Share your thoughts: What do you regret?

They say you shouldn't dwell on things you regret, which is true, but sometimes it's good to think about the things you regret. You learn from things you regret. For example, once I changed my URL on tumblr and lost 2000 followers, so learnt not to do that again! What do YOU regret, and what did you learn from it? Leave a reply in the comments!

High school was terrible (and how I dealt with it)

When you start high school, and whilst there, you are constantly told by teachers and parents that it's "the best time of your life". In all reality, most people go to college (which is better than high school) or end up in a job they love (much better than high school), and even if they don't, being in primary school or nursery would've been a much better time in their life. It's ironic, they basically tell teenagers things aren't going to get better in our lives, yet expect them to always be happy and positive.

High school was terrible for me. I had big wonky teeth (before braces, now I just have big teeth!), glasses, and big teeth (after braces). I am also feminine and came out pretty early in high school. Each year, however, got that small amount better. The last year , I still hated it, but I pretty much laughed in it's face.

"Bear Man" Of Finland Has An Unbreakable Bond With Brown Bears

So adorable, I love bears! Once upon a time, Fin Sulo Karjalainen was asked to take care of some orphaned bear cubs, and he has been in love with the powerful animals ever since, reports Barcroft TV. The 73 year old now runs a centre which is home to 20 brown bears, with his brother. See the videobelow! . See the video below!

And they say all police officers are bad?

A Jacksonville police officer gave a local boy the birthday that had been stolen from him, all because of an auto burglary. According to the police report, someone broke into the boy’s mother’s van on Gilmore Street between 5 p.m. March 27 and 2 p.m. the next day and stole children’s clothing valued at about $2,000. That included his birthday present.

On the plus side.. (society isn't all that bad)

I feel like society, including myself, talk about the negatives too much sometimes. Yes, it's great to talk about feminism, issues related to sexuality and gender identity, and political issues, but sometimes you just have to think positive!

Cat is surprisingly good at jenga!

Whilst I cry over the fact that a cat is better at me at playing jenga. You can see the video below and decide if it's real or fake!

Quick, easy and cost-effective summer snacks!

It's nearly Summer, so it's time for quick and easy snacks as opposed to warm complex cooked meals! Here are 5 great snacks, which are also cost effective.

Beauty tips [Masterpost]

Summer is coming, so there's more pressure than ever to look perfect and feel fabulous! Below is a bunch of links to help you look your best and have a great summer.

Avoid greasy skin in the sun!
How to get whiter teeth
Get rid of spots overnight
Best summer hairstyles
Top 10 highest calorie burning exercises
How to get clearer skin quick
Decide what colour clothes suit you most
How to get better breath
Awesome abs in 2 weeks

#VIOLENCEISVIOLENCE, domestic abuse against men.

As a feminist, I am always interested in if there are any issues related to the rights/social status of men. One of the most striking ones is that domestic abuse against men is ignored, and even laughed at. a hidden camera was set up in London to see how strangers would react to seeing domestic abuse. Watch the video to see the results, I must admit I was a little disappointed by what happened (thumbs up to those people who helped the woman none-the-less!). See the video below and see for yourself!

Patrick Jean: Pixels [Short Movie]

Patrick Jean uploaded a short movie called "Pixels" in 2010, a whole 4 years ago, based on the story of New York City, followed by the world, being taken over by pixels such as PacMan and Space Invaders (invading earth)! In the past 24 hours it has been shared on Twitter and Facebook over 365,000 times—wow. The video is very well put together and edited, you would think it was made in 2014! Watch the short movie below.

10 anti-rape tips

Trigger warning: This post is about rape

Of course, the best anti-rape technique is better education, and making people stop raping other people. Sadly, education all over the world is timid and this will probably never happen, so we have to take it upon ourselves to try stop rape happening. A woman has a 1 in 5 chance of being raped in the U.S. I've compiled a list of "tips" on how to avoid being raped.

SUMMER FASHION!!!

Summer is almost here (I type from the inside of a rain covered window in the middle of Britain) so I decided to do a summer fashion/style post! A lot of the time during summer I just wear nothing but obviously I can't write a blog post or post pictures of that. 

Beagles rescued from lab see the outdoors and grass for the first time!

9 beagle dogs were rescued by the Beagle Freedom Project from horrific living situations. Their entires lives had been spent in a laboratory as test subjects. The video below shows their rescue and their first time seeing the sun and walking on grass!

Synthpop duo "La Roux" makes comeback with "Let Me Down Gently"!

