The American Revelation.

I may have said this before, but I adore the USA.
So when I had the chance to go to Washington DC I absolutely had to go. (Not only for the amazing Criminology experience, but because I wanted to see if at least just one small part of America lived up to my expectations. Let me tell you, it completely exceeded it.)


Ted Bundys car. Creepy.



Of course, I went to all of my crime things; Institute of Justice, George Mason University, The Pentagon (I know! That was very very exciting :D.. And nerve-wracking), the National Crime and Punishment Museum. Which were awesome.. and the Crime and Punishment museum had Ted Bundy's car in it. (He's a favourite serial killer- I think it's OK to have a favourite only because I do Criminology and because he was very interesting.)

Then did all the tourist areas - The Washington monument (Which is astonishingly huge. Seriously.. why does everything have to be so huge in the US.. not that I'm complaining at all, it was amazing, but in England things aren't nearly so high.

A few of the Smithsonian buildings: Air and Space, American History and Indian American. Which was amazing. Except for that I was just waiting for things to come to life a la 'Night at the Museum 2'.
The Lincoln Memorial (Also ginormous) The Reflecting pool, the White House (where we chatted to some very friendly policemen who told us how many rooms there were in it. It's something completely crazy, I can't remember the number), The World War Two Memorial, The Viet Nam Memorial.


Washington Monument with Sun

We did so much in the space of a week, but I wish we had stayed for far longer. And the weather was beautiful, which was very strange seeing as it was November.

But the thing I was most impressed with, and what touched me the most, was the obvious pride in their country, the friendliness, the compassion and the expression of freedom and joyfulness. The blatant patriotism was astounding. It was also beautiful.

In America the flag flies proudly at every street corner, whereas in England you'd probably be told to take our flag down because it was offending someone who wasn't British.

NBA match

I think something that I most enjoyed was going to an NBA Basketball game in the Verizon Center.  It was amazing. So much entertainment and good spirited competition. Singing the national anthem at the beginning is something that I've never experienced. I've seen some football games and other games, but none of the English matches I've seen have ever been so.. friendly I guess.

I think friendly is definitely the right word to describe the USA. It was lovely. People asked if you looked a little lost, chatted to you on the metro, said good morning in the hotel. In England that would never happen. On the tube nobody talks to anyone. It's like an unsaid rule. And usually you'd have to ask if you didn't know where to go. Of course there are some people out there who do say 'hi', have chats with you and ask if you're OK, but it's just not the same.

Chinese in a box! (Exciting, oddly)

Also I got to sample some of the cuisine. Went to a diner (of which there were surprisingly, and upsettingly few) and had a burger. Had a Hot dog at the NBA game. Some mini corn dogs at the bowling alley (which were strange, nice, but a little sickly after a while) and had a snow cone (which was lovely in the middle of an oddly hot day.) And had Chinese in a box. Yay!

The only thing that I'd say was bad was the tax. As it's added on as you buy it, rather than already added on. So I'd already got out the right amount of money most times, when I then realised I would have to get out more because I'd forgotten about the tax. So that was a little annoying.

The White House

And the streets were confusing too. We'd walk down the end of one block only to find that we'd gone the wrong way down the street, so had to turn around and walk the other way. Of course it was fine after a week. By then we'd gotten used to it. But It's much easier when all the roads look completely different.
The worst thing was going back. Knowing that work had to be in, and that the holiday was over.
And although it feels nice to be in a place that I know, I can't wait to go back and explore more of America.

Christmas Time: Mistletoe and Wine.

It's almost Christmas.
And I love it.

I'm a bit of a Chrismas lover. Every Christmas, as soon as I hear the first Christmas song, I start to get excited. (Which is usually sometime in November.. so I start early).
I just love everything to do with Christmas.

First there's the songs and decorations around the shops. Christmas trees , cards and tinsel filling shop windows. There's always a need to go out and buy things. Some tinsel there, a bauble here, a small Christmas tree for my room..

