The Twelfth Hour

In a very short time, 2014 will be upon us. The new year brings with it many things; resolutions that break, dreams that become realities and events that leave either a kiss or a pox on time.
Whatever it may bring, many of us aspire to change our lives anew with the new year; predominantly with resolutions that either work out or fail miserably. Sometimes we even plan things and they go wrong, then we try again and they go wrong... only for the chips to eventually fall into place at the time that is truly right.

In any case, at the stroke of twelve on New Years Eve, everyone is brimming with expectations, ambitions, hopes and a multitude of things that can only be found with the release of a new year. My resolution?
That the new year will bring happiness, love, luck and wisdom to the world. And that people will stop slaughtering animals and desecrating nature; that'd be fricking amazing.
So with all that being said, I hope 2014 brings you much in terms of things to smile about. Bad days will be naturally be inevitable, but I hope that the happy ones are plentiful and more memorable than anything else the year might throw at you.
And if you're one of those people who make New Years resolutions and can never fulfil them; remember that the most important thing is to make a start.

"Now finish the work so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means"- 2 Corinthians 8:11

^random but potentially helpful Bible quote....

Have a great last few hours of 2013, make the most of them and let's all hope that next year is a better year for those random bloggers who never know what to write!

One Night with The Voice

DISCLAIMER: The following blog post comes with the knowledge that others haven't been made for quite some time. And it's also worth knowing that the author has never been diagnosed with what has been dubbed "Craig Plague".

For those of you who may have seen it, I was on the news for about 5 seconds due to being filmed while Harrison Craig (2013 winner of The Voice) was doing a meet&greet at Westfield. Needless to say, the day itself was memorable enough to say the least. Aside from standing in line for what must have been an eternity, I met him. He was sitting at a table and he stood up to greet my friends and myself. He gave them a hug with clear sincerity, but when my turn came he seemed somewhat reluctant. And he smelt like laundry powder. 

Not the greatest first impression, and it lingers on as the most unusual brush with fame that one could have.

Five months later, it came to my attention that he was performing Christmas carols in the city. On the night of his last performance I went along with my friend and after what was an entertaining show, fangirls could line up and meet him. Feeling that it was time for a catch-up, I joined the line. 

After getting on the stage and saying the strangest things ever, I think the poor chap is in need of some therapy. 

HC: Hello!

Me: I remember you! You were at Westfield a few months ago! You smelt like laundry powder!

After he did his best to remain composed, he hugged me and I took a loud exaggerated sniff (to give him credit, he smelled rather nice). Upon his release, he looked ready to move to Tibet. So to reassure him, I said he smelt better.

I then posed for photos with him and my friend and while they did their best to keep calm and ignore the basket case, I put my elbow on his shoulder and posed with the elegance of a bogan leaning proudly on his Commodore.

Much later, when he was leaving, my friend and I were walking as he drove past in a heavily guarded buggy. 

Me: (obscenely loud) You smell great!!

HC: (loudly, but with more dignity) Thank you!

It came to my realisation later that what I said to him could have been interpreted as offensive/crass/crazy/stupid, and that in the years to come, I will have been the cause of his nightmares. So just to set the record straight;

Harrison, if you ever read this, I'm sorry for:

• being mental
• sniffing you
• making comments on your stench/lack of it
• shouting at you
• treating you like a bogan car

Please accept my sincerity and if ever makes you feel better, you can sniff me too. But to give you the heads-up, I don't smell like laundry powder. 

And that, dear readers, was my night with The Voice... or rather the winner of the TV show. I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and a equally awesome New Year. 2014 promises to be intriguing and with any luck, so will the posts.

All the very best until the next time.

Letter for Someone I Used To Know

Hey,

You're not going to find this in your letterbox or in your Hotmail inbox. Maybe you won't find it ever and I'm being an idiot hoping you'll stumble onto this one day. But I write this in an attempt for the world to understand that I'm sorry for my involvement in what was said and done about a year ago.

It's a bit pointless doing this, really. It's like when Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations in 2008; the concept was sentimental, but their responses were varied. And your potential response to this might be something involving the words "****" and "off". But I'll go out on a limb and say that it's OK how you respond to this (if ever), because any response from you (albeit non-physical or un-diplomatic) would let me know I'm not entirely dead to you.
Because as much as I have attempted to put the past behind me and move on with my life, something keeps reminding me of all the good past memories; and she has your crazy hair and chocolate-y eyes.

After the time we last spoke, I'll admit the thought of ever seeing you again was enough to make me look under the bed at night; ensuring you and a knife weren't there waiting for me to sleep. It scared me. But common sense eventually assured me that you weren't homicidal. I soon decided that if one day, we ever saw each other, we'd carry on as if the other didn't exist.
Or you'd leap on top of me and strangle me to death. Either way, it'd bring about an influx of bittersweet memories.

So with this; I'm sorry for leaving you behind. In all honesty, I thought that after all the drama, it was the best thing to do. And then when I had any desire to change my mind, I had no idea of what I'd say or do when you picked up the phone/read your emails/saw me. And in any case, it was too late to change things. Mutual awkwardness or World War III were the most likely outcomes, and it would be folly to complicate things further.

Besides, knowing you, you've moved on from me anyway and found a new best friend. You've probably begun paving your way towards your ambitions, and well done to you if that's the case. I wouldn't know; no news has come about. But I assume you haven't died, so that's all good.
I'm not dead either, in case you ever wondered. 11 months later and all is marvellous. You haven't been replaced; because you're the irreplaceable type of girl. But I've got someone awesome for a new favourite best friend, and she's not perfect. She has an odd laugh and we'll never see eye to eye in terms of music. But she's interesting, hilarious, kind, intelligent, beautiful and virtuous in ways that are unique and what I believe to make her such an important person in my life; they are not bars which you failed to raise. You never failed me as a friend, ever, but it was time and distance that eventually drew what we believed to be infinite to an end.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life.
I'm ripping off Green Day, but it's sad that it's true. The memories I have of you are predominantly fond, and I hope that perhaps even now, the feeling is still mutual.
All the very best for whatever you do in life....

Warm regards; me.

