Tuesday 30 December 2014

14 reasons 2014 has been pretty damn great.

2014 has, like any other year, been a blend of the good, the bad and the downright mad.

Knee deep in essays, novels and deadlines at the start of January, December has certainly offered a dose of the unexpected. Early morning lectures have been replaced with early shifts serving coffee. Instead of fuelling late night library sessions with caffeine, I'm now pouring it into a cup and asking if sir or madam would like a croissant to go with their medium cappuccino today.

Despite the fact post-graduate life hasn't quite been the marvellous new adventure I'd hoped it would be, 2014 has in fact treated me pretty well. Here's just a selection of the reasons why.


1. As Co-Editors of our University magazine, my friend Darcy and I finally had our first proper edition printed and published. We battled with it for months and months, struggling to get the layout finished whilst juggling work and other deadlines. The finished product was printed in February, and we couldn't have done it without the help of our brilliant little writing team.



2. I was lucky enough to get a week of work experience at The Times and I absolutely loved it. I met some wonderful people and even had three (tiny) feature articles published in the paper.



3. June was a life-changing month as my time as a student came to an end. I completed my degree, I left my favourite ever job at Touchdown Café and said goodbye to Canterbury. Lots of tears were shed. :'(

4. I had my first ever job interview in July and it was TERRIFYING. I've had three others since and they weren't any less scary.

5. The World Cup was on this summer and it consumed mine and millions of others' lives for an amazing 4 weeks. Thanks to Germany, I also won the family sweepstake. Ha!

6. As well as the football, we had The Commonwealth Games to keep us glued to our screens in July and August. I personally developed a weird obsession with watching bowls.

7. At the end of the summer, I went on a little holiday to Wales with six friends, and for some crazy reason we decided to try out the biggest Zipline in Europe. It was an experience unlike any other and probably one of the best things I have ever done.

8. My brother was accepted into Derby University! He moved away in late September and it's become really weird (and really quiet) without him around.

9. After working in the city for 30+ years my Dad finally escaped and found a fantastic new job in Brighton. I speculate the early morning East Grinstead train to London Bridge misses his snoring immensely.

10. I finally graduated in Canterbury Cathedral on September 16th, and had the most amazing day celebrating and reuniting with my friends from University.



11. In October, I turned 22 and got very drunk to celebrate. Woo!

12. I completed a big freelance book editing job in November - it was great to get the experience but I was so happy to finish.

13. Nancy won The Great British Bake Off.


14. I dressed up as an elf at work to introduce our new Christmas drinks menu. It was bloody great.


If that's anything to go by, I'm really looking forward to whatever 2015 has in store - the good, the bad or, indeed, the downright mad.

I must, of course, also say thank you to those who have read my posts this year - regardless of how many you looked at, and whether or not you actually thought they were any good - you're all pretty damn super.

I wish you a very Happy New Year :)

Love Nats. X

Sunday 9 November 2014

A nation divided - to wear a poppy, or not?

With the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London aside, it seems a growing abundance of 'poppy fascism' has wickedly stolen the limelight from Remembrance Day more so this year than any other.

Articles, columns and opinion pieces covering both sides of the debate have indeed been filling the pages of papers for weeks, with such headlines as: "Why I wear a poppy"; "Why I won't wear a poppy"; "Should you wear a poppy?"; "Shouldn't you wear a poppy?"; "Man dies of heart attack brought on by stress of deciding whether or not he should wear his poppy." (Fine, I may have made the last one up).

Today is, of course, a day during which millions of people pay homage to the fallen soldiers of wars both past and present in memorial services up and down the country. While often bitter-sweet, it is a beautifully British celebration which offers us an opportunity to express our thanks and gratitude for the great heroes of our nation.

www.combatstress.org.uk

I, like thousands of others, have bought and worn a poppy for as long as I can remember, and have attended the parade in my local town centre each year since I was a little girl. For many, the commemoration is an almost perfect way to show appreciation for the indescribable sacrifices made for our freedom throughout modern history.

Yet, it seems in recent years that Remembrance Day has rapidly become tainted by the haughtiness of a certain few taking it upon themselves to name, shame and humiliate others who refuse to join in with the anniversary of the Armistice by not wearing a poppy.

