tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49871759695688525132024-02-08T06:08:54.389+00:00needsmoreworkTom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-37288303126194278332017-06-19T02:32:00.001+01:002017-06-19T02:32:17.200+01:00On The Throne and The Press<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX184242414" style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{135}" paraid="2062218798" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">You know…with the rise of smartphones/tablets, our productivity as a people has gone through the roof. We can communicate over great distances instantly. We can share reports and media with each other at the tap of a button, and we can write blog posts while on the loo.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Hello there…</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{143}" paraid="87648816" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">I swear I do my best work on the porcelain throne. I get ideas down, multiple paragraphs bashed out and talking to friends, I'm not the only one.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{147}" paraid="919979598" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">This got me thinking…why?</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{161}" paraid="1604725876" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">My conclusion </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">is that it is peaceful…we all lead hectic lifestyles. As a care worker, I do long shifts dashing from here to Timbuktu, providing care for people in their own homes. Other people are constantly under pressure to meet </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">targets and churn out work at </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">an</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> alarming</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> rate.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{173}" paraid="1440547328" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">The porcelain throne offers a sanctuary from that…it offers a place where no one can touch you. Where it is acceptable to ignore you</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">r boss and your colleagues</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">, and to</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">. T</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">o be alone, with your own thoughts. Offering the mind a creative time for our minds to flex their muscles.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{177}" paraid="2074121086" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">But I digress.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{199}" paraid="406053259" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">I wanted to about uni...a little while back </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> where,</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> I talked about what options I have and</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> whether </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">should I take a minor...one of those options was multimedia journalism. In the post I wrote the following:</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{203}" paraid="1820159554" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">"an old love that turned into a loath…I know I’m good at journalism, but I left the career because I was fed up with cheap second rate, copy and paste articles getting all the ad revenue, when well written and relevant pieces were left by the way side. – must not turn this into a rant. I certainly find this interesting, and while it could be useful. I don’t see myself going down that route, and worry that I’d just be repeating what I leaned on the field".</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{207}" paraid="1894366695" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">So I wondered why I wrote that...and why I am so angry at a field I used to love. I couldn't place my finger on it until I saw these two tabloids in the supermarket</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_VxhAbQdlB9B6RP-L3NY2dl7NIS5ZlYFFKAyGwAAU72izR6zhI3ZjKzRLzXekJyWVsE6-EsnoPJONug9FGfwF9jw-hi707k9xCYRFrMWFLf1nDtq3hYvrecw750M27Zh5L48EDx50Gms/s1600/photo_2017-06-19_02-30-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_VxhAbQdlB9B6RP-L3NY2dl7NIS5ZlYFFKAyGwAAU72izR6zhI3ZjKzRLzXekJyWVsE6-EsnoPJONug9FGfwF9jw-hi707k9xCYRFrMWFLf1nDtq3hYvrecw750M27Zh5L48EDx50Gms/s320/photo_2017-06-19_02-30-16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">It clicked...this one photo was all the anger I was feeling towards the media after leaving the field was summed up between this pure an utter shouting match between the two papers. Gone are the idealist days that I used to </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">yearn and </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">beg</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">for when I was a journalist.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{223}" paraid="1496442954" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Now all I see is sensational headlines being thrown out in a bid for adverting revenue and sales.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{227}" paraid="2077287520" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">But I do suppose part of the problem why I don't like the idea of being a journalist anymore was that I did not want to be a part of that game...in some ways, I was a rebel...a very idealistic rebel.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{231}" paraid="967708090" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">I wanted to fight for the downtrodden and the underdog...I wanted to tell the stories</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">of real life heroes and bring to justices those who take advantage of the people. I saw myself as a reporter for the people...Someone to stand up to the big scary CEO's and hold MP's accountable. I love that image of me...Its so romantic and lovely...the kind of imagine that I can imagine a Marvel comic is wrote about...though I blame the Sarah Jane Adventures for this...god she was epic.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Then I see the ugly...I'm not a fan.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{239}" paraid="601544885" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX184242414" style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{247}" paraid="76096861" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">I knew it though...It was my driving force way-back-when and most likely the reason why I ran out of steam...I was an unbearable twenty year old trying to stick it to the </span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">establishment</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">...god they were good times.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX184242414" style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{251}" paraid="1827059514" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">I'm not bitter though as I did enjoy it.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{251}" paraid="1827059514" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX184242414" style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{255}" paraid="1393901277" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">But do I want to go back into that world?</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{fd38ff2c-9212-454d-9a5b-c44ac1460e98}{255}" paraid="1393901277" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX184242414" style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{102a0deb-d99a-47ec-9d28-d3326a0a5d04}{4}" paraid="1885246665" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">I'm not entirely sure.</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{102a0deb-d99a-47ec-9d28-d3326a0a5d04}{4}" paraid="1885246665" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX184242414" style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{102a0deb-d99a-47ec-9d28-d3326a0a5d04}{10}" paraid="149159741" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB">Next time I think I'll talk about mental health.</span><span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> XD</span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{102a0deb-d99a-47ec-9d28-d3326a0a5d04}{14}" paraid="59899783" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<div class="Paragraph SCX184242414" paraeid="{102a0deb-d99a-47ec-9d28-d3326a0a5d04}{18}" paraid="271311873" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX184242414" lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </span><span class="EOP SCX184242414" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-61041218646316947822017-06-06T23:47:00.000+01:002017-06-06T23:47:34.778+01:00The Family In Costa and Our Princess Lexa<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{147}" paraid="1731678348" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Right now, I'm in Costa with </span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Jon, we're sat here waiting for Lexa to finish being pampered</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> at the groomers... She's our baby girl</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, and she needs to be treated like</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> a princess. She has just come out of season</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and has clearly been quite uncomfortable so she deserves to have a lot of pampering</span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{159}" paraid="169515967" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3EJX34NhoA0Exe67dhE3Dj0hz3iLemC1P-P2BT02NNwnE38sRy_buX4H5MnOFMtFHywbyxeX0vJFNgh2DxY-PnwwqgamttSloeE8OgH0_s3PJ02SvHpz9H-jXCFhfYANT3UV5fg0D-0y/s1600/photo_2017-06-06_23-34-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3EJX34NhoA0Exe67dhE3Dj0hz3iLemC1P-P2BT02NNwnE38sRy_buX4H5MnOFMtFHywbyxeX0vJFNgh2DxY-PnwwqgamttSloeE8OgH0_s3PJ02SvHpz9H-jXCFhfYANT3UV5fg0D-0y/s400/photo_2017-06-06_23-34-26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">They've refurbished this branch of Costa next to M&S for what seems to be the 15</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX91752400" data-fontsize="11" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> time this year. It's a lot brighter then costa's normal signature look. They are making as much use of the open space as possible, with quite a few small tables with a chair either side as well as a few larger round tables and a couple of half booths.</span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I'm sat in one of these half booths next to my boyfriend who is more interest</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ed in Yu-Gi-Oh duel links tha</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">n the family from East Asia directly opposite. I'm not sure whereabouts they are from. If I was a bit braver I would ask and maybe even learn something about their home.</span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{171}" paraid="1063960182" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Jon doesn’t give two shits that I'm writing about him.</span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{175}" paraid="671422549" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<b><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"HEY JON! JON!!!! I'M WRITING ABOUT YOU"</span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></b><br />
<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{183}" paraid="175514078" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">See</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> nothing.</span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{187}" paraid="1579027990" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The Asian family are all sat around one round table, next to the window. Dangling above the table are three seeming unnecessary light bulbs surrounded by a yellow bottomless cage.</span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{191}" paraid="1351141831" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Just from watching them for about 15 minutes, I can already see the family dynamic.</span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{199}" paraid="494179270" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">First is the head of this unit, perhaps the father or the uncle. He's wearing a dark green checkered shirt</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> covered with a very thin blaze</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">r. He has not smiled once and his hair is abandoning him, but you can see the love he has for his family. </span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{211}" paraid="2060429019" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I noted the behaviour </span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">of the father as he was waiting;</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I could see how excited he was, even though he was trying to maintain a reserved demeanour. As soon as he heard his family coming up the stairs, he stood up</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and his face, in just little </span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ways, lit up. </span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{223}" paraid="714770611" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">He listen</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ed</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> carefully to each member and nods along and shows just the right amount of care when wiping the toddler</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">’</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">s mouth. I unfortunately cannot speak their language but it is lovely to listen to... It just bounces around like a tennis match. </span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{227}" paraid="1937853559" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; text-align: center; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwEzlxx-Qh5LOYV88Ry7z2pJjojNEM_G9XXDld7dU8Q0GJ16zbzHvAhov3Qq5NTVF3USkQUkE6MFsAEqcW0t9nBFGUop7vcv0SJkPQg-iP67Wz0npXrLvU6Ra1vURCOrsNL6OuJVJy1gY/s1600/photo_2017-06-06_23-34-54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwEzlxx-Qh5LOYV88Ry7z2pJjojNEM_G9XXDld7dU8Q0GJ16zbzHvAhov3Qq5NTVF3USkQUkE6MFsAEqcW0t9nBFGUop7vcv0SJkPQg-iP67Wz0npXrLvU6Ra1vURCOrsNL6OuJVJy1gY/s320/photo_2017-06-06_23-34-54.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from when they left...If they were any closer I could have touched them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{231}" paraid="512626415" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Sat to his right is the son. He looks to be in his 20's at least... the family resemblance is striking, but he has much more hair. He's very excited, but still trying not to show </span><span class="SpellingError SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">it...he</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> came up carrying the drinks and did lead the majority of the conversation... unlike the woman sat next to him...I'm going to presume that this is the girlfriend.