Drawn to the Dark

A whisper sounds in the night as you exit the Publix at which you work the last shift. Your feet sound like the rolling thunder on the pavement as your heartbeat starts to grow. The trees rattle and the wind howls. You wish you were at home, safe under your blankets with the lights on, but your car seems so far away, and why have your legs turned to jelly? You are uneasy. With every step, you are drawn further into paranoia and blind, naked fear. You start to notice everything wrong with the scene: how the doors of your car are just so slightly ajar, how your head feels like a lead weight, the splotches of dark red blood staining the dry, reedy grass. The bent, rusted tricycle leaning up against the tree to your left, creaking helplessly in the wind. The mirthless, cold, high pitched laughter, ringing in your ears long after it fades away, still coming at you on all sides.

If you are anything like me, this sort of thing is exactly the kind of literature that quenches your thirst. That little blurb I wrote up there is a teaser of what would usually keep you interested. That sense of claustrophobia, of anxiety. Of fright, and especially of high-flying ecstasy. You probably also enjoyed the movie The Ruins, in which a group of innocent, if horny and sometimes jealous, young adults are left stranded atop an abandoned archaeological dig in Mexico, where they end up slowly tortured and bloodied, one by one. You found immense enjoyment in such movies as Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hellraiser. You probably read HP Lovecraft and Stephen King. You find yourself fascinated by the strangest and most outrageous news tales. The darker, the better. No matter how perverse or twisted. You are repelled, but at the same time you are fascinated. You want to know more. You want to know why, every single little detail, every minute speck. Every reason behind the madness in the world.

For instance, this: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/07/31/greyhound-transcanada.html. A man decapitates a passenger sitting next to him on a grayhound bus. Surely this is a heinous act, so why do I find myself curious as to the circumstances? Why am I so morbidly fascinated? I mean, it's fucked up. It's really fucked up. It's an atrocity, plain and simple, but it's also fascinating. As I stated above, I want to know more, because the human psyche is an incredible thing. What possessed this man to do what he did, and how much of a danger is something like this to humanity? And then, being the demented creative mind that I am, I ask, how can I exploit this in a story?

Why are we drawn to the dark? It is certainly not normal or socially acceptable. We are certainly not raised that way. They talk against horror movies and darker literature in Sunday School. Don't read it or else your soul will go to the devil. You know. From birth, we're taught to fear the bogeyman and the grim reaper and other such creatures of the night. We're told innumerable bed time stories telling of why they should be feared, and it becomes imprinted into us to condemn these things and avoid them. We keep night lights on as young children. We don't look under the bed, or in the closet. When we see a dark room, we turn on a light.

Once we grow out of that sort of blind, obedient fear, we become curious. While it obviously varies from person to person, I would pinpoint this stage at around the latter half of the single-digit-number age years. You started to make more friends around that time, and with your friends you traipsed around the neighborhood like you were the kings of the world. Cops and robbers, capture the flag, hide and seek, all of it. But what about when you grew bored? The curiosity of a child is something boundless and wild. Did you ever take your closest group of friends and venture into places that you were told were dangerous? Did you go down into the woods and stay there, defiantly waiting to prove that you could stand up to the ghosties and goblins that lay within? Did you ever say Bloody Mary three times in a row in front of a mirror in the dark? Did you ever tell ghost stories sitting around in your friend's room, with the lights off and the curtains closed?

Now, some kids grow out of that eventually. They go on to become successful lawyers and doctors, or maybe they don't, and maybe they only amount to a janitor or a secretary in an office. Maybe they go home at night after a long day cleaning the shitty toilets and the spilled urine on the tile floors and the trash, and all other manner of discarded waste, to see their children sitting on the couch, munching Doritos and watching a television program so tastefully dubbed MASTERS OF HORROR MARATHON. They turn the TV off, exclaiming in disgust that those movies weren't good for the childrens' psyches. They send them to bed, where the creepy-crawlies sniff and scratch up to the surface to take them in their nightmares.

These nightmares? They come from those who are naturally drawn to the dark. They come from those who never grew out of the curiosity that blossomed in them as a child. We are drawn to the dark. Who really knows why? It varies from person to person, from sick mind to sicker mind. We aren't scared by what lurks under the bed or behind that dark corner, or in the attic, so we set out to find something that does scare us. We are like journeymen on an expedition, except instead of the tip of some faraway mountain, we search for something that can remind us what it feels like to be really, truly scared. We want to feel that old thrill, like we're going down a huge roller coaster - think Islands of Adventure, perhaps. We like that frozen chill running down our backs. We see talent and gusto in those who can scare us, because it is not an easy feat - and those of us with good taste, we appreciate that talent, and thus is born our lust for good horror stories. Those of us who write or direct, we make more horror stories not only to scare the uninitiated "normal" folk, but to impress those like us. Those who are also drawn to the dark.

