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For the avoidance of doubt... Yes... I definitely have an opinion... |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Welcome to my Blog!! About me: I'm not really a blogger... But I do like to put the world to rights and you can bet I have an opinion on most things. I'm a little Welsh dragon that left the Land of My Fathers far behind me. I've flown far and wide.... and ended up in the land down under This blog is filled with all the stuff that's going on in my life, and in my head, which can be a little cookey on times, so you have been warned!! And let's not forget my opinions and musing - I have a few of those as well. So pull up a pew, grab a hot, steaming mug of something yummy, and maybe a cake to: Life is always better with cake don't you think. And read... ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I just starting blogging with the following groups: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I also write a Xmas Blog that kicks off 1st December.... "Invalid Item"  ....tag along for elvishness and merriment
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| Prompt - Prince Charles (the oldest child of England's Queen Elizabeth II), born on this day in 1948, once said "I learned the way a monkey learns...by watching its parents." What is something you've learned from either of your parents, using only the power of observation? Hmm this is hard.. because really most things will be taught by a mixture of mimicking, being told how, and verbal encouragement, but I would say that most of my baby millstones were learnt/taught by observation. However, I don't really think that is what this prompt is looking for. I do however have a few of example that I think fit the bill. First of all let me say that while I was not an only child, I may as well have been as my brother and sister are 10 and 12 years older than me, respectively. I didn't really have siblings to play with. I had friends and cousins, but there were times where I was completely on my own - which didn't bother me that much - and so I had to rely on imaginative play. 1) Using an ATM/Cash point; one afternoon my mother was enjoying a cup of coffee and cake with my grandmother, while they watched me play. I was about five-ish and was playing in the hallway. My mother watched as I repeatedly walked up to the hallway wall and stood facing it, I would reach out and tap it with my little digits and pretend to press buttons; I was even making different sounds each time I pressed a different imaginary button. Once the buttons had been "pressed" I'd reached out an pretended to take something out of the wall with my hand, then I would turn away and walk off and go back to playing in the corner. This went on for a while. After the 4th or 5th trip to the wall my mother asked me what I was doing. I smiled and said. "I'm getting money from the bank mammy to pay for my shopping." and I pointed to the pile of dolls clothes in a heap on the floor. This left my mum and grandmother in a fit of giggles. Now, nobody had taught me that to get money out of a bank you could go to a hole in a wall, but I had obviously worked it out from watching my mother, and I'd associated it with shopping. 2) Using the emergency services: My mother was at work and my sister and brother were supposed to be looking after me. I was deep in imaginary play. My brontosaur Dino had just been knocked over and needed an ambulance. It was a very scary situation and he needed help!!! So, I of course picked up my phone and dialled 999 - YES THAT'S RIGHT I RUNG THE REAL EMERGENCY SERVICES - The following conversation then took place: "999, which emergency service do you need?" "Hello, there's been an accident." "Hello sweetie, did you say there's been an accident?" "Yes." "Are you ok?" "Yes" "Good, Can you tell me your name?" "No" "Why not?" "Mammy said I shouldn't tell strangers" "Well, your mummy is right, but I think it would be ok in this situation. Is your mummy there? Are you at home?" "Yes I'm at home. Mammy's at work." "Ok, is anyone else there with you?" "No. I'm on my own (I WASN'T MY SISTER AND BROTHER WERE ACTUALLY SITTING IN THE ROOM OBLIVIOUS TO THIS CONVERSATION) and Dino has had an accident. He's been hit by a car." "Ok sweetie, can you tell me who Dino is?" "Yes, he's my friend." "Your friend?" "Yes. He's a dinosaur." "I see.... Can you tell me where your mummy is working sweetie?" I told her the name of the nursing home "Ok, sweetie, you sit tight and I will send someone to help ok." "Ok" "Now are you going to stay on the line with me and have a chat?" "No, I have to go now - bye bye" I think half way through the conversation I realised I probably shouldn't have actually rung 999, but I had been so caught up in my game that I'd actually pressed the keys. The lady rung my mum to talk to her because she wanted to double check that I wasn't on my own. My mum was mortified, but the lady saw the funny side, as did the police officers that HAD to be sent to my house to