Then there's the Christmas Markets. The German Markets. Always a favourite. Stand outside, possibly in the snow cradling a Kinderwein and a Bratwurst, wearing a big scarf, woolly gloves and a silly hat: my idea of heaven. (Although better when it's indoors next to a log fire I'd assume).

The snow. Can't get enough of it. It just looks so beautiful lying out there untouched, highlighting branches on the trees, an icicle hanging down. A blanket of white on a thatched roof. Snowflakes melting on your nose. Not to mention going out there and crunching through it, scooping up a snowball or two, or three.

Reading a book by a log fire, heating up your toes on the radiator (or by the fire, but we don't have a fireplace anymore). Then going up in the attic and hauling down the tree, the lights, the baubles, the tinsel. And tree decorating. There's always that feeling of joy and satisfaction when you put the star/angel on top.

Then it gets closer to Christmas, cards and presents are being given and received. Put under the tree or around the house for everyone to see. Picturesque landscapes scattered on the windowsill.

It gets even more festive once the local panto/nativity has been talked about or done. The Royal variety show is on TV. you're dancing around the house/shops to your favourite Christmas songs.
Then the days are upon you. Christmas Eve. There's always something delicious cooking. The presents are as yet untouched, but you really want to open one. Maybe a sneak peek, or a subtle shake of one. Sounds like chocolate. Looks like a book.
Everyone watches London burst into fireworks and the day is finally here. With any luck, it's snowing. But this is England after all, so most likely rain. You then proceed to drink the night away.
The next morning someone jumps on you/you jump on someone (Yes, that may be me this year) and excitedly yell 'PRESENTS!'. So everyone groggily gets up, someone complains of a banging headache, and everyone tears into their presents.

Then its usually time to visit the family. For me, this involves a lot of drinking, food and board games. And much fun ensues. Usually someone gets a little too tiddly. Although other families can be scrooges (and we deeply resent that people can be scrooges). More chatter, more alcohol. Perfect.

By boxing day you've got a full belly, a dodgy voice box and a small headache.
And usually more family to visit.
But there's always the added benefit that you can still catch someone under the mistletoe. ;)

Wedded Bliss, or Wedded Blitz?

(Just to note, I have had inspiration from another Blog, thank you again Ed :D )
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 Every time there's a wedding show on TV. Whether it be Wedding House, Four Weddings or Don't Tell The Bride. It stirs up a few ideas with me.

One of the first few things I think of is: 'how the heck did they gather that amount of money for a wedding?', and another is wondering why people are so obsessed with having a completely perfect day.
Because the odds are that something will go wrong.
And usually, it does.
And mostly, the bride makes a massive fuss about it. Could be the cake, the dress, the flowers- it doesn't matter. It may be small or large but a huge uproar will be caused because of it.

I quite abhor fairytale weddings.
A huge fluffy meringue dress? No thanks.
Pink bows, flowers, bridesmaids? Definitely not.
I think maybe the fact that pink isn't my colour, combined with the fact that you won't be able to walk down the aisle, much less dance with your groom, even less than that, go for a pee, really puts me off.

To be honest, I was never really one of those girls that dreams about her wedding. Sure, there's been a bit of thought here and there, especially after watching some ghastly weddings on television. But hasn't practically everybody?

I'd be more concerned with the act of commitment and showing that you love this person. You're going to have to live with them and have children with them after all. (Another thing I'm not entirely fond of at the moment). And maybe the dress. I'd have to choose it. I'd have to feel satisfied that it's right for me.

But instead of taking over the whole wedding and being the typical 'bridezilla', I think I'd much rather talk everything through with the husband-to-be. It is his wedding too after all.
(Then perhaps if it did turn out to be a complete catastrophe, the blame would be equally shared.)

(All images from Google)

Saying this, I may also have to choose the cake. My passion for cakes (eating them, not making them) is an awe-inspiring thing.

I've always found it hard to think about the future, especially in relationships. I'm just one of those people who leaves things like decisions and revision (among other things) more to the last minute. So I assume I'd be scared as hell to actually get married. And stricken if or when someone popped the question.

It's all a bit final.

