tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86815308591788344692024-03-05T20:13:28.324-08:00So Sophie LeeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-63031272194796498692018-04-17T02:34:00.000-07:002018-04-17T06:05:41.908-07:00I, a student, am stopping shopping<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I suggested giving up shopping for a year my mother slowly nodded.</span></span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-fcf5443a-cf24-7426-ddce-543ced7c8ce6" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have a lot of ideas that don’t make it through the day. “I’m going to be a minimalist.” “I’ll stop using my phone.” They are all well intended for self-improvement and self-care - but unfortunately, most of them are not self-aware. I like lots of things and I like my phone. But this idea was different, I knew as I told my mum. I actually wanted to do it.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaqLM6Ps-ND93Ppl8fOnbsZmZOUWNC3zHlYKTyQE_70NfS0bxQ5FIw9JyuHPS1qQtPkfTcvJIdL8Qlb2iz-nu3wNeEEEpV9d-_oedB0B9eQkfh3yxjh9atyXcKHvJ62P-qyJIxW_J7Dk/s1600/IMG_20180417_103127_451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaqLM6Ps-ND93Ppl8fOnbsZmZOUWNC3zHlYKTyQE_70NfS0bxQ5FIw9JyuHPS1qQtPkfTcvJIdL8Qlb2iz-nu3wNeEEEpV9d-_oedB0B9eQkfh3yxjh9atyXcKHvJ62P-qyJIxW_J7Dk/s640/IMG_20180417_103127_451.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Giving up clothes shopping was the solution to other, at first seemingly unrelated, problems. I wanted to spend less while saving more, correct the part of my brain that relates a good day with a good outfit and have something to talk about at family gatherings - other than why I still don’t have a boyfriend. With this, I could subvert spendy student expectations while deflecting questions about my actual life. It was perfect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As always, the idea came from something I read. Ann Patchett’s New Yorker piece was a pithy, reflective, personal article on her experience with quickly consumed fashion. A cycle that left her restless. Yet reading her account of a falling bank balance and its failure to makes her feel better, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">felt attacked.</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><i><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shopping felt like winning a game no one else was playing</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>.</b></span></span><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">”</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The narrative surrounding students is preceded by pound signs. It is concerned with whether we spend too much or too little while eating avocado toast and binge drinking our lives away. Changes to student loan repayments, which began from earning £21,000 and have risen to £27,000, force us to revisit the question; how much are students actually worth? Is it as much as we spend? </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The student loan just dropped, to my friend's delight, but I didn’t really need it because student or not, I save a lot. Sa</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">ving isn’t very ‘uni’. If a student misses drinks or an outing, if you are the cheapskate on the next round, you’re nobody's mate. I’m not saying you have to spend to make friends, but, to no one's surprise, there exists a culture where spending more than you have is common, and expected. Everyone is in their overdraft, everyone is waiting for payday. I’ve been moving more towards this as each term passes and I wanted a change,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I briefly, and incorrectly, diagnosed myself a shopping addict. If I was sad, I wanted to shop, happy, shop, excited - you get the idea. Buying things gave me the false feeling that I was achieving something. But I wasn’t addicted, I was just enjoying it because shopping felt like winning a game no one else was playing. The cheaper the deal, the better the find the better I felt. Finding a velvet blazer on sale kept me happy for a month.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reflecting on this got me thinking - maybe stopping shopping would make me more consistently happy? Living a life that didn’t revolve around the next Zara sale sounded more stable. I started on March 28th and if I quit, I’ll tell you why. If I succeed, I’ll let you know how. I love to shop but it’s not working anymore. So unless I’m gifted or given it my current wardrobe is the lot. Wish me luck.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-48119699517889327022018-03-19T09:09:00.000-07:002018-09-03T09:09:20.810-07:00Queer Eye redefines reality TV<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">At first glance, Queer Eye perpetuates every gay cliche. Glitter is literally poured over hosts, there's sass, shopping and makeovers to die for, however, the show rejects stereotypes as readily as it does ill-fitting clothes. Queer Eye represents diversity within the minority, it shows different ways to be gay, rather than limiting an exceptionally <a href="https://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/we-dont-do-regular.html">varied </a>group to their ability to shop. The Fab 5 challenge viewers to recognise the gay community's complexity and individuality in a professional yet personal setting. Queer Eye redefines just about everything and welcomes you to join.
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><i><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“At first glance, Queer Eye perpetuates every gay cliche</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>.</b></span></span><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">”</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you haven’t heard, Queer Eye is the lifestyle makeover show that hauled Netflix out of its funk. It’s got the Fab 5, five gay and gorgeous guys, who fix the lives of men down on their luck. Their subjects include a red neck, Trump supporter, firefighter and a 33 year old guy that lives with his Mother. They really have seen it all. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">The makeover show champions <a href="https://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/you-do-you.html">self-love</a> as a way of looking and feeling your best. It gets us to click off of mind-numbing reality TV, forget about Geordie Shore and Only Way is Essex for a healthier TV alternative. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Antoni offers food, Jonathan ser</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ves </span>grooming<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, B</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">obby redesigns your home, Tan wakes up your wardrobe and Karamo is the cultural guide we all desperately need. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The Fab 5 are too good for us all.</span><br />
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Initially, it's their professions that set the hosts apart. Each boast impressive resumes and eight episodes in, there is no one I'd trust more with my life. They are well established within their work and show they are far more than (very) pretty faces. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Where Tan teaches the importance of fitted clothing, Karamo addresses the importance of building a brand. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Through spending time with the Fab 5 individually, each member presents a professional and personal identity. They may share a preference for men and dedication to self-care, but they value individuality. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the series progresses (or in my case, once you finish it in a day) you learn about their personal lives. I challenge viewers to hold their tears as </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bobby explains his difficulty growing up in a religious family and Karamo talks about his life as a black, gay teenager in Southern America - to a cop.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Viewing the Fab 5 individually and not as one stereotype breaks down unhealthy gay cliches. Queer Eye is not gay vs straight, it's about individuals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In recognising what distinguishes each host, professionally and personally, Queer Eye redefines the exhausted stereotype of how to be a gay man. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Antoni wears plain, classic clothing yet Tan is all about the prints. Jonathan poses for the camera in splits, contrasting Karamo's straight-faced stare. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">The series forces viewers to recognise Queer Eye is hosted by the Fab 5, emphasis on the five. Season 2 ASAP please Queer Eye. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-90418752636210800492018-02-28T09:01:00.000-08:002018-03-07T06:43:04.018-08:00The Assassination of Gianni Versace: High fashion in your front room<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"></span><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s unexpected for high fashion to mix with murder, but </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Assassination of Gianni Versace - American Crime Story</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, seems like a natural, even if concerning, fit. Starring Penelope Cruz and Darren Criss, it boasts a blockbuster cast well qualified to take on the box office. However, the nine-part BBC series is expertly tailored for the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">slightly </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">smaller screen. </span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a story confined to the pages of fashion magazines, the series is an opportunity for viewers to understand the fashion mogul’s life and death through an accessible medium. It follows the murder of Gianni by his ex-lover </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Andrew Cunanan and immediately positions the viewer in a state of discomfort. You are confused by Andrew's sweet exterior, yet horrific secrets and interrupted by the introduction of Donatella, Versace's sister. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px;">Shots bathed in golden light immediately involve viewers in the timeline of Versace and Andrew. By switching between perspectives, the series evokes a powerful nostalgia for a past only just witnessed by viewers. There is a poignant sense of loss for Darren Criss’s Andrew, as his slick exterior rapidly develops into criminal and physical decline.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">High fashion is inherently alienating which makes it desirable. But the presentation of G</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ianni </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">via a television series reduces the gap between high fashion and a viewer's reality. It can be watched from the comfort of your own home; copies of Vogue and an understanding of the fashion industry are not required.</span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The name Versace means little to some, and to others, even less that denim. Referred to as “the jeans guy” moments after his murder, the series acknowledges Versace's varied influence from within the walls of his home and the public's perspective. The selling point is its awareness of this divide in understanding. It could be about any murder, it could be fictional, it could depict the death of your most highly regarded designer; it works universally. Viewers are immediately transfixed by Versace, as a character, even if not in reality. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><i><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>The name Versace means little to some, and to others, even less that denim.</b></span></span><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">”</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The BBC prides itself on its</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sharp focus on viewers. In the production of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Assassination of Gianni Versace </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the desire by viewers to access the cinematic at home has been thoughtfully understood. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The series illustrates the blurring lines between television and cinema. As television show budgets continue to grow (Game of Thrones season 6 reached 10 million dollars per episode) and cinema becomes increasingly serialised, this understanding of viewers changing tastes is vital.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Assassination of Gianni Versace </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">l</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ets high fashion into viewers front rooms and makes up for what most wardrobes are lacking. BBC2's series continues on March 7th, 9pm, and is a gift to thriller enthusiasts and fashionistas alike. The first word is Versace. I have a feeling we'll be hearing it a lot. </span></span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-bed4f230-e763-bd9b-c8b2-5b2bc5a12e8b"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-81829409212814629032018-01-24T03:45:00.000-08:002018-03-02T09:33:20.841-08:00We should all be narcissists<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last week I Googled; Am I a narcissist? And in my, apparently not so humble opinion, if you have to ask, you already know. As someone who possesses textbook “exaggerated feelings of self-importance” and “an excessive need for admiration” the Google search clarified what I have been told; it’s a spectrum and boy am I on it. A spectrum we should all want to be on.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lsUXl6zmZicM0mjueVWeGxh2nOJnYxGXpl4Mmgp47FErWZRnYN5YP2KS80keW9w9vpfC1uKgdi2PqewaS5CMUZFlDNUXFT5YTVS66Yrx38ZpcQQo8iUGjs7bAnCsHIHdCWhvIYYgdvM/s1600/28640756_1877132795631594_1088244520_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1029" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lsUXl6zmZicM0mjueVWeGxh2nOJnYxGXpl4Mmgp47FErWZRnYN5YP2KS80keW9w9vpfC1uKgdi2PqewaS5CMUZFlDNUXFT5YTVS66Yrx38ZpcQQo8iUGjs7bAnCsHIHdCWhvIYYgdvM/s640/28640756_1877132795631594_1088244520_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To be clear, this not a diagnosis. With half an English Literature with Creative Writing degree to my name, underqualified is a polite way of putting it. This is a self-evaluation to shed light on what we don't talk about; the visibly and vocally overconfident. In a generation deemed snowflakes, unfairly disparaged for needing and feeling, viewed to inherently lack backbone and strength because we call for appropriate censorship, while spending too much on avocado toast and not enough investing in housing, overconfidence is not a priority. </span></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A na</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">rcissist i</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">s a label we flippantly use for the annoyance at the party and the 10 posts a day instagrammer</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> because we don’t like them. That's not good enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a spectrum, those on the lower half, can be considered to have narcissistic qualities. There’s self-love and self-adoration and nar</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">cissists </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">often subscribe to the latter. Being in love with yourself is not easy for most, impossible for some and uncomfortable for others. But I have found myself the only, and by far easiest, person to fall for. It’s in my narcissistic nature.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I have found myself the only, and by far easiest, person to fall for”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I say we should be narcissists, I recognise at its most extreme it is considered a </span><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201609/meet-the-real-narcissists-theyre-not-what-you-think" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">disorder which only 1% of the population live with.</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> That is not what I want to encourage. But I argue, if we all presented the visible confidence of a narcissist, even if not genuine, it would be a good thing. We should tell people how great we are. What if, not you, but the hypothetical you, is better than everyone else at something. You are literally the best. In this situation, you are the most qualified, most attractive, most interesting, vibrant, intelligent person in the room. It seems a shame not to point it out, an injustice even. Mostly, because attributes, such as intelligence, take a lot of work. You don't wake up with jobs and families and degrees. Sadly you don't just become brilliant, you have to really try. As a narcissist you admit it. You use your </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">“exaggerated feelings of self-importance” and “an excessive need for admiration” to do so. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a get out of jail free card because hiding brilliance is exhausting. A narcissist just tells it how it is.</span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now is the part when you hate me, no one likes the self-aggrandizing bastard. But if being full of yourself helps you eventually become more confident, if a little narcissism lets you tell people you’re great, that’s a good thing. We should all be like me. Though of course, I would think that. I am a narcissist.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-845484085483839272017-08-18T03:26:00.000-07:002017-08-18T03:56:00.551-07:00Is online protest pointless? <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The void is too big and we are too small, too divided. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Protesting can seem pointless. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">But while Trump appeases Nazis and May is concerned about a big clock; nothing brings people together like a trending hashtag.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The movement onto social media makes sense. We use it for dating and shopping so activism seems a logical progression. If you have a couple of tabs open, you can do them all at the same time. Instead of picking up placards, gifs and wit, condensed into 140 characters, are the new form of opposition. Whether for elections, arrests or attacks it is a way for people to show they don’t agree, they are not complicit, and all from the comfort of their home. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyIhc1-csgMOsFWTDfyrcDimEfSsSv1F6Z4Gxnsd0xGVd-YsWEj64bZ8JxDbmcYvSVoNgkKQAqQRnpFFlgn3AlIGMrLm9FU2Pj-qitaDs7Ll3TOIxh8RfRYyRTyTJsk1MI71Pzdz0nDU/s1600/20931164_1682287521782790_1618749012_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyIhc1-csgMOsFWTDfyrcDimEfSsSv1F6Z4Gxnsd0xGVd-YsWEj64bZ8JxDbmcYvSVoNgkKQAqQRnpFFlgn3AlIGMrLm9FU2Pj-qitaDs7Ll3TOIxh8RfRYyRTyTJsk1MI71Pzdz0nDU/s640/20931164_1682287521782790_1618749012_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This form of protesting is nothing new. Twitter exists for one big conversation, the biggest group chat in the world. But the way people protest has taken a turn; the public is overtaking the political. People like to be outraged and they like it to be seen. Outrage is quicker than research and visibility is more trendy that respect. We don’t care if what we say actually does anything. By tweeting about how awful things are we can pretend to be proactive while getting an ego boost as the faves roll in. We might even get new followers. We all pat ourselves on the back and celebrate what we’ve done. For helping change. Maybe in a modern world, this is how we get modern change? No one seems to know. Public outrage leads to a discussion but at what cost? Wide miscommunication, incorrect sources and fictional facts infect twitter to its very core. We all know and a lot of people don’t care, they just want to join in with what we are protesting today. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But whether good or bad, what is gained from Twitter flurries is publicity. Celebrities condemning Trump’s behaviour, even if not leading to instant direct change, influences the mindsets of their followers, their fans. Accounts tweeting Theresa May asking if she has anything more important to be focusing on, rather than Big Ben, are voicing real political concerns. Even if in a jovial tone. News outlets have to take notice and families have to discuss what’s trending over dinner because it can no longer be ignored. I can be a productive space for but that depends on who you follow.We talked about the Nazis in America over chicken. I read about it on twitter.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It might seem hopeless but it’s not pointless. Online protest is over saturated and under informed to the point where twitter becomes a dangerous place. But we all have to agree that it does something; it gets us talking.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-81973992561930923532017-07-03T02:07:00.000-07:002017-07-04T06:17:15.057-07:00Are you 'fine'? Because I'm not<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How are you? How is work? How does the current social and political climate make you feel in light of the negative implications it will carry over to future generations?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fine.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If the answer to the above is fine, then we are certainly not fine. I am certainly not fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In an instantaneous society, patience is lacking. We communicate with emojis because it's quicker than using words and we tweet instead of writing letters because who has time to go and buy a stamp? Modern day life means modern ways of living, but does social shorthand threaten society? Apparently, we are all fine. It’s all just fine. We tell our family and friends that work is fine and accept that the world is too. Though is it enough? More importantly, is it even true?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surely, life is too short to be fine? Too short to have a fine job and talk to fine people about their fine lives continuing into an endless state of average. When people are becoming, if anything, more ambitious with multiple </span><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-arts-vs-sciences-degree-debate.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">careers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as writer/barista/lawyer slash anything you want, being fine is not enough. There is so much to be, why would you pick such a boring way to live? Those people are ok, but I have no intention of being one.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fine wine I can cope with but being told that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">everything </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is fine is a quicker end to a conversation than saying "I voted Tory" on a uni campus. As a society, people would rather say fine because they're worried people don't care. We all believe that someone asking is an expression of social niceties and not affection. So we say fine and get on with our day. But fine could be short for, my life is falling apart between work and social life and I’m hardly making it to tomorrow. Or it can mean, I'm happier than Christmas, my birthday and the Zara sale rolled into one, but they would never know. We need to have these conversations to progress as people and as a society. So, how are you? People want to know, it's why they asked.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More than anything, if you think that things are fine, you’re not paying attention. The world is a volatile place whether your interests are politics, Prada or both. None of it is fine. Even on an everyday basis, it is exciting that we all have the right to vote and awful that McDonalds still don't do all day breakfasts. So genuinely believing that everything is fine is limiting but pretending is worse. Pretending is a disservice to the causes we must speak up for, problems we have to address and experiences we should celebrate. Society has told us fine is the easy way out. It is passive and apologetic, disengaged and unaware. But easy isn’t half as fun and unaware is an embarrassing place to be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps we need a wider vocabulary? It might be laziness that leads to great people being restricted by this word. Dictionaries all round could sort us out. So please, please, don’t be fine. Be ecstatic, devastated, tired or brilliant. Be more than fine.</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-b07e0e7a-07ba-fefa-a8c0-ab1e830686a2"></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-62416024962344170282017-04-05T01:51:00.000-07:002017-07-04T06:04:22.352-07:00Arts vs Sciences: the degree debate<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why am I doing an arts degree? A degree said to give me lower wages, lower prospects, less job stability, accessibility and that will most likely, and people are most pushing for, make me go into teaching? Is because I love it an ok answer? Not for <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/18-and-no-adult.html">adults</a>. A term which now includes me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Becoming an adult means making adult decisions. It means I am working over Easter, I washed my sheets before coming</span><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/no-place-like-home.html" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> home from uni</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and that I buy milk instead of chocolate at the supermarket. It also means considering my future and seriously this time. What do I want to be now I’m all grown up? When the</span><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/hierarchy-of-education-why-is-it-still.html" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> government seems to hate the arts by cutting funding and courses</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I question why I bother to study English Literature with Creative Writing at all. The harsh truth is; the world doesn't need more tortured artists or more wannabe writers. The professions are over saturated as it is. So where does that leave me?</span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-0d2ed7a0-33cd-428a-5818-f1752aebfcda"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What the world does need, is my twin brother. He is a computer science student who intends to specialise in cyber security, which is not only one of the most highly demanded professions in the UK but an incredibly lucrative field. And here I am, writing poems. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">he sciences scream stability and longevity. Their students career paths are not only visible but practical. Something I wish I could say about my own. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jobs like secretaries are on the way out and a<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/03/24/robots-will-take-third-british-jobs-2030-report-says/">ccording to PricewaterhouseCoopers, 30% of British jobs will submit to automation by the 2030's.</a> Workers will be replaced by apps and computers, that my people like my brother will programme. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">They don’t need humans anymore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But as much as they try, they can’t code my voice.<b> </b>No AI (artificial intelligence/robot) could replicate my sarcasm, my dry sense of humour or the fear of failure that motivates everything I do. In fact, I don’t think AI’s can feel fear at all.</span></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">The arts supply innovative and broad minds which are more necessary in our volatile economic and social society than ever before. It is an arts mind, full </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">of Hemingway and Wuthering Heights that can secure the timeless jobs of authors, actors and </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">play-writes</span> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">because</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> a robot won't do. T</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">he study of literature, of the Arts, is worthwhile, even if not followed by a huge paycheck, because it is these artists that hold society accountable with their work. Money makes the world go round but books are always needed to offer a word of advice, prop up a table or sometimes change the world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love my degree. When its good its good. But when it's bad, I get 2.1’s and a lifetime of defending my BA. Maybe I am just feeling disillusioned, and will always envy the degree, the path, I did not follow. The grass always seems greener. And on the grass, is sat my twin brother.