And I'll Show You The Road

The Polar Bears Love Gary Numan

Sun, 22 May 2011 17:21:47 -0400

So the Polar Bear in the Tundra episode of Series One of the Mighty Boosh was actually singing a slightly improv’d version of Gary Numan’s “Are ‘friends’ electric?”

“It’s cold outside…doodoodoooo….dodododooodo….I don’t know what I’m doing in a place like this”

It’s taken me 4 years to find this out…I hang my head in shame.

"My life is a cup of sugar I’ve borrowed before time began and forgot to return"

Fri, 13 May 2011 14:46:01 -0400

“My life is a cup of sugar I’ve borrowed before time began and forgot to return”

- January 1979 - Me Without You

"I’ve been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand, Could these sensations make me..."

Wed, 11 May 2011 17:34:45 -0400

“I’ve been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand,
Could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man?”

- Disorder - Joy Division

Jungle Book

Wed, 11 May 2011 17:22:58 -0400

Tonnes of fun.

Lost within a one mile radius of the university.

Discovered Mowgli running barefoot.

Oh how fun procrastination can be!!

"And it starts, sometime around midnight. Or at least that’s when you lose yourself for a minute or..."

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 06:51:47 -0400

“And it starts, sometime around midnight.
Or at least that’s when you lose yourself
for a minute or two.
As you stand, under the bar lights.
And the band plays some song
about forgetting yourself for a while.
And the piano’s this melancholy soundtrack to her smile.
And that white dress she’s wearing
you haven’t seen her for a while.”

- Sometime Around Midnight - The Airborne Toxic Event

"Love’s a silver bullet that blows your world apart I wanna have it written on my..."

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:51:00 -0400

“Love’s a silver bullet that blows your world apart
I wanna have it written on my tombstone
Here lies the boy who stole your heart”

- Cowboy Dreams - Jimmy Nail <3

Hey thanks for the follow, fellow The National and Jack Kerouac fan!

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:44:36 -0400

No problem! Love the blog dude :)

This is what I like to call biscuit art…first edible piece...

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:13:55 -0400

This is what I like to call biscuit art…first edible piece in my portfolio.

First Attempt - no piping bag, just a sandwich bag

"Stay out super late tonight Picking apples, making pies Put a little something in our lemonade and..."

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 05:36:57 -0400

“Stay out super late tonight
Picking apples, making pies
Put a little something in our lemonade and take it with us
We’re half-awake in a fake empire”

- The National

Fisherman Attack!

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 06:18:00 -0400

We’ve all heard of the film “Jaws”, we’ve seen documentaries on television about shark attacks in Australia, South Africa and other warm climates, but how much attention is paid to fisherman “attacks”.

It seems that the perfect predator cannot escape the clutches of fishermen in Asia who sell their fins for soup. Yes that’s right, millions of sharks each year are killed to make a bowl of soup worth around $100.

The Asian “delicacy” is served to businessmen and tourists, making frequent appearances on wedding menus, as well as being sold at supermarkets just in case you fancy a fin one evening.

I perfectly respect the fact that fishing is an important livelihood to millions, but it seems that the cruelty behind the practice of finning cannot be justified by this fact.

The sharks are caught and their fins removed whilst they are still alive. The shark is then dumped back into the sea to slowly die from blood loss, from being eaten by other sea creatures and from drowning, since their gills cannot filter the warning as they can’t swim.

Campaigners are calling for a change as the numbers and species of sharks are dwindling. Could caps be placed on the numbers caught? Should the entire shark be used once it’s caught, not just its fin.

In comparison to the tragedies that have occurred in the world recently, this issue seems microscopic. I’ve had the pleasure to swim with sharks and it’s heartbreaking to think that millions of years of evolution can be wiped out over a bowl of soup.

Please help to end the finning of sharks.

P.s. On a greater note… please help support the Japanese Red Cross or the New Zealand Red Cross with your donations through the Red Cross Website. Thanks!

My latest baking project for when I go back to...

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:39:33 -0400

My latest baking project for when I go back to Uni…recreate my birthday cake…

ACE OF CAKES STYLE!!!

