Like most people I sometimes get annoyed at small things. By small things I mean not important things like racism or global poverty but a phrase people keep using or tangled up wires. I have decided to start added some of these here in the hope that they help me vent.
No 1. Comments on YouTube videos.
Apart from Facebook, YouTube is easily my most visited website. It brings so many wonderful things into my life, one of these being the ability to listen to songs off albums in full before I purchase it or revisit old music videos that I used to like. However on my recent visits here, I’ve become increasingly annoyed at the comments left by people below the video. Why do I read these when I know that they will annoy me? I do not know. But regardless I do. Here are two in particular that annoy me:
a) Comments beneath music videos
It doesn’t matter who the band are or what type of music it is, irritating teenagers feel compelled to leave absolute comments about a relative matter. Now that’s fair enough, but these always lead to an inevitable argument. For example if I looked up one of the latest music video’s by Fallout Boy I would first come across nonsensical rubbish such as “OMG Pete is soooooo hotttt in this vid 
“ or “I love this band, they always make me smile on the bus to skool LOLs” which is irritating enough, but soon enough I would come across someone who would either say that they think Fallout Boy are the most amazing band ever or that they are crap. This always leads to an argument that slowly becomes more and more depressing as they either go back and forth with their relative opinions or they start to recycle the same old music arguments “their first album was amazing but then they sold out and went rubbish” or ” they sounds just like every other band in that genre”.
For goodness sake people. Just leave it be. Some people obviously like this music and some don’t. It doesn’t make some better or some worse its just the way it is. And does it really matter if a band has become mainstream? No. No it doesn’t.
The problem is these arguments can never be resolved so just endlessly continue like a fly trying to get out of a closed window. All the while I keep reading. Like an idiot.
Let me just give a quick example of a few comments that annoyed me on the latest single by the Lost Prophets:
“They’re coming here soon. (:” - Are they? Thanks for that. Where is here and why did you feel the need to share that with the virtual world?
“yess, this a band that can create music, love it lostprophets one of the best bands 
“ - Now, think about what you just said. ‘This is a band that can create music’. Surely all bands can create music, that is why they exist. Even I could create music right now by tapping my fingers on the table. Your statement essentially means nothing and to top it off you put an annoying happy face emoticon at the end of the sentence. Thanks for that, I would of had no idea what sentiment your sentence was carrying otherwise.
“they change their scene with every album” - For goodness sake.
and finally:
“MEGA TUNE YOUTH”
There was also a long conversation involving a lot of Green Day dissing as someone said that it sounded like Green Day and then the usual which band is better nonsense followed. I couldn’t be bothered to give outright examples of this as it was too long and depressing.
b) Comments on any video with any form of Christian material
When a video containing any form of Christian content is submitted it isn’t long before a well meaning saint will feel compelled to write something a bit super spiritual or cheesy to express their feelings on tha matter. Cue a moronic atheist with too much time on his hands who will throw in some comment designed to upset/antagonise. The Christian will respond and before you know it about 20 people have been dragged into a drawn out and frankly pointless discussion about evolution/the reliability of the Bible/ all wars being about religion etc. At some point one of the Christians will try to be diplomatic and/or convert the atheist and the atheist will resort to crude but quite funny insults. And throughout all of this I keep reading like an idiot. Why, why do I do this?
The thing that annoys me the most about those discussions is that it clearly helps neither camp. It probably only just makes each group more anti the other one. I have yet to meet anyone in church who was once a committed athiest until they had a heated argument with a Christian on Youtube and were convited by their words or vice-versa. In reality the arguments are often stupid and lack the face to face relationship which discussions of this nature surely require.
But alas this irritation must surely be part of the internet. You can’t get all the good things that come with the internet and maintain freedom of speech without having all the nonsense. So all in all its a necessary evil.
Filed under: Gripes | Leave a Comment
Tags: Annoying, YouTube
Little Women
One of the most recent books I have read is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. When I informed any female of this I instantly received a very surprised respect and then would be told how it was one of their favourite novels. Why is this and why has the book had such wide appeal through so many years?
