The wallpaper is from www.derekprospero.com. His artwork is amazing so I recommend you check it out. As for the icons, they are just random ones that I found on interfacelift.com.
Why not link me to a picture of yours? I find stuff like that interesting ^-^
It sounds so stupid but yesterday I decided to watch the last ever episode of The O.C. (a show which I hold dear to my heart) and it got me thinking. Seeing clips of what all the characters would go on to achieve made me realise just how much I care about what others think of me. I then started to think of occasions when this lead me to give up on certain things and I came up with so many.
Being on a journalism course, I am required to do a lot of chasing around for interviews and article ideas and we are encouraged to try and go straight to the top and persist in getting answers. To me, this is easier said than done. Some people can just pick up a phone or walk into an office and demand to speak to certain people but I'm just not one of them. All of the time I'd be trying to keep a polite image so as not to upset or anger the person on the other end even though I would probably never speak to or see them again. We all know this isn't how you get results in the industry (or even in life) and I always feel stupid afterwards.
Seeing that episode of The O.C. just made me realise how short life is and how much you have to try and cram into it. Upsetting/angering some random stranger on the other end of a telephone could cause you hassle for around 5 seconds of your life (which is easily forgotten) but it could also mean getting a great interview or an important piece of information - something that could go on to determine your future. It just seems stupid to think that I could throw away an important opportunity just because I cared what someone thought of me for a few seconds.
I guess I just need a reminder like that sometimes to encourage me to take less notice and be a little more ruthless..... hence the sign that has now taken up permanent residence on my notice board.
So if you are ever doubting or too afraid to give something a go because of self image, just do it - life really is too short.
I know its now Wednesday but whatever, its weekend update time!
As you know from my latest video, I was home at the weekend cause I promised some friends that I would meet up with them and go to the cinema and stuff .... and like I said, I (unfortunately) went to see 'Cloverfield'. Since mentioning it in the video, I've already had people disagreeing with me but I'm not even lying when I say that the majority of the cinema was relieved when it finished. All I heard coming out of the room was 'how bad was that?' and 'what a waste of £7'. Maybe it was just an English thing or maybe even a Fenland thing .. we are meant to be inbred after all.
The premise of the film itself wasn't bad at all, in fact, I thought it was clever but I really was unable to enjoy it due to the fact that the filming played havoc with my eyes. I was okay for about 30 mins and then my eyes really started to hurt, I got a slight headache and then the motion sickness thing kicked in. It was the same for my friend James. To be honest though, I do attribute 50% of this to the fact that we had to sit 2 rows from the front so we were literally sitting on the screen (not good for anyone). Like my friend pointed out, even if filmed without the shaky camera, it would then have been criticised for being a complete rip-off of Godzilla.
To be honest, I was kind of weary before I even entered the screening. At the ticket desk, there was a sign saying that the film could cause motion sickness. Now you might wonder what the big deal is with that but when I was in the US, there were signs for EVERYTHING. Maybe you don't notice it if you live there but I certainly did. Everything has labels and warning signs (which we are told helps to prevent people from suing). Over here, you just don't get as many warning signs and things (despite having a crazy health and safety board) so when I see one, it actually does make me look. I guess that one had reason for being there ^-^
Obviously American audiences enjoyed it otherwise the film wouldn't have grossed so much at the box office. I guess there is a lot of money to earn when the budget only equals around £1 *sarcasm*. I would love to see the statistics behind the UK release cause I have heard so many negative reviews here.
The only other amusing thing to mention that happened over the weekend is the ever lovable Archbishop of Canterbury's comments on how Sharia (Islamic) law will be incorporated into British law/society. He said it during a low key lecture that he was giving which soon turned in to the hottest news of the week. As a journalism student, I have to say that the media have acted appallingly (especially the tabloids). They completely twisted what he said even though his comments were quite unhelpful and badly presented. Some of the headlines were awful and they do nothing to help the already negative view of Britain being a 'multicultural society'. The Archbishop has been portrayed as fully supporting the move to incorporate Sharia law but actually (amongst some other stupid things) he said 'it is inevitable'. I myself completely disagree with incorporating Sharia law into a legal system based on christian beliefs but I also don't agree with that poor man being so badly condemned. If it caused this much fuss then surely it must be a sensitive issue and he was right to bring it up at least cause something clearly needed to be said. Its just a shame that the Archbishop yet again had to behave like the embarrassing uncle at the wedding who doesn't know when to shut up.
