I haven't written anything on this blog for a while now. Reason being, I went back to Aberystwyth to work for graduation week. As always, I couldn't drag myself away, so stayed for another 2 weeks! I didn't have internet there and never really had time to write, what with the amount of work/drinking I had to do. Caught up with a lot of people, ate like a queen (considering I went there with 7 packs of noodles....), drank like a fish and even had a friend from home come up to visit which was lovely!
In other news, I'm currently working in Italy as a tutor to 3 siblings. Living in their house and teaching them 5 days a week. Read all about it here: http://ice-cream-in-italy.blogspot.co.uk/
I am in the middle of writing a big music blog, so that'll have to wait for now because I'm a perfectionist at heart and I'm nowhere near finishing it. In the mean time, please enjoy this wonderful ear-pleasure. It's amazing to watch as well as listen to!
The other night I caught the tail-end of a TV programme (Home is Where the Heart is) about 4 celebrity households taking in a homeless person for a few weeks, then setting them up with homes, jobs etc afterwards. It is shameful to think that the only reason the general public are informed of the blights of the homeless, is because it is thrust on our TV's by celebrities (and a few arrogant ones at that, if you’ve seen the programme, you’ll know what I mean.) Not only was it a bunch of Z-list celebrities trying to make a point, it was on at 2am on ITV 2, instead of prime time. These days, prime time consists of programmes like "The Only Way is Essex," "Made in Chelsea," and "Geordie Shore" - people without an ounce of talent cluttering up our screens. It makes me sick to think that these people are idolised for being trashy, egocentric, poxy excuses for humans, while the real people with talent are the ones that are shoved onto the backburner.
I’m not adverse to all celebrities, but what I do have a problem with is the idolisation of it all. The sad truth is, our generation relies on celebrity culture. If they aren’t wearing it, we won’t wear it. If they aren’t singing it, we won’t listen to it, etc etc.
Of course there are celebrities that I admire and respect for making their talents something that is widely renowned. Whether it be actors, musicians, writers, comedians: It’s all talent. However, as I mentioned earlier, why are people like Mark Wright famous? It has always baffled me, the celebrity culture. Isn’t it weird and a bit creepy? When photos of different celebrities are forced down our throat everywhere we go. Who cares whether Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton wore the same dress, who are these people anyway?!
I know people that have crazy obsessions with famous people. They see them as heroes. I have sometimes wished that I felt that much "love" for someone famous. Then again why would I? Unless I knew them personally I couldn’t have that much "love" for anyone. Admiration, I can understand. You can "get to know" a singer/songwriter through their music and admire their lyrics or song voice. Actors, again, they have a talent. But those interviews that we read about or watch, are just like any of their other scripts that they learn. Sometimes written honestly, but carefully filtered. We don’t know anything about these people. Admiring a person for a genuine talent, whether it be writing, singing, acting, being clever/funny is great, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But I think this generation of celebrity idolatry is crazy.
Here's a few people that I admire, celebrity or not:
Adam Walford (friend), Adele (singer/songwriter), Alexandra Blow (friend), Becky Clarke (friend) , J.K. Rowling (author), Shan Parsons (friend), David Mitchell (comedian), Jon Trevett (father), Naomi Brooks-Thomas (friend), Sharon Osbourne (entrepreneur/writer/talk show host), Ricky Gervais (comedian/actor), Howard Marks (writer etc!), Jemma Smith (friend), Mike "Monkey" Roberts (friend), Stephen Fry (TV presenter/writer/genius), Frankie Boyle (comedian), Louis Theroux (journalist), Russell Brand (comedian/actor), Caitlin Baglow (friend), Matthew Baldwin (cousin/friend), John Butler (singer/songrwiter), Hannah Quance (friend), Lois Morse (friend), Christopher Baldwin (cousin/friend), Tina Fey (writer/actress/comedian), Mandy Trevett (mother), Caitlin Herbert (friend), Oscar Wilde (writer), Ewan McGregor (actor/writer/singer), Dawn French (comedian/actress)
A book review of American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis. There are spoilers, so don't read on if you intend to read the book! I’ve just finished reading American Psycho, a controversial novel written by Bret Easton Ellis in 1991. The protagonist, Patrick Bateman, is a deranged, 26 year old with a penchant for murder in particularly psychotic fashions. Bateman, who works in 1980s Wall Street, is successful, wealthy, handsome. His Wall Street life leads him to fascinate about heinous ways of killing, particularly women.
Anyway, the book is a controversial, blood bath and I enjoyed it. I probably wouldn’t read it again, it’s a bit taxing, but definitely worth a read if you can sit through the whole chapters about Genesis/Whitney Houston albums, the in-depth detailing and general sickness. Very well written and it really captures the ‘American Psycho’ in Patrick Bateman.