Well my theory is that it combines good characters with an almost idealised family existence. The reason that it appeals for me is two-fold. First the book comprises of good characters who you slowly see grow and mature. This is always good as you feel like you get to know them really well and in a way ‘grow with them’ (yes, I’m aware how gay that sentence just made me sound). Second, its all very warm and cuddly. No matter what happens the family all love and value each other. It doesn’t matter who messes up or which of the girls makes a dick of themselves inevitably they’ll all forgive each other, reaffirm their love for one another and learn an important life lesson. My theory is that deep down we all long for that. To be universally loved and valued despite all our crap and mistakes. Perhaps the story has been so successful cos the reader would like to live in that sort of a world? Maybe.
The thing is, Little Women and the following Good Wives (which I also read) shows the values and differences of a very different time to our own. I couldn’t help but feel that had the book been set today and written by a modern author; Meg would sleep around and get pregnant whilst at school, Jo would be a lesbian with a chip on her shoulder, Beth would be a self harmer who listens to ‘The Cure’ whilst writing depressing poetry and Amy would be up herself and all about the latest thing. Perhaps this shows my cynicism, but personally I found it nice that the characters weren’t like this and seemed very innocent and naïve.
But all of this probably reflects more realistically how things were at the time of Alcott’s writing. The book definitely does contain a lot of Christian moral messages, particularly ones regarding sanctification and how the girls learn from their mistakes and grow. So overall a very ‘ahhh isn’t that nice’ kind of book full of illustrations ideal for sermons and such. Already I’ve used illustrations from it twice when teaching. This gave me an impressed nod from women and a pitying nod of the head from the men. Perhaps the lesson here is tell the ladies and reap the benefit but don’t tell then men: they will think you don’t have a penis.
Filed under: Literature, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
After recently finishing the Harry Potter series of books a friend of mine suggested that I read the Twilight books next. At first I didn’t want to, but then thought I’d give it a go. First, it was on my list and second I thought it might help me as all the kids in my youth group are really into the books. I would be ‘down with the kids’. So far I have read both Twilight and New Moon and fully intend to read Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I found the books very readable and thought the story was really engaging, but was put off with the romantic sections. However I now have a theory on why so many girls are obsessed with the main male character: the vampire Edward, and why so many are consequently obsessed with Robert Pattison, the actor who plays him.
My theory is: The character of Edward has such mass appeal to teenage girls because he is the personification of the ideal man as subconsciously envisioned by most young women.
Let me expand a little:
Edward is:
Incredibly handsome yet modest about it
Mysterious and intriguing yet not aloof
Gentlemanly and respectful but not rigid and out dated
Intelligent and funny yet not arrogant about it
Is really good at everything he does, yet doesn’t make a big deal out of it
Has a really interesting and rich family including a sister who is Bella’s best friend
Is massively obsessed with Bella (but not apparently in a creepy way, although I do find the bit where he watches her sleep before they go out weird)
Keeps reiterating how beautiful he thinks Bella is, particularly compared to all other women, despite the fact that she feels plain and average
Is a good listener and always wants to know more about Bella and what she’s thinking
Wants to commit to Bella forever
Always wants to protect Bella and keep her safe and would ultimately die for her and his family
Is immortal so will stay this way forever
So there we go. Its ridiculous. Its literally the literary example of a teenage girls ideal man. What teenage girl doesn’t think she’s just average or plain and yet longs for a guy to tell her she’s amazing and the most beautiful person ever? And thats the thing, I reckon loads of girls reading it thinking ” I could be Bella” and imagine themselves in her situation.
To further illustrate my point, it would be like a man writing a book where the main female character is:
Incredibly good looking with large breasts
From a really rich family
Never complains, moans or gets irritable
Always finds the male characters jokes hysterically funny, causing her to urgently want to have sex with him
Reasonably clever, but not as clever as the man, and ditzy
Dependant on the man in a way that makes him feel important but that isn’t needy or clingy
Loves to watch sports and drink beer, but not in a butch way
Finds everything the guy does is amazing and always tells other people about that etc etc
My list could go on, but I think I displayed my point. Which leads us to the question as to why are so many teenage girls obsessed or ‘robsessed’ with Robert Pattison? Well simply because a) he’s good looking b) he plays Edward which means all these girls somehow believe in real life his is exactly the same as his character.
