BEDESO #26 (The End!)

"I've reached the end, but it's not the final curtain. In fact I'm almost certain a new world's opening for me."

Ok, so Tom Milsom was singing about Doctor Who and I'm talking about finishing BEDESO but the sentiment is the same. It may be the end of a long commitment, this may be the last time I have to blog every day, but that doesn't mean it is the end. Just because BEDESO is over doesn't mean I'm not going to blog.

BEDESO has shown me that sometimes all I need is a reason to blog and I'll churn out something that isn't just drivel. Sure, a blog EVERY day means a few are more ramblings than sense but sometimes I need that little prompting to blog and to share what I'm feeling. Not necessarily because I'm self absorbed or I think the world wants to know about the contents of my head but because it's sometimes good to share what you're feeling for your own good.

Now, next month, I have no idea how much I will blog. I'll try to not abandon you for a month but besides the general craziness of life, as you know, I'm hoping to do NaNoWriMo. I looked at my plot earlier today so I sort of know what I'm writing but that doesn't mean I'm going to have lots of time! I also have to fit in homework, school, church, clubs, revision, exams, so my blog may end up being one of the things that gets dropped. However, I'll keep you updated on my word count when I do blog and I'm sure that I'll tweet my word count!

Thank you for putting up with my ramblings, rantings, and moanings all month. I still don't know how many people regularly read my blog. I do know this though:

Pageviews today 29

Pageviews yesterday 43

Pageviews last month 1,256

Pageviews all time history 2,795

Of this, 169 were for my review of lowercase. For that, all I can say is "Thank you ALL CAPS." I may not be going for numbers but it amazes me how many people bothered looking.

Oh, and...

I COMPLETED BEDESO!! VICTORY IS MINE!!!

         "So long and thanks for all the fish."


Current book I’m reading: Counterfeit Gods
Last TV show watched: QI
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, Windows Live Mail, windows media player, Sticky Notes, MSN, powerpoint, write or die, some random site about guinea pig farming,
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 2

BEDESO #25 (THE GAME)

According to Wikipedia:

"The Game is a mind game where the objective is to avoid thinking about The Game itself. Thinking about The Game constitutes a loss, which, according to the rules of The Game, must be announced each time it occurs. It is impossible to win The Game; players can only attempt to avoid losing for as long as they possibly can. The Game has been variously described as pointless and infuriating, or as a challenging game that is fun to play.

There are three rules to The Game:

1. Everyone in the world is playing The Game. (Sometimes narrowed to: "Everybody in the world who knows about The Game is playing The Game", or alternatively, "You are always playing The Game.") You cannot not play The Game; it does not require consent to play and you can never stop playing.
2. Whenever one thinks about The Game, one loses.
3. Losses must be announced to at least one person (either by using a statement such as "I Lost The Game" or by alternative means).

The common rules do not define a point at which The Game ends. However, one reported variation states that The Game ends when the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom announces on television that "The Game is up." After you have announced your loss, some variants allow for a grace period, during which you cannot lose the game, which varies in time. Note, however, that the grace period is not part of the three official rules."

Why are you telling me this?! I hear you cry. Well, it's because I'm basically the worst player of THE GAME ever. Since I got reminded of it on Roothill in the summer, I don't think I have gone more than 48 hours without losing THE GAME. Every little thing seems to remind me of it. I notice almost every reference to any form of GAME and immediately link it back to THE GAME.

My friends don't help much either. Sending me text messages, Facebook messages, or just mentioning it to me in passing. Also, one of the girls in my mentor group at school has 'very nicely' written THE GAME on the class notice board. Seen as I sit directly in front of that notice board, I can see that quite clearly! She also has a habit of saying 'THE GAME' when she passes me in the corridor. I basically have no hope.

I've tried tricking others into losing the game to get them back. I named a recent photo album on Facebook "THE GAME" but that sort of backfired and, when looking for photographs for a friend's scrapbook, I came across the album and promptly lost THE GAME.

It doesn't help that there's no way to win. I try to not think of it as then I'll just think of it more! Some people just ignore THE GAME which is sort of boring in my opinion. Nevertheless, it would make not losing that little bit easier. Also, ever since deciding on THE GAME as a blog topic a few hours ago, I've been periodically going "I should really blog" followed by "Argh! I just lost THE GAME!"

So, I'll leave you with two words...

THE GAME

  "So long and thanks for all the fish."

PS. If you, for some reason, wanted to see where I am in the "Russell Howard's Good News" audience, I am here:

PPS. Hank sums up THE GAME very well too.

Current book I’m reading: Counterfeit Gods
Last TV show watched: QI
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, Sticky Notes, MSN, Write or Die, A White Horizon,
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 1

BEDESO #24 (The Update)

As you know, it's half term at the moment. Recently, my holidays have been jam packed with revision, meeting friends, and just general stuff and I'm really surprised I haven't failed BEDESO considering how busy I've been this week.

Talking of business, I have no idea how I'm going to complete NaNoWriMo. I have officially signed up on their web page and I genuinely intend to take part. I've managed to blog everyday except Sundays so surely I'll be able to write *goes does some maths to do with word count* 1 923.07692 words a day (not including Sundays this is. If I were to write on Sundays I'd only have to write 1 666.66667 words a day.) Basically, I have to write a long essay each day. Now, I think, if I reduce YouTube and iPlayer habits and don't get too much homework, this may be possible. However, I'm just worried that, if I fall behind, I won't be able to catch up... We shall see... November, here I come! (Oh, and this may lead to fewer blogs. Sorry for those of you who've got used to my blogging daily!)

Also, I finished the video from Saturday. I've emailed those who were there but I'm rather pleased with it I must say. So, I'm sharing it with you!! =)

         "So long and thanks for all the fish."