These poppy-wearing enforcers have indeed been cruel in their chastening of any public figure who dares step out of their own house without wearing the famous red flower upon their breast. ITV News presenter Charlene White has faced the brunt of the backlash both this year and last, the most recent of cases seeing Wigan footballer James McClean booed by spectators every time he touched the ball on Friday evening's game against Bolton, simply because he chose not to wear a poppy during the match.

I do find it quite baffling that these people, who appear to go out of their way to point fingers at those not 'joining in', have even the time or the energy to bother sending in complaints against these innocent people, who have just as right to not wear a poppy as those who choose to wear one. Do they not have better things to be doing? Like polishing and ironing their own poppies? (Obviously, they are far more wonderful and moral than the rest of us.)

The other side of this debate has come in the form of articles like Lindsey German's, which argues that the best way to protect and respect soldiers is to not send them away to fight in the first place. Others have made great proclamations of refusing to comply with a concept which glorifies war, unfairly accusing politicians and celebrities of only wearing a poppy to avoid the backlash of not doing so. It is little more than an accessory for the politically correct, they claim, even suggesting the existence of a poppy hierarchy in which "white is better than red".

Such division is ludicrous when the emblem is, in part, supposed to represent the end of poisonous, bitter feud between two sides. To be a nation divided on a day such as this is surely nothing but an insult to those who fought for peace and unity, and enough is quite frankly enough. We are done with the opinion pieces, newspaper columns, articles and television debates. Either wear a poppy, or don't - you have a right to live freely as you please.

On Remembrance Day, isn't that supposed to be the point?

Tuesday 23 September 2014

The world is changing, and we're all invited.

When Emma Watson began her speech at the launch of the United Nation's gender equality campaign in New York yesterday, she made a point of addressing every person in the room.

"Your excellences, UN Secretary General, President of the General Assembly, Executive Director of UN Women, and distinguished guests, today we are launching a campaign called HeForShe."

Her intention, much like the campaign itself, aimed to promote unity and inclusion within the audience she was speaking to, a sense that each and every person in that room was invited to listen, regardless of their race, their religion, their ethnicity and of course, their gender.

HeForShe is indeed a campaign which aims to make an immense impact on the movement towards abolishing gender inequality. What makes it unique is that both men and women are being encouraged to play a part in instigating change.

What makes Emma's Watson's speech especially unique is the recognition of an ironic gender imbalance in the fight towards total gender equality, as well as the negative connotations brought about to this movement by the word "feminism".

www.unmultimedia.org

In modern society, we are graced by the presence of female ambassadors like Caitlin Moran, Suzanne Moore, even Beyoncé, who triumph feminist ideologies and encourage women to express their sexuality and female empowerment in an often male-dominated world.

Caitlin Moran's 2011 best seller How to be a Woman indeed addresses the issues of the modern woman, guiding readers both old and young through an age in which women can find themselves oppressed by society, the media and their peers.

But how is a man supposed to understand and support the concept of feminism when every piece of literature written about it seems to be aimed at women?

"How can we affect change in the world if only half of it is invited?" Emma Watson says.

While the word "feminism" is not in any way defined by "male-bashing" or female superiority, associations with it have become too tainted to encourage any real support for the ideas it is striving to achieve. The etymology of the word itself connotes "a state of being feminine". The "fem" part of the expression is enough to assume that it is for women only, even if this isn't the case.

Does the problem of capturing the attention of the masses therefore lie with the word itself, rather than the meaning behind it?

It is this new approach that can guarantee this movement's success. Everyone needs to be involved if any impact is to occur. It is, after all, not just women who face monumental tribulations in their day to day lives. Watson makes a point of highlighting the shocking global volume of male suicide rates, and that men can too be victimised.

It will be difficult to shift the tainted reputation of the word "feminism", but this campaign does indeed have the potential to formulate a new and successful space for total gender equality. Let's not waste time trying to convince people what feminism actually means. Let's instead work on what it is intending to achieve.



Thursday 18 September 2014

Zipworld - the nearest thing to flying.

The beginning of September saw myself and six friends do one of the coolest things I think I will probably ever do.

