The Right to Love

There are seven billion people on this planet.  Seven billion sounds like such a large number and yet, each one of those seven billion are unique to themselves.  There is no one else exactly like they are in the world.

Everything from our physical appearance, the way that we dress, our personalities; our views; our political leanings and our likes and dislikes all come together to shape someone who is one of a kind.

In turn, the ways in which we choose our prospective partners works in a similar way.  We are complex creatures and we all want different things, be it purely on a physical or a deeper level.

Beauty however is only skin deep.  You may meet someone who ticks every box when it comes to the physical aspects that you find appealing, but when you learn their personality, their character traits; this can change your original opinion completely.

I could meet, for example, the twin of my celebrity crush George Clooney but if he was a member of the English Defence League, I would be off running in a different direction.   Because someone like that is not my type, regardless of how they look.

Physically, we are all attracted to different things.  Tall, short, average height, blonde, brunette, red head, long legs, large breasts, small breasts, broad shoulders, lean, a great smile, tattoos, piercings, fat, thin; the list could go on forever.

Given that we all like different physical traits, different personalities and opinions; can you imagine how ridiculous it would be if we did try to impose our preference choices on others?  Not only would it not work, but what you would essentially be saying is that everyone apart from your own preferred type did not deserve love.

Sounds absurd doesn't it.  Yet it happens every day.   Because girls grow up being told that in order to "get a boyfriend", in order to "be attractive", in order to be loved, they have to be thin.  If you are not thin, you are the booby prize.  You are the one night stand they will never admit to.  You are a fetish. Men who like you are labelled chubby chasers.

Can you imagine it happening to any other physical characteristic?  "Were you drunk last night?  You pulled a girl with brown hair".  Sounds ridiculous doesn't.

Well enough is bloody well enough.  I've had it.  People and their narrow opinions can quite frankly stick themselves and their bigoted asses where the sun does not shine.  I  refuse to be told that I am not "good enough" to be dated, that I do not deserve to be loved because I am fat.

The shape of my body may not appeal to some but it does to others and guess what?  That works the same way for everyone.  BECAUSE WE ALL LIKE DIFFERENT THINGS!!!!

Fat, happy, deserves love and is damn well going to find it.

Screw you Daily Mail Readers.

Dear Daily Mail

Dear Daily Mail,

I just want to say a massive (no pun intended) THANK YOU to you and all of your lovely writers; especially ones like the delightful Linda Kelsey who has written a wonderfully enlightening article today.  

I at a size 24 have been under the dangerously misconceived notion that it is a good thing for a woman to be confident and happy in whom she is.  I thought that it was perfectly acceptable when I went out in public, by myself and with friends to hold my head high and enjoy myself.

What a fool I was!

You have generously provided the public with many insightful articles on the subject of fat women and you should be applauded.  A small side issue by the way, I’m sure it is just a simple oversight, but I couldn’t find any fat men articles?  It’s probably my fault, I am far too lazy (as you well know a fat girl is!) to bother flicking through too many articles, that is far too exhausting!

So I writing to you today not only to thank you but to tell you my plan of action as maybe you might find it helpful to share for others who have not yet seen the light.

1. Throw away all colourful clothing.  Black clothing not only makes you look slimmer which you losing all of the weight, it will help to disguise you and blend in so as other people don’t have such an awful sight to look at. 
2. Buy a sign.  A handmade one will do.  It must be large enough however for people to read from at least ten feet away and must read “I am sorry that you have to look at me.  I am losing weight as quickly I can.  I will hide myself as best as possible in the meantime”. 
3. Throw away any forms of feeling confident.  You will be able to use that confidence again when you are thin and acceptable in the eyes of the general public.
    

I know that this is only a starter guide, but all of my free time at the moment apart from dieting of course is searching for a deep dark dank hole to live in so as I don’t scare people.

 

Kind regards, 

V Frankland


P.S.  Fuck you, with a side order of fuck you and shot of fuck you to have along with it. 
Oh, here is a picture of me.  Happy, confident and fat. 
Toodles.