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-38124686653936675102017-03-08T00:49:00.000-08:002017-06-26T05:48:20.613-07:00Hierarchy of Education: Why is it still a thing?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went to a normal school. I mean normal like, the Art department didn’t have paper very often, Maths protected glue sticks like their children and our Geography block leaked when it rained. But that is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/we-dont-do-regular.html">normal</a>.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Despite the school funding crisis reaching concerning heights, the government's budget has room for new free and grammar schools to be set up. Though why does new equal better? Even with schools funds being cut an estimated £3bn, there is still money for new schools. I dropped Maths at AS but luckily I took Economics. In my educated opinion; this is bullshit.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b> <b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It begs the question; why has the government made this decision? Unfortunately, it's for grades. It's all about final grades. Schools are constantly pressured to churn out good results, regardless of year group and aptitude. These new schools will be the same. Who cares how the kids are really doing? Plough money into specialist schools and we will have a few more A*s at A level. Forget to invest the money into mental health support for young people and instead open exclusive schools. When hasn’t division helped? Building walls is always a good idea, we might as well start with the kids.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They say that it’s ok because it's to help. The government suggest that specialised schools mean specialised teaching and that means a special education for the children. Who doesn't want that? But how is helping a few thousand children, at the expense of the rest of the country, a good thing? Grammar schools teach division in a dangerously divided world. I don’t know what schools the MP’s went to, most likely private, but it seems that they don’t understand the system. As a smart kid (sorry to boast) I moaned about mixed classes and slow work. But the way around that is for your parent to talk to the teacher about stretching you, not stretch the UK budget to fit individuals. If instead more funding went to existing schools, specialist teachers could be employed. With more staff, there could be smaller class sizes and appropriate sets can be formed to ensure that students are pushed. Children will have a better education and not at the expense of others.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-arts-vs-sciences-degree-debate.htmlhttp://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-arts-vs-sciences-degree-debate.html">It seems that the government's approach is</a> the newer the better. But what happens to the old? When existing schools require funding that’s being given to new establishments I can’t help but think; who is this really for? Because I don’t think it’s for the kids.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-39908105784775184872017-02-21T03:03:00.000-08:002017-09-02T06:12:31.350-07:00Fashion Says No: the end of the cleavage<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hands up if you’re a B cup? Well, I’m surrounded by double D’s. In a society where Vogue claims</span><a href="http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/december-vogue-whatever-happened-to-the-cleavage" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">big boobs have fallen out of fashion</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; what does this mean for me?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="624" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/GLkvu4MtQX6tuhCI77WuMTlbjkb6C-8WmPsjSdwZfdET1rpIKJvzpj81GME5ijYYf1O_L7Ae0W3Mq0-UDjZ0gcJEIY5nhUhnUfzPa_9RIHXQLhAiFiXFHEffWoqU7VeBxW1Tft7N" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I like who I am and what I look like. So, for me, it’s really not a problem. But I know not everyone feels the same. My mother once told me if I had bigger boobs than her I would be sleeping in the shed. I assure you she was joking. But it shows the importance a part of my body has in my life. Boobs come with a lot of extras. Women are told when is fine to get their chest out and when they should be away.</span><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/are-you-fine-because-im-not.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beaches are fine.</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Breastfeeding is not. If they’re</span><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/catcalls-are-no-compliment.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sexualised</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">it’s okay. But being used practically is a no. Now we are told they're unfashionable. They are a burden from the beginning. At least they were for me. Please tell me that every girl has gone through the painful process of an M&S measuring? Just me. Thanks, Mum.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashion has deemed smaller bra sizes popular because of cute bralettes and plunging necklines flattering a flatter chest. But can anatomy fall out of fashion? It’s ridiculous to claim part of women’s bodies is no longer popular to look at. That the cleavage has left us. That there is any choice for women in the matter. The idea of popular body parts suggests that women can mould and change themselves to fit fashion's desires. Which, on behalf of women, I feel is fair to call untrue. Though this tells women and girls that they should try. We are adaptable, brilliant and intelligent, so I am sure women will find a way to fulfil the lesser chest criteria. That worries me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is laughable is that the size of your chest means nothing. When I go for a job my bra size</span><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-arts-vs-sciences-degree-debate.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">doesn’t feature on my CV</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Similarly, when I meet new people, when I go food shopping, when I live my everyday life - no one is concerned by my bra. But the media is. Cleavage is out, small boobs are in and the female population better keep up. The past gave us padded bras to pretend we are what we are not. The future is equally concerning.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashion identifies trends and right now that might not include you. But who likes following the crowd? Big or small,</span><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/you-do-you.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">own your body</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and forget what’s in fashion. It will change its mind soon anyway.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-9230183557390565552016-11-15T03:08:00.000-08:002017-07-03T08:20:18.579-07:00No Place Like Home<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">By the time I finally got the hang of uni, the biggest challenge of all presented itself; my first visit home.</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-f1d8fa89-5ee2-7a21-9dfd-17c6e519e1d5"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Uni life takes a while to settle into. Shared bathrooms for some and communal kitchen for all. It’s certainly different from my mothers spotless house. The best way to explain living with students is that there is an constant air of confusion. Whose pan is this? Who drank my milk? Why is there a tube of fake blood next to the pasta? But maybe that’s just my flat. My experience might be a bit different because there are 14 of us. 14 people, 2 microwave ovens, 4 rings on the hob and one kettle. It’s been fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visiting home was simultaneously restful and stressful. I was given plenty of food and was in a warm comfy house. I also have a couple of meals to take home, which is a total lifesaver. But I had to update everyone on exactly what I’ve been up to for the last 8 weeks. There is the paragraph you repeat to each family member running through your time at uni. My course is going well and I have been attending all my wonderful lectures. Yes, even the 9ams. I have been feeding myself properly, lots of vegetables, making lots of friends, and I have even done my washing. No, I don’t stay out too late and always get a taxi back. The few details left out are nothing to worry them about. Home visits aren’t for telling your Mum that you haven’t picked up an iron in 8 weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though, I have to confess that, I cannot keep this up. It is great to see everyone, but now I am behind on my reading and more tired than ever. Even being in my old bedroom feels strange because none of my belongings are there. My bed still looks the same and my stack of magazines remain on the side. But the little things aren’t there. There are no hair-pins on the floor and no mugs litter my desk. That will change over Christmas. My family will get bored of me coming home I’m sure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two parents, two sets of grandparents and one twin later, I’m on the train back to Norwich. Until next time.</span></div>
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-10819284146772249922016-09-16T02:12:00.000-07:002018-09-03T09:18:04.702-07:00Waitrose WoesA man in Waitrose nearly made me cry today. <i>Nearly</i>.<br />
