I have moved!

Hi all! I haven't been here for a very long time. I am still around, although I have moved!!! My website is still the same address, but it has had a big revamp and my new blog is attached to that. I'm always adding new things to it as it is much easier to update than my old site. For those who followed what I was doing before, I've had a bit of a career change - I am now a graphic designer, so pop over to my site, and check it out! Click the moustache to visit my new home!

Random Swedish Blog post

som ni inte tvivla vet nu, jag är lära att tala en lite Svenska. Jag har lärande för två månad. Jag inte tror jag är särskilt bra - min grammatik är fruktansvärda- men många svenskan folk (okej, om fem folk... jag inte vet så många folk ifrån sverige) har berätte mig att  jag är ganska bra, överväger jag har inte en lärare; Jag har en ordbok. Och en par av mycket tålmodig vänner från sverige. Båda kallas Fredrik. Båda är musiker. (de är inte samma personen, förresten)

jag inte vet varför jag är skriva den här. Kanske eftersom jag kan?... slags...
(på engelska, en 'slag' är orden vi använder att kalla en obehaglig bondläpp slampa tjej.. lik jordan/katie price för exempl)

bara i fall ni är intresserade att vet vad jag har använder för att lära sig svenska på internet, de här är de två webbsidorna:

1. Byki - Mycket bra! Jag älskar det - det har många upprepningar darför det är lätt att lära orden snabbt. Men det är något begränsade att enkla fraser. (jag använder gratisversionen).
2. LinQ - det är okej.. det är bra att se hur meningar är gjörda, men är också lite jobbigt att använde. (igen, jag använder gratisversionen) den 'flashcards' är en bra ide, men irriterande att använder/

och

Google Translate. Jag försöker undvika använder det. Det är okej på se om någonting jag skrivat är korrekt, men det är inte mycket pålitlig om grammatik.

inte tvivla full av misstag, men idag min blog på svenska.

 

(ps. mycket tack att den fem svenskan folk som har läst min blog enligt till flaggan motverka! ni gör mig mycket glad!)

Mythological Births are… peculiar.

I’ve been ruminating on my Classical Mythology module from my first year of uni… I’ve been brushing up on my Norse Mythology. As I’m learning to speak Swedish at the moment, it kind of makes sense in my weird warped mind to understand Swedes origins and belief system (yes I know they’re probably all Christians or something now, but I think people’s national identity goes WAY back.. which is why I don’t think England really has one, because we were constantly being invaded by every Tom, Dick and Harry who had a boat).

People in myths are seriously messed up. Their entry to the world is no less messed up.

For example - Norse Mythology:

In the beginning, there were two lands: one was fog and ice. The heat and cold made layers of frost that built up to become Ymir, a giant. He got hungry, found a cow and drank from her. As she licked salt off a block of ice, it turned into Buri, the first god, who immediately somehow had a son. Ymir fell asleep and his sweat from his armpits (?!??) and feet created his children. Giants vs. Gods. Buri’s son married Ymir’s granddaughter and their kids (Odin, Vili and Ve) killed Ymir and made the world and Asgard and Valhalla etc. out of various bits of him.

Seriously… when I read stuff like this, it makes me wonder what on earth the Vikings were smoking. Most ancient myths sound something a little like this though - seriously trippy

 

ps. I’m writing this on the new Windows LiveWriter… it’s quite flash. It looks like the new Word.. kind of… with all the weird buttons for me to press and accidentally delete everything…  I’m not entirely sure I like this yet.. the old one looked much cleaner and simpler.

Downton Abbey – Shameless Plagiarisation of a Beloved Classic

While watching episode 3 of Downton Abbey on ITV Player, I had the most unsettling feeling of Déjà-View.

It went a little something like this:

 

You’re getting that feeling too, aren’t you.

Seem familiar?

Well, that’s probably because it is.

 

Julian Fellowes has basically lifted this entire subplot from Mrs Miniver; a film made in 1942 starring Greer Garson as Mrs Miniver and Dame May Whitty as Lady Beldon (a role which, in this case is also played by Maggie Smith).