Current book I’m reading: Counterfeit Gods
Last TV show watched: Ask Rhod Gilbert
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, Windows Live Mail, iPlayer, Sticky Notes, MSN,
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 2

BEDESO #23 (Heartstrings)

Yesterday, I spent the day in London and I had a great time. I haven't had much chance to spend time with Terrie recently and not only was it great seeing Russell Howard's Good News being recorded, it was also brilliant to just be able to spend a day chatting with friends. I could blog about how awesome Russell Howard was but 1) You'll be able to watch a lot of that on TV, 2) I drafted a blog on the train home so I'll share that with you.

Sometimes I wish I was good at writing songs. I always think they're great ways to express your feelings and pour out your heart in an indirect way. Sure, some songs sum up how you feel to an extent but they're never perfect.

When you listen to good songs, the artists are so often pouring our their hearts (I guess that's why I prefer bands like Snow Patrol that write their own lyrics) and I wish I could pour out my heart in the same way. Construct wonderful metaphors, complex rhyming schemes, all to a tune that means I can sing my feelings at the top of my voice.

Sure, I can blog, but you can't let out your feelings in quite the same way. In some ways, it's too serious, too direct, in other ways, it just doesn't let you express them in their full force. Doing so would either lead to large holes in paper and lots of scribbles, or many broken keyboards. Bloggings seems too reserved, too sedate, even at it's most sincere.

Again, there's telling friends but sometimes they're not there or you want to sort stuff our in your own head first. Also, friends can often provoke the deep thinking that leaves you wanting to shout or sing your feelings to no-one at the top of your lungs. Often, after sharing lots with friends you're left with a lot to think about. You've seen your character or thought pattern in a new light or it's just brought up things you tend to try ignore.

Now, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, talking and sharing is great but I'd love to be able to express feelings in the form of a song. There's something about music that touches the heart. The feeling you get when singing along with a song you relate to is so exhilarating and I can only begin to imagine the feeling when it's your own song; your own words, thoughts worries, hopes and dreams.

Good songs let your heart go along the roller-coaster ride with the artist and, while I'm greatful of the gifts I have, I will always respect the talents of artists who make my heart soar and dive with theirs through music alone.

         "So long and thanks for all the fish."


Current book I’m reading: Counterfeit Gods
Last TV show watched: Genius
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, Windows Live Mail, iPlayer (x3!), Sticky Notes, MSN, youtube,
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 1

BEDESO #22 (Early or Late?)

Don't worry, I'll let you get it out of your system. Argue amongst yourselves whether this counts as the next day when I've not slept between the last blog and this one; argue amongst yourselves whether this counts or not. However, it is the opposite side of midnight to when I last blogged. Technically, it is 26th October and I am going to write today's blog.

Today (or tomorrow if that's how you're going to look at it) I'm going to London again. I'm going with school friends to see the recording of Russell Howard's Good News and we're making a day out of it. To be honest, I can't remember exactly what we're doing during the day; I think there's something to do with Tower Bridge and some clock museum on the agenda, but I'm just looking forward to spending (another) day in London with my friends. Once again, I'm sure you'll get an update when it's all over! (I'll try not to forget the camera!)

Since my last blog, I've been attempting to make that dastardly video. Windows makes it so awkward at times! However, Matt C recommended  Sony Vegas so I downloaded a free trial and I've been attempting to work out how to use it! It looks great... but I may have to actually look at the help guide!

If you hadn't noticed, once again, my holidays are full of 'stuff' and I don't think I've got a day just to stop and think! True, I don't have too much homework (although I do have a bit) but I think, next holiday, I'm going to have to plan in time to relax. Possibly...

If you remember, I was planning on doing NaNoWriMo. It's now less than a week until that begins and I'm no closer to finishing my plot. I may have to go in to the month with no plot end and see what happens. Unless someone wants to give me a plot ending?!

Now, I don't know how much notice you take of my other internet outputs but I thought I'd take this disjointed blog to tell you of my other (not so) creative outputs.
- http://dailybooth.com/hannahlikessheepbaa - Where I make a fool of myself in picture form
- http://twitter.com/#!/likessheepbaa - Little nuggets of me that aren't good enough to put on here
- http://www.formspring.me/hannahlikes where you can ask me ridiculous questions and I will give you some sort of answer

I'm probably a little obsessed with these sites and I'm sure all my facebook friends are fed up with them. Everything links together so conveniently these days so anyone who looks at their feed while I'm online is very likely to be spammed with me-ness.

Now, it's time to sleep, ready for what today/tomorrow will bring so I will leave you with this nugget of QI-ness:

Stephen Fry: Beetle-fanciers, as you probably know, are called—

Bill Bailey: Coleopterists.

Stephen Fry: Very good! Coleopterists. I'll give you five points for that.

Alan Davies: Press him on how the hell he knows that.

Bill Bailey: Well, when I was a child, I—

Stephen Fry: In Alan's world, knowing something is a kind of freakish, weird thing.

Bill Bailey: Welcome to my world of knowing! The wonderful world of looking up things in books!

Current book I’m reading: So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
Last TV show watched: QI XL - Happiness
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, Windows Live Mail, iPlayer, Sticky Notes, MSN, 
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 1

BEDESO #21 (The epic/lame balance)

On Saturday, I went to London and met up with a group of awesome people who are more commonly known as Josh, Jake, Hannah, Matt, Beth and Ollie. We had a great day, hanging out, talking, having fun, and having a bail of laughs. I took a ridiculous amount pictures and video footage to document the day, yet even then, epic moments were missed.

