Why Can't You Be Friends?

Well, Valentine's Day has rolled around again. You may recall last year that I posted a blog saying that love should be all year round, and not limited to one day.

Well, this year, I'm afraid I'm going to talk about something a little more negative. I admit, this is something I could talk about almost any time of the year, but given what I'm going into, something tells me Valentine's is when this crap will occur the most.

Recently, I learned of a Tumblr with posts from a site called OK Cupid,. A Tumblr devoted to self-professed “nice guys” bitching about being stuck in “the friendzone” with women they're attracted to, and feeling like they're entitled to something (a relationship or even just sex on its own) simply because they're “nice guys”. I'd share the link, but I believe it's had the plug pulled, though this article has an example of one said pic: http://www.thefrisky.com/2012-12-21/nice-guys-of-ok-cupid-the-scariest-tumblr-of-dudes-you-never-want-to-date/

People much smarter than myself have already weighed in on the issue, but I still would like to share my thoughts on it, and why these guys need to have a foot planted firmly up their arse, to greatly paraphrase Red Foreman. As such, I'll be breaking these down in dot point form, ranging from smaller nitpicks to outright criticism.

* First off, while I have no idea who coined the term, don't drag the word “zone” into it! Zone is a cool word, that shouldn't be related to something negative! The Twilight Zone, the Phantom Zone, the Zones in the Sonic games, the Kenny Loggins song Danger Zone, all examples of coolness using the word zone! I think it's the Z, the Z makes it sound cool. Kinda like X. Point is, use another word! Not realm, realm's also a cool word.

* Second, women aren't entitled to give you anything at all. This isn't the days of old (and it was wrong back then too) so playing the “White Knight” and expecting a reward isn't what happens these days. But with society being over-entitled these days, maybe that's the root of the problem.

* Next, when did being friends with women become a bad thing? Friends are awesome! I like making new friends. I'd say “Make friends!” is my motto, but I have one above that one, and that's really the motto of the incredibly awesome Sarah Wilson, aka Pushing Up Roses (check out her gaming videos here: http://pushinguproses.com/ . And a lot of my friends are female, too. I've always gotten along better with women as opposed to men, and I think it's because a lot of men I see in public seem to communicate with grunts and as little dialogue as possible. Unless it relates to sport, drinking and/or women. Maybe that's just because I live in Australia, or maybe the type of people I want to interact with are elsewhere at the time.

* But the biggest point I have to make: if you're a “nice guy”, but you bitch about a friend just because she won't date you, you revoke any rights to call yourself a nice guy.

You know all those arseholes you complain about, the ones she may date over you? Well, moaning about that makes YOU an arsehole too. Except she won't date you once she finds out what you said. So really, you're digging your own grave there.

Also, are these guys really arseholes, or are you just painting them that way because “they're in your way of being in a relationship”? I mean, do you spend time with them, or have you already dismissed them simply because they chose to date your friend? Granted, it IS possible that their character is poor, but intervening when he does something questionable is what a friend is supposed to do, not someone swooping in to take his place as spouse.

Look, I've been here before. I mean, most of us have, right? Pining for someone who is in a relationship, wanting something more, while still being friends. The difference is, most of us don't go out of our way to make our friend's partner look bad, or spread nasty rumors about our friend behind their back out of bitterness. We accept things for what they are, and move on.

There are worse things in life for nice people than not being with the right person. Like being treated like a doormat, for example. I know a whole lot about that...

And that's all I have to say on the matter. So, to these “nice guys” out there: prove it. Be good and nice for the sake of being good and nice.

(On an unrelated note, I know I missed a lot of holidays last year, especially noticeable with a Mother's Day post but not a Father's Day. Can't say it'll be different this year, but I'll work something out)

The Resolutions Will Not Be Televised

Happy New Year to my readers! How was your Christmas? I know I should have asked in an earlier blog, and I apologize, but with this being the holiday season, it's not THAT late for me to be asking.

Well, the new year is upon us. What have we learned from this year?

• That even after absolutely devastating attacks from Mother Nature, New York didn't just give up, they struggled to rise up and face hardship head on.
• That the gun control debate will be a never-ending cycle, as the bodies keep piling up.
• That sometimes, good does triumph over evil, and the right man for the job gets to keep his, while the loser acts like an ingrate, perhaps revealing his true colours.

But what have I learned on my own experiences over the year? Well, in the circumstances of my job, I've learned that the time tested adage “If you want something done right, do it yourself” is never more true when it comes to the workforce. Sometimes, I wonder why I don't just have someone build a shack above my workplace and I could use a fire pole to get to work. Would make commuting that much easier.

