My man crush...

As I am of the female persuasion, I feel its quite necessary to explain that a 'Man Crush' is when you think someone is uber cool and/or are fascinated by them....and not that you want to 'bone' them.

My man crush is a guy called Bill Thompson and frankly I admire him because he lives how I hope I live when I'm his age (however old he is).

Bill describes himself as a technology hack and pundit, although some would detail his job as a journalist, as he is a presenter for the BBC digital planet, but Bill is precisely the reason I started blogging...and Messycarla of course!

You can expect to see Bill tweet at least 3-4 times a day, usually on his way to and from places and he is what I believe to be the embodiment of what the media is designed for. Communication.

I first met Bill when he came to Sunderland University to participate in a debate on the future of Digital, along with the head of ITV and someone else, who clearly didn't make an impression on me.

Two years on I tracked Bill down so that we could interview him on music piracy for our dissertation and I think this is when my 'Man Crush' first developed. I've followed Bill on every medium possible, from twitter, to facebook, to his blog, and these are just some of the many things bill contributes to.

What I find so fascinating about him is his complete understanding of the digital world, and as such the future. Although some of the events he attends go completely over my head, I respect that he'll be there speaking loudly and networking himself to the best of his ability....and the best thing about it all is we can read about everything he does through the internet.

I love internet celebrities, I want to be one and I think that by having a massive internet presence, it can show employers you are not only dedicated to a one particular platform but are also aware of how important a role the internet plays in society....erm in case you haven't realised yet, but you're on the internet now! Of course you have, that was a stupid thing to say.

Like myself, Bill is very outspoken, but the difference is he knows what he's talking about. He has at least one son that I know of... not that I've been trailing through his pictures or anything!?! and yet he travels all over the country daily give his opinion on what he thinks the future will be and should be.

All in all, I hope to grasp the digital future exactly the way Bill Thompson does...Right by the balls!

Also for your reading pleasure, to reiterate how important the internet is, here's an article on Obama expanding the internet...yes he can do that, he's the president!

Trying to lose my virginity...

"I'm tired of always talking about myself... What do you think of me?"

Something struck me the other day which I hadn't previously thought too much about, which was, now that I've left University, I might have to start talking to girls in clubs and bars, which is something which I haven't had to do for three years!

As I've had quite a bit of time alone, I've spent a small amount of time (everyday!) thinking about girls, relationships, love and sex, and where I fit into those categories . . . or to put it simply, I've been masturbating a lot! (Just kidding mum)

The good thing about University is you don't have to rely too much on attracting someone whilst you're out of an evening, because number one, students are easy and more importantly because there are so many situations in which you can interact with one another on a day to day basis.

The foundation for pulling someone while you're out is whether or not you find them aesthetically appealing, e.g. do they dress a certain way, do they have the right body figure, how is their hair styled and does their face fit the bill?

All in all the way we attract someone is very animalistic and I couldn't decide between these two pictures so here's both!

Look at their faces >>>>>

Anyway back to the point...

University allows for you to talk to people and for me this is where I excell, as I have absolutely nothing to offer a girl in a club or bar. I'm a terrible dancer, a sweaty drunk and if you cant here what I'm saying then I cant even (try to) be funny! So what do I do?

I work out quite a lot, more because I enjoy being fit though, and I buy what I think are nice clothes. I'd like to be able to tan a little but as I'm ginger, they'd probably taser me if I ever tried to use a sunbed.

Here's a quick video of me using the Iron Gym, which is basically a pull up bar with a cool name...

"Yeah, so Tyler if I had put money on why you cant pull girls, its probably because you make stupid videos like that"

Thanks mystery voice man, but I'd like to think I'm a cool geek, which girls find highly amusing and appealing, but just in case I'll carry on working out and maybe take a dance class or two...

The Midnight Beast - Daddy

Having an OCD is actually quite nice!

Ok, I haven't actually been medically diagnosed with having an OCD, but there's no doubt, that I enjoy cleaning a little too much. I'd like to say "It cant be healthy" but after a good tidy, I've usually got a bit of a sweat on, and exercise is always good right?!

So I've finished University now, as I've said before and I'm moving out of my house sometime soon, but don't ask me when because frankly I have no idea.

Apparently I'm the only student in the whole of Sunderland that doesn't know when they're going home or have a clue what they're doing for the summer because all I ever read about on Facebook is someone getting a placement here or starting a new job there and yet I'm still sitting in a five bedroom house, all by myself, writing a blog, which probably no-one will read, so essentially I'm just talking to myself...It's official I've gone mad!

But everyone going home hasn't been all bad, I've gotten of glimpse of what it would be like if I lived by myself in the future. It would probably be a much smaller place than my student house but I'd imagine it would be the same. Ridiculously clean and tidy, meticulously organised, and I'd sit there every night, eating meals for one, before eventually turning on my cat because we'd had an argument over who was cuter, Justin Beiber or Macaulay Culkin ... but that wouldn't happen anyway because I don't even like cats, I'd have a dog!

