LITERALLY FIVE MINUTES

Actually, it's 7 minutes until my friends get here, and New Years Eve can officially begin!
I got back from France about an hour ago so obviously I haven't got time to write a proper NYE post about everything that's changed and who I love etc etc etc.
BUT I will say this:

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I hope this year brings all my followers (and everyone else!) everything they could possibly wish for.

Here's to 2011!

Now go out, and get smashed.

K?

 

So that's me done for 2K10. I'll write more for tomorrow,but for now...what are your plans for 2011?

 

See you next year!! 

 

Emma x 

Just checking in,

to say the requisite Happy Holidays!
Something tells me I'm a little late for Happy Christmas. 
Nevertheemind, though.
My holidays thus far have been a whirlwind of family and friends, being dragged here there and everywhere to Auntie This and Auntie That. 
Not to say that it hasn't been amazing!
It has.

ANYWAY here are some neither imaginitive or exciting pictures that sum up the hols for me.

Oh and before you switch off, how was your Christmas? Do anything exciting? Get any nice presents?

An ice-cold Boxing Day walk with my bffls.

Dusty and Milo livin' it up.

  Slippy ice, isn't it?

Playing "The Game With No Name," a Christmas staple. 

Pretty sure this is me in hysterics trying to act out Prince William.

My adorable lovely Gran.

 Parents.

 Eh, sitting on a sofa. 

You know how we do.

Told you it was boring. Thanks for sticking around anyway :)

Ladies (and gents) YOUR BLOGGER NEEDS YOU

Well, not all of you. Only the ones who've read, are reading, intend to read, have watched, are watching, intend to watch, anything concerning, related to or appertaining to Ronald Bilius Weasley.

(Image by ~PrimeHunter on DeviantArt)

LOOK AT THAT FACE. I have a question for you, dear readers: how could anyone profess to dislike that face, or indeed Ron the don?

Well I have a friend, let's call her CRUEL HEARTLESS HATER (chh for short) who is a Ron hater. A Ron hater! I didn't even know they existed!

CHH and I in happier times. For reference, I'm the ginge with the thunder thighs.

So she hates Ron. And I'm going to change her mind. And I'm going to achieve that by giving her a numbered list of reasons everybody loves Ron. Which is where you guys come in. Because I'm lazy and have a bad memory.

So far I have one.

1) Noble defence of Hermione when she gets called a mudblood; eats slugs just for her.

This is the kind of thing I would like - definable examples of times when Ron is just a fantastic fantastic guy. (I've tried explaining that it's his flaws that make him human, she won't listen because she's a CHH.)

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, RON NEEDS YOU.

Music qui m'a changé!

Today's special segment, provisionally entitled Songs That Have Changed Or At Least Significantly Affected My Short And Mostly Irrelevant Life.

As an introduction, this was brought about by me watching an absolutely incredible Harry Potter montage vid called Marching On. It gives me genuine shivers, JUST THAT GOOD! Let me link you. Apologies if you aren't a Potterhead...actually no, no apologies, become one now pls.



Just...ach, so amazing! Whilst this song obviously hasn't changed my life, it reminds me of the moste excellente dynastie that has taken over my spare time since the dawn of the new millenium. So ta-da. Let us now delve into the past for some more significant musicas:

1) Misfit - Amy Studt

I cannot for the life of me find an actual video.




So, Emma, this isn't a great song per se...why has it changed or affected your life in a significant manner?
 Well, anonymous interviewer, here's the truth: like most, if not all teenage girls, I had an identity crisis. I didn't fit in, I was ugly, I was uncool, I spent many a night crying, I even briefly became a goth.
I listened to this song, and it told me that it was okay to feel normal. It taught me that even though  I'm a misfit...that's okay!

Also on the subject of misfits...can I get a HNGGG?

future!Simon has me quivering all over like jelly. JELLY I TELL YOU.

ANYWAY SHALL WE MOVE ON TO NUMBER TWO?

2) Come On Get Higher - Matt Nathanson



This song has about a hundred memories attatched to it. It reminds me of a specific period of time when a lot of things happened in life.