Although I've always thought that if I did happen to get married, then it would be to someone who I truly loved, when the time was right, and if I felt 100% sure that that was what I wanted.
But absolute perfection, unlike so many other brides (especially on television), would be the last thing I would want on my wedding day.

I guess despite everything I may be a bit of a romantic at heart.

Why what happens in clubs should stay in clubs.

Don't you find that when you go out sometimes the oddest things happen to you? It's more likely when you're only with a few people, or with people you barely know, or just in a weird place.

This happened to me a while ago. It was the strangest night out I have ever been on.
I shall tell you part of the chain of events.

Firstly I must tell you a particular highlight: There was a very drunken girl whom me and my friend managed to convince (exceedingly easily) that we were lesbians. She then proceeded to call us her 'lesbian vagina friends'.

That was weird.

Then there was the two marriage proposals my friends had. Two. That's one each. One was a random guy in a club that asked my friend to marry him, and then he tried to kiss her. He got her eye. We swiftly intervened.

The other was in the kebab shop afterwards (where we bought a reeeally good pizza, which was probably utterly crap when you're not completely slaughtered). This guy told my other friend that she would go on to marry a.. oh, what was it... ah, that's it.. a snob. (Because she wasn't going to marry him). I don't even think he was drunk.

(I'm still debating whether it's a good or bad thing that I didn't get a marriage proposal... Despite me being the only single one at the time. I think the conclusion is that I'm either exceptionally lucky, or the average one. I'm going to go with the first option.)

In fact, the other day when me and my sister went out with some friends from uni, she was the one who was being chatted up (badly) by a very drunk guy. I wasn't. I'm pretty sure my dear boyfriend would find this very comforting. Even more so because I actually very rarely am approached by men when out clubbing.

Which used to be a little, you know, upsetting I guess, but now I'm glad really. Mainly because most I would assume are likely to be:
A) About to be sick on you
B) Cocky and have a unique ability to make a person feel exceedingly uncomfortable
C) Just plain weird.

So, to finish this blog that I started quite a while ago, nights out can be really very weird. My best advice I can give you is to brush up on self defence techniques and become an expert at avoiding creepy people.

Katy Perry made a good point.

Following on from another post that was made (not by me, but by Ed), I wondered about the answer to that age-old question... 'Would you rather die in Fire or Ice?'. 

Yes, perhaps a little morbid.
Maybe instead: 'Would you rather be really cold, or really hot?'.

I decided that personally, I'd rather be really cold, because at least then you would be able to put more clothes on if you needed to.
You cant exactly escape heat.

But with the cold you can wrap yourself up from head to toe in a warm, snuggly man errr... blanket/jumper and sit in front of a nice big fire.
And read a book in front of it.
Sounds like heaven.

Back to the topic at hand. Being really hot would be horrible. You'd want to take off all your clothes and you'd be uncontrollably sweaty.
Whilst this sounds like something that may be not be seen as bad, it wouldn't be great. Mainly because the thought of another stupidly hot body anywhere near you at that kind of heat would send you spiralling into fits of panic.

Although, being extremely cold also has it's downfalls. We can't forget hypothermia, incessant dribbly noses (possibly turning into icicles), not to mention frostbitten hands and feet. And then, even in a smaller amount of cold, a nose that feels as if it's going to drop off with cold, and ears that hurt through the iciness.
I wouldn't be happy.

Perhaps that leaves me undecided.

Although I guess the real question would be: Would you rather have snow outside, but be sitting in your living room, fire ablaze, reading a good book and nursing a cup of tea/hot chocolate (Or if you're a little odd like me, warm Ribena) OR sun-bathing, scantily clad on a white beach somewhere with a pina colada and pine trees swaying in a warm breeze?

The Ink-lination to Tattoo.

When I realised i hadn't blogged about tattoos yet, I was quite taken aback, its something that I'm fond of. I have four of them myself. So yes, this blog may be particularly biased, but I'll try to make it as balanced as I can.

