Dear World - X Factor And Christmas Number One

Dear World.

"So this is Christmas, and what have you done?", as John Lennon famously sang in his Christmas song.

And, he is right. What have we done?

Granted, the reason why I chose this quote is for a totally different reason for his choice of words in that song.

Yes, I'm on about Christmas number one. Well, not just that, I'm kind of on about how the X Factor's dominating the top spot at Christmas.

If you haven't guessed yet, I don't like the X Factor. Scratch that, I rather dislike any form of reality show.

Why do I dislike it so? Well, it's obvious, really. Is it? Yes, why yes it is.

The main reason is the same thing that made a few people rather grumpy when I wrote about the new protest against this year's X Factor winner.

Since it started, the winner of the X Factor has always won the Christmas number one slot. Actually, all but one, thanks to Rage Against The Machine winning last year and raising money for Shelter at the same time.

But, though I totally agreed with the whole protest last year, maybe it should give up now. And I don't mean just mean the X Factor.

Look at it this way. For a while now, the winner of the X Factor has won the Christmas number one. This, last year, made someone rather annoyed and began a campaign against it and won. This year's no different, with an X Factor winner against a handful of songs in pursuit to dethrone another X Factor winner.

And what will happen next year? The same. Why? Well, to me, last year's campaign gave birth to a cycle.

Once the X Factor begins, someone plans on what could go up against the winner of that year. During the live stages of the show, the plans for the campaigners become more realistic. When the winner of the X Factor is known, the campaigners attempts to raise the awareness of the campaign. The winner of the top spot is named, then people talk about it for the weeks after. After a few months, the whole thing repeats itself.

Thing is, it's not just this cycle that I've grown to avoid at all costs. It's the fact that the winner's song is always a cover.

In the past, the song that earned the top spot on Christmas has always been by someone who actually wrote the song (well, the majority anyway). The X Factor winner only has to perform a song written by a band before them. Why? Maybe you can answer that.

I mean, isn't it a bit, y'know, a bit like cheating of sorts? All that Matt guy had to do is to ruin a Biffy Clyro song. A week later, he wins Christmas number one. Which part seems fair to you?

Oh, and to reply to anybody thinking 'he won the X Factor, he worked for months to win it'. How? The X Factor has turned from a singing contest to a competition of popularity, like a musical version of Big Brother. Why couldn't Matt, or everyone who won the competition, just write the winner's song? If they did, then I'd have so much more respect for them than I do now.

Which makes me question another thing about the X Factor. Why is it not shown during the summer? Why must it be shown during the autumn and winter months? Sales. It just gives money to the pocket of Cowell. Not only does he have everyone coming to him for auditions, at the end of it he has a list of ten or so acts that he can sign up. Most of the money from sales of the X Factor winner's single goes to Cowell. So who has really won this year's X Factor? Simon Cowell, like every other year.

I believe that's enough ranting for one day, World. I shall leave it here and ponder the answers to difficult questions, such as if penguins and dogs had arms and hands, who would win? Who knows…

I thank ye, world.

Dear World - Christmas

Dear World,

According to the advert, the "holidays are coming".

Though this rather famous advert by Coca Cola may signal the beginnings of the holiday season for many, to me that is not the case.

To me, it was the moment I heard those four sweet words…

"Everyone loves a DVD".

Granted, DVD is actually three words, so technically there's seven words. Oh, how I love technicalities.

Regardless, it seems like this is the time of the year when every comic brings a DVD out for sale. I mean, I've never seen an advert for a Jethro DVD during Easter or summer, only Christmas time.

I've seen quite a few DVDs from comedians recently. DVD adverts such as ones by Dara O'Briain, Sean Locke, Bill Bailey and Michael McIntyre have graced the screen of my television, and the more I view them, the more I believe that they are the true symbol that Christmas is coming, and not an advert of people watching some red vans rolling into town.

Actually, come to think of it, those adverts for the comedians' DVDs aren't the things that symbolise that Christmas is here. It's adverts in general, isn't it?