1) The initial beginnings of one of my favourite stories...I used to walk along the road imagining all the relationships between the characters and this song really symbolised the fantastic, fractured, broken relationship of my two protagonists.
2) When I first started at Tesco, my natural ridiculous anxiousness kicked in and I found myself terrified to walk into the common room. One day I literally just sat in the park (this was in November) and this song was on, and it was so cold and I was so scared of being socially retarded for the rest of my life. Only one year ago. Things have changed, seriously, and it's partly Tesco I have to thank for that...I'm so much more confident now!
3) I had a weird semi-crush on one of the guys at work at around the same time...one time this song was in my head, and he walked past, and the image has stuck in my head.

Come on get higher,
loosen my lips,
faith and desire and the
swing of your hips just
pull me down hard and
drown me in love.

The lyrics are amazing too, aren't they.


3)Everytime- Britney Spears





School disco, 2004. I'm eleven years old and I have to stick my head behind the piano in the corner to cry, because no-one asked me to dance to this song.

Okay...not a happy memory, the end of 7 years of incredible uncoolness. It's okay though because this song was running through my head that night whilst I was in bed and I realised...I was sort of okay on my own. It's an emotion that's stuck with me throughout my 17 years of singledom. It's not ideal. But it's sort of okay.

4) Old Bill Jones - Camp Hill Girls MASSIVV!1!!111!!

There is, predictably, no video for this. But it's our unofficial school song and it's fucking awesome. I hear this song and it makes me sad, because I'm leaving soon and I'm gonna miss it so hard :(

5)  Undiscovered - James Morrison
 



Because I'm not lost,
Not lost,
Just undiscovered.

WELL THAT'S THAT FOR NOW. Much love to you if you watched all of them. Enjoy the rest of your week :)

All I want for christmas...

is EVERYTHING.
From Uncommon Goods...

Some seriously fit necklaces right there.

The second one quotes from a poem as well..."I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."

 An actual fisheye camera. Because I love fisheye pictures but I can't afford a DSLR base, let alone the lense.

These adorably mismatched socks...I like how they match and don't match at the same time.

I'm craving patterned tights from Topshop 

I've wanted an IKEA day bed since my friend got one 3 years ago...picture it with some nice covers on, wouldn't it be pretty?

And if you feel like splashing out...



My doorstep. Christmas morning. Make it happen.

WHO WANTS A CHRISTMAS CARD?

I am having a fit of festive cheer.
So. If you want a christmas card (not homemade or anything, just your bog standard pound shop jobby) with some handwritten words by me, email me your address to emma.crighton@hotmail.com :D

Wizard angst.

I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what’s gonna happen or, who I’m gonna meet, where I’m gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life’s a gift and I don’t intend on wasting it. You don’t know what hand you’re gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you… to make each day count. 

I should warn you...there is angst upcoming. I'm sorry. I have a really pleasant music-y draft thing stored away but not today because I really cba.

So I have a Cambridge interview in a week tomorrow. I should emphasise this is no big deal - about 90% of applicants get one, so at least I'm not in the 10% but like I say. No big deal. 

But I'm starting to realise how much it means to everyone. My mom: "Emma I'll never want anything ever again if you get into Cambridge." My dad; singing to himself wandering around the house, an interview at cambridge, an interview at cambridge. Both of my parents are taking the day off work. My godmother has literally told everyone she knows about the niece she has who's applying to Cambridge. My friends all think I'm going to get in. EVERYONE THINKS I'M GOING TO GET IN.

I mean, what the actual fuck? Yeah, I'm alright at English, I write decent essays, I get a kick out of analysing books. But there's no way I'm Cambridge material. I hadn't even read a Jane Austen novel until last week. I don't know anything about the literary canon; I barely even know anything about war poetry, which I'm writing a 5000 word EPQ on. And Cambridge LOVE wider reading, I can't even explain.

Basically, I'm inadequate, mediocre-ly efficient, like I've always been and I've never tried to hide that but now all of a sudden I'm the academic, prodigal genius who lurrrrrves her subject to death. I don't even mind that, it's just the pressure to get in that's rising like a lump of volcano in the back of my throat and making my eyes a bit watery.

I won't be disappointed if I don't get in, but everyone I know will. That's not something I've felt before: even when it was a case of race to the A* at GCSE, I did not feel that pressure and it's horrible because all I've ever wanted is for my life to be my own. 

Air in my lungs and a few blank sheets of paper, that is all I want and need.

My household is so much more pleasant when we win the football. Here is my dog celebrating our 1-0 win over Chelsea yesterday:

That will be all.

