As many of you know, I am pretty much obsessed with DFTBA artists. I think the majority of them are absolutely amazing and certainly better than anything in the charts at the moment. My current favourite is the new album by Alan Lastufka and Luke Conard called ‘Erase This’.
I’ve always loved Luke Conard’s music but I’ve only just discovered the lyrical genius of Alan. He wrote the lyrics for Summer of ’09 and Can’t on ALL CAPS’ album Bmin/e and I fell in love with those songs and this led me to find out more about Alan Lastufka. This led me to his new album and I’ve since had it on almost constant repeat. I think it’s really good and combines the singing talent of Luke and the lyrical genius of Alan almost perfectly. So... I thought I’d share it with you. Some of my favourites are on Youtube although there are a few that are missing....
DFTBA Terrie, I have not forgotten!
Monday, 31 May 2010
Me, Me, Me
People these days seem to be obsessed with themselves. They’re focussed on what they can get out of situations; they want to get the best for them. Even if what they’re doing will affect many other people negatively, if they get something positive out of it themselves, they’re much less likely to care. Increasing numbers of people (adults and children) want to become celebrities to become centres of attention and increasingly few people possess the trait of humility. Granted, some people are naturally less concerned about other however that doesn’t explain why so many put helping others as second (or even lower) priority after themselves.
The UK election highlighted this through the general view on taxes and the NHS. People almost unanimously want a better NHS, a better level of FREE health treatment but those same people also want lower taxes. I can understand the poor wanting lower taxes but it really frustrates me when those who can afford it demand for lower taxes or at least protest against tax rises. They request lower taxes because they want more money for themselves, they don’t want to part with their beloved cash. They don’t even begin to think why they pay taxes, the positive contribution that paying taxes has on their country. In the words of Wikipedia:
I don’t know about you, but I’d quite like most of these to be well funded, even if I’m not the one directly benefitting. However, so many people want the benefits of taxes without the cost of paying taxes. They want free health care, good education, good roads, and a good pension to look forward to, good transport systems and generally for public amenities to be as good and free as possible without any cost for themselves.
The problem is that if no one pays, no one benefits. We’re in a vicious circle where if we aren’t prepared to pay to help others, others won’t be prepared to pay either and we won’t have any benefit either. If we all paid more attention to the needs of others then it would make our lives better as well.
Now, I’m not saying I support a fully communist way of living. That takes things to the extreme where people can become lazy. I don’t think people should gain from being lazy or doing nothing but that doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t look out for each other. People these days have taken it to the extreme where they rarely care for anyone beyond their immediate family.
I think part of why people are so focussed on themselves and so forgetful of the needs of others is because the culture of today is so gravitated towards instant gratification. The instant effect of what we do, here and now. Instant coffee, instant messenger, instant loans, instant holidays, instant access, instant display... instant, instant, instant. People forget the long term affect of their actions on others and themselves. Husbands delve into the world of the instant pleasure of adultery forgetting the long term heartbreak of losing their wife, their family, their respect and their integrity; People dive head long into the instant gratification of reality shows forgetting the short term nature of their ‘fame’ and the horrible side of all parts of their life being on show. People care less and less about the long term option until after they’ve chosen the ‘here and now’ option by which time it is too late.
In its simplest form it’s like giving a child the choice between one chocolate bar now or waiting five minutes for two. If you think about it, you get more from waiting five minutes but it’s so much easier to just eat the one chocolate bar, to get the instant here and now pleasure.
Everyone’s lives are so intricately entwined and people so often forget. To go with the imagery from ‘About a Boy’, we’re not all islands. We’re not all disconnected from everyone else but we’re more like a body. What we do and how we act affects others and similarly, what others do and how they act affects us. We need to work together much more and not be quite so ‘me, me, me’.
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten... (Even if you have!)
(And on that note, if anyone has any ideas for punishments for Terrie’s failure to blog in well over a week, please post them in the comments! Ta!)
The UK election highlighted this through the general view on taxes and the NHS. People almost unanimously want a better NHS, a better level of FREE health treatment but those same people also want lower taxes. I can understand the poor wanting lower taxes but it really frustrates me when those who can afford it demand for lower taxes or at least protest against tax rises. They request lower taxes because they want more money for themselves, they don’t want to part with their beloved cash. They don’t even begin to think why they pay taxes, the positive contribution that paying taxes has on their country. In the words of Wikipedia:
“Funds provided by taxation have been used by states and their functional equivalents throughout history to carry out many functions. Some of these include expenditures on war, the enforcement of law and public order, protection of property, economic infrastructure (roads, legal tender, enforcement of contracts, etc.), public works, social engineering, and the operation of government itself. Governments also use taxes to fund welfare and public services. These services can include education systems, health care systems, pensions for the elderly, unemployment benefits, and public transportation. Energy, water and waste management systems are also common public utilities. Colonial and modernizing states have also used cash taxes to draw or force reluctant subsistence producers into cash economies.”(Emphasis added)
I don’t know about you, but I’d quite like most of these to be well funded, even if I’m not the one directly benefitting. However, so many people want the benefits of taxes without the cost of paying taxes. They want free health care, good education, good roads, and a good pension to look forward to, good transport systems and generally for public amenities to be as good and free as possible without any cost for themselves.