Yesterday was Father’s Day, and me being the worst daughter in the world didn’t buy my Dad a card or any presents. Now don’t think this was me being ungrateful, I’m just useless at buying presents and he always says not to buy him things unless they’re useful… And I never know what is to a bloke in his late 40-s! In the end, I made him a voucher list of things like “1 pint of Strongbow/Guinness in the pub of your choice” and “I’ll cook 1 meal of your choice.” etc. But I want my dad to know that I’m eternally grateful for everything he’s ever done for me... Now a lot of people don’t know that Sid (as everyone knows him by) is not my biological Dad. My “real Dad” (although I hate the term) hasn’t been around for most of my life. It’s never bothered me and that’s because Sid has been there for me. I call Sid my Dad, not a step-dad, because although he’s married to my mum, he's more than a step-dad. Dad adopted me in my teens, but he’s been a father to me since I was about 2 years old. When I was growing up, I never rebelled against him. Of course I was a stroppy teenager, but it was never a case of “you’re not my real Dad; you can’t tell me what to do.” I have never felt like that towards him. We’ll be having a drink at the pub that I grew up in and so many people approach us, people that knew me as a young ’un, and say how similar we are, or how we have the same eyes, or the same refusal to admit we‘re wrong! We just smile and generally have a drunken conversation laughing about it with each other.
(From L-R, My little brother Marcus, Me, Mum, My older brother Ben, Dad)
Not many people have the option to choose their family, but I really feel like I have. I’ve never wanted for anything since he’s been around. He’s more of a father than I could possibly imagine. It’s an honour to call him my Dad, and I’m just so happy that I’m his daughter. So this is just a thanks to my Dad. Thank you for being there, for me and my Mum; for always providing for me; for not treating me any different to my brothers; for being the best Dad that I could have ever chosen. To me, you’re my real Dad, and that’s all that matters. Thank you x
Today I’ve not really been doing much due to my lack of car and this rainy weather. So, I’ve been sitting in my house, trawling through Facebook and Twitter. Now I’m not a complete addict, but when I don’t have much to do, it can be mildy entertaining to keep an eye on the world via my friends. Now I’ll post Tweets or status’ just as much as the next person. But what I don’t understand is people who put very personal problems on their social network sites. What prompted this was a Twitter argument between two people I know. It started with a comment that was a joke but got taken the wrong way. From then on it escalated into a textual cat fight between two friends. Surely if a comment offends you, why not message your friend: “I think that was inappropriate” and then have it out from there? I’ve seen so many people (girls in particular) posting statuses or arguments about things that the general public really don’t need to know, it’s embarrassing.
I really can’t fathom why a lot of people volunteer to air their dirty laundry to so many people that they probably don’t speak to all that often. We all have Facebook friends that we wouldn’t tell our deepest darkest secrets to, why make it public? Do you really want 500-odd people knowing your business? I guess it all comes down to wanting attention. But it’s all negative - it doesn’t half make you look like a dick when you’re ranting about how much of an arsehole your ex is or how much of a bitch your “best friend” is. Not only are you publicly humiliating yourself, you’re inviting people who have nothing to do with the situation, to get involved, and when this happens, they’re usually told to “mind their own business” anyway. Personal problems are named that for a reason.
Whether it be an argument between two people that has gotten out of hand, or one person writing a status/Tweet that is aimed at a particular person, it’s an endless, pathetic cycle. What ever happened to people arguing it out between themselves face-to-face? We just need good old fashioned “I’ll meet you on the playground at break-time.” Don’t get me wrong, it can be entertaining to read. But then again, it’s none of our fucking business.
“They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge.” - Thomas Brackett Reed
In the last 25 years or so, mobile phones have come a very long way, as with most technology. Long ago are the days when a ‘mobile’ phone would be as immobile as possible. They’ve gone from bricks, to tiny little things, and now they’re big enough to hold all of that crazy stuff on them. iPhones, Blackberries, Androids, HTC’s, yadda, yadda, yadda: Smart Phones.
These days you can use a phone for so much more than phoning people. As Apple claim, "there’s an app for just about anything" You can listen to music on your phone, play games, take pictures, read maps, instant chat your friends, check your e-mails, post a Tweet, write on your friend’s wall. You ask your iPhone a question, it’ll tell you the answer (providing you don’t have a Scottish accent apparently.) Don’t get me wrong, all of this stuff is amazing and seeing technology develop in such a way is fascinating. Let me know when they invent a battery that lasts longer than 8 hours… If you’re constantly connected to a plug socket, surely you’re better off with a laptop and a phone as separate entities. I completely understand that they’re awfully useful, especially in a crisis. For example, I’m sure Google maps may be a lot more useful if I was lost, than having a battery that actually lasts long enough to phone people until they could help. And for business people I think they’re remarkably important. To keep your dates, times, meetings; even documents on. I have a crappy Nokia. I can use WAP if I really wanted to use the internet, but I very rarely do. I can text people, I can phone people, and that’s all I want from a phone. My Nokia has a 6 day battery life, it rings loud enough so I can hear it, it's small enough to fit in my pocket, it holds loads of texts and loads of numbers. All the useful stuff that I need from a phone.
