The city’s tall buildings engulfed the skyline as I drive, an honour which didn’t feel like much of one in these trying times. London had fallen, at least as an economic power and the pound would get you half of your journey as the price of a ticket on the underground had risen. The blotches of colour that the sun brought at night were the only comfort and similarity that rose from the churn of the now quiet city. If you had told me that growing up in this creative market and concrete jungle would have been a step to the heights of my everlasting life I would have told you nothing can come of such an overgrown city. However, I was wrong. This beloved global monument to finance and the arts, has never been more in jeopardy because of our ongoing triumph, we can now fall from these heights.
Driving through the South quarter of the city, past all the creative new builds and through the spiderweb of the small streets. Drive into the underground parking lot of Canary Wharf. I swipe my card against the terminal and press the silver ringlet button on the elevator. Stepping in I push my dress into my legs and pulled my leather jacket to my chin as a wind washed over me. The elevator shot to the 44th floor of Canary Wharf. Stepping out in black silhouette ankle boots across the marble floor to my apartment, I flung open the door as my bag crashed to the floor; I walked into the room my kitchen, a cutout of the living room. The to the floor windows of my apartment showing the range of colours that the sky offered, this night it was a yellowish gold. I walked through to my bedroom, I pulled off my outfit and put on a red dress with a black undercoat. A black belt to my waist and a pair of black safety pin Nappa leather sandals went on.
I pushed the back of my hair from left to right as I walked to the door. There he was, my beaut of a boyfriend. ‘Do you want to stay in tonight?’ I blushed and looked down ‘I got all dressed up’ ‘I could always get you underdressed,’ he smirked. He pinned me up against the wall of the hallway, pushing his stubble into my neck and feeling up my leg, pushing his hand down my underwear. As he did so I pulled a gun from my bag I had discard earlier and put it to the side of his head. He reached into my underwear. His face dropped, ‘You're a…’ I pulled the trigger. ‘… excellent hunter, I just got too close on this occasion. Shame I really liked you.’ I said as I pointed the gun at his lifeless corpse.
As I write this, I’ve always wondered whether my story — a story of murder, one of my life’s turning points, would ever be told. I have to give people the credit they’re due, they’re most unpredictable. Fascinates me! Like most wealthy Londoners during Queen Victoria’s reign, I live just outside the city of London. To be more precise, I live in Blackheath Greenwich, facing the common. I have an end-terrace house on Shooters hill road and have the perfect view of the common from dawn till dusk. This story starts like any other, with a grizzly murder that, for the faith of heart should turn away, and not read what I have scribed. For the most part, this is a story that can only be told by the one that solved it and that is why I, Edith Lockheart am the one to pen this extraordinary tale.
For the most part, it was a normal summer's day, when a letter from a friend called Alice came. Sigmund, (my head of house) delivered it to me in the lounge. The elegant, formal paper that it was so carefully pushed into meant that this was an occasion of great importance. I carefully stood up making sure that my hoops didn’t catch on the coffee table that I have taken with me on a few strolls around the house before. I picked up the decorative letter opener that had been creating quite the discussion the last time Alice had been over and shoved the gold tip of the blade into the seal of the envelope. I returned to my seat and read the letter.
Dear Edith, I’m overwhelmed and over joyed to be able to invite you to my son’s wedding on the 4th of August at The Royal Greenwich Park. Please wear what you like. Formal attire is necessary. Kind Regards, Alice Hornet
As I read the letter, I like the majority of the people that was to read this letter was overjoyed for Alice, however, I couldn’t help but wonder why the wedding was at the park, when a more discreet venue would have been much more palatable and why such short notice, only a week to prepare? Could it be, that Alice was trying to cover up a shotgun wedding? And if so, why?
The following week I set out for the park. I had Sigmond call a hansom cab, and I was there at the wedding within minutes. They set the wedding in the flower part of the park and with all the benches facing the oval spree of flowers. In the middle of the oval, was an arch and there stood the fortunate husband to be, being entertained (as is custom) by the best man as he awaited the bride. I took my seat at the back as I already was late and knew the wedding would start soon.
The function was filled with a few family members and friends, but all in all the wedding was a small one. I turned to the lady next to me in the purple hat with gold trim around it. “why the small affair?” I asked in a manner suiting the answer of a questionable heir on the way. “I believe the occasion was sprung on them fast, you see the husband to be is going on a trip to The Americas in the coming weeks and decided if anything should happen, it will be as husband and wife” she whispered back. I nodded “I see, was wondering, all seemed a bit fast” “Maggy, by the way, I know Alice from the country club” “Edith, I know Alice as an old friend” We turned our heads back to the wedding that was about to proceed. As the bride walked in between the two rows of chairs and headed for the arch.