The problem is that if no one pays, no one benefits. We’re in a vicious circle where if we aren’t prepared to pay to help others, others won’t be prepared to pay either and we won’t have any benefit either. If we all paid more attention to the needs of others then it would make our lives better as well.
Now, I’m not saying I support a fully communist way of living. That takes things to the extreme where people can become lazy. I don’t think people should gain from being lazy or doing nothing but that doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t look out for each other. People these days have taken it to the extreme where they rarely care for anyone beyond their immediate family.
I think part of why people are so focussed on themselves and so forgetful of the needs of others is because the culture of today is so gravitated towards instant gratification. The instant effect of what we do, here and now. Instant coffee, instant messenger, instant loans, instant holidays, instant access, instant display... instant, instant, instant. People forget the long term affect of their actions on others and themselves. Husbands delve into the world of the instant pleasure of adultery forgetting the long term heartbreak of losing their wife, their family, their respect and their integrity; People dive head long into the instant gratification of reality shows forgetting the short term nature of their ‘fame’ and the horrible side of all parts of their life being on show. People care less and less about the long term option until after they’ve chosen the ‘here and now’ option by which time it is too late.
In its simplest form it’s like giving a child the choice between one chocolate bar now or waiting five minutes for two. If you think about it, you get more from waiting five minutes but it’s so much easier to just eat the one chocolate bar, to get the instant here and now pleasure.
Everyone’s lives are so intricately entwined and people so often forget. To go with the imagery from ‘About a Boy’, we’re not all islands. We’re not all disconnected from everyone else but we’re more like a body. What we do and how we act affects others and similarly, what others do and how they act affects us. We need to work together much more and not be quite so ‘me, me, me’.
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten... (Even if you have!)
(And on that note, if anyone has any ideas for punishments for Terrie’s failure to blog in well over a week, please post them in the comments! Ta!)
Thursday, 27 May 2010
The Really Awkward One
The due date for this blog lies right in the middle of exams. (Literally. I’m 6 exams down and have 6 to go.) I could claim that this inconvenience is why this blog is “the really awkward one” but, in truth, exams haven’t really hindered my blogging.
In reality, the only reason this blog is awkward is because Terrie called it awkward. The word has this odd ability to turn any situation sour, make any situation feel just that little bit awkward.
However, some people are immune to ‘awkward’. You can place them in any odd situation and they will never feel awkward. You could stick them between two people who aren’t talking to each other or between two teachers in the cinema and they won’t blink an eyelid.
Others are not so immune and for you I advise combating awkwardness such as awkward silences with randomness. To cry out “sheep!” or ask someone whether they’d like to have a cup of tea (regardless of tea availability) are sure ways to get some sort of conversation flowing. You may end up with some people thinking you’re a bit odd but I think people should enjoy the little eccentricities of life. Rather than sit there in silence, random phrases to brighten the conversation are much better. They bring the sort of awkwardness I thrive on!
This blog is still really awkward and I’m not sure how to change it. To be honest, I probably can’t just because it’s been labelled with such an odd name. Usually the 300 words fly by but this one is just dragging on... Maybe, to make it fully awkward, I’ll just end it with random words until the limit is fulfilled...
Blob; chimpanzee; buffalo; green; table; stripes; chair; exaggeration; paper; apron; cockroach; paint; procrastinate; elastic; smile.
In reality, the only reason this blog is awkward is because Terrie called it awkward. The word has this odd ability to turn any situation sour, make any situation feel just that little bit awkward.
However, some people are immune to ‘awkward’. You can place them in any odd situation and they will never feel awkward. You could stick them between two people who aren’t talking to each other or between two teachers in the cinema and they won’t blink an eyelid.
Others are not so immune and for you I advise combating awkwardness such as awkward silences with randomness. To cry out “sheep!” or ask someone whether they’d like to have a cup of tea (regardless of tea availability) are sure ways to get some sort of conversation flowing. You may end up with some people thinking you’re a bit odd but I think people should enjoy the little eccentricities of life. Rather than sit there in silence, random phrases to brighten the conversation are much better. They bring the sort of awkwardness I thrive on!
This blog is still really awkward and I’m not sure how to change it. To be honest, I probably can’t just because it’s been labelled with such an odd name. Usually the 300 words fly by but this one is just dragging on... Maybe, to make it fully awkward, I’ll just end it with random words until the limit is fulfilled...
Blob; chimpanzee; buffalo; green; table; stripes; chair; exaggeration; paper; apron; cockroach; paint; procrastinate; elastic; smile.
Monday, 24 May 2010
Al Fresco Revision
I think I can finally say that summer is here without the risk of the sun running back behind the clouds to give us another unexpected cold spurt. I love summer: the sounds, smells, warmth, and the colours. There’s nothing better than walking down the road, sun shining, birds singing and the smell of fresh cut grass in the air. Cool summer evenings are lovely and I could sit on the grass under the dappled shade of a tree for ages.