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So there I was, 18 year old Sophie ready to use her Waitrose card for the first time to get a free coffee and buy some milk. Exciting stuff I know. This was genuinely thrilling as I don't go in Waitrose often. Whether we like to admit it there is a supermarket hierarchy enforced by supermarket snobs who think that because you paid more for butter you're better. When really it just means that we like different butter. But against all odds, I ventured in and my trip was ruined by a man. Not <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/equality-is-easy.html">'the man'</a> who I've been known to complain about, this was one particular man.<br />
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I have to explain, at the time I wasn't wearing my glasses. This means that from a distance I don't recognise the faces of friends, let alone my surroundings in a supermarket. As I walked towards the till and put down my milk I heard a tut and turned to see a man throwing his hands up in frustration, beginning to lament. I say lament, I mean shout.<br />
You could've used the self-service.<br />
There's a free till over there.<br />
This was my till.<br />
You've pushed in front of me you <b><i>stupid girl.</i></b><br />
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The transaction would've been over far quicker if he'd have shut up and let me buy my milk as the getaway was slowed by my shaking legs. I had one item, he had a trolley full, most people would've let me go in front as a courtesy. Though after his rude outburst, I turned and apologised saying that I didn't realise that he was walking towards the same till and I didn't see him. But this was met by a huff and repetition of his earlier statements. I couldn't help but think that he must have a daughter, a granddaughter or the remnants of a soul which would make him feel bad for shouting at me. I wish I had not left the shop shocked and upset after apologising <i>again.</i><br />
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From my trip to Waitrose I learnt that there are horrid people in the world and that recently they seem drawn to me. But the moral of the story is that you can leave them behind and become a better person yourself to spite them.<br />
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So to the horrible man who shouted at me in Waitrose and all the others I will say this; I hope your life is average. I hope that everything is <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/are-you-fine-because-im-not.html">fine </a>but never great so that your lives are dull and mundane. I hope that your favourite jumper begins to unravel, your glasses fall down your nose and you sip your tea just too early and burn your tongue. With all my heart I wish that whoever you end up marrying (the poor sod) never quite gets your jokes and halfheartedly laughs too late. I hope you are just a little uncomfortable, unremarkable and uninteresting for the rest of your life.<br />
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A life I hope you spend far away from me.<br />
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(Just a disclaimer I know that worse things happen, I do read the news, but this just sucked.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-6209297881038389592016-08-09T04:47:00.000-07:002018-09-03T09:26:27.372-07:00Rio 2016 A Sexists DreamFinally, the UK is ready to move on from the 2012 Olympics. No more Olympic values (which I can recite), we can forget Boris Johnson in a harness single-handedly embarrassing the nation and we can stop pretending that it wasn't all an excuse for a party. Sport is not my area, but feminism is. I enjoyed London 2012 but Rio 2016 not so much.<br />
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I could have chosen to discuss the dire facilities the athletes are subjected to in the Olympic village. However, a cold shower is the least of our worries when apparently society has reverted to a level of sexism only rivalled by the garbage which leaves Donald Trump's mouth. (i.e you wouldn't have your job if you weren't so pretty)<br />
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Instead, I'd like to focus on the sexism witnessed across the board. It's happening everywhere but this summer it's happening in sport. Recently it has been directed at Helen Skelton who was targeted for her 'revealing' outfit. Not only were other presenters in form fitting clothing but we must remember that she was presenting the swimming. If you have a problem with exposed skin then perhaps a sport renowned for it is not best for your viewing. However, it is also largely irrelevant. Helen Skelton can and should wear whatever she pleases. Attacking her appearance acts to remind women and girls that it is not what you are saying but what you are wearing which society deems important.<br />
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Furthermore, it should be addressed that this is not the only sexist issue of the Olympics so far. Female athletes being recorded as 'wives of' rather than identified for their own incredible achievements. I see no male athletes being branded by their marital status.<br />
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Whether you love or loathe sport the Olympics is not just about athleticism. It is 4-year marker of progress. The progress which appears to have been lost.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-42837574601643718282016-05-14T02:08:00.001-07:002017-03-20T06:00:06.359-07:0018 and No AdultSome presents, some cards and a few text messages later it was official; I was 18.<br />
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The day I turned 18 I spilt my tea and wore my t-shirt to sixth form inside out. I wish I could boast that it was a fashion statement informed by my new found maturity but honestly, I was just in a rush. In the exact same rush, I had been at 17. As I strutted along mere hours into 'adulthood' I realised that it didn't change a thing.<br />
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On my birthday people asked me what it felt like to be an adult and I really have no idea. A few days later and I'm no closer to finding out.<br />
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<b>Firstly being 18 does not make me an adult</b>. Who decided that 18 meant adult anyway? You're probably all nodding along at this point as I'm just some girl writing on her blog. Not a taxes-paying-got-my-shit-together-cares-about-the-weather sort of adult. Maybe I never will be.<br />
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Really it isn't that big a deal. I have been paying adult prices on the bus, train and plane since I was 15 and the cinema teen tickets don't fool anyone. I resent the fact I'm ageing and always thought I'd avoid it altogether, but at least I can now legally drink away the pain. (joke mum) I don't mean to be pessimistic about growing up. It's just that I just realised that nothing monumental changed. I am still the person who broke her phone screen at work, messages the thumbs up Facebook emoji by accident and who is always just a little bit late.<br />
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At least now I'm an adult it can be 'fashionably' late and not just foolish.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-50878329853136403302016-04-13T01:18:00.000-07:002017-07-04T08:58:43.646-07:00Hit A Low<div dir="ltr">
I have hit a low.</div>
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I dropped a tissue covered in my tears into my tea. Yes, this is certainly a low.<br />
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Before I begin I want to recognise something. I am a privileged, white, middle-class, <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-arts-vs-sciences-degree-debate.html">averagely clever </a>and fairly attractive girl so I have little to complain about. But I failed my driving test and that sucks. I would explain why I failed the test but frankly, that would be boring. I want to talk about how it made me feel, which I <i>hope </i>is less dull. </div>
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Stupid, it made me feel stupid. Not to brag, but I can do some difficult things. I did ballet, I study economics, I once watched 5 movies in one day, but a driving test was harder. So I tried to think about it like this; <b>the universe is massive and a driving test is tiny.</b> That doesn't mean my problems are insignificant and it doesn't mean they don't matter. It just relieves a bit of the pressure. Think about black holes and supernovas and try not to panic about the fact your hair is doing that frizzy thing that you just hate. Contemplate the big bang, how the earth formed and then reconsider just how bad it is that MacDonald's don't do all day breakfasts. Honestly, it'll be <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/are-you-fine-because-im-not.html">fine</a>, not necessarily now, not easily, but it will be fine.</div>
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So, getting over it was the next step. <b>You pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get on with it. </b>Or in my case, I went to the cinema so I wouldn't have to think about anything for 121 minutes. Despite not being able to use my student discount to pay for my ticket, when I came out of the cinema I felt better. It might be a cliché but time heals, and it turns out getting over a driving test takes 121 minutes.</div>
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It was a hard day. But, I realised that I wanted to write about it. I wondered what sarcastic twist I could throw in at the end, or what alliteration would make the title work. I thought about whether to tell the real truth (the tissue in the tea) or a more glamorous version (nope). The only thing that made it better was knowing that it gave me more material.<br />
