Life Is A Plotline

August 26, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I have been reading a lot of non-fiction books lately, where people publish their thoughts, feelings and general anecdotes about their life. You find out about the inner workings of their brains and really get to know someone. It is something that is really magical about books and reading. You can get a sense of complete understanding for someone you have never even met.

But how can a person experience enough to write books on their life? A normal average life is not something to write home about. Life is mundane and uneventful 99% of the time. Or mine is anyway.

But then, it is maybe not what you experience, just how you experience it. Some people believe that those who look through the world as if they were a child, tend to lead happier lives. It isn’t the physical aspects of life that makes these people happy, it is the idea that everything is an adventure, no matter how medial the task may seem. As we get older, it seems that we get more apathetic about the world we live in. It as if we have seen that failure is a part of life, so we prepare for any future failure by looking at the world negatively. But, if we push the apathy aside, appreciate things on face value. A sunny day, pretty flowers, tall buildings, anything. Maybe thinking of every day as an adventure, creates more stories to tell. Makes life seem more exciting.

Another aspect of ‘how you experience life’, may come down to a person’s thought processes. Some people speak their minds about particular topics, a bit like Karl Pilkington. Karl is a man who is honesty seems to be the voice that other people ignore. He has an overly pessimistic, realist attitude about seemingly everything. Karl speaks and writes about his honest opinions, which resonates with people as well as keeping attention with subject matter that could be considered as mundane.

So I guess, the best thing to do is be honest, although I doubt I would ever be able to write a book on my life. But, it is an interesting thing to think about. Could you write some kind of autobiographical book?

What I’m Listening To- August

August 18, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Because I enjoyed it last time, I have made another list of the music that I have been listening to in August. Just a little bit of everything, and I get to do my favourite thing, make a list. A list about music, my favourite thing.

1) Adamski- Killer

2)Agnostic Front- Liberty

3)Alex Day- Lady Godiva

4)Alexisonfire- Mailbox Arson

5)All Time Low- Alejandro (BBC 1 live lounge)

6)Annotation of an Autopsy- Sludge City

7)Anti-Flag- Die For Your Government

8)Atomic Kitten- I Want Your Live

9)Avril Lavigne- Losing Grip

10)B*Witched- Jesse Hold On

11)Bad Brains- Re-Ignition

12)The Beat-Tears of a Clown

13)Beatnic Prestige- Charlie Brown

14)Big D And The Kids Table- Not Fucking Around

15)The Blackout- This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

16)Bon Jovi- Wanted Dead Or Alive

17)Care Bears On Fire- Get Over It

18)The Casualties- System Failed Us…Again

19)Circle Jerks- Back Against The Wall

20)The Creepshow- Run For Your Life

21)The Distillers- The World Comes Tumblin’

22)Emilie Autumn- All My Loving

23)Eminem- When I’m Gone

24)Florence & The Machine- Dog Days Are Over

25)Frightened Rabbit- Go Go Girls

26)GBH- The Prayer Of A Realist

27)A Global Threat- Stop The Violence

28)Good Charlotte- The World Is Black

29)Green Day- Jesus Of Suburbia

30)Gwen Stefani- Harajuku Girls

31)H20- Everready

32)Hanson- Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’

33)Hollywood Holt- Fall Back

34)Horrorpops- Walk Like A Zombie

35)Jack Off Jill- My Cat

36)Jamie Cullum- Everlasting Love

37)Kilswitch Engage- As Daylight Ends

38)Kisses For Kings- My Mother Said

39)Kittie- Spit

40)Korn- Freak On A Leish

41)Lady Sovereign- I Got You Dancing

42)Lamb of God- Blood Junkie

43)Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards- Mainlining Murder

44)Linkin Park- Enth E Nd (Kutmasta Kurt ft. Motion Man)