Suddenly, a belching scream was let out, and one bridesmaid ran down the aisle fast-paced, with her hands high in the air. After having gotten to my feet I walked over to the screaming bridesmaid and grabbed her hands. “whatever has you troubled?” I asked in the calmest manner I could muster. She looked startled but then proceeded. “There’s a dead body by the bandstand!”. I picked up my hoops and ran with Maggy and Alice at my tail to the bandstand. There, laying on the steps was the most beautiful woman that I had ever seen. With long black hair hanging off the steps and skin as white as snow, the woman lay there with no movement of her own, just a gentle breeze that passed over her soot coloured hair. Her red dress with roses neatly sown in hiding whatever foul play had become of her. Alice having caught up with the brigade of onlookers that proceeded me clapped her hands over her mouth and yelled “Mary Seaborne!” I turned to Alice, “is that her name?” “yes,” she whimpered and then drew another breath “She must have wandered off and hurt herself,”. “This is no accident Alice, this is pure murder,” I proclaimed adamantly. I walked over to the nearest tree and plucked from it the red hat that accompanied the dress. “And I wager that someone outside the wedding congress has not committed this murder.” and placed the hat careful at the foot of Mary Seaborne’s lifeless body. “And it is known to me who committed the murder.” I paced back and forth.
“The wedding of sorts is fast, quick-paced. This wouldn’t have given our murderer time to kill Mary themselves, that is why he used the poison arsenic.”
The crowd chocked and Alice questioned “he?” “Yes, this is a murder committed by a man. Usually, men use brute force and strength to commit their crimes, but this one didn’t have the time for that. They planned this, premeditated murder.” “how do you know it was arsenic?” A man that I didn’t recognise asked. “Don’t you smell it? That almond smell? it’s in all our makeup nowadays. Yes, a clear sign of poison and a heavy dose at that meaning this person didn’t know what they were doing.” I paused for a moment and then carried on “Alice, you weren’t just planning a wedding, you were planning a murder.” “I thought you said a man committed it?” Alice’s daughter asked. “Yes, but it all had to be planned, didn’t it Alice.” Alice’s daughter turned to her in disbelief, “Mother say it’s not so?” “I am sorry, Tiffany. You weren’t the only one.” Alice muttered to her daughter. The young bridesmaid that had found the unspeakable scene said: “I am of another mind here, Edith please do tell us what happened?”
“Very well. See this was, in fact, a shotgun wedding…” I turned to the woman that I had spoken to earlier, “…You believed a lie Maggy, there was no trip to the Americas. The groom had an affair with Mary here and she fell pregnant.” I turned back to the crowd who was now shocked by my reveal. “That Unfortunately was Mary Seaborne’s mistake, to have a child. Both Alice’s daughter and Mary were pregnant with the same father.” I continued “The groom is the one that slipped Mary the poison.” Tiffany, Astounded by her own mother “But why? Lots of men have children with other women?” “Because I can’t afford both you and her,” The groom replied pushing his way to the front to be with his bride. “Tiffany, I’m in a small fortune of debt.” “Meaning the park was the only place that you could get married anyway.” I reinforced.
Before anyone knew it, the police were leading a way both the groom and the weeping mother of the bride.
If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t know what’s real, I loved you at one point and now. Well now, you don’t speak true,
I listen to the voices, I hear the things you speak, I didn’t always agree, But now I love to see,
Flip-flops in the sand, Margaritas by the beach, This friendship can’t stand, These feelings make me weak,
What is making me mad, Is the way you speak, Your breathing is a nightmare, And I want to make tweaks,
I always kind of knew, I always kind of cared, But what you’ve done now is nothing but stare, I understand why you did what you did,
Jealousy makes me think you can’t be discreet, You Copywrite my work, You steal my ideas, What I don’t understand is where you came up with this career,
Now it’s all said and done, I’m laying here sucking my thumb, If I hadn’t stopped you, Only a few could have imagined what you’d do,
The light of some count only by those so dumb, It’s not fair to say you’re smart, I knew you before, Don’t start.
One more thing, and try to follow, or you won’t win, Your callous heart, Will ruin those that are smart.