Seen as I have had the house to myself and I will be moving out at some point, I decided to scrub the house from top to bottom, and not because I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, sweating, with the urge to clean, but because when I eventually do leave, I don't want to give the landlord any reason to keep my deposit, and if there's one thing I love more than cleaning, its money!

Oh also I've had to repair a small size 10 hole in the wall in my bedroom, as I put my foot through it a little while back, after a stupid argument with my ex-girlfriend, Jess. Its a long story so I wont go into it too much, but suffice to say, I lived with my girlfriend, we split up, but still lived in the same house, so we spent the next 7 months pissing each other off! Thank god that's over, I wont be making that mistake again anytime soon.... I'm so lonely

The repairs went pretty well though, so I documented my progress, and here's some pictures so you know I wasn't making the story up just to look tough!

"Stuff the plastering, I'm impressed I managed to align these three pictures like that!"

If anyone's got any suggestions on how I should spend all this free time I seem to have on my hands then feel free to comment below, or even better send me a picture of you having fun with friends... just to rub it in!

Congratulations, its a boy!

I know when baby Tyler popped out of the...you know, my mum, they would have definitely been relieved I wasn't a girl!

So yesterday was National Man Day, which I'm not completely certain was an official holiday but considering half the worlds population are men, IT SHOULD BE!

Man Day can be celebrated in a number of ways, from building something awesome to destroying it straight after, just because you can, because you're a man!

Although I like to engage in as many man activities as possible on a daily basis, such as fighting bears (when applicable) eating raw meat, climbing seemingly impossible structures and bending steel, it was, however, Man Day, so I made sure my efforts were particularly manly!

Had to go into University but this didn't stop me...cos I am Man! And nothing can truly stop a man...It wasn't a woman on the moon was it! HA! The idea is laughable! Anyway while at University I did some somersaults and other acts of impossible acrobatics, such as rolly polly's!

On the way through town I went into a pet shop and befriended all the animals whilst simultaneously striking fear into their hearts. There's a reason Man is top of the food chain and I made damn sure they knew it! Also I had a face to face staring competition with a snake...AND WON!

Later efforts included going to the local brewery, drinking beer, watching sports, engaging in a pub quiz and destroying opponents at pool....all in the name of Man Day...and I'm not ashamed to say my display of skill did attract a rather large crowd, clearly envious of my Manliness!

I'll end it there, before I make some of my female readers pregnant but if (and only if) you outdid your own regular acts of Masculinity, tell me what they were and maybe we can battle...or alternatively read about my brothers Man Day here

Bear fighting a man!

"...whoaaah, what happened last night?"

Ever woke up in the morning/afternoon and you can't remember the night before? If the answer is no, then you need to try harder.

OK, so not every night will end with you getting home somehow, even though you cant recall the cab journey and you've still got all your money but yet you've lost your keys . . . What?! How does that even work?!

Thankfully as a student, you've always got the option of your house mates taking you home or at least letting you into the house, where you can proceed to stuff your face with whatever you can find in the fridge... whether or not the food belongs to you is another matter.

One morning I woke up to the smell of burning food, went down into the kitchen, thinking one of my idiot house mates was burning their grub, only to find two black discs on a baking tray in the oven, what used to be pizza's, but some moron (me) had left them to cook ALL NIGHT!

Here's a picture of the remains...

If you're sensible, you'll leave the food alone and drink a few pints of water, as not only will this help prevent the dreaded hangover but it'll also mean you sleep better and wont feel so damn tired the next day, even though you've slept for 12 hours.

There are plenty of urban myths for how to cure a hangover, but there are some specific things you can do if you really wanna feel better.

When you drink alcohol, it makes you wee constantly aka "Breaking the seal" and as a result the body becomes dehydrated (but everyone knows that) so obviously, drinking water helps to rehydrate the body. The reason we get headaches is because when the brain doesn't get enough water it shrinks AND PULLS AWAY FROM YOUR SKULL! AHHHHHH!

Apart from being low on water, the body also loses a lot of salt and sugar, so eating a fry up the next day wont necessarily help, you're actually more likely to throw it back up but eggs and bananas are good!

In terms of the "Hair of the dog" method, by which you just keep drinking, i'm afraid to tell you it doesn't cure a hangover but simply postpones it and increases your chance of losing yet another day of memory

But don't panic, if by tea time you still cant recollect the events of the night before, log onto Facebook and you're like to see this message...

Joe Bloggs tagged a photo of you

For more information on how to prevent the dreaded hangover or help getting rid of it visit: http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/hangovers-and-cure-myths-revealed/weird-science

Welcome to the real world

This is a piece of writing I did for www.injournalism.co.uk which is an online publication created through Sunderland University, check it out its pretty good.

