Labels: exams, philosophy, psychology, stress, USA
New layout:
Labels: exams, philosophy, psychology, stress, USA
"The Elims have falbs but we have balloons!"
Labels: naps, school, stress, to-do list

Labels: art, competition, driving, woot
Labels: laughter
So, I have now switched to the new version of blogger - before I'm made to! I guess we'll see how cool it is!
Labels: blogging
Labels: good news
Firstly, my party was good. The film which we watched, called The Break Up, was not. I wouldn’t recommend it. In some romantic comedies you really don’t notice that there are only two properly known characters, in this film you really really did. If that makes sense. And it was just not great. I was constantly looking at how long had went – never a good sign!
Labels: disjointed, faith, weekend
So, 18. An adult. More responsible. Apparently!
It’s been a mixed day.
I’d a geography test – bleurgh. I really ran out of time, but I guess it’s better to run out of time in November, rather than June! And I’ve two more mocks coming up soon – which I should get the full amount of time needed to do the paper!
UCAS… I thought, as I logged in to check my email, "wouldn't it be just wonderful to get an offer from Cardiff on my birthday..." and I got an email saying my UCAS had changed.. Sadly, not the way I'd hoped…
I applied to Cardiff for applied psych and then decided to slot in a Cardiff back-up of normal psych too - applied psych is definitely my preference but I needed a sixth choice basically. Well, I've been "unsuccessful" in my quest for normal psychology. I'm hoping they're saying "we won't accept you for both psych and applied psych, so we'll reject you for psych and you can come and be wonderful for applied psych" - especially as I've booked flights to go and visit them!!! It would be pretty icky for them to say "come and visit" only to reject me...
So, it sits now:
Applied Psych at Aston – not heard back
Psych at Queens – not heard back
Applied Psych at Cardiff – not heard back
Psych at Cardiff – rejected/unsuccessful
Applied Psych at Canterbury - they want me
Applied Psych with Clinical at Canterbury – they want me
Ultimately, I know I'll go where I need to be/where God wants me to be but prayers would be appreciated that I would accept whatever this may mean...
My dad’s friend died today – he was 75. He survived two open heart surgeries. Went into hospital and as soon as he cleared whatever it was he had up, he got something else and so it went on. He then got leukaemia – but the doctors remained positive and said he’d be home by Christmas. He died today at lunch time.
Some of you may know that this time last year was kinda hard on my family. My granny, my dad’s mum, got a lot weaker in the week around my birthday. I had my birthday party on the Friday night (my birthday was the Wednesday) and on the Saturday 12th at around 4-7am my granny died - so she died three days after my birthday. My aunt (dad’s sister) came up and sat me down. A couple of years ago my granny asked my aunt to buy my 18th birthday present – it’s basically a key (I think they’re called French Keys now), sprayed black on a red ribbon – upholding the tradition of being given a key to the house on your 18th/21st. It’s just made me a little teary I guess - as my friend has just said "that's so so lovely of her".
Anyway… Enough of the sad!
I think the funkiest present goes to Rose! She got me pretty wellies!! They’re so cute – they’re pink and red with hearts and stuff! I’ve been given the challenge of wearing them to church one rainy night! Rose, you and I are going out in a walk in the rain soon!
You may remember about the cow painting I saw in Cardiff. Well, Bradbury Graphic got them in – and I got it!! My mum/mum and dad got it for me. Sadly, I don’t have it yet – the artist is coming over to NI on the 18th so will sign it for me and I’ll get to meet her.
My friends weren’t too bad in school today – they did try to get the music teacher in charge of choir to announce it. Despite writing it down, he forgot.
At lunch time I’d the feeling something was going on because Claire dragged me around this really weird way – we went and wished happy birthday to the tree who had its birthday today and she wouldn’t let me go in to common room. She went into check something and I dived into the library opposite. Rose came in looking for me, asked the librarian if she’d seen me (I was sitting right behind Rose’s back…) and the librarian lied for me! Although then she went out and told them…
They’d got a cake (fair enough, I did that to Rose) – but they’d candles. Oh, but not just any candles – those silly ones that never ever blow out! They had to be pinched!!
But, thanks Rose – you’re a star!
Quote of the day:
"So, do you feel older? 'Cause you look like crap" "Umm.." – I’m hoping she was joking…
I decided to make some resolutions for the coming years. One of them was to be more open to the fact that God is in control and to be more submissive to Him and His Will – I have been really challenged on a few things recently but really struggle implementing stuff to do with them!