These adverts show one thing to me: being shown that Christmas has lost its meaning, like many other seasonal times of year. As it is Christmas this month, I shall use Christmas as my example.

First off, Christmas cards. Don't get me wrong, I understand the meaning behind them, and that is to wish people a merry Christmas. But, is it a bit odd when people buy each other Christmas cards when they live in the same house?

I thought they specialise in greeting others into the festive season to people you don't see that often (or your neighbours and all them lot). It seems rather odd when someone gets a Christmas card from a close relative.

And by close relative, I mean someone who lives in the same house as you. Then again, that might be just me.

The other thing that may be just my bizarre look at life is the giving and receiving of presents. The more and more I live, the more and more I see it as a bragging thing. Y'know, either bragging about how much presents they received, or brag how much the presents cost.

I remember, back in the day when Defaid was just a mere glint in CLIC's eye, some people in my year were discussing about what they have received. One person, who I cannot name as I forgot their name and gender, talked about what they received.

What did they receive? A laptop, an iPod, and countless other gifts. All I thought was, who cares? What advantage do I have if I know that your iPod has 8GBs worth of memory and your laptop came fully loaded with Office 07? None.

Last year for Christmas, along with some clothes, I received a phone from my parents. It's not the best phone in the world, neither is it the dearest. Do I care? No. It's the thought that counts, right? And anyways, it does all a phone usually does. It makes phone calls, it can send and receive text messages, what else do you need?

I don't work in a business, so I have no need for a phone that can send and receive emails, has its own sat-nav and can make your voice sound like Rob Brydon's Small Man In A Box. I have an iPod touch for two of the three things I stated.

Ah, I do believe that I need a life.

But one thing I do think about Christmas is that it is a good thing to bring everyone together. Somehow. Even if there is the odd argument and the even disagreement, it does seem that Christmas brings everyone together. Why is this? I have no clue.

Is it because of the season, with the cold and other things bringing us together? Is it because it's forced upon us, with all the hurrying around and the panic to get everything ready before the big day? Is it that I'm wrong and I need to get out more? Who knows.

I thank ye, world.

Dear World - Facebook's NSPCC Campaign

Dear World,

Before I even write this, I feel like this is going to be a controversial one.

Recently, there's been a campaign on Facebook.

It involves changing a person's display picture to raise awareness for the NSPCC, to stop child abuse.

Nearly everyone in my friends list has changed their display picture while changing their status to the following or to something similar…

'Change your Facebook profile picture to a cartoon character from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same, for the NSPCC. Until Monday (December 6th) there should be no human faces on Facebook, but an invasion of memories. This is a campaign to stop violence against children'

But this has got me to question something. How is this going to stop cruelty to children?

Sorry, but it doesn't stop violence against children. Granted, it is supposed to raise awareness of the NSPCC, but would it be even better if there was a link to the donations page of the NSPCC?

I can't see where changing your display picture to some cartoon character from your childhood will stop a child from being attacked in any way.

I don't think a violent parent will say "Damn you, son. You're going to regret that when I get my hands on you," and at that moment, he looks at his Facebook page, reads the message and thinks "well, since everyone's changed their display pictures to Squirtle and the gang from Recess, I won't hurt you today son"

No.

Not only that, but if someone was abused as a child, wouldn't the worst thing to do is to change all your Facebook pictures to a cartoon character of your childhood? If someone, who was abused as a child sees a picture of Bagpuss or Garfield, it might reignite memories of their bad upbringing.

Am I the only one that thinks that this could happen?

One thing that gets me is that this campaign (more like a meme) is that it's only until today, Monday 6 December. It seems to be that the weekend that just passed is the only time we can spread awareness of child abuse.

Charity is not a seasonal thing. Yes, World AIDS Day is in December, but that doesn't mean we only raise awareness of AIDS on that day and that day alone. Children In Need is in November, though people still raise money for it after the television side of things are over for another day. Why? No idea.

I know I risk ending up being someone who is pro-child abuse. That is totally wrong. I want to stop child abuse as much as the next sane person on this planet, I just cannot comprehend the advantages of this campaign.