The Perks of a Plus Size Blogger

The plus size community seems to be at antsy with itself lately and it is a sad thing to see.

Bloggers are being accused of various things to include: peacocking about working with brands, having too many gifted items on their blogs, always going on about going to events and generally saying that everything is "gorgeous" as long as it is free.  They are also accused of encouraging consumerism and killing fairies.  Ok, not the last one, but such negatively towards people in the same community as yourself makes me rant a little.

I properly started blogging about fashion about a year and a half ago.  I started because I caught sight of Becky's blog, saw all the fabulous, colourful and fashionable clothes that she was wearing and her awesome attitude and thought to myself, I want a piece of that.  Not the free clothes, the confidence and her attitude.

The number of plus size fashion blogs I read grows on a daily basis.  I don't pick and choose based on their brand interaction, I chose on the basis of if I find their blog interesting and also the kinds of clothes that they wear.  Seeing how clothes work on different bodies is extremely helpful to a plus size person and also seeing someone wearing something that you would not have dared to, encourages you to be a little more adventurous and jump out of your comfort zone.

One of the unexpected perks that has arisen is that occasionally I get opportunities from brands in order to review clothes or maybe attend an event. This isn't something I expect or court, but when it does happen, it is obviously extremely exciting. When I see other bloggers doing similar things, I feel happy for them also. 

The biggest perk I have gained from blogging though is this: I am so much more than the shadow of the person that I used to be.  Fashion blogging has completely changed my life. I am no longer hiding and I wear the clothes that I want to, not the clothes that I "should".

Someone said on Twitter today that wearing clothes doesn't give you confidence, but they are wrong.  Fashion can take you out of your safe place, which often can be the very place that you are hiding in, and into places that you could never dream of. 

The other bloggers in the community continue to inspire me and I draw my own confidence from them.  I don't care if the clothes they show are free, paid for, stolen or borrowed, what makes me continue to read their blogs is their confidence and their friendliness to others.

The plus size community has always been a supportive and friendly one and it is a shame when discomfort arises because some work with brands and others don't.   Blogging is hard work and time consuming, especially if you are working too, or have children, or both! If someone gets a perk from doing their blog then well done to them.

I love writing my blog, both my opinion posts and my fashion posts.  If I stop loving it, I'll stop, simple as that.  If you don't kind reading someone's blog, then don't read it.

This is just a little of my perspective, but I urge you to check out Hanna's post and Leah's post

*Edit
Having read Gina's comments on the Facebook feed

My Big Fat Rant

Today is my monthly guest column with @fashionworked and I'm having a bit of a rant... Timely given the troll activity on my blog this week as pictured below and the activity on brand Facebook pages and also other on other blogs.

Here is the link to my post http://fashionworked.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/the-plus-perspective-3/

Dressing in the Name of

This week has seen more troll activity than usual on the various clothing brand Facebook pages as well as some personal attack on one of my favourite bloggers Kathryn from Miss Kathryn's Misstakes.

I don't pretend to know the reason why people think that it is ok to insult others.  The rule of thumb is, or at least it should be, if you wouldn't say it to someone on the street, don't say it online.

I was reading Becky's post yesterday on the ace MrsBebeBlog talking about this very subject and one of the comments in response caught my eye.  T from UandMii said "I'm now in my mid forties and have the attitude, "Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me." 

This immediately made me think of the Rage Against the Machine song, "Killing in the Name of" 

(if you haven't heard it before, listen here as the rest of this post will then make sense, and if you don't like that sort of music, go straight to 4 mins 12)

I'm using part of that song and changing it up to what I actually want to shout at trolls, haters, people who tell you "you shouldn't/can't wear that", the people who want to keep you wearing a black tent, here is what I am singing when I see or hear these comments:

Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me.

Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me.

Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me.

Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me.

Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me.

Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me.

Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me.

Fuck you, I won't wear what you tell me.

FUCK YOU, I WON'T WEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME!!

FUCK YOU, I WON'T WEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME!!