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{243}" paraid="2089591776" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I come to this conclusion because I do note that the family was dressed in slightly smarter clothes, like the range</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Next or M&S sell, while she was wearing a hoodie and trackie that didn't quite hold up in terms of cost. She was also a little more submissive, compared the sister sat next to her (seriously, that family resebemansce.) It</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">’</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">s interesting to see, that even though she was submissive, it was in a very respectful way, rather then forced. </span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{ddc515df-9225-4953-bf67-2846ef8aeeda}{255}" paraid="2114860387" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The sister looked, and dressed</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> as if she was about to take over the country. She held herself as if she already has. She did appear to do</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">minate most of the conversation</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{421f5323-37d3-4b55-b92f-21acb73fc9dd}{4}" paraid="797557217" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The final member of the family was the toddler who really didn't give a shit and was more interested in his </span><span class="SpellingError SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">yoghurt</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{421f5323-37d3-4b55-b92f-21acb73fc9dd}{8}" paraid="1380742648" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXcP9JhTZpzL8iFiAEe2Wzfagu-eZzS36uVtYSCSpd4Q6d5Nmau0hQWPcNcy7b-W9923dgcF8Z1xgev5Wn3CviC1k1FnkfvxAESkdUis5PpF8sTXS-fQq8OP2V2JVOmzMiOkNH7etuwQ_/s1600/photo_2017-06-06_23-42-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXcP9JhTZpzL8iFiAEe2Wzfagu-eZzS36uVtYSCSpd4Q6d5Nmau0hQWPcNcy7b-W9923dgcF8Z1xgev5Wn3CviC1k1FnkfvxAESkdUis5PpF8sTXS-fQq8OP2V2JVOmzMiOkNH7etuwQ_/s320/photo_2017-06-06_23-42-19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{421f5323-37d3-4b55-b92f-21acb73fc9dd}{8}" paraid="1380742648" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Jon has started writing now... I took this photo of him and me... He looks as if he is about to kill someone. XD.</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX91752400" paraeid="{421f5323-37d3-4b55-b92f-21acb73fc9dd}{20}" paraid="98422750" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Last </span><span class="SpellingError SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">thing...a</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> few hours </span><span class="SpellingError SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">later...Lexa</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX91752400" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> is back home</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">; trimmed, dopey, and smelling lovely</span><span class="TextRun SCX91752400" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX91752400" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0Milton Keynes, UK52.0406224 -0.7594171000000642452.001552399999994 -0.84009810000006424 52.0796924 -0.67873610000006424tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-48264746396663698592017-06-05T22:39:00.001+01:002018-03-18T02:57:28.439+00:00A short updateJust a short post today As I write this. I am currently with my boyfriend watching him play Star Trek Online (STO for the first time…Surprise surprise…he’s playing as the campiest Romulan he can possibly create…He’s certainly enjoying the character creation mode.<br />
<br />
I’ve not really got a huge amount to talk about if I am entirely honest…I don’t really want to talk about my work as a career, not because I have nothing to say, but rather, it will just save a lot of bother with regards to conforming to company policy on social media. I don’t need to level of shit that one mis-worded sentence or throw away comment can cause<br />
.<br />
I did service my car over the weekend…I then broke something on my car…fortunately its not expensive and cost £4 to replace.<br />
<br />
With regards to my previous post in which I talked about the choices that I have at university, I am still undecided as to what to minor in.<br />
<br />
I do want to talk about my father, but that will require a huge post.<br />
<br />
I have to say that STO on the PS4 is really quite pretty…I need to build a new computer soon.<br />
Perhaps I could write about random episodes of Star Trek, analyse them, talk about what story they tell and the interactions between the characters.<br />
<br />
After working out the name of his first ship, Jon is telling me about Mass Effect 2 and a Quarians ship name The Qwib Qwib…I have a new name for my Defiant class now XD<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-471953066520417302017-06-01T01:59:00.000+01:002017-06-01T03:27:56.376+01:00On dyslexia, university open days, and the awkwardness of having to answer how hot a woman is when you're gay.<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>There are fewer greater ironies then a writer with dyslexia.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Further to that point, who is the cruel bastard that decided
that dyslexia should be spelt “D-Y-S-L-E-X-I-A.” Did he/she have a unique
person level of masochism that only affects a specific group of the population?
Does this person get off – in some weirdly perverted way- from knowing that
there are guys and girls like me all around the world that struggle with
spelling, grammar and keeping sentences in one fucking place (I describe mine
as herding cats; they go wherever the goddamn hell they please but will
eventually sleep in a warm place), or keeping an sentence together?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because he or she has fucked us all over, with that
spelling......I swear, anyone with dyslexia has memorised that word for the one
moment we have to write about it on a form.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though…I must say I’m more of stealthy one, I can get by. I
can read a new form or page. I just let the cats settle down. If someone asks
if I’m doing alright, I just say, “yes…..just one more moment.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I would go on some made up story of how when I was in
school, I had an English teacher who used to be a lawyer and taught us to read
everything carefully…this was so drilled into me, that it’s become a habit for
me, “I hope you don’t mind.” Often this ends with a toothy grin delivered by me, and an equally toothy grin passed back
to me…I see in the other persons eyes, a certain unique fear that only
manifests itself when people see my mouth open wide…they never know if they
should call the police or National Geographic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Side-side note…when is “the” capitalised and how far north
does one have to go before it disappears from the English language?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>But, back to the main point. University.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, as you know, I’ve every intention of becoming the next Derren
Brown, just more northern and less charming, and one of the ways I will be
achieving this monumental feat is by studying Psychology (the continuing irony
dyslexia provides for my life will often manifest itself in an inability to
spell a subject that I feel very passionate about and want to study at a
University level.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To help me work out where I’m going, I’ve attend a number of
open days, a wise course of action.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In time, you will learn that these are quite rare. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last
week, I went to Northampton Uni open day.
Which I must say was a blast, I was really happy with what I learnt when
I visited and found the campus to be quite beautiful. It was also a help having
Jon with me as this was where he studied a few years back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we had a look around, Jon pointing out a few of the
buildings, what they were for and having a happy reminisces over them. It was
lovely, and later, we proceeded to scheduled tester session for Psychology.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, in typical Thunder fashion, not only did we get
slightly lost, but we were also the first ones there. I must say, that’s a very
rare combination for someone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am the only person that can arrive early and get lost at
the same time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the session, we first met Steven Kilpatrick, a man who
gained my respect instantly by colour coordinating his jumper, exactly, to the
yellow colour scheme of Northampton and more so, to the yellow power point that
was ready to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This respect only grew, when he descried to fuck with those
who were arriving after us, by asking if they were here for some completely
different subject, and then taking an internal jump of glee when they stopped
dead in their tracks and questioned their entire existence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you here for Nursing…Computer Programming…Biochemical
Engineering?.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The hilarity continued when I realised, that at the tender
lamb like age of 24, that I was one of the oldest in the room.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were a few parents but aside from them…I could have
adopted them all as my children and have the start of a slave army.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m sure noone would mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The required level of politeness was exchanged and we talked
briefly about psychology and what brought us here…who had the longest
journey…who nearly didn’t make it, and so much more small talk that Phillip Schofield
would be proud.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moving on the content of the session, it came in three
parts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first part was an introduction the department and the
University, Steven, and a second tutor, Alistair talked about how they first
got into psychology, how they got into the position they are in now, and projects
they are, or have worked on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second and third part required the main group to be
spilt into two. One half went with Alistair to do his part of the talk, and
myself and Jon stayed with the rest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Steven then talked about the course and what each unit will
look like and that the option of taking joint honours and still being able BPS
accreditation, this has slammed open a tonne of doors for me and I will talk
more about his later on in the document.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He then moved on to talk about attraction, and to illustrate
a section of psychology that looks at our behaviour from an evolutionary point
of view. Steven show us two photos of two different men and asked the women in
the room to pick which on they found attractive. With both examples, they went
for the slightly older, more alpha looking male, then the younger baby face
one. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To further run that point home, Steven also showed use two
photos of David Beckham. One from when he was in his late teens, and one from
very recently. They all agreed that he looked a lot better now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He then moved on to showing us two pictures of woman and
asked the guys in the room, which one they would find more attractive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They answered, and pretty much most of them went for the
younger more fertile female. He then asked me what I thought as I didn’t vote
in that round. I leaned back in.to my chair, crossed my legs and looked him straight in the eye<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is slightly awkward, I’m terribly sorry about this, but I’m
gay.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The entire room burst in the a gut wrenching laughter, that’s only seen
when bankers fuck a load of people over to make more money, or when equally
undesirable gentleman share champagne over their latest plan of world
domination. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Steven looked rather shocked and mortified…I tried to
reassure him that all was fine, but my efforts were lost of the roar of the
would be Sigmund Freud.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I let myself giggle a bit and then came out with the comment
that the younger woman on the left looked as if she’d sucked a
lemon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the laughter died down, I then shared an observation that
I had made in which, some women of a younger age would prefer the baby face
example as this can help to kick in a certain amount of mothering instincts and
is also part of the reason why record labels and media use younger guys to help
sell records. I just need to point you in the direction of Justin Bieber
concert to illustrate my point. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead of shooting me down, or telling me I’m wrong or
cussing at me for running his plan to take over the world, Steven said that my
point was valid and the bringing another perspective to this discussion is what
psychology is all about. There are very few wrong answers as this subject is
more about understanding and interpreting what we have observed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The final part saw us swap rooms and swap tutors. Alistair lead this one and began talking about amputees and how some have experienced,
what they can only describe as “phantom limbs” and he then went on to talk
about therians describing how they feel as if they are part animal in spirt and
then, how this got people thinking about the brain processes input and how we
can fool the brain in to thinking something is there, or not there, and then
using this to start development of different technologies, one of which is to
find a way for surgeons to remotely operate on someone in space.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To do this, he showed us the Rubber Hand experiment (read
illusion) in which the brain can be fooled into thinking that the rubber hand
that they can see is their real hand.
