Good (Charlotte) Monday?

April 25, 2011April 25, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I have spent all day listening to music. Now, I don’t mean the usual ‘I can’t make up my mind, so I’ll put my ipod on shuffle’ kind of mood. Usually I have to be in a certain mood to do that, unless its a new band or album, and I obsessively play that music till I’m sick of it.

But today, I was tactically listening to, wait for it, Good Charlotte. I’m gonna be honest, I like to call myself some kind of uber-fan when it comes to Good Charlotte, but I don’t really listen solidly to their music for hours on end. Not like I used to, anyway. I mean, music to me is an emotional experience, so I like to listen to something that matches my emotions. For example, Municipal Waste is my angry music right now, because, well the music is a tad shouty and GRRR.
But anyway, today, I solidly listened to Good Charlotte. I watched videos, read articles and this feeling came over me. I felt proud. I know it seems stupid being proud of a band that don’t know I exist, but I can’t help it. I have been a fan of this band for 10 years, that is over a third of my existance on this planet. And they are still going so strong. I am guessing its what a parent feels when their kid does well.

Longevity is a big issue in modern music, what with the endless ‘talent’ vomited out by TV shows every year. So every band that remains a success for a long time, on their own talent, should be honoured. And to know that Good Charlotte have stood the test of time and are now winning over the critics, why shouldn’t I be proud? They are not existing in name only, they tour, they make albums and the most important part, they talk to their fans.

That takes me to the big reason, why at 27 years old, I am so fond of this band. The fans. Or GCFam. Whilst, yes, as a group there are some disagreements there is so much support there. No matter what a person goes through, the friends they have in the GCFam will support them regardless. Which for having friends from a mostly online community, is maybe frowned on by some, but that’s just because they don’t understand how close people can become.

I’ll shout it from the roof tops that I am a Good Charlotte fan, and I don’t care what people will say back to me. I’ll ask them if their favourite band gave them friends for life, if their favourite band inspired them to be where they are now. I just am protective about the band, which is strange. But when you make such a personal connection to something, you can’t help wanting to protect it. You want to keep them safe from harm, and it seems a bit strange, but its true. Its the truth of what a band can mean to so many people.

Good Charlotte are the truth.

Intelligence?

April 24, 2011April 24, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Was having a thought today whilst watching The Simpsons. It is an episode where Lisa falls in love with her substitute teacher, because his passion for education. So much is the urge for her to bond with someone who matches her intellectually, that she thinks of her teacher almost as a father figure.

Throughout the continuing series of The Simpsons, Lisa is mocked for her intellect, which is abnormally high for an 8 year old. It clarifies how the world in general mocks intelligence. Yes, every school child is educated to go to University, and to be clever to a certain degree. But if they ever use their intelligence in a real situation, they would be ostracised and treated like a leper by their peers.

If people think intelligence is such a laughable quality, then why do so many people go to University and College? Then again, having a formal education doesn’t necessarily make someone intelligent. Its a persons thought patterns and opinions that make them appear to be clever. An age old method of measuring intelligence is if a person can show opinion and put across reasonings for that opinion. But opinion isn’t something that seems to interest a growing number of people. Why? Because it is easier and more convenient to agree with the masses and gorge on reality TV, rather than read into things and actually have to think about things. Which is sad really.

People also try to fake being intelligent. The art school, nerd is on trend right now, with the bookish dress-sense and over-sized glasses. Books and libraries are cool and trendy. But more people pose outside on the steps of library and post the photos on their Tumblr site. Because so many hipsters believe in style over substance. It makes me sad that things that mean so much to me, are used as nothing more as a accessory to some, as they try to appear smarter than what they actually are.

I don’t know why it bothers me so much. Maybe it’s because I was mocked when I was younger because I like the library. Maybe it’s because I made up my own mind about things rather than just go with what’s said by others. This left me alone, and I found my solace in books and music. Maybe it saddens me because I take great pride in learning new things, and to know that some people just mock it is sad.