All it is doing is making people change their pictures. No money is being given to the NSPCC (or any other charities against child abuse).

I read somewhere that people who wear red ribbons to raise awareness AIDS, but we do nothing when we wear them. That is untrue, at least there is money going to the charity.

I remember, about two years ago, the prefects of my school were going around, selling ribbons to raise awareness of AIDS. I only had a few coins, so I didn't have enough to buy a ribbon, but I still gave the money. There's not even a link to NSPCC's website to give people on Facebook a chance to donate to the charity.

I'll be honest, sometimes it feels that people are only doing this 'change your Facebook picture to raise awareness of cruelty to children' to be part of the crowd, or not to look like they don't care. I haven't changed my profile picture, but that doesn't mean I don't care about children.

I'd hate to find out that a child that I know is being treated unfairly, and by that, I don't mean having their Xbox 360 confiscated because they didn't do their homework.

Another thing I don't get is this. Someone's made a Facebook group that says something like, "Like this if you have changed your profile picture to a cartoon character in support of NSPCC <3." To me, that just feels like a brag than anything else. It seems to be that they are bragging that they've changed their display picture to support the NSPCC. Not only that, in one sense, they are belittling everyone who doesn't change their profile picture. You know what, world? Support the NSPCC in a much more productive way by donating to their charity. It not only makes more sense, it makes more of a difference. Also, I highly urge you to watch the video. Adverts like these are a much better way to raise awareness of cruelty to children than changing your Facebook profile picture for three days.


 

I thank ye, world.

Dear World - Nationality

Dear World,

If you didn't know, I am a Welshman. It's true. I have a birth certificate and everything.

Not only that, I was born into a Welsh speaking family.

Well, I say that, I mean that I was born into a family who decided to put their children into a Welsh school. And I'm glad that I have the ability to speak Welsh.

There is something I don't rather understand though. Why is there so much hate against people who were born in a different country?

It is fair to say that, like me, at some point in time, you were born also. Though I can be at least seventy percent positive that nobody on the face of the Earth had a decision to be born where they were.

I cannot remember, a week before I was born, sending a message to my mother's brain via the umbilical cord saying “go ahead, love, you can drop me off here”.

No, nobody has done that. If we did have that ability, then we'd all be in a different life than we are now. But it makes no sense to me when someone from a certain country, let's say Britain as an example, goes on a rant about how foreigners shouldn't be here.

“Those blasted Poles”, an upper class estate owner, possibly called Sebastian, begins. “Damn, why must we open the door to all of Europe? Why must those blasted Poles come to our country, taking our jobs?”

Edward, another possible name for another possible person who could possibly be an owner of an estate in a possibly extremely posh place in Britain, could possibly reply to that possible comment by the possibly realistic Sebastian with the following. Possibly.

“And they won't stop with Poles, Seb”, Edward has permission to call Sebastian by the first syllable of his name. Edward is Sebastian's possible father, after all.

“Seb, listen to me. It's not only the Poles coming here, either. There are others. And for what? To steal jobs from hardworking British people and to make this great country a hell hole.”

The servant, who will be called Jeeves just because I can't think of a better name for a servant, and is also a secret Polish man himself, questions why do they have this train of thought. “Why do you have this train of thought, sirs?” he asks. He has just walked into the doors of ranting.

“What? Is that what you want, Jeeves? Do you want all foreign names, with no ability to read or write the great language that is English, to walk our streets? Is that what you want? Are you sure you'd like to have some German walk into Britain like World War Two never happened? Is that what you want?

"Are you sure you'd like to have some German walk into Britain like World War Two never happened? Is that what you want? 'Cause that's not what I want. I don't want any foreigners coming here, stealing our jobs, eating our food, sleeping in our beds.

"And if you ever rule this great country one day, Jeeves, and allow the doors to Britain to be opened to all, it results in unruly people smashing up my hundred-acre estate, eating my pheasants, violating my Mildrid, then you will be out of a job. Do you understand?”

Poppycock.