The following video can explain it far better than I can.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sxwn1w7MJvk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sxwn1w7MJvk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And you may ask, dear Tommy boy.<b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What does psychology have
to do with making technology? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After all, tech is a bunch of wires and ones and
zero. The answer is that by looking at how the brain processes input, we may be
able to find ways to have this tech provide tactile feedback to surgeon and at
the same time be able to have the equipment move, as if it was the surgeons
real hand, in such a way, that it would be like they were there, next to their
patent and not on the ground. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is what I love, working shit out, making links between
two separate things and bringing different disciplines together to make
something amazing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I talked afterwards to Alistair, who helped me to process
what we talked about, but also talk about our options at Uni and to the fact
that I now know that I can do a joint honours. I had grown accustomed to only
doing Psychology, or the ever so popular Psychology, Counselling and Therapies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, I grew so accustomed to this fact that I never even
looked into studying something else alongside.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This, has given me a lot to consider. I did some considering
over a big lunch and I’ve worked out a shortlist of subjects that I am
interested in:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Education Studies</b> – This could be useful, should I chose to
go into teaching. Though I ask myself, while I entertain the idea of me being
some kind of college or uni lecturer at some point in the future, it it what I
want to focus my career on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>English</b> – I love writing and I love reading, so you would
think that this is a perfect choice for me, but I have two worries. The first,
is it going to be useful to me and the second, is my dyslexia going to get in
the way?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Media Production and Moving Image</b> – This seems interesting,
and certainly one of the more “out there” subjects. I did speak to friend who
did that course, and he didn’t give it a great review. I ask myself, how much
interest will I have in it, and how useful will it be to me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Drama</b> – My very first love, and the only thing at GCSE that
I got an A in, and what I originally studied at college. I do generally enjoy drama, and I loved being on the stage. It
is certainly something that I can a lot of common ground in between the two
disciplines and there is no doubt that I will enjoy it. But again, how useful
will it be to me?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Heath Studies</b> – Probably the most relevant and useful to me
at this moment in time, given my occupation as a care worker and interest in
caring for people. But is care what I want to be doing in ten year’s time and
how much interest will I have when I study it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sociology</b> – This one is interesting and ties in so close to
psychology, you’d think they were brothers. It is certainly interesting and it
could be useful in my career. I will need do more research on it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Criminology</b> – Another interesting one and very useful to
have for my career. It also seems to go hand in hand with psychology and could
lead me down some interesting routes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Multimedia Journalism</b> – an old love that turned into a
loath…I know I’m good at journalism, but I left the career because I was fed up
with cheap second rate, copy and paste articles getting all the ad revenue,
when well written and relevant pieces were left by the way side. – must not
turn this into a rant. I certainly find this interesting, and while it could be
useful. I don’t see myself going down that route, and worry that I’d just be
repeating what I leaned on the field.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Social Care</b> – like Heath Care, this can be useful, but
again, how much interest do I have?…More research is needed for this as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m most certainly going back to other open days to learn
more about these subjects and help consider my options. <o:p></o:p></div>
Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0Northampton, UK52.240477 -0.90265599999997952.1626895 -1.064017499999979 52.3182645 -0.7412944999999791tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-67832321938884641472017-04-15T23:19:00.003+01:002017-04-15T23:19:41.698+01:00Power Rangers Movie Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The following review came about when someone asked me how the Power Rangers movie was. - I answered.</div>
<br />
It was really quite good. We had a blast. I’ll keep this a spoiler free as possible, though, you don’t really need to see the movie to know that the five of them find power coins, have some character development…try to morph…fail… do some more character development….morph and succeed….then they get some zords.<br />
<br />
Visually…it was Marvel. Everything from the angles of the camera to the landings of the Power Rangers after their first morph looks as if it was ripped right from a Marvel film…I’m a huge Marvel fan so I’m not going to complain, further to the point, if you’re aware of the friendship between Halm Sabin and Stan Lee and the history of the development of Power Rangers in the 90’s (Power Rangers was almost going to be a Marvel franchise…Imagine them and the Avengers) . It would make a certain amount of sense that the film is taking Marvel’s visual style.<br />
<br />
I think the aspect I enjoyed most and I’m so happy they did was that it was more about the five teenagers and their interactions and friendships with each other rather than just being superheroes. As this was origin story we got to see how their relationships formed and the dynamics between them. Jason and Billy pretty much hit off from the start, beginning a bromance that would transcend the ages. Kimberly and Trinni weren’t too sure of each other at first but they too became besties and Zac was a bit of moron…he didn’t release that nor did he recognise that he needed any of the others until he really fucked up and nearly killed all the rest of the rangers.<br />
<br />
And then they bloody redeemed him but showing the other side of him (SPOILER SPOILER)<br />
Zordon was a dick…a real dick.<br />
<br />
But this is good.<br />
<br />
One of the criticisms I had with the original series and its spins offs was that the tutor of the group is worshiped as if he or she was some kind of god. In this movie, he treated the other rangers like they were shit for a while. He wanted them to give him respect instantly. The rangers did not react well to that and it lead to some great confrontations between them all. I shall not tell you why he is so hard on them,<br />
<br />
Alpha 5 was sassy as all hell and I loved that.<br />
<br />
Goldar was amazing…this is what his character needed. No lines, just actions.<br />
<br />
Because of the conflicts between them, there are times in the movie where it makes you doubt wither or not this is actually going to happen.<br />
<br />
Then (SPOILER) died…<br />
<br />
There were a few minor characters that really did help to build the word around them; The template cheerleaders, the long suffering teacher but one of note was the bully that Billy had to deal with. This character had the most purpose of the minors. His job was to show us how Billy is growing up and using his abilities, to play the role of the “fall-guy” and, to also give Jason a reason to interact with Billy for the first time.<br />
<br />
Possible minor spoiler (maybe) on next line…<br />
<br />
…Billy is autistic, and his condition was shown to us and dealt with in the best way possible further to that point, it also shows us how we should react when someone tells us that they are autistic or have other mental health issues and also says to those on the spectrum that they are just as valid as everyone else. Billy’s admission to Jason even helps to strengthen their romance more.<br />
With that said, there were one or two cliché’s such as sporty jock desperate trying to win his father’s approval, Jock and Nerd becoming best friends and the outcast slowly but surely warming up to and trusting the group, but I can forgive those.<br />
<br />
There is little that I didn’t like in the film as those small things are overshadowed by strong characters and a kick ass plot. However, I did feel that Rita’s character could have been built upon more. We were shown right at the start of the film that Rita was the green ranger and that Zordon was the red rangers which I’m so glad that we got to see. The scene which only about 2 minutes conduces with Rita betraying the other rangers and attempting to take the Zeo Crystal for herself, her justification, he wants to rule the universe. My criticism is that we are not told why she wants to rule. I would have very much liked that answer to be shown to us.<br />
<br />
So overall, it’s a damn good movie.Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-52400362851042767072015-11-03T00:35:00.000+00:002015-11-03T00:35:09.038+00:00 Hello, can you hear me? I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be. When we were younger and free.I am beyond super busy. Done so much this year.<br /><br />In other news, I'm moving out. As of this moment. <br /><br />Hench the busyness.<br /><br />I'm
in the middle of my two weeks leave. It could not have come sooner,
even though I love this job, I could feel myself slowing down and
getting tired. I had the first part of last week to just chill and got
given the keys on the Friday (30th.) Me and the most amazing man in the world will soon have all our
stuff in there. <br /><br />I'm trying to do Nanowrimo.<br /><br />Note the word 'trying'<br /><br />It's hard to write when your moving.<br /><br />To
slightly contradict myself, I did work today (Monday) and got a shift
tomorrow (Tuesday) because I'm supporting someone to do a course at college.
As their key worker - although how can I be a key worker when I'm the only
supporter they have on a regualar basis- I'm responsible for ensuring this persons
Support.<br /><br />I have no underlings.<br /><br />I want my own staff.<br /><br />I totaled up everything that I wrote and its come to 120,000 words. Thats a full novel.<br /><br />There is just one problem.<br /><br />Those words are not all in the same piece of work.<br /><br />Fuck.<br /><br />Some dickward swiped my car as he drove past and took off the wing mirror.<br /><br />Not what I need when I use my car for work.<br /><br />All I want to do is find a tight little corner. Take my laptop, its charger and a usb cable and just write. <br /><br />Also pay rise. For some of my work. I have a second (or second and half role) where I will get £9 an hour. <br /><br />Fucking yay!<br /><br />Need that. <br /><br />Not sure what else to write. <br /><br />This seems to be the best way to put on paper how my brain works.<br /><br />Just jumping from one thing to<br /><br />SQUARRALTom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-34214737572968919242014-05-25T02:16:00.000+01:002014-05-25T02:16:58.861+01:00SammySammy -as her mother likes to call her - left school five years ago with stars in her eyes and dreams of the West End.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Three years of college destroyed that dream, and the jumping between temporary retail jobs is starting to become comical.<br />
<br />
I suppose that Sammy's goal of having a Ferrari before she was twenty-one is about to go up in flames. She is more focused on how to get herself out of this hell hole.<br />
<br />
Learning how to legally castrate that two-timing stupid son of a whore would be a bonus.<br />
<br />
The walk to her house from Ben's is only about five minutes, yet Sam's mind keeps replaying those warning signs again and again.<br />
<br />
Its like her bother said, he's not bloody worth it.<br />
<br />
She mutters under her breath as precession of cars and limousines whose drives past, they are definitively taking their time.<br />
<br />
She gives them a cursory glance over when she spots a guy sat in the back of a limousine staring towards her<br />
<br />
"What do fuck do you want?” She thinks to herself before losing the will to follow thorough with her hasty planned tirade.<br />
<br />
News travels fast in this town. Sam walks into the back door of her house that leads into the kitchen and is greeted by her dad who opens up his arms,<br />
<br />
Sammy is able release the tears that have been bottling up. After a few moments she begins register the smell of shepherds pie and that her dads does not have oversized palms but rather he's wearing oven mitts.<br />
<br />
“Are you cooking?” Asks Sam with a slight laugh and a hint of optimism. <br />
<br />
“Yep...And I don't need my mother to do it for me.”Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-21872128445260731652014-05-24T02:17:00.000+01:002017-06-06T01:54:26.481+01:00Miss Montgomery's CatMark spreads out his head in palm of his hands, it's going to be a long morning. His tie is loose and his chubby red cheeks combine perfectly with the fat wrapped around his arched neck. Tuned to Radio 4, Mark looked up to the old clock on the wall, the one that looked liked it came directly from the Thatcher era.<br />
<br />
“The safe seat.” That's what his high and mighty leader told him, “There is no way we can loose this one.”<br />