In the end, a lot of the stuff that "normal" people find revolting and disgusting is just really damned cool, no other way around it. It's an acquired taste, but so are all cool things in life. It's a form of escapism, except it's for people who don't want to escape via dragons and dwarves or spaceships and aliens. Real life is trying and oftentimes droll and drab. You all come home at night, and we all turn out the lights. You all brush your teeth after the credits start rolling on Fresh Prince or Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and you all tuck yourselves into bed. But are you drawn to the dark?

Male Superiority Arguements

There are some men in this world, and some women in this world, that will go around claiming that their gender is superior to the other. Reasons vary from bodily advantages/disadvantages, emotional intelligence, academic intelligence, to societal contributions. However, let it be noted that none of these reasons are more tangible than the other, and thus, this makes it harder to weigh each of them out against each other in an objective manner. Though such claims of superiority are made by males, at least in North American society (because goddess cultures do not count with said male-dominant claims), said claims are also made by females. Since superiority claims are made more-so by the former group, we will take a look behind the reasons for it in the respect of males.

The most obvious first reason of all would be the fact that, yes, we, as females, are born as less of physically-strong specimens than men are. Because we’re born with about 10% less chance for muscle growth (or some shit like that, but you get the point), we don’t get stronger as quickly as men do. However, we have naturally more honed physical abilities than men… why do you see that the most famous dancers, skaters, gymnasts, etc are female? There’s that certain level of flexibility and endurance that match up brilliantly with the female body that we have. What we may not have in strength, we have in other physical abilities.

Secondly, there’s the “men have made more contributions” claim. This, however, seems like a sticky statement. Think about it: before the early 1900’s, women were basically put on the same level as an insane man. You weren’t allowed to get an education, you couldn’t get a job, and if you were married, you’d be considered your husband’s property, to put it plainly. Also, let’s say you were a chick in that time and you made the most incredible invention ever. However, a male friend or your husband decide to cash in on the situation and say that they did it. According to the customs of the time, no one would believe that the woman made the invention and would definitely believe the men over the women. Why not? They’re the ones with the education, and they’re not the ones who are considered property. Therefore, this argument is invalid because most of North American history and most other world history existed before the time that women were entitled to equal opportunities (which isn’t even established in lots of countries in the world to this day). It’s like this: it’s easier to master the guitar when you have a teacher and material to learn and study from, not when you have nothing at all besides the guitar itself.

The reasoning I hear less than the 2 listed above but still quite frequently with male superiority claim is what I like to call the academic claim. Yes, we know that men are more left-brain oriented than women, and thus, that’s why you see that a lot of math and science heroes are male (but we all love Madame Curie!). However, what men seem to have in academics, they lack in the ability to relate and communicate with people. It has been proven that this ability helps to increase one’s ability in academic performance and other areas of life, so is something that transcends merely having more friends or more sociability.

I’m not going to put some gay concluding paragraph with some kind of morale, because I’d rather hear from you and get some intelligent discussion started. If you have absolutely anything to say about what I wrote, or would like to add something, that’d be splendid. Thank-you for hearing me out.

Elitism and the consequences it breeds

Elitism:

1. practice of or belief in rule by an elite.
2. consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group.
(Dictionary.com definitions)

Some consider it a hold-back toward open-mindedness, a form of snobbyness, for the "insecure," etc... but does it always apply? For our purposes, we'll look at it within a culture I'm most comfortable with, though it is not restricted to this culture: metal.

Is "metal" a culture? Isn't it just "any of a class of elementary substances, as gold, silver, or copper, all of which are crystalline when solid and many of which are characterized by opacity, ductility, conductivity, and a unique luster when freshly fractured" or the music genre which was argueably created by Black Sabbath (and which made Ozzy Osbourne a household name as a result)? Well, it's more than just music. You've heard in the past from your parents or friends about how some things go "hand-in-hand" - for example, if your mom really loves cooking more than she loves just eating the final product, she'll more-so lean towards the idea of being a nutritionist, while the final product lover just wants to eat. How does this pertain toward the metal culture and elitism in general?

Meet our fake character, Mike. Mike's a real troublemaker. His parents want him to cut his hair, so he grew it long out of spite. His family is totally Christian, while he's a Satanist who writes stories about burning Churches and pornography with lots of bondage involved. He primarily favours women in tight leather. He's also very open with his usage of racial slurs. He's very misanthropic in his own light. These "themes" in his life fit very well with the musical style of (sadly) many metalheads within metal fandom, so it is a culture within itself. Although, bondage and leather does sound kind of....

However, there are varying degrees of extremeties within the metal culture. This resulted as a desire for difference, which came from a type of open-mindedness. Sure, the first in a series will always heavily criticise the new (especially when a band "betrays" their original style). Hell, even the new will criticise the originals, and will say, "Hey, you're just still on this or you're criticizing that just because you want to look br00tal for the rest of your traditional metal buddies." Funny enough, that is a kind of elitism in itself.

Okay, now that we've established that elitism can be just as prominent within both extremes, we'll take a look at how elitism can breed positivity: creative rebellion. However, it does not breed it because of itself, but rather the obstacle that elitism breeds. As it has been said, those who paint new paths will be constantly scourged by those who only believe in some set ways.

