Yeah, hi, I've been neglecting this journal because of fandom, but then I've been neglecting real life because of fandom, so...nyeh.

Everything is almost booked, flights and travel insurance so I just have to get my Wrockstock Pass and book my NEWTs and I am off to Missouri in 35 days...it is exactly five weeks away...omg. So this time in five weeks and one day I could have flown on a broom (yes, they offer that. That's one of the NEWTs. A zipline with brooms attached. Hell yes, our fandom is the coolest!!)...and I could have hugged a Malfoy. THE BEST KIND OF MALFOY. That is, the guys from Draco and the Malfoys XD Well, Brian did say on our thread he would hug us. So I'm all yay, I totally want one of their tshirts...maybe more than one. Wrockstock'll be my first chance to actually buy any US merch!...but no HatP :( And no MoM! I so want one of their tshirts. I'm going to cry now XD
(Actually my mother suggested I bribe someone into getting me one and sending it to me, or bringing it to Wrockstock. I would really REALLY like for that XD I wonder where they sell them. Hmmmm. Stupid no-selling-merch-online rules :/)

Ha, so I'm going late to Wrockstock because I have an exam that day (FAIL! Stupid Intro to Social Theory!! The lecturer was like "NOOOO!" because she wants me to like Social Theory XD I was like "I know it's not your fault. Lame exam organisers." She actually phoned the department from the lecture hall like, "Do we have any say over changing exams for undergraduates?!?!?!" because she didn't want me to a) have to miss out on going or b) hate social theory. But it happened anyway XD They can only change them for postgraduates, it turns out. Ah well. At least I still get to go :) And I arrive back in Glasgow at 9am Wednesday morning and guess what? I have an exam at 9.30 on Thursday XD So I'll be half dead but the important thing is, I'll get to hang out with fellow Invaders Spirit and Lauryn (married lesbian couple from Canada - 19 and 20 respectively), Tim (DJ Knockturn) and Shawni (whom none of us have met XD) along with freaking ABBY and PAUL and other people for dinner on the Monday night!! Before possibly going shopping in The Loop on Tuesday! And a hotel room party on Monday night (a tame one) for Spirit and Lauryn's six month anniversary!...yes, it's going to be SO FREAKING AWESOME.

(I'm getting excited, can you tell? XD)

So yes. In other news, still no job. I'm holding off til I come back I think, it seems like a good plan, except probably all the new high school leavers will also be looking for a job. Hmmm. Well, hopefully it'll work out XD I was planning my "MAK TOUR OF AMERICA" in bed earlier hahaha. Next summer, baby. And I know that nobody knows what MAK is...unless one of two people are reading this...and that's unlikely...but all will be revealed, and probably quite soon, and just... SQUEE.

Also, I received my MarvelousMail assignment this morning and it's a girl who lives in Greenock :) So I'm very happy! It won't take as long to arrive then YAY. The theme this time is "decades" so I was thinking perhaps 50s but looking at her profile I see that in her interests she lists "80s" and "80s music" so there goes the pin-up babes, Marilyn Monroe style stuff (although perhaps that is just too much my own preference anyway XD) and the amusing songs like "Pink Shoelaces" and stuff. Sometimes I think I should have been a teenager in the 50s XD seriously. Then I would have been in my 20s in the 60s...then perhaps I could have been a session drummer after all!...and yes, I might have stooped to attempting to incapacitate Ringo Starr. What, I'm only human ;)

ANYWAY! Yes, so for 80s things I shall go a-looking :) should be FUN! And I'll send out thoughtwaves that say "50s...50s...50s..." XD

(though she is also a Harry Potter fan, which makes me very happy. Darn decades assignment!!! XD Ah, maybe I can work it in somehow ;) )

Also: hahahaha they have made a film of "Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging" by Louise Rennison. The trailer looks infinitely childish but HILARIOUS. Have a look Doesn't it look hilarious? XD I'm sorely tempted to see it, you know. Ah dear.

Also, can I just say this now: AHHHH! A-Slack will not only be at Wrockstock (of course) he'll be giving speeches! And it's going to be SO AWESOME. There had better be a finale of The Weapon this year again or I will CRY. I'm not joking. The video from last year is so good I downloaded it to put on my iPod. Also, there was talk of a Wizard Rock Zombie Fangirl Movie XD which would be HILARIOUS. The wonderful guy who does makeup and is in The Quaffle Kids (I really want to say Andy...I hope I'm right), he posted some pics on the forum thread and we were all like :-O ...zombielicious!! So it'd look really good. But what do wizard rock zombie fangirls WEAR?!?! lol. I'm sure we'll figure it out anyway :)

I think that's it really. I have been leading a VERY boring life. Oh, although I did find a program which I'm trying to use to put fanfic on my iPod. Mixed success at the moment XD

Anyway, I guess that's enough for one day :) Hope you guys are all doing well!! Take care, and...argh! Jess! Only 34 sleeps! :-P


L x

P.S. There is talk of wizard rock meetups in England either before Wrockstock with a select few *grin* or in July with the WHOOOLE UK gang. (er, for the uninitiated, I'd hazard a guess that that includes a bundle of wizard rockers and some fans. There don't seem to be as many fans as wizard rockers however. Hmmm. And me, being a trusty reporter, of course ;) Oh, in saying that, Cauldrons and Chocolate Frogs is on hiatus. Coming back next month :) In case anyone here is interested :-P)

P.P.S.


Bwahahaha, the year I was born XD

Well, it took me like TWELVE hours (no kidding), but here it is, in all its mostly unreferenced glory (yay, that's what I'll be doing now).

Read, let me know what you think, if you can get through it XD (if not I suggest skipping to the part about safety standards, it's near the bottom. Read that and get MAD at exporters in Western society!!!)