I was hoping to make the video footage into a proper little YouTube video. I have an idea all planned out but I have one problem: the new version of movie maker is absolutely pants. It's almost impossible to use and it's so user friendly that only utter morons can use it. It's lost the awesome feature of the timeline, lost the easy method of adjusting the lengths of clips and I can't find half the effects anywhere!

I was hoping to have the video sorted by tonight. However, it seems that it's going to take me a while to get used to this new set-up and even longer to find some more free time! Instead, I'll give you a little preview with the voice-over script I am hoping to use for it when I find a quite moment to record it.

On Saturday 23^rd of October, I met up with a few friends I met on Roothill camp. After spending some time waiting for everyone to arrive and then taking the compulsory group photographs in Trafalgar Square, we headed off to an arcade. While we were there, some world record attempt to do with DDR was taking place. The boys obviously went off to amuse themselves with the penny machines… the shooting games… more penny machines… and even more shooting games… while us girls wandered around wondering what all the fuss about guns is. We then found guitar hero before being shown up by the boys!..... Eventually, while a rather sedate game of pool was being played and some crocodiles pulverised, us girls found the air hockey tables. Sure, the boys pulverised us and soon took over, winning all the tickets, but it was fun!

Next, we discovered the dodgems. With the whole circuit to ourselves we set about crashing into each other with as much force as possible. A lot of fun I must say!

We then went down to the underground and had a rather odd discussion about one of the adverts….

Then the train arrived and we went to the science museum where we met Albert Einstein.

Dr Ke also taught us about cupping.

Another compulsory group photo and some sonic-ing later, we went for some food, created an odd stop motion animation with the salt and pepper before waiting for a bus….

We got on the bus and nabbed the back seats…

Before all too long, it was time to return home…. Back to normality… back to a life without Matt, Josh, Hannah, Jake, Beth and Ollie.

                         "So long and thanks for all the fish."

Current book I’m reading: So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
Last TV show watched: QI XL - Happiness
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, Windows Live Mail, iPlayer, Windows Live Movie Maker, Sticky Notes, Word, MSN, 
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 3

BEDESO #20 (Excitement!)

I think this is the earliest I've ever blogged. I don't think I'll make it a thing but there is a reason why I'm blogging so early today. I haven't just gone mad or taken some potion to make me, someone who's very much an evening person, become a morning person.

Today, I'm heading off to London in under an hour to see some of my friends from Roothill! I haven't seen most of them since the summer (I couldn't make the last meet up) and I'm just really really excited. I mean REALLY excited. I love meeting up with my Christian friends and I love going up to London so this is basically as good as Saturdays come. Well, as good as Saturdays come when you're not already on camp.

To be honest, I'm not really sure what we're doing today. One of my friends said something about needing to return something to Cath Kidston but she may end up having to drag the rest of us there! (Love you really Beth!) Nevertheless, I don't really mind what we do. It's just great to be able to meet up with some of the friends I hardly ever get to see.

However, not all my friends from Roothill can make it. It's a shame when that happens, a pretty massive shame but I can hardly do anything about it. I really wish everyone was coming and I really wish I could see everyone but various problems like lack of money and being busy mean that it's virtually impossible to get everyone in the same place.

On a slight side note, for one of the friends I'm meeting up with today, I've created a DFTBA playlist for them to go through. I'm currently testing it out (although it's a bit late if I need to change it!) however it seems to be ok so far!

Now, time is ticking on and I really don't want to miss my train! I might give you a summary of the day on Monday if I have time and for those of you there, don't worry, I'll try and take loads of pictures!!

         "So long and thanks for all the fish."


Current book I’m reading: Life, the Universe and Everything
Last TV show watched: Russell Howard's Good News
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, Windows Live Mail, 
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 0

BEDESO #19 (Tiredness)

I was watching a video by Alex Day earlier (not on his main channel may I add) where he was talking about how vloggers shouldn't feel forced to make vlogs just because they haven't done so in a while. He was saying how the worst vlogs are the ones where youtubers haven't vlogged in a while so spend the whole vlog apologising just because they feel they have to do something. I guess today, I feel like I'm just blogging because I have to but I'm tired and want to get some sleep for tomorrow (which you should get a blog about) so it's going to be rubbish. However, I'm not going to just spend the whole blog apologising as that's not what you're here to read.

It is well know that blog quality decreases as tiredness increases but I'll let a graph explain.

Also, my tiredness means I substitute interestingness for pictures. Like these:

*goes finds random pictures off laptop*

Current book I’m reading: Life, the Universe and Everything
Last TV show watched: Russell Howard's Good News
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, MSN, Windows Live Mail, Powerpoint, Windows Media Player
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 3

BEDESO #18 (Doctor Who *spoilers*)

I've recently been re-watching the most recent series of Doctor Who with Matt Smith. As with anything that you end up re-watching, the second viewing is often the one that cements your opinion. The first viewing, you're busy trying to absorb as much as possible and it's all new to you. However, the second viewing, you know what's coming. You can focus on the quotes, the plot line and those more intricate details that you missed the first time. You can realise you actually love an episode you previously weren't so sure about and you can discover a fantastic 'new' quote.


I think this time round, I've appreciated Matt Smith as the Doctor much more. Last time, I hadn't got used to him. I was still 'mourning' the 'death' of David Tennant's Doctor and I just didn't know what he would be like. Sure, I was optimistic and excited about Stephen Moffatt's writing but it was still full of unknowns. This second time round, I didn't have to worry about that. I knew that I wouldn't hate him and I knew that Stephen Moffatt's head writing skills were amazing so I could, as it were, sit back and enjoy the show.