To give you a good personal perspective from myself, I'll talk about a band that is very different from its peers: System of a Down. Yes, I'm quite against the genre which they are considered significantly part of. Nu Metal, a sin upon music and upon my ears during the early '90s, was made popular by one of the crappiest bands of all time: KoRn (who are WAY over-fucking-rated). Suffice to say, System of a Down took part of that style, mixed it in with others where elitists existed the most (Death Metal being one), and created something else. They pissed off a lot of people, but I enjoyed what they did. They took a risk. I have their entire discography.

So, the lesson of this entry is that negativity can create an environment for positivity (and an amazing debut album). Look in the future for a possible post on false eclecticism.

Women's History Week

It was the big WHW - Women's History Week. A big topic of discussion during this week is generally is how women overcame oppression and rose above all obstacles. Speaking of "overcoming", this year is historic in it's significance to all women - a woman, for the first time, is running for the US presidency. My theory is that, since it's also historic because of the first black man running, some will choose to place a dualistic comparison of the Civil Rights Movement (famously led by Martin Luther King Junior) and the Women's Suffrage movement (led by Nelly McClung in Canada, and by Susan B Anthony in the US, both of whom worked closely together). But we'll stop at comparisons here, and take a look at some of the women whom I've personally found most memorable. I can't, however, guarantee that you'll recognize all of them.

Nelly McClung

Susan B Anthony

You should recognize these women, as they're the reason why the Women's Suffrage Movement existed, which, in turn, brought women to the level of equality. Okay, I know that was a bit of a lie, but we're almost there.

Cristina Adriana Chiara Scabbia

Cristina Scabbia is the female leads of Lacuna Coil. She's a lady in the male-dominant world of metal, which usually works at undermining women. However, not only was she noticed in such a world, but she is also the reason why Lacuna Coil has sold millions and millions of record to date.

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone

What's there to say about The Material Girl that hasn't been said? She is the ultimate icon of confident femininity, a style legend who's style has been emulated heavily by the likes of Gwen Stefani, Brittney Spears (or however you spell the bitch's name; I honestly don't know), and is the best-selling female artist of all time at over 200 million records sold world-wide to date.

Benazir Bhutto

Pakistan's bravest lady by far. In a place where women get in large heaps of trouble just for practically existing, and even more for speaking, she said it all, and without regret. She was a great ally inthe fight against Islamic terrorism within Pakistan and the fight against terrorism in general. RIP Benazir Bhutto.

Madame Curie

Madame Curie is a landmark lady and one of the most celebrated chemists of her time. Not only did she discover radiation (also known as radium), but she is one of the few to have 2 Nobel medals, and the only one to have 2 Nobel medals in 2 different science fields. To try to sum up her life and her accomplishments for women in one paragraph would be immensely hard, so I'll leave it be here.

Well, that's it, really. Those are just some personal favourites, and since my attention span gets short at times, I wanted to make it shorter for all of you, since I know you're all probably too fucked up to read much longer during the March break. To all of my ladies out there - never deny who you are or feel bad about it. Like the women listed here, make the world your playground and surprise it with each coming day.

Heath Ledger's death caused by drug overdose

(RE: "The Dark Knight")

This was on BBC news:

Hollywood actor Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, the New York City medical examiner's office has ruled.

The actor, 28, was found dead at an apartment he had been renting for several months in Manhattan.

A spokeswoman for the medical examiner said Ledger died "as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects" of six different drugs.

Apparently, Lily (Flamenco) was right. RIP Heath Ledger.

The Evanescence Imitations

Here's something quite interesting that I just noticed. Evanescence had an EP from 1997 called Evanescence. It was their first EP. Notice how Nightwish's album Once (2004) has a very, very similar cover.

Evanescence:

Once:

......... but it's all probably just a coincidence, right?

Now, here's something else I've noticed....

Evanescence's "Lithium" (2006)

Within Temptation album cover of "The Heart of Everything" (2007):

Same look. Coincidence? You decide!

Now for videos-only. Here we go again:

Evanescence "Bring Me To Life" (2002)

Within Temptation "What have you done" (2007) and "Stand my ground" (2006)

My, the Evanescence imitations don't end here, but if I had to continue further, I'd make myself sick. And probably, you too.

The Dark Knight

Alright, so Heath Ledger's death was tragic. I loved him! He was such a great actor.

He was in:

10 Things I Hate About You
The Patriot
Monster's Ball
Brokeback Mountain
Casanova
That one Bob Dylan movie....I have temporarily forgotten the title of it.

....and several more. Man, he had such promise.