Tattooing, according to Wikipedia (yes, I know it's an awful source of information, but it'll do) ,apparently dates back to Ötzi the Iceman (That link is to the Wikipedia page) in around the fourth to fifth millennium BC.
That's pretty far back.
It's been speculated that tattoos were used in many different ways in the past. As signs to ward off evil or bring luck, as a form of medical treatment, for aesthetic purposes of course, or as a form of identification. Wikipedia lists some very interesting uses, and there is a whole history and mine of information on this page: Wikipedia-Tattoo.

Of course, even with their growing popularity tattoos are still seen as negative by many people. This could have many reasons. Ranging to religion, links to serious organised crime gangs and the fact that some tattoos are just plain weird.

Mostly I'd like to point out that although I think tattoos (mostly) look gorgeous, and can mean many different and amazing things (although sometimes are literally only for show) , there is always going to be a health risk with them.
Although to be honest, only if you don't look after it properly. (Such as infections etc) Also, i would recommend only going to reputable tattoo artists with sterile studios. Please make sure of this, because there are severe health risks (such as HIV and other blood-transferable nasties) if you do not.

Enough with the bad things.

Now for the good, and the weird, as I'd like to show you a particularly odd person. Apparently, this guy holds the world record for 'Most Body Modifications'. I think somehow you can tell.



Meet Cat-Man. (Or, as he prefers it, Stalking Cat)

A very odd looking guy. But awesome if you're really really really into cats.  Here's a Daily Mail article on him if you're thinking just the picture is weird and/or if you're morbidly fascinated.

Yes, so, the good part.
Well, I think tattoos are beautiful, as is well known. I have a phoenix on my back, an ivy leaf on my wrist, flowers and bugs on my foot and three circles on the back of my neck. All mean a lot to me, they all are symbols that stand for things that I hold dear to me. I think that's why people should have tattoos, to show themselves on the outside. :)
Here's my phoenix just after it was done:

Before you ask, yes, it was painful, but it was well worth it. (And my foot hurt the most).



Of course, there are other forms of tattoos that are not permanent, and I would fully recommend these ones if you are particularly changeable.
These can be ones such as Temporary adhesive tattoos (the ones found in shops, which can be quite pretty, and equally child-like, but great if you're dressing up as a fairy and want butterfly transfers). Or Henna tattoos, although if you dye your hair, I'm pretty sure most hair dyes say to be careful if you've ever had a Henna tattoo. I have no idea why.
Also there are airbrush ones.

To end, yes, I did take up a stupid amount of time trying to make a witty title, only to fail horrendously. :)

The Horror Of The Second-Year Halls.

Side note: The title kind of sounds like a really crappy novel doesn't it?
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 Moving into halls for the second time may just be... dare i say it... even worse than the first time. At least then it's a novelty. You're a bright eyed, bushy tailed student, free and independent probably for the first time in your life, and ready to paint the town red. This is how exuberant first-years are. No matter their age.

Now compare that to second years. The novelty has well and truly worn off. Now all you're thinking about is what stupid time the fire alarm will go off at. (For example, about half past 8 this morning. I was asleep at the time. Not a happy bunny.) And, as with all students, probably dreading the first 'fun-filled' lecture of the year.

At least the second and third years in my halls are well past what could be called 'the honeymoon period'. All we want now is a quieter life, a small amount work-oriented, and in my case an early night every once in a while.

But before you embark on the weird and wonderful journey of second-year halls, you've got to move your belongings in. Depending how many willing slaves ... ahem... volunteers you have, this may take a while. Because unpacking a long and perilous (and potentially angst-ridden) business.

Luckily, we have volunteering uni students from my uni to help with this kind of thing. (I.e: Show you where everything is and help move boxes, and then help you around the campus generally.) So, I had a rather large band of merry helpers to do my bidding.
Other universities, however, don't offer this luxurious service of your own private moving-in army. I feel extremely sorry for these people. Especially if, like some people in my halls, they've brought a bench-press with them, or a 44 inch television.
(And no, I'm not actually kidding.)

So, as the day of moving goes on, as the traffic jam starts to flow, and you're practically ready to burst, you get to meet your new house/flatmates.
This could be completely disastrous. (And I am yet to meet some of mine)

To end on a happier note, good luck to anyone living somewhere new with different people/randomers. You may need it. :)

The Future Freaks Me Out.