The Greatest Cake Ever

T'was the day of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary, and I felt that such a jubilee was worth at least a cake.
So for 2 hours, I made the greatest thing I will ever do; A DALEK CAKE!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you all had a fantastic 50th anniversary... I know I did :)

50 Great Things About Doctor Who

For five wondrous decades, the world has been exposed to the sic-fi phenomenon known by all as Doctor Who.
Whether you enjoy the rebooted series or the classics, countless numbers of people who appreciate the Doctor they know can unite on this glorious day and celebrate the anniversary of the worlds greatest science-fiction franchise.

1. William Hartnell; the worlds first Doctor. The man who pretty much began the wonderful phenomenon that the coolest people in the world love. 
2. Patrick Troughton. Don't be fooled by the haircut; this Doctor was indeed one of the most lively and crazy Doctors. And he played an INSTRUMENT! 10 muso points!
3. John Pertwee. Made bow ties cool before the Eleventh. And he had a whole array of vehicles other than the TARDIS... even a little plane. 
4. Tom Baker. THAT SCARF. THAT CURLY MOP OF HAIR. The most iconic Doctor of them all; anyone from the 1970's will agree with me. Unless they're my mum, who likes the Tenth Doctor because he's... insanely good looking. 
   
5. Peter Davison. Father-in-law to David Tennant, father of David Tennant's wife and a brilliant Fifth incarnation to boot!!! And he's inspired me to start wearing my food, instead of eating it.
6. Colin Baker. I've yet to see for myself his accomplishments, but he became a Doctor, so he makes the list.
7. Sylvester McCoy. Ditto. I can also respect his use of a question-mark umbrella.
8. Paul McGann; the Doctor who only made one movie. And only recently has another official video of him as The Doctor been released (in honour of the 50th anniversary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U3jrS-uhuo. Be sure to check it out; it's quite good!
9. Christopher Eccleston. LOVE THIS GUY!!!! He's not the most attractive incarnation, but he brought the badass element to everyones favourite Time Lord. And his smile and occasional silliness bring a smile to my face. 
10. DAVID. TENNANT
    
11. Matt Smith. My least favourite of all the Doctor incarnations, but I do have to admit he's enthralled me once or twice in certain episodes. And a lot of people like him, so he's done something right.
12. Peter Capaldi. Because Matt Smiths reign of terror is coming to a close (Christmas, actually) and Mr Capaldi is his successor, I can't wait to see what happens! 
13. John Hurt (the unknown Doctor). The episode he features in has yet to be viewed by me, but I'll see him later tonight in The Day of The Doctor. 
14. The TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It's the most retro time (and space) machine in the history of time travel. The majesty of the mysterious blue box is more grand than many things I've seen.... and it's not real.
15. The wonders of the future. Whenever you see an episode set in the Earths future, it's so interesting seeing what might become of our little human race. And if it's an episode like 'Fear Her' or 'Dalek', set in 2012, it's funny looking upon it now (in 2013).
16. The representations of the past. Whenever The Doctor goes back in time and meets people like Winston Churchill/Madame de Pompadour/William Shakespeare and gets involved in their lives, it truly is fascinating seeing the contrast between the all-worldly Doctor  
17. Daleks
18. Cybermen
19. Celery (FUN FACT: The celery Peter Davison wore was a fake; he hates celery)
20. Long scarves
21. The food (jelly babies, bananas, fish fingers, custard, chips....)
22. The theme song
23. The soundtrack; the one thing that takes up a significant percentage of the memory on my iPod. Go look it up...
24. The special effects and how they've progressed throughout the duration of the whole franchise.
25. Each and every monster and alien from the classic series and the rebooted one.
26. Vashta Nerada. The shadows that melt the flesh. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. They're one of the coolest monsters in science fiction!
27. River Song. RIVER. BLOODY. SONG. Although she's a primary component of the Matt Smith episodes, she makes watching them worth it.
28. The lessons we learn from the show.
29. SONIC STUFF. In Doctor Who, there isn't just the sonic screwdriver; there's pens, lipsticks and  blaster guns. And their capabilities stretch far beyond the typical screwdrivers and that does make you wish that screwdrivers were a little more sonic.
30. Martha Jones; the first companion I saw. Her intellect and kickass red leather jacket defied the stereotype of what action-women should be like (listen to the men and your clothing should stick to your skin). She taught me to fight for what I believe in and that intelligence makes anyone sexy. 
31. Donna Noble; the sassiest, boldest and most awesome companion ever. I often go so far as to say she's my favourite, but that's because she did so much and never sought any self-gain from it. Plus, she looks pretty stunning in a wedding dress. And she's played by the ever-brilliant Catherine Tate.
32. Rose Tyler. The first companion of the rebooted series, and the one who embedded herself into many fans hearts (and The Doctors as well). No one can tell me they didn't cry in the Doomsday episode. She wasn't as smart as Martha or as feisty as Donna, but she was sweet and empathetic, even to that Dalek in the episode "Dalek" (very original title.... not).
    
33. The film locations; Cardiff, London, Rome..... They're endless and astonishing. 
34. The generations of people who've grown up on Doctor Who (the oldest and biggest fans).
35. Converse 
36. Supermassive colourful stripy scarves
37. Leather jackets that radiate badass-ness. Or "boat captain"-ness. 
38. The catchphrases; "Fantastic!", "Allons-y!", "EXTERMINATE!", "DELETE!", "Sontar-HAH!" and even "Geronimo!" are all T-shirt worthy indeed.
39. Fezzes and bow ties. I really don't like Matt Smith and his portrayal of The Doctor, but I have to agree with him on the awesomeness of bow ties and fezzes. 
40. All those guest stars that we see in other TV shows and we then geek out
41. Torchwood. The greatest spinoff show ever. I cannot get enough of the Welsh accents and mystery... or John Barrowmans cockiness.
42. Sarah Jane Smith. Enough said. 
43. Chameleon Circuit (the band). These guys are composed of Doctor Who nerds who write and play songs about Doctor Who... featuring the ever cool Charlie McDonald. 
44. The inspirational quotes; "Go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine" and "The greatest adventures, my dear boy, often lead to the greatest discoveries" are both some of the pearls of wisdom offered by the First Doctor. There's a library of other good quotes from the other incarnations.
45. The funny quotes 
46. The cosplay options; you can go as a villian, alien, companion or The Doctor himself. All the Doctor Who costume options seem to be bigger on the inside...
47.  All those cool pictures you see on Tumblr that depict how creative us Whovians are. 
    