I’m on study leave at the moment and that means I can go outside to revise rather than being cooped up in a stuffy classroom all day. However, the big problem with al fresco revision is sun burn. I burn pretty easily meaning I have to either slap on layer after layer of sun cream or stay in the shade. Generally, I go for the shade option as, not only does it reduce the likelihood of burning but it’s also that little bit cooler. Nevertheless, this method has a major flaw: the movement of the earth. Yes, I have a bone to pick with the whole spinning thing that the earth does. When it moves, so does the position of whatever piece of shade I’m using. I’ll start out in a perfectly positioned piece of shade, revision notes spread out carefully on the rug I’m using to stop me getting a terrible itchy rash from the grass, shade the perfect mix of shadiness and dappled light; but then, half way through my revision, I realise that the shade has moved and one of my arms is burning in the sun. This then leads to me grabbing the corners of my rug and dragging all my stuff into another patch of shade and rearranging my revision before starting the whole process again. This inadvertently ends up with me constantly moving around the garden and being able to do a good impression of a barber’s pole by the end of the day.
The other issue is the bugs. It’s not that I have entomophobia or anything. For example, an ant somehow found its way onto my desk in my maths exam this afternoon and I was quite happy to let it stay there and (if possible) offer assistance. (Unfortunately, the ant wasn’t particularly good at maths. I think its strong subject was more PE as it was unable to stay still... or maybe gymnastics...) My issue with bugs and insects during al fresco revision is that they have a tendency to accidentally get in the way and get squished. On Saturday I was revising maths outside and a caterpillar found its way between the pages of the mock paper I was going through and deposited its insides all over the pages. I may not have any sort of insect phobia but that does not mean I appreciate their insides being spread over my work.
However, I’m being very English in this blog. I start off saying how much I love summer and somehow manage to turn the blog around so I’m talking about pretty much my only moans about summer and the great outdoors. So I’m going to end this on a positive note; I’m going to think about sunny days on the beach, Friday evenings down the park with the kids in youth club, collecting worms under the trampoline aged 3 or 4 and water fights. Oh, and an awesome ALL CAPS song that I just can’t get out of my head.....
I’m on study leave at the moment and that means I can go outside to revise rather than being cooped up in a stuffy classroom all day. However, the big problem with al fresco revision is sun burn. I burn pretty easily meaning I have to either slap on layer after layer of sun cream or stay in the shade. Generally, I go for the shade option as, not only does it reduce the likelihood of burning but it’s also that little bit cooler. Nevertheless, this method has a major flaw: the movement of the earth. Yes, I have a bone to pick with the whole spinning thing that the earth does. When it moves, so does the position of whatever piece of shade I’m using. I’ll start out in a perfectly positioned piece of shade, revision notes spread out carefully on the rug I’m using to stop me getting a terrible itchy rash from the grass, shade the perfect mix of shadiness and dappled light; but then, half way through my revision, I realise that the shade has moved and one of my arms is burning in the sun. This then leads to me grabbing the corners of my rug and dragging all my stuff into another patch of shade and rearranging my revision before starting the whole process again. This inadvertently ends up with me constantly moving around the garden and being able to do a good impression of a barber’s pole by the end of the day.
The other issue is the bugs. It’s not that I have entomophobia or anything. For example, an ant somehow found its way onto my desk in my maths exam this afternoon and I was quite happy to let it stay there and (if possible) offer assistance. (Unfortunately, the ant wasn’t particularly good at maths. I think its strong subject was more PE as it was unable to stay still... or maybe gymnastics...) My issue with bugs and insects during al fresco revision is that they have a tendency to accidentally get in the way and get squished. On Saturday I was revising maths outside and a caterpillar found its way between the pages of the mock paper I was going through and deposited its insides all over the pages. I may not have any sort of insect phobia but that does not mean I appreciate their insides being spread over my work.
However, I’m being very English in this blog. I start off saying how much I love summer and somehow manage to turn the blog around so I’m talking about pretty much my only moans about summer and the great outdoors. So I’m going to end this on a positive note; I’m going to think about sunny days on the beach, Friday evenings down the park with the kids in youth club, collecting worms under the trampoline aged 3 or 4 and water fights. Oh, and an awesome ALL CAPS song that I just can’t get out of my head.....
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten...
Revision?
I’m in the middle of exam period and I’m meant to be revising furiously. However, me being me, everything else seems so much more interesting and apparently I’ve developed compulsive blogitus.
The exams coming up are mainly AS exams (with a few A2 maths exams because I am most certainly crazy) and with 1 exam down I have 11 more to go. Two maths exams are coming up this afternoon and mark the beginning of the end of my study of maths. However, the exam I’m probably most worried about is chemistry. I did appallingly in the mock and it’s full of actual facts you have to remember rather than general rules which I find easy to remember and apply.
Chemistry revision and mocks also involves this:
This is the back of my friend Maryam’s mock paper. Practically the whole class finished with plenty of time left over but I think her doodles express our boredom most vividly.
After our failures of mocks, we went on to revise. However, I didn’t do so well in this respect either. I failed at the first hurdle not even being able to spell Fluorine. (Which again, I misspelt however the wonder of spellcheckers means that my telling you is the only way you will know...)
Now I’ve sufficiently wasted both your time and my time I’m going to go off and have lunch before heading off to my maths exams...
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten!