Well, as some of you may know, he last filmed The Dark Knight. It is part of the Batman series and he was cast as the Joker. I watched the trailer and.....he was amazingly scary. The movie is coming out this summer with Christian Bale, which is a disappointment because I do not like him as Batman. I heard that to prepare for this role he lived for one month in a hotel room in isolation. It is known that he was busy and sleep deprived. He threw so much of himself into these challenging characters. I would like to think that his death was not suicide. He had a daughter and a potentially great career ahead of him. If you look at his recent interviews, he was acting completely strange, which can be attributed perhaps to sleep deprivation, stress, and the use of pills to help him with his sleep and stress. I think he miscalcuated his intake of those pills and probably did overdose. It was pretty shocking.

Anyways, enough with the gossip.

Here is a link to The Dark Knight Quicktime Apple Movie Trailers. If it does not work for you, I am sure it is on youtube.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/thedarkknight/

Upon Where I Stand Amid Alterations Of My World

I have a few days to complete several projects and menial assignments for the California caucuses on the Clinton campaign, and then I am moving, perhaps not permanently, to my new home in Washington, where I might end up in the thralls of “it” all. It is never comforting to be uplifted from your roots and forced to start afresh, especially when something you are pretty much passionate about takes a temporary backseat to the establishment of a new life. And perhaps if you could understand my position, then you could understand why I will take the liberties of merely rambling in this post as there is a lot I need to get out of my system. I took a few political ideology surveys, and I encourage you to do the same thing to get an indication of which candidate you might choose to support or vote for in the next presidential elections.

There will always be divisions in politics that seem to take away the promise of consensus and progression. People let political labels and stereotypes turn the complexity of their understanding into an oversimplification, and there is a prevalent hesitation to agree with, or even understand, the opposing party on an array of issues; a fear of straying away from the comfortable nests people establish on one side of the spectrum. Although, a significant percentage of Americans are moderate, and view the issues not through the eyes of a staunch Republican or Democrat, but as individuals rising above partisan politics to convey their beliefs according to each topic of importance. I am a person who refrains from generalizing my political ideology, but for practicality’s sake, I cannot seem to get around broadening my scope to get a clear sense of my collective beliefs, which does not mean I avoid all the apparent contradictions or nuances in my thinking. I always knew I was generally liberal on social issues, but it came as a surprise that surveys continuously pointed to the notion that I am more conservative on economic and foreign policy. I was consistently taught to help those who could not help themselves, and to always talk things out rather than resort to physical might, which are rather liberal ideas if applied to the function of government. However, as I arrived at an understanding of my beliefs, I realized that for each of my personal convictions I also have slight oppositions or exceptions to my original claims; a balancing act, which makes me more or less a moderate with libertarian leanings.

I believe that all the problems and conflict this nation confronts has an answer, the possibility of resolution, and as The Beatles once said, “when the broken hearted people living in this world agree, there will be an answer”. I believe that everyone should try and find middle ground at day’s end, and this conviction in the power of compromise is reflected in my beliefs. I am pro-choice. I am not pro-abortion. I am for educating young women, and helping them make responsible choices whatever that choice may mean to them in the context of their own circumstances. I advocate offering women alternative opportunities and options so that they are not compelled to easily resort to abortion. I would never personally get an abortion, and I do not believe that women should decide to abort their child, except if the mother’s life is in danger, but the liberties of others takes precedent over my personal beliefs. The issue is whether to make abortion legal or illegal on the national level, and I believe that if abortion is made illegal, it would not stop women from having abortions, and would force desperate mothers to get unsafe, back-alley abortions where they put their own lives in danger. If we made abortion illegal, we would also assume to make less of a priority to confront all the societal issues that getting an abortion entails such as teenage pregnancy, and rape, which ultimately leads to the issue of crime and the lack of safety in communities for increasingly vulnerable women. Making abortion legal will encourage people of various fields to confront these societal issues that go hand-in-hand with abortion, and may even incite doctors and physicians to improve medicine and technology to keep the mother’s life safe and healthy during pregnancy and labor, as well as that of the child’s safety, so that a woman does not find an answer in abortion. Keeping abortion legal on the national level also means new national responsibilities. We would have to implement more restrictions such as not allowing abortions after a certain trimester of pregnancy. My stance on abortion clearly illustrates that I do not completely side with either political party or present a cohesive political identification. My approach toward the issues held firm when I was not satisfied with any one choice presented in the surveys, and wanted to choose multiple choices or edit certain parts of a choice so that it aligned better with my own beliefs.

All the incongruities in my belief system get muddled together, and it shows in my surveys if looked at in its entirety. I am a moderate and a gradual Libertarian, with liberal and conservative ways of thinking. One survey specifically states I am “moderate” and that I should consider the Libertarian Party, and another survey was more concise, showing in big red letters that I am a “Libertarian”. I am more conservative economically because I generally agree that people are responsible for their own socioeconomic conditions, but I also believe that America does not perfectly offer equal opportunities, especially in education. I do not advocate equal success, but the chance to succeed and get ahead, which allows for competition, and the incentive to push harder for progress. I am for universal health care and government programs to help the poor and homeless even if it means that the government must raise taxes, but only with certain reservations. I believe the government should work towards reversing dependency on welfare and funded programs because when the people rely too much on government help it has both negative affects on the government and the person’s own life (with the exception of health care). Welfare and other government programs should not be the end solution to the problems a citizen faces and its sole purpose should be to encourage people to move forward and give them the tools to take personal responsibility in order to succeed. The conservative in me is also convinced that government regulation in businesses and corporations should be kept at an absolute minimum, but if there are abuses and violations of laws, then the government has the obligation to intervene. Sometimes, there are unhealthy relationships between those who actually advocate restricted government involvement in business (Bush administration), and large corporations. They should be entirely independent of each other partly because they may find ways to work together without the interests of the people in mind.