It was my best friend Alice's idea to sign up to Zip World, home to the longest zip wire in Europe and located in the beautiful Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales. We stayed in a lovely little cottage for four fantastic days in Bethesda village, only a short distance from the seaside town of Bangor.

With Busted's back catalogue and the Frozen soundtrack as musical accompaniments, our adventure began on a sunny Thursday afternoon. Minor departure delays came as a result of my incompetence and failure to remember important items like my phone, purse, house keys etc. Suffice to say I wasn't exactly the most popular member of the group at the beginning of our journey.

Friday morning saw us experience an undesirable combination of nerves and tiredness from the previous night's antics. It was upon our arrival to the Zip World site that butterfly sensations began flapping at maximum velocity. (Probably the single most ridiculous sentence I've ever written). The zip line was really bloody high.




We were weighed, instructed to dress up in our safety gear - goggles, helmets and all - and headed up to the first of our zip line rides. The 'Little Zipper' stood at around 72 ft and intended to give us a mere taster of the full experience (yes, really). Rather than sitting upwards as you would with a regular playground zip wire, the harness was hooked up so we were laying flat, offering an almost authentic sense of 'flying'.




The anticipation for the 500 ft 'Big Zipper' was painfully long after the incredible adrenaline rush of the smaller one. After being strapped up we were left dangling at the top for what seemed like an eternity as the instructor waited for the previous person to reach the other side of the line.

A countdown finally commenced and we quickly found ourselves shooting down the wire at around 80 mph, cutting through the air above the picturesque view of the quarry beneath. The scenery was utterly, and almost literally, breathtaking. It truly gave you a buzz like no other.





I'd be lying if I said it wasn't absolutely terrifying, but it was without a doubt one of the best experiences I have ever had. I recommend it to anyone who believes they too can face their fear and take on the challenge - I know I would do it all again in a heartbeat.


Have a look for yourself here at www.zipworld.co.uk


Thursday 31 July 2014

Is the album soon to be six feet under?

I would probably best describe the music my 19 year old brother blasts from his bedroom as, at the risk of sounding very old, "just noise".  Never an ideal supplement for a headache, a hundred times worse in the case of a hangover.  Very rarely are there any lyrics - the occasional yell, I suppose, but nothing really ever worth mentioning.

travelingsoutheastasia.com

We speak often about our differing musical tastes, what is good, what is not, where the industry is heading and what we can expect to see or hear in the near future. My inability to face facts about the relevancy of albums has been the core of many an argument, and I am reminded on an almost daily basis that my frequent purchasing of said item will inevitably become no longer possible in years to come.

In my dismissal of this sad reality, I have attempted to ignore reports of dilapidating album sales and the rise of a growing single-based culture, but there is no denying the fact that soon albums will indeed meet a sorry end, and unfortunately there is little we can do to stop it.

The Guardian reported on Tuesday that "30 million fewer albums were sold in the UK last year than there were in 2009",  with music lovers instead streaming an estimated 7.4 billion songs in 2013 on services like Spotify.  Head of Music at BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, George Ergatoudis comments that "in terms of creativity and musical statement, albums still have relevance and merit", but making a living out of music is far more difficult in an age where streaming has become the mass market.

The death of the album has been developing gradually "over about 10 years", according to music industry analyst Mark Mulligan, yet the birth of online services like Napster has instead allowed people to enjoy tracks "on their own terms".

Rather, we have entered into a playlist-dominated era with consumers "cherry-picking" their own musical selections and grouping them together under umbrellas of genre, mood or popularity.  People are granted the power of song choice and order of play depending on what they may be doing at that particular time.  Guardian journalist Harriet Walker argues that we are a part of the generation where you don't have to wade through the drudge to hear the good bits - "you are in charge, you decide exactly how much dross is in there," she says.

As an audience, we can break free from our role as spectators and creatively formulate, in one respect, our own piece of art inspired by the palette of the musicians we love the most.

With this in mind, if music is indeed a piece of 'art', it is also just as important that we are able to enjoy it in its intended, original condition. A painting does not offer onlookers the option of choosing a favourite 'chunk' to then disregard what is left over. Would it be normal for an audience to exclusively watch the best scenes of a film without seeing the rest?