I mean, people like that make no sense to me. Just because we have foreigners in this country, doesn't mean that it has burned into flames. Why can't you understand that? Not only that, I find it rather funny when American people have that train of thought.

They do not want foreigners in their country, eh? Well, technically, shouldn't all Americans move, since they are all ancestors of immigrants?

On a different note, why do people dislike a different country's sports team, just because they are from a different country?

A great example of this is in the recent FIFA World Cup. When there was a match that involved England, there was a few comments I have read from fellow Welsh people who want anyone but England to win the game. For what reason? Because it was England.

Not because the English team lacked the hunger to win, or the fact their midfield had no substance, no. Just because all players who played for England were, surprisingly, English.

Where's the logic in that? Granted, I didn't want England to win the World Cup, but only because I thought Germany had a better side. But I can concede that England are a decent team and, if they were on form, could have gone further in the competition.

Ah, enough of this 'why does every country potentially hate each other?' question.

As I mentioned before, I am a Welshman. Not only that, I can speak the fine language of Welsh. It's true. You want proof? Iawn te, dyma ti, dyma eich proflen am y faith dwi yn gallu siarad Cymraeg (or, for the people who can't speak Welsh, 'Fine, here you go, here's your proof that I can speak Welsh').

Granted, that Welsh sentence would probably make every other Welsh speaker cringe with pain and agony.

But then again, that's what I feel like when I attempt to speak Welsh. Because my ability of the language of the Welsh isn't as high as I'd hope it would be, I feel like everyone is judging me for my lack of Welsh skills.

I can read it fine, I can understand it next to perfectly. But there is one thing I can't do with confidence, and that is speak and write in Welsh.

It does feel like I'm being judged every time I speak Welsh. I have no idea why this is. I always assume that the person who I am speaking Welsh to, no matter who they are, they are thinking that I'm murdering the Welsh language. If anyone knows why, answers in the comment section, please.

I have written a whole bunch of articles for Wicid, with some of them going up to CLIC [including this one, woop! - national ed]. None of these article are Welsh. They are all in English. Even when the articles are translated to Welsh, that's not me. And, for some bizarre reason, I'm not happy with that.

I wish I could write in Welsh, I really do. But alas, my skills to weave sentences in the string that is the Welsh language is deteriorating each day, and it doesn't help that I'm in a course in university that nobody knows Welsh. Damn it and so forth.

I thank ye, world.

Dear World - Modern Life

Dear World.

I have realised a few things as I lived my life.

The first thing is that Firefox has a spell checker and I believe it's set to US English, and not Welsh English....

Damn you, you hound of flames...

Also, I've started to have a sort of a don't speak unless spoken to idea on life. Y'know, it's like, I have nothing interesting to talk about (and you would agree if you have read my blog, there's nothing interesting there... just bizarre...), so why talk? Why burden other people with useless information that is, well, useless? Saying that, it doesn't mean that I won't talk back if you start talking to me, it's just that I'm not the best conversationalist.

I can't think of a time where I started a conversation with a comment. It has next to always been a question. Ask either the editor of Clic or Wicid, they'd probably agree. Nearly every email I have sent them, I have asked a question. The only other times when I start a conversation is when I tell someone about something, like 'I have that thing you asked for', or 'someone's looking for you' or something informative like that.

I cannot remember starting a conversation with something like “oh, Chelsea was terrible last night” or “man, I'm really craving a McDonald's”. It makes no sense to me to start a conversation like that. Adding to the fact that I do not go out much, that I don't watch a load of films and the like, I haven't got much to talk to. Granted, if you asked me about Photoshop or how to execute a legspin delivery in cricket, then I can help you. But I am rather rubbish with 'normal' conversations.

And, to be fair, that ideal has gone through to Life 2.0, or for the people who didn't get that, online life. It sounds rather pathetic, but I try to keep myself to myself on Facebook and all that. I delete anything on my wall that I don't like, or that says that I've done something. I've gone as far as to delete some groups that I became a fan of because I've saw no point in them. I mean, just because you sing out aloud to songs, doesn't mean joining a group with everyone else that does this makes you superior to everyone who doesn't do it. Or whatever the reason of joining the group is. If it's a way to meet new people, it's not the best way. I've just realized I'm having a rant on something pretty pointless.