The surveys helped me understand that I really did have these notions about certain issues in terms of economics. The conservative elements outweighed my liberal viewpoints. While I am more liberal than conservative on foreign policy, the bulk of the questions in the survey were concerned with economic policy, which is why I seem more conservative. If I were to vote today in the 2008 Presidential Elections and base my decision solely off of economics, I would side with the Republicans, but in regards to foreign policy, I would wholeheartedly vote Democrat, specifically, either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama (however, I do not like his policy of meeting with other world leaders without any preconditions). When my father took his survey, he received the same results. My beliefs are based on principles my parents always instilled in me, but I also have taken those principles and values and formed my own opinions, independent of my parent’s ideology or guidance.

My first survey indicated that I was a “Liberal”, which is a result I most likely expected, especially because I am more liberal when it comes to social issues. However, when I looked back on my answer choices for some of the questions pertaining to social problems this country faces, I found I was more conservative than I anticipated. I am for free speech, but I am against making marijuana legal, and I believe that if marijuana is to be used in hospitals, there needs to be more restrictions and supervision. I am against censorship in many cases (a liberal stance), yet I am for keeping illegal immigrants out of this country through tougher border control (a more Republican viewpoint). I do not believe illegal immigrants should have equal access to government programs that help the poor. I advocate that we get the illegal immigrants in this country documented and then put through the legalization process so that they can be legal citizens. The problem mainly takes root with the incompetence and corruption of the illegal immigrant’s native country. I also wholeheartedly support legalizing gay marriage and more gun control, and I am against the death penalty, even though I had once been convinced that people who committed horrible acts should deserve to be executed. There will always be misconceptions about liberals as there are about conservatives, but I think, in the upcoming presidential elections, liberals and Democrats will be more attuned and adept to address the national mood and the most pressing issues. If I were to choose one presidential candidate that I felt could make a difference, according to my liberal positions on social, economic, and foreign policy issues, I would pick Hillary Clinton.

My age, my gender, and my socioeconomic status have influenced my political ideology to a great extent, yet I find that I have the ability to transcend my own circumstances and what would be beneficial to me, to try and step inside the shoes of my fellow Americans. I understand that no person can cater to all the American people and their needs and beliefs, but I believe that every issue we must confront has a point of resolution, the opportunity for compromise, no matter if it concerns extremely controversial issues where there are more clearly defined oppositions. This may be the idealist in my character, but I think it is possible if we move beyond the partisan conflict and stubbornness convoluting Capitol Hill to truly reevaluate the course we want to take as a nation, and to look at our own willingness to get things done and accomplished so that we may see success in the future, for generations to come.

If I could get back to the presidential elections…at a later time….that would be great. I know I have some consternations about recent events, but it is almost 10:00 pm over here and my family is downstairs with late night snacks and the television on full blast. Haha.....Random: By the way, I hate my title. Had to think of something!

Feel free to post your own ramblings. (!)

A place where her dreams have room to grow...

I'm an obsessive blogger and I know it. I'm also an obsessive blog reader. As I was reading one of my favourite blogs today, wolfe's Musings, I saw something that pissed me off and shocked me at the same time:

A Rose Petal Cottage

Why would a rose petal cottage piss me off, you ask? Just see below here....

Rose Petal Cottage Ad #1


And this one pisses me off even more:

Rose Petal Cottage Ad #2

If that doesn't piss you off, I don't know what does. Sure, there's the argument that these kind of toys are what girls are into. I'm actually not against the product itself, but the advertisements. They take women 50 years back, and it's like they're expecting little girls to only have dreams involving home care. This is what you're supporting when you buy a Hasbro product, and this is why you should avoid ever buying a Hasbro product ever again.

Mortal Kombat, Vatican style

Ever since Cardinal Ratzinger from Germany was named Pope, controversy has followed his very footsteps. We didn't blame him for his participation in Hitler Youth as a child; we can't expect him to not do something that was legally compulsory. We didn't blame him for his "mistaken words" against Mohammed to the Muslims. And the Canadians certainly didn't blame him when he said that Canada was hell-bent due to it's legalization of gay marriage.

I never had many problems with personally, though I've had many with him religiously, but after reading on his new "plans" to fight Satanism head-on, there is no possible way that I can ever, in my lifetime, have the capacity to take him seriously. Here are some exerpts from an article regarding the matter:

The Pope has ordered his bishops to set up exorcism squads to tackle the rise of
Satanism.

