Tuesday 30 April 2013

I tried...

I tried to make a video today. I tried.

I was all set to go this morning after a failed attempt yesterday; I had filmed a video, but I hated it so much that I deleted it straight off the camera rather than bother to upload it into iMovie. However, I deleted it knowing that today I would have a better shot at it as I would be in a much better mindset. I was right; I woke up with my creative muscles tingling, ready to make the best video EVER.

Then came the drilling.

Oh the drilling... The incessant drilling... Even when it did stop & my hopes would rise, it would begin again only a few minutes later. I couldn't even write anything with that noise boring into my head like the drill into the brickwork. It was so loud that I thought it was from next door; it wasn't. The work was being done three doors down. I don't even...

Anyway, to escape the noise (and be remotely useful) I went out and helped my mum do the shopping. We even went for cream tea! #ballin'

I came back, feeling happy, to a quiet house. Finally! I pulled up my notes, got my camera set up and was ready to go when...dogs. Barking dogs. Right outside. It just wasn't happening. I gave up.

So this is just me saying that I was planning on putting up a video today & be all productive, but the world just wouldn't let me.

Honestly. I tried.



Wednesday 24 April 2013

I'm allowed to complain about Thatcher

Ok. So I wanted to write something about this woman before, but I thought I'd let things play out and remark upon the whole thing, mainly comments from people I have seen and heard. So now, a week after her funeral, I know what I'd like to say.

You see, there are some things that have been said over & over again by so many people, and I would just like to address a few of them.

1. "People who weren't born or were still being potty trained when she left power can't say anything about her"

So does that mean anyone born after 1945 isn't allowed to think Hitler was an arsehole or say the holocaust was horrifying? Does that mean that anyone born after 1968 isn't allowed to say that Martin Luther King Jr. played a huge part in the civil rights movement? I could go on... 

To be honest, if that argument was any good, it would mean history wouldn't be taught in schools - I mean, what's the point? We can't say anything about it, because we weren't born yet...

I'm sorry, but just because we weren't old enough to remember when she was in power, doesn't mean we can't learn about what she did from books, parents, teachers, etc. Also, we grew up affected by her policies, as shown by this brilliant blog post here (go read it, or else).

2. "Someone has died, show some respect"

Don't use her death as an opportunity to shut people up - most people who are complaining now have complained about her for YEARS. Also I feel that people have a right to voice their anger that £10m was spent on her funeral at a time when everyone is facing cuts.

When Hitler died, did everyone who hated him suddenly have to be nice about him? No.

Respect is earned by what someone did in their life, not automatically dished out at death.

3. "You should respect her for what she achieved, becoming the first female Prime Minister"

Oh I can respect her for that. Doesn't mean I have to like her though.

That being said, I don't respect David Cameron one bit, so why should I respect the person he gets most of his ideas from?

4. "She put Britain back on the map"

Really? I wasn't aware we fell off it... Oh you mean politically? Oh ok. Well I guess the way she did it was the only way and I'm sure the millions who ended up unemployed or dead from her actions really appreciate that.

5. "Now is not the time to complain"

This is similar to point 2, but is all about timing. We shouldn't be complaining about her past because she's only just died.

Yes, it's sad that a family has lost a loved one, and we should let them grieve. But the world must remember that people grieved years ago as people died thanks to her policies - those people are allowed to be angry.

Whilst I wasn't out burning effigies on the day of her funeral, I could understand why others were; they didn't want the world to have a rose-tinted view of someone who was far from perfect and caused a great deal of suffering. And again, people have every right to be angry that so much was spent on such a hated woman when so many important things are facing cuts (like the A&E I rely on).

I personally ignored the funeral. Why? Because, honestly I don't care about her death. Why? Because she didn't seem to care about people (at least not the poor ones).

Also, whilst some are dancing on her grave, we must remember that Thatcherism is still very, very much alive today.

Monday 15 April 2013

Justin - Don't reduce Anne Frank to a 'Belieber'...


So... Justin put this in the guestbook at the Anne Frank House:

"Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber."

As someone who has been to the Anne Frank House and also signed the guestbook, I wanted to say a few things on the matter.


I also just want to say, I understand people who are saying his comments make her relatable to his young fans today - yes, maybe, but surely he could've just said about her age? Isn't that enough? Why does he have to directly link her with them? I've tried to think of other ways he could say it, relating her to his fans, but they still would sound so self-centred if they were coming from him.

And to the people saying "well people are talking about Anne Frank now, maybe his fans will read about her."

1. Anne Frank is more admired than Justin Bieber
2. Anne Frank is studied in schools across the world
3. Anne Frank has had countless documentaries made about her
4. Anne Frank's writing may go over the heads of some Bieber fans (mainly the ones that scream death threats at anyone who goes near their beloved Justin).

I know for a fact that if I have kids, I will teach them about Anne Frank, her family & the struggles of everyone who suffered during the Holocaust.

