Last Day of 2014

I don't know what to say...

This year actually went really quickly for some reason and I can't believe that tomorrow, we'll all be in the year 2015. But I keep wondering what on earth was my highlight of 2014???

Well, to start off, in Jan 2014, I remember that I had the courage to bleach my hair for the first time ever! Okay it sounds a bit off- but I wanted to dye my hair light brown actually and I'm a natural dark brunette, so the colour wasn't going to be effective unless I bleached it. And don't be so shocked - I used the correct treatment and everything. Some people have the misconception that if you bleach your hair, you have automatically damaged your hair. Well it's true if you don't know what to do after you bleach it, but not true in most cases. I'm the living proof amongst many others (flips my hair and fake coughs). Unfortunately however, the colour came out lighter than expected- a lot lighter. It was part blond and ginger in some places and brown at the same time. It sounds rather horrific describing it (LOL) but people actually liked it even though they were genuinely shocked to see the transformation. I just found it embarrassing so I wore a hat whenever I went out. But after the second dye, it came out really well to be honest. It looked like I deliberately got highlights (though it was all just an accident) and many (both strangers and friends) said they really loved it. I was simply so gassed. hehe! I'd love to show it to you guys but...that isn't gonna happen any time soon. Sorry.

Well, what's next?

Ummm...oh yeah! My group won second place in the Bouygues Language Competition where we had to conduct a business-style presentation all in French on how we plan to improve the local community. We did really well. I initially thought we weren't going to win because we only had about a couple of vague ideas and everything was done at the last minute. Other groups had native french speakers on their teams whilst all four of us in my team are just studying french as a subject. But, I guess the judges were really impressed with the accuracy of our french and our speaking. They said our french was like 'Shakespeare'! Lol! We were honestly so happy with ourselves especially because the prize was a weekend trip to Paris. The weather was beautiful and we got into this really nice youth hostel, visited famous landmarks, amazing food and it was so much fun!


The next highlight of 2014 is that I had the best summer holidays ever! We were abroad for over a month- that was really expensive especially because we went to loads of different places too. We used up everything we saved up. A shame but it was worth it! We were mainly stationed in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in a condo that our relatives prepared for us beforehand, but we managed not only to tour a few places in Malaysia but also landed ourselves in Singapore and Bangkok in Thailand. Let me just say, I was utterly impressed with Singapore. It's modern like London, but it is so clean. You are not allowed to eat or drink on the MRT (our London Underground and the Overground). That was a shock! I'm constantly eating on the tube over here and people don't say anything because they do that themselves, unless it's smelly because that's just annoying. The best thing about Bangkok is the China Town, where we did the most shopping during the holidays. Me and my sisters bought countless number of earrings, clothes and literally anything we saw. But, I have to say, that I could instantly tell the difference in the air that I breathed in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, from London. I'm not joking but possibly because of the heat and the pollution, I felt a bit suffocated before I grew accustomed to it. Nevertheless, I have to say, I think I prefer Asia over Europe. Two of the main reasons for this are because of the food and that it is generally cheaper to live.

Another significant event of 2014 for me and my sisters is that we got our ears pierced for the first time ever! Yayyy! I thought I was going to die even though it was just my ears, but I guess it's because piercings aren't really my thing.


Oooh, I went ice-skating for the time ever, too! But the strange thing is that it was in summer when we sent to Singapore. But it's the same thing I guess where you go or when you do it. I never once fell down but I got a really bad bruise on my foot because I didn't wear my skates properly. I still have the scar (sobbing)!

2014 was also the year when I became became closer to Kpop and Kdramas more than ever. It was my best year of K-culture. Hehe! And guess what? I began my blog in 2014 too!

So, that is it!