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In a way, I'm thankful for it. Well, almost.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-84631540240743571392016-03-20T01:32:00.000-07:002017-07-04T08:57:49.776-07:00You Do You<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Selfishly, stupidly, I never knew this was a problem. I grew up thinking I was pretty great. But then I realised some of the people I thought were great, didn't think it about themselves. I didn't like that at all.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blame it on an over inflated ego, a doting mother or perhaps pure ignorance, but I like who I am. Blame it on the media, the television or perhaps the people surrounding you because a lot of people don’t.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Know your own worth</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. An analogy might help with this one. I am the cup of tea you chose to drink and not the one you gulped before it went cold. I am worth your time and attention. But I am under no illusion, I'm not everyone's cup of tea. I might be your glass of water that's been sat on the side for days. In which case, pour me away. Bye, it wasn't meant to be. I don’t need, want or care for your opinion as you don’t for mine. I know that I am valuable. But maybe you don’t like tea. Maybe I could have thought of a better example.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Confidence is not arrogance.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Saying that you like your hair or that you think you’re smart is <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/are-you-fine-because-im-not.html">fine</a>. Believing in yourself is a positive thing and don’t let people take that from you. From my experience, this can be met with comments on how you lack modesty and that arrogance isn't attractive (real life things that I have been told), but don’t let it phase you. People will try and tear you down, but those people are not worth your time. Also, this goes hand in hand with something I live by, fake it til you make it. Act confidently and gradually, at least in my case, you start to feel it.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You don't have to be perfect. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a mess. I want you to know that I cry sometimes when I have to go on a driving lesson. I check myself out in every mirror I pass. The scab on my ankle is from where I keep accidentally kicking my feet whilst I walk to school because even that can be a struggle at 8 in the morning. I need you to understand that the other night I couldn't sleep so I Googled the Kardashians for hours. I need that acceptance because I love myself in spite of all these things.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am in love. I am in love with myself and I don’t think that's a bad thing.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-1538129876842898212016-02-10T01:15:00.000-08:002017-07-31T11:33:53.684-07:00Don't Be My ValentineSurprise, surprise, she doesn't like Valentine's Day. She also doesn't like animals. Shocker.<br />
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Honestly, it's not because I'm single because at 17 I hardly see that as a problem. It's not because I hate love either, I just mildly dislike it. It's because the entire concept of V Day is false.<br />
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Valentine's Day originates from some guy a long time ago becoming a martyr; not very romantic. I doubt that while St Valentine was brutally murdered he thought, I hope someone gets a teddy bear out of this and a maybe box of chocolates. At least then my life will have been worth something. I like to think that he had bigger ambitions.<br />
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But here we are again. Valentines day is an all-consuming phase of February. Correct me if I'm wrong, but since when did love become a once a year occasion? In Tesco, I am surrounded, cards on my left, gifts on my right, and all I wanted was some shampoo. But in February everything comes in couple's sets, they don't sell shampoo for singles,.<br />
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If this harassment isn't enough in person, it's provided for free on the internet. I am bombarded by emails telling me to get my gift for the special man in my life and buy the new dress I need for my date. Shops with huge marketing campaigns tell you if you don't buy this you will be unhappy. If you're not in love you're unhappy. But that isn't the case at all. Marks and Spencer I don't need your dine in for two, Pandora I'll buy my own ring and Urban Outfitters I don't need those shoes for a date. But maybe I need them for sixth form...<br />
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Unfortunately, this horrid holiday enforces the idea that romantic love is superior to friendship. I don't know if it is modern society or the media which educates us, but love is not <i>all </i>your life is for. People say 'just' friends, but friendship isn't 'just' anything. Boyfriends and girlfriends will come and go, especially at 17, but friends stick around. Anyway, A levels are enough to cope with without having to consider just how much to spend on the tacky card Tesco said I needed.<br />
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Valentines isn't all bad, it can be quite nice, but it comes down to why you're doing it. If you want to get your partner a gift, cool. If you want to give them a card too, that's all right. But don't do it because pink and red splattered consumerism told you too. And don't make me do it either. I think that's a good message all year round.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-82024277043335825242016-01-27T00:48:00.001-08:002017-03-20T05:56:52.047-07:00We don't do 'regular'I work in a coffee shop. So I say this hundreds of times. We don't do 'regular'. Small, medium, large. Primo, medio, grande. No, we don't do 'normal' either or 'average'. Please don't ask me for a regular coffee, I don't know what that means. Actually, I do, it means nothing. It doesn't exist.<br />
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This isn't only about coffee if you'd hadn't already guessed. Honestly, I don't even like coffee. This is about people.<br />
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It seems as a teenager people strive to be normal and fit in. They try to be regular. Though I never did and that's not for any one reason. I just didn't know how and so I never tried that hard. My slightly too posh voice, my disproportionately long arms and opinionated attitude meant that it wasn't really possible either. I always felt like I stuck out. Maybe I didn't, maybe no one noticed me at all. But I never felt 'regular'.<br />
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The concept of being 'normal' makes me uncomfortable because I wish people wanted to be utterly themselves. Self-confidence, perhaps overconfidence at times, is not a bad thing, Being unapologetically enthusiastic about something is far better than being nonchalant. 'Regular' may feel easier but it means you have no identity. It is no compliment for someone to introduce their new normal friend Sophie. You know her, just regular Sophie. How incredibly dull.<br />
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Also, it is so subjective. Society dictates what is regular and what is normal. But this is just a fad, just a trend, just fashion. 'Regular' is not sustainable so feels fake and forced. Who wants that? Regular isn't real, in coffee, in you, in anything.<br />
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And if you've been ordering a regular until now, perhaps you should try a new coffee.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-21373830781051373202016-01-19T03:10:00.000-08:002017-07-04T06:29:06.542-07:00Catcalls Are No Compliment<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
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I will not be grateful to walk down the street unembarrassed. I will not be thankful that today I wasn't shouted at on my walk to school. I will not be told to smile but men old enough to be my father.<br />
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Today I'll be discussing catcalling. <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/wheres-rey.html">A feminist edge</a> to the last few posts has deterred some, please do leave if it offends, that is preferable to being complicit in my own oppression.<br />
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It has gone on for as long as I can remember. I rarely wait at a bus stop without it, but it has gotten worse. I have been bothered recently, <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/equality-is-easy.html">bothered by boys</a> in cars. What do you want? Do you think I will turn around and fall into your arms? Am I expected to declare that I have been looking my entire life for the man I can one day tell my children I met when he shouted at me on my walk to work? I don't like it when they roll down the window, just so they can get a good look. That's when I am gifted a glance at their stupid, smug, empty faces which makes my stomach churn. You see, the same men who shout nice legs also shout slag out the window as I walk.<br />
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No, it's not being unable to take a compliment. I love real, genuine compliments, they practically sustain me,<br />
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If they looked at my face or into my eyes they'd be silent upon the realisation that I am real. I am human, I hear all their shouts and I see all their gestures. I understand them, despite the fact I don't speak their particular language of moron.<br />
