thoughtRondez

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Why I left FB 26.11.2012

2004 was it’s birth year. In 2010 a film was made about it. And in 2012 it is reported to have over a billion users. Forget Bebo and Myspace - it sounds dated even mentioning them, Facebook is the social network of our era. Its success could be linked to the vast array of target users: no one is too old, or too young. Be you a pet, a brand or a funny one-liner, you all qualify for an online presence by means of a Facebook page.

Joining Facebook is like unknowingly adopting a small child who needs constant attention, made ever more real with the mobile app. The phone’s frequent buzzing is it’s version of crying for more attention and notifications are it pooping in it’s nappy, it can't go unnoticed. And just like an infant, it will keep you up long into the night. A family meal cannot go without sweeping through your news feed, a status update or a dark photograph of your half consumed meal. 

When your concentration is needed, nothing is more tempting then Facebook. Even if it’s as barren as a wasteland, you can’t help continually checking. You tell yourself you’re just scanning the latest feed, but minutes can snowball and before you know it you’re ‘facebook stalking’ a brother of a girl, who’s on your cousin’s best friend’s brother’s page and suddenly an hour has passed. You don’t know how it happened, but here you are, clicking through some stranger’s profile pictures.

The somewhat unwholesome terms, ‘facebook stalk,’ and ‘facebook rape’ shortened to ‘frape’ (for convenience), have become completely acceptable phrases. Ten years ago they could have been mistaken for criminal offences, but now a new culture is evolving deep within our cyber space. A culture where, “I’m gay,’ or something STD related is a humorous prank we can’t get enough of.

Obviously the advantages must outweigh the negatives for this social network to have become so excessively popular. Here are some reasons:

You can keep in contact with friends or family you may no longer live near.

You can showcase your uni photos to your home friends, demonstrating all the fun you are constantly having.

Know what everyone and anyone is doing at any given time- perfect if you want to accidentally bump into that person you’re crushing on.

Checking out the competition. He has a girlfriend? She’s not even pretty…

And most importantly, I found anyway, it notifies me when people’s birthdays are! My least favourite type of frape was when someone would change their victim’s displayed birthday date to the wrong day. I liked saying happy birthday to people; I thought it was a nice gesture- as nice as it can be over the internet. But some wise guy introduced this trickery that I have fallen for many times. It’s worse when you do know the correct date, but were just so used to mechanically sending empty wishes, you didn’t think about it. The improved shortcut to wish someone a happy birthday without actually viewing their profile, just contributed to this, so I always made a point of checking the information was verified.

I am naturally quite a shy person, and even though it may only be cyber space and not in front of large crowd, I rarely felt like broadcasting a pointless status to my three hundred something friends. And when I say friends I mean a fraction of that are actual friends, the rest are just acquaintances from my many happenings, who if I saw walking my way, I would deliberate with myself whether or not to acknowledge this ‘friendship’ and say hello, but more often then not would just keep my head down and walk on. That’s always an awkward one. I keep most of my ramblings to myself, because let’s be honest, no one really wants to hear it (maybe I should rethink this thought blog……!). I just wish other people had the same consideration. Its just beyond the line of creepiness, when someone I met briefly at a party I no longer remember, and were it not for their icon, would not be able to picture their face, informs me about the innings of their life. I’m sorry but I don’t know you so I am not interested.

Accepting requests from people I went to school with is a tough one, or similarly, best forgotten people from my adolescent social life (of course with some exceptions!). I feel obliged to accept knowing that at one point we probably went though something together. However I wouldn’t have seen them for years, and so their status would have no context what so ever. I blocked a few of the whiny ones feeling too guilty about giving them the actual chop, but with time that soon melted into nothing and I got rid. A substantial amount of the people I have on there are from a life I have gradually move away from, so a better solution was needed.

I think I am just not a Facebook person. I am shy in real life and am not going to pretend that I’m not, online. I have absolutely nothing against it, and with all jokes aside, it is a great platform for keeping in contact with people, if that’s the best way you communicate with others. I considered mass deleting contacts, but I do genuinely like a lot of the people, I just didn’t like them on Facebook! I wouldn’t want to offend anyone and definitely wouldn’t want the awkwardness of it when I next see them. So the only way I could be at peace was to delete my account. But of course, FB doesn’t want to make it easy for anyone to leave; I couldn’t find how you delete an account, but instead to deactivate it- in case you ever change your mind. Sneaky petes. I figure I am in contact with every one of my friends, and I don’t need that social network to interfere. 