La Roux, the synthpop duo from 2009 are making a comeback! After the 2009 album and hits "bulletproof" and "in for the kill", duo La Roux seemed to drop off the face of the earth, but they are back with the catchy tune "Let Me Down Gently". I really hope the song/album does well as I remember in 2009 I really liked them and were disappointed they didn't realise more music.

10 Double Standards Within Society

There are many double standards within society, based on gender, sexuality, race.

Why popular religions should be overthrown

The three most popular religions are Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. I believe these should be overthrown as well as any other naive religions.

what you think is more important than what you follow
— LEON ☼ (@leonmcgann) May 20, 2014

Why I believe these religions are foolish:

Conchita Wurst strips naked for Austrian art project

Conchita Wurst, aka the Queen of Europe, has bared all for an Austrian art project, as reveleaded by Closer magazine!

Picture pot: Giant dogs!

I've never had pets, so I'm obsessed with animal pictures online (as well as other peoples pets when I'm at their house)! My recent obsession is large dogs (as well as my long time obsession of goats). I just want to cuddle with them. (Click the pictures to enlarge them!)

12 Things The British Public Think Wrongly About

Last year Ipsos MORI carried out a survey on around 1000 British adults age 16 to 75, to find out their thoughts about social issues within Britain. See the shocking results below! (Diagrams by Buzzfeed)

My all time movies and books!

Hi, I hope you're having a lovely Monday (as lovely as Mondays can get), I'm only in college about half of the time this week as I've finished some of my exams so my week is going pretty good. In other news, I'd really appreciate it if you signed up to my newsletter, I decided I'm going to send out a newsletter weekly with what's been going on in my life (as on my blogs I'm quite private!), as well as some fun stuff like viral videos and my book/movie/tv show of the week. You can sign up by filling in the form below, I'd really appreciate it—but if not, that's cool too!

Email Address

First Name

This post is going to be about my all time favourite movies and books, but whilst writing it I realised I have read hardly any books and it's embarrassing. I should read more, comment below some books you think I'll enjoy. I don't really have a specific category, I don't read enough to have one! Just not sexual fantasy because I read enough of that when looking at old women's e-readers on the bus.

30 super cute same-sex wedding photos, and facts!

Same sex marriage is now legal in 17 countries and 18 US states, we're slowly getting closer to marriage equality. After years of seeing opposite-sex wedding photos, set aside some time and take a look at some of the same-sex photos—Get the tissues ready!

How to get clear, spot-free, skin in 2 weeks!

Around 6 weeks ago I begun using face care products, I used the whole lot..a daily exfoliator, cleanser, toner, moisturiser—even steaming my face once a week! UNTIL...one day...my cleanser and toner ran out...
As these ran out, rather than buying more, I simply started to follow the tips/steps in this post to naturally get better skin without often-expensive and unnecessary products!

skin care, before and after  =)
both not photoshopped

Please note, if you have a skin condition, are young (damn) or inherently have spotty/bad skin, this guide won't help you 100%—but your skin will still improve. As you can see in my second picture, my skin isn't perfect, I still have a few spots and my skin tone is still a little uneven, but greatly improved (in my opinion)!

6 reasons everyone should paint their house pastel colours!

↓Scroll down↓

Over the past several months I have become addicted to pastel colours, especially when used in architecture! My favourite are green and pink (totally different to my favourite non-pastel colours!); what are yours? Here are 6 reasons everyone should paint their houses pastel colours!

I got a £1,300 fine! (Refusing to paying off a government mistake)

If you are speeding, you are in the wrong, you pay a fine, if you have stolen from a shop, you are in the wrong, you pay a fine, if you break something expensive in a shop, you are in the wrong, you pay a fine.  If the government makes does something wrong, such as overpay you, they FINE you. you shouldn't have to pay for their mistake.

They disguise it as a payment, but the definition of fine is: "punish (someone) for an illegal or illicit act by making them pay a sum of money.". The problem is, they are the one who committed an illicit act, and they punish you rather than themselves.

So in 2012, HM revenue and customs (the UK's customs/tax department) sent my parents a letter saying they were going to pay my parents £1,300 in child tax credits. £1,300 might seem quite high for some of you, but my parents income (joint) is under £20k. Today, 2 years later, they are saying they overpaid us £1,300. WHAT?! They are basically saying my parents should have got no tax credits—something's wrong there; even families earning £40-70k get some tax credit.

Also, the expect the payment by the 21st of next month. None-the-less, my dad refuses to pay it, although even if he planned to, it would be impossible to. My mum and dad together have under £300 every month after bills, the mortgage, and everything else is paid for, so if we were going to pay it back it would take at least 5 months.