(That song, by the way, is by Motion City Soundtrack. Check it out: The Future Freaks Me Out- Motion City Soundtrack).
(And by the way, it only freaks me out a little.)

I was a little bored, so I decided to Google 'Futuristic Cars'. There were absolutely fascinating results. They were pretty awesome I have to tell you. So, can you imagine it. Cars like this:












Cars that hover/fly?












Ones that are practically all wheels?












A car that can go both on land and in water?


As you can see the concepts are all there.
It got me thinking about the future in general. (And how much, as much as I utterly love Back to the Future 2, it is really obviously going to be completely wrong.)

So what kinds of things might be in store for us in the future? If only we knew. I'd be getting down to changing some of it right now.
Such as if I end up as a spinster, I'd be making sure that my cats were the good sort. (Staying out of my bloody way.)

Wikipedia has an excellent page on the Future, if anybody is interested. (I've linked it and everything).
That's if there is one of course. Didn't many religions predict the ending of the world on various dates throughout history? What if there is no future?
The rather gloomy film 2012 depicts the mass freak weather occurrences that will supposedly destroy the earth in 2012.
I'm pretty sure that there are many other films like this, only less well known. (And mostly featuring Aliens...)

So what do I hope for in my future?
To be alive, for one.
Basically what most people want: A good job with a good amount of money, a lovely family, and a rather large mansion with grounds the size of Wales.
(And for there to be an awful 80's Diner so I can practically be in Back to the Future 2, not to mention the technology and cars fueled by rubbish.)

Fairy Tales: They used to be pretty Grimm.

Upon watching The Brothers Grimm (Which is a must by the way, it is rather brilliant, and takes pieces of inspiration from everywhere) I decided to write about Fairy Tales.

Fairy tales are odd things really. They were folk tales made up to scare people, cause superstition and to provide some sort of twisted form of moral reasoning.

So what moral exactly did they provide? For a start, lets dwell on the infamous Snow White. All I'm getting here is that you shouldn't trust kindly old women, because they just might turn out to be your evil stepmother hell-bent on killing you.
And Little Red Riding Hood? Carry an axe around with you, just in case.

Not really the kind of thing you want to teach children is it? (Although perhaps being on the defensive isn't such a bad idea. There are wolves and witches out there you know.)

Really, the traditional morals are usually something along the lines of: 'love conquers all', 'be wary', 'don't talk to strangers', 'good always triumphs over evil, 'the grass is always greener on the other side'(Billy Goats Gruff guys) and such. But to be honest I think they're mostly explaining why you shouldn't be as plain idiotic as the heroes/heroines in these stories.

Now, as I've said, the heroes and heroines in the stories are pretty stupid. But that's pretty much nothing compared to the antagonists. Clumsy 'bloodthirsty' giants, trolls under bridges, witches living in gingerbread houses, evil beauty queens, frankly ridiculous bears and wolves and not to mention the scariest of all: an ugly little all singing, all dancing man who makes people guess his name. Oh, the horror.
Although saying this, folk tales have had some very good villains. Vampires (NOT the sparkly kind), Werewolves (Not the dog kind), Dragons and truly awesome Sorcerers are some good examples.

But fairytale land wasn't always this way. All the cutesy-ness can pretty much come down to one infinitely famous company. (And others who try making it more.. child-friendly). Of course I'm talking about Disney.
As much as the Disney movies are old classics, in my opinion the more scary and, yes, gory older versions are better. It exposes more in the characters. Cinderellas sisters were so selfish and wanted the Prince so much that they would cut off their own heel and toe just to fit into a shoe? That says something.
Lets not forget how much the real Little Mermaid had to give up. Every step she took out of the ocean was like knives being stabbed into her feet. Not only that but she didn't get the Prince in the end. She died. Ouch.
See what I mean? The morals are more... pertinent.