Streaming services and playlists are and will continue to grow as dominant aspects of the music industry; to deny it would be a waste of your time. If you can embrace such a change, I applaud you.  But its contagious appeal won't stop me buying albums, not until they're officially six feet under. And even then, I'll be dancing to the best ones at the wake.




Saturday 19 July 2014

So, you've finished University. What now?

If you've just completed your degree – congratulations! Not everybody that started managed to finish, so count yourself as part of the special club that did.

There are few sensations in life that I can compare to typing the last word of my dissertation or completing my final exam. As peculiar as it sounds, they are challenges I would be more than willing to undertake again purely for the unique feeling that washes over you as you compose that final sentence.



I recall whinging at the prospect of waking up each morning and trudging to the library rain or shine to endure an eight-or-nine hour day staring into my laptop screen, and hoping in one way or another it would prove beneficial in my quest to seem smart. Two months on and I actually miss it – strange, don’t you think?

This entire academic year in actual fact undertook an odd countdown-like structure as a result of an underlying yet constant fear of finishing University and wondering what in the hell would come afterwards. Back at home that fear has worsened, amplified by friends' parents and parents' friends who ask the infamous question of "what are you going to do now?"

It is nearly always the same questions which are asked, with nearly always the same answers which are given as a reply - a conversation I almost have rehearsed. Its de ja vu nature is often enough to make you want to shoot yourself in the face, and the response of "I'm not sure just yet" is also guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows.

It's a scary old place to be, and right now I feel like I'm in the thick of it. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I know I'll find my feet one way or another.

I'll continue to live the façade with my student discount in Topshop, but University life is finished, and like a tragic break-up we've somehow got to get over it.

Tissue, anyone?



Monday 16 June 2014

What the BBC can learn from the Brits

Today the BBC announced the launch of the BBC Music Awards which will take place at Earls Court in London. The show will hit our screens on BBC One on 11 December, plugged as a "prime time event" with Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton hosting at the helm. 



BBC Controller, Charlotte Moore has acclaimed the ceremony as a "unique celebration of music in the UK" and awards will be given in three categories, namely British Artist of the Year, International Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. The latter will be decided by a public vote, while the two former prizes will be judged by a panel of broadcasters and producers from the Corporation.

Executives have insisted the BBC Music Awards will in no way rival or attempt to trump the Brits, which have been hosted annually at the beginning of each year since 1977. Guy Freeman, producer of the show, said "Just because it happens to be a music show on the television does not in any way mean it's the Brits. There are a million music shows on television that aren't the Brits."

In haste, the BBC has been totally dismissive of any comparisons made between their own new show and the ITV alternative. Indeed, with an audience loss of 6.2 million in the last decade and a half, it is hardly likely that the Beeb will be taking any tips from the commonly-controversial music show, which this year suffered heavy criticism for being, well, generally crap.

It is the painfully corporate approach of the Awards which has seen the show slated in recent years, with as many ad breaks as there are guests in the audience. Tolerance levels of James Corden’s arse-licking ran dry in 2012, and a growing investment in acts like One Direction and Justin Bieber and a lack of lesser-known British artists leaves many with a mere blemish of screen time. The Brits have lost their rock n roll edge – they have become tiresome, mediocre, predictable, and boring.

If the BBC are going to make this work, they're going to have to offer something unique and almost totally different. The event has already promised to focus on "music lovers of all ages who enjoy listening to music from across the BBC", rather than the "younger end of the market", and brands like BBC Introducing have already shown that the Corporation can and do appreciate the less commercial aspects of the music industry. 

For the sake of my music adoration, I would love to see this show succeed. But if "different" goes as far as the contrast between The Voice and The X Factor, I fear it won't be long before the same trap snaps shut.

Seven ways to save money as a graduate

University is finally coming to a climactic end for students up and down the country, but a fundamental reliance upon student loans during the past three or four years may also leave many recent graduates feeling lost and financially helpless.
It’s fathomable to feel the doom and gloom of those post-Uni blues, especially where money is concerned, so what actions can you take to get back on your feet?