Sure, you don't get the same emotional roller-coaster the same time round but there were some episodes that I'd totally forgotten just how awesome they were. When watching "The Beast Below", there were so many quotes that I didn't notice first time round (you will have noticed a number of them pop up on my twitter and facebook if you follow either of those) and I forgave the Doctor for missing the blindingly obvious because, second time round, I realised that sometimes it's the things that hit closest to home that we often miss. It was really sad but also really clever, and Stephen Moffatt did a fantastic job.


Another thing I missed first time round was the reasoning behind the Doctor wanting to bring Rory along for the ride. (At least, this is how I interpreted it the second time round.) The Doctor would still remember everything that happened with Rose and, despite a regeneration, would still remember how much he loved/s her. He also saw what happened between Rose and Mickey and, no doubt, he wanted to stop that happening with Amy and Rory. Or at least that's how I saw it. It also leads to some hilarious lines in "The Vampires of Venice".


Skipping backwards a bit, the two parter about the stone angels, I'm still a bit split about. While I love the whole concept of "an image of an angel itself becomes an angel", there are a few plot holes that I can't quite ignore: how comes, when we see the angels moving, they're still stone? Unlike some of my friends, I can handle them moving, but I thought they were only stone when the were quantum locked? Why does no-one get sent back in time? How comes they're no longer "the only monster to kill you nicely" and make you "live to death"? Or is that just because they didn't need the energy from that where as the 'scavenger' ones with Sally Sparrow did? As much as I liked this episode (I even liked River Song a bit more than previously), there are a few too many big questions that still need to be answered before I can categorically say I loved it.


Right, I know I've missed out mentioning "The 11th Hour", "The Victory of the Daleks" and "Vampires of Venice" in detail however I don't have much to say about those. Sure, they weren't categorically bad but I can't say they're my favourite. While I love the scene with the Doctor trying out different foods and him getting new clothes, it's not an episode I can enthuse about. However, it is a great intro. "The Victory of the Daleks" is, in essence, very good, but I'm just fed up with Daleks and I'm still yet to decide if I like the new look. At the moment I'm still on the fence. "Vampires of Venice" has an excellent introduction and a number of really good scenes but, again, it's not one I'm going to get all obsessive about. It's not rubbish, it's just not so much my cup of tea.


"Amy's Choice", I was sceptical about the first time I watched it but the second time I appreciated it much more, although I still hold some reservations. The first time round, it was the start (or maybe conformation) of my love of Rory and second time round was no different. It was heart wrenching to see him die and made his second death even more poignant. My only issue is that it ends with it all being a dream. I don't know whether this dislike is from teachers drumming in to me that you should end a story "and they woke up and it was all a dream" or whether it was because the "danger" wasn't really that dangerous but, either way, I loved it until that point. I know it's interesting that the Dream Lord is the Doctor, but I can't help but feel it would have been better if it had been an actual alien against them.


The next two, "The Hungry Earth" and "Cold Blood" I really wasn't that keen on first time round. Second time, I warmed to it a bit more but I think it'll take a few more watches for me to appreciate it properly. I know it's meant to be like this, but the character's human failings really annoy me. I just want them to realise they're better than that and not to be so rash but I guess it wouldn't work quite the same. Also, second viewing, I was even more distraught by the second death of Rory. I sort of hate and love at the same time that Amy forgot about him but I must say, it does allow for some good lines from the Doctor later in the series.


This episode I liked the first time round and the second time I loved it. "Vincent and the Doctor" is so cleverly written and there are a number of good quotes too. The ending is so touching and, while I'm not 100% sure of the historic accuracy, it is an amazing plot line. It somehow brings a sanity to Vincent's madness and I loved the whole thing with the sunflowers. I feel like I've forgotten something that I loved in this episode so if I remember I'll tell you another time.


"The Lodger" is one of the best 'cheap just before the big finale' episodes and I loved seeing the Doctor trying to fit in. Somehow, I think the 10th Doctor had too many human characteristics for this episode to work but with Matt Smith's Doctor it worked beautifully. Amazing quotes and a good light hearted episode before the big finale.


Now, the finale ("The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang") is probably the best finale since Doctor Who returned to our screens. Sure, there are a few little issues with the time jumping but if you stop being so picky for just a second, it opens up a terrific two episodes. Not only did Rory return (yay!) but we were not inundated with Darleks and Cybermen. In my opinion, we have seen too much of them and it was a nice change to have a different focus. It does puzzle me a little why the Doctor didn't realise the Pandorica was for him but I was also thinking that maybe he just refused to believe it could be for him. Taking the elements from Amy's memories was clever and, while first time round I found it cheesy, so was the introduction. Having previously watched the flashback scene also made the clip in "Flesh and Stone" make so much more sense and have so much more meaning. The ending I also loved so much more second time round: the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" idea was just genius! And who didn't love the Doctor's dancing!


Obviously, I'm now waiting eagerly for the Christmas episode. In the mean time, I'll be re-watching as many older episodes as possible so you may get more blogs like this!

                 “So long and thanks for all the fish!”

On a related note, I just thought I'd share with you the utter nerdiness of me and my friend, Rosanna. We had a sonic off after a Jazz Band performance and spent a while comparing our 10th and 11th Doctor's sonic screwdrivers. Fortuantly for others, they're not real so we didn't have the same effect as in "Partners in Crime"!




Current book I’m reading: Life, the Universe and Everything
Last TV show watched: Doctor Who - The Big Bang
Current programs/web pages open: Twitter, Dailybooth, Blogger - Edit Posts, MSN, Windows Live Mail
Number of people I’m talking to on msn/Facebook: 1

BEDESO #17 (Esther 2 v 1-18)

I thought I'd once again share with you my notes for tomorrows Christian Union and therefore, the next bit of Esther. Although, first, I'd recommend you read verses 1 - 18 here.