Vatican chiefs are concerned at what they see as an increased interest in the occult.

They have introduced courses for priests to combat what they call the most extreme form of "Godlessness."

Each bishop is to be told to have in his diocese a number of priests trained to fight
demonic possession.

The initiative was revealed by 82-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican "exorcistinchief," to the online Catholic news service Petrus.

"Thanks be to God, we have a Pope who has decided to fight the Devil head-on," he said.

And my mom told me that Mortal Kombat could never become a reality. What a lying bitch!

Here was another really funny tidbit that I loved:

The Vatican is particularly concerned that young people are being exposed to the influence of Satanic sects through rock music and the Internet.

Seriously folks, it's time to step up. We act like we've gotten rid of the biggest terrorists, but if that were true, why do we have an incredibly crazy pope and an incredibly dumb president heavily impacting the lives of people across the globe? If people did their research more before they made final decisions as to who they want to spend their lives being subordinates to, then we wouldn't have to deal with this kind of shit. We wouldn't have to be the workers of the real terrorists, and we wouldn't have to feel cultural inferiority complexes because we wouldn't have bad leaders making us look like asses. And most of all, at least they'd be able to come up with more reasonable and original targets than the internet and rock music.

The Seamy Side of History

It's a really great read, written by Honore De Balzac. His writings about French society are truly compelling and insightful. Its almost like you really are walking under the "shadowy breath of the Notre Dame". Anyways...

My Favorites of 2007:

In the literature category- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

As for music - What Goes Around Comes Around by Justin Timberlake (okay shoot me)

Now for movies! - Across the Universe or We Own the Night......There Will Be Blood had a lot of potential, but the story was flatter than a pancake............or Atonement with Kiera Knightly or Sweeney Todd.....sorry, its really hard for me to pick when it comes to movies

Magazines - Vogue the December issue or Nylon the September issue

Person of the Year - Me of course.....no haha...umm probably Barack Obama, even though I don't want to see him get elected in 2008, he still made a nice name for himself and I do like him.

What about you?

New years resolutions

Ahh, it's almost that time of the year again where you find yourself thinking about the future, since we're shifting into a new year. You've got everything that you want to change, several things you need to change, and only 1 or 2 things that you're actually willing to change. At this point, the trick is just getting the courage to say no to the things that don't matter. Getting rid of your excess acne? No, don't give a shit. Becoming a more "likeable" person? Too bad, can't please everyone. Losing that 50 pounds of excess fat that is a bitch to carry around all day? FUCK YES. If you don't lose it now, it'll be harder to lose it later.

My resolution for this year is to lose the weight I've gained, join some kind of sport team and be dedicated to it, and to try to make myself happier. I feel I've been focusing too much on other people's feelings, and it's just becoming a drain. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everything, and to hold yourself above it all.

What's your new years resolution? What are some of the most rediculous you've ever heard? What are some of the best resolutions you've ever heard?

Blogging - a waste of time, or another way to sell?

The past few days have been quite fun, with the exception of last Friday 'noon. Me and my brother have been doing more things together that range farther from the usual, like watching MMA, using the computer, and watching TV. We've actually been going outside together and having fun, regardless of the little we actually have accomplished. It didn't matter whether we bought anything; whether we found that TV that we wanted to buy, whether we got the movies we wanted to rent, or anything of that sort, even though such things were the premise of us even doing something new together anyway. It was the interesting conversations we've had for hours on the busses and city benches that were most valuable to me.

One really interesting conversation that I had with my brother happened last night, when we were on a city bus to the downtown area of the city, where the big shopping plaza is. My brother had told me that he thinks my hobby of having debates on the internet is a waste of time. He labelled me an "iWarrior."

What is an iWarrior, you ask? An iWarrior, according to him, is a person who, on the internet, looks for a debate on a specific topic, finds an opinion that differs from theirs, and calls the person with the differing opinion a moron or a dumbass. He says that iWarriors include bloggers, such as myself.

How is a blogger an "iWarrior"? He says that bloggers are iWarriors because they're trying to sell an opinion, and not just the facts that enable a person to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.

He's wrong, and yet, he's right.

Mature bloggers, such as myself and the other two fabulous ladies at ATWKS are not "iWarriors," per se, but rather just opinionated ladies. We're telling our side of the story, but we're not going to call you a dumbass, because we're requesting your comments. We want to hear from you. Every time I get a little message in my hotmail account that says someone has actually spent their time reading my material, and every time it becomes apparent that they've learned something valuable, something special from me, it puts a smile on my face.

However, he's not completely wrong. Yes, bloggers are selling an opinion, and there's pretty much no way to deny it. I sell my opinion for the reason I stated in the previous paragraph. Authors sell opinions in their books. Religious authorities, because they are individuals, sell opinions. Jehova's witnesses sell their opinions to you right at your doorstep.

You can't go anywhere these days without someone selling an opinion in some way or another, so why can't I sell mine on a blog?

