The future

Since exams are coming up, and this is the end of our education, people are preparing to enter the "real world" as "adults" like to call it, I would just like to express my excitement not just for my future but everyone else's. The thought that a lot of people I know are about to go their own ways and experience life the way they want - whether that be by going to university, travelling, working - thrills me in such a way that I have such hope for the future, not just for me but for everyone I know. The thought that these same people will probably become a rarity in my life doesn't sadden me, but excites me; they're going to grow and change and experience and be. As someone who believes that life is a rollercoaster - thanks to Bill Hicks - I couldn't be more excited for them. 

The Illusion of Free Will

Wow.
Well this is interesting.
This is a lecture by Sam Harris, explaining his theory that free will does not exist, and to be honest it does make a lot of sense. I have always been a believer that people are the way they are for a reason, whether it be nature or nurture, the truth of the matter is, you do not chose who you become and Harris articulates this perfectly. However he takes it a step further saying "you do not chose what you chose" - this implies thinking of what you were going to chose before you actually thought it. (He explains it a hell of a lot better than that, I promise). 
Take a generic psychopath; there is scientific evidence to suggest that the neurological mechanisms in a psychopaths brain are different to that of a "normal" - not normal...stable - person. They did not chose that. Plus all the nurture variables, such as childhood and traumatic life events; people do not chose that either. And you can put it into perspective by looking at it like this; you did not chose your parents, just like Bin Laden's children did not chose theirs (the poor bastards). 
And I personally prefer this way of thinking. It promotes a more empathetic view and in many ways humanises people. 

Any ways, here is the lecture. Watch it if you're interested. It's only 1.20hrs long.

Dirty Girls

Recently, Lydia showed me this short video documentary, shot in 1996 about "dirty girls". Dirty girls are defined in this video as girls who don't wash, don't do their make up, basically any girl not conforming to what a woman "should" be like. Basically the stereotypical view on an extreme feminist. The views of the people in the high school it was shot at was, what I can only describe as, prejudice and judgemental. These "dirty girls" dress and look the way they want because they believe they don't need to glorify themselves for anybody and any one who stands for women's rights - which, by the way, if you do classes you as a feminist (you do not need to be a Dirty Girl to be a feminist) - should be completely understanding and supporting of their lifestyle. Sure, it is nice to look nice - I do my make up and dress semi-decent most of the time (I have been said to pull off the "homeless" look) - however if someone else, especially a woman, does not feel the need to do so then how is that any of your business? If it were a boy who were to come into school, or anywhere for that matter, without washing their hair or wearing the most basic of clothes no one would bat an eye lid because it's ok if guys don't want to try. Many girls even find it attractive. But as soon as a woman doesn't pretty themselves up then it's gross. And what's weird is that it's considered rebelling. In many ways it is, however if society didn't have these ridiculous ideologies of how women should be like, and pressurise them so much to be these ideologies then, of course, it wouldn't be.
One guy in it says "it's easy to rebel"...Well considering the amount of abuse these girls are getting for being who they are, I really don't think it is. It's easy to conform to what other people expect since you won't get the judgement that everyone hates receiving.
What I found most shocking about the whole thing is that most of the judgement came from girls themselves. Gurl, these women are standing up for your gender and your right for equality, they do not deserve your snide comments. One girl in the video says and I quote "I find it personally offensive they're fighting for women because I'm a woman, you know, and they're not". Wait... what?! You know what a "real" woman is? There is no such thing. Gender is not two separate boxes any more (even though I truly believe it never was). There is a wide spectrum of gender - and sexuality for that matter - that nowadays should be accepted and celebrated; girls do not have to be feminine and men do not have to be masculine. We are past the point of gender roles and putting people into stereotypical boxes. This is the 21st century and we have bigger problems to worry about than how other people chose to portray themselves.
Feminism has come a long way in the past 100 years but that doesn't mean we should stop now. And when I say "we" I do not just mean women, I mean any one who believes in equality of gender.





If anyone is interested then here is the link to "Dirty Girls". When you watch it, I know a few of you won't agree with their views but just remember, it's their life, their choice and at the end of the day, they're just being themselves.

The hippie dream

When I think of what I want from life, the only thing I truly want is freedom; the freedom to travel, the freedom to live each day as it comes, the freedom to do what I want when I want and not have to listen to the critical bullshit from Westernised conservatives who believe that every other way than their own is wrong. In other words, I want to live the hippie dream. 