48.  All the incarnations of The Master (except the one from the Doctor Who movie. That's the only thing about the franchise that saddens me) 
    
49.  All those celebrities who like the show. The Queen of England especially.... (yes; even Her Majesty herself likes a bit of time travel) 
50.  All of us other fans. Every man, woman, child, adolescent, nerd, geek, dork, fanboy/fangirl who has willingly accepted Doctor Who into their lives has been the key to the immense success of one of the worlds greatest television shows. It's people like us that will make this show live up to milestones like 75 years... maybe even 100?? Who knows. But according to this: 
    
    And with that in mind; go forth and enjoy this frabjous day!! ALLONS-Y!!!
    If you haven't seen The Day of The Doctor yet.... you are not alone (pun intended). I've yet to see it and if you're anything like me, you're both scared and excited at the same time. 
    
    

The Minds Of Children (Fun Size Post)

Each and every day, we interact with at least one person; online or in reality. Minds meet through communication and by doing this, we learn more about each other and subliminally, we learn more about the psychology of that person.
Without really meaning to, we begin to understand what makes them tick. If you're anything like me, you observe the mental traits of everyone; especially those of the manager at the 7-Eleven.

By applying psychological thought consciously (i.e. you know you're studying the behaviour of others), you learn stuff about everyone else that Sherlock Holmes would have deduced instantly.
And while we're on the topic of deduction, let me introduce the topic of this post by saying that it will not be about Sherlock Holmes, but rather about something I've learnt this week.
And it is that no matter who you meet in life; you'll always have to face the mental characteristics of children.

This week was an interesting week to say the least; it had begun spectacularly. And then by about Thursday, it had all decided to spiral downwards.
Not because my mind was psychologically tuned to match that of a child, but there was elements of child-like behaviour involved in the descent of happiness.
Upon reflection of the events of the past few days, that was when I came to the conclusion that childish behaviour is exhibited in almost everything we do.

• In moments of certain forms of happiness, we lose all mature thought and go with our childish logic; because when we are happy, our 'inner child' rejoices and decides to make us more playful/giggly/silly. 
• When someone says or does anything that we interpret as a bad thing, sometimes we go and play with the other children in the playground because that person is now a deadly enemy. And because that's how it is and because they're a "bad person", we ignore them and not include them in our games.
• Sometimes you appeal to certain people and only hold their attention with things that normally interest children (food, guns, cars, 'shiny' stuff....). And when you no longer provide the trinkets or entertainment, then their attention is GONE.
• And sometimes, when certain people don't get the 'toys' they want, but another person does; then there is a jealousy crisis more deadly than cyanide.  The jealous person will then therefore resort to doing things that a child would do (saying negative stuff, making up rumours and acting all innocent about it when deep down you know that they're a lying b*****d). Because if they can't have the 'toy', they're going to make the other person suffer as well. Or put up a massive, hysterical fuss until they get what they want.
• Sometimes people take the games of "following the leader" and make believe a bit too seriously and they try to replicate the "leaders" life/make a new and different life from scratch and incorporate all that the leader/influence does into their own life. People that do that need to get away from the dress up box and use their imagination to come up with their own life (Imagination is one of few childhood elements people must never let go of).

Maybe when we're affected by the negative actions of people who exhibit these childish traits constantly, we're meant to take on a more mature role and exhibit authority/dominance over them. However you look at it; they can't keep being a kid forever. And if they refuse to admit they're being a bad kid, then you need to leave them in the naughty corner to rot.
Because they're not your biological offspring and you are not their guardian. Why should you look after them if they're not meant to be your problem??

Leave the strange kid in the corner and go enjoy your life. You're a strong independent person, not a single parent. (If you are an actual single parent; I'm sorry if you've been offended)

Carbon Copy

Every human is given a massive unwritten list of every single basic rights that they are entitled to; the right to vote, dream, do what they want as long as it's legal, be who they want to be.... The list is virtually endless.
But there isn't a proper official  list for everything. There's the list that the United Nations wrote (Declaration of Human Rights), and it covers stuff like freedom of religion and slavery... which are still works in progress.

What the UN failed to add to that list of priorities is that every human being has the right to being an individual; it's a freedom given to us at birth and should never be mocked by others with the same right. And one thing that the UN should really add as a footnote (after adding the right of individuality to the list) is that the individual is entitled to be what they are, without anyone else turning their own individual persona into that of another.
In other words; it should be a violation of a basic human right if someone changes their personality to act almost exactly like another person.
But because that right isn't globally recognised as official, punishment cannot be enforced and the plague of Personality Imitation Suckiness Symptoms (PISS) will haunt the minds of many until the day comes when people recognise my made-up diseases for what they are; legitimate.
And the only cure for PISS?

Well, there's no real cure when it comes to psychological illnesses (I think...) but there is a prevention method; allow people without individual personalities to be arrested and told to change their evil ways.
Because what they do isn't something to be taken lightly. It's a very sad day when a soul that was designed to be an individual becomes a carbon copy of someone else; another soul that was made original.
And it's also quite scary too in certain cases. There are people out there who reflect the personality of a colleague/friend/family member/significant person so well that the resemblance borders on uncanny. It's like science-fiction cloning, but with less intricate duplication procedures. The physical appearance has changed, but the mannerisms and personality are ridiculously in sync/identical.

Many have said (my mother especially) that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And that may be true in some situations, but what of the others? Are people so desperate for things like attention, acceptance and a change of entire self that they are willing to be Social Water*, without the vitality to the plants around us?
The answer is yes, unfortunately. People can be driven by forces greater than physical entities. The desires to be accepted or to have attention, can be forces greater than the one in Star Wars. And when they get out of hand, the result is PISS in those around them and those they imitate. Symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Frustration
• Longing for things to be normal/the way they used to 
• Wishes to get away from the cause 

If you suffer from PISS in any way at all, then there is little you can really do without causing some form of damage (mental, physical, emotional, social.... even environmental!), but you have to know that change is needed. You will go insane otherwise. 