Otherwise, I learned two things last year both for the good.

First, I learned that Twitter was more useful than I thought. Besides being able to promote this blog (wait, why am I talking about this blog in a section on the good?), I've been able to speak to so many awesome people about all different things. I've spoken with several members of TGWTG, which I doubt I would do without Twitter, I've chatted with fellow Whedonites, and it's almost always fun going on Twitter.

Secondly, and this is the big one (and somewhat tired into the one above), I've learned that maybe I'm not as socially reviled as I've lead myself to believe. Besides a constant presence on Twitter, I've made a couple of friends through work who I often see, and the stream, of course. All these opportunities happened in 2012, and without them, I'd have no social life at all. And for anyone who's reading this, be they a Twitter follower of mine, a friend, a family member, or even a random stranger, thank you for reading.

So, in this brave new year, have I set up any goals or resolutions for myself? Yes I have.

1. I'm going to save up for better tech. An actual video camera, new computer accessories, perhaps even a new computer. And while this would be for entertainment purposes, a Wii U (dying to play New Super Mario Brothers Wii U and Zombi U. And I may even see how Assassin's Creed 3 holds up on a Nintendo console). It would be nice to produce video content, and eventually turn this into a vlog, and maybe go further.
2. On the subject of saving up, I want to try living on my own again. I've been living with my father, step-mother and siblings since the second half of 2010 and while I love being here, and will always be grateful to my family, it's time I got back out there. OK, chances are I'll be living with my brother and future sister-in-law, but we've had that arrangement before and we loved it. Circumstances meant I had to leave that situation, but that had nothing to do with me or them, so it's ideal for all of us. And it will be nice to have all my stuff on shelves again, I'll be able to pull them out easily without having boxes upon boxes to sort through.
3. I will devote more time to personal projects that I really should have started by now, mostly pertaining to my belongings and such. And obviously, I will continue this.
4. And on a much smaller scale, I will clean up my paperwork and actually get a better filing system... and work out if I actually need half of it anymore.

Whatever your goals may be, I wish you the best of luck, I thank you once again for reading my stuff and let's make this year a better year than most!

Say Hi To Your Mum For Me

While Mother's Day happened yesterday over here, since a few in my handful of readers (is five/six a handful?) live overseas, it's Mother's Day for them as I write this, so it can apply to them.

Really, what can I say about what our mothers do for us? If you're lucky, you've been raised by someone who has genuinely wanted to see you develop into your own person, imparting life lessons along the way and has shown saint-like patience with you through your formative years.

Well, I am one of the lucky ones, since I have two mothers in my life. One who I don't see as often as I should and one I live with while I build up a decent amount of savings to give living on my own another try (not to diminish how much of a good mother she is or anything). But then, when you sit and think about it, aren't all the good women in your life motherly towards you in their own way? Co-workers who impart their wisdom to help you get by in  your job and help you evolve to the next level in said job. Teachers who offer a sympathetic ear when you have no one else to turn to about new and scary concepts in your life, teachers who won't judge and make you feel safe. Aunts who see you as their own offspring, since the connection's not too far off.

While your mother and father, father/father, mother/mother or a solo parent are naturally going to be among the first people you turn to, you can't deny that it takes a collective to provide you with everything you're going to need in life. Your mother can't follow you to work, just like your teacher can't come and live with you.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, while I obviously have two mothers who love and care about me (and even though it's not Father's Day, I'd be remiss in mentioning my father and my mother's boyfriend, both of whom play very important parts in my life), I have more people to thank for me being here. Not here as in "on this Earth" per se, as in, where I am today. I've been taught many things over my life, and I have a Hell of a lot more to go, but I really just want to say, to every loving mother out there: what you do for your children, everything you teach, every sacrifice you make, all the love you give, you cannot be thanked enough for your efforts. But I thank you all, because a parent's love is sometimes all it takes to prevent someone from going down to a deep, dark place. No matter how many times they argue back, no matter how they may defy you in the teenage years, you have stuck by them. Or, you will, if they haven't reached that age yet.

Being a parent is something I could never be, for many reasons, so I can't know what it's like to bring a child up in this world. But to those loving mothers, you are to be commended for doing what I imagine is the hardest thing in the world to do.

So, enjoy this day, even though a day seems paltry compared to what you do over the course of a lifetime.

You Can Learn All The Math In The 'Verse...

