Scrubs

There should be more TV programmes like Scrubs... it's got that whole wicked combination of being hysterically funny, off-the- wall crazy and poignant at the same time. I always feel a little low at the end of the term, but watching tonight's episode put it all in perspective for me - the quote 'nothing worth having in this world comes easy' is one that I have heard before, but it really struck me this time, and made me realise that it's completely true. Relationships, acheivements and all that jazz definitely don't come easy, and you're only going to get there with a lot of work and a bit of bravery, too.

It's very easy to give up striving to be the best person you think you can be, and just act like everybody else, drink away your problems and take mind-altering drugs that make you stop caring. It's incredibly tempting to escape reality, but you can't do it forever. Soon enough it's going to trip you up, and that fall is going to hurt.

I generally hate new year's resolutions as a concept, but I do believe in self-improvement, and I do know that I've gotten a little side-tracked the last few months. So it is time to change that, and focus on what is good and get away from what is bad for me.

5 songs to make it all okay again

Just like a cup of tea often seem the answer to everything, music has the ability to heal the soul. I've come across 5 songs in the past few weeks that I've noticed have been able to uplift or comfort me whenever I have felt down. So, if you need a little perspective, I recommend you check these tracks out:

1) Let Go - Frou Frou. As featured in the stunning cult film Garden State, it’s an incredible tune with soaring melodies, guaranteed to lift your spirits!

2) Move On Now – Hardfi. It’s not always easy being told to move on, particularly, when you don’t want to. However, this track soothes and comforts you and makes moving on seem almost appealing, and definitely the right thing to do. Perfect if you’re in the middle of a break-up.

3) You Only Get What You Give – The New Radicals. They may have only released one album, but there’s something about this song that just makes you smile.

4) Jamiroquai – Canned Heat. Sheer brilliance. Just makes you want to get up and dance. Guaranteed to jolt you out of any bad mood. I personally think they should make a musical base on their tunes. Oh, and JK is on my list.

5) Heartbeats – The Knife. A brilliant band in anycase, Heartbeats has to be possibly one of the best tunes ever.

Dissertations are a pile of....

I hate research. I don't want to read or write about Jurgen Habermas in his coffee house. Shouldn't he just drink coffee in a coffee house, not create an entire media theory surrounding it? And then people write books such as 'After Habermas' - as if we need more information about what people talk about whilst having coffee. Get over it. They have coffee, they slag off Tony Blair, they go home. There's a media theory for you.

Ok, ok. I know I should really be embracing this opportunity to expand my mind and write academic crap. But I can't do it. I have the attention span of an ant. Ok, maybe not an ant because they can actually follow a trail all day. I've watched them. I can read for about two minutes and then I start thinking about other things. Like getting a coffee. And the last thing I want to talk about when actually drinking my coffee is the state of the world today.

See, I'm already bored of writing this. How am I going to concentrate for long enough to write 10,000 words on The New Public Sphere? It's just not going to happen.

Pointless Assignments

Ok, so I admit that I'm using more time and energy complaining about this work than actually doing it, but seriously. What is the point in writing stupid placement reports and production analysis essays??? I would rather jump out a window, but it's raining. I also have to leave my cosy (heated - yay!) house in a minute to go to a completely pointless lecture where I never learn anything. I'm in a really tetchy moody today, no idea why. Just want to complain about EVERYTHING.

Hot water, and everything!

'Morning, Roberts.'
'Hi, our boiler is broken. Can we have it fixed, please?'
'Sure, no problem. FYI, we're gonna send some 12 year olds round to look at it, but they won't be qualified, so then we'll send someone else round a few days later. He'll say he doesn't have the parts. Then the landlord will decide he wants someone else to look at it. So he'll send three people round for a quote, after which we may eventually get something done. That ok?'

The day arrived. We were all relatively hungover as it had been Maggie's birthday the night before. Lucky Maria managed to get a shower in before they turned the water off (without telling us). The rest of us weren't so lucky. I emerged eventually to find six plumbers in our kitchen. that's right, six. Word had obviously got round the plumber's world about the saga of our boiler. I think they were sitting round, drinking tea and exchanging stories about what day they'd been round to look at it.

"Yeah, I was here Tuesday. Had right keruffle with it. It wasn't happy, I tell ya."
"Really? Well, I was here Thursday. Gave me a headache, it did."
They seemed to be having a brilliant time at their little convention. Ha. Just fit the boiler, please.

And then, miraculously, it was done. The radiators were hot to the touch. The kitchen tap could be used to run hot water for the washing up. Bliss. We sat in front of our telly, without three layers on for the first time in weeks, marvelling at this new luxury of heating.

'Shit!' Martin jumped up from the couch. "Something dripped on me!"
We gazed upwards to see droplet forming on the lounge ceiling, directly below the bathroom.

Brrrilliant.