FUCK YOU, I WON'T WEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME!!

FUCK YOU, I WON'T WEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME!!

FUCK YOU, I WON'T WEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME!!!

FUCK YOU, I WON'T WEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME!!!

FUCK YOU, I WON'T WEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME!!!

FUCK YOU, I WON'T WEAR WHAT YOU TELL ME!!!

Viva the fucking revolution.  

Friday Rant

There has been something swirling round in my head for a while now, so where better to let it out than here?  So here we go:

Phobias.  There are thousands of phobias in the world.  Some of them are commonly known such as claustrophobia or arachnophobia; others not so, like Bambakomallophobia (fear of cotton wool) or climacophobia (fear of stairs).

I have previously talked about my phobias when it comes to stairs on this blog.  For those that haven’t read: I get dizzy when coming down stairs and have to hold on to the handrail.  If there is no hand rail my head starts to spin and I have practically morph myself into the wall to get me down the stairs.  Going up, my foot has to be touching the step in front and again, have to hold the handrail for dear life.  In short, stairs terrify me, even as little as three steps.

Whilst this phobia isn’t debilitating it is something that I face every day as obviously it is impossible to completely avoid staircases.  My workplace has the biggest staircase ever, go figure.

That isn’t the issue that has been irritating me though.  Here is where I am having my little strop.

I am SICK of people laughing at me when they see me on the stairs.  I can understand somebody the first time of seeing me asking me why I am going so slowly (although I fail to understand why you would ask someone who is clearly having issues with the staircase questions whilst they are still on staircase).  I don’t mind explaining the first time because it does look odd.  But after that, there is no excuse.

It is RUDE to laugh at me, it is WHOLLY impolite to say “Oh aren’t you funny” and it is FUCKING HORRIBLE to run down the stairs at me on purpose when you know damn well that I am scared.

You wouldn’t do anything of those things to someone with a better known phobia.  You wouldn’t trap a claustrophobic person into a wardrobe and you wouldn’t throw a spider at an arachnophobic person so don’t behave that way towards me.  It isn’t something I chose to be affected by and I can’t just “get over it” and I can’t “just try walking down the stairs normally” (really??? Never thought of that, you fuckwit).

And……. Breath.

I feel much better after saying that.  Sometimes you just have to get a little rant on and everything feels better again.  Apologies for the swearing and not “using my words” but sometimes, nothing but the word fuck will do.

Rant of the Day

I have a little rant today.

It is me or is the world getting more prudish?

Miley Cyrus twerks on stage, sticks her tongue out (ok far too much, I want to chop the damn thing off) and all hell rains down on her.  Her home town say that satan has entered her life, the outraged parent brigade proclaim that she is the worst influence on their child there has ever been and thinly veiled “whore” insults fly everywhere.

She isn’t posing in a Hanna Montana outfit holding up a sign saying “Do me” or “You know you want it”.  She stuck her ass in the air, danced around and wore not a lot of clothing.  Woo bloody hoo.

It’s a PUBLICITY STUNT, not the rise of the apocalypse.  It isn’t that shocking and is just the newest controversy.   Madonna has been doing is for years. 

She’s 21, or near as dammit.  Leave the girl alone.

Today we have Lily Allen releasing her song, "Hard Out Here"

I agree with her message that woman shouldn’t have to change themselves, be thinner, prettier, more daring etc etc to sell records.  What I do think is that women shouldn't judge other women.  Judge yourselves first.

 

What I want to know though is how is this song any less controversial (if you actually think that either song is controversial in the first place) than Miley’s twerking? 

Lily doesn’t twerk, dance around half clothed or stick her tongue out, but she is still using her song to hurl insult at anyone who does.  “I don’t need to shake my ass because I have a brain” anyone?  No you don’t shake your ass Lily but you still court controversy.  Her song “Fuck You” for example which was she was quoted at different times saying was about the Conservatives and then later the BNP.  Pick a side!