101 reasons I'm gonna miss school so bad.

There's not 101 reasons.

I just goddamn love the place.

Such as this evening, our annual Evening of Dance. My little 7-9s were absolutely wonderful, I felt like a proud mommy sending them off. Our group was also amazing. Up there we're in Footloose costumes which is just THE SICKEST DANCE EVER. And then we did a 90s mix, which was equally epic.

I'm hoping someone's video'ed it too so I can whack it up here. 

Anyway, tonight we've raised about £700 for Brain Tumour UK and had so. Much. Fun. 

My week:

Monday: all day dance rehearsals

Tuesday: half day, three hours of dance rehearsals

Wednesday: day off, dance

Thursday: EVENING OF DANCE 2010!

Friday: Early finish, driving lesson, work (urgh, but money is money)

Saturday:Work again...THEN HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY FREAKING HALLOWS

Sunday: ...not gonna lie, probably gonna need to do some homework  

Basically...excellent week :) 

I'm getting old.

Thank god for Twitter, that's all I can say.

In context: I've recently been nursing a slightly unhealthy adoration for One Direction. It's unhealthy for two reasons: number one, they're on TV, ergo they're not real people. Number two, I think they're all younger than me, so it's borderline paedophilia anyway.


(Edit: actually, only the ones I actually think are fit are younger than me.)

Anyway, thank the lord for twitter, because they all use really bad grammar so now I've gone off them. That is all.


NO WAIT THAT IS NOT ALL, MORE EXCITING NEWS:

Guess who I served in Tesco today?

 Clue: it's not Lord Sugar or Nick.

THAT'S ABOUT AS CLOSE TO CELEBRITY AS YOU GET IN TESCO KNOWLE OKAY?!

P.S she put £170 worth of groceries through on the self-serve. That's pretty much unheard of dontchaknow.

Why I wear my poppy with pride.

Today at 11am, my English class stopped our conversation about artichokes, bowed our heads and thought for 120 seconds about the sacrifices millions have made for us to be here today.

Today, my whole school and the vast majority of my country stopped dead for two minutes.

It's not a long time, is it? Two minutes a year.

And I'm not saying I condone war. I'm not saying I agree with the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the Boer War, both World Wars, the Crimean War, the Opium Wars, the Hundred Years War, the Wars of the Roses...whatever. The fact remains that there was war, and that people, millions and millions of people, gave their lives so that I could live mine.

(Warning: blant upcoming. Skip to the poppy picture if you cba)

Which is why certain acts make me sick. Okay, so you believe current wars are injust. Okay, so you believe British soldiers are going to hell.

I wish God existed so you could go to Hell. 

Private Herbert Burden, of the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, who was shot at Ypres in 1915 aged 17 for refusing to fight.

I'm silent in memory of him. Do you consider Private Herbert Burden to be burning in Hell right now? Does the memory of Herbert Burden have anything to do with your crusade? 

I thought not. Okay, so you have beef, for legitimate reasons or not, I don't care. Save your protests for a day which isn't the closest thing to sacred and holy that I will ever believe in, save your protests for a day when the world isn't mourning the sacrifice of millions, save it.

And what's more, did you have to burn the poppy? Protest, fine, but by burning the poppy you're sending a completely different message to me. You're saying, I don't want you to hold these memories sacred. I don't want to be respectful.

Well I do. I don't care how important the issue, I don't care if someone murdered your Auntie Vera, save it for another day. Think Westboro Baptist Church but for the simultaneous funeral of everyone who died (or was injured) in combat. Would you gatecrash your innocent mother's funeral like that? No.

"Asad Ullah, of Muslims Against Crusades, said: 'We are demonstrating because this day is a day of remembrance to remember every single fallen soldier, including those killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
'We find it disgusting that innocent people, innocent children, have been killed in an illegal and unjust war and we are demonstrating against that.
'We want the Government to pull the troops out from these countries and to stop interfering in our affairs.'
Mr Ullah added: 'We would like to have a protest closer to the memorial but it is difficult to get access. We want to break the silence and say, "What about the silence for others that have died?'""
(Quote taken from the Daily Mail Website)
 

Dear Mr Ullah, I understand your sentiments. I can even understand why you've done this: it's certainly garnered some publicity if nothing else.

