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July 2018

Wonderful Websites – TV, Online Streaming & Films

By Amazon, The Web, TV, Online Streaming & Films2 Comments
wonderful-websites-image This is the eighth blog post in a series titled Wonderful Websites. The first focused on general health and can be read here. The second focused on mental health and mental illness and can be read here. The third post focused on shopping and can be read here.

The fourth focused on money and can be read here. The fifth focused on gigs, shows and theatres and can be read here. The sixth focused on paganism and can be read here. The seventh focused on gay culture and society and can be read here.

Here’s Wonderful Websites for TV, Online Streaming & Films:

1. Netflix – Is great for TV series and films. I use Netflix for rubbish watching when I want to relax. I like American documentaries like Lock Up and Prepers.

I like all Sci-Fi series of Star Trek and other programmes like Designated Survivor, Z Nation, Zoo, classic films and the large variety of comedy on offer.

2. BBC iPlayer – The iPlayer has a great variety of programmes. I enjoy watching programmes like Planet Earth, Doctor Who, Question Time and The Last Kingdom. I don’t regularly watch the iPlayer, just when I know there’s been something on TV that I’d like to watch.

3. YouTube – Has some great content on it. From music videos, tutorials for just about anything and funny cat videos. You can also find some old TV programme in full on there.

4. All 4 – I only occasionally watch things on Channel 4, but what I like about it is that it has full box sets available to watch.

5. ITV Hub – Good to watch the odd programme that I like on ITV. What’s off putting is the repetitive adverts. For this reason I can’t stand to watch more than a couple of programmes at any one time.

6. TED: Ideas worth sharing – Has some brilliant videos by experts and specialists in a wide range of fields. The videos are around a wide range of topics and mostly are fascinating, informative and enlightening.

7. Amazon Prime Video – I’ve never used this service, but know people that swear by it.

8. iTunes Video – I’ve only ever bought one film off iTunes. This is because a lot of times buying the DVD on Amazom is cheaper or the same price. I’m also not keen on the restrictions Apple are placing more and more on content you buy through their store.

Are there any TV, Online Streaming & Films websites that you think are useful that aren’t on the list? If so leave a comment below and let me know.

In the next post in my Wonderful Websites series I will list great websites for music.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Sunday 15 July 2018

The Positive Side to Disappointment

By Life, ThinkingNo Comments
the-positive-side-to-disappointment-2018 Sometimes things in life don’t work out the way we’d like or expect them to. I’ve had one of these experiences recently and it led to me feeling disappointed. I wont go into what happened here, but will discuss what I learned from the experience.

Disappointment is a mix of emotions including sadness, rejection, frustration and anger. Feeling let down. Feeling like you have failed. None of these emotions or feelings are positive.

But if you take some time to think about it, there is a positive side to disappointment. Here are some positives:

  • Learning – You can learn a lot from the experience that caused you to feel disappointed. You can use this learning to help you navigate future similar events.
  • Stepping stone to future success – Anyone who is successful has often failed (and no doubt felt disappointment at the same time). But they have used past failures and disappointments as a stepping stone to future success.
  • Thing happen for a reason – I’m a big believer that things happen for a reason. Even if you don’t understand it at the time. Opportunities that I have failed to get in the past have nearly always turned out with me feeling grateful that I didn’t succeed in the first place.
  • An opportunity to take time out, reflect and re-plan – Feelings of disappointment take you out of your normal logical cognitive functioning. This can be an opportunity to take time out, reflect on choices made and change future plans.
  • Motivation – Feeling disappointed initially demotivates anyone. But once you get past this initial stage you can use it to motivate you and use it as springboard to future success.
  • To get perspective – Disappointment can be used to put things into perspective. Ask yourself: are you going to care about this in a year’s time? Is it life or death? Will it cause the world to end? Compare what’s important in your life and this disappointment to gain a more positive perspective.
  • Look at how well you did – Ask yourself: Could you have done anything more? Would it have changed the outcome? If the answer to both of these questions is no, then recognise that you did your very best. Make peace with yourself and accept this.
  • Other opportunities – Know that other opportunities are open to you. Yes, there is always the risk of failure and/or disappointment, but think of the benefits of these opportunities should you be successful. Now imagine how many of these opportunities would you have missed had you not been disappointed now. You might have an even better opportunity awaiting you around the corner.