The exams coming up are mainly AS exams (with a few A2 maths exams because I am most certainly crazy) and with 1 exam down I have 11 more to go. Two maths exams are coming up this afternoon and mark the beginning of the end of my study of maths. However, the exam I’m probably most worried about is chemistry. I did appallingly in the mock and it’s full of actual facts you have to remember rather than general rules which I find easy to remember and apply.
Chemistry revision and mocks also involves this:
This is the back of my friend Maryam’s mock paper. Practically the whole class finished with plenty of time left over but I think her doodles express our boredom most vividly.
After our failures of mocks, we went on to revise. However, I didn’t do so well in this respect either. I failed at the first hurdle not even being able to spell Fluorine. (Which again, I misspelt however the wonder of spellcheckers means that my telling you is the only way you will know...)
Now I’ve sufficiently wasted both your time and my time I’m going to go off and have lunch before heading off to my maths exams...
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten!
And what do you do for a living?
Saturday evenings are my Doctor Who evenings and involve telling everyone in the house to be VERY quiet while I get on with watching, first, the actual episode, and then Doctor Who Confidential.
After watching the latest episode of Doctor Who Confidential I was amazed by what some of the production crew get to do for a living. As they were going through some of the behind the scenes work that goes on in creating Doctor Who there were people with all manner of jobs. From ‘TARDIS-wobbler’ to ‘Gate-clicker’; some of the behind the scenes jobs are immense.
The fist job that started my “wow! Awesome jobs!” rant was the people who get to create the masks for the Doctor Who monsters. I love my art (kind of a surprise for those who don’t know me seen as I’m such a science and maths nerd) and I think being able to create out-of-this-word masks and make-up would be an amazing career. This is the sort of job you don’t get into if you don’t enjoy it but if you enjoy it, you would totally be in your element.
The next job that amazed me was being a Foley artist. Imagine answering “what do you do for a living?” with something along the lines of “I bash together and rattle random object to make the mundane sounds you hear on TV shows such as a door closing.” The Foley artist for Doctor Who seemed to love her job and was really into explaining how she uses a wrench to make the clunky handing sounds of the screwdriver and how the sound of soil needed a sheet to increase the volume. I think this is such a bizarre job: sitting in a room all day, clicking and clunking things together to replace and enhance the sounds in the filming. This wasn’t the first time I’d come across Foley artists on behind the scenes programs but every time I wonder how on earth they got such a job. Is there a section of the classifieds that says “Foley artist wanted” or do TV people go around looking for promising percussionists who could become Foley artists? Also, can you get a degree in Foley artistry? I’m sure if I said to my careers adviser that I want to study to become a Foley artist she would pass me over to the counsellor (regardless of how nice our careers advisor is!) To be a Foley artist is such a weird and wonderful job and is, by far, one of the oddest jobs you could have.
Also in Doctor Who Confidential, in trying to make the TARDIS look like it was falling that little bit more authentically, they had people ‘shaking’ the pipes near the roof of the TARDIS. Imagine going home and being asked “so what did you do at work today?” and your answer being “well, one of my colleges tied some fish line to bits of the TARDIS and I pulled some of the bits of string while Matt Smith pretended he was falling over in a wobbly TARDIS.” Now that would be a job where you never know what tomorrow will bring!
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten!
After watching the latest episode of Doctor Who Confidential I was amazed by what some of the production crew get to do for a living. As they were going through some of the behind the scenes work that goes on in creating Doctor Who there were people with all manner of jobs. From ‘TARDIS-wobbler’ to ‘Gate-clicker’; some of the behind the scenes jobs are immense.
The fist job that started my “wow! Awesome jobs!” rant was the people who get to create the masks for the Doctor Who monsters. I love my art (kind of a surprise for those who don’t know me seen as I’m such a science and maths nerd) and I think being able to create out-of-this-word masks and make-up would be an amazing career. This is the sort of job you don’t get into if you don’t enjoy it but if you enjoy it, you would totally be in your element.
The next job that amazed me was being a Foley artist. Imagine answering “what do you do for a living?” with something along the lines of “I bash together and rattle random object to make the mundane sounds you hear on TV shows such as a door closing.” The Foley artist for Doctor Who seemed to love her job and was really into explaining how she uses a wrench to make the clunky handing sounds of the screwdriver and how the sound of soil needed a sheet to increase the volume. I think this is such a bizarre job: sitting in a room all day, clicking and clunking things together to replace and enhance the sounds in the filming. This wasn’t the first time I’d come across Foley artists on behind the scenes programs but every time I wonder how on earth they got such a job. Is there a section of the classifieds that says “Foley artist wanted” or do TV people go around looking for promising percussionists who could become Foley artists? Also, can you get a degree in Foley artistry? I’m sure if I said to my careers adviser that I want to study to become a Foley artist she would pass me over to the counsellor (regardless of how nice our careers advisor is!) To be a Foley artist is such a weird and wonderful job and is, by far, one of the oddest jobs you could have.
Also in Doctor Who Confidential, in trying to make the TARDIS look like it was falling that little bit more authentically, they had people ‘shaking’ the pipes near the roof of the TARDIS. Imagine going home and being asked “so what did you do at work today?” and your answer being “well, one of my colleges tied some fish line to bits of the TARDIS and I pulled some of the bits of string while Matt Smith pretended he was falling over in a wobbly TARDIS.” Now that would be a job where you never know what tomorrow will bring!