Bite the bullet and put a stop to what your carbon copy is doing. But be gentle about it. 

And if you're one of those people who actually enjoys the thought of having their own neo-clone, then you need to still bite the bullet. While you might like being such a superlative influence, you're actually damaging them by letting them keep calm and carry on being another you. 

~

In other news, I'm temporarily back to blogging! Posts may not be frequent, and you and I both know that they'll never always be good, but I've missed this, and the break was too long. Plus I was in an exceptionally good mood and this is just the sprinkles on top.

Stay tuned, thank you, good night and may the force be with you.

*see a post I made earlier called 'The Social Botany Scale', it also deals with elements of social science and why the human race is like a greenhouse of plants.

Potential Hiatus...

I don't know if any of you have noticed, but I haven't really been making posts for quite a while. And for months, I haven't been making posts of the greatest quality.
What must be done, but with agony, will be done.

Definite hiatus...

Two words I hoped never to write, let alone think of, have now been stitched into the fabric of time. The future for this blog has been affected.
And on behalf of the team that made the decision to go on hiatus (at least until further notice or until I think of something good), I'm gravely sorry. If it were not for my lack of interesting stuff to write about, as well as schoolwork/procrastinations, then the inevitable wouldn't have happened.

But it has. Things are getting somewhat stale, and I don't have it in me to write a post every week because I HAVE to.
It's mutually more enjoyable if it's a post that isn't scraped off the side of my brain (that was a shocking metaphor), and if it isn't one I've had to force myself to write.

Because I read a quote the other day that's since struck a chord: Everything you do is either leading you away from the masses or leading you away with the masses. 
And after little deliberation, I decided it's not fun being seperated from the masses, and seperation seems to happen when the posts are forced.

So until I can come up with something that's actually good; no posts shall be made.
If you have any suggestions though, or any comments, they would be appreciated.

(Please don't assume that this is the end of the blog. One day, it'll be back. Until then, here's a poem I found to prove how un-dead it is. But please don't close this page and look out the window at the weather outside and expect to see this blog.)

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush

I am the swift, uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there, I did not die.

Well, we're not dead yet. Just on life support.

The Graveyard Post

It's extremely difficult to come up with an interesting post when bugger all seems to have happened in two worlds; my own and this big one.

When there seems to be little point in discussing my newfound Merlin addiction or the crisis in Syria, what else is one to do, but stare at the computer screen with a zombie face?

(Hypothetically, I could make some headway on Season 5, but I've suffered enough television)

Random topic generator? 

Too stale. 

BBC News feed?

Nothing of captivating interest.

Really, it sometimes does seem as if writers block is more intolerable than HIV. And when you're surrounded by too much familiarity, inspiration is then hard to find. 

So in essence, you're trapped in a mental graveyard, where everything's quiet and lifeless. 

Or maybe it's a mental library, where any desire to provoke thoughts is met with an instant "SHUSH!"

Wherever you're mentally trapped, it's always boring. Even if you're in the mental library, there's nothing good to read except for the phonebooks or the Twilight saga. And that's only incentive to blow up the library. 

So with nothing else to provide, and not much else to say; I will end today's post (with its high levels of dullness) with something I decided to work on a while ago. It's the first part to a short story I felt like writing, and even though I haven't touched it for weeks, it'd be great to know what you all think of it. Plus it was written in the days when writer's block wasn't so crippling, so who knows? Read it and let me know what you think. 

(Just in case you were wondering; this is intended to be a murder mystery)

The lager made Lucy’s throat clench. Alcohol had never been something she enjoyed; she couldn’t even accept Communion wine without her mouth puckering in advanced disgust. Yet she continued to swallow this vile stuff down until it was confiscated.

“Careful Luce; this stuff’ll do your head in” cautioned the boy.

“Sorry.”

She did not know his name. He was just some boy that had been at the same party she was attending. While the makeshift “dance floor” had been a mutual meeting ground for many new couples tonight, Lucy knew nothing of this boy. And yet he knew her name, and names were always a weapon when placed in the wrong hands.

“So what’s your name?”

The boy choked on his sip. “Ed.”

Lucy nodded in recognition and leant back against the front wall of the house. Ed proffered the last few mouthfuls of lager but her hand declined for the sake of better judgement. With the unspoken being said, he downed the remainder of the can. 

“So.....” he said.

“Hm?” 

“Do you... want to do anything?”

“Like what?” He snorted.

“You’re a bit innocent to all this; ain’t ya? You must be one of them private school girls...”

“Oh...” Ed turned to face her; a manic look in his eyes.

“Luce, you look really gorgeous for someone I only just met. And you know that we’ve gotta live while we’re young. So I suppose it’s only fair that I ask if you wanna snog.”

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but regardless; Ed pulled Lucy towards himself and kissed her. The alcohol on his breath was repulsive, but this new euphoric feeling was strangely wonderful to Lucy. Strange new feelings tingled through her nerves, and for a moment it was great.

His hands fell from her shoulders and stopped to where they shouldn’t. A slap echoed through the street. 

“What the hell Lucy?” roared Ed.

“I could ask the same of you. You disgust me.” She stormed away, ignoring the slurred curses. Perhaps it was now a good time to go home. What she’d say to her dad was yet to be coined, but something would come to mind. 

The effects of the lager began to kick in and her legs turned to jelly. The world tilted for a second, and then everything was normal. Lucy kept walking; she had £2 in her pocket and it jingled when she walked. The jingling must have alerted the whole estate, because soon the familiar bright lights of a bus appeared in front of her. 

New Scientific Thing + Geek TV

It's been school holidays for about a week now, and in that time, bugger all has occurred.
So far, I've made it through Season 1 of Merlin, and Season 2 is almost done. All that remains is to finalise a new addition to a philosophic/scientific concept; in this case, the left/right brain theory.