Space!! The Final Frontier

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:30:26 -0400

So Google just told me today is the 50th anniversary of the FIRST HUMAN space flight.

But I should like to pose this question, as controversial as it may seem, did humans actually get to the Moon? Or as The Red Hot Chilli Peppers said was it “built in a Hollywood basement”?

"If I knew my revision as well as lyrics, I'd get a first...fo' sure"

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:22:40 -0400

Well it’s April…Easter…nearly May. I don’t like May. It means exams. Exams on a subject that I struggle to get my noggin around sometimes.

I’m in that stage at the moment where I’ve read dozens of books on revision/exam techniques and motivation. I’ve started running and weight training everyday, starting drinking more water and green tea….you know the usual crap that’s supposed to “reinvigorate your mind” and “make you concentrate more”. I dunno yet whether it’s working…I think Tumblr’s detracting from its effects.

I always find though that I work better when listening to music…silence isn’t golden in my opinion - it means I can hear the rusty cogs in my mind grind each other down.

I thought, like yesterday, I would share my top 5 with you - my top 5 revision and essay writing tracks….no it doesn’t involve Britney this time.

1. Rinse Me Down - Bombay Bicycle Club

Dead mellow. They will be featured a lot in my summer entries. They remind me of sunshine ( as daft as it may sound) so I’m not too bothered about having to stay inside, in the garage working, when it’s sunny out.

2. Her Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie

I love this man! Everything about this song is just so relaxing…the brushed snare, the cello. I don’t think I can articulate effectively in one sentence my feelings about this song…I’ll leave it at that.

3. Young Blood - The Naked and Famous

I may sound like a raving lunatic now, but just picture this scene…you’ve only got 200 words left until you’ve hit the 1000 word mark for your Legal Theory Essay on Torture. You’re slowly dying of boredom and the inability to think any more. This song comes on and it just motivates me to finish those last few words. Then it’s like a little celebration once you’ve finished writing….That probably doesn’t make any sense, I’mma leave it here.

4. Music Matters - Faithless

This song is just so calming. It wipes away the “fear” half way through a day of intense (unproductive) revision. Just another epic song from Faithless in general.

5. July Flame - Laura Veirs

Yet another inspiring female singer/songwriter…I hate to say this, and I know I will get stupid amounts of abuse for it, but she has to be my favourite female folk music at this moment in time. Her lyrics are heart felt. And just to top it all of her song “Up the River” featured on an album with the likes of Jose Gonzalez, the Moldy Peaches, Rufus Wainwright and Belle & Sebastian.

So there you go…my top 5 revision and essay writing songs. They’re calming and the beauty of these songs is that you can listen to them and not get trapped in heavy beats, guitar solos or bass lines that just call for you to pull out the air guitar and dance around the room. I would write more in depth analysis of these songs but I have 1500 words to write today on Sovereignty and Abolitionism.

Toodles

So what’s your Top 5 work songs?

"I plea guilty" - Top 5 Summer Hits

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 05:56:00 -0400

That’s right! I’m pleading guilty to having some of the worst tracks (In my opinion) on my Spotify.

Where I’m from in the UK we’ve had some glorious weather recently. I’m sure like me, many have donned the i-Pod and shorts to catch a few rays in the hopes of transforming themselves from uncooked chips to bronze Gods/Goddesses :)

Unfortunately whilst sunbathing my neighbours have had to listen to my summer playlist…I will now share my Top 5 summer music offences…

1. Till the World Ends - Britney Spears

I was never a fan of Britney as a kid. My love of her only came last year after If You Seek Amy (Took me ages to work out what that meant). Some catchy, uplifting beats here from the Aunty of Pop…much love for the new album. As that bloke said “leave Britney alone!”

2. If I Die Young - The Band Perry

Bit o’country music now and again isn’t a bad thing. Cute video, cute lyrics, uplifting message…based on Tennyson. What is there not to love! There’s an accordion and mandolin too! Bonus! It’s very Bluegrass, some may say unoriginal vocals, but sometimes isn’t it better to concentrate on the lyrics and meaning for a change?