(Please note: the following blog was originally posted on my old blog Why Yes I Am Quite Random, Why Do You Ask?, a blog I can no longer access for some unknown reason. This is being put at the start of each blog I'm uploading, in case anyone comes across the blog and accuses me of plagiarism. This is explained further in my introduction blog.

The following was originally posted on Tuesday, February 14th, 2012 at 8:07 pm)

Ah, Valentine's Day. Of all the “global” (for lack of a better term) holidays, it is perhaps the one that gets the biggest mixed reaction. Some see it as a romantic Christmas-styled day, the day in which romance is at its greatest and like Christmas with joy, it's the day that people in love celebrate that love the entire day. But on the other side (again, not unlike Christmas), to many, it is also considered a crass, money-making venture, in which the corporations mass produce garbage and fool people into buying nonsense in the vain pursuit of keeping love.

And while very few people to no one at all gives a damn about my opinion, that's not going to stop me from delivering it (why would you be here otherwise?)

Much like the general mixed reaction of the world's population, I too am on the borderline of Valentine's Day and the celebration thereof. I haven't dated a lot of women, so I don't have that many Valentine's Day experiences. So, if you came here looking for sad or hilarious anecdotes on the perils of one nerd's dating experiences, you're outta luck. Move along, nothing to see here, go to YouTube and look up bears on trampolines or something random like that.
But my mixed feelings come from that fact that while I don't hate Valentine's Day, I don't embrace it and spread the message for all to hear, either.

I think a lot of that stems from this one thought: as cliché as it is, and it may look like I'm trying to score bonus points, but I'm someone who thinks when you love someone, you don't save it all up for one day, like you're a squirrel storing nuts for winter, but you show it in little or big ways throughout the year, and every year, if that person means so much to you. And, yet again, the same does apply to Christmas, in that we should be expressing these emotions and executing these actions more often. There's no law that says you can't buy something, wrap it up nicely and present it to a loved one when it's not February 14th. Or take your spouse out for a night on the town. And there shouldn't be an end goal, either. Not one that isn't “showing my love”, “showing how much I appreciate my other half” or “making my partner happy”. Last time I checked, Valentine's Day was a day of celebrating love, not “the day where you definitely get some action, it's like, a rule or something”. Really, if sex is your end goal, just go to a bar and be done with it. And I am not suggesting you cheat on your partner, just that if you can't put aside your primal urges and be more romantic, then maybe you shouldn't be in a relationship, unless that's what your relationship runs on.

That's not me trying to be a prude or to rain on anyone's parade, or an attempt to lecture people on how to live their lives. It's just that... well, I'd like to think romance isn't dead. I wouldn't say I'm the most romantic person in the world, or that I'm an expert on it (far from it. Seriously, words can't express how much I would suck at it) but I'd like to think that romance does win the day when it comes to relationships. That it's not all about the lust, or the idea of being with someone so you don't die alone, or any reasons that wouldn't make a long term relationship work. That two people can be with each other, weighing up the pros and cons and deciding that the good is worth all the little things you may not like.
In fact, I think everyone NEEDS a flaw. It's these little imperfections that keep a person interested. True perfection has to be imperfect. And to not quote or paraphrase someone else, I look at it this way: being first or the best all the time sets up tremendous pressure to maintain such status and you're always going to have people waiting for you to crash and burn. By building yourself up as perfect, you're setting yourself (and others) up for a fall. When something is subjective, there is no 100%. But if you're like me, you still think anything over 50% is good, so that's what you should strive for. Not to be the best, just to have qualities that someone will be attracted to. That's not to say you can't try to better yourself or work on your flaws but you shouldn't have to do a complete personality overhaul. Like it has been said “Learn to love yourself first”. Well, I don't know if I should be saying that. I mean, I don't hate myself, but I think I'm above average. Except in the looks department, that's where I drop the ball, but I can't really help a lot of that and I don't much care, to be honest. But back to flaws, obviously some are deal-breakers, like alcoholism or history of abusing others. Stuff like that just makes me with the justice system of the Western world would man up and just remove the scum, exile them to an island with fierce creatures (or that one with the Smoke Monster, get that one). But little things like singing in the shower or love of sci-fi or something, those can be worked around. Hell, that's even if you call them flaws in the first place, it's not like I can speak for everyone. But if you're with someone who's funny, intelligent, good-natured, caring and just all around beautiful in mind, body and soul, and the worst thing about them is they embarrass you when they dance, that shouldn't be an issue. You shouldn't be trying to fix these things, you should be thinking “As much as I'm not fond of that aspect, I'll take it any day of the week over not being in their arms”. If people change, it should be out of a desire to do so on their own. They shouldn't be pressured into it, they should make that decision on their own.