Identity. Online we’re charismatic, charming, quick and witty. But in real life with a Donald Trump of our friends. I’m here to point out to you in multiple ways that your identity changes on different social media types, for example, you cannot be the same person on Twitter as you can on Instagram because I don’t look like my Instagram Brad Pit does, or maybe it is Brad Pit’s pictures with a great comment underneath. Whatever. The fact of the matter is You can’t be yourself on social media.
Personality types on social media
Alice Hall has a theory that there are three traits that people have social media. Extraversion: sociability. Neuroticism: fearful avoidance Psychoticism: hostility and aggression On this spectrum of traits, and where you fall on, it decides what social media you enjoy more. For example, someone that enjoys sociability might take more to Facebook as there are more people to socialise there with.
So what do we get from using these social media’s, well the answer is clear: Socialisation. Research has found that heavy users of social media sit higher on the scale of extraversion. Of course, less interaction with social media, the lower you are on that scale.
Online self-presentation and virtual Identity
Online self-presentation is a representation of yourself contained online. For not having an online self as we are, we have to display ourselves through the act for avatars or display pictures. Sometimes these quirky pictures of ours call attention from our fellow friends, and they comment on our interactive, personal persona of a display picture. This then puts us into our virtual identity where we respond with something like ‘Lol, I need a new hairdresser’. What we reply then creates spores for a whole new online personality to form. For example, if I put up a picture of me holding my master’s certificate, then I would be seen as sophisticated and intellectual. It’s still me but that lousy hair day picture looks a lot less convincing that I write about social issues. I will also make my online self up of a name, an email address, online history and status within an online setting.
Building on this, it is not just my social status on my network that propels me, but the connectivity that comes with social media. To get frank with you and skip this if you’re one for the basics. You’re actually what they call a node, and when we interact with each other online, we create media multiplexing. This social orgy makes you want to be connected and online.
Although we can get very creative online, we’re still blocked by the copyright laws of the terms and conditions or the constricting construct of the social media it’s self. Although would you want to sit there and create your very own website, so you’re not restricted?
Multiple identities on online social networks
Our online social network experience increasingly fragments us; 52% of us have two or more online profile. Managing these social media identities is called impression management. This is where you, online control what you are seen as being, you’re managing your identity online. That Instagram post of you eating that cake with your face makes up part of the impression you leave online. It’s control over what you want to be seen as and what you are. But before you freak out and hit all those delete buttons on your social media’s. Findings have found that multimedia helps mitigate first impression biases, for example, a person might find someone’s Facebook profile and have an impression that they are not a lovely person, but when shown the persons Instagram’s, have a different understanding of that person.
If you don’t believe that you even have this problem and that your immune to this fostering of multiple identities, then, for example, Instagram is a visual image and video sharing social media. In contrast, Twitter is a text or microblogging social network. These two networks differ from each other and content uploaded to Instagram, cannot and is not shown in the same way as it is on Twitter. This allows the user to be multifaceted and show off more unique parts of their offline identities, although this may lead to manipulation of the truth.
Always on (The Martini Effect)
Shelly Turkle believes that even though this connected life that we live on online social networks is pleasing to us, we will go to great extents to keep ourselves connected. She talks about people known as ‘cyborgs’ these are people that have connected themselves to the internet through mechanic devices that after a time cut the skin and eventually scar just to be connected to their favourite site. Whereas Bryant and Oliver found that people that had heavy usage of online social media networks, were more likely to feel socially isolated, lonely, and emotionally depressed.
The Negative Consequences
Social comparison is when a person compares themselves to another, commonly related to envy, and is very subjective to the person experiencing it. We’ve all done it, Kylie Jenner’s new lips or Donald trump’s fabulous hairdo, we’ve all had a case of the green-eyed monster on social media. With online social networks, this comparison of persons, is only a click away, meaning that social envy and feelings of inadequateness are propelled on social media. Researchers found that the worst culprits for this were people engaging in ‘passive usage’. Passive usage is when you’re following and watching but not actively taking part in online activity. One area where this has been studied a lot is body image. Research has shown that men and women compare themselves more often to peers than to models or celebrities.
People engage in social comparisons, and this has proven to be influential between exposure to the thin ideal people in the media and women’s body dissatisfaction. Women have a higher probability of social comparison than men, but men are becoming more dissatisfied with their bodies because of online social networks too. Unlike women who are motivated to be thin, men are more likely to strive to attractiveness with increased muscle definition. Gay men have reported more dissatisfaction than heterosexual men. This is like women’s experience of body dissatisfaction. Appearances on Instagram of the users’ social group might not be realistic at all. Studies investigated whether their peer group idealises manipulated images on Instagram. ‘Exposure to manipulated Instagram photos leads to lower body satisfaction than exposure to original photos’.
