world of a loon

Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog

2012-02-28T13:13:00.000-08:00

Some find this 42 minute musical an irritating waste of time whereas other find it amusing. It was written by Joss Whedon during the writer's strike in 2008; those who are not familiar with this name he is responsible for TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Angel, Dollhouse and the list goes on....for a complete list why not check out his IMDB page http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0923736/.

I find that despite the limited resources when this musical blog was written it's quite good there are some familiar faces in the cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day and Simon Helberg.

For those of you who are interested in watching it go to you tube and type in "Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog" there are 6 parts to view, enjoy!

Anime

2012-02-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it is just me but there seems to difficult to find anime on the high street some HMV stores stock a limited selection, which is a shame really. The best place I have found for anime is the internet; mainly Amazon.co.uk. Some say that anime isn't widely available because it isn't a popular genre but what do you expect when it isn't readily available on the high street? Granted there are some series such as Pokemon and Dragonball Z which became very popular in the US.

I really like anime and whilst I appreciate that it is not necessarily everyone's cup of tea I resent the stereotypical image that people have of those of us who enjoy anime and world cinema that we are all nerds with no friends or sex life. Admittedly it is rather amusing watching people's reaction when I buy this stuff as I don't fit the stereotype I simply have a broad range of interests and enjoy watching things that are not purely derived from Hollywood.

Graceful Sophistication - revamp

2012-02-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

Graceful Sophistication is a small online lingerie business who are currently undergoing a redesign, which is due to be completed within the next few months, the redesign is to make it easier for customers to use the site and enable it compete with the high end retailers.

The owner of Graceful Sophistication says that he wants offer women high quality lingerie that makes them feel confident and sexy but he also wants the business to be efficient, which then results in the savings being passed to the customer. Whilst the redesign is in progress the old site will remain in use but I am sure that many of you will be looking forward to the relaunch of Graceful Sophistication in the future where there will be a wider range of products from several popular designers.

Emotional Meltdowns

2012-02-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

Anyone ever had a spell where everything got too much to handle?

I had one of those spells recently, things had been building up for a long time, it was the death of my great grandmother that finally caused me to snap; I just broke down and cried for several hours. Whilst some people at this point may start to think that I am either exaggerating or am a drama queen and things aren't really that bad - neither of these were true.

The things that were building up were:

Money or more accurately lack of
My Health
Commitments
My Kids
Watching my great grandmother deteriorate - she had Alzheimers

...and the list goes on.

At the moment am slowly attempting to address the problems listed above and get my life back on track. I guess the point of this post is that you are not alone if you have ever felt this way.

Children's Birthday Parties

2012-02-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

Since my daughter started school she has been invited to lots of birthday parties some have been in the child's home and others at various venues. It occurred to me that once they get to school ages the birthday parties become a bigger deal as the child wants to invite all of their class and in some cases it can turn into a competition amongst the parents.

As my daughter's birthday is just over a month away I have started thinking about what to do for her birthday, at the moment am thinking a small scale thing where she has a few friends over to the house or possibly taking her and 2 friends bowling or to the cinema. I guess there are a few factors that need to be considered such as funding and transport. Her birthday present I know what she is getting - a riding hat and possibly a few small gifts as she wants to have horse riding lessons and a friend of my parents has offered to do these at a very reasonable price of £10 per lesson.

I think as a general rule it is best to try to keep things simple to begin with as children seem to want bigger and better parties each year. My children seem to remember more about parties where they were in a child's house and they played party games etc than they do from some of the bigger parties.

Houswork - the new workout?

2012-01-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

Everyone says that they don't have time to workout yet anyone who does housework or cleaning is actually working out. Studies have shown that the number of calories burned during ranges between 170 per hour and 204 depending on the task, obviously things like hoovering are going to burn more calories. As long as you are active you will be burning calories so don't worry if you can't get a formal regime into your lifestyle as there are plenty of ways in which to fit in 30-60 mins exercise per day. Often it is the small things that make all the difference; it has for me.

Since September I have lost just under 2 stone and that was just from making small changes in my lifestyle, due to problems with my back, the pain makes it very difficult for me to participate in a formal exercise regime however little things like getting off the bus a stop earlier and increasing the activity level slightly has helped me shift the baby weight I never thought I'd be able to shift and a bit more. Obviously a healthy diet has helped but like I've been saying you don't need to make big drastic changes, little 1s are just as effective.