So, in summary, while I can admire that there is at least one day for romance, can't we just spread the love around? And also, can people (mostly guys, I'm calling you out) actually remember to get their gifts BEFORE Valentine's Day, unless it's set up on the day itself? And enough with the last minute “cards, chocolates and flowers” schtick. Your partners deserve better. That is, if you still have partners after that.

So, for love to truly conquer all, we have to let it show a lot more often. That's something I hope to do.

(Also, apologies for the title. It doesn't make much sense to non-fans of that franchise but since my best friend will be reading this, I know he'll enjoy it. So, you're welcome, buddy).

The End Is The Beginning Is The End

(Please note: the following blog was originally posted on my old blog Why Yes I Am Quite Random, Why Do You Ask?, a blog I can no longer access for some unknown reason. This is being put at the start of each blog I'm uploading, in case anyone comes across the blog and accuses me of plagiarism. This is explained further in my introduction blog.

The following was originally posted on Saturday, December 31st, 2011 at 6:56 pm )

Happy New Year to all my blog readers (at this point, both of you)! Well, 2011 has drawn to a close and the new year has begun.

The end of the year is usually seen as a time for reflection and consideration of what we want next year, almost like a tally of pros and cons and gearing up for the next possible pros and cons for the coming year (maybe whoever's in charge of fireworks and such down here could reconsider the budget. Do we really need to spend millions each year on loud flashy things that people forget about within the next twenty-four hours, or quicker if they're drunk, when the money could go to more important things? No, scratch that, ACTUAL important things? And let's not forget how many pets often go missing when they hear fireworks. Granted, that's partly the fault of people being careless/distracted by all the pretty colours and such but not everyone is so stupid to forget their pets but the pets still get out anyway).

When we look at this year, what exactly do we see? Well, of course the biggest thing 2011 will be remembered for is perhaps being the year that evil took a huge blow. Namely, with the deaths of Osama Bin Laden, Muammar Gaddafi and Kim Jong-il. Now, this may be bordering on controversial depending on which part of the world you live in, but I'd say that's a pretty good effort (and in Bin Laden's case, well overdue. Oh well, better late than never I suppose). The great thing is, it's going to be hard to argue that I'm wrong or out of line because, much like trying to defend Hitler, the atrocities they committed or the ones done in their name will always outweigh any redeeming factors they may have had, if they even had any at all.

On a related note, this year marked the end of the War On Terror (that name makes no sense to me. You can't call war on a concept. Unless Terror now has personification. Maybe the next war will be something like the War On Ambivalence. Or the War On Apathy, if they can be bothered or whatever). Ten years but finally, it's over. Well, as over as it can be. I mean, war doesn't exactly clean up neatly does it? Lots of rebuilding to be done and all that. But at least, the families of everyone serving overseas will have their loved ones back where they belong.

I want to make something clear, too: I am not anti-war. I am, however, anti-stupid and that's largely what this war was. Well, the motivations and such behind it, since I doubt it would have taken ten years to find one man. Anyway, that's all I'm saying about the war. About being anti-stupid, I don't mean stupid like Gilligan stupid, where people are book dumb and not too bright but have big hearts and good personalities, I mean Paris Hilton stupid, where the arrogance and self-serving attitude outweigh any such notions of good traits. And I say this as someone who doesn't regard themselves as highly intelligent. Or intelligent in general, I just know big words and copious (see, there I go again )amounts of pop culture.

So, let's move on from the general debate starters (probably for the best since I don't recall any of the other big things that impacted the world this year) and move on to personal reflection. How did this year stack up for me? Well, I can sum it up in one sentence: a lot better than 2010 for damn sure! And for reasons I won't go into, either. Suffice it to say, 2010 wasn't my best year but I turned my life around in 2011 and came to an epiphany, due partly to the support network I have of my many friends and family members (and I thank each and every one of them for everything they have done and will do). Do I think 2012 will be better for me? As surprising as this may sound coming from me, yes. Yes, I think 2012 will be better for me. Now, 2011 didn't suck entirely (I mean, 365 days in a year, some things are bound to go wrong, right?) as I got through it without a hospital trip this time (long story, involves the unmentionable from 2010), no one I knew passed away, I've begun training for a management program through my job and overall, I've felt better about myself than I ever have in my life. I still have doubts about myself, and a lot of things I have to work on and overcome, but for the first time in my life, I think I'm truly happy.