Esther 2 v 1-18

The book of Esther doesn’t tell us how much time passes between the end of chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2 but historians recon it is about four years.

In that time, King Xerxes unsuccessfully tried to invade and conquer Greece. He would have then come back without a wife to comfort him as well as having time to think over what he had done. Therefore, chapter 2 begins with Xerxes being in a mood of regret and depression.(v1)
It wasn’t in the best interests of the king’s personal attendants to let him stay in this mood. They were most probably the ones who gave him the advice to get rid of Vashti and they wouldn’t have wanted the king’s anger to return against them. Therefore, they came up with a plan!

The Advisor’s plan (v 2 - 4)

Their plan was basically to bring lots of beautiful women into the harem or woman’s house.

Each was to get a night with the king to impress him and whoever pleased the king the most would become the new queen.

You would have thought that Xerxes would want to choose a new queen on personality if Vashti was the unpleasant woman history suggests but instead he liked the idea of finding an even more beautiful replacement. He acted on impulse and the search began immediately.

Now, morally, this isn’t the way God intended. Regardless of it being the way it was back then or not, God intended for men to take only one wife and obviously, vice versa.

In Genesis 2 v 24, it says “…a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

This leads on to the subject of sex. Pressure to have sex starts really young and it would be silly to avoid this subject. God’s plan for us is to not have sex until we’re married and then only with whomever we’re married to. No matter what pressure we’re under to do otherwise, this is the way we should go! Sure, they’ll be times when it’s hard but I’ve been told it’s worth the wait!

So, back to Esther…

Esther’s role (v 5 - 8)

So, Esther was a Jew, and in verse 7 we read that her real Hebrew name was Hadassah. Her family were also Jews, going back to when they had been taken into exile which is why she went by the name of Esther to help fit in with the area she was now living.

If you hadn’t guessed, she was one of the girls taken into the palace to be a possible queen for Xerxes.

Esther means star and she was absolutely beautiful, we are told but her personality was also amazing. Her parents had died and she was being brought up by her older cousin, Mordecai.

We’re not told if she was taken by force or not but it’s most likely that she was encouraged very strong and so went quietly.

A whole new world (v 9 - 12)

It would have been a scary experience. Along with hundreds of other girls they were expected to impress one of the most powerful men in the world and they would have also known that few women, once admitted, would have been allowed to leave.

Before even being able to see the king, she was to go through a year of various beauty treatments intended to make them more attractive. It may seem like a wonderful way to spend the year being pampered but she was unlikely to have many friends. They would have all been immensely competitive so the atmosphere wouldn’t have been at all nice but Esther had no choice.

BUT

God was working his purpose out. Esther would have probably felt at times that God had abandoned her completely at times but if we look back, God was working there. Think about what’s already happened:

-          -- Vashti had been deposed

-          -- Esther’s family had stayed in Susa rather than going back to their home country when they were allowed

-          -- Xerxes was given advice to and then held a ‘beauty pageant’ to find the next queen

-          -- Esther was perfect for the position: beautiful in looks and personality and single

-          -- Esther was chosen as a potential candidate

These may only look like coincidences at the moment but remember that God is behind all coincidences.

God’s direction continues… (v 9 - 18)

As the chapter continues, we start to see even more ways in which God is working:

-         -- The chief in charge, Hegai, was impressed by Esther. He would have seen hundreds of women and yet Esther was the girl who caught his attention and the girl who he gave the best quarters and her own maids.

-        --  Esther never revealed that she was a Jew and we will see later on in Esther why that is so vital.

-        --  When choosing the one object she could take in to the king, Esther asked Hegai for advice and followed this advice. We’re not told exactly what it was but it clearly did not hurt.

-        --  Re-read verse 17: After seeing so many beautiful women, King Xerxes just happened to fall in love with Esther overnight. Not only that but he declared her queen there and then.

These aren’t just coincidences, this is God’s direction! A young, orphaned Jew became queen of the Persian Empire. However, the story doesn’t end there. God had a reason why he put Esther in such a dangerous but high up position which we will see as the story unfolds. Esther is going to save the Jewish people and this is only the start.

And remember this verse from Romans 8 v 28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…”

       "So long and thanks for all the fish."

Current book I’m reading: Life, The Universe and Everything
Last TV show watched: Doctor Who - The Big Bang
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BEDESO #16 (Grammer Nartsi)

In case you haven't noticed, spelling isn't one of my strong points. I don't really know why. In about year 4 I used to be brilliant at spelling, coming up with acronyms like "Special People Eat Chocolate Ice And Lollies" to assist friends and being one of the first to get to the top of whatever spelling thing we climbed as we did test. However, following that I just went downhill. After that point I must have stopped improving at spelling and gradually everyone else has overtaken me until I'm basically rubbish. Then again, I may have just forgotten everything but that's another issue.

Now, before you go start moaning at me, I do understand why spelling is important. If you spell something too drastically wrong then it's no longer the same word but sometimes the mistakes don't really make much difference. Sure, with colour and color, or neighbour and neighbor it's a sense of cultural identity but you still know what I mean. You can still see that it is the same word. The occasional misspelling doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things as long as the reader can still understand what the writer was intending to communicate.

Of course, nowadays we have spell checkers to fish out all those spelling errors. Even now I have the words 'color' and 'neighbor' underlined with the traditional squiggly red line. Although this has made us really lazy (for example I don't tend to check the spelling of words that aren't underlined) it doesn't solve the problem of grammar.

