My Thoughts on the EU Referendum

Before I begin this post, I would like to state that all I have written is my own opinion, and is not to be taken as fact. Furthermore, I am not as educated on this as others may be, so if I have made any mistakes, please politely point them out to me, instead of attacking me. Cool. 

If you are living in the UK, or possibly even in Europe, you have probably heard that there is going to be a vote regarding the UK leaving the European Union. This vote came about after our Prime Minister, David Cameron, was kind of pressured into promising the vote, by members of his own party. Since then, he has been holding talks with various EU leaders, to attempt to change our terms of being in the EU, or something along those lines. 

Now, the UK faces a vote, due to take place on June 23rd, regarding our membership in the European Union. If you live in the UK, and are aged 18, or over, please register to vote before June 7th, because it's our future that will change!! 

So that is a little bit of (poorly understood, and written) background on the situation in this country at the moment, and now I can begin to write my thoughts on the subject... 

When I first heard about how we might be leaving the EU, my thoughts immediately went to trade, and the impact this would have on us. It would make trading with other countries more difficult, and also might discourage other countries from wanting to trade with us. This, in turn, could impact jobs. If the trade rates fall, people are going to be made redundant, to avoid making expenses rise above the necessary. 

If people are losing their jobs, then they will be spending less on items that aren't necessary - such as movies, and music, so other industries will be impacted, meaning more jobs lost, less money going into the economy, everything gets messed up... Possibly. 

Being a member of the European Union means that citizens of other member countries can live and work within the UK, and UK citizens can live and work within the EU with very little difficulty. In fact, around 5.5 million British people live permanently abroad. So why shouldn't members of other countries be able to live abroad? 

Being in the EU leads to diversity within our country, which, I believe, is both perfectly acceptable, and something that needs to happen. So many people are racist, and these people are shouting louder than anyone else in this debate. People are people, no matter the colour of their skin, and they should have the same freedom as us privileged white people. It's important to not only understand, but accept, other cultures, and staying in the EU will help this to be achieved.  

The final point I wish to make on this topic is that if we leave the EU, we can't predict our future. The safety of many jobs, but particularly those in trade, and the like, cannot be confirmed. We do not know what is going to happen to our little country in the next twenty years if the majority vote "leave". We will likely have fewer allies in the event of war, and we are only a tiny island. 

Whereas, if we stay in the EU, we can predict the affairs of the country for the next twenty years, jobs are more likely to be safe, we can travel within the European Union pretty easily... If we leave, we're going into the future blind. We don't even have a decent plan for leaving, and knowing the way the UK government handles certain things, they will probably mess it up. However, that, my friends, is a story for another day. 

So, if I were a year older, I would be voting "stay". 

In the (somewhat inappropriate) words of my boyfriend... The EU is sexy and I like being in her. 

 

So there we go. Why I think the UK should remain a member of the European Union. What do you think?

- Dottie x

Hugs Are Weird????

Hello all! I am back with a funny/weird/interesting story for you all! I'm kind of part freaked out by this, and partly just laughing at it all, so see what you think... 

It all started when I went to a gig on Thursday night. I headed to my favourite gig venue to see my pals in Dead! support the Aussie band, Hands Like Houses. I got there a bit before doors, so stood in the queue, and this super-loud, really chatty girl and her friend ended up stood a few people behind me. Which is totally cool, just overly-loud people annoy me a little. But whatever, there were some really bitchy girls there, that looked down their nose at me.. I don't really know why, but they were all there in little shorts and lots of makeup, which is cool, do your thing, just don't look at me rudely because I'm there wearing my pals' band's tee and a tiny tad of eyeliner. 

So anyway, into the gig venue I went, the first band came on and did their stuff (and they were really good!), and left the stage again. Then, my friends in Dead! came on stage, and basically created chaos... The good kind, but they were utter chaos and loud noises and a brilliant performance. I was second row, minding my own business, singing along, and then the chatty girl from the queue is back, and she is drunk. Which, again, that's cool, drink if you wanna, have a good time.. Just don't spill your alcohol on my shoes like she did... And be obnoxiously loud while an awesome band is on stage.. But whatever, she was dancing along behind me, obviously having a good time, and I couldn't help but smile at her a bit, because she was just so happy, and it was a lovely thing to see.. 

After my friends played their set, she went off again, presumably to the bar, and the third band came on, played their set and left. By this time, I was getting tired, as I'm out of practice with the whole going to gigs thing.. But anyway, the headline band, Hands Like Houses came on stage, and started playing their songs. 
About two thirds of the way through their set, chatty drunk girl is back, dancing like a maniac, and I am just smiling so much at her, because she is just having such a good time, and she clearly loves this band. Then, the couple in front of me decide to leave, probably for a lift or a train, because Hands Like Houses are playing a longer set than they should have.. Oops.. So instead of taking their place, I tapped chatty drunk on the shoulder, and pointed at the space in front of me, and let her be at the front to watch this band she adores. She seemed so happy!

Then, since Hands Like Houses were pretty heavy, and there was a kind-of pit, I moved along to let a girl who looked uncomfortable with the pushing and shoving stand in a safer place next to me. Cool.. Then the band started playing their final song, and everything was suddenly hectic, and everyone was pushing, and shoving, and yelling the song lyrics, and it's so much fun. Then out of nowhere, drunk girl grabs me and lets me stand in the space where her friend was, before he went to join the pit, and that moment was just great, with drunk girl's arm around me like we're best buds, and the delicate girl next me, and the three of us are sweaty as heck and just yelling along with the five dudes on stage and that moment was brilliant... 

And then it gets weird... 

Before she goes off, chatty drunk girl thanks me for letting her stand at the front, and tells me I'm awesome, and then she hugs me. And that's cool, because she's drunk, and such a laugh and she clearly had fun, but the kiss on the cheek was probably a tad over the top... But whatever, she's drunk. And her buddy appears then, and is just like "high fives, girl! Yeah!!" and he high-fived me, which is fine, he seems cool. And off they go. 
Then, as I'm standing around looking for my friends in Dead!, delicate girl starts talking to me, which is fine, she was super lovely, but I wanted to go see my pals, and I'm tired, so I was terrible at conversation.. Then I go to walk away, after saying bye, and she hugs me too. What?! Where did this come from?! Am I just huggable or something?! I do not understand. I do not understand. You are a stranger, and a sober one at that, why are you hugging me?!?! 

After I buy merch and have a chat to my kind-of friend in Dead!, I go and say hey to my other friend, just because every time I see them, we always have a bit of a chat, because he's funny and really nice... And we do the "Hey man, how are you?!" thing, and then he just kind of put his arm out, and kind of quietly says "let's do the hug-thing, let's hug-thing"... There's me just completely confused as fuck, and I say "oh, okay" and awkwardly one-arm hug him back, because where did that come from, he's only hugged me once, he literally never hugs me, we aren't even that close... But hey-ho, I got hugged. By three people. At one gig. And two of them were strangers. And the third was almost a stranger.. We're sort of friends, we know each other's faces, and are Facebook friends...

But WHAT?!! Hugs are so weird, and I don't think I'm one of those people that loves hugs any more... It was just strange... 

And to top it off, I saw a dude that I spoke a tiny amount at a gig in February... I completely forgot he existed, and then he was just there. It was all very odd, and I just kind of didn't really realise what was going on until I got home.. Then it was just "what the fuck?!". 

So yes, gigs are weird places where people are most definitely over-friendly, and people you only know a little will randomly hug you and be weird. I still love those Dead! guys though... 

My night was strange! 
Cool! 
Bye! 
- Dottie x