Matt Gannon

Poor-Man Matt

2012-02-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

So, I found out today that I have 10 dollars to my name. The job I allegedly have wouldnt start until next month, but I don't have any money now. That being said, I spent 20 bucks yesterday on a bouquet of roses to sell in the market. A guy I met sparked the idea.

I didn't realize I had so little money, and the idea tanked. I sold one rose to my sister, and that's it. Nobody wanted to buy any roses at all. It was a good idea in theory, and at least I tried to do something instead of sitting on my ass.

Regardless, it failed. Onto the next idea I guess.

Sounds Like My Sister lol

2012-02-12T09:04:00.001-08:00

See more at CollegeHumor

Living Independently

2012-01-24T11:18:00.001-08:00

I sit in my apartment with my girlfriend after unpacking andsettling in and I realize that this is all ours. We’ve worked hard to achievethis, and it’s all ours to enjoy. Ouradult lives have begun, and we’ve graduated from childhood youth.

The simple things are sometimes the sweetest. When I go tothe fridge and see the shelves lined with groceries, I feel proud because itwasn’t just put there. It’s there because we made it happen. Everything iswhere it is because of us. The only rules we have to follow are the ones weestablish under our own will for the betterment of our household. This new chapter of my life is more thanincredible, and even though I’ve been told it isn’t possible and that Ishouldn’t try, I did anyways.

As I look out through the large wall-spanning windows pastour balcony, I see a city sky-line of twinkling lights. I think about all thatI want to accomplish, and the reasons I’m here. Seeing these lights make methink of two things: potential and freedom of life.

I want to succeed with my writing, and I want to reach mygoals and aspirations. I’m hoping that living in Ottawa will help me get closerto this.

Moving to the City

2012-01-24T11:17:00.001-08:00

I’ve moved from the country to Canada’s capital. My hometown has the population of about 1000 people, and to move to Ottawais a rather large change. Obviously, there are the immediate differences, likethe population increase, the amount of traffic, and the sheer spread of thecity. But then there are the other differences that it takes a little bit torealize.

Ottawa iscomplex, from the ethnic diversity to the maze of roads and transit ways and OCTranspo routes. Cobden is simple. There is nothing complex about it.

Ottawa isgenerally safe, but is it really? But then again, is anywhere really safe?There are two things I miss about Cobden: its safety and its simplicity. Youcould walk around at 3 in the morning donning a blackberry, and iPod, all whileholding a laptop and waving your wallet around and nothing would happen. In thecity, you might be mugged at the door. But you might not. That’s the thing. Younever really know.

I do love the city though. While I wouldn’t raise a familyhere, it definitely is a great experience. My mind was too big for Cobden. Ioutgrew it. I was like a big fish in alittle bowl. I needed to expand. So I moved to Ottawa with my girlfriendChelsea to start my life and experience new things. Now, when I return to visitCobden, I can appreciate it that much more for what it is.

When I think about Ottawa,opportunity is at the forefront of those thoughts. There are so many people andso many things to do and places to see and people to meet. For a writer, thatwealth of resource is invaluable. I plan to take full advantage of that. I don’t know how many people actually read myblog, but just know that I haven’t given up on writing, and someday you will bereading my words in renowned newspapers, in bestselling books, and spoken fromthe lips of famous actors on the silver screen. So stay tuned readers. I’m justgetting started.

2011-12-15T17:00:00.001-08:00

"I swear to God I'll piss a Happy Meal off". -Marshal Mathers

2011-12-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

It intrigues me that people have this bizarre tendency to relive dramatic events or circumstances in their lives over and over, like some sort of infinity loop. It's almost as if energy and purpose can be drawn from this.

Most of us live boring lives. Perhaps people cling to moments of eventfulness in order to give their lives a false sense of purpose or excitement?

2011-12-12T12:23:00.001-08:00

The world has become one big pile of dog shit, and nobody wants to be the one to clean it up.

2011-12-09T18:58:00.001-08:00

Why is it that when I see black male teens go into a store, my first thought is that they might want to rob the place? How is that even my mind-- as open and free as it is-- can be subject to such racial discrimination?

Are we really programmed to live like this?

2011-11-25T18:43:00.001-08:00

Unfuck the world.

What Love Is: Ryan O'Connell

2011-11-24T19:26:00.001-08:00

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/7MljWd/thoughtcatalog.com/2011/this-is-love/

One Man's Story

2011-11-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Click Here

2011-11-08T10:43:00.001-08:00

Battle not with monsters,lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes alsointo you. -Nietzsche

2011-11-07T18:32:00.001-08:00

2011-10-02T16:37:00.001-07:00

Jesus, Man

2011-10-02T07:34:00.001-07:00

Cheating Could Cause Heart Attack

2011-09-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

Cheating could double your risk of a heart attack, according to a new Italian study. The scientists tracked 1000 men over the span of 4 years and found that those having long-term affairs were more than twice as likely to suffer a major cardiac event. "Secret sexuality may increase blood pressure and heart rate," says study author Alessandra Fisher, M.D. But she adds that sex in a healthy relationship may improve life expectancy.

Taken from Men's Health

This is Real.

2011-09-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Live Like An Artist

2011-09-27T21:28:00.001-07:00

The link I'm about to give you blew my mind. It made my heart race, and filled me with hope.

Click Here

Uncover Wisdom

2011-09-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

I often find myself wondering about the people who havelived before me, and in the same place I live, the same town. I wish I couldknow of them, learn from them.

Then I think about what it must have been like to livebefore my time, and I realize that there are millions of wells of untappedknowledge in existence, and most of us are surrounded by them. The elderly havelived before us, and they have experienced things we will never experience. Whywould we not want to ensure that knowledge is carried on throughout thesucceeding generations?

We should tap into their wisdom before what they know islost forever. Our generation is screwed up, and we continue to screw up. We’redoing something wrong, and we need to fix it. Perhaps if we knew more of ourpast, we could apply it to the present to ensure a promising future?

Romance is Dead

2011-09-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

Taken from a previous post entitled “Morally Corrupt:Society in Ruins”:

“Society has becomesomething that revolves around sex. It started long ago, increasingly gettingworse as time passed on. As we became more relaxed and open about taboo things,like sex, drugs, and of course, women’s rights, it created a Slut Cocktail thatis fed to everybody, every day, all the time. How has this affected love andromance?”

The lines between what’s acceptable in a relationship andwhat isn’t aren’t just being blurred. They’re being removed entirely. Girlswill whore themselves out just for a drink at a bar, regardless of whether ornot they have a boyfriend. Unfaithfulness has become accepted in someinstances, and even expected.

Adultery is a commonact. Men actively seek women to have sex with them and then run. Some womenwill do the same. It’s even encouraged among young men, and it’s referred to asone’s “Kill Count”. The more women a man uses and then discards the better.

Sexual harassment isat an all time high, but perhaps it’s just more visible now because it’sbecoming more and more expected from men. A slap of the ass, a vulgar comment,taking a kiss from an unwilling girl, or anything else of the same nature issometimes just overlooked.

I’m ashamed to say, as a male, that women are not treatedthe way they should be, and that a significant amount of men are pigs, takingand touching what they shouldn’t.

Marriage is becoming something that is no longer sacred andeternal. It’s a piece of paper that can be ripped up and thrown away. It’s abond that can be broken with money and petty squabbles. The respect is gone. Divorce used to be nextto non-existent. It was sinful and those who got one were shamed and scorned. Wantto talk to a busy rich man or woman? Talk to a Divorce Lawyer.

It’s hard to find a married couple that have never been separated or divorced and have never cheated on each other, ever. Not even that one time when one of them got too drunk. Ever. This is depressing, and it sort of feels like the death of hope. I hope that when I get married to the girl of my dreams, my marriage will be this way.

Flirting may be considered okay by some, but think about whywe flirt in the first place. To judge one’s compatibility with another, to letone know one is interested. It’s a measuring tool, not a harmless toy. Yes,it’s fun, but so is going down to the firing range and unloading a few clipsinto a target. I hope you see the point I’m trying to make here.

There’s a thrill, a rush, an exhilaration involved inflirting that makes it dangerous. If misused, it can be very harmful;especially when the person flirting is already in a committed relationship withanother. One must create lines if none exist and adhere to their boundaries.

Public displays of affection are getting increasingly moresexual, with couples going from kissing harmlessly to passionate make-out sessionson a bench in the mall or against the side of a building somewhere--and then,soon enough, feeling each other up while they ram their tongues down eachother’s throats with blatant disregard for the awkwardness onlookers wouldfeel, and how inappropriate it is. There is a time and place for everything.

The main issue with this is not that it’s awkward to see.It’s the fact that people express their love and attraction for another in sucha manner that destroys the intimacy of the act. I’m not so prude to say that public displays of affection are not okay,but the more intense affection should be saved for in privacy. It’s betweentwo people who feel something strong for each other, and that should becherished and protected, not put on display.

That's what happens.

The only thing I have to say about exotic dancers and stripclubs, and it’s more than suffice, is this:

They exist. They shouldn’t. It’s a sad place to be.

Clubs aren’t much better. They certainly can be fun underthe right circumstances, but typically, it’s a trashy pit with cool lightswhere strangers go to have dry sex with each other to a beat, sweating on eachother, spreading germs through saliva and dirty hands. And what astounds me isthat some people consider this not cheating, either. Somehow, grinding one’sass on another man’s penis, touching him, feeling him, is not cheating. Or forguys, reverse the roles.

In the darkness, one feels anonymous almost, or like thereis no other world outside. There are so many people gyrating in an orgy offilth that one can just cop a feel of anybody they want and disappear a fewmoments later. The darkness makes the nature of the club feel okay. It’s ashroud to protect the people under it, but when the lights come on and the clubshuts down, that shroud fades away, and there’s nothing left but the feeling ofself-loathing and guilt. Then the mind kicks into justification-mode.