Another is to be more assertive – now, I have no issue telling people how I feel some of the time – and when I told Marty this in the office today I got a funny look! But sometimes I have major issues saying “no” and this can lead to me feeling totally overwhelmed! So, I’m going to try and find a nice way to say “erm... I’m busy”. I do four A levels, I’m at church about eight hours a week – three evenings, plus morning church (not that I’m complaining!). My fourth A level takes up four hours on a Wednesday evening. And I hear there’s this cool thing called a social life too…
So, my birthday round up. Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday – I got too many messages to reply to them all!! I should have really made buns for tomorrow night! And I need to have a shower before bed! Eek!! Now, I’d have really liked Bernard’s Watch…
Labels: art, bad days, bad news, birthday, faith, friends, good days, good news, quote, school, uni
The Chimney Sweeper
(Songs of Innocence)
When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"
So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.
There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head,
That curl'd llke a lamb's back. was shav'd: so I said
"Hush. Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare
You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair."
And so he was quiet & that very night,
As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight!
That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned or Jack.
Were all of them lock'd up in coffins of black.
And by came an Angel who had a bright key,
And he open'd the coffins & set them all free;
Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run,
And wash in a river. and shine in the Sun.
Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,
They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind;
And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,
He'd have God for his father & never want joy.
And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark.
And got with our bags & our brushes to work.
Tho' the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm;
So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.
I can be quite picky in what I like. There’s one particular area I am really picky in. In the last couple of years I’ve only really liked two people in this area. I just love listening to them and what they have to say. Sometimes they can be a bit confusing but not necessarily in a bad way…
So, any ideas what I’m talking about?
I am, of course, talking about poets!
Yeah, it took me a while to find any poet I could say I liked! A long time! But, when I was doing my GCSEs (gosh… so long ago!), I fell in love with Robert Frost – I even bought a book with all/most of his poems from the coolest bookshop in Belfast (No Alibis).
Now, I find myself in love with William Blake – which is good, I’ve a feeling I’ll need to be reminded of this love as he is responsible for a third (or maybe a sixth..) of my English lit A2 syllabus!
He just seems to have a really cool way of looking at things. In this poem, for example, religion is addressed (a common theme), as is childhood (again, a common theme).
The last line “So if all do their duty they need not fear harm.” can be read ironically. It’s the idea that people who have religious beliefs can sometimes be a bit ‘sure, it doesn’t matter what we do about –whatever- because everything will work out ok in the end and we’ll go to heaven where if you’ve had a horrible time in this life it’ll be rewarded etc’.
This idea sometimes gets me through days where I just feel like nothing is going right and I’ve nothing to look forward to ever again. I feel comforted by the fact that God is in control and that there’s some form of purpose to it all.
However, it can also lead to a less positive thing. Lethargy and inactiveness. Think about it, if everything in pre-destined or whatever, sure, what’s the point in really doing anything?
My old English teacher (the one I had for my GCSEs) is a local politician (for the Green party) and he wrote an article on George W Bush (and, no, not a “isn’t he wonderful?” article) – I really wish I could find a copy of it and read it! But, basically, it said that Bush believes that the world has to be destroyed before Christ will return – so why bother with silly things like the Kyoto agreement if runaway carbon emissions are just going to speed up the destruction?
I think this is a totally irresponsible point of view! As my old geography teacher repeated on what seemed like a daily basis “The earth is leant to us in sacred trust – we must look after it for our children”.
I admit, I am not the most Kyoto-friendly person – but I’m trying! Every little counts.
Anyway... well done America! So proud of you! Not only was there an abnormally high turn out but one house has a democrat majority and the other is borderline – two independent, forty-nine republican, forty-eight democrat with Virginia still up for grabs - the democrats got 8000 (0.3%) more votes in the first count and the recount result is pending.
Anyway… just one hour of childhood left… Hmm… The big bad adult world awaits… Wish me luck! (Especially in the geography mock I’ve got tomorrow!)
Labels: politics
I now understand Wittgenstein - even his picture theory of represention (well, it is the bit I undertand least, but I still get it) - and anti-realism!!!
In the topic of religious language I understood Aquinas virtually straight away and walked out of class understanding logical positivism (both verification and falsification). We don't really look at myths, symbols or metaphors (given that you have a choice in an exam we just learn a few topics well enough to write about whichever two we choose) but I was struggling with Wittgenstein and anti-realism.
But now, after lots of sitting down and re-reading stuff five times over, I understand it. Woot!!! (I've found it helps to do it first thing when you wake up, or having a nap first!)
However, I think our next topic is the ontological argument... Which doesn't look like wee buns...
And now, having cleared three things of my to-do list (yes, so I skivved off church), I'm off out on a walk with Rose!
Labels: friends, philosophy, school, to-do list
Labels: comedy, NI, politics, The Blame Game
And the big news for today....
I have more news but it will wait...
Labels: good news, Hallowe'en, uni