But what do I hope for 2012? Well, I'm not expecting the world to end, like those Mayan prophecies are suggesting (I still hold the belief that the apocalypse will be by our own hand, like nuclear war or America elects one of those Jersey Shore sacks of crap as president. Seriously, I think that could happen. And that thought scares me a lot.) and I suspect that once again, every other prophecy about the world's demise will be retooled, with a hasty “What we MEANT to say was July 19^th... 2013! See, the 3 looked like a 2 so we're totally right! Obey our Lord who may or may not hate you for reasons we describe in poor detail and change when we can't have our way! Oh and give us money so we can continue conning you!”

No, I expect we'll carry on as usual, as we do. Though hopefully we'll work out new cures for various diseases, maybe even AIDS. And hopefully, we'll smarten ourselves up a bit, myself included.

To end on a light note, what does a pop culture junkie like me look forward to this year in those terms? Well, let's break it down:

• Australia will finally get a DVD release of The Walking Dead, Season 1, so I look forward to that
• Stephen King has a new addition to The Dark Tower series, entitled The Wind Through The Keyhole (and if we're lucky, Doctor Sleep will see a release date of later this year)
• While I have been picking up and enjoying some of the New 52 from DC, this year will see the relaunch of a title I eagerly await: Batman Incorporated (hopefully there's a trade of the first few issues, the ones that lead to Batwing, who has his own title)
• Since I recently got a 3DS, I have been waiting for a bigger game library, even though some of the current titles don't look that bad, like the new Resident Evil game and I am having fun with Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. That being said, bring on Kid Icarus: Uprising and Luigi's Mansion 2! Also, can't wait for Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes and I'm interested in the upcoming Wii U.
• Movies, however, remain a big drawcard. Especially this year with stuff like Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (not too long before its out here and I will be doing a blog on it), The Avengers (duh!), The Dark Knight Rises (double duh!), The Dark Knight Returns (great year for Batman), Justice League: Doom (Batman appears yet again), Superman Vs. The Elite, The Amazing Spider-Man, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Skyfall, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, J. Edgar, One For The Money, The Cabin In The Woods, Prometheus and Django Unchained.

So, let us venture into that new year and see what it holds for us. Stay safe and have a happy new year, everyone.

There's A Toy Lodged In My Brain

(Please note: the following blog was originally posted on my old blog Why Yes I Am Quite Random, Why Do You Ask?, a blog I can no longer access for some unknown reason. This is being put at the start of each blog I'm uploading, in case anyone comes across the blog and accuses me of plagiarism. This is explained further in my introduction blog.

The following was originally posted on Monday, December 26th, 2011 at  8:16 pm)

Christmas Day itself may have come and gone but doesn't mean Christmas time itself has gone for the year. Heck, when you live in an extended family, chances are you're not going to see everybody in the one day. That goes double if you have to work that day or night, plus the day or night before and after.

What does this have to do with anything? Just that I feel like sharing some of my favourite Christmas themed pieces of entertainment.
But what to blog about? There aren't any Christmas comics that I've read, or even know about (except for the ones reviewed on Atop The Fourth Wall, unless you want to count the Christmas-set issue of the limited series Batman: The Long Halloween but since it's part of a larger story, it would be better off in its own review).  Oh, but there is an issue of Detective Comics (826 possibly? Or 836) which is set at Christmas, in which the Joker kidnaps Robin and Robin spends the entire issue trying to escape and gets into an argument over the Marx Brothers. Hilarious and written by one of the legends of the Dark Knight's writing stable, Paul Dini.

As for books, only one I can still recall the details of was Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, a delightful little book (literally, could even be a novella) about two people who decide to spend the money they have saved for Christmas with their daughter (who isn't coming home that year) on something for themselves and avoid Christmas altogether. That would be turned into a movie with a name that makes me want to throw myself off a cliff every time I say it. Actually, what I'll do is direct you to a link I co-authored with my best friend: http://daveherndon.blogspot.com/2011/12/5-worst-christmas-movies-of-all-time.html#comment-form
(Hopefully you read his other blogs too, he's the one who got me to start my own. Wait... that also means you have someone to blame for my tripe, too).
Well, there was also a “holiday novella” from the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, titled Visions Of Sugar Plums but I read that ages ago and can't remember it that well. I'm going to need to borrow that from the library again one day.
And I can't think of any Christmas related video games either, except maybe James Pond 2 (man, that's going WAY back). Or Elf Bowling, that was fun. I'm going to Hell for that remark, aren't I?
Movies and music, however, now we got something.