There is no amount of logic or justification that can changethe fact that it’s cheating. I’m sure if you try hard enough, though, you canjustify it to yourself to take away the guilt. That’s what it’s about though,right? Yourself? It seems that “The Pursuit of Happiness” is now “The Pursuitof Sexual Gratification”.

Some people will get into a relationship just for the sakeof being in a relationship. They feel it gives them security and social status.The magic of real love is dead for most.

And then there are people like me, who want to fight thegood fight to preserve one of the only things truly worth fighting for.

The world is a messed up place now, but it isn’t apparent atfirst. It’s hidden under the layers of technological progression, medicinalbreakthroughs, and acts of heroism and goodness, but it’s there and it’s slowlycrawling its way up to the surface.

Wisdom of the Dalai Lama

2011-09-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

I've stumbled upon 18 rules of wisdom given to us by the Dalai Lama. I say given as if it's a gift, meaning we have the option to accept or decline it. Accept it.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involvegreat risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

1. Respect for self

2. Respect for others

3. Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderfulstroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps tocorrect it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and thinkback, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for yourlife.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the currentsituation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your lovefor each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to getit.

2011-09-25T08:09:00.001-07:00

"Truth lies in the traditions of the heart."

Though They Hold Me

2011-09-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

ThoughThey Hold Me

Through arolling field I stalk,

Never toturn back on what has been done.

Throughthis field I can’t ever stop;

In theremainder of my life there is much to be won.

Distance iscovered, though the journey has just begun.

Silver rayslight my way and the stars in the moon’s shadow help me on.

Nature andman’s cause is with me, but there are those who try to obstruct my way.

Though theyhold me, I press onward with Love, life, and passion combined.

In theirtrodden trail I will’nt stay.

Step unto stepleaves markings behind;

Echoing...longing... waiting for someone to find.

The moonshifts with the stars, altering my course.

I find aglass jar on a table, wondering what treasures it stores.

It appearsfilled with no more than air, but then it is alight with jade embers.

They wispand they wander, but also clash and collide.

Beautiful andwhole, I need to release them, to hold with a touch that is tender

This mustbe done before I die.

The airychildren of my mind and soul flash and dance in that jar.

I wish themfree.

If theywere, I’d follow them to the very end, no matter how far.

Their lightwould allow me to feel, to hear, to see.

By someguidance, I know the jar cannot be opened with force.

When it isright, it will crack and shatter.

When itdoes, I will say ‘Of course!”

And I willcertainly enjoy the above latter.

Courage Wolf

2011-09-22T10:26:00.001-07:00

Zadie Smith On Reading

2011-09-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

Zadie Smith is a librarian in San Diego County. In an interview with KCRW's Bookwork Program, she shared her thoughts on the nature of reading.

"...But the problem with readers, the idea we're given of reading is that the model of a reader is the person watching a film, or watching television. so the greatest principle is "I should sit here and I should be entertained." And the more classical model which has completely been taken away, is the idea of the reader as an amateur musician who sits at a piano, has a piece of music, which is the work, made by somebody they don't know, who they probably couldn't comprehend entirely, and have to use their skills to play this piece of music.

The greater the skill, the greater the gift that you give the artist and that the artist gives you. That's the incredibly unfashionable idea of reading. And yet when you practice reading, and you work at a text, it can only give you what you put into it. It's an old moral, but it's completely true."

Update

2011-09-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

To my readers,

I've deactivated my Facebook account in the wake of my article concerning Facebook and online interaction in general. I will miss my fan page, but I'd be somewhat of a hypocrite if I kept using Facebook after claiming to dislike it so much. So... I can be contacted through my email, ma_ga366@hotmail.com

Thanks,

Matt

Readers Speak Out Against A Corrupt Society

2011-09-20T18:05:00.001-07:00

Kaila Schauer, 19:

Television and media condonesexual exploitation so that the audience almost sees it as acceptablebehaviour.

Miranda Neil, 21:
I am totally against it. I dislike walking past a bra store, for instance, and seeing this real skinny, sexy, big chested woman on the front of the store advertising bras and panties because how is a woman of average size supose to see herself look good in something when all we are seeing is the "beautiful" woman in them. And that goes for any piece of clothing or even make up.

It's unfair. Especially to our younger girls, as they want to see themselves look just like that, which makes them either not eat right or dress inappropriately thinking it's the in thing which puts a bad name on them when really she is just doing what she thinks will make her look and be just like that poster or preview on tv she seen!

I think all woman of any shape and size, no matter what thy look like, should have a right to advertise their beauty on everything that we're seeing these "perfect" women in. Then maybe it will change the way younger girls feel about them self, and the same with others.

Chelsea Lemire, 18:

When I was in middle school, I stumbled upon a music videoof a beautiful girl, being chased by a handsome man, trying to get herattention. He seemed like he would do anything to even have a moment of thewoman’s time, and it made me wonder, “Why don’t men look at me that way?” I wastwelve years old. I had barely been exposed to the world, and the element oflove, and I already felt like I was doing something wrong. I suddenly feltinsignificant.

My breasts weren’t big enough, I was too fat, and my skin wasn’tflawless. Looking back now, I could have slapped myself. How could I have letmyself think that way? It’s simple. Because the media told me that there wassomething wrong with me. The media is our own worst enemy. It was invented topromote well-being and products to make us “look and feel our best,” but it hasbecome our own worst enemy. It has turned into a monster, that makes us feelobligated to look, feel, act, and even smell a certain way.

We should be evolving and improving as a community, but itfeels as though we’ve been moving backwards. We know that these issues have beenincreasing, yet nothing seems to have been done about it. Models have becomethinner; men have become more obligated to work out to get that mandatory sixpack, and aging has become a taboo of sorts, a forbidden topic. It’s patheticto imagine that in this day, something as natural and beautiful as aging hasbecome looked down upon. Instead, we’re all expected to look like we’re 20 forthe rest of our lives.

We may have grown to accept that botox and plasticsurgery have become the norm for this generation, but what about nextgeneration? What sort of example are we setting for our children? Do we reallywant to live in a world where a 12 year old girl feels ugly because of a fakewhore she saw on a fake set, living a fake life? Society as a whole needs tostep back. Instead of making over our faces and outfits, we should focus on amore important improvement; a makeover of our morals.

Anonymous, 15:

I feel grossed out by it, and sick. I don’t like the factthat even a girl’s friends would pressure her into having sex with them. Itmakes me mad because you shouldn’t be persuaded to do anything. You’ll do itwhen you’re ready to. I also hate how almost every show has sex in it, like Jersey Shore, and I hate how guys thinkthey have the right to try to get you to go on webcam and do things for them.

Linda Jackson, 38

I feel that this societyevolves 80 % around sex, which makes every woman think that they have to be acertain type or size in order to get anything in life, from work to guys. Thusly,it is sending today’s girls the idea that the more you show, the less you wear,the farther you can get. If you look, every T.V show evolves around sex andthat is why there are so many rapes, abortions and other diseases out there, becausethe young girls think it is the right thing to do. Men are also expectingwomen/girls to be a certain way, not looking at who they are and what they canachieve. Looks are only skin deep. It is what is in their heart that counts. Ireally think it is time that the young girls took a stand and said I am who Iam and if you do not like it, too bad. I have a brain and I use it.

Jesse (Male), 15

Well to start off, it seemsthat it influences girls around my age and a few years higher the most. Buteven little girls are aware of everything like this. Like in commercials and advertisements,they use it to catch people’s eyes and its working. I find that girls are beingtreated terribly, almost like trash to guys around my age. In high school, allyou ever hear in the halls is talk about sex.

Amanda Simmons, 19

In todays society girls have gone past the point of just trying to be unique and expressive with how they dress - well at least in a respectful manner. Ten years ago it used to be that maybe one out of twenty girls was wearing a shirt that was above the belly button and shorts that barely covered their ass. Nowadays it is the exact opposite and to a new extreme; one out of twenty dress respectably (covering themselves so nothing is hanging out) belly tops and short shorts are now the norm but tops are now also see through and flourescent pink or green bras underneath. And with shorts you can now see the curve of the buttocks.

Not only is it just clothing-- it's attitudes and behaviours in general. Sex used to be something that was cherished and shared with the person you love, now it is viewed as just a way to get one up on someone else. It used to be guys that had a kill count, girls have it too now. Its disgusting. Whatever happened to making the chase fun? Its too easy now because slutting it up is the norm. Look on Facebook. Guaranteed that 90% of teenage girls have pictures where they purse their lips and push out their chest to catch attention.

As a 19 year old girl, I want it to go back to the time where falling in love meant dating first sex later; not the other way around.

Morally Corrupt: Society in Ruins

2011-09-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

There was once a time when I sat down to watch some T.V, andI saw this commercial featuring a beautiful, naked woman with full red lipslounging on a couch, covered in silky fabrics. The commercial had a sensual,passionate tone to it, and it was displaying the media’s version of what beautyand sexuality should look like. Ithought the commercial was going to try to sell me condoms or beer. I waswrong. She took a sip from a glass, got a milk moustache, and the screen fadedto “Got Milk?” and that was it. They used sex to sell milk.

Some would see this as a clever ploy to appeal to a wideraudience. In reality, it’s a direct reflection of what’s wrong with society.

The media is sexualizing and objectifying young girls. They've been made into the forbidden fruit that every man wants, but can’t have. It appliespressure on every girl to live up to the standards and stereotypes set by thesilver screen, music or magazines so that boys will like them. This is notjust a pressure forced on the youth, either. Every woman is faced with theissue of needing to be beautiful and sexy.