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The summer months are coming, spring ahead, so as I pack away my tights and jumpers I have something on my mind. Here come the months of dresses and with them innuendos that don't go over my head. I am smarter than them and I understand. It took me a while to realise, embarrassingly long, but now I know that it's not me. It's not my tights or what I wear nor the way I stand or walk. It's the same in a coat, in my work clothes even when I wore school uniform.<br />
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Mock me, catcall me if you want, it only gives me more to write about. Catcalls have never been a compliment.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-31799092902498619392016-01-08T04:31:00.000-08:002017-08-17T10:11:21.341-07:00REVIEW: The Force Awakens - Where’s Rey?<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Where is the protagonist? Where is the pilot of the falcon? Oh, <i>she </i>wasn't included.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The Force Awakens is brilliant. I didn't enjoy this film out of loyalty, but because it is genuinely and honestly fantastic. It was refreshing to meet a female character who didn't need anyone to hold her hand. Realistically, it would only slow you down. Rey embodied the new woman in a mans galaxy. This is a female character who earned the right to be in this movie. The presentation of a strong leading women mean that I stepped out of the cinema with a smile on my face.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Then it was ruined.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The new Star Wars Monopoly set includes Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. The problem is that the game includes on dead character (Vader) and it excludes a very important one; Rey. Hasbro argued that removing Rey from the Monopoly game was to prevent spoilers. Though I find that ridiculous. She was featured in the posters, so was evidently in the film. Surely the inclusion of any other character would be a spoiler? Hasbro I don't buy it. This is being rectified an Rey will be restored to her rightful place but she should have been there from the beginning. Was the strong minded female lead merely a people pleaser? Was she not respected or valued enough to be immortalised n plastic? Rey being excluded has caused uproar online and I am happy to see it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Another offensive decision was to sell a toy of the Millennium Falcon without Rey but with Finn and Chewbacca. Neither of them are pilots, one co-pilot, but no pilots. From what I've heard this isn't being changed, but apart from being upsetting and sexist, it's just plain stupid. Why is the Falcon being sold without it's pilot? Han is dead, we are all very sad about it, though now his beloved ship has been left to an untrained Stormtrooper and a grief stricken Wookiee. As I said, stupid.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I hadn't written for a while because nothing had made me angry enough. But this did. This is not about toys. This is </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">question of </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">equality. </span><a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/equality-is-easy.html" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Equality</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> for a generation of young children who will grow up with Rey as their role model. With The Force Awakens came Rey and now the franchise has an obligation to </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">present her with equal measure to the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">male</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> leads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The force awakened, but so did the sexists. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-4094797469995058282015-12-01T01:40:00.000-08:002017-07-04T06:31:55.905-07:00Happy Being HipsterI didn't know. I didn't realise. I didn't mean to become a hipster.<br />
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But I am, apparently. I imagine you have questions a key one being; does this really matter?<br />
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Someone recently took one look at me and went, 'oh you're such a cute hipster'<br />
'I love your hair'<br />
'I love your little glasses'<br />
'Oh and your pinafore'<br />
To be honest the comments may have been slightly provoked by my attire. Fully channeling the co<span style="text-align: center;">ol writer wannabe look I wasn't offended, just confused. I had never met this person before, let alone spoken to them, but they had already branded me. Or had I branded myself?</span><br />
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So, a hipster is a trendy Shoreditch loving, geeky glasses wearing, loved it before it was cool kinda person. You can do your own research. Many are bearded, some are artsy and one of them is me.<br />
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It's not just a sense of dress but a a sense of being. You like quirky things that aren't 'mainstream'; a phrase which as I type is making me cringe. Am I like that? I don't know. Maybe it's a score out of ten situation, if you hit 5 or more of the criteria you're a hipster whether you like it or not. I don't see the need to label it, or most things. Societies pressure to label who you are, who you love and everything else bothers me. What's the rush? The desire to put people into neatly categorised boxes appeals to the control freak in me but not the realist. People are messy. There are confused, rebellious, selfish and every other kind of 'ish' people out there who won't fit into your boxes. Society uses labels like hipster to be hurtful. It should be used as a fun fact rather than a method of attack. With these labels, if taken too seriously it all becomes a bit hopeless, that applies to life too.<br />
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I've reached a conclusion. I am certainly not offended to be called, or thought of as a hipster. I quite like it but it by no means defines me. Words like nerd, emo, geek are all warped and changed to fit people on a 'one size fits all' policy. If I've learnt anything from the gigantic tights I have lolloped around in for years which claim to fit any size it's this; nice in theory, rubbish in reality.<br />
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Feel free to call me a hipster, I quite like hipster, though I am content just being Sophie.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-23494215183453288912015-11-10T01:06:00.001-08:002018-09-03T09:30:32.183-07:00Not Your Bond Girl<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The 'Bond Girl' concept upsets me. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The portrayal of women in Bond upsets me. </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">I thought we had passed this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Firstly, I'd like to say, I don't like the 'Bond girl' title. These are not girls, these are women and it feels derogatory not to acknowledge that. Though I'll use it to avoid confusion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">In 2015 you'd have hoped the submissive stereotype of star-struck women and the mysterious spy would have ended. I was told it had. I was misinformed. I had heard that Spectre was the film to witness not one, but two Bond girls like no other. That these strong, independent, unique women would hold their own against the renowned James Bond. But they showed very typically Bond behaviour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The first Bond girl was Monica Belluccian and she was on screen for maybe ten minutes. I understand different actors get different screen time, there seemed enough for numerous explosions, but no character development for her. The worst part has been the media's fixation on her age. She is not an older woman, she is an appropriate age for James Bond and he would be lucky to have her. Even Daniel Craig was reported to have jarred with journalists and stated that for once he was pleased to see an age-appropriate match for Bond. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Then we have another; beautiful, classy and well educated. But Léa Seydoux was broken by Bond. The girl who at first turned Bond away, shot the bad guys herself and told him she would not stand for his lifestyle, just gave up. There was no discussion, only her thinking; well I suppose I might as well. I was disappointed in her. I didn't mind some of the cliches like her seductive walk down the train in an obviously figure hugging dress. I thought she looked empowered and confident, it was her falling into bed with him that I minded. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The attitude seemed to be that it’s ok because it's Bond.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I like this genre of film and I liked the actors. I just didn't like leaving the cinema with the feeling the women had been done an injustice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Just once I would like a woman to say no to James Bond. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Maybe it will have to be me.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-62596291734659329992015-09-22T01:32:00.000-07:002018-09-03T09:26:12.240-07:00"They’ll be chasing after you" <div class="MsoNormal">
In my childhood I was told "Sophie, all the boys will be chasing after you”. Though reality has been different; most people don’t want to commit to the exercise.</div>
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All bragging aside, I am more than adequate. I don’t want to give the wrong impression. I am fairly pretty, funny, intelligent, or so I’ve been told. However, there has not been as much running as expected. Boys in the real world, outside my television screen and the pages of a book, have been very different to those of fiction. They aren't chasing after me.<br />