In my mind, you can’t look down on someone for doing one thing, whilst doing something in a similar vein yourself.  “Lily Allen has a baggy pussy” isn’t exactly making her look big or clever now is it?  It is clearly a dig against the Robin Thicke song (which by the way I can’t stand) and whilst I find it funny, that will by seen (again by those who like to complain about these things) as just as controversial. 

I don’t give a monkeys what Miley or Lily do.  They are both in the end doing what they set out to do, sell records.  You can judge them all you want, or you can actually listen the music, decide if you like it and buy it, or not.

One thing that is really making me giggle though.  If the prude police had a problem with a girl dancing with her ass in the air, how are they going to cope with little Timmy and little Sarah asking what a baggy pussy is?

The Hidden Word

A new feature I am going to try out on the blog, check out the new section above called "The Hidden Word".

 

A Rant a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

 

 

I love to rant. Really love it. I find it a really good way to get something off my chest and I always feel better afterwards. There are a variety of rants on this blog about subjects that have warranted it. I don't rant at people of course; that is just plain rude!

 

 The thing with ranting of course is that it is spur of the moment thing, not done to order. So what I will do instead is share with you a previous rant that I have had on the blog.

 

The title is What Does a Daily Mail Reader Look Like?

 

I was going to just put the link, but will copy out the text here so I am not having you clicking all over the internet.

 

If I were asked to think of someone who I would like to physically resemble, I would have said Rachel Weisz. But now I’ve changed my mind. I want to look like a Daily Mail reader, specifically, one who writes some of the comments.

 

Now the elusive Daily Mail reader has never been seen out in the open. From comments made though we can begin to deduce what they must look like.

 

Here’s a profile:

 

Facial Features

Given various comments made with regard to “huge nose”, “needs plastic surgery”, “would need a bag over their head to be attractive” “ugly”, “disgusting to look at” etc etc it can only be deduced that the Daily Mail reader has perfect features, albeit features that would not be so perfect as to be labelled “too bloody good looking for their own good” or “vain” or “must be a slut”.

 

Body

Again, after perusal of the comments it is impossible to accurately guess the size and weight of a Daily Mail reader, other than it is “just right”. Things therefore that cannot be said about a Daily Mail reader’s body are “you need to eat more pies love” “Fetch a harpoon” “Must have had a boob job” “Tits like a sparrow”, “disgusting” “intolerable” “can’t even look at” “a bad role model” etc.

 

As with the facial features however, we must also note that the Daily Mail reader’s body cannot be so perfect as to then be described as “whore” “vain” “who the hell does she think she is” “must have had plastic surgery”.

 

Given the above, I have finally come to a decision of what the Daily Mail reader looks like. EVERYONE ELSE.

 

No one has the perfect face. No one has the perfect body. No one has any right to criticise the way that someone else looks.

 

So whilst I cannot accurately describe the physical features of a Daily Mail reader, their personality traits should be seen from a mile away. Look out for rude, obnoxious, insecure, under confident and, if one of them ever reads this, probably angry and already writing a comment below of how I should lose weight, wear a bag over my head, live in a hole underground so I can’t be seen and hold up a sign apologising for the way I look.

Check out the other ladies in the challenge and see what they are ranting about!

 

Beth http://tinkerbellandthelostgirls.blogspot.co.uk/
Claire http://lifeonadifferentlevel.blogspot.co.uk/

Emma http://meetthemillards.blogspot.co.uk/
http://felicityhart.blogspot.co.uk/
Karen http://toodulltoblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Kaye http://www.polishedcurves.com

Laura http://laurapantslifestyle.blogspot.co.uk/
Lisa http://lookingforlisa.blogspot.co.uk/

Mary http://channellingliz.wordpress.com/
Mhairi http://www.lilybobombslovelylumps.com/

Natalie http://awheelbarrowfullofstyle.blogspot.co.uk
Nikki http://nattynikki.blogspot.com

Steph http://seeingsp0ts.blogspot.co.uk/
Toni http://theonlywayistoni.blogspot.co.uk/

Verena http://APlusSizeFashionObsession.blogspot.co.uk

What does a Daily Mail Reader look like?