Favourite Christmas related movies, it's the usual fare, the kind of stuff you see on other people's lists (Die Hard, It's A Wonderful Life, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Nightmare Before Christmas). Actually, check out the other list my best friend and I co-authored: http://daveherndon.blogspot.com/2011/12/16-best-christmas-movies-of-all-time.html#comment-form

Music, however, that I feel the need to comment on. Rather that do a top 10 list, I'm going to keep it nice and short and present my top 5 Christmas songs. All of these are on my list not just for the reasons listed below, but for one unifying reason: I can listen to these all year around and not get sick of them or even be reminded of Christmas, they are just that awesome. Sometimes it seems like the Christmas references are just incidental.

5. Last Christmas- Wham!
Yeah, this isn't that big a shock. I mean, what list doesn't this appear on? Well, I have it on mine because it's catchy, vibrant and doesn't have to apply to Christmas itself, as its about a failed romance. Also, fun clip.

4. Xmas Song from the Futrama episode A Tale Of Two Santas
OK, this is kind of cheating but I can't get it out of my head sometimes and it's their best song. Not sure if that is the exact title but if you have seen the episode, you know exactly what I'm talking about and if you haven't, you probably had no intention of watching the series anyway. So maybe just YouTube it. Anyway, it's hilarious and the cast have impressing singing voices (with special mention to Katey Segal). Best lyric: “If I weren't stuck here frozen, I'd harpoon you in the eye”. Classic

3. Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)- The Darkness
Yeah, in case you can't tell, these songs are all fairly modern and this one is possibly the most recent. Epic rocking but still Christmasy (and the clip is great too) and Justin Hawkins is perhaps one of the best damn vocalists of the rock genre.

2. The Night Santa Went Crazy- Weird Al Yankovic
Yeah, this isn't one I'd recommend for the kids. And for a Weird Al song, it's actually really dark, talking about Santa snapping and the onslaught after that. Still, it's musically awesome, the lyrics hilarious and Weird Al's almost always enthusiastic when he sings and this is no exception. I'd post my favourite lyric but that would lead to a spoiler (a song with a spoiler, how weird is that?) So, I'll go with my second favourite: “Broke his back for some milk and cookies/seems to me like he was tired of getting gypped”.

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You- Mariah Carey
Yeah, yeah, a romantic song on this list. What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic (tell no one). Why is it first? Because shut up. But if you really want a reason, because of the warm glow the song gives off and the heartwarming nature.

I could also talk about my favourite Christmas episodes from the many TV shows I watch, but the biggest would be anything from How I Met Your Mother, Futurama (as stated above) and two Simspons episodes in particular: Marge Be Not Proud (the one where Bart steals the Bonestorm video game) and Miracle On Evergreen Terrace (the one where Bart destroys the Christmas tree and presents and the town is convinced they were scammed). As a kid, I remember enjoying the Pac-Man Christmas special, though that was probably due to the fact that I liked the cartoon and the Atari 2600 games Pac-Man, Jr. and Mrs. Pac-Man. Never got to play the original on that console until I got older. It would have sucked back then as it does now, unlike the two that followed it. I don't know how the Christmas special would hold up today, though.

Well, another short one. Next time, I reflect on the year that was and the things to come. 

My Christmas Wish For 2011

(Please note: the following blog was originally posted on my old blog Why Yes I Am Quite Random, Why Do You Ask?, a blog I can no longer access for some unknown reason. This is being put at the start of each blog I'm uploading, in case anyone comes across the blog and accuses me of plagiarism. This is explained further in my introduction blog.

The following was originally posted on Sunday, December 25th, 2011 at 2:49 pm)

Well, Christmas time is upon us again. I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like the time goes by so fast that it's almost always Christmas again. Though, I feel Christmas is better when you're a kid, anyway. So full of wonder, still believing in Santa, never quite knowing what to expect in the way of gifts. And back then is when it seemed to drag on. The lead-up to Christmas, I mean. Once you're on school holidays, no amount of video games, TV, playing outside will kill enough time to get you closer to Christmas. And yet the next day, it all goes back to normal, regardless of whether or not you still have your tree up.