        1. Get a Graduate Bank Account
Take advantage of those graduate-exclusive deals by switching from your student account to a graduate one. Certain banks can even offer overdrafts with 0% interest for up for three years.
Comparison sites like Which? and Money Saving Expert will also help you find the best deal to suit you and your spending habits – don’t opt for the largest overdraft option if you don’t really need to.
It’s important to never think of it as “free money”, and instead you should use it as a chance to clear any debt if you have already overdrawn your student account.

        2. Student loan stress
Don’t let the burden of repaying your student loan keep you awake at night. You will not be expected to make any repayments until you are earning over £15,000 a year, at which point it will be simply deducted from your payslip with 0% interest.

        3. Settle your bills
Ensure you have paid all your bills in your student accommodation before you have moved out, and inform utility companies that you are leaving. By not doing so, you risk being charged for gas, electricity or water used by the property’s succeeding tenants. It’s also recommended that you provide a forwarding address to your previous landlord in case you receive any important bills or letters after you have left.



        4. Property deposit
Get your deposit back from your landlord when you have moved out of your student accommodation – it’s best to do this as soon as possible.
        5. Fly back to the nest
The prospect of living with parents again may horrify you but it is far more cost effective and will allow you to save up for a deposit for your own place in the future.



        6. Budget carefully
Set up a spending plan to establish what you really need, and stick to itUsing cash rather than card when purchasing items will also make you more aware of what you are spending.
        7. Graduate discounts
You can still enjoy the student life a little with discounts and deals from a range of websites and apps – take a look at Graduate Extra on the NUS website for offers on everything from driving lessons to fashion.
Vouchercloud are ideal for fashion, electronics and mobile deals, while Groupon have great discounts on hotels, restaurants and days out in London.
You can even gain cash back on items by buying through Quidco from a variety of retailers, including Tesco, Amazon, M&S and Boots.


Saturday 17 May 2014

City Sound Project - Review

Exams loomed at the start of May but revision came to a brief pause for the return of the city’s biggest music festival City.Sound.Project, which saw the likes of George Ezra, Gorgon City and Blood Red Shoes storm stages all across Canterbury.



Coco and The Butterfields 

The weekend was kicked off by “colourful, energetic and crowd-stamping” Coco and the Butterfields at The Jolly Sailor, who describe themselves as “pioneers of a newly found musical genre, ‘Fip Fok’”. The Canterbury act, unique in their blending of folk and hip hop, were truly fantastic in creating a lively and colourful vibe, playing covers of Flo Rida’s ‘Low’ and House of Pain’s ‘Jump’  with their own impressive material, their track ‘Five Bells’ being a particular highlight. Check them out on SoundCloud here:  www.soundcloud.com/cocoandthebutterfields

bbc.co.uk


Alphabetic 

The crowd for four-piece act Alphabetic in Bramley’s was much smaller but the band certainly held their own, blending synth riffs with the gorgeous resonance of female vocalist Rebecca and lead guitarist Walter. They could be compared to Two Door Cinema Club in their happy, upbeat indie vibe with an added similarity to Foals in the gradual build-up of each track. www.alphabeticband.com.


Mas Agua

Canterbury and London-based Mas Agua, also featured on the line up of this year’s Christ Church Summer Ball, is a contemporary music project offering a unique mix of looping vocal harmonies and synth sounds. The project, founded by singer-songwriter David Ellis, were impressive in giving a truly captivating performance in cocktail bar Bramley’s on the second day of the festival, an almost ideal choice of act to match the mood of the very hungover 50 or so music fans in the audience. www.soundcloud.com/masagua.


Light Tone Studios


George Ezra

George Ezra, the up-and-coming King of Cool accompanied by a trusty guitar and a vocal range to make you melt, was a top choice of headline act as he took to the stage of the Christ Church Student’s Union on the Sunday. Performing his already well-known hits ‘Budapest’, ‘Did You Hear the Rain’ and ‘Cassy O’’, the crowd fell in love with Ezra’s charming stage presence, that winning smile and sexy, deep vocals (I won't deny the crush while it remains overtly obvious). His debut studio album Wanted on Voyage will be out June 30th and I speculate it will be a big hit. www.georgeezra.com

culturefly.co.uk



Wednesday 23 April 2014

Happily ever after?