But "British soldiers will burn in hell"? Burning a sacred symbol of international remembrance and mourning? Hardly in-keeping with your oh-so-moderate words.

Anyway, back to the point.

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Always.

2slashTWO

^ Check out my awesome mixed typography title.

Anyway, I missed my blog's second birthday in September, but conveniently, (and many thanks to this lovely lady for reminding me) my second ever blog post took place two years ago today.

Yes, it did take me two months to write my second post. It's been a slow journey, okay? Anyway, to celebrate, here is a song that is slightly relevant and also one of my favouritest songs ever.

I love sparklers. And I love bonfires. And I love family, and christmas jumpers and wellies...all in all, Bonfire Night is for me :)

Falling in love in bookshops.

Am I the only one who does this?

You walk into a book shop because you have money and time to kill. Linger briefly over Angela Carter's Book Of Fairytales (far left) because the cover is so pretty but you can't justify the expense. Pick up a copy of Burning Your Boats because it's not bad value when you consider how much is in it.

And there, browsing the shelf next to yours,is hot, intelligent/shy-looking guy. Browsing books, just like you. Sharing your passion (or checking them out for school, who knows.) Because you read too many books, you're pretty sure you're going to fall in love and have several tiny intellectual babies with horn-rimmed glasses. You're going to get married, have picnics at sunset, watch the stars together...etc.

And then either time's up and you go, or he goes, and you make small talk with the cashier and rush out into the rain to get the train home.

Seriously, am I the only one who falls in love with guys in book shops on a disturbingly regular basis? My future husband better freaking like books or he can stick his marriage.

...heh :)

Happy Bonfire Night.

1. My last haircut was: Few months ago? That's pretty good. I usually get it cut about once a year, but I'm trying to change that because it looks a lot nicer short.

2. My most daring hair moment was: I really don't do daring hair :) I had it cut quite short once. But that was it, my hair's been more or less the same since I was five. Oh, and I guess dying it bright red was pretty daring :D

You can probably guess which one I am.

3. A hairstyle I'd never be brave enough to try is: I'd love to bleach it and go mega extremely red. But I have not got the balls to risk the bleach!


4. I've always dreamt of being a (blonde, brunette or red-head): Well I'm naturally a brunette and currently a redhead...but I'd love to try blonde. I just know it wouldn't work with me though.


5. My go-to hair do is: wash. towel dry. sleep. wake up. brush. clip annoying bit back off face. go.


6. My biggest hair disaster: I had an absolutely dreadful fringe when I was ten. It was thin, straggly, and greasy whilst I was in the middle of my chubster stage...bad times.

7. A hairstyle I am dying to try is: this is really random, but there's a hairstyle that Lily Van Der Woodsen did once in Gossip Girl that I really fancy having a go at...in fact, let me try and find a picture...

Sorry about the random earrings underneath :)


8. My best hair day: ever? This.

9. The worst hairstyle I ever had: see question six!

10. My hair is: a symbol of my originality but also a completely impossible pain in the arse.

Late night hypochondria

The problem with the internet is that anyone can self diagnose.

And I hate people who go "Yeah, I'm so OCD!" or "I'm probably on the Autistic Spectrum" or "idk, sometimes I think I've got Aspergers, or something."

You know why? Because it smacks of self-indulgence. So you've got a few problems in life; it makes you feel special to give them a name.
I understand that. Sometimes I tell people I'm hypermobile, because techically, using the official diagnosis criteria that doctors use, I am. But I don't say it often, because frankly, it's only useful when you want to seem exciting and/or different.

Old photo but check the elbow. That's hypermobile.

The internet is a devil, though. Like I say, I declared myself hypermobile using wikipedia. I also once convinced myself I had cancer using wikipedia. But tonight, I think I actually have discovered something that genuinely fits me like a glove, and it's called Avoidant Personality Disorder 

Characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation, and avoidance of social interaction.

My lonely friend, she is lonely. P.S, I took this :)

[They] often consider themselves to be socially inept or personally unappealing, and avoid social interaction for fear of being ridiculed, humiliated, rejected, or disliked. 


