I hate when people you like delete you on Facebook. It's like- did they do it on purpose? by accident? should i re-add them?

Hmm.

Such was my first term at University

I'm in such an awkward situation of having so much to read and so little time to read it in!

I have so much to post here in the form of short stories, but i can't put them online if i use them for my first piece of coursework, so when i decide which ones i've used, i'll put the rest up!

I'm currently reading Jane Eyre, it's pretty good, better than some other things i've studied. Realism is what we're studying at the moment, i quite grasp it but it's still too historical for my liking. No thank you, History.

I'm not blogging until i go to uni, im not online enough!

All for good reasons, don't you worry you're buttocks about it!

I'll go on hiatus with this song:

I wanted to write a haiku
But i didn't, did you?
I went to lifesux and got stalked
Everywhere we walked, he walked
I have a picnic and a meal coming up
I drink from a cup.

Bea Hamil Is Merely A Victim of Sexism

Bea Hamil may be the best housemate to walk through the house of Big Brother, for me, this year.

There is so much hatred for her now, after her supposed bullying of Freddie and it's so stupid to read the levels people are taking this on the Internet- starting petitions at the top of the list is the most pathetic course of action.

Without a doubt inspired by the OfCom complaint scandal with Jade Goody, the country can not stop complaining 'We're too PC, it's too PC' but the moment something happens that they think they can leap onto- they're on the phone ringing OfCom. I'm surprised they didn't ring OfCom when Hira sang that freakin' song for the eighteenth time.

Rewinding a little though, the situation in hand didn't even need to be taken to petition levels, not even complaint levels. I mean, the beginning of the series saw when Marcus imitated Sree's accent, argued constantly with him and told him to shut up at every opportunity and this didn't even warrant half of the hatred that Bea has received.

Let's look back at what Bea has done- punished Freddie for upsetting her. As I've said on my twitter, she has merely argued back to a man whom she doesn't like. In everyday life we see this everyday and we don't even blink an eye. It's not bullying to refuse to let something lie if it's something that is bothering you. That's my view anyway. If I'm upset with somebody, i don't automatically decide that I'll forgive them and let the anger and frustration subside into nothingness. I'll continue to hold a grudge until i feel I've made myself clear and got my opinions across.

And Freddie. Freddies childish response of crying into his pillow and refusing any human contact could have been greeted with more sympathy by me had he not had an equally-childish argument with Lisa just a week or two before. 'Lisa's going hooomee! Lisa's going hooomee!'. We'll have to ring OfCom! He chanted at Lisa, teasing her of his past successes and the appalling way he considers her to have come across. Is this not bullying? If these were children, would Freddie not be scalded?

And to go on and break rules he can't be bothered to follow because he's too tired, or he's too sick of following rules- Freddie has rarely been a good sport and may not have been an outright bully like Marcus but has easily done much to anger the public and potentially spark them into outrage. Nobody could predict the outrage that would have occured, had Karly been the one to break all the houses rules. The fans would be literally dying to get her out, claws at the doors whether she was up for eviction or not.

So this leads me to my point- it's easy for me to see that Bea has only acted to the same levels as Freddie and Marcus have in the past. Yet Marcus is only minorly hated now, and Freddie is hailed as some kind of hero. Whilst in comparison, and a stark contrast to the latter, Bea is the nations new evil. Considered conniving and a bully, but why? Or rather- why her and not Freddie & Marcus?

And i do think it's a case of sexism. There is so much to stop men for discriminating against woman and rightly so, but the real maliciousness, in my opinion, comes between the members of the fairer sex. The vast majority of the people i've seen, listened to and read about all have such hatred for Bea and have one thing in common- a vagina. The females really hate to see a mean woman and thats why Bea has been so harshly singled out- because of her gender.