3. Booty Call - The Midnight Beast

How could you not love this song?! Very clever…kinda true even :/ “Nuff said”

4. Animal - Ke$ha

Bit different to the other singles on the album. She isn’t chatting about her glamazonian attire, brushing her teeth with an expensive alcoholic beverage or why Stephen is ignoring her. In stead it’s about imperfect romances…a love song for the cynics out there

5. Mr Brightside - Tommy Reilly

I reckon this is the most well known song of the noughties…I’ve never seen anyone not sing when this comes on in a club. Of course no cover can compete with The Killer’s original, but this is a nice twist. Nice piano accompaniment. A more calming verson. Winner of Orange Unsigned. Bless his little Scottish voice. It’s just…nice. I like it… SO SUE ME!!!

Well there we go…my top 5 guilty pleasures of this summer. Don’t worry they’ll progressively get worse as the Summer goes on. Fair nuff if you aren’t in agreement, but this is a huge departure from my usual David Bowie loving tastes.

P.s. Is it awful that I can compare the majority of my life right now to Snooki’s off Jersey Shore :l ?

Thanks for the awesome answer.

I agree, I really don’t like Daisy. Maybe its because she’s just a ditzy rich girl. But when you think about it, she wasn’t unlike most rich women of the 20’s, so Fitzgerald did a great job at summarizing how women were back then. And I agree that she hopes her daughter to be a beautiful fool so she can marry well but be unaware of such terrible surroundings.

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:28:33 -0400

No problem, glad I could help :)

Yeah I agree, if you look at most of his female characters they’re destructive and self-involved. Could this be how he saw Zelda? Who knows. I think it’s such a shame, because Daisy if you think about it could be quite profound, intelligent and had just a smidgen of kindness in her. Unfortunately her need of money corrupted her ultimately…karma that she’d have probably lost her wealth in the Depression following .

Rightio… Here is one of the paintings from the start of my...

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:12:14 -0400

Rightio…

Here is one of the paintings from the start of my portfolio - Natural Interpretations (I will think of a better name…at some point)

If you have any constructive feedback, then I do appreciate and accept that as well. I would like to get a bit better before I sell them.

Thank you x

After watching “Ace of Cakes” and “Cake...

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:56:08 -0400

After watching “Ace of Cakes” and “Cake Boss” for a whole day, I feel like ditching my degree and becoming a baker!

Hogwarts cake anyone?

(Made for the Harry Potter premier by Charm City Cakes, Baltimore - programmes can be watched on the lifestyle channels)

London Calling

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:46:52 -0400

Hello, hello, hello!

Right so first off I would like to announce that I shall not be continuing with the 40 day challenge, due to unforeseeable circumstances this will not be possible. Sorry!

But on a brighter note I spend a lovely weekend in London with H-Block courtesy of lil’ pug and her awesome family! I’m amazed that for all the times I’ve been to London, I’ve never been to one of the parks. Slightly disgusted with myself at this fact, Lucy offered to take me to some of her favourite places. We ended up in Speaker’s Corner, Kensington Gardens, the Italian Gardens, to name a few. I also finally visiting Buckingham Palace, Peter Pan and the Prince Albert memorial.

It’s amazing how the traditional and modern can be merged so fluidly. No random statue looks out of place. Shops and railway stations have been built into beautiful “Victorian-esque” buildings, with my favourite buildings being in Covent Garden, Neal’s Yard and Seven Dials.

It’s hard for me to ramble on about these places if you have never seen them, so I won’t.

But I shall leave you with these parting words - my life is now complete now I own the David Bowie 1983 Changes vinyl :)

Lovelove x

Days 3 & 4 - Narcissus' Song

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:48:19 -0500

Firstly I’d like to apologise for not updating yesterday; my challenge didn’t end until midnight and by the time I returned home it was 3.30 in the morning.

So maybe I should explain yesterday’s challenge. I was told that I had to speak in the 3rd person all day. This makes life extremely difficult when you have seminars to go to and your lecturer asks you a question. Just to clarify it was only 3rd person NOT 3rd person narrative like SOME PEOPLE believed it to be.