<br />
“I've just been tweeted.” The soft female voice came from the radio. “When will you give us the results for the Green Party?” Who care about your twitter? Mark wondered, whose wanting to tweet her?<br />
<br />
Geography, that's it. He could have been a geography teacher, at least that way he might have had a chance at gaining some popularity.<br />
<br />
“The conservatives have lost Boemen End.” Mark threw his pen across that room and refilled his whisky glass. What's the point any more? he wondered as his eyes start to grow heavy.<br />
<br />
His mind went back to when his was fourteen and dressed in his school uniform. His teacher pitched him against Hawkings, one of the larger members of his class; Hawkings excess weight would often leave him short of breath, couple this with his set of unwashed clothes and bits of food stuck in his teeth, you are left with a very unfaltering subject. <br />
<br />
Even thought it was an easy win for him, Mark still debated his life out. In the foolishness of youth, he honestly thought that he might be in with a chance to change the world. How wrong he was.<br />
<br />
Now a failed fifty something year old councillor, the once razor sharp jaw line has been blunted. What would that plucky fourteen year think if he could see his future.<br />
<br />
Politics is a game, Mark had learnt; a game, like the ones you play as a kid, but here, you win or go home with your tail in between your legs and a place just for you in the hall of forgotten and humiliated souls.<br />
<br />
He looks around his desk and come to the realisation that he must be the only ex-politician that does not have at least one picture of his family on his desk. Mark promised himself that he would get around to framing a photo.<br />
<br />
Just as soon has he has started a family.<br />
<br />
Deciding that it's too stuffy, Mark leaves his office and walks into his hallway, on the wall to his right is a set of coat pegs which hold up a trusty fifteen year old mac. Putting it on, he heads to kitchen at the end of the hall and rummages though three different draws before opening the cupboard nearest the window to find two half empty boxes of cereal, one large muit-pack of salt and vinegar crisps and a think plastic torch, with a clear see through body, and black grips.<br />
<br />
Mark steps out of the front door and locks it behind him, he buttons up his mac, and switches on the flash light, the only other light comes from the moon desperately fighting through the clouds to light ground below and to give life to local werewolf’s.<br />
<br />
I wonder if Miss Montgomery is a werewolf, Mark has never seen her at night. He looks down the street to his right, her kitchen light is on but the living room is lit up by the white glow of her televisions. She must still be up, watching the election.<br />
<br />
Her cat walked up to Mark and circled, as if she was inspecting him.<br />
<br />
“Did you vote for me?” He asked. The cat meowed in reply. “I would give you a 'I voted' sticker, but I've run out”<br />
<br />
The houses on her side of the street look like they were lifted directly from Clint Eastwood movie. Mark's shoes made a clopping sound as he walked up the four wooden stairs to the porch. Even in this bad light, the ivy that crepes up on either side of the door shines with a dark green glow.<br />
<br />
“Miss Montgomery.” he called as he knocked the door. “It's err...it's Mark”<br />
<br />
There is no reply, the only sound to come from the house is from the wrinkled BBC reporter, patrolling across his studio as if he was some kind of president who has just won a war.<br />
<br />
Mark chooses not to touch the pitch black gargoyle knocker held almost out of reach. If he woke any of the neighbours, he would be fighting on two fronts. One battle was enough for this year. He taps on the white door again. It crept open, as if the wind had invited him to enter.<br />
<br />
“Miss Montgomery” he called out into the house, deliberately staying on the porch, the sound carried up the stairs on the left hand side and into the empty landing, eventually warping around the entrance to the living-room and then through to the kitchen.<br />
<br />
Miss Montgomery's cat walks past Mark and gives him a respectable meow, making him jump in the process.<br />
<br />
Spooky walks though the door, nudging it just a little. She's strutting her stuff down hall way as if he was some kind of supermodel.<br />
<br />
Spooky's walk and her feline invitation is enough for mark to take in one deep breath and open the door fully. He calls into the house again.<br />
<br />
“Miss Montgomery”...”Miss Montgomery, its Mark..erm, Mark, from across the road.” He steps into the hall way. The wood under the pink welcome rug creaked with Mark's body weight. This did not help his nerves.<br />
<br />
On his left side, there is a small waist high cabinet. The home of a snow white vase that Mark had given her for her 48th birthday a few months ago. Some of the pieces have been thrown on the floor while the main base is still resting, where the vase would normally live.<br />
<br />
Spooky pokes her head out from the living-room at the end of the hall and meows at Mark.<br />
<br />
Mark, with some caution, follows Spooky's lead. He walks with his neck stretched out in front of him, as if his eyes were acting as a forward scout for some kind of army. With a final meow from Spooky, Mark enters the living room but stays just in front of the door way, he flicks the light switch that searched around the wall for what feels like an eternity.<br />
<br />
The energy saving light took a few seconds to come to life, when it illuminated the room in its vanilla glow, it reviled the location of the quiet Miss Montgomery. It take all of Mark's willpower to keep himself from vomiting.<br />
<br />
<<<<END>>>><br />
<br />
You don't have to read this bit, it's just here as quick note should you want some find out how this post came to be.<br />
<br />
So I'm starting to take up writing, I began last November with NaNoWriMo. I wrote just over 10,000 words. While doing that I touched base with some other writers in my area who were also trying to do Nano. A few months after, one of the members posted a link to the groups Facebook page which lead to a number of courses that were free and starting soon.<br />
<br />
The task is to turn on the radio and write about the first thing that is talked about. I had the misfortune to turn to Radio Four, at 1:32am on the EU election night.<br />
<br />
After a few seconds of listening to a station that I'm sure is used by Scotland Yard to integrate subjects, the idea of a failed politician came to mind. The name 'Mark' was just a random name.<br />
<br />
I then got stuck at about 200 words and called it a night. the next morning I had to take my mother shopping, I decided to wait in the car while she went around Sainsbury's. I took my laptop with me and started to tackle this again. After a few moments, Miss Montgomery came to mind, I kinda had an image of how she might look but I let Mark lead the way instead.<br />
<br />
I've omitted the last two paragraphs, I am not happy with them, I might add them later but right now the current ending seems to be doing the job.Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-15864142901356430272014-02-11T22:42:00.000+00:002014-02-11T22:42:11.600+00:00The Book Thief - Movie ReviewSo, I was lucky enough to get my grubby little hands on a pair of preview tickets for the movie adaptation of Markus Zusak’s; The Book Thief. Set in Germany before and during world war two, the Book Thief follows the story of a young girl named Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse) who is adopted by Hans and Rosa Hubermann when her mother finds that she cannot cope after her brother passes away.<br />
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It’s rare for me find a movie where I do not have any negative criticism, I will try my best to avoid spoilers however I hold no guarantees. <br />
<br />
The open shots are class; we see the German landscape in pure unrivalled beauty, which is carried along through the film resulting in a grand total of zero ugly scenes. Even the ones which towards the end which show the pain and devastation of the people caught in middle of war are beautiful.<br />
<br />
The story is guaranteed to make you ball and cry yet it ends on the most happiest of notes. We see a life that was lived to it full. You end up rooting for every character, even Ludwig. You almost feel like you know them.<br />
<br />
Sophie Nélisse’s performance was way beyond her years, she took the role and played with more gusto and respect than any audit actor, it was remarkably brave of her to take on such a strong character which I suspect many fans have taken to their heart. Did I mention? She’s only 13. If Nélisse keeps this up, she will have the most amazing future ahead of her.<br />
<br />
The same can be extended to her co-star Nico Liersch, his portrayal of Rudy Steiner was on such a level that if the current adult actors don’t watch there then they will be taken by Steiner, we saw emotions and power that the Hollywood elite would kill for. Liesel’s love interest is one of the few that has not made me want to throw up on the director, I was willing them, I wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together and go on amazing adventures.<br />
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Liesel adoptive parents are in a word, phenomenal. We are introduced to them early on in the film where we are greeted by the kind Hans who chooses to refer to Liesel as ‘her majesty’ and Rosa who is disappointed to find that only one child has arrived, not the two that she was expecting. However as we progress through the film we see beyond Rosa’s cold exterior and see that inside she has the most warm and loving heart in the world. Emily Watson’s portrayal of Rosa is one the best examples of character development in film. Geoffrey Rush and Emma Watson gave a master class on pure acting.<br />
<br />
I then found myself wanting to care for Max Vandenburg who just arrives on Hunermann’s doorstep almost unannounced, we are introduced to him about a quarter of the way into the movie where he forced to leave his mother and seek refuge at Hunermann’s. His love of words and stories bring Liesel together, one scene that really shows this is when Max asks Liesel to tell him what the weather is like outside, he then asks her to ‘tell’ him, if her eyes could see, what would they say?<br />
<br />
Special mention should be given to John Williams who has produced let another legendary soundtrack, unlike his more well-known work such as Star Wars and anything directed by Steven Spielberg, John Williams kept it simple, the piano theme which works its way through the movie, practically tells the story on its own.<br />
<br />
I left the cinema speechless, I am sad that I have wait until the 26th<br />
before I can see this movie, I am also sad that The Book thief has not received as much promotion as it truly deserves. This is a story will most likely stay with you forever and everyone should see it at least once.<br />
<br />
<br />Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-44969689333046801572013-11-25T01:51:00.001+00:002013-11-25T01:51:31.085+00:00A Letter To my NaNoWriMo Characters.Dear characters of my nanowrimo novel,<br />
<br />
argh...Why didn't I think of that sooner?<br />
<br />
OK, I did think of it sooner, but I didn't notice it and it was right in front of me. This idea that I wrote in Chapter five is going to be able to sustain the entire story while linking up all the other plot arcs. It was right there.<br />
<br />
Jason, Hows the arm? Don't worry, I love you. You are no longer just a side story, You are now a main character, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure you childhood friend stays alive.<br />
<br />
Lucan, there is no way in hell that I'm going to break up your relationship with Jason. In fact this book will make your love even stronger. You may have been a side plot, but you are so important you are going into the main story.<br />
<br />
Cassy, you were the reason I was basing my head against metaphorical wall, I'm not going to write your plot any-more. Unfortunately you already exist in chapters two through four, so I can't kill you without reason, from now on you are just an extra who need to fill a seat. You were meant to be the Katniss or the Herminone of the story. Instead you are some dumb Texan who keeps getting in my way.<br />
<br />
Terrance, I really don't know what to do with you. Maybe your story will come about later on.<br />
<br />
William, or Wolfram if you say so. I do feel sorry for you, I may have killed your parents, made you grow up on the streets, ruined your relationship with Tamsyn and turned your best friend into a mindless killer who turned on his own brother but please do remember that I am feeling sorry for you. Wolfy, although you need to move on, I'll let you curl up and cry in your bed for a while, you've been strong for far far too long.<br />
<br />
Tamsyn, You are tap dancing on the line between good and evil, you do realise that people who read this are going to hate you and I hate your parents. I am going to have so much fun for you<br />
<br />
Sam, erm...sorry mate.<br />
<br />
Lewis, How are you keeping? You seem to be in a coma right now. The story is somewhat centred around you, so we kinda need you, so if you could wake up just at the start of act two, that would be great. Also when you do come back, could you stop being so nostalgic, that would be a great help.<br />
<br />
I hope you are all having nice evening<br />
<br />
Yours with love,<br />
<br />
Tom.<br />
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Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-4039252040479606442013-10-30T02:39:00.000+00:002013-10-30T02:39:27.498+00:00My First NaNoWriMo Experience.