A long list of symptoms:

• Hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection
• Self-imposed social isolation
• Extreme shyness or anxiety in social situations, though feels a strong desire for close relationships
• Avoids physical contact because it has been associated with an unpleasant or painful stimulus
• Avoids interpersonal relationships
• Feelings of inadequacy
• Severe low self-esteem
• Self-loathing
• Mistrust of others
• Emotional distancing related to intimacy
• Highly self-conscious
• Self-critical about their problems relating to others
• Problems in occupational functioning
• Lonely self-perception, although others may find the relationship with them meaningful
• Feeling inferior to others
• In some more extreme cases — agoraphobia

• Utilizes fantasy as a form of escapism and to interrupt painful thoughts

Another gratuitous elbow pic. Imagine we're fantasising, okay?

Except the first, and the association aspect of the physical contact one, I genuinely believe all of these apply to me. Especially the last one. Fantasy...I've been making up stories in my head since I was tiny, all of them with a protagonist similar, but better than me. When I'm walking along the street (and I do still do this) I imagine someone else with me, I become someone else, I have imaginary conversations with myself.
Seventeen years old and I still have imaginary friends. Hm.

Anyway, there are actual diagnosis criteria, too. It is characterized by at least four of the following:

1. persistent and pervasive feelings of tension and apprehension;
2. belief that one is socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others;
3. excessive preoccupation with being criticized or rejected in social situations;
4. unwillingness to become involved with people unless certain of being liked;
5. restrictions in lifestyle because of need to have physical security;

     6.  avoidance of social or occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal   contact because of fear of criticism, disapproval, or rejection.

 Am I being ridiculous?  

I do genuinely believe all of these apply to me. It goes on to explain that a particular feature of AvPD is "excessive monitoring" of oneself and other people in a conversation, to the extent that it inhibits your actual conversation.

Now I'm not saying that, even if I do have a particularly avoidant personality or whatever, I'm about to start living my life defined by it. It's just surprised me that it fits me so well.

Hate me resent me dislike me for being one of those people if you like.

Actually I would really appreciate some advice, if anybody has any.

:) Emma

Oh, one more thing before I go to bed.

I was just watching this (totally legally...) on the youtube and I was weeping so hard my eyes actually sting. I don't even mean it in a "omg crying now guise thanks" way, I mean genuine tears.



Know why? Because Andy is leaving for college, and I'm leaving for uni (grades permitting) and it's just too much. Not that I have a Woody to give away, or anything, but leaving behind my cosy little life for pastures new is so...scary and so sad! I'm never going to be the same again.

It doesn't help that I've just been youtube-ing the death of Ianto (what, you haven't watched it? well that's your own fault for not being on the ball. WATCH IT NOW, YOUR LIFE WILL FEEL HOLLOW AND EMPTY WHEN YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS GONE) and now I'm just plain melancholy.

Basically I'm a classic Cancerian* who needs to get a life and stop watching miserable clips at 10 past 1 in the morning, but heigh ho.

Emma x

*Technically I'm on the cusp of Gemini and Cancer, WHATEVA.

Well hello there ladies,

I just noticed two new followers!
*waves*

As I've mentioned before, this is not a big deal for most people, but for me it is. Because when you go nearly two years with three followers, the rest seem to have AVALANCHED in. So I will introduce myself, because that's the polite thing to do when you "meet" new people.

Seriously, why don't I get emails about this sort of thing?

Anyway, here is me :

The reason I choose this photo: my tights are baggy, I'm wearing no shoes, I'm wearing my favourite gigantic jumper, my hair is sick (its less red than that now) and I'm pulling an awkward pose. Which is just classic Emma behaviour.

I'm 17, and I live in grande olde England, Birmingham to be exact. I study English, French and History and I want to do a degree in English, hopefully at Cambridge if all goes to plan. I have a tendency to spend an obscene amount on necklaces I don't need and books I've already read. I'm an atheist and I dislike the government - I warn you of this in advance because I tend to spiel off into incoherent rants. I post semi-occasionally here, but life gets in the way alot. If you're desperate for your Emma fix, you can find me on tumblr. I love books. I will probably yadder on about books all day if you let me. When it comes to fandoms I'm infinite. But specifically, Harry Potter, Narnia, Sherlock, Merlin, Inception, Torchwood, Doctor Who, and Spooks :D

ANYWAY THAT'S ME, please excuse the self-gratuitous "I'm important" nature of this post, I thought you might want to know okay.

So, new followers (and old followers too :P) I would like to know more about you. Name, ASL if you want, things you like, things you hate. You're up. Boom x
 

Guys who I'd jump into bed with without even thinking about it.