Long story short: The government are charging my family £1,300 (to pay in one month) for their mistake and we aren't paying it =)

Teaching children pink is for girls and blue is for boys is dangerous in the long term

Even if they aren't taught it by their parents (which most children are), from a young age, children in western society are taught that pink is "for girls" and blue is "for boys". If it's not from their parents, it's from toy stores, or clothing, teachers/school or even stationary (and other unnecessarily gendered products!)

In my opinion, gender stereotypes lead to sexism, homophobia, transphobia and hate & discrimination in general. The colour stereotype is one the first social norms we learn, and although not incredibly harmful, it can lead onto more harmful stereotypes. Stereotypes encourage simplistic ways of viewing a complex world. There is a reason humans use stereotypes. They help us make quick decisions in confusing/ chaotic situations, however quick decisions are not always the right ones.

For example, they will go on to being taught that boys and girls wear different clothes, have different length hair, and that boys like girls and that girls like boys. Not many parents teach their parents they can wear whatever colour or style clothes they want, that they can have their hair how they want, and that they can like whoever they want. This then leads on to children being bullied using homophobic slurs (4 years old in the village I live in use the word gay and faggot), which can seriously affect the children who will actually end up gay. Transphobic slurs are part of most young teenager's vocabulary, and feminine words, e.g. "girl" and "pussy", are used in a negative way.

Finally, a lot of stereotypes are superficial, arbitrary and subject to change. For example, 100 years ago, boys played with dolls and lego was unisex. At the moment, we are still clinging onto stereotypes from 50 years ago, and if the youth of today follow them, by the time they have children, the stereotypes will continue in an endless circle.

Rihanna breaks fan's phone—Signs it and donates $25,000.

Differences between high school and college (UK)

If you're from the UK, comment telling me what you did (or are planning to do!) after high school. If you're from another country which uses a totally different schooling system—I'm talking to you, America, feel free to comment your confusion!

Please note, this post is about the most common, academic route of education in the UK (High school>College>University). The step-up from high school to college, is said to be harder than the step-up from college to university. If you're not an academic person, you'll likely really struggle, as I have. I decided to write this post as I finish my first year in 19 days.

First of all, it's extremely difficult. I had done three of my subjects previously, so thought I would have an advantage. I probably did, but this advantage wasn't enough, and I still struggled a lot—especially with one, English Literature. In high school I would fill in about one or two A5 books in each subject, in college I filled in a whole A4 notebook. Also, I have to remember most of the things I learnt in college, whereas in high school I could get away with just remembering half of the stuff!

Secondly, it's a lot more informal. You don't have to call teachers by their second name, which is good from a student's viewpoint (being treated like an adult instead of a child) and also from a feminist viewpoint; Jennifer Coates says, "Miss is ridiculous: it doesn't match Sir at all. It's just one of the names you can call an unmarried woman.". Also, when you're ill, rather than having to get your parents to call in, you can just text or email in (or just not go, you know...whatever). There's no uniform (unless you go to a sixth form) and most teachers don't pick on you in class, just the rude ones.

You are given more independence. If you want to fail, they will let you fail. If you don't want to  come in, they won't make you. Some people see this as a bad thing, but personally I like it. One thing I hated about high school was pressure from both my teachers, as well as my parents.

Something I hate is that you have to actually revise! In high school you can get away without revising, or revising for just a week before your exam. However, in college you need at least a month revising, and some spend up to 3 or 4 months.

One of my favourite things about college was the diversity there! There are people from all races, of all ages (which is great if you get on with older people, like me!). It's really easy to talk to people, especially in the first and second month—everyone talks to everyone. This is different to high school where everyone is in groups, and it's quite hard to make friends. My biggest fear (brought on by social anxiety!) was not making any friends, but I was settled in after a month with a friend group!

My first driving lesson!

Today I had my first driving test! I was meant to have it last Friday, however I decided I wanted a longer lesson (1.5 hours instead of 1) for my first time, so rescheduled it for today. I eventually lost interest and was just like "Whatever".

I arrived home, and after eating and hair-spraying my hair to avoid it falling in my face whilst driving, my instructor arrived 5 minutes early. I ran downstairs like a hot mess. My driving instructor seemed really nice and we got all the necessary stuff over with (payments, my progress booklet, etc). My cousins had been with him before, and passed their first time, so I figured he must've been a good instructor. I was a little nervous about having a male instructor, as I have no male friends and don't really talk to men — other than my dad!