The hippies are undoubtedly the one's who figured out the meaning of life. Now, I know a lot of people see hippies as unconstitutional druggies with no aim in life but if you were to seriously listen to what they had to say you would see they do have an aim; to live in a way which steers clear of superficiality and focus on what really matters which is spirituality, peace, understanding and love. Conforming to a society that someone doesn't feel a part of and following a dream that isn't theirs shouldn't be a necessity to be accepted as a "decent" human being. Everyone should be allowed to do what they want; if you want to work and earn a certain sum of money, that's fine, just don't look down on people who don't want the same as you. I watched a documentary recently on Goa, a place in India where a lot of the hippies migrated to in the late 60's and 70's called The Last Hippie Standing and there was a man on there who said people get too attached to things which are essentially tools for living. Yes, having a mobile is great but it's just tool to communicate with others; it is dangerous to get too attached because one day it might not be as useful as you think and you will have to do something to work your way around it. Dont panic, just do. One of the most liberating moments of my life was when I spent a week traveling all over the UK with out a phone. As silly as it may seem but it made me feel completely to my own devices, no phone numbers, no time, no Facebook and no Google maps. Solitude is bliss and I'm incredibly lucky that survival is so easy to me. 

At the end of this year I am leaving for South East Asia; 8 months on my own - of course I will have to take my phone because I think both my parents would have a simultaneous heart attacks if I dont contact them within two weeks - however with the earth between my toes and wanderlust in my heart, I believe that this is what I'm meant to do.

Django - the D is silent **spoilers**

I've been talking a lot recently about how much I love the movie Django but I don't think anyone fully understands how much I mean it.
I don't even know how to describe this film but the best movie I have seen in a while. Everything about it is just so...badass. I usually hate that word but it is perfectly fitting; the cinematography, Jamie Foxx, the soundtrack, Christoph Waltz and of course that fucking shoot out scene; never have I gotten so excited over a three minute chunk of a film. I originally downloaded it because I was so eager to see it and being just a poor boy from a poor family I had no money to see it in the cinema right away, but as soon as I did, I went on a movie date with Sammy and oh...my...God. In my opinion, there are very few films actually worth seeing at the cinema and this is definitely one of them. And I am so unbelievably happy I got to experience it because being 17, I was worried I wouldn't be allowed to get in. Plus, you know, its Quentin Tarantino.
Let's start with the context. Slavery. It happened ok, so there's no point getting offending by the movies theme or the fact the word "nigger" is said at least 150 times because that's just how it was in those days. It is such an ugly part of both races history - the black community having suffered through it and the white community causing it - and for many years it has been a taboo, especially in America.  People have to come to the terms that this is history and even though the whole scenario and the characters are fiction, it doesn't stop it from being any less real. Tarantino said in the famous "I'm shutting your butt down" interview at how happy he was with the controversy it has caused since it's "creating a nice debate" which I have to agree. Something which I was surprised with though was how people responded to the violence in the film. First of all, I'm sorry but it's a Tarantino film what do you fucking expect? Secondly, am I the only one who noticed two very different types of violence? The first type I like to call "Typical Tarantino Turbulence". This is your badass, shoot every motherfucker in sight just because you can. Now let me get this straight, in real life I am completely opposed to gun violence in every way but when it comes to a cinematic performance it's difficult not to get a small amount of glee watching the good guys shoot the bad guys in such a drastic non-realistic way, especially when it's set to music which you would wish to play in real life if you were ever in the same position. And what I think makes this violence much more powerful than usual is the fact that Django is not only standing up for himself and saving the love of his life, but standing up for an entire race. The second type I witnessed, which honestly made me feel a little sick, was the realistic violence, for example the "Madingo" fight. But the fact it made me feel ill only adds to the cinematic experience; this kind of thing happened people. This is fact. It's hard hitting, and the non-racist white folk may want to ignore it but this is what our ancestors put them through.
It's the little things like this which I think make Tarantino one of the greatest directors in history. His cinematography skills never fail to impress me. The soundtrack is unbelievable too. The song played during the opening credits - which is called "Django" surprisingly - gives the feeling of just another western, but when you get into the film, the always fantastic Rick Ross, James Brown and 2Pac make an apperance. Now this has been criticised - one blogger describing it "hippety-hop yo yo yo yo yo" music (yes, i know) - but is in fact a very clever way of interpreting modern black culture into a movie about their ancestry. 
And as always, the dialogue is phenomenal. My favourite being in the infamous Klu Klux Klan scene. Yes, I know it's considered one of the more offensive scenes in the movie but really look at the situation. They are about to go savagely murder two men simply because one of them is black and the other is a "nigger lover" yet they're bickering over their hoods because they "can't see fucking shit".
The reason Tarantino put pen to paper was "to give black American males a Western hero". And he definitely did. Jamie Foxx's performance is, in my opinion, absolutely brilliant. And it's completely unexpected; if I was the one to write this, I never would have thought to cast Jamie Foxx and it just would not have been the same. And it's not just him who adds so much the film. Of course I am on about Christoph Waltz, the adorable, lovable German, with a face which looks like it's been carved by the little bean toes of kittens. He's just incredible. I really liked his performance in Inglorious Bastards; he was the villain you couldn't help but like because he's so cool and adorable. And I after watching Django Unchained, I realised it was because Christoph Waltz was cast. Leonardo DiCaprio was just Leonardo DiCaprio. Perfect as always. (WHY HASN'T HE WON AN OSCAR?!). Again the villain you can't help but have a soft spot for simply because of the casting. Samuel L. Jackson was a weird one for me. Basically Lydia watched the movie before me and said she didn't recognise him until she looked him up which confused both of us because he's Samuel L. Jackson. So I watched the movie seeing if I could spot him; it took me 45 minutes since his first appearance on screen to finally identify him. How I didn't recognise one of the most famous actors of our time, I do not know. But when you watch it, notice how different he looks! 