The left/right brain theory (not actual title or official theory) is a concept that a person is either a left-brain or a right-brain type of person, depending on certain personality traits and skills.
The "left" is predominantly logical and analytical, while the "right" side is associated with intuition and creativity. While the left and right hemispheres (or "sides") of the brain do share similar functions as well as certain differences, it is believed by quite a few people that your thought patterns (amongst other  mental characteristics) define you as either "right" or "left" brained.
So with that in mind, some more functions of the "right side" include:

• Recognizing faces
• Expressing emotions
• Music
• Reading emotions
• Colour
• Image

"Left side" functions:

• Logic
• Critical thinking
• Numbers
• Reasoning
• Language

Now that you know all this if you didn't already, here's the thing that boggled my mind the other day;

We know when we first start writing if we're right or left handed. And later on in life, some people discover that they're ambidextrous (able to use both hands equally well). And then there's those people who write like their hands are made of jelly beans.

What if, perhaps, this rule was to apply to brains?

What if some people are right brained, some are left brained, and some are ambidextrous brained (able to use both sides equally well, but with extreme brilliance?), while everyone else has brains made from jelly beans (but they're just called retarded). 

I've Googled "ambidextrous brained", but results about the mental properties of ambidextrous people came up... not anything about ambidextrous brain sides/hemispheres. So maybe I'm onto something?

If you've got anything you'd like to say about brain sides or my potentially innovative theory, let me know in the comments below. 

PS:

I don't know how many of you guys are addicted to geeky/nerd TV and film. But have you, perchance, witnessed the pure amazingness of Merlin????

If yes and you loved it at once; you were born brilliant.

If yes, but you didn't at first; you achieved brilliance.

If you just haven't seen it; brilliance shall hopefully be thrust upon you.

Or maybe you don't like it and weren't destined for brilliance. I suppose that's cool too.

BUT IF YOU'VE GOT BRILLIANCE, then hopefully you'll enjoy the following montage of the best looking people in the history of geek TV. If I've missed anyone, or you demand a sequel, let me know and thy wish is my command. And I may or may not have put in extra pictures of certain people, but it was too painful to leave any out.

(Because Leonard and Penny are televised fictional proof that something as unusual as nerd hooking up with someone "out of their league", can happen. AND THEY'RE SO CUTE IN THIS PIC!)

I definitely think I've missed a few people.... Room for a sequel?

Have a fabulous week, and don't do drugs.

The Deaf Frog Fable

Once upon a time; I was in my Grade 3 classroom. It was a normal schoolday, and the time? Story time. 
We were having a guest reader come in that day, and excitements were brewing. And then the door opened to reveal...
The grandmother of one of our classmates.
She held no book, but instead she held a spiral shell and a glass jar with some dry rice inside, with clingwrap over the opening of the jar.
She sat down in the teacher's special storytelling chair, and she talked to us briefly about deaf people and the condition they suffer from (known as 'deafness'). It was news to most of us, and this new discovery of 'deafness' was beginning to sound a little bit scary and like the end of the world...

She must have sensed our fears, because she smiled and said that there was a story that came with being deaf (not that she suffered from it herself, as we'd come to find out). A breath was taken, and she began to tell us a somewhat disturbing fable that went something like this:

Many years ago, there was a large group of frogs that lived in and around a pond. Amongst them was a deaf frog, and although it took him a while to understand everything; he lived in bliss with the other amphibious residents of the pond. 
One day, he was hopping around the surrounding forest with one of his frog mates, and they both fell into a very deep hole. It was so deep and so dark and so scary to surface dwellers, the other frogs called it Middle Eastern Politics.

Just kidding. But it was still a deep hole, from which escape seemed almost impossible.  The two frogs called out for help, and soon as they heard the cries, the other frogs hopped to it. 
They gathered around the edge of the hole and looked into the depths. After squinting into the darkness, they could sort of see the trapped frogs. 
The panic caused the trapped-and-not-deaf frog to start jumping. And because he thought it was a game, the deaf frog jumped with him too.

"Don't jump!" cried the frogs from the surface. "Escape is impossible! You'll die trying!" (It's well known amongst biologists that frogs are not the most optimistic of amphibians)

So upon hearing the advice from his friends, the trapped-and-not-deaf frog stopped jumping. He sat in the darkness, caught AIDS and died. 

But what of the deaf frog? 
His inability to listen to the advice from his friends was what saved him from death (and AIDS, but they might as well be the same thing). He didn't listen to the advice that told him to "give up" and "stop trying". He carried on jumping until some bright spark from the surface put a big branch into the hole, and he caught on to it, and was then pulled out of the darkness. 

The other frogs and the deaf frog (but not the dead one; because he's the idiot of this story), went back to the pond and had a party. They all (except the dead one 'cause he got AIDS) lived happily ever after, until a Frenchman established a restaurant 10 metres away from the pond. 

THE END

Nice story, eh? It all sounded a bit pointless to the 8 year old me, because I thought that was her way of glorifying being deaf. But now I've aged considerably since hearing it, and I'm now beginning to see some of the sucky things in life that just weren't there for me when I was 8. And upon seeing these sucky things, I think that the fable can be interpreted as this:

The problems we face now are bigger than the ones we had when we were kids. Kids are lucky because they don't have to deal with unemployment, boys that make no sense, 1000 word assignments, careers, the families they make for themselves, or the destruction of rainforests.

So while we can't go back to being a kid (well we can, but at our age it's called immaturity), we have the option of doing this occasionally helpful thing called getting advice from friends/family/the cat. 
And sometimes it can be very, very useful in solving a problem.
But sometimes, their answers may not be what's right for you. Sometimes you have to jump out of the hole yourself, and not listen to the suggestions of others.
That's called stubborn persistence, and that's a virtue that anyone (whether frog or human) can have.
And sometimes, if you never stop trying to persistently fix a problem, one day a breakthrough will be made.

So perhaps we may need to be like a deaf frog (unless the problem is financial) in some situations, and keep on trying no matter what.
Because some unknown genius once said "Victory always comes to the person who refuses to stop fighting". 
And life's not much without a little bit of victory.


PS: In case you were wondering, the spiral shell and the jar of rice were supposed to represent parts of the human ear (yep, I don't get it either).