I lasted until roughly 5-6ish when a slip of a tongue caused me to lose all faith in life and admit defeat. But speaking like a buffoon all day made me realise something which I find both interesting and slightly disheartening - we are a narcissistic race.

The excessive use of I in my entries just goes to prove this.

In order not to slip up I had to think extremely carefully about my phrasing. But it also allowed me to manipulate conversations. It’s amazing how humans react when you turn a conversation around to them. It made me realise how self-indulgent people were.

I now pose a question - do our narcissistic tendencies show that we’re a vain, self-absorbed species? Or do they show us how we need attention to feel wanted, loved and to ultimately thrive?

Whilst I let you ponder on that thought (and whilst I think about how I would answer that question myself) I’ll inform you of today’s challenge.

———- ————- ————- ————— ————— ————-

I was challenged to either make a Rootes H Block quiz on Sporcle or write a song.

After talking to Dobby about how to write a song, I decided that I’d leave that kind of shiz to the professionals. But I did feel like writing a little something. Please don’t judge me. I accept the fact it is atrocious.

“Untitled”

I’m lacking inspiration once more,

Because what in this world is there to inspire us?

I feel my mind is choking on the fumes of pollution

Destroying Monet’s lilies

And the poppies in the field.

“War and Peace” is thrown out the window

With all the other classics and notions of world peace.

Politics rule supreme.

And whilst the oil glints like gold,

The blood runs like water

And the conflict continues.

Innocence in the Congo is stolen at birth,

Like brides in Kyrgyzstan

And life universal.

The media is a double edged sword,

It violates and promotes hatred.

It calls for aid in Pakistan.

It destroys ignorance,

Like our notions of simple times

Of playing Cowboys and Indians in the leaves,

When global warming was called the Summer

And war was just a child’s game.

It’s untitled, unfinished and needs a lot of work, but at least I’ve done my challenge for today. Sorry about the morbidity, I was once told it was hard to write happy poetry and I have to agree (sometimes). Apologies for any insult to intelligence, the English language or the written word…a day of Harry Potter can do this to a mind.

Day 2 - Eternal Happiness of the Cynical Mind

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:05:00 -0500

(Please ignore all mistakes…it’s my mind poured onto a page. My mind rarely makes sense. Thanks)

Today I was set the task of staying happy and optimistic for 24 hours. Today I found out that for me, a realist bordering on cynical, it was nigh-on impossible. Yes that’s right ladies and gentlemen…I failed today’s challenge :(

I don’t really think I need to go into too great a detail about why I failed, but instead I just wanted to write about happiness in general.

Last night I had an interesting conversation with a Greek Philosopher (he wishes), we talked about the self-destructive nature of the human condition. I wanted to cry. Just thinking about that conversation now makes my heart ache a little because I know that everything that was said is true. We’re slowly killing ourselves off, too ignorant and apathetic to stop it.

Daily we’re bombarded by the media with headlines about war, poverty, hatred and all the other shit that spewed from Pandora’s Box. Only once in a while is it that we’re told about acts of heroism and it’s these things that make me happy. They marginally restore my faith in humanity. They remind me that it’s possible to make a difference in the world no matter how small.

You may wonder why I’ve drivelled on about the media and human kind when I was supposed to be talking about happiness. I’m made unhappy by the negative things people tell me. I’m made unhappy by my own selfish nature and all of the other little trivial things that flitter around in my empty head.

It’s all about perspective as my Mother would say; taking a step back and opening your eyes. I have no reason to be greatly unhappy, just a little miffed from time to time. I know for a fact that I am immensely lucky to be who I am. As cliché as it sounds I have my health, a home, a family, friends and all the other little wonders which some aren’t so fortunate to have.

I sat by the lake today and as my mind raced with negative thoughts I just stopped. I breathed. I enjoyed being alive and sitting amongst the ducks. It’s the little things that make me happy, juvenile games, making pancakes, talking about sharks…

Thinking back on it now I’ve written this, I wouldn’t say I failed. Fail is a negative word and I got something positive out of today. I found out that I don’t have to be cynical all of the time, that there is always a bright side to look on. I’m alive, that makes me happy enough, anything else is a bonus.

It sounds pretentious, but then philosophy is.

Opinions?