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There are far fewer grand romantic gestures and heart melting lines than I previously thought. Though the taking off of ‘Netflix and chill’ makes me far more uncomfortable than any romantic comedy fairy-tale ending. Older generations complain about the extent to which technology has taken over our lives, and now it’s even taken over our love lives. I have no problem with the Netflix part. What would be great, for me at least, is someone to pay for my Netflix subscription? My month free trial is up, leaving a Netflix shaped void in my heart I cannot fill. Far greater than that of any boy.<br />
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Honestly, I wouldn’t want it. Romance, in reality, makes me cringe. The tall, handsome, cliché guys that make most girls swoon don’t interest me at all. Individuality always wins, and even when someone unique appears a little advice; don’t use some line. I’ve been harassed on the street enough to tell you it doesn’t work. For those of you in couples, too much affection in public doesn’t make my heart flutter but my stomach turn. Sorry, I promise I’m not a cynic.</div>
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I have never wanted to rush out and find myself a boyfriend. Life is complicated enough and other things have always been more important; studies, work, friends. I have no problem for people who do, though I could never cope. If you want or care for my advice, it is so important you sort yourself out before being with anyone else. Be selfish. </div>
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Don’t wait for things to run towards you. It goes for people and opportunities, you need to go out and get them yourself. But make sure the cause is worthy.</div>
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Also, I’d love someone to pay for my Netflix.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-18289702631423338542015-07-26T01:41:00.001-07:002017-03-20T05:48:17.233-07:00Equality Is Easy<div class="MsoNormal">
Having a twin brother has its ups and downs. Apart from having to constantly share and put up with him, I have experienced the division between girls and boys. I have been told ‘Sophie be a good girl’ when my brother ‘work hard’. I have been asked ‘have you got a boyfriend yet’ instead of my brothers ‘how’s your job going’. I would also like to add; I had a job first. I acknowledge this is not the most terrible collection of events imaginable. It could be worse.</div>
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But it’s not ok.</div>
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I was being discussed today by a stranger ‘well you can’t expect her to have beauty <i>and </i>brains’. Society trained me to have a certain response. Embarrassed and uncomfortable, laugh it off and accept the compliment that they thought I was pretty. I’m not like that though. I replied with a smile ‘I have both actually’. He was shocked. Shocked I had stood up for myself, and shocked I had actually embarrassed him.</div>
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I refuse to succumb to stereotypes and expectations. I invest time in my appearance, but it doesn’t make me vain. I like reality tv shows, but it doesn’t make me dim. I am more unique, more complex and more flawed than you could ever imagine from a glance. So I implore you to put time into understanding people’s complexities. Honestly, I struggle with this. I make snap judgements that I then regret or unkind passing comments about things and people that really don’t concern me. But I recognise that and am trying to improve myself for the better.</div>
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Society made the assumption of what being a ‘girl’ should mean. So I changed it.<br />
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I am priviledged that this is rare. The inequality I experience is minute compared to that of many. Lives are put in danger, people are restricted and condemned. Necessities such as health care and food are compromised. Human rights ignored and people disregarded because of inequality. This is a problem far greater than just me and I only include my experiences, because I suppose, I experienced them.</div>
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Keep your eyes open. I am trying. Don’t let anyone tell you who you should be.</div>
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And to the man who told me I could <i>only</i> be pretty; I am not <i>only </i>anything.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-56944037701477497012015-07-18T02:33:00.000-07:002017-03-20T05:45:29.633-07:00Romance Is Dead<div class="MsoNormal">
The idea for this post arose from a conversation I had with a close, and at the time, fairly drunk friend. Elliott if you’re unsure, it’s you.</div>
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As I have mentioned before, I am not quite sure how I feel about <a href="http://sosophielee.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/party-people.html">drinking</a>. But the evening that this chat began I experienced some of the deepest and drunkest thoughts I’ve ever heard. Thoughts to be forgotten by said friend, I imagine, after he woke from his drunken stupor the next day.</div>
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His argument, I present to you, is that death is romantic. If you’re reading Elliott do correct me if I am wrong; I got a little confused towards the end when you fell asleep mid-sentence. Charming. The idea that death can be romantic sickens me. Honestly, because I am terrified by it and I believe rightly so. The idea of stopping, ending, ceasing to exist is a phenomenon that the bravest should and do fear. Even the supposedly ‘romantic’ examples I disagree with. James Dean, died from a road accident in a car that went on to kill a list of people in confusing and unimaginable circumstances.(look it up it's freaky). A haunted car, the death car. ‘So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight’. Now, I do not disagree with the fact it is an intriguing story, emotion evoking, discussion worthy, but is it romantic? If he had driven slower, acted with caution, James Dean may not have died. But then would he be as famous?</div>
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The idea of slowly drifting away does not make me view death as romantic but disturbing. Lurking, surrounding, engulfing us at our weakest. The romance is lost from the deceptive nature of death and its selfishness. Life becomes too great a burden and then that’s it. But perhaps I am being small minded. I am trying to understand the idea, but I just don’t buy it.</div>
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Dying cannot be romantic. You end. For me, it is as simple as that. Given the choice, I would want to be cryogenically frozen or immortal. I have long considered the negatives like watching your family and friends die, having to adapt to the new world and so on. Though that does not deter me from the purest fact; I don’t want to die ever.</div>
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A little morbid, but something to think about.</div>
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Thanks Elliott.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8681530859178834469.post-46958779356605045372015-07-13T02:28:00.000-07:002017-08-17T10:11:56.397-07:00REVIEW: About Time<div class="MsoNormal">
About Time is predictable, well, as predictable as a rom-com including a lead male who can time travel and change the course of his life forever can be. Time travel and romance. What more could you want? It is straightforward in the sense that it’s a romantic comedy where a boy falls in love with a girl who he marries, they have children and in the end, they live happily ever after. The only problem arises from Bill Nighy telling him he can time travel. All he has to do is close his eyes in a dark place (cupboards ideally) and he can go to the time he imagines.</div>
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Perpetually obsessed with time travel the opportunity to rewrite my past intrigues me. There are second, third, fourth chances. Mistakes erased, regrets destroyed. Though that’s another problem. He goes back in time, erased his date and he loses the girl’s number. Their date never happened. Forgotten is the pitch-black restaurant where they confessed their love for Kate Moss, hatred of blind dates and shared nervous laughter. That instant connection was gone. This is where it becomes a little more confusing. Here follows a mixture of hilariously awkward endeavours to regain the heart of his one true love, who doesn’t happen to know him at all.</div>
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More ups and downs follow, all helped and hindered by time travel. This power, that many wish to possess, begins to conflict with his life. In the end, listening to the advice of his father, he chooses to live everyday <i>normally</i>, then goes back in time and lives it again <i>properly</i>. Noticing the way the sun shines through the blinds illuminating the minuscule particle of dust suspended in the air. Taking the time to smile at strangers, give his children breakfast and have fun with life. But this then changes again. He decides to just live every day just once.</div>
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Time travelling films can be confusing but this one isn’t. Live every day, like it’s your last.</div>
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That’s it. And it’s about time we got on with it.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998544012659800543noreply@blogger.com6