A perfect time to pounce?

You're out on a night out, someone comes over to you, you chat, exchange numbers, and more importantly, share Facebook details...
It's over.
Without realising it, you already know what their favourite music to listen to is, film, book, hobby, food, job, school they went to, interests, religion, friends, where they live, who they know, what they do in their spare time, likes, dislikes, if they have twitter, who they are following on twitter, what they did last friday night, if they take a good photo, if they're MARRIAGE MATERIAL?
I read in an article recently, a university undergraduate from Cheshire, was quoted saying "One of the attractions of Facebook is that you can find out so much about someone before you even date them".
That sentence itself just shows the problem. Some people may believe it saves time? Or makes the process quicker? But why do people want that?
In terms of dating, Facebook seems to be a CV for people to display in hope that they appear 'cool', or 'interesting'. Facebook is a place for people to create a false profile which they can hide behind. I'm pretty sure the term 'dating', means going out socially, to get to know one another. And I'm sure that it helps with conversation starters, if you need them, but they know you know the answer to whatever question you are going to ask. It makes people lazy, and not interested, in being interested in another person to get to know them. And as if Facebook stalking wasn't already easy enough, a few months back, an application was launched where you can get your romantic interest's relationship status updates sent straight to your inbox. The 'Breakup Notifier App, lets users select people they want to 'monitor'. Perfect, you see a fit girl you've had your eye on for a while, whose posted her relationship status to single, time to pounce. So what its been 13 seconds? She can move on. I love the tagline that's been given for the app too; "You like someone. They're in a relationship. Be the first to know when they're out of it". Dan Loewenherz, the developer of the app, said when he launched the app and it's website, within 36 hours the site has been visited more than 700,000 times, and the app had been downloaded by 40,000 people. Facebook then crushed the hearts of the stalkers on Facebook, when the social networking site suddenly disabled the popular tracking app, but not for long, as over a week later, the app was restored as it wasn't breaking any violating or privacy rules. This only encourages the way things are changing.
I guess instead of using a dating site, people use Facebook as its easier, free, and you don't have to appear like your desperately seeking a relationship, even though you secretly are. As time goes on, I don't doubt the profile layout will include a section where you write what you look for in a partner? And what's your 'type'? Until then, you Facebook stalkers will have to do the research yourselves. Tip: Look what their ex's look like. Another tip: An ex, is an ex for a reason.

AYUP

one-eyed boredom being stuck at home...

“Who knows what's around the corner...I'd rather wait and see”

Carolyn Waudby; My Life As A Journalist.

Carolyn Waudby didn't always know she wanted to be a Journalist, her chosen degree in French Studies at Manchester University shows that. When choosing her degree, she picked a subject she most enjoyed. Carolyn is now fluent in French, although hasn't used it to her advantage in the world of Journalism.
Carolyn's primary motivation for becoming a journalist was based on how she loved to write. She wanted a varied job, one which isn't structured nine until five everyday. The unpredictability of Journalism is what caught her eye. A week after her MA in Creative Writing degree finished, she was lucky enough to get a job in Journalism as a columnist. After becoming a columnist, Carolyn decided to work freelance. Carolyn talks about the great benefits and freedom of becoming a freelance Journalist, yet it causes a major strain on finances. Carolyn carried on writing poetry, but then also decided to work as a Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, after much previous teaching experience. Carolyn enjoys the creativity side of teaching, and also enjoys working with young people.
At the moment, poetry has taken a back seat, and her focus is on teaching journalism, and travel writing, a keen passion of Carolyn's. It was a financial advisor friend that helped her see instead of going into debt for travelling, do the two things you love most: travelling and writing. This inspired her to set up a Cafe Blog, which you can find on her blog; 'Travels With A Pen'. Carolyn has already lived a year in France, and travelled in summers in America and Germany. She wants to carry on expanding her Cafe Blog, however would rather it stay an enjoyable hobby, rather than it being a job to her, something which she fears for, with the amount of interest she has had from Independent Cafe's asking for reviews.
Carolyn has been lucky enough to travel to many cities across the world. Her favourites being Paris, of course with the association of Cafes, Havana, and Lisbon. Both due to the energy vibes and also the cultural mix and architecture it has.
When asking Carolyn what was the most interesting article she has covered, without any hesitation, she stated it was the cover of the Pakistan flood disaster, which she won a Newspaper Society award for. This took so much funding, which she did all herself and achieved very well.
Carolyn believes the hardest thing about being a Journalist would be having to pitch an article. Its a tough, yet necessary task. Carolyn's only regret would be that she wasn't more confident when she was younger, and hadn't gone for bigger opportunities. She has never planned her career. “Who knows what's around the corner...I'd rather wait and see”. Carolyn would still love to write a novel, amongst many other ambitions.
As for what's next? A project next year on Falkland Islands. Carolyn is excited for this, especially as its where her parents met and where she was conceived. She is intending to write about the sea, islands, and everything associated with them.
Alongside this, Carolyn will continue her teaching, poetry, travel blog, and maybe get around to writing that novel. If only there were more hours in a day.