...Ahem. On with the essay. But oh gosh, an apology to Andrew before I start...I was very impressed by your suggestion and really (as I told you) wanted to include it...but by the time I got to the end of the actual essay, not the conclusion, it was literally 6am. I had neither the time nor the energy left to go into the whole global-warming-affecting-Africa thing. Thank you for opening my eyes to it though, and I will certainly read up on it before the exam, as that might well be of use there :)

Now, here you go:

( To what extent can we characterise the contemporary UK as a ‘Risk Society’? )

If anyone tries to plagiarise this essay they will be NINJAED. I worked too hard on it XD Siriusly though, I can't imagine why anyone would want to. Oh well. Time to pretend to sleep ;)

Yes, I am working on a Sociology essay due tomorrow. It is about, "To what extent can we characterise the contemporary UK as a ‘Risk Society’?" So it's all good. I have a lot of books out of the library. I'm glad you can have up to 15 when you are an undergrad, though I doubt I will ever ACTUALLY have 15 out :P Then again, I might have that already because when I was running about getting books with Alan yesterday, I forgot about the ones for the last essay, two weeks ago, on Power, which I didn't return yet. So yeah, I have a LOT to take back. And I got seven yesterday. So I might have like 13 or something *blushes*.

My Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu albums finally arrived from CD WOW!!!! *is so very happy about that* I put them on as soon as I got home yesterday and I was just like YAYSOFUNKY!!! Because they totally are. I have favourite songs already, don'cha know :P "So Much For You", "Not Like That" and "He Said She Said" by Ashley Tisdale are AWESOME, believe me. In fact, no, don't take my word for it, go to Last.fm and listen to her :P She's awesome. And I might be slightly biased because of my new High School Musical obsession (come on. They're both in it. All I need now is for Lucas Grabeel to release an album and I'll be like OMGWTFALLMYCHRISTMASESHAVEJUSTCOMEATONCE!!!...his album cover would be ogleworthy. I know, I know, he's too old for me. I don't care. He's much closer to my age range than my beloved George Clooney. So there :P). Actually though, "Not Like That" reminded me of a cross between a Rihanna kind of beat, and "Like What" by Tommi, which came out like five years ago or something (OMGIFEELOLD) and which Rhian made me listen to, and was kind of sad but you know, just something about it was kind of catchy. It's similar like that. I do like it though :)

On Corbin's album I particularly like "Deal With It" and "She Could Be" and "Push It To The Limit" :) So yeah, check him out too!!! Also i found a picture of him where his hair is all slicked back, in a magazine, and he looks so much older and...well, hot. So yes. Now he IS about my age, right?

I may be overly hormonal.

I got the High School Musical 2 soundtrack today, in a gift box which actually cost less than the soundtrack on its own when I was looking at it a week ago XD Clearly, I pwn. Yes, I got the last 'gift box' on the shelf, and it has a t-shirt (Ok, it's size "140cm" but you can't win everything) and a poster and the soundtrack CD and two postcards :) Chad and Ryan are together on the poster, but Chad isn't on the postcards. Taylor is in the poster too, sadly, though. But at least the Chadless postcards mean they're also Taylorless XD I still don't like her.

Anyway. I went to see the new Katherine Heigl film today, 27 Dresses, and it was really awesome. I had a massive sugary drink thing (one and a quarter, really, since the first one leaked and they gave me a new one!) and so I was on a freaking sugar high anyway, but it was truly brilliant. I loved it. I'm a sucker for cheesy romantic movies though. Cheesy movies in general, as evidenced by my HSM obsession, in fact XD

Anyway. I'm ridiculously pleased at bagging this soundtrack for not only less than the price I saw it at last week, but less than half price of the gift box's original price XD Oh yes, clearly I truly DO pwn! Bwahahahaha.

I don't have much to report really. I've been reading a LOT of fanfiction and listening to a LOT of music. Oh and I discovered an awesome Firefox extension that lets you sign in to Livejournal from one account to another with like a single click. Ingenious! I'm like in love with it now XD

New or restored obsessions since I wrote substantially: High School Musical; fanfic; music; fanmixes :)

I'm actually working on my own fanfic at the moment, so that's pretty awesome :) I'm really loving them right now.

Anyway, I must go. NCIS will be on soon and I need to be offline in time to watch it :) Take care everyone, hope everyone is doing well!

L xx

I wish I could have used magic for this, BELIEVE me...

So yeah, this is my Sociology essay, I JUST finished it...*huge yawn* and I need to go reference it properly now before I go to bed...or fall asleep here. So if you want to tell me what you think then please do! But no "OMGYOUARESOWRONG" please, it's late and I'm very tired and liable to turn nasty.

So...
( Do transnational corporations rule in today's globalising world? )

Yus, two fun games for you guys. One for movie lovers, and one for music lovers!...I'm going to link this from my other journal too so that more people will come and play!...y'know, I hope.

( Round One: You Talkin To Me? )

( Round Two: Name that tune! )

I'd better get back to my essay now... *sheepish* I've just really ticked off a good friend, too. Bahhhhh. </hardass>

I took this survey in August '06 and discovered it while reading back through my journal yesterday. So here it is again, updated, because I am trying to put off having to go down into the stacks and search for books on sociology and the power of corporations. Sigh.
( Surveyishness )

In other news, I am planning to try my hand at writing fanfic, and Maren is back in the fold so we're working on an issue of Cauldrons and Chocolate Frogs for April. If you're interested in the fandom side of things I suggest you pop by my creative journal, musicaldiscord however I do warn that there will probably be some high-rated slash going up soon XD it'll all be clearly labelled and thus easily avoided though. As ever, if you don't want to read it then DON'T :P I don't see why people find that so hard to grasp...

Anywhore, not the point. Gah it's cold here. I must go and do essay research now.
Hope you are all having a good day, catch you on the flipside, and don't forget to be awesome!!

L x

PS. Carol and Harny agree mightily that Chad and Ryan are gay. Hahahahaha I told Jess I would convert the people at uni, I told her!!...I am a bit too happy about this. Well I don't care XD Fandom isn't fandom without gay subtext, lidi even made icons to that effect :P
(though my favourite is still the "Subtext is an anagram for buttsex" XD. I have that on my musicaldiscord account. So totally rox.)

Yes, dear ones, I know I have been neglecting you. Since August I have been plunging myself into ze Harry Potter fandom, and am loving it muchly. To that end, I must say:
EZINE!!!!!



So yes, Cauldrons and Chocolate Frogs, all about the Harry Potter fandom...go and check it out, seriously. It's awesomesauce.


L xx

P.S. If you want more this you'll have to go check out (and possibly friend) musicaldiscord...it was originally a creativity journal and now it's becoming increasingly like my new home. But I'll still keep this one on, because...y'know. More personal stuff can go on here. And plus, the name rocks.

Fill it out!! Pleeeeease!

