"The Gulf War Did Not Take Place"

Jean Baudrillard, a French philosopher and sociologist, once made the profound statement that "The Gulf war did not take place". Some thought it genious, others dismissed this as a sensationalist headline grabber sparked by a continental philosopher searching for the truth and reality. Because naturally philosophers are solely tormented people in the search for truth. If, however, you read past this simple statement, you would realise that Baudrillard wasn't actually denying the validity that the event happened, instead he was making a bold statement about the contentious issue of interpretation. That is, Baudrillard questioned whether the events that took place where comparable to how they were presented through the means of media.

For those of you who know me personally and whom have read my articles prior to this one, you will know I have a keen interest in reality television and the frightenly blurred relationship that it creates between fact and fiction. I learned of Baudrillard and his views in my Media class when I was at school, and I would say he has definitely influenced my outlook on life and made me cautious of the powerful entity that is the media itself.

With relation to the Gulf war, Baudrillard put forward the notion that it was a media spectacle, rehearsed much like a war game and then played out to the public as a simulation. The war itself, including the real violence and real bloodshed, was lost in the heavily shaped electronic narrative. That is to say the news reports and other forms of coverage were so heavily edited and focused on dangerously shot hand-held video clips and boasting of their supply of missiles that the nature of the war itself dissolved. The media stood in the way of communicating the truths of the war, as opposed to adding to it.

Whether or not you agree with Baudrillard picking of such a contentious topic to use as the example to put forth his theory, it would be hard to dispute how much the media shapes, influences and distorts our lives. I for one believe it's a sad reality that newspapers and their highly one-sided political bias shape our views of politics. If we don't know the whole unbiased and unedited truth about politics, then surely it's a dangerous situation to vote for someone or a party to gain political reign of our country that you know so little about.

Naturally you would want to deny that the media is a replacement of reality, but that is exactly what Baudrillard believed and I advocate. Consider your use of social media: you de-tag the photos you look bad in, you upload the ones that you look nice in, you write comedic and captivating statuses that make you sound interesting and you 'check-in' at 'cool' and 'hip' places - because that shows your friends and followers that you too are cool and hip. So you might not do all of that, but you're guilty of at least one point I guarantee. (I used to be jealous of compulsive Instagrammers, until I attempted to 'join the club' so to speak, only to realise it would take far too much time from my day trying to edit photographs to make me look artistic and effortlessly cool.) We ourselves are guilty of shaping our own lives through the media, and the media does this in turn to us on a much larger scale.

Next time you're watching the news, or reading the newspaper just think of how fictional and contrived the "news" really is. Because after all, reality cannot be replicated or reported, only distorted.

The trickery of time

It's been a little over a month since I last graced this blog with a spray of thoughts formed together so as to attempt to make sense of my bizarre stream of consciousness. I bear no real excuse, except the time old cliché of being so busy I am yet to catch up with myself. That, and perhaps a pinch of the old case of 'writers block'. Well it's all about quality and not quantity, right?

Here's a thought...

Many things in life are defined through an evident transition from one state to another quite different. Yes/no, never/always, open/closed are but three examples. Seasons, however, possess a unique quality in that they appear to seamlessly fade into one another; for I do not go to bed on a glorious summer's day and wake to crisp leaves lining a street of stark, stripped trees. And yet, in contrasting myself entirely it really did feel that way today. The heating switch was firmly flicked to 'on' - and no doubt will remain so until February, if not March - and my wardrobe, full of summer clothing, managed to belittle me into feeling foolish for not reacting quicker to stocking appropriate autumnal attire. And that's what's so very fascinating about time; it appears to pass by so very quickly, and yet every now and then it surprises me with its ability to prove how silently it can work.

So with Autumn now enveloping like a thick duvet, the time has come to drown myself in seasonal clichés. The fire will soon be lit, the countdown to Christmas fast approaches and nights will be spent wrapped in my feather duvet escaping in books and watching the abundance of new series that grace our televisions this very time every year. Oh Autumn/Winter, I love you.

80, single, living with cats.

My biggest fear in life is to die alone surrounded by a multitude of cats who ultimately, one day after feeling severely famished due to no one feeding them, eat me. 
Okay so there's not an inch of truth to that sentence, but let us not brashly overlook that this is a large and somewhat serious issue for a lot of people in life. Numerous people, namely women, actually go as far to planning their future pet situation due to depression of that place in life known as 'Singletown'. Need I remind you that this is a serious issue, guys.

I guess I struggle to understand this fear of loneliness and of being alone. And I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. I went through a break up not so long ago and it was my first "serious" relationship, and so I guess breaking up could be considered a big deal. If I'm honest the relationship was somewhat hit and miss for a long time, and so the break up wasn't a shock to me and, strangely enough, nor did it upset me. Instead of laying around feeling sorry for myself whilst simultaneously watching Bridget Jones's Diary and eating Ben and Jerry's... I got on with my life. There really is a life without being in a relationship. And it's actually a whole lot of fun. 