If I were asked to think of someone who I would like to physically resemble, I would have said Rachel Weisz.  But now I’ve changed my mind.  I want to look like a Daily Mail reader, specifically, one who writes some of the comments.

 

Now the elusive Daily Mail reader has never been seen out in the open.  From comments made though we can begin to deduce what they must look like.

 

Here’s a profile:

 

Facial Features

Given various comments made with regard to “huge nose”, “needs plastic surgery”, “would need a bag over their head to be attractive” “ugly”, “disgusting to look at” etc etc it can only be deduced that the Daily Mail reader has perfect features, albeit features that would not be so perfect as to be labelled “too bloody good looking for their own good” or “vain” or “must be a slut”.

 

Body

Again, after perusal of the comments it is impossible to accurately guess the size and weight of a Daily Mail reader, other than it is “just right”.  Things therefore that cannot be said about a Daily Mail reader’s body are “you need to eat more pies love” “Fetch a harpoon” “Must have had a boob job” “Tits like a sparrow”, “disgusting” “intolerable” “can’t even look at” “a bad role model” etc.

 

As with the facial features however, we must also note that the Daily Mail reader’s body cannot be so perfect as to then be described as “whore” “vain” “who the hell does she think she is” “must have had plastic surgery”.

 

Given the above, I have finally come to a decision of what the Daily Mail reader looks like.  EVERYONE ELSE.

 

No one has the perfect face.  No one has the perfect body.   No one has any right to criticise the way that someone else looks.

 

So whilst I cannot accurately describe the physical features of a Daily Mail reader, their personality traits should be seen from a mile away.  Look out for rude, obnoxious, insecure, under confident and, if one of them ever reads this, probably angry and already writing a comment below of how I should lose weight, wear a bag over my head, live in a hole underground so I can’t be seen and hold up a sign apologising for the way I look.

 

Meow.

Ranting Makes the Smile Get Bigger

There a lot of things that I like to support.  Movember is a great idea.  Mother’s Day I like, International Men/Women’s Day, why not?  What does irritate me are the “motivational days”.
 

No Smoking Day for example irritates me so much that it actually made me want to start smoking again.  If showing smokers diseased lungs doesn’t make them want to stop the other 364 days of the year, a motivation “Let’s Stop Smoking” day is going to do sweet F A. 

 Smokers are well aware of what smoking can do, all the well intended motivational speeches do is actually serve to make us want to smoke more.  Smokers quit when they are ready, and when they want to.  So back off smoking police.

 

See, I wrote “us” there classifying myself as a smoker.  I’ve actually given up, but when I wanted to, and I made damn sure it was a New Year’s resolution or because someone said I should.

 

Today is International Happiness Day.  Well, that just makes me grumpy as hell.  Enforced happiness.  No thanks.

 

 Happiness Day  makes me think of when I have had dark days previously, or just a generally crappy day.  You either get “Cheer up, it might never happen” which usually gets a glare from me.  How do they know that it hasn’t happened, and what is “it”?  

 

Then, sometimes, when a dark day strikes you get people saying “ Just look at all the good things in your life, you should be happy”.  Well fuck off Mrs Sunshine, I am having a dark day, I can’t help it, now back off.

 

How about “Make someone smile” day.  That’s manageable, that’s easy.  I did that this morning (just in case you were thinking I’d turned into evil incarnate reading this blog post).  I gave up my seat on the bus for an old lady and made her smile.  Job done. 

I think a new day should be created for “Have a Rant, Feel Better” day because you know what, I feel so much better now!

 

My (ok somewhat screwed up) rule of life:   Never trust a person who is happy first thing in the morning.  They are surely evil.  Trust the person who rants. The person who has evil in their eyes before they get to coffee. You know what you are getting with us.

Oh Hell No!

I’ve been asked if by posting pictures of myself on the internet is asking for criticism.  My answer has to be no.  Am I aware of the possibility of criticism?  Of course.  People are people, and people love to criticise.

