MadameChaos

just went to see Tim Hecker at a wonderful old church, the acoustics were amazing and it was an awesome gig.

*sound of ovaries exploding*

what am i meant to be looking at with the iPhone thing? i don't get it.

a apple and some strawberry and kiwi flavoured fizzy water

wow spiral! i have a solid business idea yeah? we make some fabric out of your designs and sell them to hipsters at brick lane market. interested?

why not take a holiday? a few weeks soaking up another culture, sitting by the sea and relaxing and you'll be right as rain (maybe). I'm out of holidays for this year. I spend 20 days in Thailand and felt great after that. (Peru next year!) Maybe I just haven't learned to cope with my stress adequately. I'm going to look into some stress and anxiety management methods/techniques or whatever. side note... in my anxiety fueled episode yesterday I looked at a lot of London real estate. Some beautiful areas! there are lots of things you can do, and you'll be surprised how much small changes can give you big results. here's a few: Be Active If you have a stress-related problem, physical activity can get you in the right state of mind to be able to identify the causes of your stress and find a solution. “To deal with stress effectively, you need to feel robust and you need to feel strong mentally. Exercise does that,” says Cooper. Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts and enabling you to deal with your problems more calmly. Take control There’s a solution to any problem. “If you remain passive, thinking, ‘I can’t do anything about my problem’, your stress will get worse,” says Professor Cooper. “That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing.” The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it's a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else. Read tips about how to manage your time. Connect with people A problem shared is a problem halved. A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way. “If you don’t connect with people, you won’t have support to turn to when you need help,” says Professor Cooper. The activities we do with friends help us relax and we often have a good laugh with them, which is an excellent stress reliever. “Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems,” says Professor Cooper. Have some ‘me time’ The UK workforce works the longest hours in Europe. The extra hours in the workplace mean that people aren’t spending enough time doing things that they really enjoy. “We all need to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise,” says Professor Cooper. He recommends setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality "me time" away from work. "By earmarking those two days, it means you won’t be tempted to work overtime on those days," he says. Challenge yourself Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps to build confidence. That in turn will help you deal with stress. “By constantly challenging yourself you’re being proactive and taking charge of your life,” says Professor Cooper. “By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person. It arms you with knowledge and makes you want to do things rather than be passive, such as watching TV all the time.” Avoid unhealthy habits Don't rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping. "Men more than women are likely to do this. We call this avoidance behaviour," says Professor Cooper. "Women are better at seeking support from their social circle." Over the long term, these crutches won’t solve your problems. They’ll just create new ones. "It’s like putting your head in the sand," says Professor Cooper. "It might provide temporary relief but it won’t make the problems disappear. You need to tackle the cause of your stress." Do volunteer work Cooper says evidence shows that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, become more resilient. “Helping people who are often in situations worse than yours will help you put your problems into perspective,” says Professor Cooper. “The more you give, the more resilient and happy you feel.” On a more basic level, do someone a favour every day. It can be something as small as helping someone to cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues. Favours cost nothing to do, and you’ll feel better. Work smarter, not harder Good time management means quality work rather than quantity. Our long-hours culture is a well-known cause of workplace illness. “You have to get a work-life balance that suits you,” says Professor Cooper. Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that will make a real difference to your work. “Leave the least important tasks to last,” says Cooper. “Accept that your in-tray will always be full. Don’t expect it to be empty at the end of the day.” Be positive Look for the positives in life, and things for which you're grateful. Write down three things at the end of every day which went well or for which you're grateful. “People don’t always appreciate what they have,” says Professor Cooper. “Try to be glass half full instead of glass half empty,” he says. This requires a shift in perspective for those who are more naturally pessimistic. “It can be done,” he says. “By making a conscious effort you can train yourself to be more positive about life. Problems are often a question of perspective. If you change your perspective, you may see your situation from a more positive point of view.” Accept the things you can't change Changing a difficult situation isn't always possible. If this proves to be the case, recognise and accept things as they are and concentrate on everything that you do have control over. “If your company is going under and is making redundancies, there’s nothing you can do about it,” says Professor Cooper. “There’s no point fighting it. In such a situation, you need to focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job.”

why not take a holiday? a few weeks soaking up another culture, sitting by the sea and relaxing and you'll be right as rain (maybe).

https://soundcloud.com/matlaurant/clark-com-re-touch-pocket-for

Maple pecan Danish (it is Wednesday after all).

Couldn't get out of bed this morning as I was so tired. I'm now heading in late. Fuck you society! If my boss asks me why I'm late I'm tempted to say "because it's Wednesday!".

One if the greatest gifs ever.

ah ok, i usually upload as MP4. i'll give it a go. cheers!

ooooh i love these both!!! how did you get youtube to post without compression Jonathan? they always mess my videos up.

Yeah me again! PIGGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

i second this! we should have some kind of online ceremony etc yeah?

https://soundcloud.com/dave-monolith/dimflux

Ha, I only found out about the Bechdel test this weekend. Unfortunately the girl who mentioned it, who seemed interesting at first, turned out to be a bit of a reactionary idiot. HA! well don't let that put you off. but as this film proves the test is flawed. interestingly though it helped me realise why i'm so keen on certain directors.

hahahaha! how is that even possible? someone unlistened to it?

what film was that? Variety, please see the last film watched thread for full details.

Variety 4/10 Written by Kathy Acker, this lost gem of downtown post-punk cinema is both a time capsule from an energetic moment in American independent filmmaking and a simmering portrait of a young woman losing her grip on reality. Christine is adrift, trying to pay the rent, when barmaid and best friend Nan suggests a gig working in the box office of the Variety, a porn cinema. Initially unphased by the job, curiosity soon gets the better of her and Christine is drawn into the world of her patrons, and grows increasing fascinated by a shadowy customer, with a fervour that spills into obsession. although this film passes the Bechdel test it is so far from feminist cinema that i would call it an anti-feminist film. the lead character is promising until she gets a job at a porno theatre and is apparently so impressionable she quickly becomes obsessed with porn and descends into some pretty psychotic behaviour. all the women in the film are downtrodden and weak despite being young and attractive. they sit around talking about their low standards about men and seem to have no ambition beyond attaining a man. my favourite part of the movie was the cinematography and some really nice lens flares. seriously if the best thing about your movie is some nice lens flare, you really have a problem.

god damn he's sexy! edited... just because i can