I love you 2014! I will sincerely miss you! LOL

Kpop Highlights #3 (SoYou and Junggigo, B1A4, Apink)

Yayyy! Christmas holidays are one of the best aspects of my life and currently I am very much enjoying it- no homework except to read up to chapter 19 of Great Expectations (now up to chapter 9, but got two weeks to do this so no stress here!), and nothing else really. That means I can blog 24/7!
The only thing that is bothering me right now at this exact moment is just that I am waiting for a very important letter- a college offer from this prestigious private school. The deputy head of my school actually broke the news to me that the college has offered me a place and that with a scholarship, when she announced it in assembly. I was quite shocked and when I phoned my mum after school, she said she hasn't received any official letter, and even now, I'm about to die of anticipation because the postman hasn't come yet. AGHHH! Plus the deadline for acceptance of offers is in January and its already the 22nd of December for crying out loud!

OK OK, let me just move on to Kpop...

SoYou and Jung Gigo - Some 

I heard this song vaguely when I heard this in an ICT lesson ( surprise, surprise!) but I didn't realise that it stuck in my head before I heard it again in Flower Grandpa Investigative Team (I've finished watching this and it's a really nice drama to watch. You should definitely try it). But at that time, I had no idea what it was called or who sang it. So I was pretty much in despair. That is until, I came across it again by accident and completely fell in love with the song! There is also a little story within the music video and I have seen both actors in Kdramas before (SoYou's bandmate Dasom from Shut up Family and Baro (a member of B1A4) from God's Gift: 14 Days). 

B1A4 - lonely 

I heard this song from a non-Kpop fan to be honest. She asked whether I knew B1A4 because her other Kpop friends recommended it to her and she came to love their song lonely. The problem was that I have only heard of their song Solo Day because of EatYourKimchi. So when she told me, I was like 'Woa, hold on, how come you know more about Kpop than me? This ain't happening.' Then, I listened to it and I understood exactly why she loved it. It is a very good song! I even think it's better than Solo Day. Note: who came up with the idea of a  floating girl in the music video? Ingenious!

Apink - LUV 

I am a bit confused. Why is it called 'LUV' and not 'Love'? It really doesn't make sense because in the song Apink actually spells it out as L-O-V-E as part of the chorus and yet the title is 'LUV'. Strange...

The main thing is though, that I have mixed feelings to whether I like the song or not. I usually like Apink's songs and this isn't too different from their other songs- no actually, this song kind of reminds me of a slower version of NoNoNo's soundtrack. The actual lyrics are fine but the soundtrack to this song somehow reminds me of a broken, scratchy record? I don't know how to describe it. Also, the part when they sing, 'Never forget', to me, it sounded like something out of a Disney Princess Movie. I have never heard anything like this before. But, I have to admit, I think I like it overall. Well done, Apink!

Kpop Highlights #2 (T-ara, Hi Suhyun, AOA, K.Will)

T-ara and Chopstick Brothers - Little Apple 

Wait, wait, hold on. How come there are only 4 members from T-ara present in this music video? Where is the rest? Lord knows... It's got a very catchy tune and I have to say, it's very Crayon Pop-y. OK, I know they existed way before Crayon Pop and that they were originally like that and that it was them who inspired CP...blah blah blah. But why now? I mean I really like T-ara especially from Roly Poly (check that out, it's awesome) and Crayon Pop- it saddens me sometimes when fans begin to clash. I have to say though, the Chinese in there is a bit out of place and funny- it sounds like they're saying 'shopping mall'. Just listen to it...

Hi Suhyun - I'm different 

This is a good song to listen to. The meaning on the other hand is the typical, girl meets guy, girl wants guy, girl justifies it by saying she's special. However, Lee Suhyun and Lee Hi, both their vocals combined is amazing. They are very good musicians. 

AOA - Like a Cat 

First when I started to listen to it, I was in awe because it was utterly WEIRD. However, I actually got into it because of the amazing chorus- 'Lalala la lalalala...' Ok I can't really sing it out to you. Normally I don' t like songs that are too sexy but this is an exception because it's a good song.

K.Will - Day 1

This is unmistakeably a love song and usually I just think...cringe. But this is a sweet and warm-hearted song of a guy wanting this girl to fall for him even though he is out of her league. The guy is shown to be a bit vain but in a good way when he says that he's the best looking out of all the bad looking guys. That's just...(shakes my head and sighs). And I recognised the actor from My Flower Grandpa Investigative Team that I am currently watching. 