Reflections on "Popular" Music and Artists

I am listening to the Top Hits of 2007, and the first thing I notice is that out of the compendium of 98 songs, a solid majority of them follow the same tune and pattern, related to each other's works.

Kanye's and 50 Cent's techno-vibrations behind a few spewed, forced, and uncreative rhymes, which the new age, futuristic beats make up for or completely hide. There was an obvious trend toward Timbaland-sounding productions, and it is important to note that he was behind a lot of the top hits. Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, and OneRepublic just to name a few. Chris Brown, with Kiss Kiss, and Britney Spears with Gimme More followed suite with this sound. Instead of putting emphasis on the lyrics, these hits seem to do away with them all together, focusing the listener on who can come up with the most unique, techno-convoluted beats. Anyways, back to Kanye and 50 Cent - I don't think any two artists have bigger ego-trips than these two, or rather, there aren't too many more artists out there that are so egotistical in their music. We have P. Diddy, but he didn't make the list, which is surprising, but I think his songs are for crap. He will oversee a hundred artists, put them on his label, and all of them will have the same look, style, and voice. The women will be sexed-up poster ads for the "ghetto fabulous", and the guys will all have half-naked girls in their videos, speaking of "booty" and "partying" and "mazaratis" with "30 inch rims".

Speaking of "booty", you have tracks like "This Is Why I Am Hot" by MIMS and "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", "Lean Like A Cholo", and "Party Like A Rockstar", which all basically speak of one thing. Their lyrics are horrendous. I imagine that them and their little posse and "gangster" friends sit down, search their puny minds for something to say, try to find words that "match" (I emphasize this, because some of them have really bad rhyming skills and they go with words that "just go"), and then put them together like third-graders putting together Mickey Mouse puzzles, and say them with a little tinge of the voice, a little lofty melody in the background, and "tada!" you have your number one hit.

Alright, moving on. Fergie, of course. Rihanna, Taylor Swift. All rather annoying, but they created songs that personally are "catchy". They made songs that play on FM radio like its no one's business, and thus everyone's business. However, going back to OneRepublic.....their song, Apologize, in collaboration with Timbaland, had the record for the number one played hit on the radio.

Don't get me started on "Hey There Delilah". I love that song, but I can only take so much of it. Perhaps, because me, like my fellow teenagers, have an attention span of about ten minutes maximum. We constantly want to hear new songs, new tunes. A track that was released last month is seen as old "old".

Anyways, take a look at the hits this year. You have The Killers, Mika, The Fratellis, The Arctic Monkeys, Paul McCartney, Reba, Kelly Clarkson, and even foreign artists. I will have to admit. I like alot of these artists, and I don't care if they are mainstream or "sell-outs" or "posers" (with the exception of Avril Lavigne....really don't like her music). I really don't care. Green Day was on the list with their adaptation of "Working Class Hero" by John Lennon. I love Green Day.

So, what do you think?

Star Wars, or your Eternal Soul?

Oh... My.... R2-D2...

You just have to read this article. I pissed myself in the process.

http://www.ooze.com/toolofsatan/

The picture really did it for me.

The Race Card

It is possibly the most overused excuse for failures in anything, and it's really pissing me off. There's a thing in life called "responsibility," and some people still need to learn to take it. However, wouldn't it be awesome if there was a flag that took away one's ability to use the card for 2 weeks when they misuse it? If only things could be a little like this....

Now it's story time.

It was a cold and brisk winter afternoon, when my mother and I left our shop (we owned some variety stores in the past) and were looking to go home to some nice hot cups of tea after a hard day's work. We waited for the bus to come to our stop, and it came. "Bus 34 is here, mom!" I exclaimed excitedly. We were real busy that day, and worked real hard, so you can see where my excitement came from. Anyway, the bus came eventually, and we got in our seats.

As me and my mom were sitting and waiting for the bus to finish loading up all of the passengers so that the driver could leave, a lady went up to pay the driver, and her boyfriend sat in one of the seats. Seemed usual. However, then he looked at her and said, "Sorry, I can't let you on. You're $0.10 short."

And then she just totally set loose. The first words out of her mouth were, "You're just not letting me in because I'm black!" The driver explained many times that it wasn't because she was black, but because she was short on change. How hard is that to get? But honestly, I mostly just felt sorry for her boyfriend, who put on a faint smile and had his head down in shame.

Please tell me your stories of instances where you've seen the race card being played for no good reason.

Before You Think "Hippie"....

........watch The Story of Stuff to the end. Think what you want to think, believe what you want to believe, but if you are interested in listening to a solid perspective (whether it contradicts your own principles and belief system), attempt to gain something from it. It is about consumerism with Annie Leonard. Okay, granted, it seems like a bit of propaganda because while talking about consumerism and the environment, she also takes a definitive political viewpoint. However, this little movie is not meant, in my intentions, to persuade you to believe anything. It is about looking at one particular issue from all the many sides that surround it, and hopefully learning and becoming more convinced of what you believe is right.