(A little piece I submitted for my Creative Writing module at Uni.)

Once upon a time in a land far, far away lived an assortment of famous fairytale characters each battling with a bout of almighty dilemmas. Fortunately help is at hand with the swish of her wand and some mighty sound advice from the one and only Fairy Godmother and her fairytale problem page.



Living in Patriarchal Hell
Fairy Godmother, please, do help if you will,
Seven men and myself in our house on the hill.
I work hard all day to make our home glitter,
But lack of assistance has turned me so bitter.
The misogynist nitwits, they never give thanks.
They never say “cheers” when I scrub clean their pants.
I trek down to Tesco and stock up on tissues
On behalf of the one who has sneezing issues.
I’m always exhausted and feeling so rough,
How can I tell them I’ve had quite enough?
Snow White

For goodness sake, girl, you need to be stronger,
This homemaker’s hell can go on for no longer.
I’d get yourself out if they can’t lift a finger,
The plates won’t stay clean and the dust will then linger.
These men will soon realise how much they did slack,
And pleading and begging they’ll want you straight back.



Down in the Mouth
Help Fairy Godmother, I feel so distressed,
My ugly appearance just leaves me depressed.
I must be adopted, my brothers they tease,
They mock me and tell me I must be diseased.
Their feathers so golden, their bodies much smaller,
Adorned in dark grey, I’m an inch or so taller.
I yearn for self-worth but without friends to care,
I remain so despondent, knee deep in despair.
‘The inside counts more than the out’, people say,
But how can I stop myself feeling this way?
The Ugly Duckling

Those brothers of yours seem unwise and vindictive,
And duck ‘nip and tuck’ I am told is restrictive.
You’re right when you say that the inside’s worth more,
So hold your head high like a swan, I implore.
Don’t duck that head down with such low self-esteem
For your future is bright if you follow upstream.


Breathing’s a bother
Fairy Godmother, please do ease my health fears,
I have been a chain smoker for about thirty years.
My coughing just worsens, I can’t catch my breath.
My lungs, they are throbbing and I’m feeling like death.
I huff and I puff and while gasping and wheezing,
My pains never show any instance of easing.
Perhaps it is cancer, perhaps I will die
Regardless I fear that my chances aren’t high
How can I keep myself feeling alive?
And what must I do to ensure I survive?
The Big Bad Wolf

It sounds as though asthma is causing your pain,
Though thirty years smoking is no doubt to blame.
Nicotine patches will aid you in quitting,
The use of inhalers will keep you committing.
Make an appointment to visit the nurse,
Before it’s too late and your symptoms get worse.


Saturday 8 March 2014

Happy International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day - a day to celebrate and embrace femininity, acknowledge our greatest female role models from the past to the present day, and recognise the challenges and tribulations women have faced throughout history and are still facing in the 21st century.

International Women's Day goes as far back as the early 1900s, before women could vote, legally terminate pregnancy and possessed rights to their own financial income. In the UK, women had only just earned the right to their own property and Marie Curie was yet to become the first female Nobel Prize winner. Today, International Women's Day is recognised all over the world and pays tribute to the vast developments put into place to promote feminism, gender equality and women's rights across the globe.


I for one am not ashamed to admit I am proud to be a woman, and I am not ashamed to admit I am a feminist.

"A feminist?!" you cry in horror. The kind of madwoman who, while swirling a burning bra through the air, protests against misogyny from the rooftops with a photograph of Andrea Dworkin adorned proudly on the over-sized dress she patched together that morning. Indeed, the prospect of it is appealing, but underwear nowadays is too expensive to sacrifice for these particular circumstances.

In reality, "feminism is simply being equal to men", says Caitlin Moran, author of best-seller How To Be a Woman. "I was astonished that the word "feminist" and "feminism" had become unused or even a bad word. If you ask most women if they're feminist, they would say, 'no'. So, you don't want to vote? And you don't want to be able to own property? And you don't want to be in charge of your life? And you don't want to be in control of your sexuality and your reproductive rights? They say, 'yes, of course'. Well that's feminism, it doesn't mean anything other than that."