make double sure I was ok... When they asked me why I'd rung 999 I said "Dino had an accident and was hurt and it's what they do on TV when they need help." The police officers chuckled - my mother, who had come home early from her shift, not so much... More recently, my husband pointed out that my mother and I have the same or very similar speech patterns. We use the same phrases and structure our sentences in the same way to. Apparently I am not a blunt as my mother, but I am just as stubborn and self assured that what I am saying is right - I'm not all together sure this is a good thing or a compliment lol. I've never noticed it, but he was the second person in a six month period to point this out to me, so it must be true to some degree. Even the mannerisms that support our conversations are similar: I talk a lot with my hands and my face expresses my feeling on a situation very clearly, possible too clearly. This is obviously something I have picked up along the way from when I was growing up - or maybe it's a bit of nature and nurture. And it makes sense as most children will mimic their parents. I'm guessing that this is similar to what Prince Charles meant. He was submerged in protocol from a young age and watched the "dance" his mother and father gave in their daily lives. He probably learnt how to deal with the public and how to act in front of them by watching the Queen and Prince Philip. |
| PROMPT - This week, it's been reported that Russia is considering blocking access to the employment-oriented social networking site LinkedIn because the site is in violation of a rule requiring data on Russian citizens to be stored on servers inside the country. What do you think about that, and what role do you think governments should play regarding what websites their citizens should be allowed to visit? Ok, I tried really, really hard to care about this prompt and news story, but I just cant. I have an instant "roll my eyes" tick whenever I hear that Russia has done something else. Blowing up/shooting down planes... Invading another country because you cant get over the break up off the USSR. I mean you mention something odd or bizarre that the Russian government is upto and I'm anything but surprised. It's something different every couple of days. It's as if they are the fame hungry media "beeps" of the world. The country version of the Kardashians... I work with a lot of government/public sector organisations in the UK who are very particular about where their data is stored. For them it's a serious security risk to have it stored anywhere other than within mainland UK, especially if the data is at a high enough security level. So I do get the need to ensure data is protected. And I respect the notion of protecting ones citizens. But I'd argue that a person's LinkedIn profile is no more of a security risk than their Facebook page. And since you can put a minimum amount of information to have/open an account this seems over the top. Blocking access to the internet/legal websites is of course a very slippery slop which leads to control of the media and propaganda: can anyone say Nazi Germany in the 1930/40? The public should be free to access information. However, Russia isn't blanket banning the website. They have given an alternative, which other companies have agreed to. My question is - why would it be a problem to comply? Does doing so somehow infringe on LinkedIn ability to run its company elsewhere - I don't think so. It's not an attack on LinkedIn as a company. They have a country-wide policy which every company needs to adhere to. Countries having strict regulations is nothing new. There are numerous countries who will, for example, not accept drugs produced in other countries because they do not believe those countries have strict enough policies. Would we be just as outraged if, instead of it being virtual information, it was something physical? Australia has very strict importation rules, but if you comply with them you can bring most things into the country. It's about safety. The stance that Russia has taken. This does feel very big brother like to me though. I think it's just another example of Putin and his obsession with power plays and control. The guy is nuttier than a nut bar with extra nuts. Everything he does seems to be a weird demonstration of, or an extension of, his manhood. Personally I think he is over compensating... "Look at me... I ordered a war ship to sail down the English Channel for no reason... even though it make NO SENSE what so ever. I am manly. Smell the testosterone. Grrr.". I mean seriously the guy is two steps ways from whopping it out for a p!$$ing contest. Putin wants to be a big political player, like Russia used to be. The good old days... Ah, remember those.. Everyone living in fear of a nuclear strike and the start of WW3...Ok I'm technically to young to remember... But I'm sure you get my point.. Will this be the end of the weird crap? No, of course not. We could start a "Wall of weird" or more aptly "Putin's Wall of Peculiar Posturing". |