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten!
Friday, 21 May 2010
Doctor Who, Procrastination, and a very long comment...
I’m on study leave at the moment and, as any student knows, it is during this time that everything else becomes increasingly interesting. Yesterday I ended up mowing the lawn and, If you take a look at my twitter, you can see that I’ve got up to #17 for things to do instead of revision.
One of the things I’ve ended up doing is increasing my subscriptions on blogger and one of the posts I found was this: (here) a Doctor Who favourites list by a Youtuber I watch. As a rather passionate fan of Doctor Who, I decided to write her a comment. Although, when I say a comment, it pretty much ended up as a blog in its own right. So, I decided to share it on here. It might be an idea to read the original blog first but either way.....
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten!
One of the things I’ve ended up doing is increasing my subscriptions on blogger and one of the posts I found was this: (here) a Doctor Who favourites list by a Youtuber I watch. As a rather passionate fan of Doctor Who, I decided to write her a comment. Although, when I say a comment, it pretty much ended up as a blog in its own right. So, I decided to share it on here. It might be an idea to read the original blog first but either way.....
I'm a diehard Moffat fan. I love all his episodes and honestly can't pick my favourite! My favourites get muddled around every time I re-watch all the episodes so basically my list of favourites depends on which Moffat episode I've watched most recently. But Blink is most definitely my favourite. Not only is the story line amazing, the stone angels terrifying, but it is also insanely quotable. (This is my timey whimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. It can also boil an egg at thirty paces whether you want it to or not come to think of it so I've learnt to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow!)
The one issue I have with Moffat is his creation of River Song. I'm not exactly sure what it is but there's something about her that annoys me... a lot. If it wasn't for her, 'The Time of Angels' and 'Flesh and Stone' may have overtaken 'Blink' in my favourites list.
I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you about Martha and Donna. Martha really annoyed me although my friend pointed out that we're quite like Martha: totally in love with the Doctor, wanting to travel the universe and totally unable to have him. So maybe that's why she annoyed me. Donna, on the other hand, was a refreshing break from the whole 'I'm in love with the Doctor' type of companion and gave episode opportunities that Rose and Martha didn’t give. And some epic quotes! (“We’re so not married!”)
Reading your blog and some of the comments has reminded me of some of the episodes I’d forgotten I love. I’d totally forgotten about ‘Father’s Day’ and poor Christopher Eccleston has been totally overshadowed by the awesome acting of David Tennant. Series 1 had some great episodes and I really hope that people don’t overlook Matt Smith’s episodes for the same reason: because they’re Tennantless.
Sorry this has been quite a long comment but (as you can tell) I’m a bit of a Doctor Who nut!
Thank you for this blog and your great videos on TARDIStacular :)
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten!
Monday, 17 May 2010
Do you like candyfloss?
“Yeah, it’s alright.”
YouTube music is concentrated awesome. It’s so awesome you actually have to dilute it with the occasional mainstream song. The majority of my playlist is made up of songs written and sung by YouTubers and I have a number of their actual CDs. I think the great thing about these YouTube musicians is that they’re not very well known so they’ve not got too big for their boots. They’re still essentially “normal” people. Also, they write pretty good songs!
YouTube music also means that I don’t have to put up with what the radio stations are trying to call “music”. Most of what they play (when it’s not classical music or old stuff) is absolutely appalling. GCSE art lessons were (besides art time) mock-the-radio sessions. Occasionally a good song would come on but mostly we were mocking lyrics and deciding that so called famous singers had ruined a perfectly good song. As you may have gathered from this, I actually rarely listen to the radio. I just end up getting annoyed at the appalling nature of the songs in the charts: either the crude lyrics or the fact that it just isn’t good enough to be called “music”.
To prove my point, I’m going to go look up what the current UK number one is.
*Types “current number one” into Google...*
Ok, this shows how out of touch I am. I have never heard of this song or group. Yet, according to Radio 1 it has been at number 1 for three weeks. Right, let’s have a listen...
Yup, this weird, electro-rap stuff, just as I expected. Good Times by Roll Deep. It’s not that I don’t think they can sing, I mean, they’re probably really good but I have issues with both the video and the lyrics.
First, the video: I’m barely 10 seconds in and the screen is full of scantily clad women and drink. What is this meant to say to young teens just immerging into the world of music? Ooh! In amongst the inappropriate clothing, some of the male band members have cup cakes on their t-shirts! Now that’s pretty cool!
Now to dissect the lyrics:
I’m gonna leave the day behind,
don’t you worry cause I’m a have a real good time (right, don’t you get me started on the grammar!)
We’re gonna have a real good time
I’m gonna leave the world outside,
spend my money, oh it’s gonna be a real good night
Were gonna have a real good night
Go late night shoppin,
high street bobbling,
let’s go west end clubbin,
champagne poppin,
let’s keep it rockin,
party ain’t stoppin,
let’s keep it keep it rockin,
party ain’t stopping
(So far, nothing absolutely terrible. I may not always agree with the whole clubbing scene and all that goes on but at least there’s nothing crude yet.)