Shame (Fun Size Post)

What is it about technology that brings out our darker sides? But to put the question in a more expository light; what is it about the Internet that makes us seem to lose any concept of shame? One minute, we can be so petty about keeping things private/secret/concealed. And then the next minute, we get on our computers and then everything is either put on display, or your dark side comes out.

Things like inappropriate/overly intimate photos, innermost and vulgar/rude/racist/hurtful thoughts and all the other things we wouldn't want the world to normally see; are now available 24/7 online.
Offline, you might have the discretion skills of a nun. Offline, you might not believe in stalking someone. Offline, you're yourself.
But online... who do you become? What sort of person is it that types those statuses? Who is the person posting the picture? Who is the person being creepy?

In life, it's inevitable for us to do dumb stuff we will all regret. Whether it's getting a tattoo, or whether it's riding a bike off a cliff to get the disability pension... that's up to you.
Another thing that's supposedly in your control is how you behave online. It's perfectly easy to be a good little boy/girl with Internet usage. There's just a tonne of rules telling you not to do certain stuff.
Listening to those rules is not a matter of life or death, but rather a matter of gradual shame.

And the beautiful thing about the Internet? Whatever rule you break, you always leave a digital footprint in the sands of time. It's hard to wash them away, and you also can't get rid of any duplicate footprints, or the memories in your mind and everyone else's.
If you're going to be shameful, I'd like to say the best place to do that is offline. But seeing as there's cameras on phones nowadays; we might as well just avoid doing things we will regret.
Unfortunately, regret is one of the inevitable elements of life, and without it, stuff is somehow meaningless.
If you're ever going to regret anything then; make sure there's no cameras or Wi-Fi around at the time. Because the shame increases tenfold when it's all online. 

Silver Linings Ratio

Tonight, instead of doing a crucial history assignment, I decided to kick back and watch a movie online (I found the best site ever!), and of all the numerous options, I decided to watch Silver Linings Playbook because:

1. The trailer looked good
2. The plot sounded intriguing
3. IT'S GOT JENNIFER FREAKING LAWRENCE!!!!!!!!!!

With a click, I was sucked into an amazing movie. With characters so flawed and yet so wonderfully full of life, it's hard not to be intrigued. And aside from the soundtrack/the storyline/the happy ending, the best bit about the movie was the moral I learnt from it: every day, no matter how cloudy, the silver linings are what counts. 

It reminds us (in some utterly bonkers way) that when times look dark, we've got to count our blessings. We've got to look at the ratio of blessings to clouds, and be happy that nothing in life is ever really 100% cloudy.

Even when we lose what we thought was the world, the Earth still rotates. Life goes on. The seasons still change. And because Earth's still turning, we can always wake up to a new day. And even though that day may be cloudy with a chance of rain, we can still see the silver linings hidden behind the cloud.

And whilst we're on the topic of movies, I have but two things left to say:

• Does anyone else in this universe agree that Slumdog Millionare was a brilliant movie? 
• Has anyone reading this seen Now You See Me? I'm going to see it soon, and a review/honest opinion would be fabulous and interesting....

Evolution Vs. God (a fun-size post)

A couple of posts back (March 24, 2013), I mentioned that "today is the golden age of atheism". And from that point on, the post was basically about how society shouldn't discard religion in favour of theories.
Also, a couple of days ago, I watched a video called "Evolution Vs. God", which was quite fascinating... Whether you believe in Jesus or primordial ooze, it's something worth watching and discussing.

The synopsis is that it's about the flaws in atheism and how there's evidence for a Creator. People get interviewed, and thoughts get provoked.

~

Tension between atheists and people with a religious belief has occurred since the dawn of man, and not since the formation of Darwin's theory of evolution.
The faults of each 'side' are always brought to light and one person will always leave the argument in a huff.

I dislike arguments about religion. It's one thing for two people of different beliefs to discuss why they believe/don't believe certain stuff, but it's another matter when it escalates to "you're wrong and I'm right."
At the end of the day, your belief might be the right one. But you're not the one in the right if you get arrogant in a religious argument. If you mock their belief; you're the wrong one. If you mock how they rebuke you; you're wrong.
And if you don't acknowledge the fact that all people are equal (whether before God or not); then you're most certainly in need of a good slap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0u3-2CGOMQ

Watch this, and have a deep think.
Or do both, but also add your thoughts into the comments below.

The James Bond Book Club; reviews 'classics'

"You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! The best weapons in the world!"- The Doctor (S2,"Tooth and Claw).
Whilst I agree with David Tennant's incarnation of The Doctor, I must confess that there is more to books than using them as weapons (but they are very effective); there is much more to be gained.
Through books, you can learn new things, whether they're philosophical or factual or general knowledge.... You can open your mind, and most importantly; you can be easily entertained if you have the patience to read books.
Lately I've been burying myself in 'classics' when I've had a spare moment. I have:

• started 'The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
• finished 'Lord of The Flies' by William Golding
• finished 'From Russia With Love' by Ian Fleming
• started 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen
• started 'Cat Among The Pigeons' by Agatha Christie.

And of all the above, I have to say, I'm most impressed with Sherlock Holmes. Last night was a night devoted to reading "A Scandal In Bohemia".... it was not wasted. 

Yet what struck me as being curiously disappointing was 'From Russia With Love'. I had expected one of the 'best James Bond novels' (according to my librarian) to be more enthralling. James Bond himself is an interesting character, but his neo-sexist tendencies towards women had my inner feminist shaking her head. Plus I don't get how he can just ignore the awesomeness of Miss Moneypenny like that. He knows she exists, and they do have a flirtationship of sorts, but c'mon? How do you ignore a woman like that?

(I've only read one Bond novel, but I've seen Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and all the Daniel Craig ones.... James Bond really needs to stop his extreme flirting and stay with Moneypenny)

Lord of the Flies was a compulsory read; it was for an English assignment. Unlike most of the books you get assigned to read, Lord of the Flies is actually not bad.  (Unless you compare it to "A Scandal In Bohemia"....)

In any case, LOTF is quite a thought provoking book and well written. Except for those parts where William Golding just goes ON and ON and ON about the scenery. 