Girls walk around inrevealing clothing with layers of make up carefully applied to make them looktheir absolute best. It seems to be the golden rule with the youngergenerations: “The more makeup on your face, the better you look. Oh… andcleavage is good too.”

Men don’t want to look, but they do because it’s out therein your face, and then they feel like perverts. Why do this to us? And you knowwhat the worst part is? It’s getting harder to tell how old a girl actually is.See a slutty girl, think okay, 19 maybe. Nope. 14.

It’s depressing to see this, and it’s even more depressingthat little is being done about it. These children are going to grow up and someday influence what happensin our world. We don’t want them growing up with skewered perceptionsconcerning reality and sexuality.

Some girls of any age spend a very large amount of timedoing this. I find it sexy when girls embrace natural beauty. Of course, menlove it when a girl puts effort into themselves for us, but if we’re reallyworth it, it isn’t always necessary. If we love you, we love YOU. Not somedolled up version of yourself. But we do appreciate your efforts, and thatappreciation should be fully expressed unto the lovely lady, if you know what Imean*.

The well-renowned Barbie doll is another direct reflectionof the issues in society. These dolls are thrust upon girls at a very youngage, and thus the corruption begins. Barbie is the perfect representation of abeautiful woman, and that ideal image of what they should be follows each andevery girl as they grow up. And of course, it’s reinforced by the media, in theschools, in every clothing store, etc.

Media Reflective Barbie

But then somewhere along the way, a line was crossed by themakers of the wonderful Barbie. One was produced with the universal sign of apromiscuous woman: the tramp-stamp (Don’t shoot the messenger, ladies. I didn’tmake it so). What message does thissend?

Typical. Face down, hair a mess, and pants undone.

And as ridiculous as this may sound to you, there are pressures that men have to deal with on a daily basis. They are there. Whereexactly? In the same places that womenface these pressures. Granted, it's not as intensely forced on us as it is with females.

The gents from Abercrombie and Fitch. Frolicking in a meadow.

As an example, the Ken Doll, Barbie’s mate, is the image ofthe perfect man. He has a six pack and a kick ass car. I don’t have one of those (or the car) andI’m pretty sure I don’t need one to make my girl happy. Sure, I’d love one, andmaybe someday. But right now, I don’t. So fuck you, Ken Doll.

Magazines, movies, television, videogames, and even booksfeature men with chiselled jaw lines, perfect hair, and ripped bodies. JacobBlack and Edward Cullen come to mind. But that’s a tale foranother time. I’ll spare you my diatribe regarding those two for now.

lol.

I love Axe products, and Old Spice, too, but they aretragically flawed. It doesn’t matter how good you may or may not smell. If youhave no game, you have no game. One can acquire said game, but it’s not in theform of any alleged Chick-Magnet Spray. If such claims were true, it would beselling for a lot more than 5 dollars at your local Wal-Mart. It’s a gimmick.If a girl decides to be with you because you smell good, perhaps you’ve made amistake. Rely on yourself to get the girl. However, it is a very good thing to smelldesirable, make no mistake. No woman wants a rank sack of crap, no matter howcool said sack may be. This extends to one’s oral hygiene as well.

He's on a horse.

Society has become something that revolves around sex. Itstarted long ago, increasingly getting worse as time passed on. As we becamemore relaxed and open about taboo things, like sex, drugs,and of course, women’s rights, it created a Slut Cocktail that is fed toeverybody, every day, all the time. (How has this affected love and romance? Find out in my nextpost.)

Women will try their hardest to look pretty for us men. Theyput themselves out there, vulnerable and open, and they get treated like theydon’t matter—that they are disposable. These women or girls go home and wonderwhy they aren’t good enough, and what they’re doing wrong. They try to figureout how to be better… how to look better. Extreme dieting, more makeup,sluttier clothes, lowering of standards, loss of all self-respect: all theresult of our actions, and the media’s actions. It’s our fault, and most mendon’t want to take responsibility. Sex sells. It makes money. And every bodyknows sex and money makes the world go ‘round. But to what end?

What the world needs to realize is that men are nothingwithout women, and it’s up to us to restore balance to our society’s morals andbeliefs. The lines between right and wrong have been blurred. Women are gettingraped and abused and emotionally attacked, and the disgusting thing about it isthat it’s becoming more and more frequent. Just because we don’t hear about itdoesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. It does, and it’s terrifying, and infuriating,and sickening.

Society lies in ruins. The world is just too horny to realize it.

________________________

Click Here to read what others have to say about this matter.

Facebook Ruins Relationships

2011-09-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Facebook is an absolute social networking powerhouse, andthe creators of Facebook know it. They are constantly updating and modifying tostay on top, and at the top they remain. According to Facebook Statistics, there are over 750 million activeusers, and approximately 700 billion minutes are spent on Facebook per month,with 50% of the total users logging in on any given day.

When Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, heprobably had no idea just how popular it would be. He was probably also unawarethat Facebook would become one of the leading causes of relationship problems.American divorce lawyers and academics paired with Middle Eastern analysts todetermine this notion.

Mark Zuckerberg, Founder of Facebook

Furthermore, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1 out ofevery 5 divorces cite Facebook as the cause. This means that Facebook is thecause of 20% of all American divorces- and that’s just in the United States.

These statistics beg the question: How could something thatis meant to bring people closer together tear them apart?

There isn’t a single large answer, but rather a complex webof smaller, but no less significant, ones.

This web starts with the privacy Facebook can offer.Facebook chat and the personal messaging service allows for conversations tohappen and then be erased or cleared, leaving no trace behind. Because it’s text, it blurs the lines andboundaries of what is acceptable and what isn’t. Guilt can be lessened becauseit’s “just through text”, and this makes it easier to cover up or lieabout. There’s no pressure of “Heyhoney, what’d you get up to today?” when the person was just on Facebook. Theycan simply say “Not too much. Just chatted to some friends on Facebook.” The significant other would never know thedifference. An emotional affair/ emotional cheating can be just as damaging asa physical one.

This can extend to Facebook mobile on cell phones. Now it’seven more easily accessed, and can be done from anywhere. This also means it’seven more private than before.

Facebook is a breeding ground for jealousy. From the maleperspective, questions like “Why is that guy writing on her wall?” or “I don’tlike the look of that smiley face.” can constantly come up, even though it maybe entirely harmless. Reverse the roles for the female perspective.

If some pictures are posted of your partner with anotherperson (of the opposite sex) with their arm around them it can easily be takenout of context. All one would see is one’s partner embracing another in aseemingly intimate manner, and right away that sparks one’s innate desire todefend and protect. People are jealous by nature. Sometimes it’s warranted.Sometimes it’s not.

Another issue that commonly arises is one involving theprofile picture. This is a complicated matter. Typically, when a couple isdoing well in their relationship, one will feel the need to make one’s profilepicture feature their partner. This is a generalization, and doesn’t mean it’strue for all people. However, if one person feels this way, but the otherdoesn’t, questions like “Is she embarrassed of me? Why won’t she just put oneup?” can come into play. And then that’s where the confidence regarding therelationship takes a hit. Some people see it as a ward against unwantedsuitors. It draws a line. If the person doesn’t feature their significantother, it can be seen as “Oh, they aren’t even that serious. I bet I couldsteal her from him.” It’s unfortunate, but true.

Adding new friends of the opposite sex seems to always be anissue as well, especially if they are better looking than the person seeing it.One wonders why they became friends, where they met, if they talk all the time,etc.

Facebook tends to be addictive, and sometimes a significantother may be a bit too attached to the website, even when they are physicallywith their boyfriend/girlfriend etc. It may make one ask “Who is she talking toon there? Why does she feel the need to always be on? Why can’t she just getoff and spend time with me? Am I not good enough?”

One of the biggest issues is the exes still lingering in thebackground. An ex is an ex, and they’re in the past for a reason. It’s veryeasy to say a simple “Hey, how have you been?” and then all of a sudden, aconversation ensues, and old feelings come back up to the surface. Or even seeing updates and pictures of the excan ignite different thoughts and wonders that should not be ignited.

The easiest mistake to make is to develop the need to followyour partner on Facebook, checking their every move. It’s unhealthy and justcauses unnecessary jealousy and concern.

Facebook certainly has its benefits, and I’ve experiencedthem myself, but I’ve also experienced how Facebook can affect a relationship,and witnessed it aid in the ending of another, more than once. It can become a never ending vortex of worryand pain, and ultimately lead to the demise of a relationship. Ask yourself this: Is it really worth it?Don’t let Facebook control your life. It is meant to help you, not destroyyou and the things you’ve worked towards creating and nurturing.

The Decline of Intimacy

2011-09-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

The internet has revolutionized how we communicate with eachother, but what does this really mean? Peel away the top-most layers ofpositive influence. What lies beneath?

It seems to me that what was supposed to liberate us isactually just desensitizing us to each other and aiding in the demise of properEnglish. More specifically, texting (not the internet, I know, but it’s thesame concept) and instant messaging are the leading cause of this problem.

The first issue I see is the lack of punctuation, spelling,and grammar. Even with spell-check, people just seem to not care. There areexceptions, thankfully, but with the younger generations that have grown up inthe height of The Internet Era, spelling mistakes and abbreviations andacronyms are the norm and at times, even encouraged. Why? Because it’s justeasier to mess up and not care. Acertain quote about things worth doing comes to mind.

Aside from the actual composition of the text, there isanother issue. The lexicon that people adopt in the virtual world isoverlapping into reality. People are beginning to speak in the manner theywould type on the internet or through text. Somebody might say something funny,and somebody else will literally say “Lol” or “Rofl”. It seems to be popular inthe youth. Perhaps it feels like a secret language that only their generationis “privileged” to speak, unknown to the older generations who may actuallyunderstand the important of the language we speak.