1. Do you have a tattoo?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you single or taken?
4. Fish?
5. Do you dream in color?
6. Ever seen a corpse?
12. Do you like musicals?
16. What are you wearing?
17. Have you ever peed in a pool?
20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair?
21. What's your favorite day of the week?
22. What's your favorite color?
23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be?
24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you?
25. What was your first impression of me?
26. Have you ever done drugs?
27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?

Honestly answer the following 20 questions... can you get through them without lying???

1 - Why are you best friends with your best friends?
Because we were all the misfits and it brought us together.

2 - What bothers you the most about other people?
Phoneyness, and bullying.

3 - Would you ever marry for money?
I don't think so. But I'd hate being completely skint. So I might not marry someone who was homeless even if I loved them, if I didn't have much either.

4 - Do you prefer to text message or talk on the phone?
Text, definitely. I'm always scared people will overhear me.

5 - Do you believe that 30 really is the new 20?
No. That's a lie made up by 30 year olds so they don't feel so bad about getting older :P

6 - If you had a crush on someone would you tell them?
No. I never have lol. I'm like that.

7 - What is one of the toughest things you ever had to do?
London. And that is all I will say about that.

8 - Name a challenge you are faced with on a reg basis?
Trying to juggle everything without dropping it all.

9 - Do you cry a lot?
No, but I often WANT to.

10 - Do you have a plan?
A plan? I wish.

11 - Do you think its possible to only love one person for the rest of your life?
I think it's possible. But whether two people are really well enough suited for that to happen, well only time would tell.

12 - Are you close with your family?
No. They would hate to hear that, but it's true. There is so much that I just can't tell them.

13 - Name one thing that you are good at?
Writing. It's my one talent.

14 - Name one thing that you are bad at?
Drawing. Can't draw for toffee. Although I hate toffee, so that's a really crap incentive. Chocolate, give me chocolate! Nah, I still couldn't draw for that.

15 - Your thoughts on Karma?
I think it exists.

16 - What does the 5th text message in your inbox say?
I'm not posting it!!! (and that's not a LIE, it's an OMISSION...it's different. Honest...) If I posted it, believe me, LJ would ban my ass for posting lewd messages :P Let's just say it was from Joe, late at night, while he was in America.

17 - What did you reply to it?
Something in the same vein :P Therefore I'm not gonna post that either. Also I can't remember exactly what it said lol. I was trying to wind him up and make him squirm because he was in a restaurant with his parents, ROFL. It worked ;-)

18 - What do you do for a living?
I don't work, I'm a student, ie. skint.

19 - Do you honk your horn at old people when they are driving bad?
I don't have a horn. I can't drive. I'd be dangerous behind the wheel.

20 - Why do you do myspace surveys?
Umm, mostly because they're funny usually.


-Quiz 2-

WHAT’S:
1. What was the first thing you thought about when you woke up?
Oh God, it's so early, but I have to get up if I'm doing this today.

2. What did you do last night?
Wrote a fanfic! Or, well, the start of one. Even though I swore I'd finish my notes first...I got bored with that and decided to skip to teh story. Sooner teh story is written, sooner can write TEH HOT BOYSEX.
Oh yes, you know I just wrote that :P

3. What is the most important part of your life?
Probably the internet part. Because I feel like sometimes I can actually make a difference.

4. What would you rather be doing right now?
Nothing. Well, maybe writing the fanfic. But I'll do more of that tonight :)

5. What did you last cry over?
Probably the smell of eggs in the kitchen...I know, I'm a total freak...

6. What always makes you feel better when you’re upset?
Sorting things out I guess. Feeling more in control.

8. What’s the most important thing you look for in a significant other?
Sense of humour. Gawds, must have a sense of humour! And also must not mind my nagging. Sadly, I do it rather a lot. Luckily Joe luffs me and therefore puts up with it :

9. What are you worried about?
Good thing you didn't ask me this yesterday :P Umm...nothing in particular I guess.

10. What are you looking forward to most in this week?
Nothing. Sleeping, perhaps. Doing more writing on the fanfic. I know, I am so sad.

NINE HAVE YOU’S:

1. Have you ever liked someone while you had a girlfriend/boyfriend?
No?

2. Have you ever had your heart broken?
No, luckily.

4. Have you ever been out of the country?
I've been out of Scotland, but not out of the UK. And...what happened to 3?

5. Have you ever done something outrageously dumb?
Er, of course. Hasn't everyone?

6. Have you ever been back stabbed by a friend?
Um. Yes! Again, hasn't everyone? lol

7. Have you ever had the cops called on you?
No. I'm a good girl *polishes halo*

8. Have you ever dated someone younger than you?
After reading Sarah's answer that anyone younger than us is "ewww" and "still mid-puberty", next time I see her I shall have to bitch-slap her. Yes, Joe is younger than me.

9. Have you ever read an entire book in one day?
Of course. I'm an avid reader.

EIGHT WHO’S:

1. Who was the last person you saw?
My mum. She came in to tell me it was time to come off. Yet I'm still doing this. FEEL PRIVILEGED!!

2. Who was the last person you kissed?
Joe. Duh.

3. Who was the last person you texted?
Ummm...maggie T I think but that's a real fluke lol, I hardly ever text her, it's just been a weird day text wise.

4. Who was the last person to call you?
Ross. But I had to put my phone off because my mum was RIGHT THERE.

5. Who was your first crush?
HAHAHAHAHA. Scott Tart. At the age of FOUR.

6. Who is the last person who texted you?
Ross, Margaret or Joe. I don't know who, my inbox was full so i had to delete it lol. The last message I have in it was from ross but that was from this morning.

7.Who is the last person you freaked out on?
Manjit...

8. Who did you last hug?
Probably Joe. In July. Sad :(

SEVEN WHEN’S:

1.When was your last shower?
Few days ago? You didn't ask about baths though, I'd just like to point out that I'm not disgusting and dirty, lol!

2. When did you last see your mom?
About ten minutes ago.

3. When was your last time u saw your dad?
Umm, 45 mins ago?

4. When did you last dress up?
To go clubbing in London. Ha! Ha! Ha! Load of good that turned out to do.

5. When was the last time you cried?
You asked that already...No you didn't actually, you asked over what. Um, I think a couple of days ago.