But as you get older, you learn to appreciate a lot more than the gifts. Oh sure, they're nice, especially the true surprises, but you find a different magic than what your parents have said of Santa's magic. Or rather, you find out that it really IS their magic, because of all the effort that gets put into it each and every year. As we get older and have kids of our own, our parents have grandchildren to dote on and keep the Santa story alive with. But there's also gift-wrapping (especially if you're someone like me, who is terrible at such a thing), lunch/dinner preparations (or both), not to mention the hours of shopping that goes into all this, especially if it's eleventh hour (though I've never really been big on that. I mean, we know exactly which date it's coming so shouldn't we be planning ahead? Though I admit I go a little overboard in being prepared, often scouting for gifts and such around the last week of October). And like I said, after a day or two, it's all over. All this preparation for one day of the year that will quickly be forgotten until we do it all over again in the next year and the year after. I'm surprised that there aren't many reports of people just going nuts at the sheer thought of it. So, before moving on to my next paragraph, I'd like to thank all the parents of the world for everything they do every Christmas, every tree decorated, every gift bought, all the driving they do, just for one day of the year. I can't imagine how you all do it but that's a magic we need to harness, perhaps the truest magic of all: the willpower to do what must be done regardless of the outcome.

I have to be completely honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas. I'm no Scrooge, buying presents and being helpful are two things that bring me joy in life, but I think it really comes to down to the crushing blow of reality. What I mean is, virtually all year round, humans aren't exactly saints and paragons of virtue. OK, we can't be perfect (and I don't believe perfection exists in subjective fields but I digress), but you have to admit we could be better than we are now. It almost seems like some news stories are the result of some people thinking “We could out-do others in sheer bastardry/stupidity!” and they do. It's like one big pissing contest to see who can force humanity down into a pit of darkness the most. And the crushing blow comes in when I hope against hope that each Christmas, that people think for just one day, “You know, today I think I'll not be a total asshat and try acting with grace and civility”. This is not a commentary on the whole of humanity, I acknowledge that there are huge quantities of extremely decent people and to those people, I say keep at it, you are the people that keep us from sinking into the aforementioned pit of darkness. Even the smallest acts of kindness are all the world needs sometimes, just to remind us we have the capacity for good. But sometimes I don't know if I'm hopeless for wanting people to stop being stupid for just a little while or an idiot for not seeing the good around me. I guess I'm used to the bad that I'm almost blind to the good.

So, that leads me to wonder, what is my Christmas wish then? I can't exactly wish for world peace for just one day so we know what it's like, because how do I know that won't lead to extreme measures to get that feeling back? A lot of us become so obsessed once we have a small taste of something that we lose sight of everything but the goal.

I do have a thing or two I wish for Christmas but those are purely for me, so I have to work at that (and work I will).

No, I have it. You know what I wish upon the world for Christmas? That for one day, Death takes a holiday. I make no pun, how about for one day, everybody is spared so we can spend the day in the warmth of our loved ones. Now, I know there are people who prefer the embrace of Death, be they depressed or suffering from an illness that is taking their very life from them. Well, for them, I wish them relief, even for just one day, for what ails them. Just one twenty-four hour period where there is no pain or death. I know this sounds like world peace in a respect, but I acknowledge that crime will still be committed and fights may still occur, I just mean everyone should just have one day where they say “Screw everything that's happening in my life, I'm going to be happy and comfortable in the arms of the people I love.

And you know what? I'm not limiting that to people who celebrate Christmas either. If you celebrate anything like Hanukkah, Tet, Kwanzaa, or if you don't celebrate anything, I still wish that upon you. Doesn't matter what walk of life you're from, it's something we all deserve.

So, in closing, all I have to say is: Happy Holidays, and stay safe. Thank you all.

It's A Thankful Job, But Someone's Gotta Do It

(Please note: the following blog was originally posted on my old blog Why Yes I Am Quite Random, Why Do You Ask?, a blog I can no longer access for some unknown reason. This is being put at the start of each blog I'm uploading, in case anyone comes across the blog and accuses me of plagiarism. This is explained further in my introduction blog.