I will not be teaching them about Justin Bieber.

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Dear Daily Mail (WARNING - I'm being all political..!)


Ok. So I hate this paper, but due to the outrageous and crap articles it publishes, it often ends up on my Facebook news feed. This one I just couldn't ignore and am writing an open letter to the editor.

Here goes....

Dear Mr Dacre,

Can I just ask what was going through your mind when you approved this article?


I am aware of the Daily Mail's viewpoint on the welfare system (and it's idea of 'journalism'), but this story is most certainly not a "perfect parable for our age" - it is the sad story of a seriously messed-up couple who killed six children whilst trying to frame someone for attempted murder. A. N. Wilson is using those deaths to push a political agenda by painting all those on welfare with the same brush as those parents. Words fail me.

To steal a brilliant quote from another letter to you, posted on the thread in which I first saw this article:
"At the time of the Shipman murders, did you suggest that he was representative of the dangers of General Practice? Of course not."

So why do you say the Philpotts are the "prefect parable"? Kids I grew up with grew up on the benefits system (and in the few council flats Thatcher didn't manage to sell-off) and now they're all hard-working members of the public, paying taxes. Yeah, you read that correctly - working and PAYING TAXES. Something some of the more wealthy members of our society don't seem to do very well...

But anyway, you say that his dependency on the welfare system made him do this? Well what did the judge think about that?

"Jurors were also told that Philpott may have hoped to obtain a bigger council house, but Mrs Justice Thirlwall said welfare dependency had not caused him to kill." BBC News

Well I think that answers my question. Then again, what does a judge with years of experience of dealing with criminals have compared with a sensationalist journalist with an agenda? Hmm...

In my humble opinion, this was a man who liked sex and being in control. He lived with 2 women and controlled them, their bodies and all their finances. He had kids with both. In fact, this was over a custody battle with his mistress who moved out, taking her kids with her. And before you all go "it was because of the money!", no. It wasn't over the benefit money she was taking from him - he didn't like that she had stood up to him and told him where to stick it, taking his kids and her body with her. He lost control over her and access to his kids and didn't like it. It damaged his pride.

He was angry at what she had done so wanted to do something about it. They wanted to get those kids back and get back at her at the same time. They wanted to frame her and blame her for the fire so they could get their kids back, but they screwed it up and ended up killing 6 of their kids in the process. Now they've been found guilty and will likely be locked away for a long time to prevent them from doing anything else stupid and harming more innocent people.

This guy wasn't evil, he was selfish, stupid and controlling. He was willing to put his kids' lives at risk to frame someone for arson & attempted murder because that person said no to him. He didn't think for one second that he might not be able to rescue the kids inside and neither did his wife or the guy that helped them.

To blame this mess of a man on the welfare system is bloody stupid. There are plenty of controlling men & women higher up in the world who hate it when anyone says no to them. There are plenty of murders over affairs and people leaving one another in all walks of life - it's not just restricted to those on benefits.

This pilot supposedly murdered his ex-wife because she wouldn't give him any of her money thanks to a prenup - should all people married to pilots be worried? Oh, but wait, that must have been a one-off - only those living off of benefits are greedy to the point of killing, aren't they?

Seriously, stop using the tragic deaths of six kids to push forward your own agenda with some thin link and a thin veil of "yes it was a good idea, but look what happens when you just give them money..."

You know why we give them money? So they don't die. So they don't go hungry. So they don't freeze to death in the freakishly cold weather we've been having recently. Yes there are cases where people are just trying to get cash, but benefit fraud accounts for only 0.7% of the money spent on welfare. Most people genuinely need the help. A house with central heating is better than dealing with famine, yes - but what's the point if you can't afford to turn it on? In fact, your own site said that the death toll from the recent cold weather could reach 2500, mostly the elderly on pensions, which makes up the biggest chunk of benefits spending, but we don't see you having a go at the elderly do you? No, because even your readers would turn on you then.

The benefits system is not perfect (especially now thanks to all the cuts), and not everyone on benefits is an upstanding citizen, but neither are all middle class or rich people; there are people who do bad and stupid things no matter what class they are in or how much money they have. Stop vilifying everyone on benefits when most people are just using them to get by and make sure they have a roof over their heads.

Stick to what you're best at: putting up lots of paparazzi-snapped pictures of scantily clad females with creepy captions (even the young ones), and endless pointless celebrity stories.

Regards,

Ellen Rose

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(ok.... the last bit was a bit snappy, but, come on, it's the Daily Mail...)


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Edit: Was thinking this over a lot and I just wanted to add an extra important piece of information: you know all the poor people who aren't the most reputable members of society? The anti-social? The drug dealers? The threatening? You know who has to deal with them more than any other part of society? Other poor people - the poor who are just trying to get by and are stuck in a situation. Everyone likes to have a go at those on welfare when they're the ones who are most likely to live next to the extreme cases that end up on Jeremy Kyle.