6. When did you last go to the movies and with who?
With my mum, a couple of weekends ago, to see...what did we see? :-O Oh, Hairspray :D It was brilliant!

7. When did you last listen to music?
About ten minutes ago, rofl.

SIX WHERE’S:

1. Where does your best friend live?
I don't have a best friend.

2. Where did you last go?
Wishaw

3. Where did you last hang out?
In here, probably.

4. Where do you go to school?
Went to high school at Clyde Valley...go to uni at Strathclyde

5. Where is your favorite place to be?
Here in front of the computer.

6. Where did you sleep last night?
In my own bed. I'm a sadsack, remember?

FIVE DO’S/DOES:

1. Do you like someone right now?
Yes.

2. Do they like you too?
We've been dating for almost a year, so I'm going to venture "yes".

3. Do you ever wish you were someone else?
Yes.

4. Do you know the muffin man?
Not personally.

5. Does the future scare you?
Hell yes.

FOUR WHY’S:

1. Why are you best friends with your best friends?
We did this already. Read back up, moron quizmaster.

2. Why did you get a myspace?
This is actually on LJ, and stolen from Bebo, but I got myspace because my friends had it.

3. Why did your parents give you the name you have?
Because Kathryn was too similar in sound to my last name, and I was female so they couldn't call me Alexander.

4. Why are you doing this survey?
I got bored.

THREE IF’S:

1. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Being invisible, I think. Either that or telepathy. I could use it like the cop in Heroes, to help people :)

2. If you could go back in time and change one thing, would you?
Maybe. I don't know what I'd change though. If it meant I'd have to relive everything since, I don't think I would. Too much has gone on since anything I would change. I couldn't go through all that again.

3. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could bring one thing what would it be?
Something that would let me listen to music, like an iPod, only it would have to have unlimited battery power, obviously.

TWO WOULD-YOU-EVER’S:

1. Would you ever get back together with any of your ex’s if they asked you?
I don't have any exes.

2. Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love?
That's just random and stupid.

ONE LAST QUESTION:

1. Are you happy with your life right now?
Not really. But I realise it could be WAY worse.

Well, I passed them all. Thank goodness. I couldn't bear to do resits too, it was hard enough the first time round...
I'm pretty happy with the results, except Psychology lol. I felt I'd done a bit better than that. Also, Sociology - happy with it, but thought it might be a bit higher, seeing as my essays got such good marks. Maybe my exam was bad :S

History - 63
English - 60
Psychology - 55
Journalism - 66
Sociology - 65

Age: 18
Location: Glasgow-ish, Scottishland
General desc: 5'3". Dark brown hair just past my shoulders. Curvy. Green eyes.
Occupation: Uni student.

I KNOW: Nothing. That's how is seems, anyway.
I WANT: To be happy.
I HAVE: Too much free time. I should get a job.
I WISH: That the world would just stop.
I HATE: When my head hurts, like it does now.
I MISS: School. Things were at least a little more structured then.
I FEAR: Losing control.
I HEAR: Girls Aloud - Jump (For My Love), and chat beeping.
I SEARCH: For my house key, usually. I'm constantly misplacing it.
I WONDER: Why people keep saying I have to be strong.
I REGRET: Spending four years like this.
I LOVE: Nowhere near enough.
I ACHE: Inside. Feels like my chest is going to burst open.
I CARE: Too much, sometimes.
I ALWAYS: Log on to MSN when I come online. Maybe I shouldn't do it so much.
I AM NOT: Useful.
I DANCE: To the Gladiators theme tune, when it's on.
I SING: If I'm happy.
I CRY: Very little, because there's always someone around. And when I'm alone, I can't.
I DO: Nothing.
I FIGHT: With myself.
I WRITE: Not enough. I'm 4,626 words behind on my script :(
I WIN: Points on Neopets games.
I LOSE: At life.
I CONFUSE: Myself.
I LISTEN: To people. Well, I try.
I CAN USUALLY BE FOUND: Online or watching TV
I NEED: To get it together.
I AM HAPPY: No.
I SHOULD HAVE: Gone to bed last night instead of staying up reading.
WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING?: Stripy pyjama bottoms?
WHAT SONG ARE YOU LISTENING TO?: When You're Gone - Bryan Adams & Mel C. (Yes, I know - sad).
WHAT TASTE IS IN YOUR MOUTH?: None really, I just got up.
WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?: Grey.
HOW ARE YOU?: Sad.

D O Y O U ?
GET MOTION SICKNESS?: No, thank goodness. I'm phobic about vomit.
HAVE A BAD HABIT?: Yes. I bite my nails, and the insides of my cheeks.
GET ALONG WITH YOUR PARENTS?: They say things and I put up with them. Does that constitute getting along?

F A V O R I T E S
TV SHOW: Bones/Grey's Anatomy
MAGAZINE: Web User
FOOD: Too many to list. I love food.
THING TO DO ON THE WEEKEND: Watch TV. NCIS, CSI, Law and Order...

H A V E Y O U ?
BROKEN THE LAW?: Yes, but nothing major.
RAN AWAY FROM HOME: No.
SNUCK OUT OF THE HOUSE: No. Bit hard when you live upstairs!
EVER GONE SKINNY DIPPING: No, I can't swim.
MADE A PRANK PHONE CALL: No.
EVER TIPPED OVER A PORTA POTTY: Why would I?
USED YOUR PARENTS' CREDIT CARD BEFORE: Yeah, mostly because they can't input their own stuff into web forms *eye roll*
SKIPPED SCHOOL BEFORE: No, I'm a good girl.
FELL ASLEEP IN THE SHOWER/BATH: No.
BEEN IN A SCHOOL PLAY: Not really, but I've been in school *shows*...a lot of them.
LET A FRIEND CRY ON YOUR SHOULDER: No. None of my friends ever wanted to.
EVER HAD A MAJOR REGRET: No, I don't think so.

L O V E
BOYFRIEND / GIRLFRIEND: Yes.
CHILDREN: Maybe someday.
BEEN IN LOVE?: Yes, I am.
HAD A HARD TIME GETTING OVER SOMEONE: No.
BEEN HURT?: Nope.
YOUR GREATEST REGRET?: I don't really have one in this category.
GONE OUT WITH A SOMEONE YOU ONLY KNEW FOR 3 DAYS: No. Nearly.