I believe that confidence is something that everyone should have and for some, including the old me, it can be the hardest thing of all to attain.  

I’m the girl that hated her picture taken and if I couldn’t avoid it then I would make damn sure to detag and distance myself from the photographs I didn’t like.

Posting photographs of yourself, putting yourself out there, especially when purposely showing and highlighting the clothing you are wearing is damn scary.  The first time I did it, I honestly was waiting for a flood of criticism and abuse.  But you know what?  None came.  

Now when a camera is pointed at me I smile.  I don’t hide.  I don’t run for the detag button.  

I’m a different girl to what I used to be.  I’ve even reviewed clothing for SimplyBe, something that I would never ever have dreamed possible before.  I still weigh the same, I still look the same, but I’m no longer ashamed of who and what I am.

Compare and contrast if you will.  The first photograph was taken a few weeks back.  Girl number one's smile is genuine.  She's happy, wearing colour, comfortable in front of the camera.  In the second photograph girl number two is terrified of the camera and ashamed to be in front of it.  Personally, I prefer girl number one.

Fat girls can't wear print, or bright colours.  Fat girls just wear black.
Well this one damn well doesn't!

I'm scared

So am I opening myself up to criticism?  Yes.  Do I care any more?  Oh HELL no.

Chirpy People are Psychopaths - Discuss

I'm not going to lie.  I'm in a foul mood that I can't seem to bring myself out of.  Writing usually helps so hence, you're getting this post and if you are reading this now, you have been warned, foul mood = evil pouring on to the page.

So basically, I am just going to bitch about things that irritate me.

Morning people.  I don't understand them and I really don't like them.  Actually I should qualify that.  Your regular John Doe of morning people I can tolerate, just, however chirpy morning people, well they clearly have something wrong with them.  

Not being a morning person myself and being frankly dangerous on the wrong side of 10.00am, I could happily throw things at the chirpy morning person.  There is a chirpy morning person in my office and there have been many staplers thrown at her head, although thankfully just in my mind and not in reality, I might get arrested for that.

Chirpy morning people brings me on to chirpy happy people in general.  I am not saying that there is anything wrong with being happy, but no one, and I mean no one is happy 24/7.  You show me someone who is happy, chirpy and cheery twenty four hours a day, seven days  week and I will show you someone who is mentally unstable.

I do not trust people who are smiling and cheerful all the time.  I honestly believe that there is something mentally wrong with them.  Purely of course on the grounds that they irritate the fuck out of me and at times, like now, I can be a complete bitch. 

I do actually feel better now I've wrote this.  I feel a little more cheerful haha 

Extended Circles - Enter my Room 101

I have a rant.  It’s only a mini one about something silly, but if I don’t get it off my chest I may implode.  I don’t want that, it’s only Monday after all.

I have previously done a post on Google+ before see Google Plus, Well Not Much Actually  That was also a rant, done when Google+ was doing the popularity rounds and I was getting badgered from various people to join up.  

After a while I had another look at Google+ and found that, if you tailor it correctly to your needs, it actually can be quite useful.  Personally, although I do have a few friends on there, the main purpose of my account relates to this blog and people I have met through blogging.  It can be a useful tool in that respect to upload my new posts and also interact with other bloggers.

I also understand now the concepts of having different circles.  There are certain things that you would say to your friends that you wouldn’t to a work colleague.  You can make arrangements with people, organise events all without having the general public know.  For any status of a general nature you also have the option to open it up to the public, unrestricted.

All that is good.  I like it.  But, as always with me, I have a couple of issues which irritate the hell out of me.  I can’t help myself.  It makes my blood boil.  You could say that I need something to be actually angry at but then again, would you really want to see that?

So here we go with my mini rant.  

“Extended Circles”

I usually only use either my friend circle, blog circle or public option but today I noticed this “extended circles” option and curious as it what it was, I clicked.  The option to post your status to “all your circles and all people in your circle’s circles”.  

