SPAM!

If anyone has ever watched Fonejacker on Channel 4 in the UK, you will understand why I find receiving junk mail so utterly hilarious!

Normally I try not to read junk mail, I filter it to just go to a different folder, where all the poor little unread emails disappear into a big black hole. Sometimes though, one claims in the title to be a reply to something I have sent, and it usually involves a lottery draw, which I have been lucky enough to win, without even entering! These ones prove to be great entertainment, and I'd love to know who writes them.

Today I read one with the subject "Your Ref. NG/ST/GBS", leading me to believe that maybe I ordered something with that reference number. But no...this was telling me that due to illegal activity that I had carried out, I was putting my inheritance money at risk. Hmmm!

Funny that I should be getting inheritance money from someone in Nigera that I never met.

I continued to read on...and then the REALLY funny bit came.

"This card centre will send you an atm
card which you will use to withdraw
your money in any atm machine in any part
of the world,but the maximum is
ten thousand,five hundred United States
dollars per day. So if you like to
receive your funds in this way please let
us know by contacting the Dhl
Courier Company"

DHL?! Aaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaha!!!

It then goes on to describe how DHL will deliver my card to me for a fee of $200. Seems like a bargain to me.

So that was the most entertaining moment of my day so far, and now it's 18:50, so I doubt anything more excellent will happen than that.

Also by the way, this story may resonate with you if you have read Danny Wallace's "Yes Man", in which he says yes to everything, including such a spam email as the above. Very funny indeed!

Spontaneous Moment of the Year so far!

I saw someone on Facebook say they were going to see Bloc Party tonight, and I was gutted that I didn't know about it.

Looked for tickets and there still seemed to be some available. So I bought them, with only 4 hours till the doors open! =D

Can't wait to see them! So look forward to a Bloc Party gig review soon!

When picking a dissertation question...

...pick something you will enjoy!

To be honest, I don't think anyone can "enjoy" writing 10,000 words on one single subject! Well ok, I know some people can, but not 3rd year students like me who eat too much junk and sleep very little!

My dissertation currently look like this:

Ah only kidding! So far it's going ok. The above is the title, which is actually more engaging than it sounds. I just hope the poor soul who marks it agrees!

But it is a very stressful process. I think the worst part is thinking that you can't do it. I certainly got to a point last week where I was looking at a blank page, and had a blank brain too, because all I could think was "I can't do it!"

So, anyone else done a dissertation or currently doing one? What was your topic?

I will keep you updated on progress, and any interesting findings!

First Impressions Matter

The following is a piece that I wrote a while ago based on a previous experience. I just thought I would share it with you here on my blog:

A handshake to me was always something that older people did. It was a formal act in my opinion, and suggested that two people didn't really know each other that well, if at all. Whether or not the hand shakers knew one another was not a concern for me though; by looking at people and the way they shake hands, it is not difficult to tell how they relate to one another. I took the view that handshaking was just like saying "hello", so it didn't really matter how you did it.

The first part of this statement is true, the second is not! Hand shaking is in fact a way of saying "hello", and in the same way, it does matter how you go about it. If you say "hello" to someone in a tone that suggests you really don't want to be there, they can sense it. If you smile and say hello, the greeting takes on a different meaning. The same goes for a hand shake.

If you are meeting someone for the first time, the handshake is the first opportunity they get to relate to you on a personal level. If you are not meeting for the first time, it is likely to be more informal, and doesn't create a lasting impression.

I learnt this the hard way. As a young woman, I tried to avoid hand shaking. It was quite an embarrassing situation to find myself in, and evidently, my handshake showed this discomfort. On work experience at a local radio station, I met someone for the first time in the kitchen. I said hello in a friendly manner, and tried to come across as a confident young woman, even though inside I was quite nervous.

The woman then came over to me to shake my hand. I was thankful that my hand was not clammy, so I continued in my usual manner to shake her hand in a loose and reserved manner. This turned out to be my biggest mistake of the week. She told me that I had an awful handshake, and it showed that I was not confident, and did not like the situation I was in. Okay, this was partly true, but I did not want it to be so obvious.

After some conversation about the handshake, I learned that it should always be a fairly firm grip, accompanied by good eye contact and a confident smile. Suddenly, handshaking felt important. I had learned a valuable lesson to take to future job interviews, and also social situations.