That said, I do have a Twitter account. At the point of writing this dear letter to you, world, I have made 2,402 tweets. I have shared nearly two and a half thousand thoughts with the web. But for some reason, I hardly ever update my Facebook status. I have no idea why though. Well, that is a complete lie, I know exactly why. I could never lie to you.

The reason why I don't change my status on Facebook is that I know all the people that I am friends with on Facebook. And the people I am friends with on Facebook, it seems theres some sort of contract there when I approve a friend request (or a friend accepts me). I'm not just accepting their friendship, I'm doing more than that. I'm signing a virtual contract, that binds me to know what is happening in your world, and vice versa. With Twitter, you can choose to follow whoever you like, and they might not follow back. Yes, I am following some of my friends on Twitter and they follow me (for some unexplainable reason), but its a choice. If I decide I don't want to follow you, I can stop. If I don't want to be your friend on Facebook, there's more of a chance that the person I've unfriended will be annoyed than if I stopped following them on Twitter. It is harder to find out a person who's stopped following you on Twitter than it is to find a past friend on Facebook. And for some reason, I like that fact.

For some reasons or other, there have been mini arguments - marguments, if you will – around in the past (and no, come to think of it). I don't know what about, neither do I care. But I tell you one thing, if everyone learned to shut up (or, at least thought about what they said before they said the think), the world would be a better place. Or at least a quieter one. But no, we live in a civilization where free speech entitles people to not think about what they are about to say.

Sometimes, I think it would've been better if humanity didn't progress so quick. Yeah, I know that it's been millions of years of progress, but it's because of this is where we at today. I mean, this age is the age where there's no real fight for survival, no day-by-day life threatening problems (unless you're one of these people that believe a bad hair day is a reasonable reason for committing suicide... and if you are, you need help). The only thing people (well, the majority of people, as it seems to me) worry about is getting high, urinated (or drunk) and getting laid.

Where as, if we were in the same era as the Stone Agers, there'd be a reason to fight, reason to fear. Though, if you think balloons and clowns are reasons to fear, it's not the same as having the fear that your family could die from an unknown virus or just killed in their sleep.

I'd be dead years ago if we lived in that lifestyle, and yet, you wouldn't be reading this. But it's like the further the human race progresses, the need to be aware lessens. If that makes sense.

I don't know about you, but I can't remember the last time where I went into the wilderness, and returned with a mammoth for food. We don't need to now. The biggest animals we kill for food is probably the cow. I may be wrong with that fact, but I mean, we have no need to go hunting dangerous animals for food. And what do we do to fill the gap? We kill our own species in wars for greed. What has humanity come to?

I thank ye, world.

Dear World - God

Dear World.

I know that I've only walked the earth for a mere nineteen years, but there is one subject matter that confuses me.

Yes.

God.

Well, God and religion.

One thing I really do not understand is this. Imagine if I died right now, and if this religion thing really is true, I ended up at the gates of heaven with two other people. The first person, possibly named Sue, is a religious woman, and has been since birth. The second, who could be called Trevor, is a rapist and a murderer.

Three of us are there, looking at the gates of heaven, and we hear a voice saying, for some reason in the style of the game show 'The Price Is Right' "one of you will go straight to hell, the rest will go straight to heaven and enjoy eternal life with your maker".

As the three of us got to knew each other, the general consensus was that Trevor would be most likely to go to hell, with the fact that he has raped and murdered.

But, what's this?

My name has been called?

Why?

What have I done?

The booming voice returns… "You, Gareth, did not believe in a God. And for that, you are condemned to live out eternity in the flames of hell."

I don't know about you, but if I was dead, and that's what happened, I'd be rather annoyed. I haven't done anything wrong. So why am I going to hell? Well, it's obvious, isn't it?…

Is it?