What the actual hell?  Whilst I can understand you may want to post something to someone specifically, why also to limited people, who you don’t know?  What can be so important and secret about your update that it is limited like that?  So you are allowing people you don’t know to see your status, but as they are “pre vetted” being are friends of friends they are ok?

When I decided to write this post, and indeed until about half way through writing it, I thought it was Google+ making my blood boil.  But it isn’t.  It’s the WAY people use it.  Whilst it is Google+ (I refuse point blank to call it G+) that have come up with the whole circle business, including the extended circles which is ridiculous and snobbish, it is the way that people are using the circles that irritate me.

I constantly see people’s updates with the “limited” option on or “extended circles” and 85% of the time I wonder why exactly that update is so special/important/secret/friend only that has to be limited or “extended”.  It may be a joke, or a quote or just a comment on someone’s day.  Why is that special?  It can’t be sensitive information or important information, because all of your circles can see it, and all of their circles too….

For me, what started out as a good idea of circles has turned into giving it’s users the belief that what they have to say is more important and more worthwhile than what others have to say.  

“Oh yes Mr Smith, you are allowed to see this update, but no no no!  You can’t see this another one!  This one is special, there are words with more than one syllable”. 

“Oh no Mrs Turner, I post on my Google+ every single day!  Well, you of course can’t see them all, you’re not important enough for that” 

I was only slightly irritated by Google+ before, but the “extended circles” option has tipped me over the edge.  Maybe because it’s Monday, maybe because I was due a rant but maybe, just maybe because Google+ users are turning out to be status snobs.

I’m done.

Ranty Ranty

Well. We have reached halfway through the first month of the New Year and as yet, no ranting posts on the blog.  Considering the “Rantthedayaway” title, I felt that it was about time for something of a ranting nature.    It has all become a little bit to much "nicey nicey". 

Trouble is, and I will probably look at this in a couple of weeks and laugh, I don’t have anything to rant about.  This means you can guarantee that I will shortly be inundated with things to rant about.  So instead of a rant about a particular subject, I have a list instead.

Things That Fuck Me Off

         ·            Animal cruelty. 

         ·            Rudeness.

         ·            People who don’t understand sarcasm – actually that’s more of just an irritant.

         ·            Mornings.

         ·            Snow & ice.  I do not like falling over.

         ·            Winter in general.  It’s cold, enough said.

         ·            Liars.  You WILL always get caught out in the end.

         ·            Sebastian Vettel – yes I count him as a thing.

         ·            The fact that until four years ago, I had never seen Formula One.  I was stupid.

         ·            People who hate Twitter and the people who tweet.

         ·            Social network snobs in general.

         ·            People who judge on face level.

         ·            Child proof bottles.  I can’t open them.

         ·            A closed mind.

         ·            Shoes that I can’t walk in.

I think that might do for now.  I could have gone on all day.

The Bet

I'm a bit of a ranting person on here, (hence the name of the blog) and on Twitter.

However, something I can never say no to usually is a bet with someone.  Except this time I have really landed myself in it.

As someone who reads my Twitter feed and has seen my blog, I have been bet by a friend that I cannot last a week without some kind of rant either on Twitter or on here.  Not a problem at all! I claimed..... Hmmm.  Not sure about that.

But, in my stupidity I have agreed to the bet so am posting it here so I can't get out of it, claiming I can't remember agreeing.

So: 1 week, starting from today.  No ranting on Twitter, no ranting on the blog.  I do however have to post something on the blog in that week, just to show I am not saving it all up for when the week is over.

The loser buys the winner a bottle of something nice.


UPDATE: 21 December 14.02
Well, am now buying someone a nice of bottle of wine.  I lasted approximately 24 hours before having a mini rant on Twitter and then two very large rants today.  Oops.

A Rant about the “Public”

One person is smart, people are stupid

If I had written this post a few years ago, I would be blaming the media right now for the views and reactions of the public these days.  But the fact is, the only people we have to blame are ourselves.