It’s been going for a while now, ‘wow’, I just don’t want you in my life, You cause trouble and strife, We’re two very different human beings, The relationship was steaming, You were bubbly and beaming,
Please don’t get me wrong, Even though I’ve had your dong, I love you very much, Just we can’t correct this stuff, Every day we talked, It was more than small talk, We both felt there was nowhere to go, You said I changed your life for the better, I hope you keep it that way, Hope you know I love you anyway, I get it you want a friend,
I will forever be there for you, Just not as close, I know you love me and I love you too, I hope you're not hurting as the way I do, Forever friends, But plans come to an end, I know you're angry and probably calling me a pansy, But I don’t care, It wasn’t how I wanted this to end, But then plans changed, they bend,
Now you’re forever gone, As if we could ever right those wrongs, Talk forever, now not a tremor, We could love again, If it wasn’t for the way you offend, I would tend to your every need, But you will never be of that degree,
It’s as if you wanted to hurt me, Trying to hurt me, with the words that were so useless, What was needed was a friendly reminder,
However, you used me, with what you knew of me, And that was clear from everything I fear, Money doesn’t make the world go round, But that’s what makes you come round, I’ve never been so upset by the way you used me,
Boring, Is the word I'd use, However, you think that of me, Intelligence is lost on you, For that is clear to see,
Smarter is not for you, Adolescence and one that is rude, Those are the words I’d use.
You turned away from me. And all of a sudden the world changed. My life is not the same. Wifi in the sky, connected to on the fly. Techno boom, what is really true. You thought it all through.
So much has changed, my life insane Time is of the essence, so much to be done we no longer need to run it’s never quiet because of ongoing triumph
Ever so changed, in the way we display Marketing tools, at fingertips Visual impairment, no longer to be stared at. Our very instinct now is to follow the crowd Our basic tools replaced and handed to fools Can no longer use them as they bring confusion Because they are not LED-lit, or bright with resolution.
But it's all has a price, and we didn’t think twice You're now “running out” People shout I’m not done with you yet Yet you are done with us What will happen is a great confusion It’ll be more than an intrusion What is clear We will disappear.
Psychosis, commonly referred to as a loss of reality. There are different types of psychosis diagnoses. For example, I talk about Formication and explain what it is. Here I will explain what psychosis is.
Psychosis affects 6% of the population. Some people that have it may never know that they have had it, and some will be moved into other care.
Psychosis is an umbrella term. It just means you experience things that are not real. There are many diagnoses that are under the terms psychosis. For example, we would consider someone with tactile hallucinations a psychotic. However, someone with schizophrenia may have more severe episodes than someone who only has one symptom.
My diagnosis is schizophrenia, I was first diagnosed at 19. It was all strange to me; I knew of schizophrenia, I just didn’t believe I had it. I wasn’t like the other I insisted. My friends were all terrified for me, and they too didn’t know what was happening. A lot of them now have left my life, mainly because they did not understand what I was going through. I wouldn’t talk, I’d just sit there. Staring at nothing, all the time in my head. My head was going through everything, collecting all this information and putting it together… I was working it all out! I was going insane. The thing is with psychosis, you won’t just get it once. A full recovery from schizophrenia when I was 19, and I’ll get it again when I reach my 40s. That goes for most, not all the people.
I think what made me write this post is that 6% is so many people. Consider this, 8.136 million live in London. 6% of Londoners that will be psychotic in their lives is 488,160, and that’s in London alone. All these 488,160 will experience something that brings them together but in such different ways. Not one of those 488,160 people will have the same delusions, see the same thing or hear the same voice. Like all human’s what we take in and experience makes us an individual and psychosis is individual.
Lego has released yet another Lego game, this one being Lego: Jurassic World. This game is like all the other Lego games, has a sense of humour and general premiss is the same as what you already know.
Can't really remember why I put this game on the review list, it's actually hard to review something that is the same as its predecessor. The story has changed to match the movie and you can play as a dinosaur in this one, so there is that. The movie is 12, but the game is 7 and up - think about that for a second. There are things I love about Lego, the comedy and the style in which they embrace the fact that they are just Lego pieces. There is talking in this one which makes a big difference, but then again there has been talking in most of them up to this one. Just all very samey, samey really.
The Harry Potter ones were good, and I liked the Lego DC Super-Villains one. Anyway, the story is about a mutated other Dinosaur. They have crossed it with two others and now it's super evil; you get to see it eat someone... maybe that's why it's a 7+.