I'm not saying I'll have this attitude for the whole of my life, and with every man that I meet. Maybe one day once I've met "the one" everything will be different. But right now, as a nineteen year old, I can think of better things to do then cry over a past teenage relationship.

Firstly your old buddy free time reappears. You remember free time, don't you? It can appear at any time of the day, and it's really quite useful. You finally get to do the stuff you want to do, and you can happily be selfish with your time. Indulge yourself in things that make you happy; whether that's making time to see old friends or making cupcakes. Whatever floats your boat. Everybody's different, but it's crazy how you realise how little 'you' time you once gave yourself. 

I think another great factor of being single is how your true friendship bonds strengthen. Boys and girls come and go, but friendships are with you for life and so it really is essential to never drop friends for partners. Suddenly, with no one to fall back on, standing on your own two feet means you have to consciously make the effort to make plans. Now that I'm free to make my own choices, I wonder how I ended up staying in every weekend with just one person. There's a whole world out there to explore, and there's no one better to explore it with than your best friends.

I get that everyone is affected differently by break ups, and that a lot of you may struggle to understand my 'get on with it' approach. But when you look at life in the grand scheme of things... this really is but a blink in the eye. You are going to move on, you are going to be happy and you won't die alone surrounded by cats (although I can't promise about the last point). To prove my point, imagine a world where time didn't heal things... seriously we'd be the most socially inept world possible. All slumped up, crying, scoffing our faces whilst listening to depressing music. It just wouldn't, and doesn't happen.

Life goes on, and so will you :)

The importance of risk

While you are sitting here reading this very sentence, I want you to imagine how we got to where we are today. Dig a little deeper than well today came from following on from yesterday... I want you to consider how we have evolved; both technologically speaking and in terms of our material environment. If evolution is a trusted theory, or indeed if we were created ex nihilo, then there was once a point in this universe's lifetime when there was little to this earth. 

Because we were all born in the middle of the story, i.e. at a point whereby we are significantly more advanced in development in comparison to even just 100 years ago, it's really quite easy to overlook and take for granted our roots and progressive evolution. 

Nothing of what we have achieved so far, and will continue to discover and create, would be possible without taking risks. The word 'risk', to some, conjures up images of being exposed to danger, harm and loss. Others, notably entrepreneurs, see risk as the necessary factor in the equation to discovery and ultimately, success. I am a firm believer that nothing worth achieving in life comes easy.

Risk averse people tend to fall into the trap of thinking that risk only relates to entrepreneurs, but that's an easy mistake to falsely believe in. In choosing to go to university, young people take the risk in deciding to better their lives. It doesn't pay off for everyone, but for the majority this risk does; for the chance of success outweighs the risk of failure. And the same goes for school leavers opting to go straight into employment. It's the exact same formula and balance of risk/success. 

If everyone opted for the simple route in life, we would be without so many advancements. The thought of Sir Tim Berners-Lee not creating the internet is quite literally unthinkable. Sure there is the chance that a risk may not pay off, but instead of reading that as failure look at it as a learning curve. The best in the business didn't reach their peaks without a mountainous climb and set backs along the way. The amazing aspect to human existence is that we aren't aware of if we have, or ever will reach our ultimate potential, and so the scope for continuous development is infinitely open.

It's time to believe in yourself, erase the negative connotations associated with risk and embrace the infinite landscape of opportunity that is available to you in life. Why be a fleck in the existence of the universe when you can be respected and known for a valid purpose; for having achieved something worth remembering? It doesn't matter how big or small your impact is; everyone's climb to success is equally important in life... what matters is that you believed in yourself and gave something a go.

My sister, my best friend

Ever since I was a little girl I've looked up to my sister with regard to almost every aspect of my life. There is a two year age gap between us, so she's always seemed that bit more experienced at life than me. She's the cool one, the pretty one, she's my ultimate best friend. Friendships come and go, but the bond I have with my sister will stay just as strong for both of our lifetimes.

There's something irreplacable about the bond you share with a sibling. Unlike friends, who see you at your best, siblings see you at your very best, and your shamefully worst points too. You grow up together, you share secrets, you learn to accept every aspect of that person and, best of all, you know their limits. 

Luckily for my family, Lucy and I have never really experienced the whole sibling rivalry situation. We are so similar in certain aspects; the TV programmes we like, our food tastes, our love of shopping... yet at the same time we are two very different people. Lucy is most definitely a "peoples person". She can get on with anyone, and she's uber organised. The most ideal event planner type. I, however, can communicate perfectly confidently with people, but I'm an analyser. I thank Philosophy for that. Our differences, though not drastically polar opposite, add to our bond. It would be no fun if we shared the same taste in everything, or if we never disagreed. That's what makes a sisterly bond that bit stronger; we love each other enough to stand up against one another. 