| Did you have a favorite stuffed animal (or toy) when you were younger? Give it an interesting origin story- tell us what it did in its life before he/she met you and became your pal. Hippo the skydiving hippopotamus. First of all Yes, I had a serious case of stating the obvious when it came to the names of my soft toys; I also had a bright orange brontosaurus called Dino. I really stretched myself with my baby seal - fluffy-snowy... see double barrelled and everything. Now, Hippo was a bit of a daredevil. He was always getting into trouble. There was the time he decided to play hide and seek in the airport hotel and almost missed the flight. It was only after he commandeered the hotel's shuttle and made a frantic dash to Heathrow, and sweet talked the British Airways staff that he made the flight. Or the time that he got bored playing in a hotel room in Riyadh and decided to skydive - without a parachute, so it was more base-jumping....but we didn't know what base-jumping was at the time, out of the 12th floor, open window (the less said about what an eight year old was doing playing on the 12th floor with the window open the better). Well, we met in Bristol Zoo when I was about six. He escaped from his enclosure and landed in my lap. I fell in love with him immediately and we were inseparable - almost - from that point onwards. So, what did Hippo do before he came into my life. He grew up in sub-Saharan Africa, where he spent most of the time playing with his mummy and siblings in the rivers and lakes. One day, when he was still little, he got separated from his family. He'd been playing in the mangroves and had swan too far away. He didn't realise he was lost until it was too late. By the time he noticed the sun was starting to go down, his family were no where to be seen. He searched for them high and low, until his little legs ached from all the swimming. He was lonely and scared, and very hungry. Then a man appeared. At first he was frightened. His mummy had told him to stay away from humans. That they couldn't be trusted. But this man seemed different. He seemed kind. The man - named John - spoke to him and asked him where is family was. He helped him look for them but it was no use. John said he thought that poachers had scared his family away. Hippo didn't know what poachers were until much later. John promised he would look after him and so Hippo was loaded into a large wooden create and placed on the back of a big truck. It was the start of his big journey that saw him end up in the UK at Bristol zoo. Life at the zoo was very different. There were other Hippos there for him to play with but it reminded him of how much he missed his family and made him sad. He cried himself to sleep for many night because he missed his group so much. He lived in a big pen with a deep water hole that he could swim in, and there was a very tall wall with a metal fence on top that surround the whole enclosure. It was quite a surprise the first time he saw lots of little faces peering over the edge at him. The little humans laughed, and smiled at him, and pointed with their small chubby fingers. One night Hippo found a way out. His keeper Peter had been very tired and distracted that evening, and after handing out the last pale of oats and fruit, he had forgotten to double check the gate to Hippo's sleeping pen. It wasn't locked. Hippo nudged it with his little head and wandered off down the corridor and out through the door. The Zoo was a very different place at night. All the animals came out to play. He could hear the lions roaring and the monkeys chattering. The tigers chuffed as he walked passed. They had never seen a little Hippo out for a midnight stroll before. It wasn't long until he came across a strange square building. It was filled, from floor to ceiling, with rows and rows of stuffed animal. Every type was there. Penguins. Seals. Even hippopotamuses. Hippo was very sleepy after his walk and decided to rest his eyes for a minute. He snuggled in between the soft toys, and lay his head on their stuffed belly. Before long he was fast asleep. The next time he opened his eyes it was morning. And what's more, the shop was open and full of those small humans. they were running around all over the place. He dug himself deep into the shelf and hid as best he could. Then he saw her, a little girl. She had long dark hair, braided in bunches, and big brown eyes. He blinked. She blinked right back at him. She smiled and reached out her little hand to pat his head. Her skin was soft and warm. She turned to her mummy and tugged on her hand. "I found him mummy, I found him." "Found who honey?" "My friend mummy, I found my new friend - Hippo. Please mummy, can I take him home?" The kindly lady kneeled down and wrapped an arm around the little girl, and looked directly at Hippo. "His name is Hippo huh?" "Yes, mummy. He told me." "Well then, we can't leave Hippo hear all by himself now can we.... you best pick him up so we can take him home..." THE END . |