So the next time I say I love Django Unchained, now you know I fucking mean it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrsJDy8VjZk << "I'm shutting your butt down" interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MowLQ5cC1eg << The best scene omfg

Introduction

I'm going to be honest, I don't really know why I have started this blog. I guess it would be a comforting idea that other people out there think similarly to me, believed the same philosophies and shared the same ideas. However I don't even think I want people to read what I'm writing because of how honest I want to be through this; but then what's the point of a blog right? 
I'll start with introducing myself on a somewhat superficial level, then as the blog progresses whoever reads this will eventually get a perception of who I am.
I'm 17 to start with, so ignorant towards a lot of things, however completely aware of the "real world" so don't tell me to see how difficult things are when I "enter" it like it's a whole other dimension because I am not going to fucking listen. 
I go to sixth form in my home town  and I used to hate it. Last year I wasn't happy there at all and everyone used to annoy me constantly however that's changed; I'm not quite sure why but this year I'm just happier with the whole dynamics and even though there are a few select people I know I'll never get on well enough with to consider friends and they play the shittest music known to man in the common room when I leave I'll probably miss it. I'm doing English Literature, Psychology and Art. English Literature I chose simply because of the fabulous Giles Watson, one of the most underrated human beings in history; I believe that when he leaves the school there should be a statue of him displayed proudly in front the school with his glorious shirts and waistcoats and a pipe. I chose psychology because I'm interested in human nature and I like trying to understand why people think and behave the way they do - my teacher for psychology Rebecca Heath too deserves some sort of memorabilia at the school. Art was one of my choices because I love everything about it; the concept not particularly the subject; too much coursework and I think the way they mark it is too structured for such an abstract subject. My favourite artist is Vincent Van Gogh; he's the only artist who has given me goosebumps and actually made me shed a tear. 
Sometimes I'm too socially awkward for my own good which I know is stupid because I don't have to impress anyone, I just think people need time to come to terms to how weird I can be.
I love music. It's an expression of emotion I can't quite comprehend; how someone can write beautiful lyrics and finds the correct succession of chords and beats is beyond me as someone with no musical talent. And even though I would love to be musical, the fact I'm not in a way it makes it all the more interesting that there are people out there who have the ability to create emotions through sound. 
I am also a huge movie fan. Certain movies have just got it ie: The Great Dictator. That fucking speech is hair raising. My favourite directors are Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson both of which are on the complete opposite sides of the scale. I will probably write - at some point - at just how amazing they are. 
I think I finally know what to do with my life but I have no fucking clue how to get there. All I want to do is humanitarian work, so maybe work for the UN? Work my way to the point where I can start my own organisation and help people my own way, because being just another member of an organisation doesn't seem satisfying enough for me. Maybe do some writing on the side. Hopefully one day, a creative spark will explode and a best selling novel will be written through my pen and I can use that money to travel and give to schools and help people in debt. Hey, it's not impossible. 
I think people should be more honest and genuine, not just to others but to themselves. Other people aren't going to be in your life forever, but you will be. 
I am also a true believer in empathy. The worlds would be a much better place if we were all a bit more empathetic and understanding towards one another. 

My dinner party guests include:
Christopher McCandless
Jim Morrison
Charlie Chaplin
Charles Manson
Vincent Van Gogh
Lydia Woodall
Joe Thurston
James Kane
It would be the fucking greatest.

I think that's about it for now. I don't really have a lot to say about myself to be honest.