Superstar DJ Tim Bergling aka Avicii Has Died

I tend to not comment on high-profile celebrity deaths, mostly because I feel like certain things are too sacred for the fickle online world of social media. Plus, I find outpourings of grief from strangers a little disingenuous.

Lately as well, there have been so many random celebrity deaths, often in bizarre circumstances or due to drug or alcohol abuse, that I guess you sort of become desensitised, as sad and heartless as that sounds.

However, when news broke that superstar EDM DJ Tim Bergling, or Avicii if going by his stage name, had passed away I was so shocked I actually thought it was a hoax. When I found out it wasn’t, I couldn’t help but share the news on social media and text my friends about it.

I’m not sure why I’m so affected by the news. I mean there’s the obvious reason in that 28 seems far too young to die. A cause of death hasn’t yet been confirmed and while there have been vague hints of past issues with alcohol, this is speculation. Given that drugs and the dance/rave culture go pretty much hand in hand, it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that drugs were also at play but again, who knows?

Family Problems

People wonder why shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians are so successful, but whilst the girls’ glam fashion choices has a lot do with it, if you too have a love-hate relationship with your siblings then you can definitely relate to their family dynamic, not to mention the endless drama that seems to follow the family around like a dark cloud.

Off topic, but as I’ve mentioned before I’ve always been quite intuitive when it comes to reading people or judging certain situations or interactions accurately. It’s probably why I struggle to maintain romantic, platonic and familial relationships – I can pick-up on people’s less-than-perfect traits and once I do, that person’s personality flaw will grate on me.

I’ll try to ignore it, cut people some slack and rise above but this becomes exhausting and eventually I start talking or hanging out with people less. They then pick up on this shift and, becoming defensive, become distant as well. As I find it childish and extreme to go from being close to ignoring each other forever, I will still check-in with folks from time-to-time but the relationship is never really the same.

So as someone who follows showbiz news because it appeals to my analytical side, (I should get a life, I know) it’s why I wasn’t surprised that Channing and Jenna Tatum announced their separation – despite being drop dead gorgeous, I always got a vibe that Channing just wasn’t that into her.

I got the same vibe off Queen Letizia and her husband King Felipe of Spain. I find Queen Letizia effortlessly chic and very put together, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, male or female, who admires her style. But her husband seems quite aloof and not very affectionate with her.

However, being a royal (and a King no less) I put the reserved behaviour between the two down to etiquette. If you look at photos from early-on in their marriage though, King Felipe was a lot more touchy-feely with a pre-nose job Queen Letizia.

Queen Letizia hit the headlines recently however, when video footage surfaced of rather frosty behaviour between her and her mother-in-law Queen Sofia:

"Queen Sofía and Queen Letizia Face Off, and Spain Is Aghast" - NY Times, April 5th, 2018 

It seems even royals have trouble with their in-laws from time to time. King Felipe eventually had to step-in to defuse the situation.

Self Improvement vs. Accepting Yourself

Image credit: mcredifine

My life has been randomly hectic for the past couple of years and unfortunately, blogging took a backseat. I also didn’t bother to renew this site's custom domain registration, which meant my search visibility took a battering and since I was no longer getting the consistent traffic that I was used to, it was even more of a reason to not be as active on here.

I find my desire for blogging returning however, as I forgot just how therapeutic it can be. As someone who is prone to bouts of situational depression, if there’s an outlet that can bring you any kind of relief, it’s well worth continuing with.

It also helps to clear and organise my thoughts, and I’m finding myself rambling less to poor folks in my everyday life since I’ve gotten back into writing. I know a lot of people can relate to things I write about as well, which is why I originally set up this blog.

I guess the purpose of this post is that I find myself reflecting on my current circumstances, which make me feel like I’m exactly where I was 3-4 years ago, despite making numerous changes in my life.

I think as adults, especially if you have a pattern of struggling to maintain relationships, jobs or whatever, it's important to be self-aware so you can look at areas about yourself that perhaps need improving. The goal isn’t to be too self-critical, but more so you can live your best life.

