Tracy Buchanan

Entries from November 2007

Biology classes for adults

November 16, 2007 · Leave a Comment

I was chatting to a friend the other day who’s trying for get sperminated (have a baby that is!). And something she said struck me as being funny and true and silly. Basically, we learn all about reproduction at school, right? But by the time most of us wanna have a baby (bar those 14 year olds who get themselves up the duff after a few too many Diamond Whites), we clean plain FORGET what happens.  

 OK, before you think I’m one sandwich short of a picnic, of course we remember the basics but I mean the actual nitty gritty of the whole sperminating journey from the very moment you do the naughty deed that leads to the production of an alien within you. For example, did you know you’re not actually ‘pregnant’ from the moment the first deed is done? O, you did? OK, lemme think of more examples. Well, I can’t but basically, I really haven’t got a clue what happens.

So that’s my thought of today. How interesting …

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On writing

November 8, 2007 · Leave a Comment

So … I’m writing. Like loads. And loads. And I don’t just mean for my day job, which involves quite a bit of writing (funny that, what with me being a journalist and all ;-) I mean, writing for my novel and this blog. I just feel so utterly prolific right now but that kinda scares me – when’s the block gonna appear before me? Anyway, one mustn’t dwell on such things. Think positive, young girl! 

Anyways, the course I’m doing is really working, really getting my creative juices flowing. Each exercise it sets means I can write a bit more of my novel. I’m a little concerned that’s not the point – they probably want me to write lots of different pieces, not just pieces for my own novel. But my novel is the reason I have done this course.

 It’s also encouraging me to research – am hoping to pin my novel on the whole generation X thang but also show the contrasts between different ‘generations’ – how does gen x (those born in 70s) interact with gen c (those born in 90s)? Has got me really inspired; so inspired that I wrote a piece about how the characters in my book find this kinda post-apocalyptic art in some tunnel somewhere. I describe it as being done by ”a generation mourning a world without web; desperate to continue collaborating and co-creating in any way they could.” I posted it to my course forum, no feedback yet – is that a good thing?

Anyway, found 2 great articles which might interest:

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2276189.ece http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,970634-3,00.html

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Beyond the lip gloss

November 5, 2007 · Leave a Comment

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The Sunday Mail’s ‘You’ magazine did an interview with the minxy little minx that is Lilly Allen. I actually like the gal; she’s outspoken, cheeky, wears her heart on her sleeve and is a bit of a lary lass. But her comments made me laugh! She said she thinks it’s a shame that people like Paris Hilton and so on are role models for today’s ‘yoof’.  Since when? There’s this misconception that teenage gals actually aspire to be like the media freaks that spread themselves (and their legs) across today’s press.

You gotta give today’s teenagers some credit, ya’ll! Yeh, I think they look at Paris et al and think ‘nice dress hon’, ‘lovin’ the hair babe’ and ‘yowsers, where’d you get dat lipstick?!’ but I really think that’s as far as it goes. It’s a superficial admiration.

Maybe I’m wrong but I actually think most gals of the 15-6 mark have much better role models when it comes to the stuff that goes beyond the lip gloss. It might be related to their ideal career (like the editor of their fave magazine; successful authors; top sportsperson; fashion designer etc) or someone they truly admire (like their mum, aunt, friend’s mum etc).

Am I the only person to think teens’ admiration of the likes of Paris and Nicole goes no further than the lip gloss … ?

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Halloween Ga Ga

November 1, 2007 · 1 Comment

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Last night, my friends and I went a bit ga ga and impulsively decided to pay a visit to the infamous Clophill Church – an abandoned church atop a hill in the mists of an old and tiny village (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clophill for more info).

It made me realise what freakin’ WIMP I am.

OK, so lemme set the scene. We were all snug as bugs in a rug at my house then one of my nutty friends suggested we go visit Clophill. I said NO! NO! But I was dragged along anyway, whimpering.

The car journey was as scary as hell – long windy country lanes with fog patches. We all screamed in terror when we hit the first fog patch! The atmosphere in the car on the way there was strange – you could tell we were all nervous (even the more ‘pragmatic’ one amongst us was - she’ll deny it though, tee hee!).

OK, so we arrived and got a little lost in the village. Where was this cer-azy church! Thank the Lord for the constabulary cos one of their huge vans acted as a beacon, calling all the freaks and chavs of Beds and Bucks towards the haunted church. Thanks guys! We parked up the road (to the relief of the designated driver because many a car has been smashed up at Clophill - by whom? Well, ghosts of course ;-) ) then started walking nervously toward the path.

On our 10 minute walk up the long and terrifying road that leads to the church, we learnt 2 things – 1) always take a torch with you when visiting haunted churches during the night and  2) fireworks can still look pwetty even when they’re nearly thrown in your face by a chav.

OK, we we walked up this path, surrounded by woods then fields. We stopped after a couple of minutes as a blanket of pure and utter darkness hit us. Yes, the torch issue. Lucky the pragmatic one had a torch on her phone. As we were trying to figure out how to use it, 2 guys behind us were also rooted to a spot, as scared as us by the prospect of walking on in sheer darkness. The poor mites. Anyway, we all trotted on, terrified, not knowing where it led; nor what would jump out on us.

Then we started to encounter truly terrifying sights, from fake Burberry coats to England caps to – horror of horrors – long peroxide blonde hair. A terrifying night indeed, best explained by the fact that chavs like to frequent Clophill each Halloween! We’d heard this horrific rumour but never thought it could be so true. We were surrounded by them!

Anyway, onto the church. It was creepy, its ruins standing stark and scary against the bright night sky. It was strange standing in its belly,  staring up through the ruined ceiling towards twinkling stars, weeds curling around our shoes from the ground below.

What topped it off was when we started walking back and stumbled upon something we’d missed when we arrived – a strange semi-circle of gravestones near the entrance, crumbling and ominous in the dark. *shiver* Yeah, there’s just something totally terrifying about that place…

So there you go, a ‘proper’ Halloween night to make you go ga ga! If you’re thinking about going to Clophill, I’d strongly recommend it but mebbe opt to go the day after or before Halloween to avoid all the chavs!

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