R A N D O M
DO YOU HAVE A JOB: No. I should, though.
YOUR CD PLAYER HAS IN IT RIGHT NOW?: Hmm, I dunno. Blondie, maybe?
IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?: Brick Red or Spring Green.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?: I answered this already, did I not?
WHO MAKES YOU THE HAPPIEST?: I don't know. Forum people. Probably Joe.
WHAT'S THE NEXT CD YOU'RE GONNA GET?: I don't know. Maybe McFly's newest album.
WHO DO YOU CONSIDER GOOD FRIENDS?: Sarah, Nicola, Margaret T., Joe, Sven, Chris, Fee, Sammie, Rhiannon.

W H E N / w h a t - w a s - t h e - l a s t
TIME YOU CRIED?: Nearly about two minutes ago.
YOU GOT A REAL LETTER?: I don't even remember. It was probably from Margaret T.
YOU GOT E-MAIL: Earlier, to tell me I had a PM from Mio.
TV PROGRAM YOU WATCHED: CSI last night.
MOVIE YOU SAW AT THE THEATER: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

YOUR THOUGHTS ON
ABORTION: I think it's a good thing, to have the option.
TEENAGE SMOKING: Nahhhh.
SPICE GIRLS: I like 'em, sue me.
SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE: Why not?
DOWNLOADING MUSIC ILLEGALLY: I don't any more lol, because I got too scared of getting caught, but the prices are definitely a rip-off.

I just lately discovered that FTN (channel 20 on Freeview) is showing reruns of Gladiators from 1995, from 7-8 each weeknight. I've become a bit addicted. There's something thrilling about watching people battle it out, being on the edge of your seat shouting "No! Go the OTHER way! He's coming that way!" when a contestant decides to go up the Pendulum and the Gladiator is coming down, or shrieking "Come on, come ON!" at your favourite contestant when two are running up the Travelators simultaneously at the end of the Eliminator. There's something so...unspoilt about it (and I don't just mean Ulrika Jonsson's hair. Gosh, she looks so young, so does John Fashanu. They present it, y'see, in case you can't remember that far back).
Because it WAS far back. It was 1995, for God's sake. 12 years ALREADY. I can't believe it. Where does the time go? And where does the quality programming go?
Well, ok, as my mum is always quick to say, Gladiators isn't exactly "quality programming" in the classical sense. It's extremely contrived, and pure entertainment. But isn't that what we expect from Saturday night TV?
Apparently not any more. You know, in this current climate of reality TV with all the crap we show - Big Brother, X Factor, Pop Idol, Grease Is The Word, Strictly Come Dancing...while I admit that each of these probably has their charms (well, except Big Brother, obviously :P), generally the reality TV right now is pretty pointless. Gone are the days when reality TV meant participating in games and possibly winning things, having a lot of fun and having five minutes of glory on TV in the process (think The Crystal Maze, Fort Boyard, Gladiators, It's A Knockout, etc.), not sitting at home on your sofa watching people - some really bad, some really good - compete for the prize, sometimes getting humiliated in the process, always trying to be realistic and convey real life, and then you vote for who you want to win. No longer is winning based on merit, but in fact now on the public vote. We pay to influence real life. Reality TV is no longer about fun and entertainment, it's about getting as much money out of the public as possible. Sure, shows like the ones I mentioned - Gladiators, It's a Knockout, etc - were very contrived. But that didn't matter, because they were FUN.
Where is the fun in reality TV nowadays? Answer me that.


And since those were more innocent times, I'm going to give you some quotes from Gladiators. And I swear to you, not one person burst out laughing or even sniggered after these were uttered. Clearly it really WAS a more innocent time.

Contestant: "I just couldn't get it up."
**
Announcer: "Unfortunately for Mike - no balls."
**
Gladiator: "I don't mind a bit of rough and tumbling going down. That's the best bit."
**
Announcer: "His speciality this season is the quick finish."
**
Ulrika: "Rhino, well, yes, he's wider than he is tall."
(Male) contestant: "Yeah, well, I felt the whole width, length and everything of him."
**
Announcer: "Cobra wields his ramrod for a quick up-and-over."

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

I've been really busy lately, and yet it feels like I've achieved hardly anything. My script is not happening right now, I seem to spend all day online and yet do nothing. Well, I know I do things, but in the grand scheme of things (or even the not-so-grand, everyday scheme of things), I don't seem to be achieving anything. All I do consistently is: go into chat, write down pointless things like quotes, and songs I must Youtube, and to-do lists that never quite get finished. I don't know if I've ever actually managed to finish a To-do list in my life.

Sad day.

...It's absolutely BOILING here. I'm off to get into the spotty nightie so beloved of Myspace and SF chat, to cool off - and possibly have some chocolate. But that's me hoping for the best.
I took a Blogthing today to find my celebrity boob twin. They stopped at 32F so I just picked that.

Your Celebrity Boob Twin:

Jenna Jameson

So yeah, I share boobs with an adult entertainment star. Don't know whether that's good or bad :P But probably good, because, as we all know...



MySpace Codes for Images @ OurSpace.biz

Sorry, I was just DYING to use that...think I'll go over to Realcurves and put it in my sig :P

I've been so bored lately, I'm going to have to look for a job. Yeuch.
Anyway. Hope y'all are having a good summer, and that it stays this warm!!
Peace out ;)

L xx

What are the main features of gender inequality today? Critically evaluate two of the explanations of these features.