Its a grim life... isn't it?

Sat on my train back to sheff playing the waiting game. As I look up, a businessman opposite me is on the phone to who I assume is his wife. The conversation appearing lovingly, with his wife or partner asking how his day has been and when he'll be home. A few minutes later, he then says he'll catch her later, and as he puts down the phone, he's rolling his eyes and shaking his head. He looks at his phone with resentment while he puts it in he trouser pocket. He opens back up his laptop and starts typing away.
So is that what happens? You fall in love, marry, then spend the rest of your life resenting eachother for making eachother so unhappy. I've seen it so many times before, and as I look around, I see older, assumed married couples, sat in silence with no eye contact given except for the odd glance of resentment, as if they are annoying you for even breathing! If anyone wanted an 'ad' for why not to marry, this would be it right now. A reason to stay and be alone for the rest of your life, making it seem like you'd be happier that way, but in fact we all know you wouldn't. People take eachother for granted so much of the time, they believe they are unhappy, but if you really realised what you had, you'd know you weren't actually that unhappy.

"LIAR LIAR, NICK CLEGG'S ON FIRE!"

"LIAR LIAR, NICK CLEGG'S ON FIRE!"

Clegg's lost his hope for a Liberal Government for the future, and the people who mean the most in terms of voting, are the ones he's lost it to.
If Nick Clegg wanted students to get involved in Politics, that's definitely what he's done. Alongside the riots and petitions, the popular social networking site 'Facebook', has been used to set up groups in an act of everybody getting together to talk about how much of a hypocrite Nick Clegg is. As well as my quoted heading, they vary from “If I got a penny every time Nick Clegg lied, I'd have enough for uni” and “The day Nick Clegg dies because his would-be doctor didn't go to uni”, to “Why did Nick Clegg cross the road? Because he said he wouldn't!” Fooled myself by Nick Clegg's charm, his statements prior the election such as “I think tuition fees are wrong. I think it is wrong to saddle young people with debt” spoken words on ITV's programme 'Dermot meets Nick Clegg', cannot be any more annoying and frustrating.
However worrying it is that I am going to leave university with an even bigger cloud of debt than i'd imagined, it isn't actually what I see the problem is as such. Nick Clegg promising that he'd abolish tuition fees saying “These are the things that make me angry” is the problem. I know the Tories won't let him do so now, but it still makes you a hypocrite to help completely do the opposite. If the Lib Dems cared half as much as Nick Clegg claimed, they'd have protested themselves against the Tories intentions. The only thing Nick Clegg has got out of this is being partially respected by David Cameron, and who cares for that? Who says its going to last?
The only good thing Nick Clegg has caused from this for us is the fact that its getting more students involved in politics. He needs to remember the most important factor though, it's not in support for Lib Dems.

"Post Secret" Trend

Alter ego

summer brief for art college is 'Alter Ego'.
My first interpretation being either second self? or like a second persona?
Looking into it, its not just these guys who create a 'double life'.