On the contrary, Lily Allen's comments on disbanding of feminism as an ideology caused something of a ruckus this week. Speaking in her role as guest editor of Shortlist, she said "it shouldn't still be a thing", protesting that "everyone is equal in the modern world" and that women "are their own worst enemy".

She justified her opinion with personal experience, arguing that "I know that when I'm sitting in a restaurant and a really beautiful woman walks in, who's skinny, I instinctively think, 'Oh she's really skinny and beautiful and I'm really fat and ugly.'"

I agree in that women are instinctively competitive with one another, but aren't men exactly the same? Isn't competitiveness simply a part of human nature? Isn't feminism more than just female appearance, female interaction and female mentality?

It is without question that the life of the average woman has improved since the first International Women's Day way back when. However, the fact it is still being recognised and celebrated in 2014 demonstrates that everything is certainly not, as Lily Allen puts it, "equal in the modern world".

Globally, women are still facing the challenge of oppression in all walks of life, and the following statistics underline a few of the many core problems women are dealing with today.
  • 1 in 3 women will be beaten or raped during their lifetime.
  • 44% of all UK women have experienced either physical or sexual violence since they were 15, and the UK ranks among the worst countries in Europe in relation to violent abuse.
  • 99.3% of women and girls in Egypt had been subjected to sexual harassment.
  • Over 130 million women living in the world today have undergone female genital mutilation - in one Birmingham hospital as many as 40 to 50 women every month are treated after having undergone this awful procedure.
  • Around 14 million girls, some as young as 8 years old, will be married in 2014.
  • An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked into slavery each year, and 80% of these are girls.
  • 1% of the titled land in the world is owned by women.
  • 21% of the world's managers are female.
  • 67% of all illiterate adults are women.
  • The gender pay gap stands at 15% in the UK, with women on average earning £5,000 less a year than their male colleagues, increasing to 35% with part time jobs. 

International Women's Day is still important, and feminism is still "a thing". Our gender is enormous part of who we are as human beings and we should embrace our femininity and be proud of what women have achieved on our behalf throughout history.

Be proud to be a feminist, and be proud to be a woman!

Wednesday 19 February 2014

The BRIT Awards 2014

Tonight will see the 34th edition of the BRIT Awards held at the spectacular O2 Arena in London and hosted for the fifth and final time by James Corden. Sadly, this year I will not be watching - the boys are out of the house and my mother & I intend to sit in face masks indulging in tortellini and The Breakfast Club.

In spite of my animosity towards mainstream tosh and airy fairy bubblegum pop I've always been very fond of the BRIT Awards. They're fun; granted, live performances often mixed, winners occasionally outright absurd and to list the multiplicity of controversially chaotic dramas and scandals calculated since 1977 would have me here all afternoon.

It has further become awash with predictability and painfully corporate with the show's association with MasterCard virtually rammed down our throats at any given opportunity. Certain categories sit with a thin field of nominees, and one reference to Bieber and/or the 1D collective is enough to make you throw your dinner at the television.

Don't let that, however, put you off - there will be top performances from top performers like Arctic Monkeys and Bruno Mars (judge me all you want for the latter, you can't deny the man has moves), an appearance from Prince and a strong likelihood that David Bowie will win Best British Male, 30 years after winning the first time. The BRIT Awards 2014 is set to be a good show, and if it were not for my Breakfast-Club-watching, I would certainly be tuning in.


My BRITS predictions...

See here for the full list of nominees

1. Best British Breakthrough Act - Tom Odell, though Bastille are also a worryingly probable winner.

2. British Video - Naughty Boy (the only other one I've seen in this category is John Newman's in which two people are hit by a lorry).

3. British Female Solo Artist - A very poor list of nominees and I imagine Ellie Goulding will take it.

4. International Female Solo Artist - Lorde.

5. British Group - An infuriating category which defines "band" and "group" as the same thing. Arctic Monkeys are not a group (neither are Bastille), but I think and hope they will win.

6. International Group - Same thing applies. My vote goes to Arcade Fire, a band. (Just saying).

7. British Male Solo Artist - Bowie, I hope.

8. International Male Solo Artist - Justin Timberlake. (I will be equally happy if Bruno wins).

9. British Single - Rudimental or Passenger are deserving winners but I will not be surprised if One Direction scoop it up.