Well, all three of us knew Sue would get in. Though none of us knew that Trevor repented for his sins roughly a year before he died, and he got into heaven. While all I have done is lived a crime-less life, and I'm still sent to live out eternity in hell, all because I found it difficult to believe in any sort of religion.

I don't know about you, dear world, but in what sane planet will let a rapist and a murderer get into heaven just because he said "I'm sorry"? I always thought that the good are supposed to be rewarded, while the bad are punished. I may be naive now, but I can't see how not having faith in a God is a worse crime than rape, pedophilia and murder. Yet, if a pedophile (for example) decides to say "Forgive me, my lord, for I have sinned", that person has certain pathway to heaven? Wh… where's the sanity in that?

I can't see myself ever being religious, though I can't be sure. When I started secondary school, I never had any interest in art and music. Now I'm studying Creative Technologies, design countless stuff and create my own music (though it's just the music, I can't write lyrics at all). No reason why I told you that, other than it shows that people change, even if the example I gave is a rather rubbish example.

Anyway, on the lines on religion, I cannot see my future self being religious. Its just that when I read or learn anything about religion, I find it makes no sense.

One of the example is that during weddings, it is (if I remember correctly) said that women are given to the husbands. I thought marriage was supposed to be a unison of two people (straight or gay) who are in love to live their love in happiness with each other, not for a man to own his wife (I'm not sure how that would work in a gay marriage, but it might be the same thing).

Another thing that gets me confused. God is supposed to be this 'perfect entity, isn't he/she? Someone who can do no wrong? So, why do people fear God?

Yes, he made humans (I don't believe this, I'm just using what religion believes to argue my side). And when humans make things, we want to be in command (for instance, in command of robots and digital technology). We have even been command of our own race (i.e. slavery). So if this is wrong, to be in command, to bully other beings to do our bidding... would God do the same, as he 'made' the human race?

Another thing. One of the ten commandments for the Christian faith is, I believe, about not idolising statues of God (correct me if I'm wrong). But, as humans were supposed to be made with God's image or something like that, doesn't that mean any statue that is made is in turn both idolising the image of the subject of the statue and also God him/herself?

I know, world. I think way too much. I'd rather think too much than not think at all. I hope this hasn't offended anyone, I'm just a nineteen year old who is confused about religion. Fancy helping out?

I thank ye, world.

Dear World - Drink And Drugs

Dear World.

As you may know, if you have read my last letter to you, that I am in my final year of the stage which is known as 'the teenage years'. And, if you are one who reads many newspapers and consider them gospel, I am a teenage minority.

Why?

Well, for one, I do not smoke (drugs or normal cigarettes). And for two (if that is even a proper saying), I do not drink alcohol.

The first one may not be as shocking than the second, if you can call it 'shocking'. I understand that not all teenagers smoke. Though, even though its illegal for someone under the age of sixteen (correct me if I'm wrong) to buy cigarettes, it still seems like the fashionable thing to do.

Maybe people might think its a form of rebellion. You can't control me or what I breathe in, says the young girl, maybe called Simone, as she sucks in another breathe filled with carbon and nicotine. Fight the power, a young man, possibly named Jason, as he rolls up his third cigarette in half an hour. And as they smoke their way into the bad books of their parents, and coincidentally their potential cause of death, they seem content in their belief that they are fighting the right to party.

Maybe it's the same with alcohol. Either that or peer pressure.

I've somewhat witnessed peer pressure first hand. Especially with alcohol. I went to a party, it was the first one I went to during my time studying for my A Levels. Everyone (well, nearly everyone) asked me why I wasn't drinking. Foolishly, I said that I don't drink. That response brought different reactions.

- Some, though a minority, accepted this fact, and continued to talk to me, or went off on their merry way.
- Others were shocked, and began to bombard me with questions such as 'why?' and 'what, your parents don't want you pissed?'.
- While some, who were most likely male, just offered me a sip of their drink, repeating the statement 'go on, go on'.