I will never be a successful accountant.

April 22, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I forget to look at letters, and I always lose emails.

Have just spent 45 minutes locating an email sent from the bank about them changing my online password. It is nice of them, but they should have told me. It wasn’t my fault hotmail thought it was spam and hid the email beside all the advertisements for pay-day loans and viagra. Neither of which I require by the way. Well, at least not at the moment.

But, feeling rather good about myself because I have been able to get my financial things sorted. And I now feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. This is mostly because they have been pestering me about things. Now, if you know one thing about banks, when they pester you, they call constantly and send 10 letters a day untill you do what they want. Which is a tad annoying.

Ah well, it’s the weekend now. Although it is tainted by a Saturday shift. -.-

Mood– Chilled

Music– The Plastics- Champers

:/

April 19, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Hi.

Have not been spending too much time in front of a PC lately.

If you hadn’t heard, Scotland has been enjoying the most gorgeous weather, so I have been spending time away from my computer. Which, I’ll admit has been a little strange, but was a nice break. And sometimes everyone needs a break from things.

But because of that, I have not felt the need to compulsively update the internet on every minor activity I have done. So things were abandoned for a while. This isn’t a bad thing, okay maybe it wasn’t the best thing to do during BEDA, but still, it was nice. I make it seem like I am physically attached to my PC, and that isn’t the case, it’s just I am so used to spending time on my own. So when people do actually want to spend time with me, yes it does happen, I guess the computer is the one thing that gets a little left.

I suppose it is a good thing, that I am not the type of person who will abandon my IRL friends for something that is happening online. I am just not that kind of girl.

Also, have been looking at buying a bike. I need to get fit, and this will save me spending money getting the bus to work. Sounds like a good idea, just need to get a good deal. 🙂

FA-Sues

April 13, 2011April 13, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Yes, it’s that time of the month where I have nothing exciting to say, so I am going to answer questions I seem to get asked all the time. Apart from the fact this is the first time I have done this. Hmm… nice.

Do you get money for writing blogs? Not unless I pay myself, which I don’t. I feel like I get asked this questions A LOT. Which is nice that people want to know if you can make money, but NEWS FLASH, unless you are immensely popular and get +1k views a week, then you have no chance. And, I feel like by saying that, so many people have given up writing a blog. Seriously folks, if you are writing to try and make money out of writing an online diary, then stop. IT ISN’T GOING TO HAPPEN IF THAT’S YOUR GOAL.

How long have you blogged for? About 5 years over on Livejournal, and I believe I am approaching my second WordPress birthday in the next few months, I believe. So yeah, I have had A LOT of practice in venting constructively online.

What were you like at school? Very quiet. I tended to stick in the background. Most people who are like that, were very intellegent and achieved well. I didn’t. I kinda stunk out my last few years at school. Which is strange, because I have always loved both reading and writing, and so studying should have really come easy to me. But it didn’t. I had my small group of really close friends, who I still talk to (9 years after leaving school), but that’s it. I wasn’t a prefect, I wasn’t on the honours list, I won no awards, but I was there. Only just.

You mention college a lot, what did you study? I have been to college in two periods. First time, was after I left school, and I wanted to be a Veterinary Nurse. I spent almost 3 years studying, but I failed the exam. I have never been good at exams. And I couldn’t afford to reset. So I ended up working for a bakery. Back doing a job at 22, that I did when I was 16 and at school. Which kinda sucked.

Then I started studying Art and Graphic Design. Apart from doing animal care, this was the other thing I really wanted to do. So I spent 4 years trying to improve on what I already know, and I really enjoyed it. Again, the underachiever in me, lead me to not applying myself 100%, but I did learn a lot. I am now a freelance designer, and would love to get the chance t0 go back into animal care at some point.