Plus it looks so crap and worthless that if I lost it, it’d more likely get returned because no one would try and sell it on. (Yesterday I accidentally left it on a bench outside my local pub it was still there an hour and a half later.) I pay a tenner a month for all the phone calls and texts that I need, I don’t want to have to pay £30 on top of that each month for the privilege of being more likely to be mugged, and to find out things that I can generally wait to find out from the internet at home.
Smart phones have ruined conversation - Long gone are the days of debates about "Which-90’s-actor-was-the-voice-of-which-80’s-kids-tv-character?" Or "Who-sang-that-song-about-a-chimney-in-1998?" You know that crap conversation that I’m talking about: "It’ll really bug me until I find out," kind of thing. Obviously it’s a lot easier, but personally, those moments are always more of an achievement when I think of it 3 days later while making a sandwich. However, these days, you Google it there and then; end of slightly irritating, but fun conversation. (I understand I’m not going to get many people who agree with this point!)
Anyway, this blog is about what irritates me the most about these phones, and that’s the people that use them. As I’ve already said, I think they’re important for some people but what they’re not important for is this: “OH.EM.GEE _______ is SUCH a good night out!! Having the best time!!!11!!11one!!1” Hold the phone (literally). If you’re having such a GREAT night out… why are you stood in the middle of the dance floor needing to go on Facebook and post a status about it? Surely you’re having too much fun to Tweet about the fun you‘re having?! Smart Phones have also ruined table manners - Here is where the real rant starts. I’m big on manners. No doubt someone will eventually anger me enough to write a whole blog about it one day, but for now I’m going to keep it limited to the world of ‘Smart Phone Ignorance’ as I’ve so aptly named it.
It absolutely drives me around the bend when, in company, someone whips out their phone. Ok, it’s understandable if they have plans to make. I don’t mind anyone answering a call or text in my presence as long as they can hold a conversation too. Personally, unless it’s important, I won’t answer a text, and I’ll take a phone call but always excuse myself. And I have no qualms with anyone else doing the same. It’s when people scroll through their news feed on Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr in my presence. Nothing bugs me more than when I’m trying to talk to someone and they interrupt me with a giggle at something that‘s happening elsewhere. "Oh! So-and-so just uploaded this hilaaaarious photo." If I cared, I’d be sat here with my laptop in front of me instead of trying to have a REAL conversation with a REAL person…Whether in a large group of people, or one-on-one, I think it’s one of the rudest things someone could do. Is my (or other’s) company not good enough for you? You have to trawl through your acquaintance’s mundane life updates instead of conversing with me?! Like I said, it’s not the phones I have the problem with, it’s the people that use them. If used in the right situation, I'm all for them. But real conversation shouldn’t have to die before your phone battery does.
Yesterday me and my mum went to Bath. We were meant to go to Bristol, but mum missed the turning on the motorway, so decided on Bath instead. Now if anyone knows my mum (Good ol’ Mandy) they know she spends many, many hours entering online competitions. Although widely rumoured to be a complete waste of time and a con, they’re not. Some of the stuff she’s won: -A few holidays to Spain/Turkey -A weekend, all-inclusive trip to Champney's spa -A DS Lite -£100 worth of ASOS vouchers -Take That gig tickets -Girls Aloud gig tickets -One of those big bouncy balls that you sit on (I’ve completely forgotten what they’re called) -A years supply of muesli -Books And so much more. Anyway, the reason we were going to Bristol/Bath is because mum won £500 worth of Jigsaw vouchers. An over priced, retailer that sells pretty average clothes in my opinion. A lot of it is timeless in it’s design, but me, being the tightwad I am, find it expensive. I had £250 in vouchers to spend after my brother had the other half. I bought this navy front knot top (RRP: £39)
This spotty silk top: (RRP: £119)
And these jeans: (RRP: £79)
-Excuse the awful photos, I haven't got a camera at the moment so webcam had to do-
I’d definitely never spend anywhere near the amount that should have been paid for these, but it’s alright for free. On the way home, we had some delightful food in a little pub called ‘The Globe.’ Probably the best chicken I’ve ever had while eating out (I normally find it dry and disappointing). After that I slept during the treacherous cross-over on the bridge - It’s been blowing a gale outside! Afterwards, I went for some drinks at my friend Caitlin’s house. We haven’t had a night, just us drinking wine, in far too long. Then caught a taxi (which probably took longer than if we were to have walked) to the pub. Watched some lovely live music (which happens rarely these days, unfortunately.) Before coming home to sleep. I’m going to my first hen party at about 1pm, so that should be a blast! There’ll be musings later, but I highly doubt they’ll be tipsy!
In other news, I found this jazz band yesterday and they've brought much happiness to my ears. They're called The Hackney Colliery Band. Check them out - they've got some great covers like Africa (Originally by Toto) and No Diggity by Blackstreet. This is a jazz medley of Prodigy songs and it's bloody brilliant!
