The wonderings, ponderings and other 'ings' of me. Lifestyle, review, news and opinion posts. Chic with a hint of sarcasm... hopefully!

Monday 20 December 2010

The Christmas Loser

Ahhh isn’t it pretty? Doesn’t it make you feel festive? Isn’t it lovely walking around in it? Doesn’t it fuck up your plans if your relatives are 75 miles away and they get 8 inches of snow in 2 hours? Yes I’m talking about the snow, and yes New York and Canada will probably be laughing their heads off at our inability to deal with the snowfall parts of England have experienced. But here where the only snow plough I've seen is in the Simpsons Christmas episode, pretty much everything is screwed and that includes my family coming up to see me this weekend.

I thought long and hard about whether to write this blog and let everyone inclined to read it know that snow officially sucks and this weekend has been a massive LOSER. And frankly no, I don’t care that I’m nearly 34 and the true meaning of Christmas isn’t supposed to be about getting gifts. This is looking like it will be the first year there are no family presents for me. Ho Hodiliy fuckin’ Ho.

In my more paranoid moments, I’ve thought the ‘snow blizzard’ was an elaborate hoax made up to cover the fact that mine kith and kin can’t be arsed to leave their sofas. Particularly as when I look out the window I see this:




Oh yeah TONS of snow there eh?









I can see them all now, Vintage Port in hands, passing round the chocolates and my sister saying to Dad ‘ it’s been about an hour now, time for someone to call her and talk about how hard we are trying to get there. Maybe elaborate with some story about a lorry sliding down the road or a car crash. But make it quick cos we’re all about to watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. When I feel like this I wonder if the weather problems were just a rouse, though how they got the news to report fake travel issues and Heathrow to cancel all their flights so that it seems more realistic I don’t know, maybe my dad has more pull then I originally thought.

Somewhat cheered by hearing Jo Wiley’s kid’s birthday was ruined as no one turned up to their party either, I decided that the weather will not squash my Christmas spirit. I want my family to see my house’s first Christmas and God Damn It they will! (as long as they read this that is). So anyone not into Christmas may want to turn away now lest they become infected with Sarchristmasosis (symptoms include vomiting tinsel, spontaneous bursts of carolling, a tinnitus style constant jingling sound and laughing as you go). Behold…

My Outdoor Wreath
















And the Banister garland (avec angel!)
















Here’s my tree with every bauble on it that I own.
















And the inside wreath, (oh yes, I double wreath!)












Next there's the Kitchen Christmas lights: NB the out of focus-ness is due to my artistry. Any rumours advising it was due to a massive sulk, being drunk or not being able to use a camera are completely without merit.














This is the massive bauble which was ‘liberated’ from its tree in Moor Park at a friends wedding. It’s much happier here, it told me.










Here’s the spare bed, note the bows made from scratch and by my own fair hands











And finally the empty bottle of Trinity College Port and the wrappers from the Lindt chocolate box that I was going to share but instead was demolished by the man and me (oh, and me in the background writing this).
My House all Christmased - Ta daaaaa!

Seeing as this has been a completely self serving whinge I thought I’d end it by putting my moaning into perspective. Fact of the matter is we all know there are people in this world that have no family members to visit them at Christmas or any other time. Worse still, some have
families and homes that are dangerous to be in and while people like me bitch about their situations, others do what they can to help those in need. So here’s some links to a few worthy charities. If you’re feeling generous (or guilty about complaining like I am now), maybe send a little cash their way and have a Merry Christmas.

Salvation Army

Shelter

Childline
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Saturday 11 December 2010

Students and Leaks

Right so I rarely venture into the world of politics, the closest I’ve ever come in the past is wondering ‘so why can’t that little Tibetan monk bloke go home?’ and ‘I thought China was meant to be a lovely place to visit but some of you think it has a dictatorial leadership that censors the media and rules its people with an iron fist?, well okay then’. But a couple of stories have worked their way into my world this week.

BIG FAT DISCLAIMER: The following opinions are based on somewhat limited information and are just my impressions of what’s happening. They consist of not all that well thought out thoughts and conclusions I have come that may well be flawed. It isn’t a call to agree with me, I can think of at least one of you who will be in utter disagreement with me anyway so no getting your knickers all in a twist about them all hmm’kay?

The Wikileaks Stuff
As I understand it, this website is releasing sensitive USA and UK government materials which has led to MasterCard and Visa withdrawing their services, which in turn has led to hackers that support Wikileaks taking down 3D secure (that extra screen you have to fill in after you try to buy your Christmas presents on the net) supposedly showing that ‘we the people are not pleased’ so far so devious, take down the man and all that.

The leaks I’m not overly concerned with though I can’t help but think masses of people knowing the ins and outs of every issue the government deal with is only going to cause more fear of terrorists not less. I mean isn’t there a possibility that if everyone knows every time there’s a threat, all those that seek to terrorize our way of life need to do is declare their intentions, we’ll all find out about the threat, get scared and act out of fear accordingly rather than getting on with our lives. It reminds me of what Zed says to Jay in Men in Black when explaining what’ll happen if it’s common knowledge that there are aliens on the planet, ‘A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals’… couldn’t similar rules apply here?

But what about the people working for the internet companies and small businesses dealing with the fall out? After all, MasterCard and Visa won’t be down forever, sure they’ll be disgruntled for a day or so and maybe not be so arrogant as to think they are untouchable, but all that’s really happening is a lot of employees are having to work their arses off sorting out the mess the hackers have created. Seriously, if they want to upset the bigwigs shouldn’t they target those individuals not piss off the people they say they’re representing?

The Student Stuff
The protests this week were all about the price to be a student being hiked up, tripled no less and yeah that really does suck. I didn’t go to University (though I am sure this is no surprise from the myriad of grammatical errors that probably litter these entries) and I am well aware that in all likelihood one of the reasons I am as comfortable as I am now, is because my husband did.

The protests themselves are fine and fair enough, but firstly, it seems to me that a lot of the blame is being laid at the feet of the Lib Dems which is like complaining about a schools policies and seeking to sack the Deputy rather than the Head. Secondly, if just one of those protesters are over 18 and didn’t vote Lib Dem or worse didn’t vote in the general election at all then they really should think before complaining about the situation we are all in.

But mostly my problem is all the violence, is that really necessary? Didn’t Gandhi beat the entire British Empire with peaceful protests? Basically what I’m saying is can’t we all just get along? It is Christmas for fuck sake!




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