| On this day in 1952, the first video recorder was demonstrated by John Mullin and Wayne Johnson in Beverly Hills, California. How would you explain YouTube to these gentlemen? Ok, I'd have trouble explaining it to my mother, and she's seen it... For this I've assumed I'm having the conversation with them in 1956 and not before John Mullin died in 1999, because let's face it he would probably know what youtube was by then. I suppose it would go something like this... "Hi, I'm from the future... this is my time machine, I know it looks like a 1950's police telephone box, but it really is bigger on the inside...Quick let me just get a selfie with you so I can update my peeps on Facebook and Instagram... No duck pouts now.. CHEESE..." Lol ok, ok, that probably wouldn't work. So how about this... "This is amazing. The start of something truly unique and special. It's going to revolutionise the music and film industry AND our world. I'm really excited. "Let me take you on a journey... It's farfetched, but bear with me and hold on tight.... "I can see a day, in the future, where these recorders will be so advanced and yet simple that anybody, even a child, can use them, and they'll be so small they'll fit in the palm of our hands. And one day, someone will take this idea, this creation of yours, and propel it forward to a time where magnetic tapes are no longer needed. "Imagine a world where technology is everywhere. Where computers like ENIAC*, the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer at the University of Pennsylvania are accessible. So accessible that nearly every household has at least one. Some compact enough to use on your lap. And where an electronic spider web of interconnected computer networks link devices together* making the earth a smaller place, and leads to the birth of a world wide web full of information. "We could take videos/films of our kids, their birthday parties and Christmas plays, their graduation and weddings, and keep them for our life time, and share them with family and friends thousands of miles away. Singers and musicians could make videos that reach new audiences. And politicians could speak directly to us to try and capture our votes. The possibilities are endless. "Smarter people than me, will create an electronic platform to store these films and share them with likeminded people. It will live in the ether on the world wide web, and allow anyone with an internet connection to share videos and photos with anyone that has access to a computerised device. It will be the peoples TV channel, one that we control - one for me and you - Maybe it will be called Youtube. "We'll record a video and load it to this site. We'll have a unique reference/user number which will link any recording we upload as our own, and no one else's. We can call it/label it what we want. Tell the world what it is. People will be free to search through a sea of videos and find it, watch it and then tell us if they liked it, or what they thought using an electronic note pad. "It will be full of cute cats, stupid prankster, want-to-be singer, and how-to gurus. It will hold amazing memories of momentous occasions; sporting events, technological breakthrough, political speeches, and world-wide epiphanies. It will make us laugh, make us cry, and annoy us. There will be times we wish it was never created. But it can and will make us re-evaluate the world we live in. It will change lives. And it wouldn't be possible with you and this moment. "Here's to the future.... I can't wait." * ENIAC was formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania on February 15, 1946 and was heralded as a "Giant Brain" by the press. * Internet date back to research commissioned by the United States federal government in the 1960s to build robust, fault-tolerant communication via computer networks (God bless Wikipedia.) |
| The Wildcard Round! Pick a quote from one of your favorite movies and tell us how you relate to it. My quote is - "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." from The Usual Suspects I absolutely loved this film when I first saw it and thought it was amazingly well directed, this quote, delivered by Kevin Spaces’ character, stuck in my head. It’s actually a line from 19th century French poetry. In French it’s, “La plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas." which I think sounds way cooler... but then most things do in French. It’s a quote that can be translated into a lot of situations. As I have said before, I’m not a greater believer in heaven, hell, God , or the devil. It is a great story, and it, as with many other great works of literature, holds many life affirming points, but that’s as far as it goes for me. So clearly, I didn’t take this literally. But I’d argue that the notion is true. Human beings are, by nature, “manipulative”, “selfish”, and “self-centred” – to varying degrees – and these aren’t altogether negative traits; sometimes we need to be these things, it’s how we have survived/thrived as a species – it’s just