This is not to say that when you meet friends you have to firmly shake hands and appear confident. Of course, the handshake depends on the situation, but clearly as my experience shows, a handshake is a gateway to your personality.

Reflection

Tonight I have been browsing other blogs just to get a feel of what people use their blog space for.

Personally, I wanted mine to be kind of like a diary (without the private stuff!) that I could look back on and remember things.

I found a blog tonight that truly reflects how I would love to write. I would enjoy writing about little things that happened, and explaining my feelings about them. Perhaps I just don't have the patience or the drive to write so poeticly any more.

Anyway, here is a link for anyone who is interested. You may even have already seen it...

http://ricksgarden.blogspot.com/

While I am feeling reflective, may I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my friends, family and my fantastic boyfriend for all of their love and support over the years, to get me to where I am today.

New Leader of the World

In a few hours, Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States of America/World.

This is more of a diary entry really than a blog, and a chance for people to share opinions via comment.

I have the live action on BBC News 24, and at the moment, everyone is getting a little bit excited.

Personally, I am not as excited as I hoped I would be. I just really hope there will be a change for the better in the world, and that the words are not empty promises. We shall see.

Oooohhh we are hearing on the BBC that George Bush has just been boo'ed. Interesting.

The day's fun continues...

West Ham United

I LOVE THEM!

Football is a strange thing. You find yourself addicted. It takes over your life sometimes, and then you realise that it's 22 overpaid men kicking a ball and falling over. But it's great!!!

Today I watched West Ham V Fulham and we played brilliantly. Zola is really starting to prove that he can infuse confidence, belief and tactics into a decent side. We've always been capable of being a good side, but we don't always execute it. Winning in such style as today is a joy. It lifts my spirits no matter what!

Oh, and as for Bellamy he is no longer wanted by West Ham fans. After chanting "Are you watching Bellamy" whilst being 3-1 up, I think that made it pretty clear!

Thank you West Ham for providing some of the happiest moments of my life over the past 20 years! I was lucky enough to be a season ticket holder for about 5 years, and witnessed the likes of Paulo Di Canio, Carlos Tevez, Teddy Sherringham, Joe Cole and Vladamir Labant!!!

(Photo courtesy of BBC News)

While we are on the subject of football, the current transfer rumour is that Kaka is going to fully loaded Man City for £100million. This is an absurd amount of money to put on a mans head. He would apparently be paid £500,000 per week. I couldn't take that money and be proud of myself. There are children starving in the world. By all means I would love to see someone of his stature in the English Premier League, but not for those prices.

Graduate Jobs

I'll be honest from the start. I am absolutely terrified about having to find a job in September in the current financial climate.

We are now reading stories saying that graduates are finding this the worst time to leave uni and find a job, because there aren't any. So, we leave school and are told to get into £20,000 worth of debt, because it will definitely help us get a job. Well thanks Mr Blair, Mr Brown and Mr Bank. Students are now screwed. Even if I'm lucky, I might find a job in a shop for which I'm over qualified.

My plan over the next year is as follows:

• Leave uni in June, hopefully with a good pass
• Return to Ireland for the summer and work (job hunting as we speak!)
• Move back to Chester having found a cheap flat and managed to pay a deposit
• Begin a job and work like a dog just to pay the bills

It's really REALLY scary. I am hopeful that I will get a good degree, and I am in contact with people to find a job in September, but so far, not good. How am I supposed to pay rent, bills, food and live with no job? I will be living with my boyfriend who will still be a student, so there will be little second oncome.

This is the first time in my life I have been genuinely anxious about getting into the big wide world, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

And just so I can show off one of my photos, I'm going to end with the phrase, "time is running out"!

Life Update

Well, the busy Christmas and New Year period is over. But I'm still busy!

Obviously, deadlines are a problem this time of year. I say problem, because it always seems as though they cannot possibly be kept to, even if a miracle were to occur.

Every time a deadline comes around, we all panic and think we can't do it, and it's gonna be rubbish even when we do get it in. This time is no exception!

But it will be ok. This time I am creating an 8 page magazine complete with design and photographs. I am making a teenage health magazine, hoping that it would stop teenage girls from turning to adult methods of staying healthy.

So, that is why there has been no writing for a while. Hopefully soon I will do something of significance to write about.

Happy New Year by the way!

Oh and Woolworths is now officially no longer.