But the biggest problem I see with this whole thing, andit’s the scariest of all, is that it’s numbing our ability to relate to oneanother on a sensory, intimate level. The root of this stems from the fact thatwhen communicating through text, one is not face to face with another. This isan immediate handicap when trying to relate to somebody.

Lying is easy to do through text because you don’t have tolook at your victim. So is omitting truths, or exaggeration. One has time tothink… to plan.

Text can’t convey tone (i.e. Humour, sarcasm, sadness) so misinterpretationsand misunderstandings are prone to occur.

People’s problem solving skills are weakening over time(just as a broad generalization), because they’d rather deal with it throughtext. It’s easy, and if needed, can be ignored. There’s just less pressure. Thewords we say to each other through text are tossed into this piece oftechnology that acts as a filter, blocking any real emotional value and lettingthe oils of mental refuse drip through. When it comes times to deal with problems inperson, one may find themselves struggling to say what they mean.

Human bonding and interacting should be done in person, faceto face. There is more to getting to know somebody, or even talking tosomebody, than just words. Body language, tone, eye contact, and things of thesort all play a role in this process; all things that are eliminated whentalking through text. It kills the in-the-moment intimate passion that isinspired by emotionally charged human interaction.

What are the solutions to these problems? Other than theobvious, I wish I knew. It’s hard to fight against such a popular method ofcommunication, so popular that it’s become somewhat of a mental set. However,one thought that should be raised is this:

Never forget who raised today’s generation.

2011-09-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

"Men have been taught that it is a virtue to agree with others. But the creator is the man who disagrees. Men have been taught that it is a virtue to swim with the current. But the creator is the man who goes against the current. Men have been taught that it is a virtue to stand together. But the creator is the man who stands alone."

-Ayn Rand-

Amazing Bookstore in Buenos Aries

2011-09-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know that I am in love with books and, subsequently, bookstores. I could live in a bookstore and be happy forever.

I found some pictures of this incredible book store created in an ornate theatre located in Buenos Aries called El Ateneo. The pictures will explain the rest.

Some Interest Material

2011-09-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

I have come across two videos meant for entertainment, but are actually rather incredible and I wanted to share them with you.

Pokemon Apokelypse (Live Action Fan-Made Trailer)

Brokeback Twilight

Enjoy.

Jason Heusner's Presidents Re-Imagined as Action Heroes

2011-08-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I know I rarely post anymore, but I would really like to change that. I was using Stumbleupon, a website that brings you to random places on the internet according to your own interests, and I 'stumbled' upon a collection of art done by Jason Heusner. It's incredible stuff, and also good for a laugh. Check it out.

Abraham Lincoln

George Washington

Andrew Jackson

Theodore Roosevelt

Thomas Jefferson

Newfoundout, Ontario

2011-06-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

"Six kilometers up a trail off of Opeongo Road are the skeletal remains of Newfoundout, Ontario. Victims of the government’s infamous “Public Land Act” of 1853, 13 families wound their way up the mountainside and for 30 years attempted to eke a living out of the mostly barren, rocky soil. Never able to attract more settlement or institutions, such as schools, the town died, becoming completely abandoned by 1948." -Canadian Geographic.

_________________________

My friend and I have an interesting hobby. We seek out abandoned houses and explore them. Why? It's exciting, of course, but the real reason is because of the history behind it. In the decrepit ruins that we walk, we wonder who came before us. Who were they, and what were their lives like? What stories do these houses tell? Isolate this to one single house, but then think in a grander scale.

What stories does an entire town hold? So my friend decided to find an abandoned town. She found one called Newfoundout. Unfortunately, we will never know the stories of abandoned towns, but it's fun to imagine. We went at dusk, but it got dark too quickly. We came back in the daylight, and we took photos to share with you.

The first of the ruins.

A small stretch of land compared to the rest.

Inside one of the houses. Notice the second level.

Leading to some sort of cellar possibly.

There was only a couple minute window of opportunity for this photo.

The well.


The remnants of a door.

This town stretches for many kilometers, and for us to fully explore it in depth, it would probably take a full day. It's a beautiful spot with many paths leading through the huge forest that blankets the mountain it's built on.

Things I've Learned Since Then

2011-05-28T16:52:00.001-07:00

It doesn't really matter what you think you know. Chances are, it may be wrong.

Nothing is ever certain. Cherish what you have while you still have it, because in the flash of a moment, it could be gone.

Sometimes, the only person you can truly trust is yourself. Even then, don't bet on it.

Alcohol may help numb the pain, but it can also only serve to intensify it. Either way, you wake feeling like a sack of shit within a sack of shit.

A true friend is someone who will listen to you rant about the same things for weeks on end, and even though it's probably unbearable for them, they won't complain.

You know how people say "At least I can escape in my dreams?" It's bullshit.

Sometimes the best course of action is no action at all.

There will come a time in everyone's life where they will have to do the wrong thing for the right reason.

No matter how many people tell you that you can't do something, they're wrong.

Love can destroy you, but it can also be the only thing that can put you back together again.

There is a reason for everything.

Do Dragons Truly Exist in Present Day 2011?

2011-03-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was just a wee lad, I've always loved dragons. They are just awesome, and I'm sure any male would agree. But, unfortunately, they have been deemed as a mythical creature, meaning, they do not exist in reality. There has been much discussion and studying into whether or not they ARE real, but I think it's been pretty much inconclusive.

Dragon either dead, or just sleeping. Probably dead.

This won't be a long article filled with a bunch of bullcrap. I just wanted to show my readers something interesting I found on StumbleUpon. This man found an interesting species of lizard in Indonesia, and he took some photos of it and posted them on Reddit.

Here is the first photo:

Winged Lizard in Indonesia

Isn't that cool? I know it's not really a dragon, but what if this species is a descendant of the much larger flying lizards?

Food for thought.

For The Writer: Meeting Standards

2011-02-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

Before I dive into the main content of this post, I just wanted to welcome my readers into February. This will be the first post of the month, and it was inspired by another writer I was talking with. Right then, let's get started.

The act of writing in itself is an intimidating one. There are so many words that are available for our use, and an even more incalculable combination in which we can arrange them. Once the writer is able to complete a piece of writing, it's natural to second guess it. Could if be better? What if something was done differently? Is the entire idea pointless, and will people dislike it? Maybe. But that shouldn't mean the writer should keep their work in a cellar, never letting it see the light of day.

As for how this post came to be: I was talking to another writer, let's call her J.K Rowling, and she said that she had been feeling pressure to meet the standards of other writer's who are more advanced. As a side-note, J.K Rowling, if you're reading this, those writers are not advanced. They just portray themselves as advanced.

My response to this is that a writer should not worry about meeting other peoples standards. The only standards the writer should meet is their own. In the end, the writing is about the writer, and who the writer is. The true writer writes not to impress, but for the act of writing itself. If the writer is good, the impressing will follow suit. J.K Rowling, there really is no need to feel pressured to meet some Jo-Shmo's standards. Write for you, and the rest will come. I do recommend taking criticism and feedback into consideration though, key word being consideration.

As one's writing career advances, it's important to live up to your own standards. Don't think even for a second that previous successes can allow any of your following work to be sub-par. You can't ride on the wings of your past work. I'm a believer in the saying that one is only as good as one's last piece.

That's all I have to say on that matter for now. Keep on keepin on, J.K Rowling.

The Value of Classic Literature

2011-01-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

A lot of people don’t appreciate the classics*, or what they have done for us. It’s possible this is because of the time-gap, or the age of the language being used. Perhaps even the preconceived notion that one can’t relate to because it was written so long ago is a factor*. Regardless, I believe that classic literature is underappreciated and needs more attention from the reading populace.

Without the classics, the literature we have today would be much different. Modern literature is the great-great-grandchild of the classics, tied to each other by a bloodline, by DNA (to eliminate so many capital letters, DNA will be referred to as genes). This is the way I see it. Classic authors like William Shakespeare, Dante Alighieri, Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer, Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, and so many more are like the many parents of what came after, and the grandparents of what followed, and so on. Essentially, this comparison is like a family tree, and all the members share the same genes, linking them together through many generations.

Here’s an example: Miguel de Cervantes wrote The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha, published in 1605, and it is considered to be the first novel ever written. The basic premise of this book is about a retired man wanting adventure, so he goes out into the world to find it. Sound familiar? (The first thing that came to my mind was Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’) This is the FIRST novel ever written. How many more have been written that are similar to this?

Just as a side-note, if you’d like to be a writer, or just want a better general understanding of the human species, the study of classic literature is a must. There is a reason classic literature has been given the title ‘classic’. The authors just got it. They understood, and they wrote it down so that we may understand as they did. Plus, reading classic lit is kind of like time-travel.

*I will admit that I am not extensively educated in classic literature, but I am well enough that I understand the value of it.

*This isn’t true though. The emotions and principles explored in classic literature are definitely present in modern literature.

For the Writer: The Writer's Journal

2011-01-02T19:30:00.001-08:00

There are many tools a writer should keep in his arsenal, but one of the most useful is the writer’s journal. I believe that every writer should have one these. As you’re out in the world, or even your home, inspiration can strike. A writer’s journal gives the means to capture the essence of the idea before it fades away. Another great benefit of the writer’s journal is that it’s extremely versatile. I will demonstrate this using myself as an example. Here are the types of journals I use:

No.1: The Dream Journal

This is one of my favourites. We all dream, but not all of us realize that we can tap into the potential they offer. Every morning when I wake up, I record my dreams (sometimes I can’t remember them, though) on my cell phone to later be recorded into a journal. I can type faster than I can write by hand, and speed is of the essence in this practice. The dream fades quickly, and I need to capture every sensory detail that I can, not to mention the events of the dream itself. Who knows? Maybe one of you will get lucky like Stephenie Meyer did (lol).