And there has been some experimentation with Edgar Allan Poe; 'The Raven' has always been my favourite poem, but after reading 'The Tell Tale Heart' and various other short stories (which can be conveniently found online!), further thought is required. 

So yourself a favour today. Read a book that isn't from the 21st century. Delve into books made before the 1980's and experience literature at its finest.
Seriously, anything like:

• To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee
• Lord of the Flies- William Golding
• Animal Farm- George Orwell
• The diary of Anne Frank- (Anne Frank, obviously)
• Various Austen/Brontë novels- by Jane Austen/the Brontë sisters.
• Those really big books
• War and Peace- Leo Tolstoy

Read any of those and be amazed at how deep people used to be. Cause these days, that kind of intelligence and outlook is hard to find.

Delve into classics of anything. Who needs modern art when the work of Da Vinci is there to admire? Who needs rap music when there is more beautiful instrumentation in 'Danse Macabre'? 

Immerse yourself in pre-21st century things, and your world might just get a little more... sophisticated.

Poetry, misery + other insights into bleakness.

There is a sea of hopelessness,

With water I can't tread.

I cannot walk o'er, nor try to swim;

Lest in seconds I be dead- Rose Carter 

Angsty poetry is not only a mild remedy to sadness, it also gives you this reminder that any person can create something beautiful out of sheer misery; depending on the language use.
And that's all well & good until you realise that the misery you face incorporates elements of absolute hopelessness. Nothing can be done to solve the problem, and nothing will soothe the pain.

So really, sometimes ambitions culminate in unavoidable failure. Sometimes, you know in advance that the odds aren't in your favour, and whilst carrying that burden, you still try to fight the odds, you still try your hardest to succeed, and you still have to endure the burden of seeing the triumphant ones wear their good fortune like a medal. Then the inevitable happens, and the weight of the world is upon you.

Tonight I faced a realisation; that two dreams I have may possibly culminate in failure most inevitable. It's disheartening to think of the times that those dreams made me happy, and now I think of them and the misery quickly engulfs my mind.

Is this the side effects of adolescence, or is it just that life likes to mess with you when you don't want it too?

Abstaining from Soy Sauce

It's a terrible shame when there's a perfectly good thing, and then something is added and then the good thing goes bad.

It's like having a big plate of donuts, and a bottle of soy sauce comes along and pours their content all over what was once glorious; leaving it to be desecrated and stained with yuckiness.

There's no way to get a replacement plate of donuts. You can get another plate of completely different food, but it's just not the same as the donuts you love dearly. And let's face it, you'd rather go hungry if it means that one day you can be with the donuts and not have to be scared of soy sauce. 

But by going hungry, you will suffer gravely. And to be without donuts or food in general, is a bad thing for your health and heart.

And didn't the soy sauce technically invade? What right did it have to be in your food? NONE. The food knows that something is up, and all the waiters in the restaurant are laughing at the expense of you and your donuts. 

You're in ruins... And all you can do is abstain from the soy sauce. 

It's probably for the best anyway; soy sauce tastes so bitter and it never belongs with donuts. Plus you don't need the extra sodium in your life.

That was an excerpt from a diary entry I tried to write last night. I've never been one to keep a constant diary, but last night, after a terrible afternoon, I felt I needed to just let it go. 

Aggression can be channeled into different things, depending on what you have. Some people I know use their aggression in productive ways; I just either eat/punch the wall/write diary entries about the despicableness of soy sauce. 

It's a good feeling to let your innermost insecurities out onto paper. Quite exhilarating indeed. And afterwards, it's either fun to burn or it's interesting to look back at from the future. But if the insecurity faces you everyday and it's stopping you from being 99% happy (nothing we feel is 100%), then you've got to do something. Start a revolution if necessary. Do what it takes to ensure you don't have your life ruined by a bottle of soy sauce. 

And if perchance, I have offended (this post + diary excerpt were all aimed at someone), think but this, and all is mended (to some extent anyway):

Everyone faces their own metaphorical bottle of soy sauce everyday. Whether it's a bully, coping with loss, an illness, a broken heart, insecurity or a third world problem, it's still there; pouring the distastefulness all over what should be good things in life. It's not fair to let others endure soy sauce against their will. And it's not fair to let the bitterness continue. Whether you choose to help the problem in one way or another is up to you. But when you intentionally allow things to escalate; then there's a level of hypocrisy behind any statements saying you care. 

If you have to share the bitterness with someone; work through it together. All the strongest things generally involve the word 'united' (United Kingdom, Manchester United). Nothing successful involves the word 'isolated loners'. 