It's no secret that Bea hasn't been an angel and has done some scheming- but so has almost every other Big Brother housemate in the past. In addition, i can obviously accept that many women (and men) genuinely dislike Bea and her behaviour for equally genuine reasons- but i do retain that a lot of her extreme hatred stems from the fact that she has an X chromosome. Housemates seem to be a lot fairer this week however, with one of the previously mentioned male housemates being tossed out on his chromosome- this time an overstayed Y.

It hurts me to think that when Bea leaves she will be booed and likely have a horrendous life for sometime after it. Grace, Alexandra, Noirin could handle the criticism i guess, as they had somewhat deserved it. But in a house that was free of a female villain, i think it was a step of unlucky, undeserved fate that pushed Bea's foot into the trap and the first time she fell out of line was instantly ridiculed, hated and discriminated against for the sake of filling a role that the audience moulded her into.

I support Bea. Maybe she does go on too much, argue too long and can't help but hold a grudge- but who is perfect? what is perfect to these people anyway? I'd say 'Bea to win', but that's really not going to happen now.

Birmingham

Pokemon day was so nice! It was like being a kid again, i hadn't mentioned it in my blog yet, so I'll start with that. Also, Party in the Park was so wet but actually fun. Like Glastonbury but not.

I haven't abandoned blogging in any way, but I've been exceptionally busy which equals exceptional tiredness. So blogging hasn't been atop my list, sadly!

Yesterday, i did promise Ebbie a blog and here it is- it is necessary, i admit!

We got on our train to the Coach Trip audition at 9-47 and that may not be late to some- but since we'd already been making our way for an hour earlier, we were starting to feel a little bit nervous and closer to our audition. The funniest part of the day for me was the journey there when me and Ebbie expected a family of two or three to walk by and a group of about ten walked past. 'I thought they would never stop!!!'.

Also, i managed to miss a train that blasted by the side of our carriage which had Ebbie in stitches. Then on the journey home we also went a bit crazy- it must be public tranport! 'Brendan..an..an...an' and my personal favourite of Ebbies impression of the girl picking the bush. I'm laughing just thinking of it!

As Ebbie said in her blog, the audition may have to be a secret for a while, but for inside jokes sake i'd like to say- Bognor Regis.

The trip to Birmingham other than that included meeting Ebbie's infamous friend Adam who was lovely and was like me. By like me, i kinda thought our humour was similar in the fact that we got so much pleasure from looking at a book about boobs and calling Ebbie a les. We love you really, Ebbieeee!!!!!

Adam was seriously nice though and he said some really funny things- we're very lucky he was nice enough to transport us around the strange city since we'd probably have got lost elsewise.

So, vagueness is a loser but it is exceptionally late and I'm busy all weekend, so i better head off! Birmingham was wonderful and something i shall not be forgetting! Coach Trip is all systems go, as soon as i raise money for a passport. I have the time, i know that! They need us on that show. THEY NEED US!

Ilya <3

Ps. James from The Guilty Pleasures:

My twin?

Madder Mortem - Eight Ways [Review]

Never ones to disappoint, Norwegian metal band Madder Mortem make an epic attack on the music scene with this, their fifth full length opus. Taking hints from the success of previous album- 'Desiderata', the album develops the newer sound the band have adopted, putting a strong emphasis on the two aspects that make their music especially mystifying- the powerful atmospheres and the flawless metal riffs.

Opening with the considerably mid paced 'Formaldehyde', the album gets off to a soaring start. Reminding fans of the passionate and haunting vocals of lead vocalist Agnete Kirkevaag, particularly in the soaring climax of the song when the temptress chants the song to an end, the song will easily please the bands past fans with it's recognisably inimitable aspects.

Madder Mortem have never thrived (nor needed to thrive) on catchy tracks, but surprisingly they deliver a handful on 'Eight Ways'- particularly lead single 'Armour' and 'A Different Kind Of Hell'. Fans need not despair however, as catchy does not necessarily mean poppy- the choruses placed within the two songs are essentially some of the strongest in the bands history. 'Armour' in particular, provides a beautifully atmospheric chorus, delivered expertly by Agnete and guitarists BP Kirkevaag and Odd Ebbesen who shine especially brightly on this standout track.