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As the title suggests, this post is going to be thrown mercilessly
at your face.</div>
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A few days ago, I made the rather wonderful decision to get of my
abnormally large rear-end and meet up other with writers who are
doing NaNoWriMo. I am so god-dam glad that I did, what was meant to
be a one hour kick-off party turned in to a five hour meshing of
minds, memories, travels and intelligence (I brought what little of
the mind I had, but you can forget about the other three.)</div>
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It was clear that I am the baby of the group.</div>
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The writers that I met had so many stories to tell, and far too
many to list here, there was someone who studied biology but then
went to work for a chain of comic stores and an American
archaeologist who travels, stories and world knowledge leave me
jealous.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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We talked about everything and anything, from our particular
fandoms to politics and how politics in America is like a group of
four year old's who don't know how to behave.</div>
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What surprised me is how far to the left our Conservative party is
compared to The Republicans. In fact over in America our
conservatives are closer in line to The Democrats. On that bases, our
liberals are almost considered radical. </div>
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One thing I did know and what was confirmed is that there is no
middle ground in American politics, you are ether a democrat or a
republican. I also learned that more and more people are choosing to
vote for an independent representative.</div>
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<br />
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I asked if one of our governments could move to an independent
model? Sadly in today's world, it would come down to government by
Murdoch, only those with the personality (and quite a lot of cash)
would be able to get the main votes, it wouldn't even matter what
there policies are. </div>
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An example of this is Ancient Greece, imagine only the rich men at
the head of the household making all of the decisions. It wouldn't
matter who had the ideals to change the world and do good for other
people, they don't have the money to pull in the crowds, no one is
going to hear them shout.</div>
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Personally, I would love to see an election race between two or
more independent candidates in which money is not involved, all that
matters is the polices, and how they are going to serve the American
people. </div>
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Sadly, as a species, it seems like we are not ready for something
so advance, we need flashing lights and Neil Patrick Harris type
performance.</div>
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So it seem that the best we can hope for is that both our
governments can work the way they were intended, on compromise. A
wonderful example of this is the recent Syrian crises, both Cameron
and Obama wanted to charge in there and the bomb the living daylight
out of the Syrian people, but it was clear that most of us in America
and Britain did not want anyone to go into yet another war.</div>
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</div>
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Both Cameron and Obama knew that if they if they did to to war,
they would have a one hell of a time trying to keep us all calm, I
think we could all see that if we marched into Syria, Russia and
China will go to defend their allies in the region and we could
potently have world war three on our hands.</div>
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Thus it was put to a vote, over here in Britain we were the first
to say no, clearly this pissed off Mitt Romney who later passed a
remark saying that France was a better alloy then Britain. I think
everyone laughed at that.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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America had a vote too and unsurprisingly, they also said no. </div>
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<br /></div>
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During that situation, our governments actually did their jobs,
they represented the wants, needs and wishes of their people. I may
hate Cameron and the conservatives but I will respect him for putting
the decision forward to vote and possibly in effect persuading Obama
to do the same. </div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If your interested, in the last election I voted for the liberal
democrats, next time around I am very likely to vote for Labour, even
if I do think that Ed Miliband is a spineless twat.</div>
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<br />You know something, NaNoWriMo is not about the novel (I'm still going to write the bloody thing,) it's about the people you meet, the lesson you learn and the stories you share. It is the people who get together under the common banner of a love writing that help make NaNoWriMo so special.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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I sincerely hope I don't mess things up and that friends I make over the next month or so will hang around for a little while afterwards<br />
</div>
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<br />
</div>
Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-91901828422348407032013-10-13T00:50:00.000+01:002013-10-13T01:16:21.356+01:00Let's Talk About Lifts And BouncingLast Wednesday, I had to go shopping in Sainsbury's<br />
<br />
The contents of what I brought are irrelevant but it was enough for four bags. (I can tell that you're really interested in this post.)<br />
<br />
The Sainsbury that I often go to is a relatively new one, it has it's own muti-story car park and there is a cinema right next door. I parked on the top floor which meant that on the way down I could take the leaning travelator down to the shop floor.<br />
<br />
I am unaware of how travelator's work in other countries, but over in England, where the sun is always shining, we have a voice that speaks to us when near the end. The voice Sainsbury's have installed is one of a 40-something year old dominatrix who tells us to 'push' our trollies off the walkway.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately on the way back up, the return travelator wasn't working, which meant that I was left with two choices; the lift, or the stairs.<br />
<br />
Do I look like I want to take the stairs?<br />
<br />
When I got into the lift, I made a huge mistake, I held the doors open for a lovely lady, her shopping trolly and flood of a loud 60-something (I'm being kind) dominatrix who is talking to a younger woman about how she 'bounced' on a trampoline for the first time since she could remember.<br />
<br />
For the rest of us in the lift, this conversation, had no context.<br />
<br />
We all looked at each other, while this woman kept talking about bouncing'<br />
<br />
When the woman and a few other people bounced off the elevator and onto the first floor, I was left in with one other guy. We completed the rest of the journey in a awkward silence.<br />
<br />
We did not bounce off the elevator. Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-1492513920176807392013-10-11T08:05:00.002+01:002013-10-11T08:05:39.156+01:00NaNoWriMo And Sleep DeprivationFor the more perceptive of you who are reading this post in October or November of 2013, you will notice the giant bad-ass banner that is at the top of this blog.<br />
<br />
This giant bad-ass banner is there to inform you that I am going to be attempting to do NaNoWriMo this year. I am useless at giant bad-ass things like this, so it is a bit of a surprise that this condemned blog is somehow still floating and by some divine intervention has 5171 pageviews.<br />
<br />
Although I suspect that it's just my mum pressing refresh 5171 times, she is my biggest fan. Love ya mum.<br />
<br />
NaNoWriMo is a yearly event that is rather simple, write a 50,000 novel in 30 days. I have tried writing before but most of my attempts ended with something that is a akin to a cow throwing up and eating it's own vomit four times in a row.<br />
<br />
So to help me stay on track, I've made myself a few rules:<br />
<ul>
<li>Write at least 1667 words a day. (some clever person typed 50,000 divided by 30 into their phone.)</li>
<li>Update this blog everyday with my progress.</li>
<li>Get my sorry little ass off my bed and out into the big wide world, or failing that, Milton Keynes. </li>
<li>Get some sleep every night.</li>
</ul>
It's almost eight in the morning and I've pulled yet another radically boring all-nighter. I need to stop going to sleep in the morning. With the way my body clock is tuned right now, I could move to Hawaii. I hear it's lovely this time of year.<br />
<br />
In other news, later on today I have an interview with ASDA. <br />
<br />Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-82268803256959493402013-10-05T23:53:00.000+01:002013-10-05T23:53:21.151+01:00I've been a very naughty boy.I haven't blogged in while, not something I intended to do.<br />
<br />
So in the three months I've been away from you sexy people, I've had a couple of mental ooh-la-la's and worked out that I'm in the wrong career. I'm half-way up a mountain that I don't want to climb.<br />
<br />
Long story short, the name of this blog (needsmorework) has some meaning now, I'm unemployed.<br />
<br />
However it's not all bad, I have noticed that I've matured and I'm pretty cool, I might suit up<br />
<br />
There is one thing I have noticed, there are some people among us who believe that those who are unemployed are lesser human beings. You can tell who these people are a mile off. What they seem to forget is that not many people like being unemployed, I for one hate it, so I hit the ground running, in these four or weeks, I've already had three interviews and I have another one on Wednesday (look at me showing off.)<br />
<br />
So my message is this, your job doesn't make you who you are. To be completely honest, I don't know what makes us who we are, if I did, I could make a fortune.<br />
<br />
Instead I ask for you to do one thing, if you know someone who is a bit down on their luck, pick them up, dust them off, pat them on the shoulder, tell them that they are doing great and stand by them. I'm lucky that i got the long straw and that I have some awesome people around me. Sadly there are those who are not as fortunate as me.<br />
<br />
So don't leave comments saying that your sorry for me because I'm fine, I've got a entire pit crew behind me. Instead, leave a comment saying how you made someones day suck less and if you are a bit down and think you're not awesome, you're wrong. I think you're legen -<br />
<br />
Wait for it...<br />
<br />
...dary Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-8698616547084917602013-07-06T20:34:00.001+01:002013-10-05T23:54:15.116+01:00I'm melting.<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The weather in England right down is hotter then all the tombs in the sixth circle of hell combined.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I must apologize for the lack of posts, I got swept away with life once again. It's been a crazy few weeks, last week I was named Chief Correspondent for ShoutoutUK. I allowed myself a small victory dance when I was found out.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">But before that I just popped along to a book launch, Feral Youth by Polly Courtney is so far my favorite book of the year, it is so real and so beautiful. When I found out the book was about a girl called Alesha who grew up in a South London estate, I thought that it would just be some silly little attempt by someone pretending to understand a generation that no text book can teach you, I was wrong. In this situation I don't mind being wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The full article is here: http://www.shoutoutuk.org/2013/06/29/feral-youth-by-polly-courtney-what-is-really-going-on-with-young-people/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Also, I found out this morning that lovely people at the Youth Media Agency quoted me: </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">http://www.youthmediaagency.org.uk/feralyouth-book-launch/</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I've also wrote a piece on 16-17 year olds in Scotland getting the vote in the referendum, as a correspondent, I'm going to stay as neutral as possible, but then again this is my blog, I have no rules here.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I am all for lowing the voting age to 16, however this must come along with political eduction in our schools. Citizenship is not enough, it is just a lesson for ticking boxes. We have a duty to teach our children about politics and how our country is run. How can we hold our MP's to account if we don't know what they are doing? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I also wonder if the voting age is lowered in Scotland, would 16 and 17 year olds in England get the vote as well. This article has found it's home here: http://www.shoutoutuk.org/2013/06/24/should-16-and-17-year-olds-be-given-the-vote-in-scotland/</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Also I forgot to add the link from the 'I failed You' post, so here it is: http://www.shoutoutuk.org/2013/06/18/committee-room-2-the-roots-and-progress-of-bite-the-ballot/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The song that I am currently singing is 'I Want To Know What Love Is' from the original broadway cast recording of Rock of Ages.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">However as I wrote that, the song changed to 'Friends of the Ood' by Chameleon Circuit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-34911763352363935252013-06-20T11:56:00.000+01:002013-06-20T11:56:21.372+01:00Writing for myself.I have just finished a long six hour straight article writing session for my job, now it's time to write for myself before I end up punching the screen of the laptop.<br />
