Lucinda

Yeah, that can work, but if they get cancelled, that's quite a blow. For me, it's music that keeps me going really. I get excited about albums coming out, gigs I'm going to, or just albums that I really love. It's hard being friends with someone who has attempted suicide, means you worry about them a lot more, and it's a difficult thing to get your head round. Thanks for your insight into the situation. I really hope things do improve for you anyway Nik because no one deserves to feel as bad as you do.

Yeah, I think you're right. I haven't exactly been there myself. I was very depressed when I was 12 though and had nothing to keep me going really. I was never quite on the edge, but I was near it. Nick Hornby's book A Long Way Down gave me an interesting perspective on the issue of suicide, it follows the stories of 4 very different characters who are all suicidal. The kinda conclusion is that actually no one is ever miles away from that kind of despair and you can't see it coming. But I still felt better from reading the book in a way that's difficult to explain. I agree that it sounds like you need help, unfortunately though depression is an illness, but not as easily treated as many illnesses are today. I really hope you find what works for you, the meaning that you need in your life. It makes me feel sad that so many people feel so hopeless.

This thread really does make for some depressing reading not got anything much to add to it right now. I've got things on my mind but think I am able to deal with them at the moment. I'm sending out a huge hug to everyone. Sounds like everyone needs it. I've had suicide on my mind lately, not that it's something I've ever considered, but I have a friend who attempted it around about a year ago, and I only met him after that, but he still isn't in a great way. Just making me wonder really how bad things would have to get that the only way to deal with it would be to end it all. It makes me sad, thinking about how many people must be finding themselves in such desperate situations, particularly in the economic time when people are losing jobs and businesses.

The band The Crimea put their second album online to download for free at http://www.thecrimea.net/ about 2 and a half years ago (Colin Murray's a big fan incidentally). They had some CD copies which people could buy as well. I think this better represents the future of the music industry. I don't like paying for downloads, if I'm going to pay I want the CD. As DC says, you get to choose the quality you want and listen to the original and you get the album art and inlay. Incidentally, I don't think James Blunt has all that much to fear from file sharing as the only people who buy his stuff are middle aged women who still pay £17 in WHSmith for their CD albums. I don't think they can stop people downloading, only try to make it more worth their while to buy the stuff. Like Mitchell says that NIN have done, giving away the basic music and offering bonus DVDs and things to people who buy the CDs. I think there will be a decline in the role of the 'middle man' - mainly record companies - with the producer of the music (the artist) becoming more closely linked with the consumers (the fans). Most bands make more out of touring than selling music anyway. Everyone thinks it was generous of Radiohead to let people choose what to pay to download their album but there were also £40 boxed versions of it and they charged £50 to see them live.

Glad to hear you had a good time and meeting the family went alright! Finishing decoration must feel really good too. I've got a new job, I'm starting next Monday. I'm a bit apprehensive about the hours because I seem to get burnt out really quickly, so I'm really going to have to pace myself, but it's working at a consultancy which is an amazing opportunity. I'm still pretty surprised by the speed it's all been organised in.

Haha that's awesome

Gotta love colouring in. I have a Christmas colouring book I got from The Works for 5p. Bargain! I used to colour in at uni in 2nd year when I was stressed by my housemates. It's very theraputic. Today I got my hair cut. Went along with what the hairdresser suggested so my hair is now layered all the way around rather than just at the front. Also as of last night I am unemployed, but today I got a call and I'm going to see someone on Monday so I may have something pretty cool coming my way. Quite a surreal day really.

Manchester has a youth hostel, and I can combine it with a visit to Leeds Boy. So it's looking like it's got some potential.

Awww rubbish that both of you feel like that. I had those blood tests too and there was nothing wrong with me. I felt better after sleeping a lot at the weekend but I've not been sleeping much the last couple of nights and feeling bad again. I think it's just a product of the busyness of modern life and stress. I guess you just have to grab what sleep you can and try to get a good diet and some relaxation in between. I'm knackered, only knowing that the project is nearly done is keeping me going and I can have some time off soon. Really worried about how I'm going to cope with a full time job in the long run I'm going to the doctor on thursday to try to find out why my foot seizes up and hurts when I walk...

I started uni single and managed to graduate single as well. But now not so sure what happens. I think first year is best to be single because you can have fun and make new friends without worrying really. Wouldn't have minded getting into a relationship towards the end, maybe in third year, but that didn't work out.

Ok... point taken, cos as most people here will know, I lived with some awful housemates too. So if he doesn't want to talk about it... I guess you have to accept that. Give him as much time and space as possible and then try talking to him again. If you do see him, try to talk about other stuff and hang out doing stuff you would normally do, rather than trying to talk to him about the heavy stuff straight away.

Aww It is really hard, living with someone, because if you have a falling out, you're still stuck with each other and it's difficult to get space to calm down and get a different perspective. Have you tried writing down how you feel and that you'd like to make things up with him? He must be exhausted by trying to be out all the time to avoid the issue and I think he'll want to sort things out just as much as you do. Write a note and put it under his bedroom door or something. He seems to be trying to avoid talking about it, but if you make your feelings known and give him time to think about it, it leaves it up to him to decide when he wants to talk calmly and rationally about things. Good luck, I hope you work things out.