The main features of gender inequality today are: work, education, and gendered expectations in society. This essay will discuss how these inequalities can be accounted for according to the theories of liberal and fat-positive feminism. Liberal feminism is a theory of individual freedom, and its devotees are of the opinion that a woman’s private life should not be regulated by society, and wishes not to change the system entirely, but simply improve women’s experiences and rights within it. Fat-positive feminists, however, while having specific image-related beliefs, tend to ally themselves with the beliefs of radical feminists. These attribute women being oppressed to the “patriarchy” of society, and seek to challenge standard gender roles in a bid to change this.
Today, gender inequality in the workplace is still rife, despite the passing of the Equal Pay Act more than 35 years ago. This is illustrated in Scottish Enterprise’s figures of those in Modern Apprenticeships from April 2004-March 2005, (Equal Opportunities Commission, 2006, 3) which show that certain areas were still more male- or female-dominated; only 0.5% of plumbing apprentices were female, while only 0.9% of early years care and education apprentices were male. While those occupations with smaller numbers of apprentices were fairly balanced in the male to female ratio, six of the eleven occupations with more than 1000 apprentices were, “heavily gender segregated”, with such disproportionate representations of the “non-typical” gender as low as 0.5% (Equal Opportunities Commission, 2006, 3). However, figures from the government’s Women and Equality Unit show that in 2005, the mean pay gap between men and women who worked full time was just 17.1%, the smallest it has been since it was first recorded in 1970, so in this area at least, the situation appears to be improving (Women and Equality Unit, 2006, 2). Liberal feminists would argue that this gap should not exist at all, and women should be given the same wage as men; and that more women should be entering the so-called “non-typical” professions. Fat-positive and radical feminists would also view the wage gap as indicative that things need to change until women have equal wages, but their opinions stem more from the idea that the gap is caused by oppression of - and discrimination against - women by dominant men, and that this could be solved by changing the way society’s traditional power roles are held by men, as opposed to the liberal-held belief that society does not require to change, but simply needs more legal action to ensure fair and equal treatment of both men and women.
On the matter of education, there is no question of the difference in performance. In schools, girls are consistently achieving higher marks than boys. This goes for higher qualifications, too; the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s (SQA) statistics for 2005 show that out of a total of 616,978 entries for national units at Higher level, 342,375 of those were girls’, compared with 274,603 from boys (SQA, 2005, 24); while at Intermediate 2 level the difference drops, but is still noticeable, with 293,993 entries from girls and 262,549 from boys (SQA, 2005, 23). Once they leave school, however, according to a Scottish Executive publication on strategies to address gender inequalities in Scottish schools, this high rate of female achievement seems to drop. After leaving school, the publication states, “some young women who had demonstrated high levels of attainment in school were positioned by versions of 'heterosexualised feminities' into subordinate relationships with males.” (Scottish Executive, 2006, 5.iii) While the lack of sustained achievement would be lamented by liberal feminists, who would seek to find ways to encourage young women to achieve more after leaving school, fat-positive, radical feminists would be utterly appalled at the thought of female achievement being curtailed by the – seemingly undeniable and relentless – patriarchy of society. They would call for a complete change in society, claiming that males would have to be shifted from positions of dominance in the workplace and in everyday life, in order to give both young and older women – and non-dominant males, too – the chance to fulfil their potential, and thus create a fairer working environment with equal opportunities for everyone.
Finally, the largest and possibly most contested area of gender inequalities: gendered social expectations. The first of these expectations concerns the traditional gender roles of women staying at home to ‘keep house’ and look after children while men go to work and earn a living for the family. For a start, these traditional roles no longer relate overly much to today’s society, with the number of women in the labour force steadily rising. According to the office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey, 24,859,000 women over the age of 16 were in the labour force during October-December 2006, compared with 24,514,000 during the same period in 2004 (Office for National Statistics, 2007, web table 1). Additionally, more men are deciding to become stay-at-home fathers, allowing their partners to be the breadwinner instead. However, the stereotypes persist. Women who attempt to have a career are often criticised for neglecting their families; and even women in rather high-ranking positions can be forced to start all over again at the bottom of the career ladder after taking time off work to have children, particularly if she requires a position with more flexible hours in order to fit in childcare obligations. This, of course, is completely unfair, as it basically negates the woman’s achievements and essentially forces her to choose between having a career and having a family. This tends to apply more to those with specific “careers” as opposed to typical working class women who work simply to earn money, not to progress up a career ladder. However, working class women also have responsibilities to their families, as shown throughout history and today in some of the more disadvantaged areas where unemployment is a problem: “Feminist research, like studies of unemployment during the depression of the 1930s, shows that women bear the brunt not only of managing household expenditure on reduced incomes but also of the sacrifices made…Much…research literature suggests that women’s skill, resourcefulness and effort in ‘stretching’ the available money is a critical factor in the family’s ability to survive men’s unemployment. Further, women may protect both their children and their husbands or partners from the worst effects of ‘life on the dole’ by concealing their own worries, or prioritizing their children’s and the husband’s or partner’s needs.” (Robertson Elliot, 1996, 85-86) While the fact that the number of women in the labour force is growing would be welcomed by liberal feminists, it is likely that they would campaign for the introduction of legislation to prevent women being bumped back down the career ladder after childbirth; and encourage the wives of unemployed men to go out and find employment for themselves, and support their family that way. Fat-positive, radical feminism on the other hand, would rally fiercely against the notion of women choosing between career and family, and would blame this on oppressive, dominant males, who care more about making a profit than being fair to all employees. They would campaign for an overhaul of society – no doubt reminding men in the process that women aren’t required to bear children, but childbirth is essential for the continuing existence of the human race – and that these children will grow up to be the next generation of employees – both male and female.
The other most important gender role inequality in society is that of image. While it is commonly argued that there is increasing pressure on men to look good, and not just on women, it is safe to say that women do feel more of this pressure – not only in today’s society, but also have done throughout history. Women are constantly pressured to be what might be described as an “all-round package” – thin, attractive, intelligent, domestic…the list goes on. This image is perpetuated by the media. Women in the media are glamorous, famous, and usually very, very thin. Today’s society is becoming increasingly polarised, however. On one side, there are the celebrities and professionals, who are incredibly thin, polished, and glamorous. On the other, there are the apparent hordes of obese people that we keep being told about. An obesity epidemic! And then, in the middle, is the average woman, wondering where she belongs, in this world obsessed with weight loss – both to be achieved by those who don’t need it, so they continue not to need it, and by those who are supposed to need it, simply because being fat is seen as being undesirable and unhealthy, and they are not conforming to the cultural “norms”. However, these so-called norms are doing a lot more damage than good. Being constantly surrounded by media images of perfection, magazine articles on dieting and weight loss, and clothes which come in sizes that very few women could naturally fit into (referring, of course, to the hotly debated size zero, equivalent to a UK size four), makes healthy girls question their weight, feeling too fat to fit in with the trend of ever-shrinking celebrities such as Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan, and being scared to death of becoming obese like newspapers are constantly warning them against. In a society so obsessed with the size of women’s bodies - one way or another – is it so surprising that the number of women suffering from eating disorders is on the rise? It rose sharply in the 1980s and 90s as a result of the prevalence of leggy, emaciated supermodels, and it is still going. In 1992, 60,000 people were estimated by the Royal College of Psychiatrists to be receiving treatment for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa at any one time in the UK. However by 2000, the British Eating Disorders Association believed that the number receiving treatment was closer to 90,000, with many more incidences of undiagnosed eating disorders, particularly bulimia (British Eating Disorders Association, 2000). Bulimia is more common, and according to figures from the BBC’s website, it’s estimated to affect between one and two percent of women who are aged 15-40, with anorexia estimated to affect between one and five teenage women in every 100,000 (BBC, 2006). While men and women of all ages can be affected by eating disorders, it’s apparent that a large number of sufferers are female, and usually young. This could be interpreted as saying a great deal about our society and the way in which many factors affect the self esteem of young girls, but the constant presence of professionally dressed and made-up, airbrushed women (they don’t mention that in magazines) only serves to make those who are in the stage of their lives where they are most vulnerable to outside influence, particularly over their bodies – feel bad about themselves, because they simply can’t match up to these unrealistic, unhealthy, but apparently desirable, ideals. On the issue of body image, liberal feminists would probably say that girls and women should not be made to feel so bad about themselves that it leads them to take such drastic action, and that this is an example of their core belief: that “one’s private life should not be subject to relation by society.” (Humm, 1995, 151). However, the distinction between the liberal feminist belief that society should not interfere in people’s private lives, and their lack of similar thought on people’s lives in the public sphere is illustrated by Judith Butler: “Although we struggle for rights over our own bodies, the very bodies for which we struggle are not quite ever only our own. The body has its invariably public dimension; constituted as a social phenomenon in the public sphere, my body is and is not mine.” (Butler, 2004, 21) Therefore, the liberal feminist view is that a woman’s body cannot be solely hers to ‘control’, if you will, because inevitably people will see and react to it. Fat-positive feminists, however, would be incensed. They believe – as their name indicates – that society’s disturbing trend towards unnatural thinness is inherently wrong. They believe that women are meant to be all different shapes and sizes, and that there is nothing wrong with being larger than the skinny waifs who adorn the catwalks, so long as you are healthy. Most women are simply not meant to be that tiny; according to a 1997 article by Kate Fox, “Even 25 years ago, top models and beauty queens weighed only 8% less than the average woman, now they weigh 23% less. The current media ideal for women is achievable by less than 5% of the female population – and that's just in terms of weight and size. If you want the ideal shape, face etc., it's probably more like 1%.” (Social Image Research Centre, 1997) Given that statistic, the fat-positive feminist beliefs are clearly more sensible. In this increasingly image-obsessed society, women would be well served to keep that in mind before they do some serious harm trying to starve themselves down to fit our unhealthy mould of body ideals.
In conclusion, the main features of gender inequality today are: work, education, and gendered expectations in society. The status of women in work is improving, but both liberal and fat-positive feminists believe the wage gap between women and men needs to be closed. Society needs to work on maintaining girls’ high standards of achievement once they have left school, to ensure that they fulfil their potential in the workforce, and in life in general. Traditional gender roles of mothers staying home and fathers going out to work need to change to keep up with the changes in society, particularly considering the issue of discrimination against women who are bucking the trend. And finally, body image needs to shift away from a focus on women’s bodies being thin, and towards the fat-positive belief that it’s perfectly fine to be whatever size they naturally are, because if they are healthy, that is all that matters.