Make the most of your money

2012-01-27T01:55:00.000-08:00

As the Quick Quid advert says "no matter how careful you are with your money it never seems to reach far enough". However there are tools out there that can help make your money work for you, Money Saving Expert and Money Advice Service both offer loads of tools and advice to help make things a little bit easier for you.

Especially with the economy as it is at the moment there is no better time to make use of these resources and make savings where possible. There is no shame in this in fact it shows that you are smart if you are willing to make changes to your finances to minimise debt. The way I see it you have nothing to lose and alot to gain.

Facebook - friend or foe?

2012-01-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

Some people claim that Facebook is great as it enables people to keep in touch with each other, it's fun and it's free. Others would argue that it is one of the worst things ever because of all the hassle it causes when people fall out and start insulting each other on there, which then encourages others to join in. I personally think that if it is used properly then it is fine but that applies to all forms of communication as if used properly they allow people to convey their messages, but no form should be used for bullying someone else.

Businesses have also started to utilise Facebook as a form of advertising and if done properly then it can be very effective assuming that your target audience actually uses it.

Wish List

2012-01-19T07:05:00.000-08:00

I have found a great way to prevent people asking me the really annoying question of what do you and the kids want for your/their birthday/Christmas because I can never think of anything at the time. I have set up a wish list on Amazon and given my relatives the details to access it. This takes the stress out the process both for me and the people who are purchasing gifts.

The reason I opted for Amazon is that there is a large variety of options so you are not confined to 1 specific department such as CDs or DVDs, plus the items are widely available on the high street so people are not obligated to purchase from Amazon, because they have the log in details it means that they are able to remove items from the list if the purchase them elsewhere

Choose your friends more carefully

2012-01-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

I have recently taken a good look at the people that I call my friends. I managed to narrow this list down to just 3 people. I basically found that 1 the people that I used to call friend was in actual fact just using me. Without going into all the detail she has well and truly shoved me up the creek without a paddle. To me friends should not abuse their friend's trust or take advantage of them.

Just be careful who you call friend

Interpretting Text Messages

2012-01-16T14:29:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it is just me but I have found that there are times when text messages are not always easy to understand, for example a friend sent me a text simply saying: "meow?" This text was sent without any prior communication. When I sent a text asking for clarification I got no response so I am non the wiser.

I personally am not a fan of IM (instant messaging) or Text Messaging as it is difficult to interpret tone and meaning, granted you can ask for clarification but as the previous example shows a response is not guaranteed.

Sexuality - how many variations are there?

2012-01-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

Everyone is familar with the main four sectors:

Gay
Lesbian
Bisexual
Heterosexual

However there are other sexual orientations such as pansexual - this means that they are attracted to people regardless of their gender. Those of you who follow Skins many of you will be familiar with the term as Frankie is pansexual. Pansexuals appear to be the most accommodating as they see the individual rather than imposing sexual classifications, the best definition I have come across is on Yahoo answers; to read it for yourself feel free to follow this link: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100224141538AAVV8mi

Lacking motivation

2012-01-10T04:30:00.000-08:00

At the moment am going through a phase where I have lots of things that I want/need to do and yet I can't seem to find the motivation to do them. I am just tired all the time and this is even after going to bed early and sleeping 8-10 hours.

Went to see my doctor about this as it has been going on for a while now. They did some tests and they came back that I was anemic so took an iron supplement as well as increasing iron in my diet, have been doing this for nearly 4 weeks now and there doesn't appear to be any improvement in my energy levels.

Am hoping that things improve soon otherwise not sure what I am going to do as I have to take care of my children, keep the house clean and tidy and on top of that I work and study part time.

New Year, New Start?

2012-01-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Nearly everyone has made a new year's resolution at some point or other in your life, but how many people actually keep them? The answer is not many. So it raises the question why bother making them?

I don't bother making new year resolutions instead I work towards small targets to help me achieve larger goals these are not confined solely to new year. From speaking to my friends and family it would seem that it doesn't matter when goals are made as long as there is sufficient motivation to complete them.

I suspect that many people only set a new year because it has become the norm in some western societies.