that we might say “focusing on themselves”, “single-minded”, or “convincing” instead . I think we have to work at being inclusive, 100% honest, transparent creatures. How many of us have lied to a loved one, even a small “white lie”; sometimes it’s to protect them, sometimes it’s to protect ourselves, and most of the time it’s for silly, insignificant reasons that we’ve blown out of all proportion: “No mum, it wasn’t me. The dog broke the lamp… honest” . Unfortunately there are people that take this to the extreme. And, to me, this quote reminds us that the most dangerous individual are those that we don’t we coming until it is too late. They may sound, look, and act, like they’re innocent, maybe they want to be our friends, say they love us, or are just offering a really good deal. They are charming and seemingly caring and because of this we trust them, which makes them incredulity difficult to spot. They are the wolf in sheep’s clothing… It takes a lot to have faith in humanity these days. I’ve heard countless stories of domestic abuse where friends and family are later shocked to discover that he (or she) was actually a nasty piece of work – because “He seemed so normal,” or “They seems so happy.”. Can you recall news articles about a pensioners being conned out of their money by door knockers or even carers? Bet you can… These are the worst type of people. The kind that undo all of the good work genuine people do. It’s a sad truth of this world that you now have to keep your wits about you and that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. But it’s not all doom and gloom – I refuse to end this blog on a negative – There are many people out there that are genuine, kind people. I’d like to think that I’m one of them. And I’m sure you are to. If we all look out for each other, for our families, friends, and neighbours, then we will make it harder for these rogues to continue. |
| Prompt - What is your "philosophy of life"...the idea that guides the way you live? And why have you chosen it? This stumped me. I must have a life philosophy right? But I struggled think of just one guiding idea. There are many things that I believe in; some quite strongly, but are they life philosophies, probably not. In the end I landed on "I am the master of my own destiny." I have to chuckle at the re-runs of He-Man that play in my head whenever I say this, or type it, or read it.... "I HAVE THE POWER..." lol. What can I say, I'm a child of the 80's. I truly believe that if you want something, and are willing to put the hard graft in, that almost anything is possible. I refuse to be told that I'm not capable of achieving something just because of my background, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation; granted I'm a white, female who grew up in middle class Britain, with a private school education, so some may argue I haven't had as many hurdles that others have experienced, but my belief for myself extends to every single person out there too. I can remember the exact moment I realised this and decided that I was going to take charge of my life. It was a small and seemingly insignificant event - if you can even call it that, but it was the catalyst. My mother told me I couldn't have it all. I couldn't have a family and a career. I couldn't be successfully without it affecting my relationships. I couldn't be a good mother, a loving wife, and the breadwinner. I was 16. Now my mother, bless her, didn't mean any of that to hurt me, and in fact she would have been the first person to shout someone else down if she had heard them say that to me; but what she said really annoyed me. Majorly. Of course being a stubborn, determined individual with slight rebellious tendencies (being 16 helped), my response was "Yeah... watch me." And that's been my motto ever since. I accept that there are things that are out of my control, that I will have little to no say on, things that will happen to me, but I have control over how react, what I do next. I am fortunate enough to live in a country that if I don't like an aspect of my life I can take steps to change it. I've been hurt physically, mental and emotionally by people in my life, some of whom I chose to have relationships with and others I didn't, but suffered at their hands anyway. I could not change them, or what they did. But I could choose to stand up for myself and say "No. I am better than that. You are not conditional to my life." I've had to say goodbye to a few people - which on occasions hurt more than I thought it would; a bit like ripping a plaster/band aid off a cut. It smarts, but sometimes its needed in order to heal. I take this philosophy to all aspects of my life. If I don't like the fact that I have little chance of progress at work I can talk to my boss, look elsewhere within the company, or look outside it. I'm free to make the decision that promotion isn't as important as only having to travel five minutes between home and the office, and that I get to spent more time with my husband and daughter. But it is my choice and my life. I own it. If I want to lose the baby weight. I can go to the gym. Take the dog on longer walks. I can stop snacking, Eat healthier. The options are endless and they are mine. I don't believe in luck and I get annoyed by people who complain about their situation, but don't seem prepared to try and change it. I have more respect for someone who struggles and fails, than someone who won't even have a go. And I'm more likely to extend my hand in support and assistance to the former, and just roll my eyes at the latter. The world is yours, mine, ours.. for the taking, but don't expect it to just be given/handed over. Fight. Sweat. Graft. The reward will be worth it and taste a damn side sweet to boot. |