45)The Maine- If I Only Had The Heart

46) Marina & The Diamonds- Hollywood

47)Middle Finger Salute- Guts For Glory

48)Mis-Teeq- All I Want

49)The Moldy Peaches- Anyone Else But You

50)Municipal Waste- Anyone Else But You

51)Nofx- Kill All The White Men

52)Outl4w- Sonic Youth

53)P!nk- Most Girls

54)Papa Roach- Last Resort

55)Paramore- Crushcrushcrush

56)Patti Smith- Redondo Beach

57)The Pretty Reckless- Make Me Wanna Die

58)The Rabble- The New Generation

59)Rancid- Life Won’t Wait

60)The Restarts- Gang Mentality

61)S Club 7- Everybody Wants Ya

62)Selena Gomez & The Scene- Love You Like A Love Song

63)Shakespeare’s Sister- Stay

64)Sham 69- If The Kids Are United

65)Sonic Boom Six- Totally Addicted To Bass

66)Spice Girls- Spice Up Your Life

67)SS-Kaliert- Until We Strike Back

68)Stereophonics- I Wouldn’t Believe Your Radio

69)Street Dogs- Hang ‘Em High

70)Sugababes- About You Know

71)Time Again- Street Walker

72)Total Chaos- Vacation To Violation

73)UK Subs- Keep On Running

74)The Unseen- Social Security

August 12, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I used to always think that if you were a good person towards those around you, that people would be good to you. When I was at school, and people used to call me names, I believed it because I wasn’t being a good enough person. As bad as it seems, looking back on it, I felt such a way because it made me feel in control of things. As if the things other’s thought or said about me, would be fixed by me acting in a certain way.

As I became older, I obviously realised that my thinking was utter bullshit. But, feeling responsible for what happened in my life was a normal reaction. As people, I think we want to feel responsible for all that surrounds us, as if that responsibility gives us a valuable position in this world. And, I don’t know about any readers, but having a sense of responsibility helps me feel validated. Which I think is just part of human nature.

I think one of the worst things about realising that not everything that happens to you is within your control, is that your are hit with a feeling of hopelessness. That no matter, what you do and how you act, there will always be bad things that will happen to you and those around you. And I think that is a hard thing to get used to. Particularly, when you are like myself, and believe that a one’s future is something based on actions, rather than hope and luck. And, as you grow up, a big part of adulthood is accepting that some things happen just because they do, and are in no direct reaction to any action by any person. And I say it is part of adulthood, because I think it is something that takes a lot of maturity to accept.

Feeling Nostalgic?

August 5, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I do.

All the time.

I crave for the days of yesteryear, where my life was not filled with finding ways to pay my bills. Where all I did is watch cartoons, and spend entire summers outside playing with my friends. Dancing to the Spice Girls and throwing Barbies up trees (for Action Man to rescue, obviously). Those where what my summers were full of.

And now, I find myself playing Zelda and Mario games of my youth, whilst watching remakes of game shows I loved. I watch DVD box sets of Chip N Dale’s Rescue Rangers and Talespin, to remind me of a time when life was so much easier. As if consuming an entire series of Disney cartoons could, in some way, delay adulthood.

It is of course, impossible. But as a generation of workers, with what looks like a pretty bleak future. According to the news agencies around us, we are either going to get poisoned with pollution, die in an atomic war or run out of money and lose civilisation. What can a normal person do about all that scary stuff? Not very much. So people of my generation, tend to look back at the period of their lives where everything was so exciting, before the heavy fist of reality knocked us to the ground.

I guess I want to say, that it is okay to be nostalgic of days where you maybe felt like more of a success. Where life was really easy, because you didn’t have to deal with anything, really. The hardest thing you had to deal with, was which kid were you going to play with today. And then teenagerhood came, and everyone played the victim. We started to realise that life was maybe not all fantastic, but we could still just read books or play video games as a bid to escape. And then, you have to deal with the real world. You have to find a job, get experience, get a house or flat, have a relationship, plan for a future… It can be overwhelming.

So as a result, more people are picking what they used to love, what made them happier in their youth, and using them as a shield against the real world. That sounds a lot worse than I mean. The world, and the companies that run it, are harsh, they don’t care about the people who pay them money. You are jostled from place to place, expected to act a certain way, and be a certain kind of person. It is normal to use something as a buffer, to act as a cushion from harsh reality, and that could be many things. Sport, fashion, books, DIY, car care, hiking, blogging, creating art, playing computer games… all ways to help people relax and be themselves. It doesn’t matter what it is, what matters, is that you find a way that helps you cope.

So, don’t listen if others berate you for liking certain things. All that matters is that it harms noone, and makes you happy. And others should remember that, people pick things that make them feel secure to help them relax. If it doesn’t effect you, why be so critical on someone else?

