My abs are in total and utter agony!

I have spent the last hour in total agony, almost rolling on the floor with laughter. I feel as though my abs and diaphragm have ruptured. I laughed so hard I was sick and as I was cleaning up my own vomit, I was laughing still. What was the cause of my mirth?

People, of course. People make me laugh harder than anything. Especially today's little 'click' of web-warriors. Those kids who trawl the internet for people and things they dislike and 'flame' them (their word for bad-mouthing, insulting heavily, or roundly abusing) for the ultimate crime... Enjoying something that they don't enjoy.

DUM DUM DUUUUM!!!

Oh my god it's hilarious. They don't agree with you and they are making damn sure you know about it. These poor souls are so insecure in themselves that they feel threatened by anything contrary to their own opinions. The effect is simple; they try to make you feel stupid for being different. The comedy for me lies in the fact that they fail to realise that there are opinions in the world other than theirs and that most people's opinions are just that - Opinions.

There are different styles of writing, poetry, music, art and general creativity because everyone has their unique way of expressing themselves. This is why our world is crammed full of variation, beauty, surprises and flavours.

You may not understand why I find all of this so incredibly comical, even after reading this. I am unable to explain it unfortunately, without the aid of facial expression and tonality of speech. Should you like to know more, come have a chat to me in person - the way we were meant to communicate.

Although perhaps it would be helpful to utilise your imagination and picture the hunched, angst-addled form huddled over it's keyboard, furiously slapping out the most poisonous words they can muster in the fervent hope that you will be reformed to their way of thinking... Only to press "send" and have all that effort evaporate into a cloud of ineffective html code... words on a website... their legacy... a puddle of hexadecimal futility...

Couldn't be arsed?

Have you ever found yourself sitting in front of your computer - an empty dialog box on your screen just waiting to be filled with all the ideas that are charging their merry paths through your mind - and suddenly realised that you just couldn't be arsed to make the necessary effort to write?

That's the situation I'm in right now. I'm sitting here, caring very little about writing, today. My brain says nobody reads what I write, so I may as well just think my thoughts and save the carpal tunnel syndrome for the gamers to enjoy. Then the other bit of me steps in and declares from it's soap box that without me there would be an impassable void in the very cosmos, for my ideas are essential to change.

I think one of my sides may be lying. 

Now to figure out which one... but what if they're both pulling the politician card? Who do I vote for? When's the election? When will I find out how badly I chose when I X'ed my ballot? Who are these mysterious voices that seem to be constantly at odds? It's probably not a battle of good versus evil. It's definitely not got to do with deities. So what's cutting, here? Well, never mind. I've just realised I'm not bothered about that question either.

I believe I have reached a point where I'm too lazy to even continue this sen

Some stuff.

I'd like to tell you all that there is a band called A Chinese Restaurant who are currently doing really rather pleasant things to my earballs. Your mom won't enjoy it, but who really cares? We're all just riding the sound waves to the next band, on our own missions in life. Interestingly enough, although this band isn't much different from any other emotionally powered shouty music, I find myself enjoying their music over the rest at the moment. If you disagree, go talk about how lame i am to your friends. they'll all back you up, which will feel good - better at least than fighting on the Internet.

Secondly, I'd like to torture you with my lack of poetic skill.

Breathing her perfume

My fingers trailing

My mark over her skin

---

Layla's passion infects me

She pictures me

Smiles at me

Empathises with me

Broken

The above is a total fan gush about Layla Brooklyn Allman from a nice little band called Picture Me Broken. Her vocals are pure mint flavoured gold... but again... your mom won't like it. 

Lastly, I'd like to point all of you to a poet with some serious skill. Check out her blog and her twitter feed for some astounding work.

GO NOW.

#micropoetry

For our actions - We will burn
For my assistance - I already am
I changed you for the better
The transition caused you heart ache.