| Prompt - Well, the presidential election is today in the United States...one of the most polarizing and controversial elections in recent history. As an American citizen, how concerned are you about the outcome of this election? And for our global friends, what does this mean for you and your nation? I'm glad that this is almost over. As much as it has been addictive, car-crash TV, it's also been frustrating and incredulous. I was shocked at how nasty and personal the debates became. How the tone was lowered. How sound bites and headline grabbing one-liners were used to rile up the American public rather than discussion on policies, their benefits and how they would be implemented. On times it has be laughable. A joke. But it was a gallows-laugh. The type you might hear before the long drop. The presidency of the United States is arguably one of, if not the, most powerful position on the planet, and rightly or wrongly the rest of the world looks to you for so many things; you are a corner stone for many international initiatives. The world is so closely linked in trade deals and foreign policy that the ramifications of many decisions made in the US will be felt across the globe, and not just in the here and now, but for years to come as well. It's a serious position and should have been battled for in that vein. And as a Brit looking in it didn't feel like it was. It felt like school yard politics. Petty and shockingly childish. Now, the UK has our own problems. A lot of them. A huge proportion of the UK public threw their toys out the pram and we voted to leave the EU; a decision I personally think was/is idiotic. In the months since that vote the pound has destabilised; because the global market doesn't like risk or uncertainty. Our European relations have been damaged - have you heard the Italian and French Prime Ministers, they are not fans of the UK at the moment. And it could spell the end of the EU, with countries like Poland considering their membership. But the biggest fallout so far, in my opinion, has been the divide in the nation. In families and between friends. The nastiness from the campaign spread from the politicians and onto the street. Racism and assaults have increased, to the point where some fear for their lives. I have found myself having to come between and in the defence women in supermarkets being attacked verbally by foolish muppets shouting at them to "go home", even though they have been living in the UK for most of their lives. And you can see the States following suit in this regard. So, what does this mean for me and my country....Well who knows. And that's the scary thing. I hope that America votes in Hilary Clinton, and not Donald Trump. I honestly believe that he would be a dangerous president. He is arrogant and misogynistic, or at least that is what he portrays, two traits that don't lend themselves to the role. Yes, he is out spoken, which is refreshing, but that's not enough, what he says needs to make sense as well. The president needs to inspire people and bring the country together. I'm not convinced after EVERYTHING he's said and done he's capable of that. The division shown on the news is significant. It's visceral. There have been acts of violence. In all honesty, it puts me off visiting a country I once thought a perfect holiday destination. I don't want to subject myself or my daughter to that atmosphere. The USA is proud of it's history. It's melting pot of cultures and background. But what is coming across the air waves is a fractured United States - and well, that sounds like an oxymoron right there... I think if Trump gets in to the oval office the value of the dollar will fall, which would have a detrimental impact on the global economy. Could it bring on another recession? I don't think so, but it will cause pain in the pockets of everyday people around the world. I also don't think Trump has the smarts to deal with the likes Putin... It's not about respect as I don't think Putin respects any country leader, it's about political experience to which he has none. Being a business man is one thing, but running a company is not the same as running a country. And the international stage is very different to a boardroom. And besides, he has been bankrupt more than once. I wouldn't consider him good business man either. I just don't believe the rest of the world would take him very seriously. He's seen as a joke that's gone too far. We struggle to understand how the hell he has got this far. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Hilary is perfect or without her flaws. I can understand why people struggle to warm to her, but politically she is the safer pair of hands. My favourite quote of the election comes from Obama, "If Trump Can't Handle A Twitter Account, He Shouldn't Have Nuclear Codes." That to me is enough said. We have had many discussions in my office about this subject. And for what it's worth, a bunch of British women, aged 35 to 50, who really should be concentrating on other things....namely work.... think you should just write-off this election and then let Michelle Obama run next time round. |
| Prompt: Singer Joni Mitchell, born on this day back in 1943, once said "Chase away the demons, and they will take the angels with them." What do you think about this? Is it necessary to have demons, if only to keep the angels around? I don't believe in demons or angels; although I do think they make fabulous characters in dramas, but I think I understand what Joni Mitchell was getting at. The way I interpret this is that the "demons" are our flaws; the bits of our personality that we dislike, or consider dark, or unpalatable. I guess the obvious example would be addiction; drug, alcohol, sex, gaming, gambling.... pretty much anything that can consume your life until nothing else matters. I would hazard a guess that any of the "seven deadly sins" would fit here as well. And for a person who is lost in or consumed by these "demons", wishing them away might be a regular occurrence, as it might be for their loved ones. None of us are perfect, although I may be very close (tongue in cheek). Everyone has flaws and these "flaws" are an integral part of who we are - of what makes us, US. Even if we have a handle on them, they are still with us; a recovering alcoholic is always a recovering alcoholic. They still manage that disease every day. I would also argue that no one has had a life completely void of anything good, or positive, and that everyone has a redeeming quality; no matter how small. These are what I think Jodi Mitchell was talking about when she said chasing the "angels" away. If she removed her drink/drug demon would she still be a creative soul? She clearly believed that the drink and drugs, while bad, helped her tap into her creativeness, and that she would not be creative without them. Personally, I think she was wrong, I think she was a creative person regardless of what she put into her body; it would have just been hard to get to a point where she had the confidence to feel creative - difficult when you rely on a crutch. Ultimately, to remove the hardships, flaws, and mistakes that happen to us throughout our lives, while very tempting, would be to remove the turning points in our life; the lessons we have learnt. These lessons are what, I believe, help us grow as a person. Remove them and we wouldn't be the same person. We wouldn't be us. I also think calling them "demons" belittles the control we have over ourselves, over our lives. It's hard. It takes effort - and a lot of it - to get passed, move on, or manage these flaws, but it is worth it is the end, and asking for help is often the first step. And I say that from experience. I was sexually assaulted when I was 17. It completely rocked my world - obliterated it - and the ripples of that event affected everyone that orbited me for years; even those that came into my life a decade after it happened. I didn't value myself. I thought I was worthless. Dirty. That it was my fault. And no one would ever love me. How could they, I was damaged? I couldn't shake the monkey on my back and it led me to some very hard and dangerous places. Slowly I started to rebel. To take control back. It was hard. I very often took two steps forward and one step back. There were days that it was three steps back. I had to battle with myself daily - sometimes I still do. But I turned a corner and started to control my "demons" rather than letting them control me. I am at the point where I love my life. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful little girl, a mischievous puppy, a job I don't mind going into the office for, and friends who value my friendship in return. But, and here is the controversial bit, I know I wouldn't be who I am today without going through the shit I had to. And like I said I love my life, and I like who I am. I now know myself in a way I perhaps wouldn't have before. I wouldn't be as empathetic or understanding to others' emotional states - something I think is a strength of mine. Take away those trials and you lessen the rewards. And I wear the emotional and psychological scars as a badge of honour. I'm like a broken vase that's been glued back together - uniquely beautiful, delicate and vulnerable, yet durable, with a hidden strength that many under estimate. I believe Jodi Mitchell was right, but in the wrong way. I didn't chase my demons away. I couldn't. Our lives are not static, and you can not rewrite the past. But I schooled them, and owned them, and I fought for my angels, and the angels stayed. |