No clear good times are here,
when I come round the good times appear,
the good times are near,
I like to live life like where they all gone, good times are here
where, late nights hoppin on the Thursday and I pull out more than a birthday, (now I’m starting to wonder whether this is really appropriate.)
I’m always flying abroad,
when I wake tomorrow I’m gonna be in the 1st place
9 to 5, when it’s over I can come alive,
I’m in the mood to live a higher life,
now when the DJ drops a song of mine, I’ll be satisfied
I’m gonna leave the day behind,
don’t you worry cause I’m a have a real good time
Were gonna have a real good night
I’m gonna leave the world outside,
spend my money, oh it’s gonna be a real good night
Were gonna have a real good night
Go late night shoppin,
high street bobbling,
let’s go west end clubbin,
champagne poppin,
let’s keep it rockin, party ain’t stoppin,
let’s keep it keep it rockin, party ain’t stoppin
I want everybody on the atlas, to feel this fantastic thing,
if you see a good, grab it, have a laugh,
don’t let it pass, you only get 1 life and it goes quite rapid,
bad times can’t match it, it’s the best way to live,
non stop party, all round the clock with no negatives,
have a good time and stay positive.
9 to 5, when it’s over I can come alive,
I’m in the mood to live a higher life,
now when the DJ drops a song of mine, I’ll be satisfied
Ok, so this song isn’t as bad as some of them. It’s not so overtly crude. However, it’s still not got amazing lyrics. It’s not got much point to it and it suggests that all there is to life is partying. I much prefer songs with lyrics that tell a story; lyrics that properly convey emotions and could stand their own as a poem. So you might like the songs in the charts but they’re just not my cuppa tea. Maybe the charts will one day thrill me again but if Lady GaGa and other such singers continue to thrive then that day will not be any time soon.
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Exciting News!
I’ve been meaning to do this for a while and I hinted at it briefly in my last blog but I HAVE REVAMPED MY ALTERNATE BLOG!
When I say my alternate blog, I mean the blog that I set up for my friends to write on. To put it bluntly, it wasn’t getting anywhere. Nobody had blogged for ages and it was just sitting there collecting digital dust in www. space. However, my friend Abby scribbled a little rant at the back of my blog book and it needed somewhere to go; what better reason to revive this blog!
So, it has now been revamped, refurbished and redesigned. It has a new template, a new layout, a new description and even a new title, web address and email.
So now “The Field of Sheep” is open for business. Anyone can read it but, more importantly, anyone can blog on it too. I’ve kept the small number of posts that started it off and added Abby’s Rant but it desperately needs more.
So, you want to contribute? Simples. Just follow these simple steps.
1) Open your email account and type hannahlikessheepbaa.newpost@blogger.com in the TO: box.
2) Type in the title of your blog in the ‘subject’ box.
3) Type up your blog in the main body of the email. (You may want to run what you type through a spell check as, although I’ll be reading everything, I’m unlikely to pick up on your spelling mistakes or be willing to change them for you!) (Also, don’t worry if your email provider has a habit of adding extra bits at the bottom of your emails. This I am prepared to edit!)
4) End your blog with your name or pen name. When I’ve read and approved your blog I’ll transfer this into the “label” bit at the bottom of the blog so that (particularly if you blog more that once) people can find your blogs by clicking on the label link at the side.
5) Double check your blog for swear words and anything unsuitable for under 18s. It’s not that I don’t appreciate your opinion but I’m pretty sure anything can be expressed in a more eloquent way that don’t have the need for swear words or inappropriate narratives. I do read the posts and I will delete anything unsuitable! (However, I’m sure all my followers are so lovely they would never dream of doing this anyway! *cough*)
6) Press the send button!
7) Have a look at your new post and other posts at http://www.welikesheepbaa.blogspot.com/
8) Have a nice day!
It would be great if you could contribute as I love hearing other people’s opinions as much as I enjoy venting my own! Anecdotes, opinions, short stories and poems are all welcome!
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten...
When I say my alternate blog, I mean the blog that I set up for my friends to write on. To put it bluntly, it wasn’t getting anywhere. Nobody had blogged for ages and it was just sitting there collecting digital dust in www. space. However, my friend Abby scribbled a little rant at the back of my blog book and it needed somewhere to go; what better reason to revive this blog!
So, it has now been revamped, refurbished and redesigned. It has a new template, a new layout, a new description and even a new title, web address and email.
So now “The Field of Sheep” is open for business. Anyone can read it but, more importantly, anyone can blog on it too. I’ve kept the small number of posts that started it off and added Abby’s Rant but it desperately needs more.
So, you want to contribute? Simples. Just follow these simple steps.
1) Open your email account and type hannahlikessheepbaa.newpost@blogger.com in the TO: box.
2) Type in the title of your blog in the ‘subject’ box.
3) Type up your blog in the main body of the email. (You may want to run what you type through a spell check as, although I’ll be reading everything, I’m unlikely to pick up on your spelling mistakes or be willing to change them for you!) (Also, don’t worry if your email provider has a habit of adding extra bits at the bottom of your emails. This I am prepared to edit!)
4) End your blog with your name or pen name. When I’ve read and approved your blog I’ll transfer this into the “label” bit at the bottom of the blog so that (particularly if you blog more that once) people can find your blogs by clicking on the label link at the side.