Kpop Highlights #1 (High4 and IU, Teen Top, Park Boram, Super Junior)

It's been a while since I've actually blogged. Well, I think it's fair to blame it on my mock exams in school that engulfed me in a state of a weary-looking, half-zombified little student who got her head super-glued onto her revision notes even though her mind was already saturated with dates to remember for the Nazi Germany and statistical equations. Nevermind that, they're over now and I can finally continue to live my life! yayyyy! I got pretty good results too- 30 out of 30 on my German writing exam and and only one mark away from full marks on my S1. I'm pretty gassed right now but that's just irrelevant so let's focus on kpop...

High4 with IU - Not Spring, Love or Cherry Blossoms

This is a very very good song to listen to- absolutely sensational! The song is not of the usual crazy, over-dressed and exaggerated kpop but one of those very few that show genuine talent and entails a good meaning, that is someone who is expressing how awfully lonely they are at the start of spring when everyone else has that someone special in their lives. Awwww. I have never in my life heard of High4 or IU before but they have left me with a very good impression- the whole song is simply so sweet and all-good. Love it!! : )

Teen Top - I'm Sorry 

OMG! This has become one of my favourite songs of all time right from the very first time I heard it in one of my ICT lessons, slyly listening to Kpop when I should be trying to catch up with my coursework deadlines - lol! It is a song that tells the listeners how a man deeply regrets not giving up time for his girl and is trying to apologise to get her back. Teen Top is honestly amazing with their vocals especially the high notes (it's always fascinating to hear guys sing high notes!). 

Park Bo Ram feat. Zico - Beautiful 

This girl, Park Bo Ram, mind you, has a story behind this song I'm presuming. She was on Super Star K and gained a lot of recognition and a couple of years later she came back with Beautiful, after losing a whopping 30kg over the course of 2 to 3 years (ok it's not really that shocking). But...

yep! the same girl- before and after

In her song, she is basically telling the listeners about how much hard work she had to put in (with her banana diet and stuff) in order to become beautiful like she is now. But, that's not it. She is trying to say that 'yes, I did lose weight and changed myself, but it wasn't for anyone else but to satisfy my own self and to build up my confidence'. Of course, I think most people would agree that good-looking people tend to have more confidence in themselves. I think she is the most genuine Kpop idol that I have ever come across with her true feelings and thoughts about the real world. Let's be real, in an immensely competitive field like Kpop, where everyone has staggering beauty and looks with extraordinary voices and talent, it is only natural for her to want to work hard like all her unnis and succeed. You can't blame the girl; in fact, you should really applaud. Park Bo Ram could be the Korean Adele...but with a mannequin body.

Super Junior - Mamacita 

The song begins after an introduction to all the members of Super Junior, with a very jazzy and equally cool tune, creating a very relaxed sort of feeling. Then it builds up and everything just becomes as entertaining as ever! I was quite confused as to what on earth Mamacita meant so I searched it up. It is a Spanish word and Latin American Slang for babe or a hottie (an attractive woman). A bit strange...but very catchy and cool, especially the dance to the chorus (honestly?). Plus, I can't get over the fact that they said, 'Shut your tongue!' LOL! How on earth can anyone shut their tongue? Gosh that's just hilarious...

catallena parody

I remembered that I made this ages ago and thought  I should share.

The videos that I used do not belong to me!

just the editing was done by ME!!

Kim Jong Un declares war on Sony!

Okay, my very first reaction to this was LOL. I know, it's crazy.

Anyway, Sony Pictures' newest American action-comedy film, The Interview, that was about to be released on December the 25th this year (ooh, a little Christmas treat!) have created an uproar in the world of international politics and the tensions between the Korean-American conflict. When I say, this has the potential to cause serious problems in the near-future, I mean it! Why don't you see for yourself...