Today is lazy day. Today is pyjamas, biscuits and Tumblr'ing day. Today is also watching music channels today. And up pops, in quick succession, Bruno Mars and Paolo Nutini.

Bruno Mars was yeah, amazing song, adorable sentiments, mild melting.
Paolo comes up and like every time I hear his voice I MELT FASTER THAN PRINCE PONDICHERRY'S CASTLE.

Which brings me to The List, an occasional serial in which I drool over fit men who I would sleep with even if they killed a puppy.
As long as it wasn't my puppy.

1) Paolo Nutini
He has a voice like a God, a face like an angel, and there's basically nothing about him that isn't sex. Except possibly his secret addiction to horse porn or penchant for legwarmers. NOTHING I KNOW ABOUT, ANYWAY. Instead of following up a hit album with more of the same, Paolo makes an album of unintelligible old-man-of-the-woods music, and even though with anyone else we'd be having  a WTF moment, with Paolo it does not matter. Anything that comes out of his mouth is sex. Even Ron-style slug vomit.

And on that pleasant note, I leave you. In fact, no, I leave you with this.

Well I haven't done anything in a while, have I?

 

So I'll fill in the blanks, because it's been a while. Cheers Lauren!

1.   I am: generally a nice person, a dreamer, and a bit of a dope to be honest :)

2.  I wish: I wasn't so prickly. I can be very prickly, mostly through shyness and confusion over what's socially appropriate, and that makes people think I'm standoffish. I'm working on it though. 

3.  I like: YOU. Also cheekbones, hair dye, old books, men's clothes, falling asleep, quoting Harry Potter in every day conversation, maps, curly hair, decorating my room and feeling artistique, Merlin, Spooks, Gossip Girl, Dr Who, Torchwood, bed, dressing gowns, shopping...lots of things, really :)

4.  I can  hardly wait 'til: Half term! More specifically, BNTM live this Sunday. It's gonna be EPIC. Me and my sister are schlepping down to London for a day of frolics and fun :D

5.  I hope: that I'm gonna be happy in life. There's so much of my life ahead of me and soooo  many opportunities to screw it up but yeah...I don't want to. So hope-sy hoping. I guess it's in my hands anyway, which is good.

6.  I think: too much. See question 2.

7.  I was: and am and always will be.

DAYUM I'M DEEP.

Seriously, though, haven't I been lax about keeping you up to date this week? 

As a side note, my parents just burst into an Italian-type song in perfect discord and it's ridiculous.

I've been trying to get to bed earlier, that's why. It shows how old I'm getting really; I used to not go to bed until 2am and still spring out at 7 the next morning with only a little reluctance. Whereas now, the sleepiness and the general fatigue just sticks with me. 

SO, now I go to bed at like half 10. Which, when you're dancing till half 8, leaves me very little time. And somehow this blog is what's suffered, which is very sad. Apols, ladies, I'll be back to full functionality over the next week!

Emma x

I came here purposely to write a long and interesting post about something long and interesting.

But I forgot because I'm stupid.

*pootles*

Postscript

Is my header too big? It is, isn't it?

Okay, I need to rant.

I'm sorry in advance, because this is likely to be one of my incoherent, fuck-the-universe type rants.

FUCK THE TORIES FUCK THE TORIES FUCK THE TORIES FUCK THE TORIES,

I don't even care that it limits the amount of people who do a degree. I understand, I do, that the value of a degree  has devalued and there's a shocking ratio of graduates:graduate career paths. But do you not see what you're doing? Effectively, the poor will no longer be able to afford an education, at least not without risking massive debt in the future (something those accustomed to being in debt will want to avoid.) So the poor don't get an education (or get a poor one at a less expensive university), aren't qualified for graduate jobs and remain poor, whilst the rich can afford to go to the best universities in the country and yeah...get richer.
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, in what universe is that fair?

Can I just point out that the generation of students this will affect have yet to earn a paypacket, let alone claim benefits or waste money or anything. In no way could the deficit ever be their fault.
Can I also point out that clever people often spring up from poor backgrounds. Yes, those who can afford a private education often do better but so too do children from strong working class backgrounds who've striven AGAINST THE ODDS to get good grades. My parents couldn't afford private education, but if I can just take a minute to show you my academic record...12A*s at GCSE, 3 AS levels and one A2 level (all at A grade) and yeah, I'm predicted 2A* and an A. But if the fee change affected me (thank god it doesn't) I genuinely would be struggling with uni fees next year.
In fact I wouldn't go, as a matter of principal.