Hollywood remakes of world cinema

2011-12-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

Recently I have noticed a number of Swedish movies being remade by Hollywood, the first question I have to ask is why? What was the problem with the originals? There was the option to watch them in English if you didn't want to sit through a film that wasn't in English or have the English subtitles on. The most recent film to be remade by Hollywood is Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo originally released in 2009, other examples include Let me in a remake of the Let the right one in which was released in 2008.

From a personal point of view I fail to understand the reasoning behind redoing something when there is nothing wrong with the original. The only reason that I can see for remaking the films that I've previously mentioned is arrogance, they feel that they can do it better because they throw a load of money into it and put in some big names, all this glitz is not necessary the success of the original shows that.

Be careful what you ask for...

2011-12-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

I, like many others have an Amazon wishlist. I add things pretty regularly, however recently I was criticised by my family because they didn't like some of things that were on it. The question I now pose to any of you reading this is should I feel that I can only add things that my friends and family approve of or should I be able to add whatever I want?

For those of you who want to know what caused all the upset is a few works of fiction that featured abuse. My parents claim that that they are weird and disturbing. My thinking is that whilst yes it is not a pleasant topic I don't think that people should shy away from it. Too many people are eager to sweep it under the carpet; pretending it doesn't happen. It is more common than most people think.

Having a Coke with You

2011-11-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have seen Beastly you will be familiar with this poem as it is Lindy's favourite, however most of you will more than likely never have heard this. I came across it whilst reading a poetry book, that I had borrowed from the library. At this point I should point out that I had read the poem before seeing the film and found that whilst it is a poem essentially a declaration of love it is not overly mushy. So here it is, let me know what you think:

Having a Coke with You
is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian
partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt
partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches
partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary
it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still
as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it
in the warm New York 4 o’clock light we are drifting back and forth
between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles
and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them
I look at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world
except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it’s in the Frick
which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together the first time
and the fact that you so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism
just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or
at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me
and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them
when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank
or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn’t pick the rider as carefully
as the horse it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience
which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I am telling you about it

Frank O’Hara

Sensational Media

2011-11-13T09:49:00.000-08:00

Just because it is written in a magazine as a person's account does it make it true?
The answer is a definite no; this is because the account could be a lie not only this but the editors of the article also tend to sensationalise the story to get more readers or sustain the reader's interest. This is not just 1 source of media that does this, this happens in all media sources.

Not everything is black and white, usually most things are shades of grey so be cautious of what you see in the media as not only is there an issue with reliability but there is also issues with bias as it is usually only from 1 person's perspective.

Cutting dementia risk?

2011-11-07T22:18:00.000-08:00

According to a recent study carried out in the US long term use of Ibuprofen may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's by as much as 40%. The study involving nearly 250,000 veterans showed that those taking the drug for 5 years or more were 40% less likely to develop the disease.

Whilst this is not the 1st time a link has been found experts are warning people not to start taking the drug in order to reduce the risk. Dr Steven Vlad who was the leader of the most recent study suggested that the reason for the connection is because Ibuprofen had been shown to reduce protein deposits on the brain in animals. It is these protein deposits that have been associated with Alzheimer's.

This provides researchers with a new direction for potentially developing a treatment for the condition and whilst the idea is promising it is not the first time that a potential link has been found. For example some research suggested that those who have short limbs are more likely to develop the disease whilst others argue that there is a connection between poor nutrition in early life and Alzheimer's.

In all honesty having seen what this disease does to people , having had 2 family members who had the disease I think that if they are able to develop, not necessarily a cure but at least a treatment that could make the lives of those with the disease a little bit better then great but I am not going to pin my hopes on the latest bit of research, as with anything there is research out there that proposes a number of different theories as to what makes people more or less likely to develop the disease. What does this matter to those who have the disease? Whilst I acknowledge that prevention is better than cure I think that they need look at both a treatment and methods of prevention.

Neon Turquoise nail polish

2011-11-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Neon Turquoise - No.35 salon professional from beauty UK is a 14ml bottle of pure blue nail varnish. It is quick drying and looks great but is looks better with two coats on not one. The good things about it is that is looks great , and it's good quality and there are plenty more good things about. I would definitely
recommend it to friends and family.

