you'd rather not pick up and play, but sometimes you just can't help yourself because at its core it's a stunning game. It's worst enemy is the members of the media calling this game an RPG, where the RPG elements are weak and lacking in many areas. The game should have simply remained in the genre of "dungeon crawler" where it is no doubt a masterpiece.

8/10

Long Eaton Feature

 A chance to become one of Derbyshire’s first Academies seemed a big ask for Long Eaton School when the conversion was first proposed, but a few months on Headmaster Neil Calvert is extremely proud of what he has achieved and is still looking for ways they can improve further.

Neil Calvert has strived to improve the school since becoming headmaster in early 2008. In 2006 the school moved to a new site costing 15 million pounds as part of a Private Finance Initiative, which has only helped to improve the school's standards. In 2006 and 2009, Ofsted judged the school as “outstanding” due to its above average GCSE scores and standard of teaching, especially in the English department. Mr Calvert explained, “I am proud of the high Ofsted scores we achieved and Academy status will not change what we stand for, it will enable us to deliver more effective education to our students.”

Academy status means that a school will be funded directly from central Government and is independent of local Government control. To become legible, they must meet National Curriculum core subject requirements subject to an Ofsted exam.

Back when the proposition was made in October 2010, many schools seemed to be unsure of what benefits Academy status would bring for the students and the staff. A few miles down the road at Sinfin Community School, staff have decided to strike because they feel a move to Academy status could threaten their current jobs. Students have missed vital lesson time in the lead up to exams because on the striking action, however Long Eaton Headmaster Neil Calvert felt the move to Academy status would always be beneficial. “We obviously felt secure with the move to Academy status or we wouldn't have gone through with it, the feedback from parents to the board of Governors was always positive and the staff were kept informed during the whole process so we didn't have a similar situation happening here that happened at Sinfin.”

After being asked his thoughts on what the main benefit will be to Long Eaton School becoming an academy, Mr Calvert said, “Our new Academy status will enable us to develop a better curriculum for our students, one that meets their needs as the status allows us greater freedom than what we had before.” Mr Calvert's views appeared strong and he was sure that Academy status would bring benefits to Long Eaton School in the long run, although at recent Derbyshire Council meetings the difference  Academy status makes has been questioned. Councillor Bayliss has questioned what benefits Academies bring, stating “it just takes more schools out of local Council control, with there being no noticeable improvements in grades from the schools that have been Academies for a long period of time. I see no point in more schools being handed over to Government intervention as it can only be seen as wasting money.” Many opposed Councillor Bayliss' views, but there were some in support of what he said. Recent results do show Academies producing strong exam grades, when a few years ago they were not. It appears time is needed for Academies to start performing at a high level.

There is no shortage of criticism for Academies, but Education Secretary Michael Grove is still fully behind them, saying that pressing for more Academies will allow schools more freedom. The amount of Academies created under Labour was around 200, under the new Conservative regime they are aiming to reach almost double that amount by the end of 2011. Despite criticisms Academies continue to get results that are well above average, with 71% of students at Academies hitting the average five A*-C grades , when compared to 2006 in which only 26% of students at an Academy were reaching the student average. Back in 2006 was when the Academy moves put the Labour regime under scrutiny, as the move damaged exam results instead of improving them. But recent improvements in exam results under the Tory Government seem to gradually be bringing people round.

Back in October when the proposition for Long Eaton to become an Academy was put into place, Headmaster Neil Calvert said he tried to ensure that the academy move would be beneficial in every way to the school and put his case to the Board of Governors. After pushing the school to improve standards his influence and know how ensured Long Eaton School achieved the “outstanding” Ofsted grade that enabled them to become legible for Academy status. Neil said “ Schools should always be about the students, as headteacher I want them to achieve the very best grades they can and any help we can provide we will. I have recently joined Derby University's Governing Council in order to extend my knowledge of what students need so that they can achieve all the way from GCSE to the end of their University careers. Many sixth formers we have at Long Eaton School are not put off by University, they just want to know what experience they are getting as consumers and how it will help them in later life. I will look to pass on the knowledge to our sixth formers looking to progress.” Speaking of what else being on the University's Governing Council would do to help Long Eaton School, Neil said “ it helps bring vital links for the school, I have strong links with Derbyshire and I feel it is important to help the University as a local organisation, which I believe already has a strong reputation across the country. I want to push on after achieving Academy status, not rest on it.” Neil also said that he believes the Governing Council has a lot of power and influence, which he hopes can benefit his own institution.

Long Eaton is Neil Calvert's second head teaching post. After starting as a teacher at George Spencer School he spent ten years there before he moved to King Edward VI High School in Staffordshire as Deputy Head. After spending four years there he moved back to the East Midlands, taking his current post as Long Eaton Headmaster. After being asked why teaching attracted him, Neil said, “I just want to make a difference and education seemed a way of doing that. I have always taken pride in raising people's aspirations and teaching seemed an ideal career choice. I was born and raised in Staffordshire so I enjoyed being Deputy Head at the local school there, also with my family being from Derbyshire it was nice to come to one of the schools here as Headmaster for personal reasons as well as a career choice.”

Academy status has also delighted the Board of Governors, including Chair Tim Gallimore who said, “This is an important step for Long Eaton School, Academy status will allow us to continue to give a good standard of education to the students. Offering a balanced education we believe is a strength of ours and we'd like to continue ensuring our students achieve the very best grade in all the core subjects that open doors to the pupils future. But most importantly, it increases the schools responsibility in providing all students in our community an equal opportunity to achieve as well as they can. This is what we have always stood for.” Neil Calvert said that he worked closely with the Governors to make sure the move was right for Long Eaton School.

One would hope the misconception that Academies are bad is put to rest as more schools make the move and benefit from it. As the Government aim to have around 400 schools as Academies by the end of 2011 the whole country could see benefits first hand as their children take their first steps on to the secondary school ladder.

And what of the future? Neil said, “After getting Long Eaton School to Academy status, all we can do is push on and make Long Eaton School the very best it can be. Continuing to get our students achieving the 5 A*-C's and helping students pass their A levels remain our highest priorities, as of course the school is all about the students, without them we wouldn't be where we are now.”

Human Rights - Has the World Gone Mad?

Hooray, Gaddafi's regime has finally ended. The general consensus is one of relief as thousands of lives have been saved by ending his tenure as Libyan leader, most would agree he needed to be dealt with.. But then later on reading the news, i see the headline "Call for Inquiry into Gaddafi death," wait, what?

It would appear that Amnesty International, a human rights campaign group, want the full facts of Gaddafi's death published. The National Transitional Council are being pressured to publish everything they know  and want a "full, independent and impartial inquiry to establish the circumstances of Colonel Al-Gaddafi's death as his treatment could be a severe breach of human rights." I'm all for human rights, but this is pathetic.

A man who killed thousands of innocents for me isn't deserving of the basic human rights. The pictures taken before Gaddafi was killed were of him bloodied and weak, which is what has Amnesty up in arms as it is a possible violation of the human right for freedom of torture. Just pathetic, why should this despicable human beings death be investigated when millions of others around the globe are tortured and have no complete freedom of speech, yet no thorough investigations are evident nor do Amnesty comment. Yet this tyrannical mans circumstantial death gets a full inquiry.

If you violate other peoples human rights, for me you deserve to have none. It's as simple as that, common sense needs to be used sometimes when it comes to investigating a man's death who is responsible for mass killings. The world really has gone mad.