Blog soon,

Antony

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I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Wednesday 11 July 2018

Book Review: It by Stephen King

By Amazon, Books & Authors, ReviewsNo Comments
It-Stephen-King-Book-Cover
View on Amazon.co.uk
 In Derry a dark force has awoken, named It.

Seven children battled It twenty seven years before and almost beat it. This monster wakes every twenty seven years and murder, dismember and feed on children. It has the ability to change its form, to become the things that individual children fear and likes to take the form of Pennywise the clown.

Then following a big event were It reaches its peak of activity, then the monster sleeps. This cycle has been repeating since before records began, but nobody likes to talk about it or write about it. It’s like all the citizens of Derry have willful blindness.

It tells the story of Bill (Big Bill), Eddie, Richie, Bev, Ben, Stan and Mike. Their battle with It as children and their return to Derry as adults to face It again.

As adults will they have the same magic that they had as children to beat It? And this time, will they be able to finish what they started twenty seven years ago?

This book is way too long. It has 1,166 pages and the reader will find themselves counting down the pages. The plot is simple, most of the book is character development, rather than storytelling. Whole sections of this book could be cut without any interfering with the plot and would still have give the reader a good sense of each individual character. The description was overly wordy at times.

There are some iconic horror scenes that will stay with the reader long after they have read the book. These scenes would lend themselves brilliantly to film, which is why it is no surprise that it was recently made into a film.

Overall what made It mildly enjoyable was getting to know the characters. The plot lacked any captivating moments, twists or turns. This story could easily have been told in a standard novel size, rather than this massive book. Inadequate editing and seemingly no harsh cutting let this book down.

It is available to buy on Amazon and at all good book shops.

Review soon,

Antony

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Saturday 7 July 2018

Chester Zoo with Jayne

By Friends & Family, Happiness & Joy, Nature2 Comments

On Monday, my good friend Jayne and I visited to Chester Zoo. The weather was glorious, sunshine, temperatures 30+ °C and not a cloud in the sky. It was so warm that Jayne and I were grateful for Chester Zoo’s unlimited refillable drinks cups for sale at around £10 each.

Jayne hadn’t been to Chester Zoo for years. These days Chester Zoo is massive and I’d recommend that you do visit the zoo over two days to see everything.

Here are photos from the day, click on any photo for full size image:

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The elephant family.
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A close up of the baby elephant.
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The smiley bull elephant.
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Exotic squirrels.
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An exotic squirrel eating a grape upside down.
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My new lover! He’s the strong, wooden, silent type.
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Deer.
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Butterfly (1).
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Butterfly (2).
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An Okapi.
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The Giraffes.
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This gorgeous beauty came to say hello and flirted with me (by winking with her big eye and long eyelashes) when I said ‘Hello Gorgeous.’ to her as she passed by.
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My gorgeous giraffe at a distance.
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The pink flamingos.
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The penguins (1).
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The penguins (2).
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A rhino.

Essential Info

  • A massive zoo with a variety of animals.
  • Opening Times: See opening times here.
  • Admission Prices: See admission prices here.
  • Parking: Ample free parking.
  • Facilities: toilets, restaurants, refreshment stalls, gift shops, experience days.

Chester Zoo is a brilliant day out. It was great to see volunteers around the zoo.

However it’s a large zoo with not enough big animals. Jayne and I saw quite a number of empty enclosures for larger animals. They should put better signage up on the Islands Exhibit to direct visitors back to the main part of the zoo.

The zoo is so huge now, that they really should consider transportation methods in the zoo. The monorail is too limited. Perhaps they could look at golf buggies for hire or something similar. This would enable visitors to get around and see the whole zoo in one day.

Write soon,

Antony

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I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Tuesday 3 July 2018
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