---


Ask my opinion
For my opinion
Will set you
Free


---


Feelings feint
REM rattles me
Jagged gait
I flee, wounded


---


Crumbling fortress
Dear maiden cracked, Broken
Falling gaze
Her destruction - The truth


---


Watching intently as
My sorrows fly
South for winter


---


Banned from contact
You at my fingertips
Yet unattainable

Henry Rollins and curious living

Having watched Henry Rollins' stand up comedy and spoken word, I find myself reeling from the fresh blast of information and all of the ideas that come crackling along in it's wake.

The biggest lesson I have learned from Rollins' Provoked and Uncut Israel shows is a concept he calls "Living curiously". It's an interesting idea. I know all of us love a nutshell of summarised information, so here it is:

Curious living is questioning everything, reading up on everything you find yourself interested in, going out and meeting people from different walks of life - while keeping an open mind.

For those of you who are happy at this point, feel free to stop reading now. Goodbye! For the rest of you (if you exist), I will take this opportunity to waffle on about my ideas.

I have always enjoyed talking to people who have different points of view to my own. There is a feeling of hope that grows inside me as I find my judgement of others being proven wrong. I discover that behind every prejudice is someone who is simply trying to get through each day of their lives. From conversations with the homeless, to members of the many religions of the world, I find a consistent trend toward living a full life. Many of the people I found myself judging on sight have turned my mind around to seeing their side of life, the story of how they reached the point of our meeting. It's fascinating.

The idea of a full life is one that differs wildly according you each person's values. I have mine, which is to experience and learn as much as i can about the world around me, while hopefully making a positive impact on those I meet. Perhaps a bit simplistic, but I feel like it's a good path to be on as a 22 year old male. Open mind and an eager ears with a questioning nature.

In a word, curious.

So I reach my challenge to you. Go out and talk to somebody you would usually ignore. Keep your mind open and let them talk. It's a good move.

But for your own sake, be careful and wise about the situations you introduce yourself to.

NATO Air strike Accidentally kills two civilians

Nation
Accidentally
Targets
Orphans.


Accidental
Incidents,
Rightfully.


Strategic
Tragedy
Rampant.
I
Know
Everything


The New York Times recently published an article online about a NATO Air Strike that didn't go quite as planned, resulting in the death of two civilians in Kabul, Afghanistan. The article brought a question to mind, that I will attempt to put across to all of you. 

Let's decide their intent

Based on reputation

And the enemy

By the same brush

Alright - NATO blows two civilians away while they were walking past the target they were preparing to eliminate. Lets assume for a moment that the roles have been switched, shall we? Imagine the article read that two civilians has been killed by a botched Afghani air strike. What would the reaction be?

I can't guarantee anything, but I'm pretty sure there'd be a damn site more of an uproar. Think about it. Allied forces get taken into custody by the "enemy", and the entire Western world hears about it in volumes. What we don't ask is how many of the "enemy" have been captured, brutalized and murdered by the Allies. Is it somehow easier, more acceptable to believe that NATO made an honest mistake than it would be to believe that the "enemy" had done the same?

I'm not saying anyone's right or wrong, here... I am simply wondering where we should draw the line. I am saddened that those civilians lost their lives to military inaccuracy, and I wish their families well. 

The plight of women

Rape - Arguably the most reprehensible of crimes. Rampant and seemingly unstoppable, this crime of violent hatred leaves it's vile stain each passing day. Rape.co.za is an astounding site, full of some truly horrifying figures. I quote:

It is estimated that a woman born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped than learning how to read.

 I have been reading up on the subject lately and would like to offer the resulting poetry, posted first on my twitter account as #micropoetry, as the beginnings of my wish to see an end to this plague.

One way journey

From the state of her hair

Via inter-

coarse abrasions

To the state of her mind

Recklessly defiled

---

She flees

Chased by trauma

Chaste by the river

No more

---

Absorbing tears

My chest

My arms

Her sobbing

---

So many women have been touched by the brutality of such an attack. Many remain silent - perhaps fearful of the consequences. We need to push for greater support systems, increased efforts to protect our women and a system whereby these crimes can be reported and resolved, providing much needed closure for an abused soul. What can we do?