Other photos: click here
Today I had to venture up to Lincoln cathedral as part of a task we were set in a newsgathering seminar. We were each given a different topic relating to Lincoln and we had to go out and get six facts and a quote from someone regarding that subject. I was given the 'Lincoln Imp' which is a pretty famous legend here in England. Anyways, for a winter's day here, the sun was out and it wasn't as cold as it has been so we set out up steep hill to the cathedral.
Lincoln cathedral is an extremely famous cathedral in England cause it is one of the grandest and most beautiful - it is also really old. It was famously used in 'The Da Vinci' code instead of Westminster Abbey because the two buildings look virtually identical inside. One of the main reasons for its popularity is the fact that the city of Lincoln itself is known as being one of the prettiest cities in England. It is really small, quaint and has retained a lot of the old roman aspects and cobbled streets. Its pretty much a stereotypical english 'town'. It is also known as being extremely affluent and the crime rate is quite low ... something rare in cities these days. If you visited, you would see exactly why I chose to study here.
Stepping in there was absolutely breathtaking. I'm still mesmorised by how people actually managed to build buildings like that in those days. It was huge and the pillars and ceilings were just fantastic. I took lots of photos and found out that it is free entry to Lincoln students so I'll definitely be going back.
I found the Lincoln Imp too! It is a tiny little statue mounted on a pillar right up in the rafters of the cathedral. There was a little plaque to help people find it. Legend has it that Satan sent the imp to cause chaos on earth but upon entering the cathedral, an angel turned it to stone. It is a silly little medieval legend that is meant to highlight the evil and goodness in all of us. The Lincoln city football team are known as 'The Lincoln Imps' so that has probably helped the legend to live on.
I took a few photos of the cathedral, the imp and a couple of the streets so if you want to have a look, you can view them on my flickr page: here
Lots of people asked about Pancake Day on the last video so I decided to do a bit of a summary as to the history and traditions behind it. A lot of the online explanations that I looked at were rubbish so I added some of my own special input ^-^. Hope you learn something cause I did - I had no idea that Mardi Gras was associated with it.
'Shrove Tuesday' is a term used in the UK, Australia and Canada which refers to the day after Shrove Monday and the day before Ash Wednesday (which is the start of Lent). The day is also known as 'Pancake Day' as it is customary for pancakes to be consumed.
In other parts of the world that are historically catholic or french-speaking, the day is known as 'Mardi Gras'.
The reason that pancakes are eaten on this day is due to the fact that Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent. This meant that all eggs, milk and sugar needed to be eaten beforehand and the easiest way to get rid of them was in the form of pancakes.
Pancakes eaten in these countries differ completely from those known by Americans. Pancakes in these countries tend to be slightly thicker than French crepes and are traditionally eaten with brown sugar and lemon juice though syrup is sometimes used. In the UK particularly, 'American style' pancakes are virtually non-existent.
'Yorkshire puddings' are also hugely popular in England. They are made with exactly the same ingredients as pancakes but the mix is cooked in a baking tray in the oven rather than fried in a pan. It is practically compulsory to eat them with the Sunday roast dinner - a traditional dish of Britain.
Many towns in England held traditional 'Shrove Tuesday' football matches dating back as far as the 12th century though it died out slightly in recent times with the introduction of the highway act which prevented games being played in the streets. Many rural towns however have managed to maintain the tradition to this day.
The actual word 'shrove' is the past tense of an old english verb 'shrive' which means to obtain absolution from your sins. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving (or confession) that Anglo-Saxon christians were required to do before Lent.
The period known as 'Shrovetide' is England's own equivalent of the carnival tradition that developed in Latin Europe from which we get the French 'Mardi Gras'. Other country's equivalents include Germany's Faschingsdienstag (Fat Tuesday), Sweden's Fettisdagen and Spain's 'Martes de Carnaval'.
If you're reading this then hi! Welcome to my brand-spanking new text blog. I've always been great at jumping on bandwagons so I figured why stop now? Anyways, I'll be making some real posts soon once I've linked this on my channel so .... yeah :)