Granted, the reason why these sort of parties were held were to bring everyone in the sixth form, through the medium of Welsh. No, I lie, it was through the medium of drink, and I don't mean with tea and scones. At first, they called them 'Parti Bondio' - which many a sixth former called 'Parti Boncio', even if there is nothing of that sort happening in these parties. During my last year at school, they began to call it 'Parti Piss-up', as there was no bonding going along, so they just went to get drunk.

Why did I say the last bit? No idea. Was it a way to prove a point that all teenagers can think of getting slaughtered (in the alcoholic sense) and deluding themselves in thinking they are having a good time? Maybe. But I do not know.

But I know one thing, many use alcohol as an excuse. Or, more likely, people use different occasions and situations to consume alcohol. And it makes me think, why would the people drink to make themselves happier?

I mean, isn't alcohol a depressant?

I've heard many a claim that alcohol calms you down, gets you in the mood and gives you confidence. That last sentence makes no sense to me. Maybe there is a placebo effect going on, like they think the alcohol is giving them confidence and such actually gaining confidence, though the alcohol hasn't done anything to their confidence. But that is just my opinion, World.

As I write this, my thoughts go back to a few years back, to a time where I was halfway through studying for my GCSE grades.

I was on the way home, traveling on the joyous modes of transport known as a school bus, and I was in mid conversation with some girls (who were a few years younger than me). And somehow, the conversation got to drink. When I stated that I do not drink, the girls were shocked, like it became a sin to be sober.

I began to feel out of place, for my choice to be sober. I felt like a bunch of young girls were looking down at me for deciding against a life with alcohol.

Why must things like this happen? Seriously?

Shouldn't we all respect each other's decisions in life?

Answers in the comment area, please.

I wish I could elaborate further, but I have half a box of Celebrations left, and I fear that some of my family members are eyeing them up.

I thank ye, world.

Dear World - Death

Dear World

Before you start reading this merry thing, I shall warn you, it is not a subject matter as happy as the last thing I wrote to you. But it is a thing that effects us all.

That's right...

Death.

By that mere word, people may instantly call me emo, goth or any other stereotypical words that are linked to death and the afterlife. But I have one question for you, World. Why must we know, and simultaneously not know, about how we will end?

Hear, well, read me out. I had no knowledge that I would be born. The first time I realised that I existed on this planet was when I opened my eyes and saw something that I cannot remember at this time. Well, be fair I was only a few minutes old at the time. But why do we need to know the fact that we will die?

We all know that we will die. Nothing can dress this up. You can live your life as happy and as freely as you like, but at some point you will fight with the fact that you are not immortal. Well, probably. I know I have.

I'll be completely honest with you, I fought with the fact that I will die before my age turned into double figures. I remember crying with panic and shouting "I don't want to die" when there was a news article on the BBC saying how the Earth will end. I was about eight, nine at the time. Why am I telling you this? No idea. Maybe it's one of the earliest memories I have, well that and being punched in the nose in nursery. Lovely.

As I was sitting my exams in school, I was stuck in a pickle. In one train of thought, I thought "Come on, Ga, concentrate. You need to do well in these exams", while on the other, a more silent train of thought secretly snuck up on me, thinking "What's the point? We can't take it with us when we die". It was only just before I sat my A level exams this year that I finally defeated my thoughts, but it was too late. I did rather horribly in my exams, but I passed regardless.

I know, I was a really depressing person in school. Ah well, can't change that now.

If you do know me, you will know that it will be my nineteenth birthday this week. I won't tell you when it is. We'll make a small competition, first one to guess my birthday gets a mention on mine and Wicid's twitter feed. Yes, I know it is a prize too good to ignore.

Anyway, since I remembered that I'd turn nineteen this week, it kind of brought everything back. Why? Answers in the comment area please. Maybe it is just a natural way of keeping people in line. You know, reminding someone that they are stepping closer to death than they were a year ago.

Maybe that is one reason why I just see my birthday as just another day. Why? Well, because it is. Because my mother gave birth to me at ten to midnight on my birthday doesn't make that day more special than if I was born the day before, the week after, or not born at all. Maybe it should be a day to celebrate for the parents of the child, since they were the two people in my family who made me. All I've done is existed, my parents are the ones who looked after me when I was younger and made sure I was fine. So why do I get all the credit?