Not to be outdone by the mellower side of the album, Eight Ways harnesses a good selection of driving, metallic trips breaking through musical boundaries- namely 'Get That Monster Out Of Here'. Don't be fooled by the serene pre-chorus, the hook and verses see the experimental band at full throttle- Agnete perfectly accompanied by BP Kirkevaag's monstrously apt tones utilized carefully and sparsely to compliment the few tracks they grace. 'Life Lust & Liberty' continues the theme, having the guitars particularly prominent and leading to a crescendo that could put Beethoven to shame.


Making the step from a good album to a great one is providing an LP thriving with compositions that can be enjoyed and respected long past the hundredth time the CD graces the player and i can state without a doubt in my mind that 'Eight Ways' will do exactly that. Highlights are hard to choose on an album that can boast such an array of enjoyable tracks but personal preferences lean towards 'The Flesh, The Blood & The Man', 'Resolution' and the previously mentioned powerhouse- 'Get That Monster Out Of Here'.

As many fans and critics expected, Madder Mortem have not taken any hostages with their latest album and it is easily their most experimental to date. The jazz sections have become more prominent, the vocal lines have become more interesting and the already immense songwriting has been stepped up once more. It's with a careful hand that i present 'Eight Ways' however, as the record will certainly not sit well with some due to it's highly unique qualities, but for anybody looking to find talent and compositions that can be respected and admired as well as enjoyed- the opus is recommended thoroughly.

10/10

The Birthday Massacre + Raggedy Angry

We arrived at Rock City at dinnertime and qued for seven hours- meeting some awesome people in the line, particularly a lady who had a lot to say- but after a lot of silence it was nice to have some form of entertainment.

Raggedy Angry were the first band on and despite a hostile audience, the band were awesome in my opinion! A lot of people were thankful that they got out of the way and let the main band onstage and they weren't afraid to show it. In all honesty though, as i said to Claky, if Raggedy Angry can't get The Birthday Massacre's audience onside- i don't know what audience they should be playing for. Catchy catchy music though and a lot of presence onstage- criminally underrated.

The Birthday Massacre played an awesome set- with highlights including the immense Weekend and Unfamiliar, leading to the stunning climax of flawless renditions of Blue and Happy Birthday.

Chibi's interaction with the audience was an absolute asset to the performance with her constant chatting, thanking and immersing herself with the fans. I never want to forget the very cute way in which a fan called 'Chibi! Chibi!' after a song. To something which most performers wold ignore- she marched over and asked what was wrong- to be informed that a guy had lost his glasses. 'We have to work together!' she exlciamed and everybody looked for the guys specs and the room erupted into cheers as a member of the audience found them and returned them. As adorable as ever, the frontwoman cheered in victory before continuing the set.

I really can't truly define the gig because something about it was just there. Everybody told me that TBM were truly at their best on the live circuit and i can now vouch for that! But what i can't do (and as an aspiring journalist, this is hard to admit) is put it into words. You have to experience this for yourself and i'll be experiencing it everytime i get the chance from now on!

I tried to write a critical/personal account of the evening, btw. I had a great time but headed to James' afterwards and it was the most beautiful evening in my life. I woke up the next morning without a care in my mind! It was really the coolest coolest coolest time.

I also wanted to thank Ebbie and Claky for making the que fun for the first few hours and to Claky for going crazy with me when TBM played! It was awesome to make memories with him fo sho! La Roux next, boy!

Setlist:
Red Stars
Goodnight
Falling Down
Unfamiliar
Play Dead
Weekend
To Die For
Lovers End
Remember Me
Video Kid
Looking Glass
I Think We're Alone Now
Walking With Strangers

Encore:
Blue
Happy Birthday

Photos: Amanda Gliddon (Thank You!!)

Lauras Party

I haven't blogged extensively about anything for a while and i felt this would be a good return to it for three reasons.