We drove to a un-crowded (but not empty) cul-de-sac and the lesson begun! I'm learning in a manual car, which is a lot more difficult; but in the UK there is stigma around driving automatic, and my parents have this too! The instructor taught me about the basics of being in a car, how to set off (going up a hill and down a hill), how to use mirrors, set up the seat/mirrors, etc. He also taught me how to turn the wheel (and the method is actually really frustrating) without crossing my arms, how to change gears, how to park, etc, etc, etc. Just basic stuff. I went up to gear 3 (well, 4... you'll understand later).

Overall, I did pretty well (only stalled twice!), but talking about good things is boring and unentertaining. Here are some mistakes I made...

1. Gear 2 and 4 are next to each other. Accidentally moving from gear 1 to 4 instead of 2 was scary!
2. I was taught a really weird way of steering, to avoid crossing arms. I'm not going to go into it as it was hella complicated but basically if you do it wrong you can set off the air bag and break your nose lmao not cute, I was in fear of this whole time.
3. Driving in the lane. Last year in psychology we learnt that males biologically or pre-historically (I can't remember which) have good spatial awareness. This clearly isn't the case with me...
4. Ignoring the instructor. You are supposed to take your foot off the accelerate when you press the clutch, but at first I was scared to take my foot off the accelerate (it just feels odd!) so would just ignore the instructor.
5. Forgetting the order of things to do. Before you set off, you have to do like 5 things and I always forget the order :(
6. Crashing into the side of someones house — just kidding.

Do you drive? How did you find learning? Do you drive automatic or manual? Comment about how sorry you feel that I'm driving manual!

I'm starting a Conchita Wurst fandom

As with most countries outside of Austria, Conchita Wurst has been brought to my attention after winning the Eurovision, but I wish I knew about her earlier. Conchita Wurst is genderfluid, and represents herself* as Conchita when performing and being a celebrity, and Tom whilst "relaxing at home". Conchita says she likes that she can be Tom, as people don't recognise her on public transport and she can say what she wants.

Conchita's amazing winning performance!

Conchita was born in Columbia (Wikipedia falsely says Australia), as stated in an interview, however moved to Austria at a young age. The 25-year-old speaks Austrian and English. The same year the persona of Chonchita was created, she graduated from the Graz School of Fashion, and has lived in various locations in Vienna. In 2011, the persona of Conchita was created, and upon her TV appearance she stated, "This is about an important message, it's call for tolerance for everything that seems different. The performer compares the choice of last name to the common German expression 'Das ist mir doch alles Wurst,' which translates as 'it's all the same to me' and 'I don't care'.

Rise like a phoenix? Rise like Conchita!

On 10 September 2013, it was announced that Wurst would represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, after being selected by the Austrian national broadcaster ORF. Wurst's selection sparked controversy in Austria. Four days after ORF announced its decision, more than 31,000 people liked an "Anti-Wurst" Facebook page. However, regardless of the negativity, Wurst went on to win Eurovision in Copenhagen, with 290 points. It was great to see such an inspiring, non-binary, person being supported by hundreds of millions of people.
Upon winning the Eurovision singing contest, "This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom. You know who you are. We are unity, and we are unstoppable!"

*I use female pronouns as that is how she represents herself to the public

How to survive in a long distance relationship/friendship

I've been using the internet as my primary source of entertainment for over 7 years now, so along the way I have had the pleasure of many long distance friendships (no comment on relationships). They can be hard, but they can also be very fulfilling and, regardless of how much catfish convinces you otherwise, successful.

Content in this post
1. How to call each other (via mobile) without breaking the bank
2. How to message each other for free!
3. How to watch movies together
4. How to save money sending gifts
5. How to get cheap flights

If you have any tips yourself, feel free to leave them in a comment!

1. How to call each other (via mobile) without breaking the bank
Localphone. (who now let you try with a free call!)
This is thee cheapest way to make international calls. You can make a call through the app, or through the calling card. Neither person needs to have internet connection if using the calling card! 250 calls to US numbers costs just £0.48, or 800 for £1.25
Skype.
Method 1:
Skype is by far one of the cheapest methods to use where only one person needs to be connected to the internet. One partner needs to log onto Skype (can be done on the mobile app OR on the computer), and they can call the others mobile phone. ,The connection isn't amazing, I must admit, but if you're outside (such as during a break at work/college/school) it's pretty good. For £3.44 a month, you get 400 minutes to call US numbers, from the UK, or add another £1 for unlimited minutes!
Method 2:

If you both have good internet connection, you can simply log into skype on your phone, and have a regular Skype call (minus video...if you're in public...probably... but you do you)

2. How to message each other for free!
I don't want to go too much into messaging, as you have Kik for simple text/pictures, and Whatsapp for audio/video/location, but sometimes you need to send a text (e.g. when they don't have internet)
afreeSms, cbfsms, freesms, 24sms — Allows you to send a text to anywhere in the world simply, without registration.