The trailer to The Interview

Starring Seth Rogen and James Franco (seems like a lot of money has been spent on this), it is a 

comedy where two journalists travel to North Korea to interview Kim Jong Un but takes an unexpected turn of fate when they are instructed by the CIA to...assassinate (this is absolutely crazy!) Kim Jong Un. 

Of course, the patriotic Democratic People's Republic of Korea aka North Korea (it's simpler that way), would have found this despicable and an outrageously offensive act. 

Wikipedia said:

On June 20, 2014, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the Executive Director of CFKAP (Center for Korean-American Peace) Kim Myong-chol criticized the film about North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and said, "There is a special irony in this storyline as it shows the desperation of the US government and American society". 

 He also said, "A film about the assassination of a foreign leader mirrors what the US has done in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. And let us not forget who killed Kennedy – Americans. In fact, President Obama should be careful in case the US military wants to kill him as well."

 He added that British films were far better and more realistic than Hollywood movies (full of assassinations and executions). 

Oh, thanks for the last comment, Kim Myong-chol! On a more serious note, it also said:

 "Making and releasing a film that portrays an attack on our top-level leadership is the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated", KCNA said, citing a government spokesman. The administration warned of a "decisive and merciless countermeasure" if the release of the film went ahead. 

Indeed, that is precisely what happened just recently. On 24th of November, a computer virus called the Shamoon Malware infected the Sony Pictures Entertainment company computers and 3 days later, several Sony films were leaked, including Fury, Annie, Still Alice and many more. But, unsurprisingly, The Interview was not leaked. I think it's obvious who was behind this- but North Korea's denying it. 

At the end of the day, this is actually a very controversial matter- who knows, if this could lead to WWIII? Okay, I think it is a bit over the top today, to declare the film as 'an act of terrorism' and 'a declaration of war' but, I think we need to step into the shoes of the North Koreans and understand that it may be a light-hearted joke for most of us, but it's offensive to the minority who would willingly give up their lives for Kim Jong Un. It's a bit like (okay, this is an extreme example) making fun of God. I agree that Kim Jung Un isn't exactly the ideal version of a leader in our eyes but for some people he is.

But, to be honest, I'm not sure what to think of the whole situation, except that I would watch it when it comes out here in the UK- even Kim Jung Un claimed he'll be watching it.  

On a lighter note, I'm guessing South Korea is secretly laughing away in tears...

Finding Nemo is literally Finding No one

I came upon this amazing discovery in one of my recent English lessons in school. We were each given a whole booklet, containing extracts of 19th century literature for us to analyse and after the usual moaning and groaning, we reluctantly picked up our pens. Okay, it wasn't that dramatic.

It was then that we came across- actually, out teacher pointed it out- an extract from 20000 Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Verne (1870), in which Professor Aronnax is invited to a banquet where all the foods are 'products of the sea', by Captain Nemo, who is the son of  an Indian Raja and a scientific genius. Then at the very end of the extract, there was a small writing in the bottom right corner of the page, which said,

'Latin: nemo means "no one." Ed.' 

Suddenly, the animation, Finding Nemo, comes straight to my head. I was like, ' OMG! Finding Nemo is actually Finding No one.' WOW! So I came up with two theories.

THEORY 1:  maybe the clown fish dad never actually found Nemo. It was all an illusion- there was no way he could have got his son back. He was looking for 'no one'. 

THEORY 2: maybe the name Nemo was meant to be metaphorical and meant to represent how hard it was for the clown fish dad to find his son because, it would have felt like he was looking for 'no one', which seems like an impossible thing to do.

Actually, there is a THEORY 3: Not many kids would not have known latin so would have been completely oblivious that Nemo means no one. Therefore, Disney didn't bother thinking all this through but just randomly chose it because it was a good name. 

A bit of History: Votes for Women in Britain

Had things changed for the better for women between 1850 and 1900?