1. To benefit myself when i look back in the future
2. To benefit everybody who got drunk and forgot certain parts
3. To benefit everybody who didn't go and make them realise they should have done.

Basically, i got to Laura's house quite late- it was already coming up to 7-30 and i got there with James. It was, as every party is, very distant at that point and everybody was saying to everybody- drink! eat! dance! in the mindset that if they weren't told to do so, they wouldn't and the party would suck. But eventually everybody acted like fools regardless! We watched a few Michael Jackson videos and generally just laughed at silly nothings.

After a while, Maria and Bryony arrived and it was so nice to see them again! I've missed them beyond belief. It was during this time that Laura and Kim were upstairs and me and Adam filled an empty vodka bottle with water to see if we fooled anybody. Never know what happened to that actually but it was empty after a while.

Maria and Bryony left to pursue a little journey to get alcohol. After a while and a series of 'They're late' and 'Where are they?', i asked Ebbie to come for a walk and we could potentially find them- that was a bad idea for everybody else who let us go- as we just ended up laughing for no reason and saying stupid things at 11pm on a street. In the rain too, might i add- and a certain somebody sat in a puddle. Everytime i turned around, Ebbie was on the floor.

So we arrived back and James was a bit annoyed at me because i didn't answer his phonecall but it evens out cos he flirted with Ebbie and was generally ignorant to me, aha!

Bitter sidenote aside, we played twister on our return and it was very exciting. Everybody fell over and toppled a mere few seconds into the game. Adam and Kim just stayed in the kitchen.

Oh, an afterthought- but we also played on the dancemat earlier and a few people guitar hero'd! It was quite funny to watch, bother and generally annoy them, i have to admit. ;-). Kim and Adam just stayed in the kitchen, mind.

Following a late night/early morning taxi to get more supplies, i felt a lot more sober. No idea if i missed anything from after mine and Ebbies walk since i was esentially out of my head for a halfhour or so. But i do remember early into the morning, Me, Claky and Ebbie took a note to Claky's dads house that said something about me telling Claky to tell his dad that he's not coming home. Which Claky regretted. Kim and Adam just stayed in the kitchen though.

When we got back, we saw James and Laura walking towards us, Laura was upset because Adam and Kim were getting close and they'd just argued. Adam was in the kitchen with Kim. But after a while alone, he and Laura seemingly worked things out, i haven't spoken to her since. With her being upset, Kim feeling guilty and arguing with James, James being generally jerkish, Adam being socially detatched at this point and Ebbie and me feeling quite ill- the party did go downhill. As all parties to, to be fair. It's not a comment on the night or the people as some of the memories we had that evening, i will never forget! We live for the positives, the negatives will be out of my mind soon!

As i said, heres hoping everything sorts itself out. Me & James went home at 7am, because i was too tired and Claky was planning on sleeping, along with Laura, Danny and Kim. I slept all day and had an awesome time.

I'm so proud of me, Claky and James though since we did the whole 2.5 hour walk to Ebbies and back at 5am! Haha, and i'm glad Ebbie appreciated it. :-)

So yes. I did just want to be honest because to be fair, the night wasn't without it's arguements and such. But above all, i had an awesome time and would definitly say that the good outweighed the bad. Can't wait for the next one now! :-)

Ilya!

Ps. I also swapped clothes with water.
Pps. Adam also licked my nipples and everybody gazed at how small they were.
Ppps. Me and Claky went for a walk to the badger box at 4am. Random times that shall not be forgotten xD

(Edit: In my first PS i meant to say that i swapped clothes with Laura but i'll leave the mistake there for added lol)

Moth

There is a fearless moth that won't let me pee in peace.

So i took my pee and held it in for a while because if that moth flys in my face, i can't promise i won't run away. I like moths, i like creatures in general- but not in my faaace!

Some things that were great are...

...PROM!
...EBBIE'S AFTERPARTY!
...PENNYS BIRTHDAY NIGHT!
...JAMES COMING OVER TODAY!

Today made me feel good, but i hurt all over and i'm soooo tired!