Why Modern Friendships Aren't Sustainable

I wrote an article a while back about Sex and the City and how we can draw inspiration from the female friendships featured in the show as something to aspire to, as opposed to the shallower aspects such as the fierce fashion choices, fabulous apartments and casual relationships.

However, the cast of the infamous show hit the headlines recently, mainly because of the way Kim Cattrall publicly lashed out at co-star Sarah Jessica Parker on social media:

My Mom asked me today “When will that @sarahjessicaparker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?” Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona. Copy and paste link https://nypost.com/2017/10/07/inside-the-mean-girls-culture-that-destroyed-sex-and-the-city/

A post shared by Kim Cattrall (@kimcattrall) on Feb 10, 2018 at 5:20am PST

Tensions in the workplace happen all the time, so it’s unreasonable to expect a TV show or film set to be any different. But it was still sad to see confirmation that when it came to the close-knit friendships portrayed in the show, life certainly didn't imitate art.

Interestingly, the stars of another one of my favourite female-led shows Charmed also hit the headlines not too long ago for similar reasons, when Rose McGowan (who has very vocally spoken out against sexism and sexual harassment in Hollywood) lashed out at former co-star Alyssa Milano, again on social media, for supporting the wife of Harvey Weinstein (who is now facing numerous allegations of assault and harassment).

Why Men Like B*tches

Much like anyone else with any kind of experience of failed relationships, I’ve become quite weary when it comes to pursuing a romantic connection. I’m pretty sure this lack of enthusiasm for dating is apparent which means unintentionally, I’ve ended up being a little stand-offish when it comes to dating.

You would think this aloof attitude would discourage men but on the contrary, they seem to end up putting in more effort to see or speak to you.

I’ve had this happen with a few guys now, so it seems like proof that 1) if a guy really likes you, even a little bit of rejection won’t put them off from trying again and 2) men actually seem to prefer it if you aren’t all that eager to date them.

Ice Ice Baby
Image credit: Ingasommer

It’s not even a tactic or game I’m playing, because I genuinely am a bit half-hearted about dating at the moment and my hectic schedule makes it hard to find the time to date as well.

Besides, I think this approach is far more effective when you’re not faking it, and you genuinely have more going in your life than being able to drop everything to go on a date, as though it’s the highlight of your week.

This is precisely why I tell females not to chase men. Because apparently, even if you turn them down, ignore them or seem unenthusiastic with their messages, it doesn’t stop men from pursuing you.

How I Broke My Internet Addiction

In the modern age, it’s increasingly difficult to avoid technology as more and more systems become digital.

Image credit: Mediamodifier

For the most part, these updates in communications are designed to make our lives easier. However, like anything else you have to be careful not to let usage become excessive, as overuse can have a variety of negative effects on your mental and physical health.

I myself noticed a difficulty in being able to listen or concentrate on one thing for too long; even watching a movie or reading a book required a concentrated effort to focus and not let my mind drift.

I think the problem is that it’s my main way to ease boredom – as soon as I have some spare time, I’m connected online and I feel a mad rush to check (and clear) my notifications, as well as my email inboxes, news feeds (both personal from social media, and topical in the form of online newspapers), not to mention checking the status of this blog.

That’s a lot of information to process and it can’t be good for those who are prone to feeling anxious or overwhelmed. But it can be difficult to break the habit when it becomes part of your daily routine.

Does Technology Create More Problems Than It Solves?

As technology is constantly changing, people often wonder why I'm so resistant to updating my bits of technology and moving with the times. But I can’t be the only one who finds gadgets and electronics a potential source of stress, for the following reasons:

1) When you buy a new piece of equipment, there’s the whole process of having to get used to a new system and learning how it works.

Image credit: FirmBee

2) The inevitable troubleshooting that comes when you realise your new flash bit of equipment might have some cool new functions, but is struggling to carry out certain simple, basic tasks you grew used to using on your old device.

3) Concerns about being too dependant or reliant on technology, not to mention sacrificing your privacy and personal data when engaging heavily with certain apps.

It's like technology has become too technical and involved for its own good.