Let’s face it, summers over, and with the coming of winter and the looming credit crunch, we’re forced to ask ourselves, have we picked a suitable house to rent?

For all you fresher’s, you have nothing to worry about, expect perhaps the odd wet bed of a morning after a heavy night drinking, but generally, university accommodation is great fun.

Someone will clean your toilet and hallway every other week and the only thing you have to do is balance your plate on the pile next to the sink, unless of course, like me, you’re slightly OCD, in which case you’ll find yourself doing other peoples dishes all year long.

It all changes in year two, except the part about washing dishes. In most cases you will have moved in with friends who you met last year and, having chosen a room weeks ago, are enjoying the comforts of living without anyone telling you not to light candles or stick pins in the walls.

The game of Life has just stepped up a difficulty and we’re now fully responsible for looking after ourselves, which includes many similar tasks as last year, such as feeding and washing, with the added bonus of bills.

That’s not the worst thing though. Everyone, I’m sure, will have set up or be in the process of acquiring an internet connection and no doubt some form of television package. This is when it becomes frustrating. When you’re living with six other people, who decides on the program?

Suddenly the dream house you thought you were moving into isn’t so ideal and I’m not just referring to being forced to watch Xfactor over Match of the day. You’ve spoken to some friends and it feels like they got a better deal than you and the house is constantly cold because it’s too expensive to put the heating on and there’s a strange smell and you’re not sure where it’s coming from?

For those with unsympathetic parents, whatever the problem, never ask for their help, as you immediately become in danger of hearing the immortal lines “that’s life” or “welcome to the real world”

Convergence and the future

In 2010, the only person not able to access the internet, wherever they are, are animals....and animals aren't people, so it doesn't count!

Nearly every new phone nowadays can instantly take you to Facebook or Twitter or the BBC website, so social ignorance should be frowned upon, whereas awareness of what's happening around you should be the norm right?

I've been studying for 3 years now, on a course which by its very nature means I have to keep up to date with current news and events, but I still find it hard to do, but is it really essential to know or is it perfectly acceptable to live in a bubble, or maybe its better not to know.

For those that don't know, 'convergence' is a process of development by which we use a device for something other than its original purpose. An example of this is, using a mobile phone, designed for making calls, to take pictures. Convergence is usually down to advances in technology and its perfect for networking yourself.

Remember 5-10 years back, every time a new bit technology came out, it had gotten smaller than its predecessor, which was good because it meant you could put it down and lose it easier. Mobiles were really difficult to press the buttons, especially if you've got fat fingers....haha!

I hate carrying things and having loadsa stuff in my pockets, probably because it stops me from jumping around, climbing walls and generally acting the fool, but convergence means less for my pockets, YAY! So, I think the next stop is the iPhone, because its got everything, and I wonder why I didnt get it before and none of the reasons seem very good, e.g. iPhones's didnt have bluetooth, but big deal, no-one uses that nowadays anyway, especially not if you can go on the net. That device has "rotted" you might say, and its time to "get it pulled" . . . or "get a filling", which doesn't make sense!

The future excites me. The new 'Spotify Open' can now link with your friends and I can share my playlists....and network. Youtube rocks my world (check out my videos) and absolutely everything links with Facebook and Twitter, even crappy little web pages such as this one:

http://tardis.sunderland.ac.uk/~bd75mo/

I know its sad but I love social networking and I'm happy everyone I know feels similar because it means I'll never lose contact with all the University bods I've met over the last three years...now, time to go travelling!

This is subject that interests me so tell me what your favourite piece of technology is and why. Big up Convergence!?!

So what now?

I've finished University now but I still don't know exactly what I want to do with my degree and I wonder how many other people feel the same as me?

I attended the Sunderland University media awards ceremony on Thursday and struck by two thoughts. The first being that a lot of people have organised themselves a job or some work experience in the media already and the other is that many people, like me, don't necessarily wish to continue in the specific field they will have graduated in.

Three years ago I begun my course in Broadcast Journalism because I wanted to be a presenter, on either television or radio; I believe my exact words were "I want to get paid to talk", oh aren't I witty.

Through studying journalism, it has given me an extensive list of jobs which I don't want to get into, however, I'm yet to discover exactly what I do want to do, but I suppose this is a good start.

I'm really enjoy the video element of my course, in particular the investigative journalism side, and I really, really enjoyed making my dissertation and I think my future lies in this field so I think its best to work on some independent projects.

In September I will be going to Australia for 5 months to work and hopefully get some experience in their media industry, so fingers crossed. But also whilst I'm there I'll be making a video diary and documenting my travels and new experiences.

If you have any advice on getting work in a foreign media industry, comment below, also I'd like to know if you're in a simlilar situation as me and what you did after university.