The Random Ramblings of Lauren

Hello bloggersphere! For this month's post, I was unsure what to write about. My upcoming holiday, maybe. Or the pro's and con's of my flatmates. Or even a post on a sport I'm currently involved in. I wasn't sure. But then the decision was made for me when I checked my inbox and saw that - hurrah - someone had messaged me about my blog a while back and I never realised! Which made my day, cos it means that people are actually reading instead of just clicking on it accidentally, which is what I tell myself sometimes. Anyway, this is what it said: "Hi lauren. I like your blog! My friend knows you and showed it to me. You write really well its interesting to read. You should talk about your own life some more though they are your best posts. The PR stuff isn't as interesting. Keep it up Joan." Thanks for your message Joan! Here's a little background... The PR element of this blog was actually a requirement of my university ...

If anyone reading this is currently buzzing with the excitement and romance of Valentines Day spirit, then I would advise you stop reading now. Because this next post is my attempt to point out exactly why Valentines is a load of hype over what is actually, a very average day. If you're reading this and either single, in a crummy relationship, or have little hope for plans tomorrow, then you're not alone. Welcome to the dark side. So it's Valentines Day!!! But wait, because I'm sorry to be a scrooge but I'm not sure I understand this hype. Valentines Day is one day a year that couples are forced to show their partner that they still care about them, while masses of singletons sit around sobbing in self pity and surrounded by constant reminders of the fact they are incapable of sustaining a stable relationship. I have a major gripe with the over-importance and pressure placed on partners to make that 'extra effort' for their loved ones. It become...

Ahh, Lostprophets. If like so many of us, you went through a stage in the last decade of listening to angsty punk rock music, wearing more than your fair share of black eye-liner and considering yourself ‘misunderstood’, then the chances are that you will have heard of the band Lostprophets. In their prime, the Welsh punk rock band were adored globally and enjoyed sold out tours. They achieved two top ten UK singles alongside several awards for best British band, best single, best live act, and best album, to mention a few. And if somehow you hadn't heard of the Lostprophets then you probably will have now, thanks to the recent media craze over lead singer Ian Watkins and his appalling criminal behaviour. In late 2012, Watkins was charged with a number of sexual offences against children. Up until recently the artist has furiously denied such allegations, insisting in May of this year that he would “fight to the bitter end to clear his name.” (The Guardian...

Toronto mayor Rob Ford is quickly earning a reputation worldwide for being a bit of a trouble maker. In the past two weeks the politician has been under constant fire from the media with accusations of alcohol and substance abuse, as well as his poor ethics in handling the matter. Rob Ford’s lack of filter around the press and public has become a news sensation, leaving many of us at the edge of our seats waiting to hear of his next big blunder. But love him or hate him, it has to be said he is not your conventional politician. Ever since the story exploded onto the news a fortnight ago, Rob Ford has relied heavily upon tactics of avoiding blame in order to portray an honest and innocent persona. The mayor claims he had no recollection of his actions as he was in a “drunken stupor” at the time. As if being extremely drunk as well as taking drugs, somehow makes things better. Surely if anything that makes matters worse… Throughout the scandal his ethics and behaviour in han...

So today I want to talk about something serious. Something that isn't going to be light-hearted reading - and for that I apologise. This isn't going to be a funny little philosophical blog about my thoughts or grumbles about life or observations about society. And if that's the type of post you are looking for, my dear readers, then click away now. Because today I need to talk about something that has destroyed thousands of lives, homes, families and livelihoods. A disaster of record scale. A tragedy. I am talking of course, about Super Typhoon Haiyan. Even before Super Typhoon Haiyan struck on Friday morning, forecasters warned it might be the strongest storm in recorded history. Predictions were made that it would be 3.5 times more ferocious than Hurricane Katrina -- and big enough to stretch from Spain to Sweden. And they were right. The typhoon hit the Philippines on Friday the 8th of November, affecting over 11.5 million residents. It is estimated to have...

Hello again my lovely readers! It's been a while since the last time I posted, so my apologies. I guess I got a little wrapped up in my own little world, and forgot the importance of taking a little time to sit down and clear your mind. Blogs are an amazingly useful tool, even for something as simple as giving you a chance to vent all those niggling thoughts in the back of your brain. It's kind of like spinning plates... You get so caught up trying to keep everything going and try so hard not to let anything fall, that you don't give yourself a chance to just be yourself. But once again, I digress. Here goes. So in the second year of university, I think the biggest thing I've learnt is what NOT to do. Unfortunately I learnt the hard way, but on the bright side, hopefully by reading this you will have the sense to avoid making the same mistakes! And although some may seem like obvious blunders, it doesn't take much to make something appear like a great idea. May...

What are the most important things in a relationship? Personally it's love, trust, respect and care. But believe me when I tell you that finding someone who can offer you all of those, is no mean feat. However that's not such a problem with friends! I promise this isn't some girlish drawl of "Oh men suck, I'm going to be single all my life", and neither is it some dig at any previous relationships. It's simply me acknowledging what took a long time to realise - That the love of a friendship can be just as rewarding as the love of a relationship. There is nothing more comforting than having a good hug and a motivational talk, or a spontaneous act of generosity from a best friend. It doesn't matter if you're having a great day or a terrible one, the company of your friends makes it better. Unfortunately, there comes a time in life when we find ourselves stuck in a depressingly exhausting situation with someone we care about. Yet there is...