I'd go see it in London. Would have to go with some of you lot though, as none of my other friends seem to know who Scott Mills is

Awww Emma I think you do need to try to take life more slowly. Good that you've got some tests done though. I hope if you've got something that it's easily treatable. I decided I couldn't keep up with things because today I was literally planning to be in 4 different places at once all day. It's not actually possible. So I am spending the weekend here rather than going to Birmingham with uni friends. I'm in the middle of a job application for a job I would actually quite like and need the time to finish it off. I've got a support bandage on my ankle so can kinda walk but really need to rest it so it stops hurting. I get a really bad cough at night which keeps me awake. Also my memory is completely gone because I am so tired. So this weekend is a designated weekend of rest. I am going to lie on the sofa and watch TV and try to catch up with where my life is.

Congratulations Heather, that's really good to hear I saw The Hold Steady last night, they were immense. I've seen them 3 times before but this time was probably the best. The crowd were loving it and the band had so much energy and were clearly having a really really good time. Also I saw my best friend before he moves to Leeds tomorrow to start his Masters course. It's kinda weird not living with him any more.

Surely they can't all be people you know well though? How many are celebrities? I'd find that annoying cos there'd be constant silly invitations and things and it'd be difficult to sift through to find the people you actually want to know about. I've got about 250 friends and a fair number of them are people I know but don't care all that much about knowing about.

I did have a feeling her engagement wouldn't last long. She's the kind of person who believes that everything will last forever when it's only been a week and that she won't ever change her mind or feel any differently in the future. Naive I spose. Chat lines sound slightly less damaging but there is a barrel there and they are scraping it for stories. Wasn't she originally on Sex With Mum and Dad?

Facebook is now showing me randomly selected statuses from the past few days... most from Tuesday :/ silly thing. Fix it Facebook!

I can't keep up with the pace of life at all I don't feel that I can stop and collect my thoughts. I can't remember anything and I feel awful but I'm hardly able to sleep. I really really need some time out but I just don't have any time and I can't easily get out of anything that I'm doing. Tomorrow I'm up at 7am, working all day then going to a gig in the evening. On Friday I'm going to Birmingham and staying in a tent on someone's farm for the weekend and we're going out on Friday night apparently. Then back Sunday night, off to work again for another week Monday. I feel like I can't take any more. I've done something to my foot and it hurts when I walk, but I will be on my feet most of tomorrow. My IBS is really bad and my stomach really hurts. I can't decide if I'm hot or cold, I feel hot and shivery at the same time and my brain is too fried to work out what I'm feeling. My throat hurts and I've got a cough that seems to be getting worse by the day. I want to take things slower but feel like life will pass me by and I'll miss all the opportunities :cry:

The Killers - Mr Brightside, it is certainly the song that's summed up my time at uni. KoL - Sex On Fire has only been around in the last year. Snow Patrol Run and Chasing Cars were pretty big too and both great songs. I'll have a think about it and post more later when I'm home.

I have the exact same issue. It's showing me stuff from Saturday night. I did install that "Stalker/Fan" app around then. I tried to access it but it said they're updating it and it'll be back soon. I removed Fan Check but still seem to have the same issue... I'll check the Facebook help forums and post back if I find a fix :/

Iceland are cheap for some of the frozen stuff but usually more expensive for non-frozen stuff. Sainsburys, Tesco or Asda are your best bets if you can get to one of those. The bigger the supermarket, the cheaper the stuff. Frozen peas are a great investment, they take like 2 minutes in the microwave, are relatively cheap and are really good for you. Carrots, onions and potatoes are the cheapest vegetables you can buy and they all last a fair while as long as you keep the potatoes in the dark. Tinned chopped tomatoes are cheap and if you fry some onion, add some herbs and some tinned chopped tomatoes, you've got a quick and cheap pasta sauce. You could also add some tinned tuna to it for protein. Also Sainsburys Basics frozen whitefish (pollock) is a good buy, tastes just like cod and you can either microwave it or wrap it in foil and cook it in the oven, is cheap and easy. I eat quite a limited diet so I'm probably not much help with things like meat, but generally, chicken is expensive but cheaper frozen, you have to make sure you defrost it properly though. The BBC Food recipe search is useful, it has all levels of recipe on it from every day to dinner party: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/advanced_search.shtml

Everyone going back to college/uni From a logistical point of view, it's annoying, cos the area I work is sandwiched between 2 sixth form colleges and a university, so the streets are full of annoying teenagers. More importantly though, it is making me sad that I'm not going back to uni. Although I know I've left, there's been a part of me that truly believes it's just been the summer holidays and I'll be going back to Nottingham and my day will consist of 1 lecture and then hanging out with my friends. *lots of crying emoticons* I miss my friends and the lifestyle and I know we'll never live that close to each other or have that much free time ever again.

Probably just Google image searched a longdrop They did have a portacabin labelled "female urinals" at Reading which I saw a few girls use. The stewards were giving out those cardboard shepee things. Didn't fancy trying it myself though, the queues were never that bad.

Happy birthday, hope you're enjoying it.