Now, I may not be too strict about spelling but I'm quite a bit more fussy about grammar. Grammar is so amazing in how it can totally change the meaning of a sentence. A misplaced comma can turn a placid panda who eats shoots and leaves into an aggressive monster who eats, shoots and leaves. Correct grammar not only makes the meaning of the words so much clearer but can do so much more. As someone who likes to read and write, I appreciate how the order of words and the position of  punctuation can totally change the mood of a sentence, not just the meaning. A sentence with correct grammar has so much more meaning, so much more soul, and besides that, is just so much easier to read.

Earlier, Josh sent me a link to an audio of Stephen Fry talking about grammar. Despite my picky-ness, I have to agree with him. People have lost their love of language and no grammatical error or spelling error is worth fussing about if it's going to scare people away from language. So few people read books any more and even I find myself running out of time to read. I love reading, letting the words work their magic and transport me to another place, getting absorbed by the words. Sure, a grammatical error can interrupt the flow a little but moaning about every single error isn't the way to go.

Then again, can you categorised all word forms as either 'right' or 'wrong'? It's not like maths that is either right or wrong. Language is like art: just like the pencil and paper are there to help the artist express themselves, grammar and spelling are there to help the writer express the words, sentences and ideas in the way they want. Having some standards helps with the understanding but deviating can also help us express things in new ways. I may not be one of Shakespeare's biggest fans due to school killing it's magic but I do know that he made up around 1700 words. If the language that existed didn't let him express what he wanted he made up a new word to express it instead.

English, above many other languages, is special in the way it has so many words. There are so many different words that essentially mean "glow" but they each have their own subtlety different meaning: shimmer, shine, glimmer, glisten, just a few I can think of off the top of my head. Language is there to be moulded and shaped like clay in a potters hand, not just to be cut into shape using a ruler. Sure, correct grammar helps and misplaced apostrophes are annoying but surely the bigger problem is the lack of passion for language and what it can really do.

                 “So long and thanks for all the fish!”

(On a side note, I'm hoping to do NaNoWriMo next month but I'm not sure how it will go. I have a plot half formed which I will hopefully finish before the 1st and I need to work out how many words I'll need to do a day so as to not have to write on Sundays but I really don't want to have to wait until next year to do it!)


Current book I’m reading: Life, The Universe and Everything
Last TV show watched: Doctor Who - The Big Bang
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BEDESO #15 (DFTBA)

On August 14th, I went up to London with two of my friends to go see John Green and 3/4 of the Sons of Admirals. Now, I've never really been to any sort of gig before but this was certainly the best one to start with. Arriving a good few hours before the doors opened, after finding "Ice Father Nation", an epic evening began.

Even before arriving we bumped into two other Nerdfighters also heading to the gig. It was so strange to talk to them about all things Nerdfighter and it was great to have someone else to get lost with on the way from the tube station! Arriving at the venue we thought it looked rather quiet. Admittedly it was about three hours before the gig was to start but we were expecting it to be busier. However, we spoke too soon...

After receiving raffle tickets to secure our 'early position' in the queue, we popped off to get something to eat. Us, being the fan girls we are, got a bit over excited when we saw Alex Day walking not far in front of us. Obviously, we restrained ourselves so we didn't look like idiots and I do hope he appreciated that! On our return, we saw Tom Milsom, EddPlant and Tom Bacon emerge from a car and, as we walked back in, Alex came rushing past. I used this opportunity to shout "Tom's outside!" to him giving me a "Thanks!" in reply and a red face due to a mix of embarrassment and excitement. I spoke to a YouTuber!

While we queued, in anticipation for the gig to start, we spent time talking to other Nerdfighters, getting excited over "happy Margo", asking Lex to sign my scrapbook, waving at John Green's camera as he runs past on his way to talk to those at the long distant end of the queue, singing many songs including many nerdy ones! The chant of the evening rapidly became "D, F, T, B, A, I said DFTBA!" and excitement grew and grew until the doors opened and we started pouring in. Passing past Rosianna who I wished 'Happy Birthday' as she drew a green Sharpie cross on my hand, I walked down the steps to the main part of the venue.

Along with Terrie and Alex, I queued up to have my scrapbook signed. Despite the rushed nature of the meeting, I was able to briefly speak to Alex Day, Tom Milsom, EddPlant, and a little later, John Green. Alex, Tom and Edd all seemed amazed at my scrapbook and Tom seem surprised and pleased at my love of his 'Trockstuff'. More people should tell him it's awesome because that's what it is! We were rush on with hardly any time to talk, there were so many other Nerdfighters also waiting for their few moments with 'the boys' and we went on to queue up to meet John Green briefly also. After signing all his books that I'd brought and my scrapbook in green Sharpie, he asked to borrow my black Sharpie. Well, when he said borrow, he said he meant that I may not get it back again. Which I didn't, but I don't mind!

We then went on to watch the actual gig. It was immense and, standing a few rows back, it was great to hear the three guys play live and it was even more amazing to be surrounded by other Nerdfighters who like their music as much as I do. After Alex played "Holding On", I shouted out to ask him "have you learnt to ride a bike yet?" I apologise now Alex, if you're reading this for the embarrassment that caused you however, I did (and still do) offer lessons (although I think that offer got lost in amongst the shouts of others.) However, it was great how everyone else understood the reference ("I'd ride across the sky with you on a bicycle built for two, if you teach me how to ride") and other moments like that throughout the rest of the night were amazing and sort of hard to replicate in words. If only I had remembered the spare SD card to take more video footage.

John Green, the man who was the reason behind the whole gig, came to read the beginning of "Paper Towns" and answer a few questions while the guys went to play a mini show to the people upstairs who couldn't get in. Yes, that's how many people turned up! John Green was amazing and it was so weird to hear his American voice coming from a person in front of me rather than from my computer speakers. He answered my question about whether the maths in "An Abundance of Katherines" really works, claiming it did, however I'm still not convinced! (I'm going to have to re-evaluate my figures for my ex-boyfriends and possibly use some other people's ex-es in order to analyse the equation sufficiently!)