If you are like me, and much prefer these kinds of stories, or fairy tales rewritten, then I have a few books for you:

1. Anything by Gregory Maguire.
-Try Mirror, Mirror (For Snow White).(Click Here for a Review.)
-Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (For Cinderella).(Click Here for a Review.)
-Or for something different, and not actually a fairytale Try Wicked (For The Wizard of Oz, also made into a theatre production). (Click Here for a Review.)
2. Neil Gaimans' Stardust (Also made into a film) is also a reworking, but of the whole fairytale genre. I rather love this book.(Click Here for a Review.)
3. Lets not forget that Shrek has a whole rather funny ensemble of fairy tale and storybook creatures.

One thing I must mention, is the utter awfulness of the Princes in these stories. They're charming, heroic and supposedly gorgeous. Can you imagine how vain they must be? And probably with very little capacity for staying still and listening. Although the adventures may be exciting, I have a feeling the conversation wouldn't be.

To end, I'll give you a moral of this here blog:
If you want a fairy tale with substance, do it yourself. (And don't trust odd little men who offer you favours.)

Has anyone considered why you would become a Dentist?

The Dentist.
Why does the very thought of going to a tooth specialist give many people feelings of ultimate woe and fear?
I don't really understand.
Then again, my teeth have been perfectly fine all of my short life, with the exception of having an overbite and probably needing braces. But I don't see much point in braces if they are only for aesthetic purposes.

These dentists, that strike fear in so many, why do they do so? They are the conquerer of holes, repairist of the broken and the crowner of the pearly whites (not to mention occasional cleaner). So why is this a bad thing?
Sure, it could be painful. But mostly it's relieving pain.
And it smells a bit. But that is for protection... no bacteria and such infecting our systems.

So after all this why do we still fear it so much, if it's a service to help people?
The workings and fears of the human mind never cease to amaze me.

There are a few annoying thimgs about the dentist though.
Such as the way they bend really really close.. it's pretty uncomfortable, especially when they're staring into your mouth and asking you a question.

Then there's the waiting.
Waiting for an utterly unpredictable amount of time only to find out that you have to pay stupid amounts of money for a few hours of pain. Or worse, paying for the dentist to say to you "They're perfectly fine, as always!", which means you probably haven't even had to go to the dentist for a few years.

There is another theory of why to avoid dentists. They put you through pain and like teeth.
A) It's weird to like teeth
B) People who earn their money to cause pain and look at teeth all day. Slighty sadistic? Possibly.
C) Dentist surgery small talk is very uncomfortable.

But please, don't avoid the dentist. Because if you do you may just end up with no teeth and rotting gums. Frankly, that is utterly disgusting.

One thing you should do though, is listen to the song: 'Dental Care' by Owl City. Because it is really very good and pretty hilarious. :)

What makes people so ridiculously obsessed with shopping?

Shopping. The first act of cruelty that a female will inflict upon her guy friend/boyfriend. (the second one being the dreaded question: " What do you think?" whilst trying on a horrific dress two sizes too small.)

Most girls, myself included, quite enjoy shopping.
Some girls are completely and utterly fanatical about shopping. I think men need to stay away from these at all costs. That is, unless they themselves like to shop, in which case the woman should question the sexual orientation of this man. If it has been questioned and the result is just a straight guy that enjoys shopping, I reckon those shopoholics are onto a winner.

I must warn you all though, that there is a particularly defective breed of shopoholic. These are what I like to call the 'buffet shopoholics'.
There is good reason for this name.
They will pick out many many items, stack them to enormous heights and devour each and every item. Some will also sample the item, and then return it to it's original place. (I hate these people at buffets.. what if you eat it? Ew.)

Theres another type. The 'sale fiend'. (This isn't actually my name for them, I just thought of it and liked it.) But these people are easily spotted. Just take a look at their home.
-Are there 10 bottles of shampoo lining the bath/window sill/cupboard?
-Do they have an overflowing/unshutable wardrobe? (Which when you look inside it has 3 pairs of the same jeans, the same top etc)
-Is there many random items decorating the house? (Such as odd little trinkets and ornaments)
-Is there a secret stash of toilet roll?
-How about endless amounts of tissue boxes and packets?
-Last but not least, is there a random unused/used once item? (Mostly these wil lbe something in the kitchen, such as an automated apple peeler or something, most likely to still be in the box with a bright red sale sticker on it, stacked up high.)