<br />
I am currently sat on the couch of my living watching The Magnificent Seven, one of the only westerns that I like while drinking coffee from my Thomas the Tank Engine cup. I have now decided that I must learn how to ride a horse. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVtrOZvwmTNRmXPm7hEE6lZFLulTRS5siOOT_kY550x3u052M0i8jXOdL_dialMpkkiDY0G8ics9_KPoIyxIGYnxmGWtkHYeLVYDG8hMzx0h1xTjXdP9p1Y4pJDDtMiilZxRC3UiaH9d4/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVtrOZvwmTNRmXPm7hEE6lZFLulTRS5siOOT_kY550x3u052M0i8jXOdL_dialMpkkiDY0G8ics9_KPoIyxIGYnxmGWtkHYeLVYDG8hMzx0h1xTjXdP9p1Y4pJDDtMiilZxRC3UiaH9d4/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
In some of my previous posts I talked about how I was writing a novel. That has now become a radio play thing, no doubt that this will slowly morph into a film script then into a video series and back around to novel. To save some face, I decided to design one of the star-space ships that would be in the universe-galaxy thing, it is needless to say that I failed art for a reason. This picture below is the view from the front. The idea is that there is one command pod and other pods can be changed around so that the ship can perform different tasks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswFTmzxplcvsH3d-vJcRoXfMRXKd74Qc_ovmCJo9izqgPaKxvLdQtcKS4wOFP1VzZapxZ31RVY0fdovIBA7kRD0PImOk8c8tzlw1ENYJFW3KvTra3G39Hh_oUIs-U80irhoWvhDx8Usov/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswFTmzxplcvsH3d-vJcRoXfMRXKd74Qc_ovmCJo9izqgPaKxvLdQtcKS4wOFP1VzZapxZ31RVY0fdovIBA7kRD0PImOk8c8tzlw1ENYJFW3KvTra3G39Hh_oUIs-U80irhoWvhDx8Usov/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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However, I appear to have drawn (at least to my immature mind) a cock and balls. What does that say about me? Instead of drawing a ship of incredible speed and wonder, I draw an object of incredible speed and wonder, shame it's not a self portrait.<br />
<br />
Today I found a random stick of ram.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYJR0WGhC-jdOFkWVORCQbneCtlAlDyWKp2e9h0GaoMuVbf9TYT09Ju-J1pjEVt5HZXQrGeR_bDZkYWbzi-BZhE8wHh1YqdLzWlp5-7dxm0Ye78iUctzczlTbYtJZQdMnRDtc3ueXUzL6/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYJR0WGhC-jdOFkWVORCQbneCtlAlDyWKp2e9h0GaoMuVbf9TYT09Ju-J1pjEVt5HZXQrGeR_bDZkYWbzi-BZhE8wHh1YqdLzWlp5-7dxm0Ye78iUctzczlTbYtJZQdMnRDtc3ueXUzL6/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Jamie Cullum and my iOS 7 review will have to wait, i'm too tired right now. Apart from that, it's been pretty uneventful. Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-77954430954859297942013-06-13T16:15:00.000+01:002013-06-13T18:22:08.747+01:00Realigning my moral compass <span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.tomneedsmorework.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/yesterday-i-failed-you.html">In my last post</a> I had a bit of a moral ooh-la-la. While writing that post, I was watching Star Trek (yes, I know) and it got me thinking, the majority of my moral compass, landscape thing came from the huge collection of videotapes that I used to watch as young teenager because I didn't like going out and I was way too shy,</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Couple that with being the most irritating teachers pet and having bucked teeth that are so bad they make Bugs Bunny look like a model, I was clearly not one of the cool socialaties. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Annoyingly, my lazy eye came in when I was eighteen, where was it when I was 13? I could have dealt with everything together, then I would be sane, right up until the moment I go on a rampage and brutally murder everyone who has ever bullied me. (I wonder if this paragraph will get the CSA's attentions. I assume my next post will be from a hotel room in Hong Kong.)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I'm going off-track. The reason that I wanted to write this post was to share with you what the characters from the different series have taught me, this is in no particular order, it's just the order that it comes to my brain.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Captain Jean-Luc Picard: It's cool to be patient, not everyone is as awesome as you, it takes time for them to think of the right reaction, and if it all goes wrong, just put your hand on your forehead, lean into it and sigh. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Commander William T. Riker: While I'm never going to have his allure, I have picked up The Riker Maneuver, if I am ever on some kind of date and you do not understand and appreciate it's majesty, we are not meant to be together </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Captain James T. Kirk: Don't worry, it's ok to pause...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lieutenant Tasha Yar: Kindness and compassion will make you one of the most likeable members of the crew, however this will get you killed off in season two, but you do come back as a kick-ass Romulan.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">General Martok: If 'please allow me to hand you your rear end on a plate during which I will be dispensing life advice to Sisko while being loyal, battle savvy, cool, brave with just a touch of humble' had a definition, it would be this warrior. He would never lead his troops into a lost cause. I just wonder what he would have said if he was with me when I was coming of Westminster. Would he have told me to be wise and stay away or would he have lead the charge.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Captain James T. Kirk: ...in the middle...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guinan: " I picked this up on Mangus three, that was setting number one, would anyone like to see setting number two?"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jadzia Dax: Excuse me, I’m trying to put Worf in his place. Oh yes Benjamin.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Captain James T. Kirk: ...of sex with 75 more orions then Riker (sorry man, he just has less regulations)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chief Miles Edward O'Brien: Not only do we share a middle name, but we are also both incredibly awesome. This legend worked his way up from the dangerous path of the red shirt to one of the most loved characters in the whole franchise. This man could shut down as wormhole while repairing the Defiant and somehow keeping DS9 from falling apart.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Commander/Captain Benjamin Sisko: If you are looking for cool, he is your man. He can take a tiny little starship and destroy an entire fleet, while playing baseball, chilling with gods and hopping over the mirror universe so he do stuff to his bridge officers that would normally be against every regulation in Starfleet.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wesley Crusher: The only reason that 'SHUT UP WESLEY' is on this list is because I used to be just like him, annoying, bright and useless, expect I am control controlled by my puppet masters known as the CSA who will chase me to Hong Kong should I publish this article. Don't get me wrong, Wil Wheaton is awesome, it's just that I'm not as awesome as him.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm getting distracted, but I've slept between starting this post and writing this paragraph, and I've realised, there is no point worrying about whether I went to the protest or not, what has happened has happened, I can't change that.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I can start to be awesome, you watch this space, this time next year I would have had a DNA and found out that I am the estranged love child of Wil Wheaton and Neil Patrick Harris. At which point I would start to embrace the side of me that loves to wear suits while hacking into the mainframe of the FBI.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I just didn’t inherit their good looks</span></span><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-50371fb7-3d05-dd54-3b19-e573cda924eb"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span>Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-19404212363704036412013-06-12T10:58:00.000+01:002013-06-15T03:59:38.257+01:00Yesterday, I failed you.<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let me lay down some groundwork, yesterday I took a trip to Parliament, don't worry I'm not arranging an uprising against David Cameron just yet, I'm too busy. I was on an assignment, In Monday I got a text from my editor asking if I was free for a committee meeting in Parliament the next day, as a power hungry little sob, I said yes, after I woke up and four cups of coffee.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will add the link to article that I wrote here when it is published, but this blog post is about what happened before and after that committee meeting. The first thing I did as soon I walked out of Westminster tube station was turn my phone on. It's an iPhone, I was trying to save to battery life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A force of habit of mine is to check twitter every 5 minutes, just like everyone else. All those tweets, all those thoughts, all those voices, I don't know about you but I think that the human race might be the Borg.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">On twitter I saw that Occupy Parliament SQ replying to one of our Shout Out UK tweets, (it wasn't one of mine, I was in the underground at the time.) Their reply was simply put "breaking?" </span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOU7z1373dbEg-NjCOAFRWylGsxe4UDS0ejYtrYsDQsZUshTfzzKJhoEmR6SDLcc_m1p77rX8M5nuwUHckEjaiHQk5HPVtPFn27aWyFesVOl4ibTKDCcwvgaj3ZvEGMwJPt0yKdQNzAxk/s1600/IMG_0927.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOU7z1373dbEg-NjCOAFRWylGsxe4UDS0ejYtrYsDQsZUshTfzzKJhoEmR6SDLcc_m1p77rX8M5nuwUHckEjaiHQk5HPVtPFn27aWyFesVOl4ibTKDCcwvgaj3ZvEGMwJPt0yKdQNzAxk/s320/IMG_0927.PNG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my call to action.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This perked my curiosity, I took the weekend off, from doing anything, I hardly went on the Internet, and I spent most of it sleeping or writing my series of stories that I had been working on for about three or four months. I really know how to pick them, with Bilderberg, the protests in turkey and Edward Snowden, I missed quite a lot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I made a mental note, the G8 protests were only five or ten minutes away, as soon as I'm done with this committee meeting, I'm going to make my way down there and report on what is happening because it is my job.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instead as soon as I left Parliament, I checked my phone again, saw that the protests were growing bigger and I turned into a coward. Instead of waking past Westminster tube station and going up to Piccadilly, where according to Twitter, the protest were. I went in the station, put my headphones in and made my way home because I wanted to write my committee article.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's my job to tell the world what is going on and instead I was selfish and just went home. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Granted, it was the safe thing to do, it was the sane thing to do, and it's what most normal people who want to stay out of the way do, but it's not what I should have done. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For me, I have to play by a different set of rules, I have to run in the opposite direction to everyone else, and find out why they are running. It is my job to report on what is happening, it is not my job to run off like a coward, and read it all on Twitter, being tired is no excuse. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is because of this that I am no better than the CSA. I committed one of the few acts that I consider evil, I stood by while people were in trouble, while people were being stamped on. I may have only been one drop in the ocean, but I had my phone, I was able to record video. A video that I could have recorded, could have a been used to show police brutality, it could have been used to clear someone's name, it could have been used to show the world and future generation what was happening in London.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Someone like Edward Snowden is a hero, he gave up paradise, to tell the world what had happened, he is now on the run. I turned my back on my fellow man because I failed in my job, I'm now sat at home writing this.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've wrote on this blog that I wanted some excitement in my life, well there is was. Excitement looked me in the eye and I turned away.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today I failed not just as a reporter, but as a human.</span></span></div>
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Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-81922392058139597922013-06-04T03:29:00.000+01:002013-06-04T03:29:10.527+01:00Jamie Cullum can wait.I don't think that this post is going to score me many points with Jamie Cullum's p.r company.<br />
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To make up for the unfortunate lack of posts on this blog, I was halfway through a mega album review for Jamie Cullum's new album Momentum.<br />
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However Facebook got in the way and I started sharing pictures of funny cats, posting slight political rants and killing the next person who sends me a Farmville request. But this morning, my friend shared a demo that my other friend has released with his new band, The Sliver Tongue Bandoilers.(It is also clear from that paragraph that I only have two friends.)<br />