I'm not trying to write this in a way to depress you, world. I just thought recently, why do we have to know that we will die? I know that I could have a good thirty years left here, but in some sense that doesn't seem enough. I mean, I've read somewhere (can't remember where, so apologies if I mis-state the facts) that the average age a man dies is roughly in the seventies, or late eighties. That means that, if I am the average man, I have lived a quarter of my life. I'm beginning to be at that time in life where I'll be closer to my death than I am to my birth. That said, nobody really knows when they'll die, people just cram many a thing into their short lives before the inevitable happens.

I shall not depress you further, dear world, as I know you are technically the same age as me, and will have a long time before you go (though, in your case it's more like a few millennia, while in my case it's only a few decades).

I thank ye, world.

Dear World - Guitar Hero

Dear World.

As you well know, games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are all over the face of the earth. And I for one like this genre of gaming.

It's a very entertaining thing. And not only entertaining, educational too. Others may read that last statement and think, how? Well, it introduces the player to a variety of music. I have had this happen to myself. For example, before I played my first Guitar Hero game (which was Guitar Hero II), I'd never heard of artists like Cheap Trick, Buckethead and Avenged Sevenfold. Now, Jordan (by Buckethead) is one of my favourite instrumental songs, while I'm a fan of Avenged Sevenfold's new album, Nightmare.

Not only that, it introduces people to playing instruments. I'm one of these people. I've started playing the bass guitar after playing the bass of Sweet Child O' Mine on practice mode as I wanted to get better at the game, but unintentionally fell in love with the sound of the bass riffs in that song. Indeed, I am a sad child for admitting that fact, but it proves a point. The chances of me picking up a bass guitar would probably be next to non-existent if I didn't play a few songs on practice.

But there's one thing that rather confuses me, and I call it 'guitar snobbery'. Allow me to expand.

There's this website - let's call it Ultimate Guitar, because that's what its called - and on this website these days, there are some articles about Guitar Hero and Rock Band. And all these articles on this subject matter, some users have the same train of thought. Allow me to quote one of the comments from the most recent article about Rock Band's new Pro Mode...

"In all seriousness....IF YOU ARE A PARENT AND YOUR KID ASKS FOR THIS CRAP BUY HIM A REAL GUITAR...."

Apparently, people who think playing games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band are fools, as they are spending so much time on the game while it is clearly better to play and to invest time in becoming a brilliant guitarist.

I don't know about you, but this makes no sense to me. Guitar Hero is a game. It doesn't make you think that you can pick up a real guitar and play Raining Blood by Slayer after the first time you four star the song on Hard. It, along with Rock Band, is a game. Why can't guitarists get to grips with this fact?

Out of all the instruments available to play in these games, it seems like only guitarists are the only group of players who have something against this game genre. Even bassists - with the bass guitar usually looked down upon as it has only four strings usually, so it must be an easy instrument to master (which, to me, is the wrong thought to have, and if you do have this thought, listen to YYZ by Rush) - find music rhythm games fun to play. Drummers also like the games as they are playing the drums, even if its on a small plastic kit. And yes, I know I'm generalising everyone here, but it seems that the majority of the people who think the same way as the commenter above are guitarists. I have never seen a comment saying learn to play real drums, though I have seen many a comment stating that they have actually learned the basics of drumming from these games.

All I'm asking, dear world, is that why can't people understand that Guitar Hero and its relatives are only trying to help the music it holds in its being? These games are promoting different bands, music and genres to the player, and the world will be a better place if it resulted in more young people listening to rock-driven music. It would be unfair of me to state that music by Justin Bieber, The Saturdays and JLS aren't that good, but to me that is the case. But this article isn't about miming groups and over auto-tuned vocals. Its about trying to make people understand that Guitar Hero and its brethren are not trying to take people under its spell, but to give people the chance to play music and, possibly, influence them in picking up a real instrument and playing that too.

I thank ye, world.