Now if you're nodding to all of these, you do indeed have someone worthy of being called a sale feind. My mum is just like this.
She also has a friend who had endless amounts of toiletries and make-up in boxes, toilet roll, clothes and items of furniture in her attic. Ridiculous.

Now, I know this blog is supposed to be about shopping, but really, I quite like ranting about how ridiculous more people than you may imagine are.
So to make up for ranting about people who love to shop (and I'll admit, Even I'm like that sometimes, I am still a woman after all), I shall give you my top three favourite websites to shop at.

1. http://www.amazon.co.uk/
2. http://www.newlook.co.uk/
3. http://www.ebay.co.uk/

Stereotypes are always right?

Women are usually seen as notorious for moaning about things. And so who am I to stray from this stereotype? And talking of stereotypes, that is one of the things that can annoy the heck out of me.

I'm a female, 19 year old student studying Criminology, so of course I am a perfect example to start with.

Firstly, being a female comes with a whole batch of stereotypes. I am, in fact, despite common belief, a woman. I have all the usual bodily parts to prove this. (You know, the ones that are normally involved in womanhood.)
But I don't always talk about clothes, shoes, handbags, etcetera. (Although I must admit, it definately occupies some brain space, along with the breaking-a-nail reflex action). Nor do I watch shows such as Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City, because frankly, they're pretty soul destroying.

But I will freely admit that I do drool over hot male celebrities. Only in the form of the cute and gawky Justin Long and the also rather gawky (yet exceedingly handsome( James Marsden, rather than the supposedly 'gorgeous' Robert Pattinson. (Seriously? His face is flat, his American accent isn't that great and I'd much rather he kept his shirt on.)
- To redeem him though, he does have a lovely original English accent. (Yes, he is English.)

Secondly I'm a teenager. (I know, on the cusp of turning the dreaded two-oh, but still a teenager nonetheless). And teens don't half get bad press.
Because not all of us are knife-weilding, heroin-taking juvenile delinquents. And I am most certainly not. In fact, I'd rather be sat at home reading a good book than out torhing houses and generally being an idiot.
Some of us do like to help our communities and or/just generally do absolutely nothing wrong.

Students also have a bad stereotype. I can safely say that here the stereotype may fit. Vaguely. I like the odd party, and the odd drink, but never overdo it. I'm not one of the people that go out clubbing every night and get absolutely off their heads. Because to be honest, the people who do that just look ridiculous.
Most of all, our studies are actually important to those of us who want a good future. So we will turn up to every seminar and lecture, no matter how late we stayed up the night before.

Last but not least, Criminology.
Before you ask, not all of us want to be policemen/women. You can go into security, the prison service, law, the probabtion service, etcetera, or, yes, the police.
But I guess there is one thing that stands true to the Criminology stereotype: Our sense of humours. It isn't half odd.

One other stereotype that I have to mention would be blondes. Because they get bad press too. They're seen as dim-witted and vain. And, although some of them probably are, some are not like that. Take my lovely sister. Her A level scores were a grade higher than me on everything. And she is ridiculously knowledgeable. And Philisophical. Oddly.

So now that we have examined stereotypes, the next time you see a little old lady in the street, you should probably wonder whether she really does own lots of cats and knit.
You never know, she may own budgies and sew.

What makes photography so amazing?

Photography.
I won't pretend I know much about this subject. But I'll tell you what I do know.

I know that trying to pose for photos and having them actually come out well is a pain in the bum. It's a nightmare. Although I do enjoy photos.
I enjoy taking photographs, at very odd angles.
But my sister, wow can she take photo's. And she doesn't half look good in them too. Seriously. We had some professional photography done a few days ago and the photographs.. wow. Of course the photographer was brilliant, the make up artist and hair styler did her job very well, but still, she knows exactly how to flaunt what she's got.
Although I won't pretend my photographs were bad.