In other words, was it a 'Golden Age' for the women of Britain? Well, there were good news and bad news:

• London and Manchester Universities now accepted women
• New employment opportunities like teaching and nursing were available
• Women could bring divorce cases against their husbands for cruelty. desertion and bigamy (being married to more than one person at the same time) except adultery if it cannot be proved.
•  Women could now keep their own property after marriage
• Women would lose all rights over her children after a divorce
• Women had to resign after being married from their jobs (this is just so sexist- people thought a married woman with a job was keeping a man out of work and would not be able to look after her family properly.)
• Women were paid a lot less than men (this is still the case but the difference in pay is not as great). 
• Women could not vote

The last point mentioned above became a major, hotly-debated issue between 1900 and 1914 though women had already began to raise awareness of the Women's Suffrage (right to vote) before the 20th century by various campaigns across the country. 

Women had strong opinions about the whole issue:

Votes for Women

FOR	AGAINST
It was a way of getting rid of inequality within other aspects of a woman’s livelihood.	Women and men have separate spheres – they’re ‘guided more by their womb than their brain’, suggesting they were too emotional and credulous to make decisions.
To change the sexual behaviour of men by reducing prostitution.	It was believed that only a minority of ‘frustrated spinsters’ wanted the vote.
Other countries like USA and New Zealand had already given women the vote.	Women could still be active citizens without the vote.
Many women, despite being teachers, doctors and owners of land, could not vote even when illiterate working class men could.	Women are meant be represented by their husbands.
Britain could not be considered a true democracy if over half its population could not vote.	Women do not fight for their country so did not deserve the vote.

What is the message of this cartoon? 

The Dignity of the Franchise, taken from Punch, 1905

Summary:

• It shows a working class man heading off to the polling station to vote.
• His manner suggests that some men were strongly against women voting.
• It illustrates the idea that even literate and wealthy women were considered to be beneath illiterate and crude working-class men just because they were women.
• 'When it comes to votin', you must leave it to us men!' suggests that regardless of a woman's social status, she still cannot be equal to men as they don't have the right to vote. It highlights the need for women to get the vote in order to eliminate the social injustices.
• The 'Franchise' is ironically given to the undignified man instead of the dignified woman, which supposes that the reason for not giving women the vote is invalid. 

(to be continued)

Xmas adverts we love 2014

I don't personally celebrate Christmas, mainly because I'm not Christian. But, it's impossible to ignore the most festive season of the year in the UK (unless you lock your doors, stay indoors and turn off your TV, social networking sites and the internet between now and Xmas). I have to say, I quite like this time of the year- Xmas sales, cards, presents, decorations and stuff. Whatever the weather, there'd be people on the high street and in shopping malls and supermarkets, all buzzing with excitement and anticipation. It's only November but some stores like Tk Maxx have already started playing the traditional same-old Xmas songs, and not to mention, Sky Movies is now showing

In my opinion, you don't have to be Christian to celebrate it, except going to Sunday mass and stuff. Xmas is becoming more and more of a secular festival each passing year. I think it's be fair to say that it's now a tradition rather than a religious festival for Christians.

One of the best things about Xmas is the adverts. No kidding, I think this year's got the best ads. Each of them costs about millions of pounds to produce but at the end of the day, the amount of profit that they make from selling their products is far greater. I don't know about other countries but it's really nice watching them-instead of seeing the usual annoying ones like GoCompare and Cillit Bang cleaning products.

John Lewis (retail store)

with Monty the penguin

Sainsbury's (supermarket)

This one is done also in commemoration of 100th anniversary of WW1  when the Germans and British soldiers joined hands on Christmas Day. 

M&S (retail shop)

#Follow the Fairies

 

These are just a couple and it's only November, I'm sure there'll be loads of ads coming out in December. So, I'll be doing a final run-through of all Xmas ads by the end of Christmas. 

Well, that's it for now...

I'm currently listening to...

Wow, I have heard of their name numerous times but never actually paid any attention. I've only watched Fantastic Baby, which just made me think of them as crazy and hectic. But, while I'm now being forced to do my sister's English homework on an article from The Metro and listening to these two songs, I feel so bad that I've been choosing to be totally oblivious of their existence, and not to mention their talent.