| Prompt - This Sunday, your challenge is to pick a news story and start a conversation about it. What are your thoughts on the subject? Do you feel that others will agree? If so, why? If not, why not? Hmm news story. Well there is only one that is plaguing the airwaves at the moment and that is the US election, and even though I am British and live across the pond, so have no direct impact from the results I can not stop watching the coverage. Neither can my husband. It's like the biggest reality show ever. You can see the car crash about the happen but you can't take your eyes of the screen. It's completely addictive. I heard a quote that the two candidate are the least liked people ever to run for office. Not exactly the poster either group wanted at the beginning of all this. I will say right off the bat that I do not like Trump. I find myself scowling at the TV whenever he appears or opens his mouth to speak. And don't get my started on the hand gestures... Even his supporters are annoying and very often insulting; "Women are interested in the Kitchen Table policies and issue.", sorry when did we all time travel back to the 1940's? I honestly thought it would be a walk in the park for Hilary. I mean she has been involved in politics for forever, whereas Trump is a complete novice. I find it hard to make sense of anything he says let alone believe any of it. Yet masses of Americans seem to be behind him - clearly they see something I don't. Maybe they are disillusioned with the current government... but surely that is no reason to go shoot yourself in the foot. The election seems to have divide the nation. But not for the right reasons. Instead of people voting for the person they think will do the best job of running the country they seem to be choosing who they consider to be the least corrupt. Neither candidate is clean. Hilary acted like an idiot and used a personal sever and potentially compromised confidential information; should someone with this level of poor judgement be the commandeering chief? While Trump is accused by countless women of sexual harassment/sexual assault. Would you really trust him Not to cause offense or start an international incident? Which is the lesser evil? Who is the lesser evil....? Can't they just reset and start all over again with new people... A factory reset, that is what is needed. Me, personally, I can't get passed the sexual harassment, the leaked tape, the mountain of bullshit that Trumps spouts. I think Hilary can learn from the mistakes she made. Trump, well I think Trump is a vile person to the core. Lucky I don't have to vote. There will of course be people who disagree. Who see Trump's merits. Who want a giant wall built. Who think that banning an entire religion from entering the county will stop ISIS. And to those people I can only roll my eyes and say this is your "Britexit" stop it while you still can!! |
| What robot would you build? What would it look like? What would it do? Well right now I feel awful. I feel sick. I want to crawl back into bed until my stomach stops churning. But I can't. I have to look after Theia. Give her food. Change her nappy. So I would build a robo-nanny/maid... Robo-nanny would have to at least look human so not to scare the baby. With synthetic skin so she was soft an squishy and not shiney and metal. And she'd have to wear clothes or a suit because we can't have naked robots running around now can we... imagine the scandle... I'd programme her to get up and feed Theia during the night, change her nappy and rock her to sleep. She'd be on call to pop the dummy back into Theia's mouth when she spits it out and becomes unsettled. That way I could get some sleep. She would get up in the mornings and put Theia is her jumperoo. Prepare her bottle and porridge and feed her. Because right now I just want to go back to bed and I'm not sure I should be handling food, let alone a baby. Then after she pops her into bed for a nap, she could start on the dishes, wash up the bottles and put the washing machine on... I would say hoover the floor, but it's too early and would definately wake me up. She'd obviously have to be on perminent nappy changing duties. Actually she'd also be programmed to cook as well as I dont really want to make breaksfast for anyone today either. And that would be handy during the week. I could come home to a home cooked meal and not have to worry about it. Maybe I could programme her to do the food shopping as well. I hate doing that.. Then, when I'm feeling better she could be my personal assistant as I have complete baby brain and need help... With everything. She'd also save us a ton of money in childcare. Stevie ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
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