10. MasterCard British Album of the Year - AM, Arctic Monkeys, without question.





Sunday 26 January 2014

Is the UK Top 40 still relevant?

A self-proclaimed Caitlin Moran enthusiast, I am therefore almost obligated to admire her husband, 'Time Lord of Pop' Pete Paphides who regularly graces my ears with his presence on The Guardian's Music Weekly podcast. Very rarely do I find myself disagreeing with the views and opinions of my favourite power couple, but on Boxing Day last year I admit I was shamefully forced into doing so.

Mr Paphides wrote a piece in December 2013 which questioned the demise of Top of the Pops and championed the notion that it return to our screens. The music chart show has made annual appearances on Christmas and New Years Day respectively, but was axed from its weekly slot in July 2006 as a result of plummeting viewing figures, an axe undoubtedly executed with a heavy heart by the BBC.

I am not a Top of the Pops hater, by any means - watching it on a Friday evening with my Dad would quite easily be the highlight of my week. Viewing figures aside, Paphides had me questioning what was stopping the programme from making a comeback - why shouldn't the BBC revive TOTP?

Yet from the perspective of the public, the current relevancy of the Official UK Top 40 in the British music industry is unknown to me. What hit the top spot this week? No idea. The week before? Even less of a clue, and in all honesty, I didn't actually care.

With an increase in illegal downloading, it also seems what the general public is listening to isn't being accurately represented. The inclusion of Youtube hits might perhaps be a more effective way of measuring mass popularity, and yet we still could not trust the statistics entirely - the rickrolling of Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' in May 2007 as an example of what could potentially happen, the video now having had a staggering 73 million views.

Former Radio 1 disc jockey Bruno Brookes argues that the Official Chart shouldn't "just be about buying records", suggesting "a bold and interactive joining of media - a simulcast between Radio 1 and a Top of the Pops-style television show, complete with some kind of voting element," but there again lies the problem of inaccuracy. Surely not every person in the country can be bothered to pick up the phone to vote which song they hated the least that week?

Nonetheless, the Official Chart on Radio 1 still has over a million listeners tuning in every Sunday, not to mention the thousands who watch the countdown across other music channels and radio stations alike. Reggie Yates, presenter of the UK Top 40 from 2007 to 2012, commented that "people still got really emotional about who was going to be No. 1. We'd get thousands of text messages and emails about it every week. It's a real big deal to some people." Let us of course not forget the 2009 Facebook campaign which rocketed Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name" to the top spot in a battle against X Factor winner Joe McElderry.

Telegraph journalist Michael Deacon further conveys that in an age where "we're engulfed by lists...the Official Top 40 has one thing that keeps it unique in that field: it's based on fact (sales) rather than blustering opinion. That's reason enough to let it keep its place - even if that place isn't at No. 1 in the listening figures."

Granted, my own preferred genre is a fair mile away from that of my demographic. My lack of interest might exist as a consequence of individual music taste, you may argue. Perhaps this is an argument weighed down by opinion, and I'm just being a grouch.

Let The Official Chart stay. Just don't count on me to listen to it.


Friday 17 January 2014

Just in case

This is a little poem I have written for my Creative Writing module at Uni.
Happy January all :) x

-

Just in case,
Keep it in a case,
You might need it again, someday.

Instructions for toys
You no longer own,
Batteries and keys
And mysterious leads,
And where does this lead lead?
And where does this key fit?
And Nan’s old sewing kit,
Which you have to admit
You never really wanted in the first place.

A Maths exercise book
With scribbles aplenty,
And 5 out of twenty,
And for every test
You tried your best,
Your eyes on the clock
For most of the mock,
A pass was pure shock.

A collection of cards,
On top sits 21,
And wishes of fun,
But you can’t seem to throw
Those sitting below,
17, 18, 19, 20,
So they sit in their dust
As mother’s disgust
Grows and she throws
Them in the bin when you are at school.

A Tinkerbell hairpin
A half empty deodorant can
You’re not a Nivea fan
Anymore.
A pen that doesn’t write
But it doesn’t seem right
To chuck it away
It might work again
Someday.


Just in case
Keep them in a case
You might need it again, someday.