Nevertheless, it was an amazing evening and I really hope another epic event like this could take place some time soon. It was an evening that truly didn't FTBA and so I'll leave you with a little summary video I made of the evening (which will link to my channel where you'll find a few more videos too. Although I haven't put them all up yet! :/ )

                 “So long and thanks for all the fish!”


Current book I’m reading: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Last TV show watched: Doctor Who - The Lodger
Current programs/web pages open: Blogger - Edit posts, Twitter, msn, youtube, iPlayer, dailybooth, Windows Live Mail,
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BEDESO #14 (lowercase)

I absolutely love acoustic versions of music. It's very rare that the acoustic is worse than the original and I love the simplicity of just the voices with minimal backing. This is even more awesome with ALL CAPS because, even though I really enjoy their first two albums which are full of auto tuning, both Kristina and Luke have amazing voices. Their new mini album (lowercase) is awesome and I've been meaning to tell you about it for a while.

This album is made up of six beautiful acoustic tracks. A couple of them are totally new while the others have either been on their albums or on their channel previously. I'm now going to go through each of the tracks and break down what is so good about them!

Trainers in Love
Although I'm not into Pokémon (mainly because of lack of exposure to it), this is a beautiful song. The harmonies are just right and I just keep singing along to it. Even as a Pokémon n00b I get some of the nerd references and it really makes me want to get into Pokémon as well as being brilliant listening. I could put this song on repeat and listen to it all day.

Saved
This is the third version of Saved that I've heard and I've liked each and every one. This version is obviously an acoustic version of the one on the ALL CAPS album rather than from Luke's channel with him singing alone and once again it's the harmonies that I really like about this version. I've always loved the lyrics and this version puts more focus on the lyrics as you only have a guitar rather than  full backing. The little guitar bit at the end is random and I got annoyed with it the first time I listened but it's grown on me and I like the fact that it isn't over produced.

Don't Unplug Me
In my opinion, this is much better than the original, mainly because you can really hear Kristina's voice rather than all the electronic auto-tuning. I know that it makes sense for the lyrics but, if I haven't said it enough, I love harmonies! It's a bit slower than the original but it works!

Dashing Knight
I first heard this on the ALL CAPS YouTube channel where Luke played it to Kristina with the help of Jason Munday. Initially, I thought that this version was much too slow. To be honest, I still prefer the speed of the original but once again the harmonies has made me grow to love this version and it also makes the lyrics make more sense in how the harmonies have been shared out between Luke and Kristina. Undoubtedly, one of the best bits is the guitar solo in the middle and I'm glad that wasn't lost for 'lowercase'. I'm also a sucker for old English so how can I hate this song?!

World of Warcraft
This is a much softer version of World of Warcraft and, while it sounds really nice, it does lose the anger of the original. Again, the harmonies and guitar are beautiful but, while it does have passion, it doesn't have that anger that I loved about the original. The passion does grow as the song goes on which I like though. It does end rather abruptly in my opinion but I'm not sure if I like that or not. If you ignore the original, this is another wonderful track but, in comparing it to the original, I'm not so sure if it was one of the best to chose to do an acoustic cover of.

Real or Not Real
Despite this being the first of the acoustic songs I ended up hearing, this is a perfect end to the album. It's full of passion and has actually made me want to read 'The Hunger Games'! There's one bit where Kristina's vocals are a bit rough compared to the rest of the album but then again, I'm no music whiz and this may have been intended. All I can say is that I think it would have been a bit better smoother but, either way, the song is another beautiful and passionate addition to lowercase and the ALL CAPS repertoire.

In conclusion, lowercase is an amazing album purely for the harmonies and passion you can hear in Luke and Kristina's natural voices. It makes a nice change to auto-tuning but I certainly don't want ALL CAPS to stop their usual style either! There's a few bits that stop it from being perfect but if that wasn't the case I'd have to wonder if Luke and Kristina were really human...

"So long and thanks for all the fish."


Current book I'm reading: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Last TV show watched: QI - H Animals
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BEDESO #13 (Radio 4)

I've been meaning to talk about radio 4 for a while. It's my parent's choice of radio station and, since I decided I don't like what's in the charts, it's also the only radio station I listen to. Admittedly that's mainly because it's on almost permanently in the kitchen but that's besides the point.

I used to find radio 4 really boring but now I find that I actually quite enjoy listening to some of the programs. I've even caught myself asking for the radio to be turned up while we're eating dinner because everyone's talking over the top! This does mean I mainly end up listening to the programs that are on at about six thirty but I do think they are some of the best! "Just a minute" is a genius program and "The Unbelievable Truth" is also really interesting. I also really want to go back and listen to all the radio series of "Genius" and it's shows like these that make radio 4 awesome.

The thing is, around seven o'clock you get a transformation in the radio program quality that is just terrible. You go (via the news) from programs like "Just a Minute" to "The Archers". I think "The Archers" totally lets down the whole of radio 4 and, to be honest, I don't really understand it at all! You go from intellectual comedy, to news, to an audio form of a soap. It just doesn't really fit in, in my opinion, plus my parent's obsession with it is also a little disconcerting!