5) Double check your blog for swear words and anything unsuitable for under 18s. It’s not that I don’t appreciate your opinion but I’m pretty sure anything can be expressed in a more eloquent way that don’t have the need for swear words or inappropriate narratives. I do read the posts and I will delete anything unsuitable! (However, I’m sure all my followers are so lovely they would never dream of doing this anyway! *cough*)
6) Press the send button!
7) Have a look at your new post and other posts at http://www.welikesheepbaa.blogspot.com/
8) Have a nice day!
It would be great if you could contribute as I love hearing other people’s opinions as much as I enjoy venting my own! Anecdotes, opinions, short stories and poems are all welcome!
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten...
The Unavoidable Truth
If you live in the UK (and probably most other places too) there is no way that you could have avoided all the hype around the general election. Before the election there was the fuss of the leaders’ debates, the polls about the popularity of the various parties and speculation over whether there would be a hung parliament. Now that a hung parliament is a reality, how and who will govern is the big issue and the “breaking news” of Tuesday evening was the resignation of Gordon Brown and the instatement of David Cameron.
Now, I’ve never really been into politics much (partly why this blog isn’t exactly covering actual breaking news) but that doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions.
Although some people are calling the governing arrangements a “Con Dem Nation” I’m fairly optimistic for how they’re going to govern. I mean, if they’re working together they’re going to have to focus more on what is good for the nation rather than what is good for them. At any rate, it will good to see them trying to work together. Hopefully I’m not being too optimistic and that this change will be for the better.
The thing is: no party is going to be able to please everyone. It’s like in Bruce Almighty (a film which I’m not particularly fond of but is excellent for demonstrating this) where he lets everyone have everything they want. Utter chaos ensues. No one is particularly happy and letting it continue would not have worked. Although government is on a slightly different scale, the same principle applies. Whoever is governing they can’t please both the pro-life and pro-abortion groups; satisfy those who want better air transport along with the ones who don’t want it in their “backyard”; cure the cry for lower taxes and improve the NHS to stop the constant complaints. We have to realise that whoever governs, there will be compromise and there will be complaints.
Half the problem is that the majority of people look out for themselves only. They don’t want to pay taxes but they still expect services like the NHS to be at their beck and call. If everyone considered others more there would be less moaning and it would be easier for parliament to govern.
We had a “focus day” a while back at school where we played a game which really demonstrates this point. We were each given a set amount of money to start off with each round we were asked to give a donation of however much we liked. The average of everyone’s donations was calculated and the “bank” gave everyone back the average plus 2% or something like that. If everyone gave roughly the same, no-one would really encounter any major loss and everyone was happy. Even if the occasional person refused to pay, as long as everyone else paid there would be no huge loss. The issue is when everyone thinks they can get away with it. We found that if no-one bothered giving because they thought everyone else would pick up their slack. Everyone got very little return if they got anything at all and when people started losing money they reduced their giving meaning the return shrank even more. On the other hand, if we had all given as much as possible, if we had all been generous, we would have got much more out of it.
I think what I’m trying to say is that everyone needs to be prepared to work together. To think of others and be prepared to accept compromise on things that aren’t intrinsically important. We shouldn’t be moaning about the new government but supporting them to do the right thing because, whoever they are, they are going to have to make some decisions we might not like. So take a step back and, just for a minute, have a good look at the bigger picture.
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten!
(As a side note, check out my other blog where some of my friends post. I’m posting my friend’s related rant on there in a bit and if you watch out in future blogs I might be revamping it so that anyone can blog on there! *gasp* )
Now, I’ve never really been into politics much (partly why this blog isn’t exactly covering actual breaking news) but that doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions.
Although some people are calling the governing arrangements a “Con Dem Nation” I’m fairly optimistic for how they’re going to govern. I mean, if they’re working together they’re going to have to focus more on what is good for the nation rather than what is good for them. At any rate, it will good to see them trying to work together. Hopefully I’m not being too optimistic and that this change will be for the better.
The thing is: no party is going to be able to please everyone. It’s like in Bruce Almighty (a film which I’m not particularly fond of but is excellent for demonstrating this) where he lets everyone have everything they want. Utter chaos ensues. No one is particularly happy and letting it continue would not have worked. Although government is on a slightly different scale, the same principle applies. Whoever is governing they can’t please both the pro-life and pro-abortion groups; satisfy those who want better air transport along with the ones who don’t want it in their “backyard”; cure the cry for lower taxes and improve the NHS to stop the constant complaints. We have to realise that whoever governs, there will be compromise and there will be complaints.
Half the problem is that the majority of people look out for themselves only. They don’t want to pay taxes but they still expect services like the NHS to be at their beck and call. If everyone considered others more there would be less moaning and it would be easier for parliament to govern.