If a student so shamelessly plagiarised, they would be discredited and probably kicked out of university, but if you're a lord of the manor, vaguely connected to royalty and with a few screenplays under your belt; this apparently makes you exempt from the rule where plagiarism = theft. Instead, you get it turned into a costume drama and broadcast on ITV with one of the best and most loved British actresses, in the role.

Rather than admitting what he's done, and being gracious and apologetic, or even crediting the film saying that something about it inspired him and he wished to pay tribute to it by using it as an influence in ‘his’ drama…he instead lashes out at the public like this:

"The real problem is with people who are insecure socially, and they think to show how smart they are by picking holes in the programme to promote their own poshness and to show that their knowledge is greater than your knowledge.”

-The Telegraph

If there is one thing I hate more than anything else, it’s a hypocrite. Firstly, this guy was educated at Cambridge so he ought to know better, secondly.. Who is HE calling posh?? Has he taken a look in the mirror lately? I don’t think he is any position to cast judgement when he’s written the book on snobs. Quite literally. I haven’t read it, and have absolutely no intention of reading it, but I’m guessing he’s modelled it on himself. What I would also like to know is: since when is plagiarism got anything to do with social class?

I'm really angry about this. Mrs Miniver is one of my favourite films. I mean, if you're going to be stupid enough to plagiarise from such a beloved classic, don't be surprised if you get caught and don't you DARE lash out at the people who catch you out. You should have come up with your own ideas in the first place, and not stolen someone else's. Denying it just makes you look a bigger fool than you’ve already clearly shown yourself to be.

 

Technorati Tags: julian fellowes,plagiarist,plagiarism,downton abbey,mrs miniver,greer garson,maggie smith

Bedroom Inspiration

I’ve spent the past week and a bit revamping my bedroom. I haven’t given the walls a fresh lick of paint or anything for it to take so long… don’t ask. Wallpapering wardrobes and…urgh. ANYWAY. Almost done now – I’ll spare you the gripe about having far too much stuff and moving piles around.

This was all inspired by a trip to IKEA (You have no idea how much I love that shop) – seeing all the mock-up rooms made me basically want to burn my carpet and paint everything white. I’ve also had nothing but issues with storage in my house. We have a LOT of furniture here but not really any that is useful for keeping stuff in. My quest for storage solutions led me to browsing the internet looking for ideas on how to do that and I ended up ogling lots of pictures and wishing that my room wasn’t quite so old fashioned. Mismatched furniture is quirky, yes, but if it’s badly mismatched it can only look bad, hence the revamp.. It’s all a jumble still at the moment but it’s gradually coming together – I’m in the ‘putting things away’ stage now, which is my favourite stage, and it’s looking really good! I have a feeling that it’s going to always feel like summer in here – it’s so bright and breezy and lovely!… if it wasn’t for that damn carpet in here… (I detest carpets passionately)

Thought I’d share a slideshow of the pictures which inspired me – it’s all fairly similar in style, obviously because I was looking for ideas for things that were to my taste, but maybe something in there will inspire you. When this thing eventually gets finished, I’ll post up before/after pictures so you can see what miracles a tin of white paint, several black bin liners full of junk and a big tin of elbow grease can work!

It won’t look quite as pretty as these photos– until I have a house of my own, my bedroom will never just be a bedroom.. it will always be bedroom/study/living room/giantbathroomcabinet/library/airing cupboard/cloakroom/gym.

 

Enjoy!

I just cannot get over how cool this is

Irony

There was a wasp in my room this morning - you know the kind of idiotic insect that insists on bashing itself repeatedly against the one bit of glass that doesn't open. Couldn't find its way out with FOUR open windows on either side of it, so I hit it with a Lonely Planet travel guide, as it was the biggest book I had to hand. I didn't realise the irony til afterwards. It helped to take a little of the sting out of the fact I’d just killed something.