Blue, Big Bang

Love Song, Big Bang 

It's been a while since I've actually seriously listened to these types of songs.

I think I'll do a more in-depth blog on Big Bang later on. 

For the time being, let me listen to them...

and do that homework obviously...

My sis is so lucky to have such a reliable and intellectual big sister like me (hehe).  

[LittleOrange] Happy with Kpop

Finally, I have finished!!!

If you didn't know already, I not only like watching different types of programmes and media but I have developed a tendency to actually critically analyse them unintentionally. So, now I love the idea of being able to create my own videos and editing them to tell stories. But unfortunately, as you can obviously tell, I'm not a professional or a student of Media. I also haven't got good enough camera equipment or people to actually make my own home-made videos. Let's just say, I'm a bit of couch potato/not-really-an-outdoor-person. So, YouTube is like my haven for hunting down good interesting videos so that I could later gather them and edit them together often with a music soundtrack of my choice on Windows Movie Maker- again not that professional but the software deserves credit for being simple and effective.

I have created numerous videos before but didn't feel confident enough to upload them. So 'Happy with Kpop' is the very first time I'm sharing my work with the world.

PLEASE NOTE: this video has been created for pure entertainment and personal purposes ONLY. It is not for commercial use or promotions. PLEASE DO NOT SUE ME!!!

The following videos and music have been used:

• Darling, Girl's Day
• Catallena, Orange Caramel
• Gangnam Avenue, Orange Caramel
• My Copycat, Orange Caramel 
• Happiness, Red Velvet
• Lipstick, Orange Caramel
• Happy, Pharrell Williams (audio only)

(copyright belongs to the rightful owners and makers of the videos and artists. I do not own the videos, just the editing skills used to create my video). 

So, enjoy...: ) 

(but do not watch it full screen- the quality is extremely bad)

[LittleOrange] Happy with Kpop

The quirks of going to a girls school

First of all, I ain't going to tell you the name of my school, the whole of its history and why it became a girls school in the 20th century and not forgetting the address and telephone number- plus my full name and date of birth just so you could stalk me down!!!

All I can really say is that my school is a small, all-girls secondary school of about 600 pupils (aged 11-16). Because it's small, we pretty much know everyone- even then I still forget some people in my year group.

My school is taking the issue of people's privacy very seriously nowadays and it has actually frustrated the whole school pretty much. It's all because some students were 'posting videos of their classmates changing in the changing rooms on the internet' or 'taking pictures of other girls in the school playground without permission'. To start with, we weren't allowed to use our phones in school so if you did want to bring them to school ( like me), you had to hand them into the school office, which is such a pain in the bum after school because the line for collecting phones stretched all the way down the main corridor! But, most of my friends just keep their phones on them and hide them in their bras and stuff but some of them eventually gets caught during unexpected bag checks. This may seem as if I'm going to military school or something but that's just how most schools in London are (the disciplined ones anyway).

If you think that's bad, well, I don't know what you'll think of what the teachers decided to do now. WE ARE BANNED FROM HAVING ANY FORM OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES. That includes, tablets like iPads, don't even think about laptops, iPods, Kindles or even headphones! Why headphones? Even if they spot just a pair of headphones in your bag, they will confiscate them. I don't get it- how on earth can you communicate or use them of you have nothing else to plug them into? I just think they're trés over the top. 

(to be continued)

It saddens me to say this but do you really care?

‘Once the writer in every individual comes to life (and that time is not far off), we are in for an age of universal deafness and lack of understanding’ 

Milan Kundera, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, 1980 

As mentioned in the novel, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki 

This really makes me wonder if the only real purpose of being a blogger is nothing more than to satisfy one's own need to share their existence with the rest of the world, which if proved to be true, would be unfortunate to all bloggers. In other words, if we're all truly passionate about our blogs, we wouldn't really give a crap about other blogs, like you with mine. 

Honestly, I can't believe I just wrote that- it sounds perfectly gloomy...