For as long as I can remember, my parents have listened to "The Archers". I remember moaning at them from the time I realised what I was listening to, getting the theme tune embedded in my head (and also somehow occasionally confusing it with that of Blue Peter) and constantly wondering where on earth the 'agricultural storyline' is. I believe that quite often the only agricultural input is a cow or sheep noise in the background and the characters spend most of their time gossiping just like on any other soap. However, unlike others who have the problem of parents listening to "The Archers", I also have the problem of being constantly compared to one of the characters. Admittedly, it's mainly jokingly, but one of the characters is practically my age so I get told that she'll be "getting her results like you today!" or "her birthday's soon as well!" or "she's going back to school too!" or "I wonder if she's got any offers from university?" To be honest, I'm not sure if the character is actually applying for uni and the last example hasn't actually been said yet but give it time!

Nevertheless, the majority of what I hear on radio 4 isn't that bad. An Oxford representative even said that it was a good idea to spend more time listening to radio 4 but then again, she may not have meant the programs between 6.30 and 7.15pm!

        "So long and thanks for all the fish."

Current book I’m reading: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Last TV show watched: Doctor Who - Cold Blood (haven't had time to watch anything else!)
Current programs/web pages open: Blogger - Edit posts, Twitter, facebook, YouTube, iPlayer, Windows Live Mail
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BEDESO #12 (Configuration)

I'm the sort of person that when I get something new, I have to sort it out straight away. If it's clothes I have to take off all the tags, if it's a game I have to take it out of the box and have a look at it and if it's a new bag I have to transfer all my stuff over into it straight away. I think there's no point in buying something new if you're not going to use it so why not make it ready to use straight away, or at least the next day!

Getting new stuff is always fun. The excitement of something new to try out, the fun of looking at all the different bits and bobs on it. It's like when you arrive at a holiday home; you have to immediately go running around the place, investigating the rooms, opening every single cupboard, draw, and door.

This reminds me of the last time I went on Easter Camp. We were in an old school and when we arrived we spent ages just running around investigating. We went up and down the stairs, along the corridors, tried out pretty much every door and found we were going round in circles most of the time. It was great fun and we even played a game of hide and seek later in the week.

The thing is, after a while, that new thing is no longer new. It's no longer you're 'new toy' that you want to investigate and it's either become something everyday or just forgotten. Maybe a bit later along the line you may find it again and dig it out for a while but it's not new. It doesn't have that same glow and excitement of new.

I think we often forget that possessions aren't the be all and end all. We can have new clothes, technology, games and books galore but they ultimately won't last. The clothes will wear out or get stained, the technology will grow old, needing to be replaced by the next best thing, the games will lose pieces or break while the books will become tatty and lose that wonderful 'new book' smell.

There are things much more important that possessions and we so often forget that. In the rush to have the newest clothes, latest technology and more books, we forget that they won't help in the long run. Money creates more problems than it solves and we need to remember that. Helping each other, being kind to each other, and thinking about eternity is much more important. We're still allowed to like our new things but we must get them in perspective!

      "So long and thanks for all the fish."

Current book I’m reading: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Last TV show watched: Doctor Who - Cold Blood
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BEDESO #11 (Esther 1)

Today, I thought I'd share with you my notes for tomorrows Christian Union. They're not perfect and I've sort of followed the structure of "Esther: God's invisible hand" by Helen Clark published by DayOne. Nevertheless, I thought I'd share it!

Oh, and you might want to read the chapter here first:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther+1&version=NIV

Esther 1 v 1-22


The book starts with king Xerxes holding a massive banquet
- There would have been a lot of people. There would have been many people from each of the 127 provinces.
- The banquet lasted 180 days or almost six months. Obviously there would have been business matters and invasions to plan as well as the eating and not all the representatives would have stayed the whole time but it still would have been a very busy six months!
- He was basically showing off about how much he owned.
- (v6-7) The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king's liberality.

Why did he hold the banquet? (v1-6)

- It seems mainly to show off all his wealth and splendour. His grandfather had been very successful in taking over many lands and he probably wanted to prove that he was also great and powerful.
- Pride probably had a very large part to play but are we any different?
          o We often want to show off new clothes, new technology such as mobile phones, or new games. Our status in life is often measured by what we have rather than who we are.
          o Having new stuff is nice but we also have to remember that being kind and generous to others is much more important. God doesn’t care about what we have but what we do, what our personality is like. Ultimately, our possessions won’t last.

In verses 7-8, it talks about the guests being allowed to drink in their own way. This basically means they could ignore the tradition of not drinking before the host or drinking more than the host. That meant that they could have basically drunk as much alcohol as they liked and got very drunk!!
- Christians differ on whether you should drink alcohol or not but they do agree on this:
o Drinking too much is not right.
o Getting drunk is wrong because our thoughts and actions are affected.
o We are called to always have our wits about us so we are ready and willing to witness for Christ and set a good example. We can’t do that if we’re drunk!

The first queen (v9-12)

- Xerxes was married to a woman called Vashti and she was busy holding her own banquet for the women.
- Xerxes, while very drunk, thought it would be a good idea to order Vashti to dress up in the family jewels and parade herself in front of his guests.
          o Although it may seem that she was in the wrong, not only was it wise of her to not go into a room of very drunk men and polite of her not to leave her own guests but it was also against tradition and what was considered right for Xerxes to command her to come in the first place.
          o Nevertheless, it was still a very dangerous thing to refuse the king.

She paid dearly (v13-22)

- This refusal would have been very embarrassing for a man as proud as Xerxes.
- He didn’t let her get away with what she’d done and so selected some ‘wise men’ to give him advice on what to do.
          o They suggested that Vashti should never see the king again and lose her title of queen. Vashti would also have had no say in this matter

- This may seem very harsh but remember that God’s plan was unfolding and this had to happen for further developments and for his people to be saved.
- God’s work behind the scenes may not be visible yet but he is certainly there!

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"So long, and thanks for all the fish."



Current book I’m reading: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Last TV show watched: Doctor Who - Amy's Choice (currently watching)
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