The following was originally posted on Thursday, November 24th, 2011 at 4:41 pm )

While we in Australia don't celebrate Thanksgiving (unless you're an American citizen who migrated to Australia), that doesn't mean I don't have a list the length of a skyscraper of things I am thankful for. While I could take up all your time and list them all (even the short version I could set to Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire and it would still leave a lot out), I'm going to list some of the biggest things I am thankful for, be they small things like entertainment that has gotten me through tough times or bigger things. And with that, let us begin:

*I am thankful for the creation of some of my favourite foods and beverages, like meatloaf, chicken parmigiana, lasagna, meatballs, pizza, mashed potato, chocolate, strawberry milk and most pineapple flavoured drinks (curiously, I do not thank pineapples themselves, can't stand pineapple on a pizza)

*I am thankful for the music of artists like Queen, Muse, Powderfinger, Alanis Morrisette, Pink, Weird Al Yankovic, Madonna (yes, you read that right), Hall and Oates, Huey Lewis and The News, U2, Eminem, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Linkin Park, Green Day, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Metallica, Kasey Chambers, Jewel, Rihanna, R.E.M, Coldplay, Radiohead, Garbage and many more, for lifting my spirits or giving me something new to think about

*I am thankful that movies exist, especially with gems like A Clockwork Orange, The Silence Of The Lambs, Chasing Amy, The Dark Knight, the Back To The Future trilogy, the Evil Dead trilogy, the Monty Python films, the Marvel "Movieverse", the Harry Potter adaptations, the rest of Christopher Nolan's filmography (save for Following, which I still need to see) and many, many more for telling wonderful stories and inspiring me to get into writing (as well as the books I've read. On that subject...)

*I am thankful for fantastic books like The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, the Harry Potter series, the Red Dwarf tie-ins, Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lecter series (maybe not Hannibal Rising though), the Darwin Awards series, Friendly Fire by Wil Anderson, Stupid White Men by Michael Moore but most of all, the works of Stephen King (in particular, The Shining, Gerald's Game, Firestarter, Nightmares And Dreamscapes, The Dark Tower series, Bag Of Bones, The Bachman Books and Danse Macabre). I thank all of these for filling me with all sorts of wonderful information and amusing anecdotes and for getting my creative gears going

*For the same reasons, I thank Bob Kane and Bill finger for the creation of Batman and Dick Grayson, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko for Spider-Man, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for Superman, William Moulton Marston for Wonder Woman and Joe Kelly and Fabian Nicieza for injecting Deadpool with his lovable personality (not Rob Liefeld though, he sucks at drawing). I am also thankful for stories like Y: The Last Man, Watchmen, Scott Pilgrim, Identity Crisis and the creators of each, as well as the concepts and characters of the Green Lantern Corps, nearly all of Batman's supporting cast and villains and the creators and companies of each. Oh and Dark Horse for publishing the Buffy The Vampire Slayer follow-ups to the show. On that note, I'd like to thank Joss Whedon for his creations, for the wonderful worlds he's created and for taking on The Avengers adaptation, I'm sure it'll be a marvelous (pun intended) day

*To prevent this from getting long, I'll just do another two paragraphs after this but this will sum up everything I miss, whether it be the video games, characters and publishers I'm thankful for (like Nintendo and the Mario franchise), the TV shows I've spent countless hours engrossed in (the Law And Order franchise, Red Dwarf, M*A*S*H, How I Met Your Mother) and all sorts of things I'm likely to forget. Now, on to the two most important dedications

*I am very thankful for the existence of That Guy With The Glasses (www.thatguywiththeglasses.com) and the contributors who lifted me out of a state of depression almost a year and a half ago, with their hilarious videos. They are a huge inspiration to me, since they are regular people who just happen to pick apart things we know and get adoration for it. Those I'd like to thank especially are Doug (The Nostalgia Critic and others) and Rob Walker, Lindsey Ellis (The Nostalgia Chick), Noah Antwiller (The Spoony One and others) but most of all, Lewis Lovhaug (Linkara and others) and his girlfriend, Iron Liz (you can visit them on http://atopfourthwall.blogspot.com.au/). They gave me a new lease on life and I hope to achieve my new ambition sometime within the next two-three years.

*But the people I am most thankful for are my friends and family. I know for a fact I would not be here today, or be who I am, without these people in my life. It's almost like they descended into Hell to pluck me out, no questions asked. And I would do it for them a hundred times over. I'm not going to name each and every person because I know for damn sure I would forget someone. But they are special to me. While I don't say this often enough, or even at all in some cases, but for any of my friends and family reading this, I'd just like to say this: I love all of you. And I thank each and everyone of you for the way you've shaped my life in the past, the way you're shaping it now, and the ways you will shape it. And it's something I want you to never forget.

Well, I could go on all day but I imagine some of you have delicious Thanksgiving food going cold. Thank you for reading. Now go enjoy your turkey, your turducken, your turturkeykey, whatever you have, enjoy, stay safe and best wishes!