3. How to watch movies/TV together
A good way to relax with your long distance lover/friend is to watch a movie together. Obviously, buying the same DVD, putting it in the player at the exact same time, clicking play together, etc would get annoying/frustrating. Watch2gether allows you to watch a movie from YouTube or Vimeo. YouTube is allowing an increasing amount of full videos to be uploaded, and Vimeo aren't as strict copyright-wise as YouTube. You can even chat and go on webcam together at the same time. CUTE!

4. How to save money sending gifts
It's nice to occasionally buy long distance friends/partners gifts, as it isn't like you can go shopping or out for a meal together.
Method 1: Don't buy them gifts
Method 2: Buy gifts that can be given online (e.g. memberships to the sites/games they use) or online giftcards (e.g. Amazon)
Method 3: Buy a present from Amazon/eBay, or another site which allows the item to be delivered straight to the persons house; this not only saves you shipping money (which could either be saved yourself, or sent to them via PayPal, but also saves any potential import fees that may be charged to them.
Optional: You might've saved some money doing one of the above, but they are quite impersonal. To make up for that, buy a card or write a letter and send it in the post. It won't cost more than £2 and it just makes the present more personal!.

5. How to get cheap flights
So it's finally time to meet your bae/bf—great! BUT wait, flights are e
xpensive as fuck :(
Tip 1: The cheapest day to fly is on Wednesdays (followed by Tuesdays), and the cheapest time of day is the first thing in the morning.
Tip 2: Don't buy tickets too early or too late! "Airlines don’t start releasing cheaper seats until 3-4 months before departure for domestic travel and conversely 4-5 months before international travel." says farecompare
Tip 3: Use flight comparison websites, one I find especially good is studentuniverse
Tip 4: Fly during winter/autumn. It might not be ideal, but if you really like/love the person you're going to meet, you'll have fun regardless!
Tip 5: Speak to a travel agent. These people are experts in the field and whilst you spend hours looking for the cheapest flights, they may take minutes!

10 unnecessary gendered items we use everyday

1) Shampoo. It's 2014, everyone should have nice/clean/luxurious hair!!

the back of TRESemmé shampoo. crazy—everybody, regardless of gender deserves to look fabulous!

2) Makeup. Wouldn't it be great if everybody walked around like the Capitol of Panem (THG)

3) Clothing. As discussed with my friends earlier (whilst I wore leggings), instead of men's and women's sections in clothes stores, they should just have fashionable and unfashionable!

4) Public bathrooms. It's 2014.

5) Toys. Gendered toys just cause bullying, and judgement—even from parents in some cases.

6) Snuggies. They're literally a blanket/dressing gown/thing you wear to lounge around in, they don't need genders!

7) Chapstick/face care products in general. Everyone should have nice skin and not feel uncomfortable buying a gendered product!!

8) Tea. I'm embarrassed that this is even a thing.

9) Electric razors. Lets be real, the quality of the razor is more important that the users gender.

10) EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT that calls itself "man-sized"

Stay updated with my blog!

You can now follow my blog with Bloglovin and stay updated, or subscribe via email using the widget in the sidebar. Hope you're having a good weekend!

"Boycotting" Subway

halal-only subway sign!

As you may know, people in the UK are currently raged by the fact SOME Subway stores, in high muslim population areas, are only serving halal food. I worked it out, and only 12% of Subway stores are serving halal only, and some have been since 2007, so it's not a new thing.

In my opinion, religion should not influence businesses. Restaurants shouldn't be allowed to say gay people aren't allowed as some Christians don't believe they should be, so fast food places shouldn't be allowed to serve religion-specific food as some people of that religion don't believe they should. The people from that religion should just not buy the food that's against their religion. I understand it's not this simple, though, and am fine with there being some halal-only stores.

the idea of boycotting allows people to think they are contributing towards the cause without actually doing anything
— LEON ☼ (@leonmcgann) May 1, 2014

BUT, SUBWAY TASTES GREAT. I'm not going to be boycotting it, and think the people who do are nonsensical. I could understand refusing to go in one of the halal stores, if you felt that strongly about not supporting the change, but refusing to go in all Subway stores, including the 88% which are serving the regular menu is crazy.