Come On DA

July 30, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I really enjoy watching sport, and can sit through most, but football is my favourite. Soccer to some, football to most, it is the sport that I grew up watching. So when my local, and favourite, team Dunfermline Athletic started having financial problems last season, I became concerned. Then when the club was given a wind-up order over an unpaid tax bill, and entered administration, it would not be melodramatic to say that my heart broke. This big feature of my hometown could be gone, 128 years of history gone because a few people mis-managed the club.

Over the last few months, a consortium of Pars fans and local business professionals formed a group called Pars United. The aim of this group was to bring the club back into the care of the community, so that the club could be run open and honestly, instead of directors and chairmen hiding behind closed doors. Pars United raised funds from local businesses, Pars fans and the community of West Fife, to help run the club, and try to gather a bid to take over. At the start of the summer, Dunfermline’s administrator, BDO, announced Pars United as the preferred bidder for the club. The next thing to do was to make an arrangement to who the club owed moneys of around £10 million to.

To do this a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) was to be created, and pitched to the clubs creditors. This would be an agreement that the club would pay a certain amount of the money back, rather than the full amount ( such as 1p in the £). For the CVA to pass, and for Pars United to start managing the club, 75% of the creditors had to agree to the CVA on Tuesday 30th July 2013.

Now whilst the actual voting is not been made public, the vote in agreement for the CVA was ‘overwhelming’. Meaning the club won’t get liquidated, and that the players and the club has a way forward, and are a step closer to being out of administration. Whilst it is great news for the club, it has been a big action by all the business effected by the clubs debt. A lot of local businesses lost out on a lot of money. But they agreed that the possible income brought about by having a football club in Dunfermline was of greater importance. And I, and every other Dunfermline fan, do not have the words to say how grateful we are that these people helped our club secure a future.

A lot of things had been put on hold whilst the CVA was sorted out. Namely the squad line-up and pictures, seemingly menial things the club would have normally done over the summer break. So Tuesday afternoon, after the CVA vote announcement, the squad had a picture day, and the offical squad list was released. The picture of the squad is below, and you can sense the joy of the boys that have a season to look forward to.

dafc201314

The 2013/14 squad are Alex Whittle (Midfielder)
Allan Smith (Striker)
Andrew Geggan (Midfielder)
Blair Henderson (Striker)
Callum Morris (Defender)
Christopher Kane (Midfielder)
Craig Dargo (Striker)
Declan O’Kane
Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Striker)
Ivan D’Angelo (Midfielder)
John Potter (Defender)
Joshua Falkingham (Midfielder)
Kerr Young (Defender)
Lewis Spence (Midfielder)
Lewis Martin (Defender)
Michal Hrivnak (Goalkeeper)
Ross Drummond (Defender)
Ross Millen (Defender)
Ryan Goodfellow (Goalkeeper)
Ryan Ferguson
Ryan Scully (Goalkeeper)–on loan from Partick Thistle
Ryan Thomson (Midfielder)
Ryan Wallace (Midfielder)
Ryan Williamson
Shaun Byrne (Midfielder)
Stephen Husband (Midfielder)
*Now the clubs future is secured, there are reports of players getting added via loans from other clubs*

If you can’t tell, I am over the moon. It has been the hardest year I have ever had as a sports fan, and would not wish this on anyone. Dunfermline would not be the same without the Pars, so thank you to everyone who helped this club work towards its 129th year.

Fight Club!

July 30, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Isn’t it great when something goes your way? When all the naysayers get proved wrong and you can stand victorious, with your hands in the air.

On the route to your victory, you may have been subjected to negative comments from those around you. A willingness to beat you down, and make any success you have seem more trivial. It can be grating, and more than a little dis-spiriting. And when things do go your way, you may want to throw a self-righteous laugh in the face of your detractors. But what does that achieve?

The negative comments are made, usually because people want you to be taken down. They may feel jealous that you are getting something that you worked for. Particularly if that person is going through a patch where they feel like their life is worse than yours. Their words may hold a venom that implies that they hope you fall on your backside in failure. But, what doesn’t help is that when you are successful, you point out how flaws from those who suggested you would fail. It can start an argument, which is based on nothing than an idea of one-up-manship that you both feel for each other. It is endless, and can sully whatever success you have worked hard for.