My favourite photographs are black and white ones.
I'm not entirely sure why.
But they're just beautiful. They have a regal, beautifully simple quality to them.

This hasn't been much of a blog. But I promise the next one will be.
And before you feel that this has been a total waste of time, look back to my first blog (not very long ago) and look at my sister's blog. There's a link on the page. She has more of a flair for blogging. And we did a combined one. Which was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you have a lot of fun reading it :)

The seaside: Truly Great, or Truly Evil?

So the other day I went to the beach.
Ahh the beach. A lovely place where you spend your time lounging around reading, splashing in the sea and having a picnic. Your childhood memories of the Seaside include building sandcastles (possibly with moats), burying a brother/sister/parent and making holes under others' towels. (And in fact, pretty much everywhere. A much-loved memory involves making a gargantuan hole in the sand with my dad and my sister. It really was huge.)
But, not only are there lovely things about the beach, but going to one again reminded me of the not quite so lovely things. And there are quite a few.

Number one.. The Sand. One thing I most definately prefer is a pebbly beach. It may hurt your feet, you may not be able to build sandcastles, but you don't get sand weighing you down.
Seriously now, sand gets absolutely everywhere! And I mean every single nook and cranny. You will find remenants on sand for weeks afterwards. I think perhaps the worst bit is when you go to the toilet and find that there is sand encrusted into your pant-line and beyond. Not good.
The next, and probably my pet peeve about going to the beach, is the stupid amount of money you have to pay for food. This is why I bring a picnic. (And then you can have whatever you like!) And not only are ice creams expensive, but if its even a slightly warmer than average day, your ice creams will melt stupidly quickly.

Another thing, that frankly, I'm not too worried about, but I guess that others will be, is that at the beach, you would think you would get exercise (only from going in the sea and actually swimming mind you, turning over onto your front does not count as exercise). But, alas, with eating things such as the traditional ice creams and fish and chips, it does cancel it out a bit. Shame really. Wouldn't it be lovely if ice creams had no calories? mmm.
It's just a vicious, vicious circle. Eat ice cream, exercise to work it off, ice cream as a reward.. etc. Bloody annoying.

Here's an anecdote from the last time I went to the beach:
There I was, minding my own business in the sea, splashing around. When a massive wave came over me and knocked me right over. This wasn't so bad, i just laughed it off, but I got up a little, onto my knees, just for another wave to smack me right in the head, also knocking me over. That's a little more embarrassing. Really? One wave after another? I think someone up there wanted to embarrass me.

So, is the beach great, or is it evil? Well, overall, it's pretty evil. Probably the spawn of satan. But we all love going there, even if you get sand in ridiculous places. So, a pretty cool spawn of satan? I think so.

Stacey.

What On Earth is a Blog?

"Blogging?" I hear you say.
"It's all well and good but is it not just a glorified diary?"
Well, no, my friends, it is not.
In fact what most people believe to be a 'glorified diary' can be seen as a device to get yourself noticed in the workplace, a place to write down thoughts and opinions on things that perhaps you didn't even know you cared about.
Such as politics. Before university I didn't give a rats-ass about politics. Now, one year in, I find myself wanting to write about my own views on politics on Facebook and in this blog.

As this is my first blog, I can't say I am very experienced. So bear with me please.
The whole blogging routine is a little mind-boggling to the average human being, yet being at university, where your world practically revolves around using a computer correctly, does give me an advantage.
I have also joined other websites posing as blogs, yet the blogging quality is.. not exactly what I had been hoping for. People see blogging as a way to show others their lives and tell people what happenned in their day. But that is just a diary. And I already have an online diary.
(see www.opendiary.com for diaries)

I was hoping that this first blog would be funny, but alas, it isn't nearly as funny as my sister's blog. (http://ravesrantsandrandomramblings.blogspot.com/) Which truly is hilarious in my opinion.
She is a Magazine Journalism student, so she knows what shes.. er.. typing about.

To conclude, I shall make a promise.
I promise to try my uttermost hardest to get my blogging up to a high quality, and to not write diary entries. I also promise to try to update as soon as I think of a good idea for a blog.

Stacey