I would rate this product 4 and a half stars out of five.
Written by Faith Roberts

The Innocence of Children

2011-10-22T05:03:00.000-07:00

We were wandering round Morrisons today getting stuff for a picnic; as we walked past the in store bakery Lucie says "I can smell sweet bread". This results in her dad cracking up and saying "trust me you can't." Lucie meant that she could smell a mixture of the bread and cakes that were being made in the bakery but Andy meant that sweetbread which is derived from offal see Wikipedia's page on it for more detail. This is just one of the many instances where my kids have said something which they mean in a completely innocent manner but others are aware of the other interpretations of the word or phrase.

There are other thing is when the kids can't pronounce something properly such as when Lucie was learning to say blackcurrant and it came out as "black cunt". Holly used to call ships "shits". My children are not alone everyone has done this at some point or other, whether that be when they are learning to talk as infants or when learning another language, for example when learning Swedish I was attempting to say I enjoy learning languages except I used the wrong word for enjoy, so it made no sense and the word I used was actually means lust (in a sexual context).

Stabbed in the back

2011-10-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

For some unknown reason there seems to a trait within humanity which seems to feel the need to say mean and/or malicious things about people behind their backs. I have never understood this mentality; as a result if someone is doing something that I don't like I will attempt to discuss this with them. Whilst this does mean that I don't have alot of friends as some find that level of honesty a little disturbing or weird, those that are my friends are equally honest to me. This means fewer fall outs...in fact I don't think me and those I truely call friends have ever fallen out; have even worked with 2 of them. I am not saying we have never disagreed but we deal with it like adults and discuss it instead of the whole "he said, she said" and backstabbing that causes nothing but misery.

If you are truely friends then there is no need for all the deception and if you don't particularly like the person either stay away from them or in cases such as at work deal with them in a professional manner then forget about it. At least then everyone knows where they stand and their isn't the drama that ultimately lands most people in hot water.

I can't sleep!

2011-10-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

It's driving me insane, but just lately I can't get to sleep at all or if I do manage to get some sleep it is only a few hours...4 at best. I suppose the next question you are wondering is well why don't you try taking sleeping tablets, the answer to that being I have been prescribed Zopiclone, however the problem with this is that the side effects continue into the next day so whilst I am getting my beauty sleep unfortunately I am like a walking zombie the next day; not great when doing the school run or meeting clients etc. So to get around the issue I only take the sleeping tablets when I don't have much to do the next day.

I have tried other remedies to help me sleep:

Meditation
Counting Sheep
Warm Bath
Warm Drinks
Ensuring my room is the right temperature
Cutting Stimulants and other foods linked to insomnia from my diet
Exercising during the day

....and the list goes on.

I am aware that part of the problem in my case is due to chronic pain courtesy of my back, this is why I was prescribed Zopiclone as the pain effects my sleep which was also having an impact on my mental health...which is not good at the best of times but I am bipolar which means that my moods are more erratic than usual.

Learning Languages

2011-10-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

It is funny the looks of confusion I get because I learn languages for fun as well as studying them as part of my education. I studied French and German from the age of 12 right up until 16, from there I have continued to practice both languages. Technically I was using German before secondary school as I lived in Germany for 6 years as a child.

At present I currently use French and German and am learning Swedish and Chinese (Mandarin). I am studying Chinese as part of my degree. Most people don't understand why I bother with languages given that most people around the world are able to speak English. However, my feeling is that although this fact is true it is ignorant to assume that English is the superior language. Not only do I enjoy it but there is research to suggest that that people who are bilingual or multilingual are less susceptible to Alzheimer's. Whilst I am not naive enough to assume that learning languages will guarantee that I don't develop this disease, they occupy my mind, which means that I don't get bored as much.

It also means that am able to possibly look at expanding my business in the future without the language barrier being an issue within these four countries as well as others that speak these languages.

Financial Drama

2011-10-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem to matter how much money you earn you never same to have enough, there is the evidence of this with the credit crunch that we are all recovering from. Part of the problem is the easy access to credit this means that people are borrowing money but many forget that they have to pay it back or don't have the means to do so.

This has result in a high percentage of the population being in debt some in so much debt that they are struggling to cover the cost of their essentials this is where debt management plans come in although I would seriously recommend reading the small print also speak to your creditors on a personal level whilst some may be unsympathetic others may suggest a plan to repay the money you owe them at a more manageable level.