 1. I sing. Loudly. In public.
 2. I have also been known to dance and skip, in public.
 3. My utter hypernss has caused David-from-uni to brand me insane.
 4. I am addicted to chocolate; specifically Guylian Belgian chocolate seashells (usually only on special  occasions) and double chocolate cookies from Millie's Cookies, which are just the best cookies in the world ever. Official.
 5. I have a laugh with a capital L. It is a Laugh. Sometimes it makes people turn around.
 6. I can be daring - but, for the most part, I won't do something if it's illegal.
 7. I have two teddies named George and Henry, and currently also a helium-filled balloon monkey called Gerald. Once he deflates, I plan to get a stuffed toy monkey, which I will call Gerald II.
 8. I have A Thing for jewellery, particularly earrings. THe bigger and brighter, the better.
 9. I obsess VERY easily.
10. I am a bit sensitive about: my stomach, my face, and being made to feel stupid.
11. I LOVE being naughty - particularly when other people have no idea, hence why texting appeals, and my phone bill is so big :-P
12. I am an only child, and as such, rather spoilt.
13. My taste in music is scorned by pretty much everyone. Everyone finds at least one track they like, then they wrinkle their nose at something else. I am not ashamed to admit that I go from Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, through Elvis and the Beatles with a long pause in the 60s - the best music decade, by far - and then through to the 2000s, picking up a few tracks along the way. Particular favourite atm are: The Go Goo Dolls, The Fratellis, The Beatles and The Hollies.
14. While they often cause immense difficulty in getting clothes to fit - particularly dresses of blouses - I am pretty proud of my 32FF breasts - not least because all the teen magazines always say girls will turn out like their mothers boob-wise - and mine's an A :-P
15. Most days I like having a nice orundy figure that goes in and out in all the right places. Sometimes I would gladly swap it for being straight-up-and-down if I could be thin.
16. I love words, and how people use them never ceases to amaze me.
17. I've always wanted to own something DKNY, but never managed it yet.
18. Some people who don't know me assume I'm a complete goody-gody. I often dream of telling them all the things I've done...just to see their reaction :-P
19. I VERY MUCH like to surprise people.
20. I figure only five people have seen me cry, my entire life.
21. I've done some things that maybe I shouldn't have because someone wanted me to, and I figured I was so lucky they even wanted me to, that I didn't stop to think about it.
22. However for the most part, I don't regret ANYTHING any more, becase now I see it's all brought me to here. And this is a good place.
23. I'm very much a night owl and not a morning person. For example, I wrote this in bed, at 2.10am.
24. I have stupendous hearing, and brilliant eyesight - up close. Ten paces away and everything blurs without my glasses. And yes, I wear glasses all the time. Contact lenses squick me.
And finally:
25. I have a havit of leaving everything to the last minute, I veer between being completely slapdash and being an outright perfectionist, and I have a disturbing grammar fixation. But despite all this, someone who I love, loves me, and I've never been happier in my life :-)

1) Best Drinking buddy?
I guess none? Although Maggie listened to me witter on at Sarah's party, which was pretty cool.