What angers me the most is that it's all basically a cover for government cuts. In essence, the government wants to cut funding to higher education because of the massive fucking deficit that wasn't even my FOURTEEN YEAR OLD SISTER'S FAULT. And I know the cuts have to come somewhere, but why there? Surely there's a way of making cuts that is fair to everyone, that doesn't prioritise the rich and fuck up the poor for generations to come.
Just a theory.



Emma x

Want.

You've probably heard of Shakespeare and Company, to be honest, but I only just discovered it - it's an English-language bookshop on the Left Bank in Paris, and it looks wonderful. The original S&co was frequented by the likes of Hemingway and Pound,
and now,
and now,
they offer young writers and artistes (known as "Tumbleweeds") a bed for a few hours behind the tills. The middle picture shows one of the places they sleep.

BOOKS ALL UP THE WALLS,
AND A LITTLE BED,
AND A LADDER.

I am so jealous right now.

And the other thing I like about Shakespeare and Co is the way it's american-run, but they spell Shakespeare the english way. Oh, love.

SINCE WHEN DO I HAVE 6 FOLLOWERS?

I do not understand.
Oh, one of them is me, of course. But the other 5 of you...hi, when did you all appear?

(Don't laugh at me for having such a pitiful amount of followers. Actually, you can if you want since it is pretty bad.)

Secret: I can be really annoying.

Anyway, shall I do a round-up of how things are going for me?

Since we last spoke *checks* I've read Great Expectations, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, The Mill on the Floss and I'm halfway through All Quiet on the Western Front; hopefully I'm going to finish that tonight.

I've acquired a stalker, he's half-Turkish, ugly and fucking creepy; hopefully he'll get the picture after I've ignored every text and fb message he's sent me this week.

I've done approximately TWENTY BAZILLION HOURS of dance in preparation for a show, a competition AND an exam, and discovered the costumes for the competition are...absolutely foul, if I'm honest. Well no, they're pretty attractive if you're built like a rake, but I am not shaped for stretchy lycra hotpant leotard bajingos, okay?

It's like this but not.

Not that I'm fat. I feel the need to add that. I just have big boobs.
(Apologies, new-ish followers. I don't have an off switch.)

"Actually, that's a lie, I'm never going to look like Keira Knightley, because my boobs are roughly the size of her head."

April this year, see what I mean? 

I've discovered that, based on a tariff score of 300, I've actually already got into my 5th choice uni without having to take my final year exams. SCORE. 

Oh yeah, I've snuck some school-work in there too. I'm a regular Maggie Tulliver check out my literary references, Cambridge, you want me yeah!!

And that's all I really have to say. Except essential blog maintenance, I SOLEMNLY SWEAR that I am up to no good that I will change my header so it isn't so square and ugly, AND write a post about classical music that I ACTUALLY LIKE, and do something else interesting by the end of the week.

Insert obligatory blog-end question here. Tell me about your life if you like.

Cheers :)

Emma x

Here’s to the man who invented stairs
And taught our feet to soar!
He was the first who ever burst
Into a second floor.
The world would be downstairs to-day
Had he not found the key;
So let his name go down to fame,
Whatever it may be.
– Oliver Herford, Happy Days, 1917

British, young, blogful?

I don't know if any of you'll be interested, but this just pinged into my inbox: Channel 4 are looking for the Best Young Blogger. Have a look. You never know.

What do you reckon? Worth going for? Personally I'm not sure I've got the time, the inclination or the talent, but if inspiration strikes I might give it a shot :)

Explanation for the lack of pontification,

I'm applying to Uni this year to study English Lit at Cambridge, York, Exeter, Nottingham, or Swansea.
Four out of five of these are v.v.v. competitive and here's the thing: I have never read any Austen, any Dickens, any Chaucer, any ANYTHING and so I'm dedicating between now and my Cambridge interview (if I get that far :/) to reading until my eyes fall out. Since Tuesday night I've done Tess of the d'Urbervilles and I'm halfway through Great Expectations now. So hopefully, I'll get through enough that I'm not a complete literary non-entity

http://prettybooks.tumblr.com. You won't regret it.