No.2: The Travel Journal

This one is a pocket-sized journal I use when I am out and about. If inspiration strikes, I just pull it out and write whatever I want down. These are pretty cheap. I literally paid $1 for mine.

No. 3: The Quotes Journal

Whenever I hear good quote, or somebody says something interesting, I write it down. People say really interesting things sometimes. One word could possibly spawn a whole series of novels. You definitely want to be able to remember that word.

Warning: It would be creepy and rude to write stuff down when you’re talking to somebody. Wait until you’re finished and they aren’t paying attention to record what you need.

No.4: The Idea Journal

The Idea Journal is pretty broad in nature. You can use it for literally anything. Collect all the random words or sentences you’d like, or write down pages worth of writing. Hear an interesting name? Write it down. See something really weird? Write it down. The list of possibilities can continue on and on. The beauty if this one is that anything goes.

No.5: The Submission Journal

This one is strictly business. It’s used to keep track of all the queries or proposals you send out to different editors, agents, or publishers. I write down the date it was sent, the name of the publication, the title of the article to be written or that was already written, the name of the person it was sent to, and status (e.g.; pending, rejection, etc). It’s good to be organized in this aspect of writing. It also helps with knowing when to send follow-ups.

The Writer’s Journal is something every writer should at least try. These are just some ideas of the different types one could use.

For the Writer: Reading

2011-01-02T19:29:00.002-08:00

There are many things that nurture the writer’s soul and creativity. Apart from passion, these things really are the lifeblood of the craft. One of the most important things a writer can do is read, and read often. This tip is actually pretty straight forward. You want to write like a pro, so read work written by a pro. It will allow you to see how it’s done, and it can help you to develop an understanding for yourself. I will explain using myself as an example.

I want to write romance and drama. I’m passionate about these genres. So, for me to understand how to do this, I have to read books in those genres. I have to study them cover to cover. I cannot imitate or emulate, but rather understand the process and structure.

Side Note: Don’t worry about imitating other writers in the beginning stages. It’s something we all go through at first. It helps us to find our own unique style and voice.

The more you read from the angle of the writer, the more developed your Writer’s Eye becomes. Essentially, this is one’s ability to extract vital information out of a piece of work that one can use to one’s advantage. For example, how the writer chooses to begin the novel (I’ll use a piece of fiction for the example), or how the setting and background details are introduced to the reader. In what way is the conflict introduced and then fleshed out? What does the writer do to make you care about the protagonist? How does the writer make the antagonist of the story believable and hated? These are just a few examples. As you go on, you will just naturally ask questions.

Reading is like exercise for the mind. It keeps your creativity in top-notch shape so that when you call on it, it’s ready for action.

It increases your vocabulary, which is definitely important to the writer, and it lets you know what kind of writing get’s published.

Reading outside of your preferred genre is highly recommended, too, because you don’t want to get too close-minded that you know nothing about other styles. Also, including the horror, suspense, comedic, or any other element to your work can be very effective if done right.

You should also read poorly written work, simply because it tells you what not to do. As you learn more about the craft, you can hone your own skills by helping others hone there’s. Trust me; it’s easy to find weak writing. Just visit any writer’s forum and read for yourself. There’s also strong writing, too. Compare and contrast to determine what makes it so.

There are many rules of good writing, but the best way to find them is to be a good reader- Stephen Ambrose

For The Writer: Promotion

2011-01-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

Having work written, edited, and ready to be unleashed unto the world doesn’t mean anything if nobody knows about it. Promotion is a huge part of being successful, and more often than not, it’s up to you, the writer, to do the promoting. Here are a few ways that you can get your name out there if you are just starting out as a writer.

No.1: Take Advantage of the Internet

Billions of people use the internet. That’s a lot of chances for promotion. Use this to your advantage. Set up a Facebook fan page for yourself. You can host your work here if you wanted to. Invite all your friends to join, and ask them to invite their own friends. Tell people about it. Word of mouth can be very helpful.

Start a blog or a website. I use Wordpress, but I used to use Blogger. Both are good. I think Wordpress is more professional, though. The more of a presence you have online, the easier it is for people to find you and your writing.

Tip: Try to respond thoughtfully and respectfully to every comment made. Never respond to haters, and trust me… ‘haters gonna hate’.

No.2: Write for Local Publications

This is how I first started promoting myself. I began to write for the local paper in my town, and then the next town over, and then I volunteered my services for a publication called Indy Kids. Try to get into the editorials, or even ask if there is space for a column to be written by you. Be controversial. Be interesting. Be different from the other millions of writers trying to do the same thing.

Don’t be discouraged by writing for free. We all have to start somewhere. You are not above the small, seemingly pointless gigs. Besides, it’s all experience that will help you in the future.

No.3: Network, Network, Network

Go online and search for blogs or websites of other writers. Become a dedicated follower and contact them personally. Become their friend, even if it’s only online. Find writers or poets in your area and reach out to them. Always have business cards on you to hand out (even if they are homemade. Vistaprint.com offers a pretty good service for them, too).

Sign up for a creative writing workshop. Attend writing conferences, or go to readings or signings. Talk to people. Stick your neck out. You get the idea.

No.4: Take Advantage of Bestsellers on Sale

If you live near a store that sells books, this can be a gold mine for promotion. It’s creative, too, but only works if you have your writing on the internet and it can be viewed by anybody (or something similar to that.) All that you have to do is put little slips of paper with information pertaining to you on them. For example: When I did this, I put my own name, email, blog name, and Facebook fan page on it. I also included a little message saying ‘Support Me’ or ‘Enjoy’. I literally have over 500 of these out in the world somewhere. I even slip them inside other things that people buy. Get creative!

Warning: This is frowned upon by store owners as it is unsolicited promotion, so don’t get caught lol. It’s so much fun, though.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Try them out and see what happens. Remember that this process takes time. You have to be patient and persistent. Never give up, either. Good luck.

Other Writers: Feel free to leave your own ideas, or dispute mine.

For The Writer: Editing

2011-01-02T19:27:00.001-08:00

You’ve finished a piece of work, and you wonder what’s next. Do you celebrate and move on? Sure, celebrate, but you’re still far from finished. Now you have to edit—a process that can sometimes take more time than it took to write the piece in the first place. It’s not always fun, but it’s necessary and undisputable. If you don’t edit, you will fail as a writer. Unless, of course, you don’t make any mistakes and produce the best possible draft the first go at it.

I can’t claim to be some professional editor- hell, if these were medieval times, I’d be considered an apprentice at best (correct me if I’m wrong, Julieanne lol :P ). Here are a few tips and tricks for editing your writing.

No.1: Take a Break from It

Sometimes a breather from anything can be a good thing. This is always the case with writing. When you spend time looking at a large amount of words, your mind begins to skip over all the small details, including mistakes. You literally become blind to your errors.

My advice? Print the piece out and put it somewhere out of sight (out of sight, out of mind—this is what you want). I recommend printing it because seeing the words through a different medium will allow you an even fresher view when you return to edit. Wait a week maybe, and then edit away.

No.2: Give it Voice, Literally

Read the work out loud. This will help you pick out all the awkward phrasing or mistakes easier. You can also test your work for even flow. If it seems too choppy or broken, fix it, unless it’s this way for dramatic effect or pace-control.

No.3: Block Edit

If you have a larger piece, break it up into smaller blocks. This way you don’t overwhelm yourself and you can edit more thoroughly without the large amounts of remaining text reminding you that you still have a long way to go. However, some people aren’t bothered by this. It’s relative to the editor.

No.4: Less is More

Sure, it’s great to be descriptive and flesh out the world you have created or whatever else, but be careful it doesn’t bog everything down and bore your reader. Sometimes keeping your prose simple is better than writing flowery prose.

No.5: Take out Adverbs

Adverbs just pad writing, and it’s the sign of an amateur. Example: “She quickly ran to the door and yanked it open excitedly. Her boyfriend had arrived, and she hugged him affectionately.” Exaggerated, I know, but it serves its purpose: the writing sound like crap. Your job as a writer is to SHOW, not TELL. Using adverbs is telling.

Some people say that a writer tells a story, but that’s not true. The reader visualizes the story in their mind, so the writer really is showing them.

Hopefully this short post helps you to more effectively edit your work. There is so much more to editing, and a lot of it is available out there on the web. One quick Google search can get you more of what you may need. Happy editing!

How To: End Writer's Block

2011-01-02T19:26:00.001-08:00

Writer’s block is something that almost every writer encounters in their efforts. It can be extremely frustrating, especially when there is a deadline one has to adhere to. I have thought of some techniques that may help to overcome that mental block that has stopped the creative flow.

Take a Walk:

The fresh air will clear your mind and potentially inspire you, metaphorically blowing away the block in your head. Also, it will get your heart pumping faster- the newfound alertness could do wonders for your writing. A sharp mind begets sharp words.

Take Time Off:

Take some time off from your work to spend on yourself. Replenish your mental reserves of energy. We actually do have mental energy just like we do physical energy. If we work our minds too hard for too long, we can’t perform our best and our writing suffers. Do whatever you want to do to get your mind off of your writing. When you feel it’s time to get back to the grind, you will feel refreshed and ready to go with a new perspective that may be enough to get rid of your writer’s block.

Isolate Your Troubles:

Analyze the part of the piece you are stuck on. If you can’t figure out what comes next, maybe that’s a sign that you have to rethink what has already been written. It’s possible you may have to change something so that you can continue.

Don’t Forget Why You Started Writing in the First Place:

Use these thoughts as motivation to overpower the block and plough through the rest of the piece.