We had a “focus day” a while back at school where we played a game which really demonstrates this point. We were each given a set amount of money to start off with each round we were asked to give a donation of however much we liked. The average of everyone’s donations was calculated and the “bank” gave everyone back the average plus 2% or something like that. If everyone gave roughly the same, no-one would really encounter any major loss and everyone was happy. Even if the occasional person refused to pay, as long as everyone else paid there would be no huge loss. The issue is when everyone thinks they can get away with it. We found that if no-one bothered giving because they thought everyone else would pick up their slack. Everyone got very little return if they got anything at all and when people started losing money they reduced their giving meaning the return shrank even more. On the other hand, if we had all given as much as possible, if we had all been generous, we would have got much more out of it.
I think what I’m trying to say is that everyone needs to be prepared to work together. To think of others and be prepared to accept compromise on things that aren’t intrinsically important. We shouldn’t be moaning about the new government but supporting them to do the right thing because, whoever they are, they are going to have to make some decisions we might not like. So take a step back and, just for a minute, have a good look at the bigger picture.
DFTBA, Terrie, I have not forgotten!
(As a side note, check out my other blog where some of my friends post. I’m posting my friend’s related rant on there in a bit and if you watch out in future blogs I might be revamping it so that anyone can blog on there! *gasp* )
Sunday, 9 May 2010
Cliff Diving
I could take this blog on a number of paths. I could bore you all with a rant about the Twilight Saga or depress you with stories of failed relationships and suicide but I’d rather not leave you suicidal yourself. Instead I’m going to rant about some of the cool activities I’ve done on the camps I’ve been on.
Considering the title, I think I better start with the obvious: abseiling down a cliff. I love activities that involve heights but there’s always that moment before you start where you wonder if the harness is going to hold you. You spend a while with a mix of emotions that includes excitement, curiosity and a sense of trepidation before you finally take the plunge.
When I went abseiling a few years ago, it was cold and wet and the cliff face looked very steep. I just couldn’t fathom how I would get from the top to the bottom. Usually I’m pretty good at suddenly just deciding to get on with these sorts of activities and make myself stop being scared but I think the failure of a demonstration did not help.
One of the other campers offered to go first and the instructor talked him through walking over the edge. This was managed and, while the instructor talked to the rest of us, the camper waited patiently. After a while, someone noticed that instead of a head poking over the edge of the cliff, two feet were waving at us. This sight was hilarious; just two feet, peaking over the edge. The instructor promptly righted him, allowing a comparatively uneventful decent to the bottom.
Eventually, it was my go. I had been both dreading this and looking forward to it but now there was no way out. Tied tightly into the harness, I lowered myself over the edge of the cliff at the instruction of the instructor. My descent was more of a snail’s pace crawl than a dive but I was moving. I was abseiling.
Suddenly I slipped. My foot lost grip on the sodden rock face and I found myself hanging. Somehow, my fingers had got caught between the rope and the rock. My fingers were scraped and although I couldn’t really feel them, my knuckles were starting to bleed and I hung there, unsure how to proceed.
Eventually, I got down to solid ground. I managed to get back to the minibus and take off the instructor’s coat - Ok, I forgot to mention that. Basically, I was so cold the instructor lent me his coat - without getting blood anywhere and while ignoring the sting as my fingers warmed up. On arriving back at base my fingers got given a good clean and were bandaged with some fetching yellow and red patterned kids’ plasters.
I know, this is really a bit pathetic but it gave me some of my few scars. If you asked I could go “look there!” at my knuckles and make you squint at my miniscule scars while I retell the story of my cliff dive...
Considering the title, I think I better start with the obvious: abseiling down a cliff. I love activities that involve heights but there’s always that moment before you start where you wonder if the harness is going to hold you. You spend a while with a mix of emotions that includes excitement, curiosity and a sense of trepidation before you finally take the plunge.
When I went abseiling a few years ago, it was cold and wet and the cliff face looked very steep. I just couldn’t fathom how I would get from the top to the bottom. Usually I’m pretty good at suddenly just deciding to get on with these sorts of activities and make myself stop being scared but I think the failure of a demonstration did not help.
One of the other campers offered to go first and the instructor talked him through walking over the edge. This was managed and, while the instructor talked to the rest of us, the camper waited patiently. After a while, someone noticed that instead of a head poking over the edge of the cliff, two feet were waving at us. This sight was hilarious; just two feet, peaking over the edge. The instructor promptly righted him, allowing a comparatively uneventful decent to the bottom.
Eventually, it was my go. I had been both dreading this and looking forward to it but now there was no way out. Tied tightly into the harness, I lowered myself over the edge of the cliff at the instruction of the instructor. My descent was more of a snail’s pace crawl than a dive but I was moving. I was abseiling.
Suddenly I slipped. My foot lost grip on the sodden rock face and I found myself hanging. Somehow, my fingers had got caught between the rope and the rock. My fingers were scraped and although I couldn’t really feel them, my knuckles were starting to bleed and I hung there, unsure how to proceed.
Eventually, I got down to solid ground. I managed to get back to the minibus and take off the instructor’s coat - Ok, I forgot to mention that. Basically, I was so cold the instructor lent me his coat - without getting blood anywhere and while ignoring the sting as my fingers warmed up. On arriving back at base my fingers got given a good clean and were bandaged with some fetching yellow and red patterned kids’ plasters.
I know, this is really a bit pathetic but it gave me some of my few scars. If you asked I could go “look there!” at my knuckles and make you squint at my miniscule scars while I retell the story of my cliff dive...
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