If you are in a better position due to hard work, you do not have to answer to anyone. You have earned your success, so enjoy it and don’t lower yourself to the mentality of those around you, hating your success. Let them hate. Don’t let it ruin your happiness.

Passion For Fashion (And Make-up)

July 25, 2013July 25, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I am a girl. And as a girl, I am supposed to like certain things such as make-up and fashion. Certain things I have no interest in.

The internet deals with the conception that all female bloggers only talk about either fashion or make-up. I am here to say, it is nonsense. I visited Company and discovered a blogging section full of style blogs. Now, over the last year or so, Company magazine has gone through a re-style, where it promotes the internet and self-expression. But only if it centers around style blogging of make-up tutorials and shopping hauls.

Now, if you like that kind of thing, fine. But there’s so many blogs doing the same thing, I don’t think Company needs to promote some over others. They should promote advice blogs, art blogs, music blogs, because life doesn’t just begin and end with how someone looks. I know the magazine’s routes are fashion, but to fully meet the need of the modern woman, you need to look at other things.

I read blogs that are used like mine. Things about people’s life and opinions. Blogs that people write as an escape to life, where the reader becomes a confidant. When people talk about things they buy, it grates on me because I don’t have a lot of money to spend on things. Which has never bothered me before. But when someone recommends a blog to me, and it looks more like a shopping list instead a sharing if thoughts, I feel short-changed.

Quote of the Day

July 22, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Fact of the matter is, there is no hip world, there is no straight world. There’s a world, you see, which has people in it who believe in a variety of different things. Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, use that something to support their own existence.-Frank Zappa

Everyone has their own viewpoint, just because it is different, doesn’t mean it is wrong. As much as this is tolerance towards others, it also helps as a reminder when you hear opposing opinions to ones you hold. When that happens it is easy to feel attacked.

Sometimes you need to take a deep breath, and realise people are passionate about what they believe in. Just as you are. So don’t take it personal when someone attacks your beliefs. Just be greatful to be part of a conversation that evokes such passion.

Heading to goal

July 21, 2013July 21, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

The hardest thing about being in any type of lull is getting yourself out of it. When nothing seems to be happening the way you want it to, what do you do?

I try to live in a manner where if I want something to happen, I need to make it happen. Make my own destiny. Which is a great ethos, where you are responsible for your future. When I say ‘try’, mean i agree about being my own future, but I struggle with seeing it through.

I think it is nerves that stop me. Nerves of the unknown. That anything can happen, you could risk everything, just for it to go wrong. It’s almost like I talk myself down from pushing forward, but encourage others to better. A kind of ‘do as I say, not as I do’.

I am resolving to change that. I picture myself somewhere other than being broke and unemployed. The problem with that is how to make it happen. There are so many directions that I could go down, do I pick one thing, or is it better to give myself to several options, and see what works out. I mean, if I work hard, something should pay off, shouldn’t it?

I need to take a deep breath, get my head down and push myself. Getting myself out of this rut, is one of the biggest challenge I have ever faced.

Summertime

July 20, 2013July 20, 2013 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Although I am a winter lover, i also love the summer.

My favourite thing to do is to get up early and read in my garden. A time of relaxation, where the sun heats up the air slowly. Because it is early, there’s maybe a few dog walkers nearby, but it is peaceful. And it is a good environment to read through a hundred or so pages of whatever novel I have rented from the library.

If it gets to a certain degree of ‘hot’, I’ll lay my book aside and just watch people passing me by. I usually go into town, or a park and just watch people. It’s relaxing to watch others going about their day, even more relaxing when the sun is warming things up nicely.

The thing with summer is, that if it gets too hot, it can be exhausting doing anything. You cut the grass, and you become a sweaty, disgusting mess. And that is certainly enough to make me slow down and not be bothered doing anything else. I’m really lazy, so don’t need much of an excuse. And from the volume of people i see doing nothing, I think others agree with me. But lazy folk look for any excuse, really.

The summer brings out people’s fun side. As families cook barbecues or have waterfights, some take a crate of beers to the park to have with friends. People want to relax, and the increased brightness makes things seem that bit brighter and positive. I think it is great to see what a positive effect on people the sun has.
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This waffly mess of a blog comes from my warm back garden, and is sponsored by an unusual visitor to Scotland, the sun. Hope everyone is enjoying summer, and remember to protect yourself with sunscreen and plenty of water. ❤