2) Lifetime service award - Longest friend?
Probably Sarah...

3) Newcomer of the year - newest friend?
Alana

4) High Point of the year?
The stuff with Joe; singing in public; getting in to Strathclyde.

5) Low point of the year?
When I'd just started uni and was feeling like shit.

6) Best holiday?
Christmas.

7) Anthem for 2006?
...Um. Too many to count. But Whitney Houston's in there, as are Roxette, Tiffany...

8) Any regrets?
I don't think so.

9) Best Night out?
Sarah's party.

10) Worst Night out?
I don't go out enough to have a worst night out.

11) Who Did You Spend Valentines With?
Myself.

12) Best relationship?
Joe.

13) Worst relationship?
None.

14) First Gig of the year?
None.

15) Last gig of the year?
None.

16) How did you spend your birthday?
Doing nothing. School, maybe. Who knows?

17) Best decision made all year?
To be open and just go for it with Joe.

18) What are your plans for next year?
Uni, and to go to London in July.

19) Most stupid idea when drunk?
...Probably to try to walk while thinking "I can stay upright". I fell into walls.

20) Biggest surprise of the year?
Joe's 'tip' texts, I guess. Oh, and getting into Strathclyde.

21) A phrase to sum up this year?
"Fortune favours the brave", perhaps. Even though I'm far from brave.

22) Most commonly used word/ phrase?
"Oh, FUN..."

23) Best Film?
13 Going On 30

24) Best Album?
Simon Webbe's "Sanctuary". It's bloody amazing.

Last night was AMAZING.

First of all, I don’t go out much. God, if you’re reading this, you probably know that already. I sit home and chat, or I watch DVDs. And yet…last night it was Sarah’s 18th birthday party, and so I got all dressed up in my spotty top and black trousers and then I ventured out, ready to leave as soon as I felt like it.
First of all, when my Dad dropped me outside the Malt, where I’d agreed to meet Sarah, Maggie, Sarah’s sister Christine and her friends Amanda and Tam, I was half an hour late. Well, it took me ages to get ready…
Anyway, I gave her her presents, and she loved the jewellery box I got, and the little Me To You 18th birthday bear :-D And so I sat and listened to Christine telling her to “Eat! I’m under orders,” and then once they were done with their food, we walked down the hill to the Caley bar.
That in itself was a great feat. First of all, Sarah had had like three drinks already…Maggie had had two…I was the only one who hadn’t had any. And Sarah was wearing a SKIRT and a really low cut top…so the wind was simultaneously blowing UP and DOWN her outfit…lol!!! It was brilliant. Anyway, so ten hours later we eventually got there…and started laughing as we looked at all the old embarrassing pictures of her posted around the walls… :-P
So I sat at a table by myself for awhile, because the birthday girl was busy being adored :-D and Maggie and Sarah’s younger sister Jayne were up dancing. However after a bit Maggie came back, and Gordon (coolest cousin in the world, OFFICIAL) bought me a drink because I didn’t know if they’d serve me at the bar…and then everything kind of took off from there.
Basically by the time I was three long vodkas in I’d got a fit of the giggles. And then they brought out the buffet…I fell down the step to the buffet…which Lisa noticed but was too polite to comment on :-P And I fell into walls…doors…had a very amusing conversation with Nathalie over the toilet doors… “Merry Christmas and happy Thanksgiving!” “Thanksgiving’s past!” “Is it? Why don’t I celebrate Thanksgiving?!” “Because you’re not American.” “Oh. Do they celebrate it?” “Yeah.” “Ugh. Do you get presents at Thanksgiving?” “No.” “Oh, well what’s the point of that then?!”
Normally I would have gone into the whole “Mayflower…native Americans being killed by the white settlers…etc.” explanation but I was laughing too hard to care. And then I got back to the table and yelled in Maggie’s ear, “Nathalie is SOOO funny!” and she’s just sitting there going, “Uh-huh…yep…maybe make the next one a Coke?”
In total I had five long vodkas. There was much dancing (Gordon is FANTABULOUS lol. Should have seen us all during the Grease Megamix…absolutely hysterical!!), and I bumped into a lot of things (I have a bruise on my arm from a door and one on my leg from the corner of a table), and I also knocked over a tableful of drinks…that was quite bad, lol.
I think a great time was had by all, anyway. I know Sarah had a great time :-P We lost count of how many drinks she’d had after about 7 :-P Anyway, hopefully there will be pictures up soon, and then you can all point and laugh :-P
Hope you’re all doing ok and that everyone who was at the party last night had as great a time as I did, lol!

L xx

Today was WEIRD.
I got up and had to RUN for the bus because I was so late leaving the house...laughing at the posts on Jess's "Does Size Really Matter?" thread, on which my name has been mentioned SOOO many times...not sure whether that's good or bad :-P
Then the bus on the way in was interesting.
When I got in, I was walking down Cathedral Street with a big goofy smile on my face yet again (I must stop that whole bus thing. It's not good, one of these days some thug's going to beat me up for smiling at them. It IS Glasgow, you kow). So I got to Journalism and the first thing Carol asked me (she's always first in the room) when I walked in the door was, "How's the romance going?" And so I just said, "Good, very good." And then started grinning like an eejit again.
Journalism was so, SOOO boring.
Then I went to the library - and not my Psychology tutorial!! Whoops - and spent two hours in chat, firstly having a minor meltdown of the "Oh noes!" variety rather than the "I hate myself and want to die" variety; then latterly talking about orgies and being called by all three guys in the room at the same time...
After that, I received some messages from Mal trying to guess who my mystery man is (Alex? Du-ude) and Xan with a suggestion for something I could try...Lindsay now thinks he's a pervert :-P
Oh, and I got a Superhero Triangle drawn on my arm. Michelle was Super Slut so I don't know who I'm supposed to be. Sal was Mr Angle *sniggers* Although we did have a good laugh, we passed a note and I laughed about how boring his email address is, lol.
That's pretty much it. Oh, and Mal just told me that I'm not boring, no, I'm "stimulating ;)"
Rofl.

Anywhore. Peace out, gang :D

L x

P.S. Not gonna tell ya, not gonna tell ya...Mal, you will be left wondering :-P