The Road Less Travelled (and hello controversy!!)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;         5   Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,         10   And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.         15   I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.         20   The above poem by Robert Frost is not a poem that many would consider under appreciated. Rather it is the opposite. I've seen many an 'inspirational' Tumblr post with the last 4 lines of the last stanza gracing a blurred picture of natural landscape. In fact, I only looked up the poem today because I wanted to read the whole thing. It was rather disappointing to read the SparkNotes analysis of the poem and find out that the poet never actually took the road less travelled (http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/frost/section7.rhtml). It certainly made me think that all of the hype over the 'inspiration' of this poem, the meaning behind the source of hype was hypocritical in some sense. So many people in this world have probably gone (or are going) through their lives doing the obscure things because they're "the road less travelled". One could go so far as to say that people who 'take the road less travelled' are living in ignorance of the hidden truth. Because isn't the poem called 'The Road Not Travelled?' But one can go so far to remind the other that in the most special of cases; isn't ignorance bliss? Remaining unaware of the truth is not the worst thing to happen to a person. Remaining in denial of the truth is by far worse. But the worst thing for a person to continue to do is remain forever unhappy because the road is rough. So perhaps ignorance about the meaning behind "the road less travelled" isn't so bad. Because if people go out of their way to do the alternative options, is that not life shaping in itself? It opens doors to new experiences and outlooks and that can make all the difference. And if you actually take 'the road not travelled', you're doing something that Robert Frost never did. And it's always good to beat the philosopher at their own game. In other news; an email was forwarded to me today by one of the best looking associates I'll meet. And it was about quite a controversial topic; the view of Islam. ****The email will be discussed now, so if you're easily offended or Islamic, discretion is advised. And if you're easily offended but you looked anyway, that was just a little bit silly. If you've got the capacity to continue reading without getting angry at me about something global; the italics font stuff is a direct quote from the email. The bold font statements are the things I want you all to think deeply about**** The email started with a story about a German guy from an aristocratic background. His family owned a bunch of estates and large industries. Then he was asked about how many Germans were true Nazis (the email said that his answer can guide our attitude toward fanaticism); "Very few people were true Nazis, but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were just too busy to care. I was one of those who thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories". The email then says we are told over and over again by 'experts' that Islam is the religion of peace, and that's what the vast majority of Muslims want to live in. This assertion is "unqualified" and also "entirely irrelevant and meant to somehow diminish the spectre of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam". "Fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa, and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder or honour kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers." Regardless of whether you are tolerant of other ethnic groups or not a self defined racist, the statistics (in my opinion) proved to be somewhat familiar with what I see everyday. But the message didn't end there. Not yet. "The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful  majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous. Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder  of  about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people. The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the  systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet. And who can forget Rwanda; which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'? History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: peace-loving Muslims have been  made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from  Germany, they will awaken one day and find that  the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun. Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis,  Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians,  Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. Now Islamic prayers have been introduced into Toronto and other public schools in Ontario, and, yes, in Ottawa too, while The Lord's Prayer was removed (due to being so offensive?) The Islamic way may be peaceful for  the time being in our country until the  fanatics move in. In Australia, and indeed in many countries around the world, many of the most commonly consumed food items have the halal emblem on them. Just look at the back of some of  the most popular chocolate bars, and at other food items in your local supermarket. Food on aircraft have the halal emblem just to appease the privileged minority who are now rapidly expanding within the nations shores. In the U.K, the Muslim communities refuse to integrate and there are now dozens of no-go zones within major cities across the country that the police force dare not intrude upon. Sharia law prevails there, because the  Muslim community in those areas refuse to  acknowledge British law. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts= the fanatics who threaten our way of life. Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands world-wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late and we are silent...... So here is my thoughts on this message; It doesn't exaggerate stuff. The halal thing is true. A lot of my favourite food does have the emblem. Fanaticism, regardless of the ethnic/religious group that forms it, is never a good thing. No one with a stable mind can appreciate a fanatic. The religious ones just irritate the society with stability, whilst the ethnic fanatics just reinforce the stereotypes that they'd not like us to believe. But we do anyway because we're all secretly/openly racist in one way or another. The whole "refusal to integrate" is somewhat true. There's riots, violence, terrorism and other political disasters in Egypt and other Islamic nations because: If fanatics aren't in power, then the fanatics in society are pissed off. And if fanatics are in power, then the people in their society are pissed on (not literally). And maybe that's why Communism doesn't really work when put into practice...... **And now dear readers, I'm going to discuss stuff on points 1-4, as well as add my opinions on other Muslim-y stuff. If you're bothered by honest opinions, then by now, it might be about time to go find another thing to do with your life; my blog shall always be full of them** If you look hard (or not very hard, depending on where you go), you can find a label in restaurants and on food that looks like Arabic script. That means that the product or anything sold by that company/restaurant is safe for Muslims to eat. They aren't allowed to eat certain stuff, so the label for them is a huge help. But for the rest of society, is that just catering to the fussy? You don't get a large, fancy label for products that contain allergenic stuff for the people that might go into anaphylactic shock. You just get a message; and that's nowhere near as cool as a label.  Green Day made a song called 'East Jesus Nowhere', and I've interpreted it as this: The song doesn't say that all religious people are insane. Just the fanatical ones, and the fanatics that get into politics. A fanatical person is defined by Google as: Filled with excessive and single-minded zeal  or Obsessively concerned with something. But fanatical people are predominantly so absorbed in enforcing the laws of their beliefs upon society, it becomes a matter of going to what society considers extreme. So it shouldn't exactly be surprising that an extreme includes getting into politics and taking their beliefs with them. And to the non-fanatical society, this is just annoying.  WTH??!!? If someone wants people to believe that theirs is the religion of peace, why are they not doing the peaceful thing and integrating? Does it not make more sense to integrate with other cultures and learn from them and thus gain wisdom and friendship? Because nothing good ever comes out of migrating from your old country to a 'different and new life' and thinking "Well this sucks, let's make this place just like home!"  From what I've seen on BBC News, there's a lot of disturbing political trouble in the Middle East. And we're not just talking about the Israel/Palestine thing; it's places like Egypt that display massive levels of violence, murder and rape... All because of fanatics that are displeased with society/the current way of politics. There are countless stories of people affected badly by the violence, and there seems to be no present sign of improvement.  It's sad but it's true that the non-Muslim members of society are mostly fuelled in their revulsion of all Muslims by what they see everyday and in the news. Until I got into reading the news, all I could really hold against them was the endorsement of the burqa and the terrorism.  The picture is starting to unfold somewhat for me, and it's upsetting to see. Because while in every ethnic/religious/racial/economic/sexual/gender group in society, you get people that are different to what the prejudiced define them as.  And then after living for a while in what the prejudiced call 'ignorance', you might be hurtled back to 'reality' by meeting a stereotype of the stereotype. Then you think "they [the prejudiced] were right." But each person, regardless of sexual orientation/race/religion/economic status/health/etc... is different. Their stereotype does not always have to define them. And if that is how you identify everyone belonging to the stereotype, then you might need a reality check.  I don't want you all to finish this and think that I hate all Muslims. I don't. But as a person with  strong opinions, I do believe that it's only fair to voice this; I don't mind what you are or what your belief is. I don't mind if you like men or women or both. I don't mind if you're a man or a woman or a kangaroo. I don't mind where you came from. And I don't really mind if you're rich or poor. But once you do/say anything against myself, my loved ones, my beliefs or anything I hold dear; then I won't oppose you because of what you believe or anything like that. You will be personally persecuted because I think you are an idiot. Your status/belief/sexual orientation/race will have nothing to do with it. And it is on that note that this post must end before I lose all my readers... And I value you all too much.  Any comments relevant to this post (nothing offensive please) would be great. Or if you have a post suggestion, that too would be delightful.