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Long story short, I love it. In fact I love it so much that it has just knocked Mozart's House by Clean Bandit out of the slot of <a href="http://www.tomneedsmorework.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-soundtrack-of-my-lifeso-far.html">what I am listening to right now</a>. Take that, Clean Bandit. It only took them two and a half years to get their song into the mainstream.<br />
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/silvertonguebandoliers/blaze-it-up">Click here to go straight to the Soundcloud page</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/silvertonguebandoliers?fref=ts">Click here for their Facebook page</a><br />
<a href="http://www.silvertonguebandoliers.com/">Click here for their Website</a><br />
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This is only a short post, I wanted to get something while I've been extra busy with my new job at M.I.6. Normal service will resume on 6th June with my Momentum album review.<br />
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Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-20364831324312619032013-05-06T22:09:00.004+01:002013-06-03T22:09:59.727+01:00I have eight yearsYou know what I really need to do. I need to start living life. I have always been a little bit reserved and played it safe, and that has given me a very dull life. Although I have noticed that over the past year or so, I've been a little more willing to go exploring and find out about this strange thing that you humans call life. You could say that I am a alien who is just stepping out of his star-ship for the first time.<br />
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The first thing that I need to do is take those chances that come along, I'm already doing it to an extent but I need to do it more, for example, last week I had a interview to work at a Apple store. Unfortunately I didn't it, but I am glad that I went along. It also sparked an idea to write a detective mystery series video thing. I've got a few off the characters, I've got an idea of how the events will unfold, and I've got the setting, I just need to put pen to paper, then call my friend and say 'hey, lets shoot this'<br />
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Also last month, I auditioned to go on The Chase (ITV game-show that is hosted by Bradley Walsh) and I'm though to the past where we could get called up at any time to go on the show. I don't know how I pulled that one off, clearly, I didn't get through on looks.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-WZxeOnloCQpPDOuuLNHQG7nbQ1ifkDSQxFdJLDf18ePlpPIBELCHniUVFD3U0cJpj10h-JAY7MCxBrw4aH-15t_LnN7TznIQ9FR89X3V3tCo5-2g1_n21XKtv7W3QA79KUnA1U020Cn/s1600/415163_3713227026890_1800185238_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-WZxeOnloCQpPDOuuLNHQG7nbQ1ifkDSQxFdJLDf18ePlpPIBELCHniUVFD3U0cJpj10h-JAY7MCxBrw4aH-15t_LnN7TznIQ9FR89X3V3tCo5-2g1_n21XKtv7W3QA79KUnA1U020Cn/s320/415163_3713227026890_1800185238_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you want this guitar, you are going to have<br />
to prize it off my cold dead hands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
I need to start that band, you know, the one that I've always wanted, the one with my best friend, the drummer who we hardly know but ends up having a brilliant solo career and the one who ends up sleeping with everyone, including his fellow band mates, The maid at the hotel, Her Majesty the Queen, Brain May, Barrack Obama, Jeremy Kyle, David Letterman and whoever is reading this post.<br />
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I of course will take care of the main guitar duties, the one who is very serious but has moments of craziness where people turn to each other and say "......................................................................."<br />
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I really want to learn how to code, put simply, I want to learn how to make my own programs. No much more that I can add there. Mostly because I haven't got the foggiest idea of where to start.<br />
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I really want to travel around the world, I have a few cites in mind, I've got Paris, Berlin, New York and San Francisco.<br />
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I need to stop worrying about the things other people say. The people who matter don't mind, and the people who mind, don't matter. (I stole that from Charlie McDonnell, I'm sure he won't mind)<br />
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I really want to set up my own publication, no idea what it will about, I just want to do.<br />
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Surprisingly, this list ends here. I really expected more when I started wring this.<br />
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The eight years thing, Lets make it six. Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-65423567302136262192013-05-02T20:23:00.001+01:002013-05-02T20:23:59.868+01:00I wasn't nervous, I was more apprehensive<br />
I wasn't nervous, I was more apprehensive. Today (Friday 26th April) was the first interview that I had conducted in about 5 years. One of the last ones was with a councilor from Boston, England. We talked about waterworks for a report on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, I was 15 at the time and manageress to persuade my headmaster to let me out for lunch to meet the councilor I owned a Nokia 3310, which had three phone numbers on it, My own, My home number and the number of my school.<br />
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The very last interview that I did was with Jake Humphrey, I so wish that I had the original recording.<br />
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Fast forward to today, I'm now twenty, and I work for a independent youth newspaper. I'm sat on the train looking over the questions while adjusting to the pressure of the tunnels that come up, all while making my way through the every one of The Who tracks that I have on my iPhone, the one with a hundred contacts from those who I met very briefly during the course of my business, to my best friends some of whom I have known for about eight or nine years.<br />
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But back to the train, I'm (was, its now Thursday on my way to Bite the Ballot HQ to meet with there founder and director, Mike Sani. I met Mike last week at the Why Should We Care? Event in Harrow last weekend and we had a good chat, but of course we both busy men, I mean, he runs a huge organisation, and I write about people.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.shoutoutuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bite-the-ballot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.shoutoutuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bite-the-ballot.png" /></a></div>
Mike is a very interesting man, and I really want to delve deeper, but I need to stay on topic, I need to talk about Bite the Ballot, although I can afford my self the luxury of sneaking a few questions about his career at the end of the interview. Let me put it this way, he studied Business Management and Finance in Southampton, became a banker in America, gave it up, when traveling for a year and then became a teacher and later set up Bite the Ballot.<br />
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Of course being the complete idiot that I am, I arrive at Southwark and hour and half early. How did I pull that one off? The journey was meant to take 3 hours, it took 90 minuets. I'm impressed, I felt like I have just outrun The Flash.<br />
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With 90 minutes to kill, I did the only sensible thing a person like me could do, I got coffee.<br />
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I decided to turn up 20 minutes early, that I feel is a sensible time to turn, early enough to show that I'm professional but not late enough to say 'oh my god, taxi'<br />
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<a href="http://www.shoutoutuk.org/2013/04/29/bitetheballot/">The rest is here: http://www.shoutoutuk.org/2013/04/29/bitetheballot</a><br />
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I know, I should have put this post up when the interview go published, but I have been really busy. Please forgive, I have Cookies.<br />
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Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-36619880760641503512013-04-22T22:53:00.000+01:002013-04-22T22:53:17.654+01:00Why should we care?Those who regularly read my blog will know that for the past few months I have been working with a organisation called <a href="http://www.shoutoutuk.org/">Shout Out UK</a>. There purpose is to give give young people a voice who are otherwise ignored by traditional media. <div>
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I have also been working on the 'Why Should We Care?' event (ran by shout out uk) which aims to get politics onto the national curriculum and to show people that it is more then just arguing in parliament, it is about them.</div>
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This Saturday (20th april) I got to finally see the launch of the campaign and see a lot of hard work start to pay off. Of course the work has only just started, and this event will be the first of many. I wrote about the event on the Shout Out UK website, <a href="http://www.shoutoutuk.org/2013/04/22/why-should-we-care-politics-in-schools-launch-event/">which can be viewed here</a>.</div>
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The event started off with a simple networking session for everyone to get to know each other, then everyone took there place in the chambers and after a short film were welcomed by Marsha Thompson. The debate then started. Everything about the debate is in the article so I don't need to go into details here, but the main talking points were, the rise in tuition fees, the loss of the EMA, the relationship between media and politics, the cost of travel for young people and the role of the UKYP.</div>
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It was clear that everyone was passionate about the days issues, but there was also a great deal of respect between different parties, Of course there were times that I forgot that I was reporting on the debate and I had to join in, but before you give me that look, I did manage to plug Shout Out's twitter.</div>
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The debate lasted almost two hours before it brought to a close, and it was clear that we all could have talked all the way into next week.</div>
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I got involved with this campaign because I know that the young people of this country are fantastic, and they have the ability to change the world and make it a much better place, they just need a little nudge and the right tools. This campaign will give them those tools to get involved with politics and change the world.</div>
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One of the most stupid things that you can say is, 'I don't care' or 'I don't find it interesting because it will not make you immune to the governments. Politics is not like football or a soap opera, you can't just ignore it. You should know how your country is run, and what the people running it are doing, that way you can hold them to account when they step out of line.</div>
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<i>This bit is the blogging equivalent of a YouTube end screen. The bit that is in the background while you choose the next video.</i></div>
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<i>If you want more information about the why should we care campaign you can go to shoutoutuk.org</i></div>
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<i>You can follow Shoutout on <a href="https://twitter.com/Shoutout_UK">twiiter</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Shoutoutuk?fref=ts">facebook</a></i></div>
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<i>If you want to get involved with ShoutoutUK or want to help spread news on issue which affect or interest you, or if you want to launch your own campaign, send a email to <a href="mailto:editor@shoutoutuk.org">editor@shoutoutuk.org</a> </i></div>
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<i>You can also follow me on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/tomneedsmore">twitter</a></i></div>
Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-58118087623292209372013-04-18T18:27:00.001+01:002013-04-18T18:27:48.963+01:00Why Should We Care, event planning so far.I am on a roll today.<br />
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The planning for Why Should We Care? Politics in Schools launch event is going so well, and we are two days away.<br />
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But why am I investing my time and energy into this, simple, young people have been ignored by Politicians, demonized by the Media and never really been given a chance to speak up, So I joined Shout Out UK and decided to do something about it. Politics is part of everyone’s life, saying “I don’t find it interesting” won’t make you immune to the government’s laws.<br />
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Why Should We Care? is taking place in Harrow Council Chamber, if you can make it, it's free, <a href="http://pol4schools.eventbrite.co.uk/">more details are here</a>. As well as <a href="https://twitter.com/shoutout_uk">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Shoutoutuk">Facebook</a>.<br />