Rewrite:

Rewrite the last five to ten lines of your work. This will get your creative energies flowing again and possibly allow you to continue.

Listen to Music:

Listen to whatever music inspires you the most. Music without words, like classical or instrumentals, relax your mind and because there are no words, you don’t subconsciously devote some of your attention to the lyrics. The sounds of the music can melt away the block built up in your mind.

Read:

Reading is vital in the development of the writer. Stop writing for a bit and just read whatever you want to. A single thought or word can unlock your mind and get you going again.

Try whichever of these things you would like or different variations of the techniques I have offered and see if it works for you. I can’t guarantee success because each writer is different, but hopefully this little guide has helped. Good luck.

The Value of Observation

2011-01-02T19:25:00.001-08:00

As I go about my day, I take in a ton of information. This information comes to me in various forms: my teachers, my friends, the internet, television, books, random people; the list could go on. What all of these things have in common is that they can inspire me to write. Something that is said, heard, or seen can spark an idea in my mind that will eventually lead to something bigger. If one pays close attention to the world around oneself, a wealth of ideas present themselves. It’s almost like a buffet. Your given all these ideas, and you choose what you want.

If one is a writer, this realization is invaluable. Even if one isn’t involved in writing, observing life around you, inanimate or not, is essential to understanding why things are the way they are. Every day I go to school and come home with one or two new ideas that I can work with. I write them all down in a journal so I don’t forget them. Although, when I get the idea, I write it down right away, and then copy it from paper or where ever into the journal.

Pay attention to the little things, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Think abstractly, and don’t doubt your abilities. If the idea intrigues you, run with it as fast as you can. Even if you fail, you’ve still put that distance behind you.

What is Love?

2011-01-02T19:15:00.001-08:00

Love enlightens. It can give strength to the weak, and can give the courage of a thousand heroes. It can bring life to the world, and it can inspire the hearts of men. But Love can also blind. It can put fear in the hearts of the bravest of us all, and it can be the harbinger of death. Despite this, it is one of the greatest pleasures. The wispy tendrils of true Love entwine themselves in the sands of time that flow with one’s life, enriching it to the fullest extent.

The number of dreamers and wonderers of Love are countless. Percy Bysshe Shelley is among them. Shelley suggested that Love is the innate thirst to find oneself in another, to fill the chasm in our hearts. I suggest that love is the phenomenon in life when one heart finds another and connects so powerfully that the lover’s souls become but one single essence that resides in both hearts. Two hearts, one soul, forever merged as one. This is Love. It is spiritual, and emotional. It is physical, as well as mental.

Those who lose love are damaged beyond repair. Their heart and soul are ripped from their bodies, leaving them empty and hollow. The air that they breathe becomes stale and thick, and the light that they see burns and blinds. Colors dull to grey, and their motivation for life shrivels into nothing. Without Love, we are nothing.

Our hearts strive for another. Love is essential to our very being, and without it, we are beasts of burden. With it, we sprout wings and fly, light and divine. Love is magic of the purest kind. It is the true magic that of which we can know. Love is living for another, putting oneself to one’s unconscious mind. When one knows love, one knows impossible is but a made up thing to scare the minds of mankind into submission. Those who love do not submit. Love can be the inspirer that sparks one’s ambition, sending ideas soaring through ones imagination. It makes the world beautiful, and it let’s elation take hold of one’s body. It is what all of us wish to attain.

Love is feeling safe. It’s feeling complete and whole, and it is the feeling that everything is as it should be. One is able to talk and be listened to, and opinions become of value. The heart answers another, and is laid naked before the one you love.

Equal parts in love are happiness and sorrow. But the good that one finds in Love gives the lovers the strength to endure the pain of sorrow. It’s not the pain of cuts or bruises. It is a pain that affects the heart, the mind, and the body. It can be a physical pain; an aching… a throbbing, or a weakness that seems to resonate from the core. One has to accept both parts equal in Love, and must be strong enough to bear it.

“The course of true love never did run smooth”-William Shakespeare. Those who can endure the course will discover a treasure greater than any amount of riches and jewels. To me, this is what Love is. This is what I live by, and this is what I know.

Tuesdays With Morrie: On Money

2011-01-02T19:14:00.002-08:00

“Fate succumbs many a species; one alone jeopardizes itself.”- W.H Auden

Every so often, I will find a book that changes my life. Sometimes it can take months, or even a year, but when it happens, I don‘t forget what I’ve read or what I’ve learned. “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom is one of these life-altering books.

Mitch Albom rediscovered his old Professor in the last months of his life. Knowing he was dying, Mitch visited Morrie in his home every Tuesday. Their rekindled relationship evolved into one final “class” where Morrie taught him lessons on how to live. Mitch chronicled their time together into the book ‘Tuesdays with Morrie”. I would like to share with you one of Morrie’s lessons.

I wrote an article in the past about the topic of the lesson that Morrie taught to Mitch. Here is an excerpt from it. “We are people controlled by our material possessions and enslaved by money. Over the centuries, man’s blood has turned green. It runs thick through our veins.” This is the lesson.

In Morrie’s words, “We put our values in the wrong things, and it leads us to live very disillusioned lives.” We have lost touch with what it means to be human, and we are so concerned with buying things to better our lives that we forget to actually live them. A better house, a better car, a better job, more money, more toys, more possessions. Better and more is good.

“We repeat it- and have it repeated to us- over and over until nobody bothers to even think otherwise. The average person is so fogged up by all this, he has no perspective on what’s really important anymore.” I think that we allow ourselves to be brainwashed into thinking this way because it’s the easiest way to gain satisfaction. It’s a false sense of security. It’s a superficial means of measuring how good of a life we’re living. If we have better things, and more of them, we are living a good life. Of course, this is ridiculous. I’d like to say that I was able to think of a solution, but Morrie appears to have beaten me to it more than ten years ago.

“Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to doing something that gives you purpose and meaning… Offering others what you have to give is true satisfaction.” What do you have to offer?

Top Ten: Facebook Annoyances

2011-01-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that Facebook is the uber-force of social networking, and that it is all-knowing and all-powerful. There’s a lot of benefits to Facebook, obviously, or else it wouldn’t be as popular as it is. However, there is a lot of stupid crap it’s users have to endure in order to enjoy the benefits. Here are my top ten annoyances.

No. 1: Farmville Updates
I get that people find mindless, repetitive tasks entertaining, but I don’t want to read about your “successes” in the damned thing. Every achievement you earn doesn’t have to be broadcasted for all your “friends” to see. This is the same for any of the other thousands upon thousands of applications available on Facebook. There’s an option that says ‘Skip’. Click it.

No.2: Being Tagged in Photos
Maybe this one is just me, but I find it incredibly annoying when I get tagged in photos– especially if I look terrible in them. However, it can be good to have easy access to photos of one’s self on another person’s profile. A solution to this annoyance? Ask for a verification from the person being tagged that they want it to happen.

No. 3: Way to Easy to Start Drama, Online and Off
Text doesn’t convey tone or emotion, so the slightest thing can be taken out of context or intended meaning. Something meant to be a joke can end up being offensive. Also, people tend to be braver online when they can hide behind text, saying what they’re really thinking, or just want to provoke others.
As a side note, if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, Facebook can wreak havoc in the relationship if you let it. It’s so easy to get jealous or suspicious because of Facebook. From the male’s perspective, you may ask yourself questions like “Why is she commenting so much on this guy’s profile?”or the infamous “Why is this guy complimenting her looks in one of her photos? It must mean he’s trying to have sex with her.” Way too easy to get carried away.

No. 4: People Who Post Their Day Play-by-Play
I don’t care when you woke up, what you had for breakfast, or what you plan on doing today. Don’t flatter yourself.

No. 5: Facebook Used As If It Were A Model Agency’s Talent Scout
I find it so narcissistic and ignorant when people post countless photos of themselves in “sexy” or “cool” poses like the duck-face, angled peace sign and stupid smile, or the duck-face-angled- peace sign. And that’s just the first three photos, which probably took about three hundred tries to get just right.
The male counterpart is just as guilty, too. Photos of themselves flexing, half naked, or angled shots with a slight smile and straightened bangs (or whatever else) to make themselves seem sexy and intriguing are borderline sickening to look at, not because of the image itself, but because of the thought behind it.

No. 6: The Constant Changes
Make up your mind.

No. 7: Feeling Like an Asshole When I Ignore Friend Requests
There are just some people I’d rather not accept. Sorry.

No. 8: People Who Use Facebook As A Diary
This one goes out to all the broken-hearted girls out there.

No. 9: People Who Have Extensive Conversations Through Wall-Posts
I admit, I’ve done it before, but I try not to. There’s a reason Facebook Chat exists, and nobody want’s to read “Hey whats up” “ntm u?” “Same” “Cool man. let’s get really drunk and high illegally and post pics of it on facebook for our family and potential bosses to see”.

No. 10: It’s Addictive
Despite these nine other Facebook annoyances, I still use it every day.

Top 10: Inspirational Songs

2011-01-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

Normally, I’d think up some wonderful introduction, but I don’t think this one needs it. They aren’t in order, and there many many more that deserve to be on this list. Sorry for the formatting.

No.1: Eminem- Not Afraid

This song should be the anthem for the down-trodden.

No.2: Oasis- Stop Crying Your Heart Out

There’s just something about the chorus that makes me want to run out into the world and help people.

No.3: Freelance Whales- First Floor Generator

When I did a bit of roofing, I had to get up at 6.00am (not normal for me) and go do hard labour all day (also not normal for me). It actually made me feel happy about getting up early to break my back.