I first started to notice the real effect that the media had on the public when Madeleine McCann went missing.  The way her parents were treated in the media was horrific, especially bearing in mind what they were already going through.  But then I stopped to think.

The general public seem to thrive on controversy and “the next thing to rant about”.  The tabloids are obviously selling and writing about what the public want to read about, otherwise they would go out of business, with no papers sold.  So the question is, is it their fault, or our own?

With the whole phone hacking thing, although it was horrible that victims and their families had been hacked, the fact is that it has been going on for years.  People, mainly celebrities, have complained about being hacked for years, but because the public wanted to hear the stories, they didn’t care that how that information was obtained.

I have to wonder then, who really can judge the rights and wrongs of the media.  People in their millions bought and lapped up all the stories of kidnap, murder and sensational stories and in turn, the media are put under increasing pressure to produce those stories. 

Don’t get me wrong, phone hacking is wrong, but the question I have is how much is pressure to produce a factor, bearing in mind the obvious public wanting of these stories.  Shouldn’t we be accountable too?

This post started from watching the XFactor (British) this weekend.  A judge telling a 17 year old girl that she is a bully in front of millions, surely that is bullying in itself?  Because of his comments, the papers pick up on it, no doubt now she will be investigated by the tabloids, every person she has ever known asked for bullying stories, and the public will lap it up.

I was watching the results show and watched in horror when one of the final two was loudly booed.  What right do we have to do that to someone?  They still have feelings, yet it is practically turned into a blood sport without care of who is hurt.

Is that what the general public really have turned into?  A baying crowd, wanting blood and controversy no matter what the price? 

The fact is, the public have turned into sheep.  Following whatever is popular opinion at the moment, always looking for the next thing to get on their soap box about.   This is why I usually don’t watch the reality shows, and why I don’t read the tabloids.

The public need to vote with their feet, if you want news and stories of something more than celebrities, controversy and ripping people to pieces, don’t buy the paper. 

They write what sells, so in the end, the contents of the tabloids is our fault, not theirs.

Baby, Baby, Baby Noooo!

Question.  What is it about people when they have a baby.  The most normal person in the world suddenly turns into this baby obsessed, all they can talk about person.  Like they have just given birth to Christ or something.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I have lots of friends who didn’t turn into crazy people when they had a baby.  To be fair, they were crazy anyway, being my friends, but in a good way.

 

When a friend tells me they are pregnant, after the mandatory congratulations etc (am not a baby person myself, never want one but am not evil, I can be nice and say congrats) what I don’t tell them is that they are put on probation for social networking.

 

For the purpose of the blog, I will use Facebook as the social network of choice.

 

Things that are Allowed

• Telling people you are pregnant – it’s interesting, people will want to know and congratulate you.
• Scan photo – not something I am interested in at all, but ok, some may like it.
• Occasional pregnancy updates.  Please note this does not include tales of throwing up, heartburn or      anything gross.
• The first baby picture. 
• Afterwards, occasional, and by that I mean one every month, pictures of baby.

Things That Fuck Me Right Off

• Creating a Facebook page for the baby, including when it is still inside you.  It is wrong, it is stupid and if it sends me a friend request…. DENIED!!!
• Constant updates regarding how you are doing, particularly relating to morning sickness, sex life (yes I have seen pregnancy sex life updates) etc.  I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW.
• Once the baby is born, photos every other day.  Yes your baby is cute (hopefully).  No I don’t want to see it every day.  It’s a baby, WE HAVE ALL SEEN ONE BEFORE!
• Daily update reports.  Baby has smiled, giggled, had a baby massage etc.....

By the way, what the fuck is baby massage??  People have been having babies for thousands of years.  I have yet to meet a baby that said “Hey, you know what I would like?  A nice massage!”. 

 

I am probably coming across as the anti-christ of babies, which I am not.  I’m happy if you have had a baby,  I respect your choice to have one and appreciate how much you will love it.

 

The thing is, I don’t love it, I don’t want to see it every day and I couldn’t give a rats ass what it does until:

 

a)  It starts speaking and;
b) Actually, that's about it.