So without trying to sound like an idiot or incur the wraith of countless feminists, I believe that a big part of the success of the Twilight books, particularly amongst teenage girls, is that the character of Edward embodies many of the characteristics of the ideal man and that the female character represents the fears and anxieties of many of these young women and is easily to identify with.
Filed under: Literature | Leave a Comment
Tags: Bella, Edward Cullen, New Moon, Robert Pattisson, Twilight, Vampire
A few months ago I read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and summarised that I felt let down by the book due to the overall plot and ending. For any who havent read the book before, the main character goes to the Congo and gets work on a Steamboat which is heading deep into the jungle to a man named Kurtz. Throughout the first half of the novel Conrad builds the tension really well as the protaganist heads towards his target and keeps hearing about the almost godlike status of Kurtz. Soon he becomes obsessed with the idea of this man and meeting him. Yet when the man finally appears he is a massive let down and ends up dying on journey home.
I got really into the narrative whilst the Steamboat was heading towards Kurtz but felt really let down by the meeting and return home. It felt like the second half of the story couldn’t deliver from the build up of the first half. However now I have a theory that this is Conrad’s intention and that it displays a very poignant message.
Perhaps Conrad was trying to show the essential emptiness of human fame and reputation. The first half of the book has you believing that Kurtz could well be amazing and makes you intrigued by him. The second half demolishes this by showing the true Kurtz; a man although brilliant, deeply flawed and who eventually amounts to nothing. The main character even ends with meeting Kurtz’s former fiancee and lying about his last words to her, making them up so that Kurtz looks better.
If that is the case, then fair game to Conrad. A great way of displaying the truth that no matter how much we big people up, no matter how big their reputation or notority, they always remain a fragile human being with flaws and inner brokenness. Sometimes the idea portrayed of someone is a lot more romantic than the truth we encounter.
Filed under: Literature | Leave a Comment
Tags: Fame, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, Kurtz, Reputation
Sometimes I come across an internet video that is so awful it borders on genius. It has the rare ability to become better and better the more you watch it and each time you notice something you missed last time. Here are two such videos:
Just superb. Each time I have a favourite. At the moment its the guy who’s looking for ‘the goddess’. Good luck to him.
Now this is amazing. There’s so many things that contribute towards its wonderfulness, like the ingrediants of a delicious cake. The way its genuine, the backing singers, the lyrics, the bass solo etc. Just brilliant. Brilliant.
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An Update
So I’ve just realised that its been about six months since I last posted on here. Whoops. In the meantime, lots of things have happended but I thought I’d better get back on track with my book reading list. So in the last six months I have:
Finally completed the list. Its now alot bigger than the first I one put on here.
Read Lord of the Flies
Read Catcher in the Rye
Read the majority of Catch 22 ( I need to finish it)
Read the Harry Potter books, except the first one, which I saw the film off instead (although I do intend to read it)
Read the first two books in the Twilight series
Next up, on the too read soon list is:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Eclipse
Catch 22 (Finish)
Little Women
Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments
What I’ve Been Doing
What I have been listening to…
Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
Incubus - Light Grenades
Handsome Furs - Plague Park
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s - It’s Blitz
What I have been reading…
William Golding - Lord of the Flies
Cathleen Falsani - The God Factor
Charlie Brooker - Dawn of the Dumb
Cornelius Plantinga Jr - Not the Way its Supposed to be: A Breviary of Sin
What I have been watching…
The Apprentice
Big Brother
Family Guy Season 4
Alias Season 1
Filed under: General | 4 Comments
Heart of Darkness
About two weeks ago I finished ‘Heart of Darkness’ by Joseph Conrad having read it quickly by my standards in the unusually sunny weather. Although I’m glad I’ve read it, I don’t really see what all the fuss is about. I mean it was alright, but not as amazing as many intellectual fellows would have me believe. Here are my positives and negatives regarding the book:
One thing I thought Conrad did well, was his use of language in describing the scenes throughout the book. He used alot of interesting and uncoventional metaphors. However I did find this to be a negative at times, as he could spend half a page describing something and lose me in the prcoess.