Anyway,until then I will be very very very busy reading so I'm keeping posts to their barest minimum. Don't go away! I'll be back!

Little quotes that aren't too abrasive.

I stumbled upon a nice website of atheist quotes today,

and I don't mean in a beat-Christianity-into-the-ground sort of website, either.

An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An Atheist believes that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An Atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished, war eliminated. --Madalyn Murray O'Hair

My own journey into Atheism has been relatively simple. I was never brought up with religion, but I always assumed my parents were religious and that God was real (I later found out that neither was true). I'm not trying to draw a direct comparison here, but much in the same way I never questioned the existence of Santa and the Tooth Fairy, I never questioned the existence of God.

Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too? --Douglas Adams

When I was 10, I started wondering if God was real. I can't remember what triggered it, or why...but I remember quite distinctly sitting at the desks in the Y5 classroom (Beautiful old desks with inkwells and that lifted up so you could stick your posters inside the lid. They sold them off for a tenner each.) thinking...I don't really know if God exists.

Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And, the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics: You are all stardust. You couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded, because the elements - the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution and for life - weren’t created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars, and the only way for them to get into your body is if those stars were kind enough to explode. So, forget Jesus. The stars died so that you could be here today. --Lawrence Krauss

And the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I'm not going to go into it, because people who insist on proving why they're atheist are so boring. And they get on my nerves. And they need to get over themselves. Suffice it to say that the flimsy defences in my RS textbook were just that- flimsy. Everything about the whole caboodle seemed flimsy. 

And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence. --Bertrand Russell

And really, that's about it. 

Emma X

P.S. All quotes found here

Here is a tree, have a nice weekend.

A million good things about today.

(I allow space here for epic spaz attacks like the one I had on Vintage Vixen's blog.)

How awesome is life? HOW AWESOME IS LIFE?

More good things about life:

- Tomorrow = inset day, a quirky little invention of the British school system that means we get a day off. For no apparent reason. Fab.
- I'm watching Gossip Girl. A few days let, but nevermind.

In fact, on the subject of GG - does anyone actually watch it for the plot? Thought not. It's epic but sadly lacking in Chuck thus far.

I'm Chuck Bass and I'm the sexiest man alive.

Just life :)

(Except we have rats. As in, the verminous scrabbly germy grey rodent type of RATS. Which is disgusting so I'm carefully not thinking about it.)

Today I am a chef,

Confronted with a half a tub of leftover chilli, a few stale(ish) tortillas and half a bag of doritos...what do you get?

NACHO WRAPS!

Seriously, it was a bit of a random decision to put cheese and a layer of crushed doritos in my chilli-wrap combination, but its one of my more genius eccentric streaks. Whaddyaknow, it actually tasted pretty good.

Of course I don't have a picture, what do you think I am, organised?

Nah.

I'm here again.

1.   When I get a day to myself I like to: In an ideal world, loaf around on the internets, have some lunch, do a bit of shopping and a bit of reading...in the real world, catch up on the little things that slip through the net...tidy my room, paint the skirting boards, sort out my filing system for college...get organised! Ah, the satisfaction. I actually don't remember the last time I had a free day.

2.  High school was...only last year! And it was by turns epic and totally shit, usually the latter...eh, I can't knock the place. College is way, way better.

3.  A little dream I have is: to watch the sunrise at Stonehenge on the summer solstice. This isn't something I share with people because I know it's full of naked, dreadlocked weirdos high on mushrooms, but I can put up with them for the magic of standing amongst the stones...on my birthday :)

4.  A big dream I have is: big dreams are for big people. I'm a little people :)

5.  If I could drive any car my pick would be: urgh, cars! I'm so rubbish at them! All though I do have a bit of a craving for a beaten up old Land Rover, the sort with benches in the back; then I can get a dog and it can live in my boot.

6.  A time that I felt really and truly beautiful was: New Years Eve last year. My hair just turned out perfect, and I'd just lost a bunch of weight, and I managed my makeup, and I was wearing this hotstuff black lace dress. I just felt so good looking. Maybe not beautiful though because that implies a soul-level depth I don't have.


7.  Tomorrow I will...be working like the pro I am. Then urgently cramming in some theory revision. Sigh.

See ya Friday loverrs :)

Emma x

(P.S, I do have another post in the offing but it's actually quite difficult to write :/)