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<br />Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-41346323224217472552013-04-17T14:27:00.002+01:002013-04-17T14:41:41.855+01:00The soundtrack of my life...so far.I thought that I would do something different today, I’m going to post a list of songs, but it’s not my favorite or the top 100 chart toppers. It’s a list of songs that mean something to me, or that remind of a time, place or person. This list is in no particular order.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNwIqFGna2E">Light My Fire – Will Young</a>.<br />
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This was the first ever single that I brought, I loved this song growing up, and I loved Will Young. I was eight or nine years old when Light My Fire was covered. I brought the CD from our local ASDA (The British version of Wal-Mart) , a week after Will Young had won Pop Idol for around £3 with my pocket money. I have remained a fan ever since.<br />
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In case you’re interested, I used to get £5 pocket money a week.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Od45DjCA4">Relight My Fire – Take That. (Feat. Lulu)</a><br />
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Late nineties, I was even younger and convinced that there was a secret box under the floor boards, inside this box, I was convinced that there was a map that would lead to some un-discovered treasure just outside the valley where I lived and that it was my duty to go and find it, with my dog. Tucker was a springer spaniel and the most beautiful and gentle dog in the world. I would do anything to get him back. <br />
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How did this song get into my memory? Simple, my Mother, she played this every single day, I’m pretty sure that my Dad is sick of it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy4uiiy0qgA">You've Got A Friend In Me – Randy Newman</a><br />
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I have two words for you: Toy Story.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh1IxhPwMb4">Sex Bomb- Tom Jones.</a><br />
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Questions are raised as to why an nine year old would be obsessed with song so much that he ends up singing it every day in the school playground, a playground of a strict Roman Catholic school. I am now an atheist. <br />
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Anything from Radio 1’s Live Lounge Volume One.<br />
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Year eight in school (seventh grade for my American Readers who make up 65% of my audience.) and this was the year of change, firstly I was growing up, very quickly and shall we say that things were changing inside me, and I was starting to feel things that were weird, but what I was feeling seemed different to what the popular sporty kids were feeling or what my group,’ the ones who paid attention and were so bright that we could be the best in class without falling into the geek/dork/nerd stereotype’ were feeling. They were attracted to girls, I wasn't. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmeUuoxyt_E">RockStar - Nickleback.</a><br />
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I loved this song; I was such a rebel when it came out that I got the censored version on my mp3 player. I used to listen to this song on the bus on the way to school, during that dry period when I didn't have a radio play built in to my mp3 player, so I couldn't listen to The Chris Moyles Show.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8KQmps-Sog">Uprising – Muse</a><br />
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Fast forward to college, I was 17 and a budding actor, my whole life revolved around acting, I was partially good at Shakespearean drama's and dark gritty plays. I was not so good at singing. I did not like open my vocal chords in front of hundreds of people. Uprising was the first song that I sang in front of a audience, but it was the song the taught me to just enjoy it. I played a weird werewolf/zombie thing during this song. This was the big opening to our Rock 'n' Horror evening.<br />
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We had rehearsed this a hundred times and we got it perfect every time. The plan was that we were to be split into two groups, My group would enter from the door on stage left in a creepy and incredibly evil manner, singing until 'we will never see the truth around.' At which point the other group would come in from the door on stage right, and sing up to the chorus, where both groups become one and we all sing together.<br />
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However, Sod's law would have it, that our tutor, who shall not be named, decided to lock the door that the second group would come out from. Our tutor locked this door to stop parents, friends and family from taking the easy way into the hall, forgetting that the second group would be requiring that door in a piece that our tutor choreographed themselves.<br />
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It came to the second groups cue, instead of hearing the lyrics, we heard a 'clunk.' We had to think quickly, it was do or die, we sang the words as best we could, while being accompanied by 'IT'S LOCKED' and the very distant singing while the group very quickly made there way into the Studio, to enter the Hall, via the two sets of double doors which lead out to center stage.<br />
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They got 20 or so people on stage via three sets of doors in a time that Usain Bolt cannot hope to beat. We got it together by chorus.<br />
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Uprising is, and remains my favorite song.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE">Viva La Vida - Coldplay</a>.<br />
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I've nailed this song on my guitar. That is all.<br />
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And I love this song.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd0cT7Dnpt8">Mozart's House - Clean Bandit.</a><br />
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I heard this on Radio One last month while driving home and just fell in love with it. It's is my soundtrack for right now. I love that Clean Bandit have been able to stamp there own style on a stable of classical music while being respectful the the source material.<br />
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It only two and a half years for this work of art to be noticed in the mainstream. It is so good, I love it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wjFahULCK8">Shake it - Metro Station</a><br />
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It was the summer of '09' The best goddamn summer ever, My whole year got to go to Butlin's, (we still had to do lessons though) for a study week in the run up to our GCSE's. The only thing is that I have very little to write about it on this blog, mostly because it involves a tonne of people and some stories that I assume that they (and me) want to stay buried, especially for some in the building on the other side of the courtyard.<br />
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The thing is, Metro Station are the complete opposite of my normal tastes, yet the still have made it into my list, and that summer would have been so different with another song, and not as special.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4">Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses.</a><br />
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Sweet Child o' Mine was the first song that I taught myself (with the help of youtube) to play on the guitar and the soundtrack of my rocker stage.(I wear mortal's clothes now.) I was 18 and wanted to be different, I also hanged out with the different kids, but don't worry, I was in the group could hold down a job and kept our heads screwed on.<br />
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I also had a brief passing with Paramore, but they didn't stick.<br />
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There is one point that I want to make, people in my generation, say that our music is rubbish and does not hold up to the 70's and 80's. I say to them that if they don't like what they've got then they should make their own, no one forces you to listen to what is current, you choose your playlist, not me.<br />
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Who know's the next song on this list could be one of yours.<br />
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Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987175969568852513.post-65848779989033547822013-04-11T22:14:00.000+01:002013-04-11T22:14:37.885+01:00State of the blog.This post marks the 102nd day that this blog has been live. They say that the first 100 days in office are the most important and the same can be extended to blogs, many fall short and are just left to decay, but not this one. You will never get rid of me, unless I die, which would be quite unfortunate.<br />
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I thought that it was time for a state of the blog address, it the same as a state of the union address expect with less money, less politics and you have to imagine me as Bill Clinton, but without the long line of women (old joke, I know.)<br />
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At the time of writing this post there have been 1169 views over 22 different posts (this post being the 23rd.) That is amazing, people are actually taking the time out of their day to read what I write on this little corner of the Internet, I have only one question for you, are you high?<br />
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The most successful post of mine is<a href="http://tomneedsmorework.blogspot.com/2013/02/in-summly-im-feedly-my-current.html"> "In Summly, I'm Feedly My Current FlipBoard While Checking My Pulse."</a> I think I got the timing right with that one, I posted that about 2 weeks or so before Google announced that they were going to retire Google Reader, because of this, the post gained another batch of views, jumping from about 25 to 121.<br />
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Just to cover myself, I didn't actually know that Google was going to retire Reader until, it was announced, I do not have inside connections. Although I really wish I did. It puts me in a tough position, do I sell my soul to Google or Apple? <br />
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I also made it into <a href="http://www.jibbary.com/" target="_blank">Jibby's</a> top one hundred blogs list, the fact that someone wrote about this blog on there blog (blogception) is not just amazing, but also incredibly humbling . <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/100832955049551040275" target="_blank">+Sam Bowden</a> thank you so much.<br />
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Unfortunately blog everyday in April did not do as well as I hoped, mostly because I was too ill to write anything. If you want to know the details, one end was like the Nigeria Falls, the other was like the Iguazu Falls. <br />
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This blog to me is more then a blog, it's an extension of myself and my inner thoughts, it's a place where I can get things out in the open, clear my mind and get a second opinion. If you haven't already taken up blogging, do it. It is so good for you. I even persuaded one of my friends <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/103671812544696110629" target="_blank">+Lauren Brabrook</a> to start up. Her blog can be found here: <a href="http://www.onedayiwillflyaway20.blogspot.co.uk/">www.onedayiwillflyaway20.blogspot.co.uk</a><br />
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I am also going through a period of professional change. In my career, there are going to be a lot of opportunities for me to climb the ladder (for want of a better phrase.) It has taken a lot of risks on my part, I left a very safe job at River Island to do this, budgeting is now my number one priority, the last thing that I want to do right now is go back into retail, although I've got over a years experience over two different stores in a tonne of different positions, it is not what I want to do with the rest of my life. <br />
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I'm also seeing changes in myself, growing up, I was the mature kid, the one who doesn't seem to have a childhood but is rather born as a adult. Growing up, I was a very shy and reserved kid, but I'm getting rid of that shyness that used to stop me from doing what I wanted. I always had to have someone with me when I go to new places or taking to new people, now I can't think of anything better to do. <br />
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I was the teachers pet of all teachers pets, but with style, if I didn't like the piece of homework that I was given, I would just do it on the bus. I would simply remember what was told to me taking a mental image of the whiteboard or the slide and recalling it when I needed. I am now reaping the benefits of that, I can recall whole conversions, and remember so many random facts. I could make a whole new post on how my brain works.<br />
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Yet, I cannot remember peoples names.<br />
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This may seem like a oxymoron (look at me using big words) but I'm maturing while becoming a kid again, I find so many things wonderful now, from aspects of science that I ignored at school because I just wanted to learn about space and not the cells that are in plant, to fiction. <br />
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I used to think that fiction was a waste of time, the only stories that I cared about was Harry Potter, there is a whole other story about how I got into Harry Potter, but I'll save that for another post. Tom Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08396497703885229701noreply@blogger.com2