Another positive was the way that Conrad built the story up as Marlow headed for Kurtz’s station. I really got into the story because of the way Conrad built the tension. I also felt like you could see Marlow slowly descending into some sort of odd madness or obsession with Kurtz or the idea of the man. This meant I was really anticipating the moment they finally met. Sadly I found this to be a bit of a let down. But perhaps that is he point. The ending seemed to me a bit flat and an anti-climax to the tension that was built in the majority of the story.
However there is part of me that thinks Conrad did this to make a point about about false hope or reputation or something. I need a bespectaled literary expert to guide me on that one.
One strong positive for me, was that when I wasn’t getting lost in what Conrad was trying to say, I did feel emmersed in the story. Conrad’s writing really painted a vivd mental picture for me to the extent that I felt like I was travelling down the river with Marlow at certain points. Which sounds a bit stupid, but I know what I mean. His depiction of the natives that Marlow encounters also helped me to see how they were viewed at the time of writing which I found very interesting.
So overall, I found the book to be mainly good, but I felt a bit let down by the ending and often found myself getting lost in Conrad’s over descriptive sections (which is probably due to my mind not being able to handlke that sort of stuff). I probably need to reflect on it more to really get it, so I’ll do that. Perhaps by watching Apocalypse Now, wcih I only found out the other day is based on the book. Mental.
Filed under: Literature | Leave a Comment
Tags: books, Congo, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, Literature
To Kill A Mockingbird
I’m feeling pretty good this morning, cos I have finished the first book in my classic literature personal challenge thing. The first book I have read was Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and I flipping loved it. Here is my short review:
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ for a number of reasons. The first and most obvious one is that it was well written and engaging. I really enjoye Lee’s writing style and the way she paced the narrative. I particulary liked the way she would build a section of the story and grow the tension. It made the whole book really engaging and made me look forward to reading more and find out what happens.
Reason number two, is that it was set in Deep South Alabama. Any book that has this instantly has my vote. I gained great pleasure from reciting characters in a southern accent (or my attempt of one).
Reason number three: the characters. I loved all of the characters in the book and found that thye obviously made the story more likeable. My favourite was Atticus Finch. He was a bit of a legend.
Reason number four was the sense of humour and playfulness across the book, even though the story deals with issues such as rape, racism and prejudice.
The main part of the story which stood out to me was when Atticus advises his children to not judge someone before they had ‘spent a day in their shoes’ or seen things from that persons perspective. I really liked the insightful nature of this point and found it to be a really helpful illustration for when Jesus spoke about not judging people, loving others and treating people with grace. You need to put yourself in someones else situation and mindset before you start self righteously condemning their actions. How do you know that you wouldn’t of acted the same or even worse?
So in summary I thoroughly enjoyed ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. I found the book engaging and easy to read and Lee seems to have struck the ideal balance of story telling, poignancy and humour. This meant that the story was very readble and that the statements it had to make on issues such as judging or racism came across well, without being too heavy.
So 1 down loads more to go. The next book I’m gonna read is Joseph’s Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ which I’ve been told is a bit depressing. Whoopie. Can’t wait for that.
Filed under: General | Leave a Comment
Tags: Alabama, Atticus Finch, books, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Today, I have decided to actually do something I’ve intended to for a long time. For anyone who had read some classic English Literature, there are some books which are considered ‘must reads’. For ages I’ve had the intention to read more of these books and now I’m gonna try and do it. With all of these books, I may know the story, or of read small bits, but its about time that I read the books as a whole.
I’m well aware that I will almost defintely not complete this and in all honesty I probably won’t start till I’ve finised reading Yes Man by Danny Wallace. But hopefully in an effort to make myself do it, I intend to write a short review of each one on here.
My list so far is:
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
Grapes of Wraith – John Steinbeck
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
Moby Dick – Herman Melville
Ulysses – James Joyce
The Time Travellers Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyesky
I also want to re read:
Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – C.S.Lewis
I also feel compelled to add at least one book by Charles Dickens (I think I might go for A Tale of Two Cities) and Jane Austin. Now I’m well aware that Austin makes me sound like a gaylord, but I think it has to be done.
I’m also gonna check out:
Winnie the Pooh – A.A.Milne
Just because it will be funny.
I’m also aware that I have omitted some proper classics, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I want to have a list that looks achieveble.
Filed under: General | 8 Comments
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