Post the deactivation, I’m feeling good. I still see and can speak to everyone that I want to. I do sometimes find myself a little lost when I just want to waste time on the internet, but it makes me just get off it and do something else. I have found that I am on Twitter a lot more, but it’s different because it’s harder to be as annoying in just 140 characters! Also the people I follow are related to my interests, so it makes for a good past time. It’s hard to say now if I will be off it forever. Who knows, something new might come along, but for the moment I am happy without it.

-thoughtRondez

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Remembrance Day 7.11.2012

It’s been a few days into November now; I think this could be my favourite time of the year. There are clear blue skies encircling the glistening sun, not dissimilar to a mirage, for the conspicuous chill that is enough to justify pulling out the faux fur, that hasn’t seen action in months. With the clocks turned back, it really feels like winter. Within the darkening days and the sunrays precious, there is only one crimson flower that flourishes. In the same way a scarf is this season’s must have accessory, the paper flower doesn’t trail too far behind. We are now in the pre Christmas season (maybe a bit early to mention, but tell me you haven’t seen one Christmas advert or decoration hanging? Only the other day I saw the Covent Garden lights being put up!) With Halloween a drunken blur and Guy Fawkes a mish-mash of lights in your memory, the next holiday is surely one that centres the 25th of December. However, some of the significant days on the calendar are not all fun and frivolities.

Remembrance Sunday falls upon the 11th of November, like a shadow of what can seem to some, our very distant past. For some unidentified reason, this year it has really impinged on me; the unfathomable amount sacrificed so that we could live how we do today, only for some to not even recognise this. It leaves me with mixed feelings of sorrow, guilt, respect and admiration.

History lessons about trench warfare had been dismissed in my mind as stories, like an uncomfortable scene from a film, best forgotten. In my younger years I chose to forget, until now. I always attempt to understand/justify the way I am feeling, in this case one theory is the amount of explicit war films I have been exposed to this year.

Equal to being distressed and disheartened, I really do appreciate the First World War genre, not for the pleasure of watching, but as a needful incite into the lost generation: The day to day routine, the fear they felt, the homesickness and even the moments of laughter which may only have been a director’s interpretation, but still comforts me with the hope that such moments existed within the latter.

A film I was persuaded to see, after initially being unimpressed with the trailer, was War horse: A motion picture that takes you through the war years by means of the brave horse, Joey. After being separated by his devoted owner due to the war effort, he finds himself in the company of a selection of people caught up in the terrible war. I found I enjoyed Spielberg’s latest creation because it showed many sides, to what can sometimes be perceived as a two-sided story. And how now matter what flag they wore, not everyone should be remembered as the enemy. It also enlightened me to the forgotten heroes: the animals used (quite possibly the point of the film…). As an animal lover, it distressed me greatly to think that horses and other animals were treated as objects, worked until they had no strength left- the scene proved tough watching. The film happened to have a happy ending with Joey reunited with his owner. In contrast to that, after the film was released, an article was published clarifying the true fate of the survivors- a truth that brought a lump to my throat. With the country’s money low, transporting the animals back to England proved an unwanted expense, so instead they were sold off for meat.

It seems surreal that the men on the front line were around my age and younger. It could be my boyfriend, my friends and their brothers, all whom I can’t see my life without. Knowledge that these wars of attrition meant souls are required to create an innumerable army, disturbs me. No longer was people willingly signing up sufficient. The Military Service Act of 1916 meant conscription and resulted in waves of unprepared men given basic training and shipped to the front line, unaware of the horrors they were to face. Some frightened and scared with no choice but to follow orders, no matter what the consequences.

One of the war’s most famous battles, The Battle of the Somme is known for the mistakes made by those in command leading to a tremendous loss of life. The soldiers were no longer individuals, but a mass, stuck in a calamitous game, controlled by inattentive leaders. The numbers of those massacred, fatally wounded and maimed, from both sides in that battle alone, are deplorable. All for the territorial gain of fewer than three kilometres that they would eventually end up losing in upcoming battles.

This year, my poppy means a whole lot more than it ever has before. It is a symbol of gratitude and admiration of the brave generation, lost but not forgotten. I hope this annual remembrance does not dissolve as years past, even though it can be so easy to just forget. Lest we forget! Lest we forget everything that they sacrificed for us, and give that minute of thanks for it is so unquestionably deserved.