Rammstein - Amerika

I was just watching this video called Amerika by the German industrial rock act Rammstein, and I must say, this time, they haven't completely got me. Well, I don't mean that as in I don't understand the video, because I understand it damn well. I mean... there's some stuff in there that they claim to be part of American traditions that I don't feel really are.

Here's the video:


Here's the lyrics translated into English:

"[CHORUS]:
We're all living in Amerika
Amerika ist wunderbar
we're all living in Amerika
Amerika
Amerika

Do you want me?
(no I don't)
Do you need me?
(No I don't)
Dance with me I'm leading?
(No I can't)
Will you love me?
(No I won't)

This is not a love song
(No it's not)
I don't sing my mother tounge
(No I don't)
Afrika for Santa Claus
Und vor Paris steht Mickey Maus

[CHORUS]

Will you do it?
(No I won't)
Should you do it?
(No I don't)
Could you do it?
(No I can't)
Will you please me?
(No I won't)

If you don't want me
(You'll get hurt)
If you don't need me
(You'll get hurt)
If you don't love me
(You'll get hurt)
Fuck you is the magic word

[CHORUS]

We're all living in Amerika
Coca Cola, Wonderbra
We're all living in Amerika
Amerika
Amerika

This is not a love song
No, this is not a love song
This is how we do it
You'll get hurt
Fuck you is the sweetest word

[CHORUS]

We're all living in Amerika
Coca Cola, sometimes war
we're all living in Amerika
Amerika"

So, here's what I don't agree with about Amerika:

Last I checked, Santa Claus wasn't American, and neither is 80% of the modern interpretation of him. Look up Santa Claus on Answers.com. It will tell you that he was from Asia Minor, specifically Turkey, which is in the Middle-East. That's right, Santa Claus is as Middle-Eastern as.... well, me. Not only is he Middle Eastern in true origin, but the modern-day interpretation of Santa Claus is based on Sinterklaas, who was a character that's quite popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, as the article entails. Don't believe Wikipedia? Look anywhere else.

Next, the part about Wonderbras being made in America. Though the product was actually trademarked in America, it was made here in Canada, which I think should be taken into account. But seriously, I'd like to ask... what's so great about showing off your tits?

Apart from that, really, I'm not going to argue the song. Okay, maybe the "sometimes war" bit, because to say that America has had significantly more wars than every other country would be a bit silly, don't you think?

I know this song is old, but I just wanted to put my opinion on it out there, especially since it brought back great old memories.

What do you think about America's effect on the world? What do you think Rammstein is trying to get out?

Joe Rogan, the man we love to hate

We all love him... well, not all. Some prefer to love to hate him, as did I, before I actually really heard what he had to say out of the spotlight. He's the co-host of UFC (I can't even remember whatever the fuck the other dude's name is), he's a comedian, he was that guy that hosted Fear Factor, and until recently, I've discovered that he's that famous blogger.

Joe Rogan, the Gaian sensation, is a very unique character. Once you see him on TV, you think he's a total tool, but when you check out his blog (at http://www.joerogan.net/), he's the fucking shit. Seriously, whenever I listen to him comment on any UFC fight (yes, he's a commentator too), he sounds like he's taken it up the ass one too many times by Randy Couture. Then, when he was a host on Fear Factor, he just seemed like a gross fuck who was funny at times. However, I now know differently...

Honestly, I had a love/hate relationship with Joe until I looked at his blog. For example... you know how you used to think his loud voice was violently obnoxious? Well, now I see it in a different light: whenever I'm at a bar watching a UFC event, and whenever everyone's screaming like a bunch of rampant gypsies (they honestly scream like gypsies each time their favourite guy takes down the opponent), I can always count on hearing one man: Joe Fuckin' Rogan. Whenever I hear him acting like he's been getting ass-fucked by Randy, I just can't help but find it humorous. Joe's just that kind of guy once you get to see the more personal side of him. Hell, I'm loving this guy now!

Lastly, as a treat, here's Joe Rogan's reaction to the infamous "2Girls1Cup" video, and his friend's reaction to the BME Pain Olympics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhevNN1BDnQ

Cosmetic Surgery - Yay, Nay, or Don't Care?

Personally, I don't believe in cosmetic surgery, but I make a case for a few exceptions: burn victims, those who were in some accident that altered the way they looked (and that accident can't be unnecessary forms of cosmetic surgery causing them harm), or for health reasons.

To begin, plastic surgery (a form of cosmetic surgery, as you know) was first made to help restore the look of Russians after the cold war, since many of them attained really bad facial injuries including burns. That explains why I made burns and accidents not created by cosmetic surgery an exception.

Another reason why I make an exception to cosmetic surgery is for health reasons. Some people have problems where the air canals in their noses are deformed, and thus, that needs to be fixed so they can breathe properly. Also, big breasts can cause serious back problems (like they've caused me in the past), so a breast reduction is a good option in that case.

How do you guys feel about cosmetic surgery?