Some people class me as a failure, for being at college and not having a job at the end of it that relates to my education. But I gave it a fair go, and am fairly content that I have done so. I would recommend anyone to give it a go. 🙂

What are your interests apart from blogging? I skulk the internet, on forums, video sites, and just reading things. I also spend A LOT of my time both reading books and listening to music. I obsess over things in a really intense fashion, to the point that I talk about the things enough, I just get strange looks from people. But my main musical obsessions are Good Charlotte and Rancid, and TV wise, I am obsessed with the Gilmore Girls.
After many conversations with my fellow internet junkies, it seems that obsession is a childish trait picked up by geeks. Which is fine with me. It’s like how I used to watch the same episode of Hong Kong Phooey all the time, to the point I think the video became overplayed and stretched, or my mum threw it out, because it was irritating. Charming.

Anyway, that’s just a few small things I felt I could answer. If you have anything else, please feel free to ask me on comments or anywhere, really. Hope all my readers have a great Wednesday.

We May Meet Again, In Some Long Forgotten Town.

April 12, 2011April 12, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Friendship. That thing that makes a person feel they are not struggling through life on their own. They are like the family we can hand-pick. It’s the people who shape us into who we are.

But, sometimes, as people grow, friendships are lost, and people become strangers. In risk of becoming all overly angst-ridden, I do think that it is sad that we lose contact with people as we grow. In one way, it would be nice to keep friendships going throughout our entire lives. But that is something that can often be impossible.

I was talking to some friends the other day about relationships, and how they can start off well, and slowly fall apart. I believe that because people are constantly changing, relationships can’t always change with the people. Relationships tend to be static, they don’t seem to change, and as a person grows, they can out-grow the relationship. Yes, at the time we were talking about boyfriend/ girlfriend type of relationship, but friendship can be broken in the same way. I mean, I know many people, who, at one point, I would include amongst my best friends, but over time we have grown apart. It can be that as other things happen, you lose contact and don’t have much time for each other, and in no time at all, you can become strangers.

It is sometime inevitable, that this is going to happen, mostly due to our nature of blanking out things which are not directly in front of us. So people shouldn’t blame themselves. Actually, people will never blame themselves if a relationship falls apart, it is always the other person who has changes, the other person who made mistakes, the other person who broke things. Whereas normally, it is because both parties have contributed (or not contributed, as the case may be) to the destruction of the relationship.

But, as sad is the end of a relationship is, if you force the relationship to continue, where it is naturally coming to an end, you can just end up stunting your own growth as a person. And, yes falling apart from someone is hard, but it is so much worse if you end up deeply disliking the other person, because they stop you from being who you want to be. Which is why, I have decided, that it is better to go separate ways, rather than force something that will just create unneeded conflict.

Yeah, my decision is law, yo.

Writing Course?

April 11, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I have been talking to people, and I have been told that I should do a writing course. Apparently, I am able to convey emotion well. :S Not that I am miffed about this, I just find it great that people don’t tell me this till now.

Have I written professionally? Kinda, on other blogs.

Can I write fiction? I’d like to, but unfortunately I can’t. I always seem to lack the depth required.

Am I skilled in complex writing skills? Not really, I say what I feel and stick punctuation where I feel it should lie. Most of the time, if it ends up correct, it is just luck, not skill.

Do I like writing? Yes. I find writing one of the best things to help me express myself. I just type what I think, and I enjoy the freedom it gives. It is one of my favourite hobbies, along with reading and drawing.

Did I achieve well at school? Other than Art, no. I flunked Higher English, and to date I believe it was because I was so jaded by the school system that I just wanted to leave. I really should have done so.

Did you ever think of a career in writing? No! I was thinking of journalism, but those ideas fell away as soon as my grades began to fall, and ultimately, my career prospects also fell.

So yeah, I really think it is because I am in a bit of the rut, that my brain is silently cursing every person who tells me I should be a writer. Yeah, because without an education in English, it isn’t going to happen. I have a very basic grasp at grammar and spelling, and I feel so inadequate, especially when I read the ponderings of other authors. They seem to have a fantastic way of writing, and I just feel so lax in comparison.