No.4: The Chronicle’s of Narnia Soundtrack- Here Comes the King

This song makes me want to fight in an epic battle with centaurs, giants, magic, and anything else badass.

No.5: Jack Penate- Pull My Heart Away

If only summer could last all year long.

No. 6: Linkin Park- Hands Held High

I’m not even sure how this song inspires me. It’s just a complete overwhelming sensation of awesome.

No. 7: Secondhand Serenade- A Twist in My Story

The blend of acoustic guitar, piano, and whatever else with orchestral instruments makes me want to live forever so that I can experience life to its absolute fullest.

No.8: Snow Patrol- Set the Fire to the Third Bar

I hear this song and want to write the next biggest novel or series and achieve all the dreams I have created for myself. It’s incredibly motivational to me, and makes everything seem possible.

No.9: Iron and Wine- Trapeze Swinger

The sound and flow of this song is so soothing. I love drinking coffee and writing to it. It just feels so… full of life. It’s great to just sit and think while playing it. It’s long too, so you don’t have to worry about having your mental flow disrupted by silence.

No.10: Sufjan Stevens- Chicago

It’s hard to feel sad after listening to this upbeat, whimsical song.

The Nature of Religion

2011-01-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

"Religion Over-Throwing Heresy and Hatred'" Oil Painting Reproduction

In talking with a good friend of mine about various subjects, the topic of religion naturally came up. Much was said about almost all aspects of it, and we pretty much came to an agreement. He is religious and I’m not really at all-- in the traditional sense anyway-- but we discovered our ideas are similar. Essentially, religion is an idea created by man. The bible was fabricated by man, as were churches and the all-important crucifix. I recognize that it’s said that God instructed man in this, but remember that I don’t believe in a single instructive God.

Before I continue this, I’d like to establish my newfound definition of what God means to me: God is life. God is music, wind, love, hate, emotion, and God is living. He is not one single entity, but rather, the concept of recognizing our mortality, and living life the best way we can before we die. He is the will to live, to survive. Of course, it’s hard to just use words to explain what I mean.

This is not an article confessing my sudden devotion to Christianity or any other religion, but rather, observations on the concept from an outsider perspective. That being said, I believe that the concept of God and worship was one created by man as a social convention, a tool, to create social order. Furthermore, it gave, and continues to give, purpose and vital answers some people need to live their life. There are many more benefits of religion that I won’t deny, like sense of belonging and family.

Protestants, or at least the original ones of the 16th century, believed that one did not need fancy churches or materialistic things to appease God and prove one’s devotion. I also believe this. If God is real, do you think he cares about who has the nicest or biggest church, or the most members for that matter? They believed that the only thing one needed to worship God was His Word, the Bible and an open heart and mind. Their churches tended to be shabby structures with little to them. Admirable enough, I suppose, but why would one even need a church?

Why would we confine God to a building or a single material thing? God has been imprisoned in churches, and in the Bible. Another observation; people go to church to prove to society they are “good” people, and that they follow God. I firmly believe that not all people actually care about going to church to worship, but rather to maintain social status. This is cynical, I know, but it’s realistic. If people don’t go to church, especially in a religious community, the church-goers will have doubts about said people.
I have too many thoughts to properly direct all my thoughts into one cohesive argument, but I think this is because it is not an essay. It’s not so much a rant either, but rather a documentation of some observations and thoughts on religion.

To summarize, I believe that God isn’t a single being, but is the act of living. To worship God is to realize that we only have one life, and to live it to its damned fullest. How can we do this? We can read books and expand our mind. We can love someone with everything that we are, and we can experience nature. Stand up for what you believe in, and for God’s sake, no pun intended, don’t be a simple-minded ignorant fool of a drone who blatantly ignores life’s finest pleasures like the things I have listed.

I encourage you to start a discussion about this. Why would you not? We have the ability to communicate on an intellectual level. Don’t abuse that privilege.

The E-Reader Conversion

2011-01-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

Jeff Bertolucci of PC World asked his readers whether or not 2010 will be the year of the e-reader. I sincerely hope not. An e-reader is a portable electronic device that displays digital versions of books on a screen. There are a few models on the market, like the Nook, the Kindle, or the Sony Reader, and their popularity is steadily growing. The benefits of these devices are obvious: they save space (with an SD card, the Nook can hold an impressive “library” of 17,000 books), paper-usage is drastically reduced, and there is a lot of free content to be downloaded. While these benefits are all well and good, we have to think about what this really means. The e-reader is attempting to replace physical books.

Let’s skip ahead to the year 2035. Printed and bound books are a thing of the past, and their sale and production has come to a complete halt. Now, books are only read digitally, and the physical books are just kept as mementos of what used to be. Any new book is produced electronically and published exclusively on the internet to be downloaded onto any one of the hundreds of types of e-readers. Libraries are obsolete and have faded from existence. This also means newspapers have met the same fate.

That’s a rather sickening future. There is something wrong and perverse about reading literature electronically, and the thought of never going to a bookstore again is unimaginable. There’s an immense amount of satisfaction in buying a new book. The pages are so crisp and clean, and they have a wonderful scent that I have associated with knowledge and discovery. It’s real and honest, no batteries or charging needed. Surging electricity into the battery of an e-reader siphons any intimacy that could have been there away. This is not the case with a book. Reading a book is like a relationship in the sense that one can only get out of it what one can invest. How can a relationship exist when the significant other is not even really there? The connection that would have existed with a physical book is lost in the digital version.

Writing is a product of the mind and imagination, and to read it only digitally is a slap in the face to its author. The work becomes artificial, only partially real. Luckily, I don’t truly thinks books will every fully be replaced. The conversion will be attempted, as it already is today, but because of people who are passionate about books, it will not succeed. These people, like me, understand what would be lost. We can’t let that happen. It’s important to instill the value of books into the minds of the young. The passion has to stay alive, or else the future I have detailed may not be that inaccurate.

The Cause of Obesity?

2011-01-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Childhood and adult obesity is a very broad topic open to many factors and variables that contribute to it’s creation and progression, but something interesting happened the other day that offers at least one logical cause.

I was grocery shopping with my mother, and we were in the cereal section. It is pathetic, by the way. Although, I was pleased to purchase a rather large box of Vector. I love that stuff. Anyhow, my mom picked out a box of from the vast assortment of sugar being passed off to us consumers as crappy cereal.
I told her not to buy it, and to get something of nutritional value. She said no, because my siblings like the cereal she had. And therein lies the problem. I said “That’s exactly why childhood obesity is steadily increasing.”

Want to know something else I noticed? It’s rather horrifying. The prices of the cereal with any nutritional value were much higher than the cheaper, sugar crap parents spoon feed their fat little gluttons.
Damn. We’re rather screwed, aren’t we? Not only is the ease of laziness working against us, but so is the ease of buying horrible food that tastes good only because its sugar and spice and everything nice. Where is the fiber? Where is the protein? Where is anything that isn’t sugar? I think in the homes of those who can afford it.

The Blood Runs Green

2011-01-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

Stop for a moment and look around you. You may be seated at a kitchen table sipping on a hot cup of coffee, or curled up on the couch with the T.V on, or some music playing. I bet you have some pretty nice things, though. You probably worked hard for them, which is great, but I bet there are still a lot of things you need to buy. Now imagine this.

You live in one room hut with nothing but dirt-caked sackcloth to call a bed, and a couple of dirty pots to cook with. You live in your own filth and feces, and as you sleep, bugs crawl over you. Your family is lying beside you shivering in the chilly night air, and you may or may not have a pig or a goat peeing beside your face. You’ve never heard of an iPod or a cell-phone, and you certainly don’t have a computer. You have a place to sleep, and stale food and murky water to keep you alive. I bet the way you’re living is looking pretty good right now. I know mine is. We have a problem in our world, and I am a part of it. You are too, whether you like it or not.

The problem I see is that we have become consumed by greed and money. We are materialistic hoarders. Our stuff is our stuff, and no one else’s. We want money to buy more stuff, but when we do, something better will come out, more advanced or shinier, and then we will buy that. Forget working to survive. We are past that now. It doesn’t matter to us anymore. Now life is about how much we own, or having the latest and greatest. If we don’t have the latest fashion, we might as well never show our face in public again. If we can’t afford an iPod or an mp3 player, well we don’t deserve to listen to music, then, do we? If I don’t own a pair of Nike or Adidas shoes, maybe I don’t deserve shoes at all. If we want happiness, we better have money. Right, society? Otherwise, we will die alone and miserable. The homeless don’t deserve our attention. They are vermin. They don’t even have cell-phones. How are their friends supposed to get a hold of them? We have even materialized body image, but it’s alright. We all know that stick-thin anorexic models wearing ultra-practical “fashionable” clothing is the best thing for the ladies of our society to admire, anyways.

Do you see my point? Maybe I have done a poor job of getting the picture across, but hopefully you get it. We are people controlled by our material possessions and enslaved by money. Over the centuries, man’s blood has turned green. It runs thick through our veins. I don’t want to preach to you anymore, though, and I don’t have some revolutionary solution that will change everything. I don’t think the world is ready for a solution. Not yet, anyways. However, I am acknowledging this problem, and this is the first step. It’s there, blaring crappy pop music in our ears (that one’s for you, Justin Beiber) or making us shallow one episode of Jersey Shore or Jerry Springer at a time. The problem is in every forest that has been destroyed for our “benefit”, and it’s being massed produced on an assembly line and shipped away to WalMart.

I have hope, though, and a general optimism about our race. I believe that with enough people, we can change the world. I have set out to do so. Why do you think I want to write so badly? I’ve been told I can’t, and I should give up, but that won’t stop me. I’m making it happen.