Life is so unexpected, and you never know where you'll be heading, but family will always be there for you through thick and thin. So sometimes it's nice to appreciate your siblings and parents alike, because those are the people you are most likely to take for granted in life.

Cows graze, I graze...

I'm a self confessed grazer. Similar to a cow's eating habit, I spend all day long eating various items of food without much thought as to why I snack as often as I do. Realistically, if I had the means of using an oven or hob at work I would attempt to eat simply a hot meal for lunch with perhaps an item of fruit or two, but without such equipment I am left in the all-too-easy-to-gain-weight trapzone of that which is British packed lunch. 

I find it a daily uphill struggle to think of enough items to put together to constitute a sufficient lunch. Let me rephrase that; it's easy enough to throw any old easy ready made items together - i.e. the really unhealthy stuff - but not so easy to create not only a healthy lunchbox, but a filling one too. Because, let's face it, fruit doesn't keep you full for as long as you'd like it to. That crosses the apple diet off of my list.

I have found a happiness with Belvita's breakfast biscuits, as I find them a good mid-morning snack to see me through until lunch. These and cereal bars have become a staple in my office lunch, because they both contain fibre and release enough energy to curb and keep my hunger pangs at bay. Being the chef that I am though, I decided to attempt to make my own healthy cereal bars tonight. Nothing too fussy or over-adventurous for a first go, just simple, healthy, granola bars. And believe me, they are seriously good stuff. 

If you want to have a go at making them too, here's my recipe:

1 knifeful's scoop of butter (I use margarine - slightly healthier)
1/3 cup/mug of honey
1/2 cup/mug of brown sugar
3-4 cups/mugs of granola
1/2 cup/mug whole grain flour 

It's super easy. 
1. Mix the butter, honey and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil. Make sure you keep mixing it all though so that it doesn't burn. 
2. Then, mix the granola and flour in a separate bowl and pour in the boiled mixture. 
3. Mix it all together and spread the mixture onto a baking sheet flat in a large shape which you can cut into cereal bar shapes later on. 
4. Put it in the fridge to allow it to cool and set in to shape and cut into cereal bar shapes once cool.

Bon appetit everyone :)

Will the olympics inspire a generation?

London 2012. The most highly anticipated sporting event of the past, what seems forever, in Britain, and boy what a show it has been so far. Britain has triumphed in the league tables, positioning ourselves comfortably into third place with a tally of eighteen gold medals. Yes, you heard right. Britain has finally excelled at what appears to be almost every sport. 

So this morning whilst getting ready I went to flick on to BBC one's breakfast show, as I do every morning, only to be met by olympic coverage. Somewhat disappointing, for I wanted to know the weather forecast - which, for the record turned out to be dire - but, alas, for a couple of weeks I can tolerate ITV 1's version. If I'm being honest, the reason I choose not to watch ITV 1's breakfast show is that the order of events and the commentary itself irritates me. They always have to focus on hot topics and question whether the government, for example, will live up to their promises or whether Jamie Oliver will really impact school dinners being healthy and so on. Blablabla. It's far too early for such intense thought on what are quite frankly mundane and bleak issues. 

The topic of today was, unsurprisingly, shrouded with the olympics. More precisely whether, the motto of the olympics, "Inspire a generation" will live up to its expectations. Not in the sense of whether children want to take up sport as such, but as to whether the government are going to be able to fund such activities. Because of course, children cannot learn to run unless they are on a brand new athletics track. Goh, what do you take us for? 

And then it hit me. BAM. ITV 1's morning show annoys the brains out of me because they never ask whether the children are going to eat healthily, they ask whether the government are going to fund such a venture. It's not always the governments place to have to fund every aspect of our lives, you know. Sure, we all live in a cohesive society but, we are all autonomous individuals so, it is actually okay for us to fund our own sporting ventures, or - heaven forbid - even to learn and play sports in a regular playing field. 

Beyond the discussed topic leads to the question what "Inspire a generation" actually means. Personally, and I could be alone here, but I don't see it as simply inspiring a generation to be fit, healthy and athletic. I am well aware that I am not athletically inclined as such, but I do my best in trying to keep fit by means of Pilates and exercise DVDs. In watching the olympics, it would be wrong to suggest that I am not immensly proud (and a teeny bit jealous) of the athletes' faces upon the realisation that they have won gold. It spells a story far beyond the single race they have just won, it tells a story of a journey of determination, hard work, endless hours of practice and extreme motivation. 

And that's exactly how I encapsulate the olympic motto; not just inspiring a generation to become athletically-minded, but inspiring a generation to work hard to achieve their own unique personal dreams. It would be hard to watch how well our country is performing in these games and to not feel the slightest bit inspired by it.