-thoughtRondez

"Let's be 1905 but not 1917,  Let's be heroes, let's be martyrs, let's be radical thinkers Who never have to test drive the least of their dreams Let's divide up the world into the damned and safe And then ride to the valleys like the old life brigade And straighten our backs and we won't be afraid And they'll celebrate our deaths with a national parade"

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Xfactor 28.10.12

I think the majority of us who watch Xfactor- and I’m sure people who claim not to, still catch the odd episode every once in a while (when Saturday night plans fall through, of course) and with the amount of repeats, it’s hard to miss. Admittedly, I have been a bit flaky with this years batch of hopefuls, absent during most of the auditions, arguably the best bit, consequently missing the long and drawn out sob stories- a now apparent necessity for anyone wanting to get anywhere on the ITV show. So the opinions I have formed have been based soley on the live performances I have seen.

 The natural assumption would be that these finalists were the best of Britain, discovered through the thousands upon thousands of auditions that took place. But as I watch them on the TV, I can’t help but wonder why some people didn’t quite make the cut when several finalists did. I have divided them into categories in my head: the ‘Potential Winners,’ the ‘Like their voice but others are better,’ ’Typical acts you’d find in an Xfactor final that have no chance,’ and finally, ‘WTF!’

 Unfortunately, but in a very predictable fashion, the good ones go and the bad ones stay (but saying that, I haven’t been too bothered about most of the ones who have gone, being part of the ‘Like their voice but others are better,’ category, but let me finish). Maybe it boils down to the people who are actually willing to part with the standard call charge and vote to save their favourite. I have never troubled myself with picking up and voting for anything, because even though they make the unnecessary effort of claiming that your vote could be the difference, I find it hard to believe and would be irrevocably pissed, if they in turn were knocked out.

 It will take you a matter of seconds on Twitter to find the masses of teenage girls backing Louis’ One Direction clones- who seemingly have already built a die hard fan base, with girls changing their account names to something band related. I was pretty shocked to see earlier a member of District 3 saying something along the lines of (not a direct quote!), “For everyone who votes for us, they will mentally be in bed with me ;)” Seriously? It has since been taken down, and I presume he got quite the bollocking for it. I initially preferred them to the other boy band, for the one reason that they seemed less One Direction-y but now they are on the same level. They have even titled their devoted followers ‘3eeks,’ it appears the boy bands are getting slightly ahead of themselves this year.

 Returning back to my primary point of people who are voting, I just have one question: Who is voting for Christopher? Is there a tear-jerkingly sad story that comes with him that I missed? If he wins, you know exactly the songs he will be made to sing- I envisage a brief taste of fame, spanning one or two songs max. They will be cheesy and out-dated and we will be forced to listen to his winner song annually at Christmas on the music channels. You will see his album on the shelf at Tesco and you will not buy it. (Steve Brookstein anyone?) I have no doubt he is a stand out guy with good intentions, but to make it, he has to move forward with the music industry that is constantly evolving. Now I am in no way suggesting he pull a Rylan and go all dance on us, but his mentor should be assisting him in finding where he could sit within todays music scene. It is just getting frustrating having to witness these acts make the same mistakes but yet genuinely talented singers are being told to leave.

 The reason I even thought to comment on the latest results programme was that tonight, a real Xfactor doozie occurred. It was a surprise to me, but finding themselves in the bottom two and facing the judges were, highly current and trendy Jade Ellis, with a tone that could be matched to Winehouse, up against Union J, four young lads who look not too dissimilar from one another, over dressed and over produced, with a fairly average sound.  I thought it was a no brainer and was pleased because I didn’t think the opportunity for one of the boy bands to leave would arise, given their recognisable popularity.

 I was disappointed with the judges and conceived their reasons to be poor. “You’ll get a record deal anyway,” would not be any condolence to me, even if the dignified Gary Barlow declared it. To be candid, her performance was not exceptional, but you can bet over half the errors were not by her own hand. She had taken a risk but regrettably, it did not pay off.

 Post results, Xfactor faced an uproar on Twitter, with perplexed viewers baffled with the departure of one of the show’s most promising talents at this early stage. Angry tweeters were claiming it all to be a contrived sham and questioning the motives behind it. I for one am not anticipating a time when there will be a Union J section in Claires Accessories with promo shots stuck down to every possible item a teenage girl could want. I really hope that this is not what it simmers down to.

 I talk as if I am an avid Xfactor super fan. I’m not. But it’s sometimes hard to escape the hype surrounding it all. And there are some amazing artists emerging from the show, such as James Arthur and Lucy Spraggan who show the nation what programmes like this really should be about: real British talent.

As for Jade, I wish her the very best of luck and foresee a fantastic debut single from her in the future.

 -thoughtRondez