Reality Realized

2011-01-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

An interesting thought came to me a while back concerning the human body. Not as part of us, but something we use to express our true selves. Some call it the soul, others our essence. It is all essentially the same thing. We are born, and we grow up. Our bodies gather strength and grow in size. We change shape, and discover new abilities. We learn about the beauty of the world and life, and then we experience death. The reality of life is realized.

Our souls, who WE all truly are, are trapped inside our bodies. Time passes us by, and our bodies slowly decay. Our will to live thrives and flourishes, but our body slowly dies. We are betrayed. As our body shuts down, we do too. It is a scary thing. What if our souls outlive the vessel they are contained in? The boundaries would be shattered.

Really, though, consider this. We all have only one body to live life with. Why would you not want to make it the best damn body you can? We can’t do anything about death, but we can do something about life.

My Thoughts On Trees

2011-01-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Have you ever took a moment to think about trees? It sounds absurd, but I’m serious. They are home to many different species of animals and insects, and they account for a large amount of the oxygen production we rely on. They give us a raw material to work with, whether it be building, cooking, burning for heat, or sap. Without trees, it’s possible we would not survive.

But that’s all beside the point. Trees remind me of fantastical beings that are rooted to the earth. Maybe it’s because I love Lord Of The Rings, or maybe it’s because they just seem to have so much life in them. They sway and dance in the wind, and if you listen carefully, you can sometimes hear their low and solemn groans. The knots in their trunks look like watchful eyes, observing the world as they stay in place. They grow in twisted directions, and are like giants among us. On several occasions, I have discovered trees that look like fingers protruding from the earth.

What if trees were alive? That would be a horrible thing to think about. How many trees have been burned alive, hacked down with axes, sliced through with chainsaws, shredded, or bulldozed? Imagine the pain and suffering of watching your family or friends die beside you, knowing your turn is next.
It’s hard to walk through a forest and not see the incredible life in trees. How do you feel about this?

Christmas Scrooge

2011-01-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

(Originally written before Christmas)

I’m happy to say that the Christmas season is soon upon us. I love Christmas more than any other holiday and it’s pretty much the only thing that makes winter bearable for me. As usual, though, some people aren’t satisfied anymore and feel the need to try to crush the Christmas spirit. We have a collective Ebenezer Scrooge looking to “Bah Humbug” Christmas on us. We can’t let that happen.

Apparently it’s not “politically correct” to say “Merry Christmas” anymore. I’ve been told it’s reached the schools now. This angers me, and it should anger you, too. The issue is that this collective Ebenezer Scrooge is offended when someone says “Merry Christmas” because it’s not part of their religion/beliefs. So now, the “politically correct” term is “Happy Holidays”. To make matters more ridiculous, a Christmas tree is now a “Holiday Tree”. Now that just sounds stupid.

As a side note, I am beginning to think that selfishness and greed is the true norm, and that selflessness and generosity is actually the abnormal. I do think, though, that a lot of people are generous and help others because they think they will get something out of it in the end. The people who are insulted and want us to accommodate them are expressing this self-interest by complaining.

Dyske Suematsu said that “part of the beauty of Christmas spirit is to be open to anyone of any backgrounds. The idea behind saying “Merry Christmas” is to spread the joy. It is not an expression of solidarity among Christians. It is meant for everyone. Why should it offend or annoy anyone?” Dyske has a point, Ebenezer.

According to Statistics Canada, 71.1 percent of Canadians are Christian. Christmas is a Christian holiday. That means Christmas is celebrated by almost three quarters of Canada. This is what doesn’t make sense to me, though: Why should this larger percentage have to accommodate?

It’s ridiculous to try to change our own lives and traditions to appease the minorities that are insulted. To those who are offended by Christmas, just quit being so difficult and let the larger majority of the country, or the world for that matter, celebrate what they want to, how they want to. Merry Christmas, everyone. Even you, Scrooge.

An Unexpected Conversation

2011-01-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

I met somebody very interesting the other day. I was at Walmart’s book section, and there was an old lady, probably almost eighty, looking at the books. She had a list in her hand and she mumbled titles and authors to herself as she pointed at different books. I thought it was sort of strange but I just did my own thing. A few minutes later, however, she looked like she was having a hard time finding a certain book. I asked her if she needed any help, and she told me no, and that she was just trying to see what books she already has because she buys the same book a lot.

We started talking, and it turns out she has thousands of books. She’s apparently read almost all of them, and this astounded me. I suppose being as old as she was, she’d definitely have the means to do it. So, naturally, we started talking about all kinds of different books and authors alike. This conversation lasted at least a half an hour. It was such an intriguing experience for me–a young guy just starting his life having a conversation about literature with a person nearing the end of theirs, yet, we connected on equal ground.

When we parted, I told her it was very nice to meet her, and that I enjoyed talking to her. She told me that it was nice to finally find somebody who was as interested in reading as she was. I never caught her name. I wish I would have.

A World Reborn

2011-01-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

The history of man is a bloody one. It's filled with, but not limited to, the rape of women and children, the torturing of innocents, murder, disease, and genocide. Knowing the horrors of these things, how does the nuclear bomb compare? Fat Man and Little Boy were the first nuclear bombs to be created. It is said that their creation marked the end of all history. Nuclear warfare has the potential to exterminate the existence of mankind, along with it any other forms of life.

Imagine for a moment that nuclear bombs detonate all over the world, reducing the earth to a wasteland of ash and radiation. Life is gone. The ashen clouds smother the sun's light and warmth, and the planet turns cold. What happens next? Does evolution take hold once more, and after millions of years a new sentient species arises? Maybe it's not human, but what would it be? No animal would be the same, no plant or tree. What would this regenerated earth look like?

If God is real, what would He do? Would he save us, or would he forsake us and start over?

Just imagine what the world would look like if it started over. Everything would have to be rediscovered, re-learned, re-invented.

Legend tells of the phoenix dying and turning to ash. Out of the ashes, a new life is born.

A Great Story to Tell Your Kids. Just Kidding. You Probably Shouldn't.

2011-01-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

Scary movies aren’t scary. Sorry. I know some people are scared by them, but that’s because they haven’t realized that there’s something much more scary out there: reality.

I have a question for you. Have you ever thought about how many times you have avoided death without even realizing it? No? Now you will. I’ll explain the former part. I am assuming the latter is self-explanatory (Power of suggestion and whatnot).

Say your driving on the highway and another vehicle, a male driver, is coming towards you in the opposite lane. You think nothing of it and soon the man passes by you at 100 km/h. Life goes on from there. But what would you have done if you had just avoided a head on collision without even knowing? This example can be changed to suit almost any situation.

I’ll explain further in hypotheticals. This man who is driving is drinking a cup of coffee from Tim Horton’s. As he’s driving, he almost drops it. If he would have dropped it, the top would have popped off and the coffee would have spilled onto him, burning his skin. His body would have jerked whatever way it could to get away from the source of the pain, as you do when you touch something hot. It’s a natural defense mechanism our bodies have. He would have swerved into your lane at the last moment, too late for you to escape. Your vehicles would collide head on, and you both would die.

But luckily for you, he steadies the cup before it falls, zooming past you and going on his merry way. All that I’m saying is that we really don’t know how many times we’ve avoided death. It’s an interesting thought, although a morbid one.

Introductions

2011-01-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

My name is Matt Gannon, and I'm a 19 year old writer from a small country village in Ontario (cliched, I know.) I'm a freelancer for my local newspaper, and I write romance fiction (not Harlequin-esque, but more akin to Sparks).

This blog is about my views on society and life, love, death, and anything else I may think of. As of now, it doesn't cater to a certain niche and is rather sporadic, but this is not necessarily a negative thing. I am looking to expand soon enough.

Take a look around. Feedback and criticism is always encouraged.

Sincerely,
Matt Gannon

2012: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

2011-01-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

2012: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

There have been many theories and predictions about the world and its people suffering some sort of cataclysmic or apocalyptic event. Isaac Newton predicted that the world will end in 2060 based on a quote from the bible, and there are numerous theories about asteroids or black-hole alignments destroying the earth. Y2K is the most recent one come to pass, and now there is the end of the Mayan calendar, December 21^st, 2012.

This theory suggests that the world’s doom will be brought upon by a geomagnetic reversal triggered by a massive solar flare with unimaginable force. The impending doom of our home has been a major cash-in for the media. Many documentaries and movies have been adapted from this theory, the most recent being “2012” starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet. I don’t even know how many books have been made on this topic. This attention has increased the hype, and in turn, the media has created a world where people live in fear of the future. Even those who do not believe have ‘what if’ in the back of their mind.

Regardless of whether or not a massive solar flare does trigger a geomagnetic reversal, the Mayan prediction becomes, in a sense, a self-fulfilling prophecy. The world may not end, but if you can imagine for a moment what people would do on what they thought was the last night of the Earth’s existence, you might understand the meaning of what I am saying. I am not worried about any solar flares or reversals of any kind; I am worried about what the world will look like December 22^nd, 2012.

There will be rioting, and there will be murder. The world, granted, not all of it, will be sent into a violent and catastrophic upheaval. The believers in the Mayan’s prophecy honestly think that the world will be over on December 21^st of 2012. Their inhibitions will fade away with the realization they have one more night to live, and they will do whatever they want. Even people who don’t actually believe the theory will use it as an excuse to do as they please; murder, rape, disastrous riots, mass theft, severe hate crimes, and extreme vandalization. The sleeping people of this Earth will wake up to a changed world. Larger cities will be subject to this, where there is a high population density and a very diverse population, more so than a rural area where there is lesser opportunity for such a cataclysmic event. Eventually, however, the people who thought they were acting with impunity will have to answer for their actions.

The only way we can be sure of what will happen on “Doomsday” of 2012 is to wait for that day to come. I just hope the world is ready.