It's not targeted at me, it's targeted at young children and I'm sure if you have a child, they will love it. These games do have an adult gamer base, but it's very few.
If you would like to buy this game, the link is below.
I've never been a massive fan of the Gears Of War franchise. The whole idea of just war continuously being at war and fighting through just repeatedly. It's great if you have a friend with you, and that is what this game needs. The game has some depth of detail on the characters and even gives you Gears Of War 4 back story at the introduction. But it doesn't give you the full details. There is depth to the characters though, and you have a whole new one to upgrade this time. His name is Dave, and you can upgrade him to do things like restore health or push enemies out of cover. You can even play as the robot if you play two-player. There is also a new action, stab and you can now pick up things from afar using Dave. Apart from that, it's all the controls you used to know.
I really liked the openness of Gears Of War 4, felt like I could explore the world. Gears Of Wars 5 however, makes you feel cramped and dark. Which is a shame because this one is in UHD. Like that matters to anyone.
The game just didn't get me excited enough. I didn't feel that rush on competing for a mission or achievement from finding where to make Dave go. The new little things just don't feel worth the £45 price tag and the game isn't that great with the storyline.
If you're looking to buy this game for PC or Xbox, then the link is below.
Vampire: The Masquerade. If you know anything about vampire games, then this will have likely been one game you’ve played. It’s an old game that brought out by Troika Games back in 2004. The game had a lot of problems, but the fans loved it, so much that they started to fix the game. The gaming company went bust after release and never could afford to patch the game.
Well, the game is back, well sort of. It’s been heavily ripped off. They’re calling it a sequel, but it more or less the exact first one. If you loved the game before, I’m sure this is happy news to you. From what I’ve seen so far, it seems Hardsuit Labs have kept the basics of the original game. That is the three main interactions - social, combat, and helping you explore the game.
If you’re from the old game, here’s what looks like has changed. Clans: were six are now more like four — no signs of the Sabbat clan. The places have changed, such as the Santa Monica, Hollywood, Downtown LA and China Town have been axed. You're now in Seattle in at least the first 3 hours. Apart from that, it looks like a redo of the original game.
In the new version, you start out as a Thin Blood and have to be accepted into a clan. So no more beefed Tremere superpowers at the beginning. Although a Tremere will still be your boss; If you so choose. You’ll be able to pick one superpower at the start of the game. Chiropteran: Bat like a superpower that lets you travel and attack people. Mentalism: enables you to move objects and Nebulation: which allows you to become mist and go through vents.
The game is more set on becoming a clan member. Although we haven't seen what else there is in the game. Just like the first game, you must rise in the ranks to become the boss. There's a little more storyline to this game than the previous one and looks like there will be more side missions. That all makes sense considering that this is a newer game.
There's a new blood mechanic, too. In the first game, you lost humanity when you killed someone you had fed on, well now you have to worry about what the host is feeling too. The new game mechanic now takes into consideration whether the person you've just fed on needs something or wants something or is just waiting for the bus, minding their own business.
I'm excited to see what this game holds, yes it's basically a redo of one of my old favourites, but I'm happy to see the past game get new fans. They've even talked of them bringing out a redo of the Redemption, which would be great to see.
In a steam and electric London that is being hounded by a serial killer where T.Aaron Payton brings clockwork prostitutes and cruel diseases that change the sex of the infected. This book is not only funny but gripping.
If you haven't read steampunk before this might be one you want to start with.
This book has some raving reviews, and it's for a good reason, you need not be an into the genre to be into The Constantine Affliction. It's one of those gems that have a little of everything, comedy, murder and even touching on transgender rights. Everything has a story and a reason. I find it hard to pin down my favourite, but it has to be Freddy by far. She jumps off the page and into your heart with her sour comedy and quick wit. I didn't connect with the journalist E.Skye, I usually love the bold female characters, but she just felt unestablished compared to Pimm and Freddy.
Payton's describes this dangerous world where fires rage for lifetimes and mad scientists bring the dead to life in such detail. You can envision the world that he wants you to.
It has 4 out of 5 stars on most sites and that what I would agree with. It's a poor excuse for a steampunk but that what makes it so good for first-timers and just about anyone that likes a book that takes a walk on the wild side.
Audiobook
You'll find this audiobook on Amazon and iTunes (although how an Audible only book got on iTunes is a wonder). I liked John Lee's voice. Not only is his view very commanding and stable, but he also brings the characters to life. It's one of Audible' better exclusives.