A bit of History: Britain 1890-1919 (PART 2)

The Liberal Party formed the British government in the early 20^th century and came up with reforms to improve the lives of the citizens, namely children, old people and workers.

Why did the Liberal Government introduce Welfare Reforms from 1906 to 1912?

1.       POLITICAL CHANGE

•          Was worried that the Labour Party might take over.
•          The majority of the country lived in poverty and working class men had votes.
•          They also feared the growth of trade unionism and people turning to communism if they didn't help the poor.

2.       SOCIAL & ECONOMIC CHANGES:

•          The 1899 Boer War showed that working class men were unfit for work or the army.
•          Britain could not compete economically with Germany and USA with a poor, unfit work force.
•          Local councils have taken responsibility and raised the possibility of what could be done nationally.

3.       CHANGE IN ATTITUDES:

•          The ‘laissez-faire’ policy has been changed
•          The philanthropists influenced many to help

4.       POVERTY:

•          Realised poverty was widespread
•          It affects the country, hence their work

5.       OUTSTANDING NEW POLITICIANS:

•          David Lloyd George (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Winston Churchill began to challenge the ‘laissez-faire’ policy.
•          They wanted to gain good reputations as young politicians.

The Liberal Reforms

1906- Free School Meals

This applied to children of the poorest families.

1907- School Medical Inspections

This applied to all children in school but free treatment was not offered.

1908- Children’s Act

There was a Children’s Charter to help children in need or in trouble, to stop cruelty.

1908- Pensions Act

It was for over 70s with an income of less than £21 but excluded those in prison or out of the country. 

But very few lived up to 70 to receive the benefits.

1909- The Labour Exchanges Act

This benefitted the unemployed and employers as jobs can be found more easily.

1911- National Insurance Act (1)

This was to provide a considerable amount of income to ill manual and low-paid white collars when they were out of work. But this did not consider the dependents of the workers.

1912- National Insurance Act (2)

This applied to seasonal workers at times when they couldn’t work.

1912- School Clinics

All children in school where the clinics were set up benefitted but there were some local councils who did not implement the law. 

In 1906, the Liberals defeated the Conservatives with a ‘landslide victory’ and had the power to bring 

in many important reforms. 

However, some reforms were controversial and led to opposition. The Liberals won the next two 

elections in 1910 but just had a couple more seats than the Conservatives. 

So, why had there been opposition to the Liberals?

The reforms involved increased expenditure and they meant higher taxation.  For instance, the Pensions 

Act was particularly expensive. Lloyd George introduced the ‘People’s Budget’ in 1909 and then things 

went a bit pear-shaped...

The Budget increased taxes on luxury goods and the incomes of the wealthiest people but also led to a 

constitutional crisis. The Budget was unsurprisingly rejected in the House of Lords, where the rich 

Conservatives had a majority. When the Budget was then re-introduced, the Lords passed it but rejected 

the Parliament Bill that limited the powers of the Lords.

Then, much to Liberal’s advantage, the King agreed to create enough Liberal Lords to cancel the Tory 

majority if the House of Lords did not pass the Parliament Bill. The Lords had no choice but to accept 

this time.

The Parliament Act, 1911, said the Lords could only delay a Budget for one month and other Bills for 

two years only- provided they were passed by the Commons three times.

Arguments for and against the Reforms

For	Against
The infirm (ill) and the unemployed need help.	Britain is built by the independence of the British people
It’s not the poor’s fault to be living in poverty.	The poor will become lazy.
The dependents like the children are suffering.	High taxes are unjust to the rich.
It’s the business of the state to deal with.	This is a form of extortion.

Everyday's a Girl's Day

Their song Darling is really refreshing at a time like this when I am going ballistic over my revision for my December mock exams- so I thought I'd share this!

They're not usually this colourful, this is just one of my favourite songs from Girl's Day. I also equally love Something and Expectation and now I miss You. In my opnion, they have got the best vocals out of any k-pop group I could think of- but it's just my opinion at the end of the day.

I miss You

Expectation 

Something

The mvs for Something and Expectation can be found on YouTube.