I guess I shouldn’t compare myself to other people, but it is only natural. It is like how we mentally evaluate ourselves is to compare our lives, with the lives of those around us. Because I think I would top myself if I compared my love life, or lack of, with other people. Because to be honest, that river of love running through my life, is as dry as a desert. So I focus on something I can directly influence. My work. Except, I can’t really influence my work, because I seem to be an underachiever by nature. Ok, not by nature, maybe by the way I have forced myself to continue education, because I had it cemented in my head that was the only way to be successful.

The result. I have spent more time at college that anyone I know, and I still work in a call centre. -.- So the successful thing, didn’t really pan out. The thing is, I am not as miserable as I sometimes complain I am. I try and keep myself content by doing small things, that make me happy. Usually it involves the internet, but I may read or take a walk, I try to take deep breathes. Don’t get me wrong, this is recent. I never used to feel like this, and it has taken a long time to get like this. And a hell of a lot of practice. I am finally getting to the stage where I am okay with myself enough, to be able to push my life in the direction I want to.

That sounds strange, especially to most people, but it is true. It has taken almost 27 years, but I feel at peace with me. I know who I am. I feel comfortable about who I am. It’s great.

I just need to figure out how to control my rants. :S

Hello Mr Sun

April 10, 2011April 10, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

What a nice day it has been. It was like a summers day, and for April in Scotland, that is strange.

What I like most, however, is that the good weather effects everybody. People seem happier and more positive. I think its contagious. 🙂

Hope everyone had a nice day.

music-Blur- Song 2
mood- Peaceful
Pokemon badges- 2

Wut?

April 9, 2011April 9, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Now, I know I am not the most distinguished writer, but I like knowing that I am making an effort with grammar. Even if I misplace a comma, or incorrectly spell a word by mistake, I don’t mind too much. And I think, that if you spent time learning how to write and spell, you should put what you learned into practice. But, I really, really can’t stand people who purposely type badly.

I mean, they know how the words should look, but they don’t actually write them out correctly. What is it that makes people want to make themselves appear utterly stupid. It is an insult to their education, their teachers and the parents, that they refuse to even try to spell.

Maybe it’s because I spent a lot of time online pre-facebook, and also didn’t use it for gaming. I guess, I spent time writing a lot of reading and writing fiction online, and that I started writing like that for anything I do. Also, because the most popular site is Facebook, people use it as an extension to their mobile phone and message each other in text speak. The common excuse is that, with texting, you are limited to so many characters, so people shorten words, etc, so that they can say more in every text message. Fair enough, but do you really need to continue it onto other services you use?

Not too long ago, I was accessing an email that was sent to me for work. And the email was just text speak. No vowels, no punctuation, and really hard to read. This was something about work. I was horrified that someone sent it out to someone that they want to work for them. I mean, what is the chances the person will be reliable if they refuse to write in simple sentences?

Maybe, it’s me that’s wrong. But I know a few people who have this problem.

music -MGMT- Kids
mood– chilled

A Little Tuckered Out

April 8, 2011April 8, 2011 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Seriously, exercise is harder than people make out. I walked 5 miles today, which is a slight increase of my 0 miles a day.

Scotland enjoyed a beautiful April day, where me and my mates walked along the Coastal Path. It helped me realise how lucky I am to live somewhere, where I have the opportunity to enjoy the countryside so close to my home. I think its easy to take our surroundings for granted and not appreciate them.

Anyways, I kinda hurt right now. My body isn’t used to being used so much. My feet, back, legs and head are sore. To be honest, it would be great just to go an lie in my bed.

At least it’s the weekend. Which is awesome. Although I am sure that it will go too fast, as normal.

playing– Good Charlotte- The Truth
mood– a little ill
Pokemon black badges-1