It May be Bad, but it's Perfectly Good for You (Sing Title With Rihanna's S&M Song)

Today I read an article about how the practise of BDSM can actually be beneficial for you.

The article even suggested that s&m practitioners are happier than people who enjoy their sex 'vanilla'. 

The article can be found here and I would urge you to take a peak - I found the results very interesting. 

I'm not to sure where this post is going to head. 

I'm not sexually active myself, so I can't really go on about trying it right now, I just need to buy a whip. 

I guess it was an interesting article and if you want, take a look. 

Just ignore the comments underneath though - people have a habit of being silly with these kind of things. And unfortunately they're adults.

I also apologise about the title - in my head it's witty and entertaining, but that's just me. 

Dangers Of Technology: Instagram

I'm not one who is attracted to the app, Instagram. 
Mainly because people my age use is to take 'selfies' (pictures of themselves) and post them for people to see. I never look good when I take a selfie - I think it's my short arm span. 
It has attracted 100 million users as of May 2013, with 4 billion photos. 

Like any piece of technology, if you're a user you need to check your privacy settings, amongst other things. 
Blocking - if you find someone is taking your images and using them for use you don't like, you can block them. You can block anyone who you don't wish to be viewing your profile. 
Geotagging - it is turned off by default, but if turned on it automatically sends out the location of where the picture was taken to your followers and the public (if you don't have privacy settings). 
You can also report a photo - more info for protecting your privacy can be found here. 

While Instagram is used as a tool to take and manipulate amazing, beautiful photos and share them with the ones you love, there are always going to be people who abuse the app. 
With the certain 'anonymity' that comes with Instagram (well the Internet in general, really) it's not surprising that it is used to display sexual photos and content. 
There are even hash-tag terms #instaporn and #instasex, for people who want to find and spread the content of these types of images. 
More about this can be found here.

Then today I read an article on NineMSN. It can be found right here. 
Reading the title, I thought it was going to be about a teenager who was abusing the app to get attention from boys, but was horrified when I read what it was really about. 
This scares me more than anything. That there are some sicko's out there who would steal pictures of a baby/child and use them for a 'sexualised role-playing' game. Urgh, the thought sends shivers up my spine. 
This is a complete new danger that isn't thought about. It's one that is so sick, the thought that someone would create this (then have people play it) is just....urgh, again I'm disgusted. 
The creators of Instagram have since deleted the sicko's account and search and delete others they find.  

I believe it is unfortunate that an app like this, which is clever, popular, fun and easy to use gets manipulated and abused, becoming an app used for the wrong reasons (by some). 

While I may not have Instagram I believe it's still a great tool, and if used correctly a total time consumer of entertainment. 
If you have Instagram remember to check your privacy settings on occasion (and make sure geotagging is turned off!)
If you're a parent remember to warn your teenager of the dangers - of the Internet in general really. Also I read that the terms of use say that if you're under 12 you can't actually join anyway; something to ponder. 

I believe people need to be wary of the dangers that Instagram (along with other Internet sites) pose. 

I Feel Like I Just got Smacked in the Face

Hey Dudes, 
If you're like me, then writing is the thing for you.
You've wanted to write since you were in grade five. A wee little lass with a heart of gold (and delusions) on being a successful writer one day; preferably partying it up with JK and Tolkien (in my defence, in year five, I didn't know he was dead - I was only 11 after all). 

You go through High School and what you want to be changes - I remember teacher, nurse, actress, dancer,  Kardashian (just to name a few). 

Then something pulls you back on the writing path. Whether it was writing a journal for the sake of writing, reading a whole lot because you love to be transported in a new world, writing a blog, loving English class. Whatever it may have been, something pulls you back onto the writing path. 
Next thing you know, you're off at University studying the writing way. 

And we're back in present day. 

I have been studying writing at Uni for a year and a half now (there are multiple posts on it, so feel free to browse) and I'm already half way through my degree. 
Listening to lecturer's say that (if you put in the work) publishing - in whatever form - is possible. 
It's this advice I listen to the most - I mean I'm supposed to, right? 
Then today I came across another blog. 
It told me that being published is not an option, it's not going to happen and if you think that it is, bury your face in the sand and wait for flying pigs because it's never going to happen. 

I don't know this lady personally. 
I've never even come across her or her blog before now. 
People who have actually had books published and live off it have told me otherwise. 

Though what she said felt like a slap in the face. I guess I have a lot riding on this writing thing and if it fails for me...well I don't know what I'll do. Fuck, I sound so pessimistic, sorry.
I have it in my head that it will all work out, but there is a lot of doubt as well. I guess when people tell me that it wont happen I believe them. 

Sorry for being a downer right now, but I needed to get that all out. 

By the way, I checked some of her other posts, including: 
- Don't Do What you Love           &
- Never go to Grad School 

Yeah, something tells me I should treat this women's words like water off a ducks back. 

Why Australian's Love Eurovision

It's that time of the year again. And Eurovision 2013 has been and gone. 

Naturally I watched. 

I was shocked (and super psyched) when the host mentioned Australia (twice!) I think it was the first time Australia has gotten a shout out. 
If you didn't watch it the host made a comment that the show is watched all around the world, including Australia. I swear, I heard the audience gasp. I couldn't understand why it was such a big deal. 

I'm Australian and I've been watching it for years. I also know that most of my followers are from overseas and live in countries that do compete. 
So, for you guys here's my breakdown on why Australian's LOVE Eurovision.

#1 
Heritage and Roots. 
Australia is a diverse, multicultural society. I think (personally) Australia is the country with the most cultural diverseness. People who live here have ancestors, and relatives that come from all over the world - including Europe. A lot of people watch it as a cultural connection for ancestral purposes. As Australia is not apart of Eurovision, it's a chance for people to go for a country that usually they might not go for if Australia was involved. I have Maltese heritage and I definitely go for Malta during Eurovision. 

#2
Two Different Worlds. 
Sometime's when watching Eurovision I'm astounded at some of the acts - 'that's entertainment for you guys' I think. The performances, the show itself, the costumes, the atmosphere - it can be completely different from Australian shows and lifestyles. For three days we get swept away in the Eurovision world, and while sometime's we may laugh at your oddness, we totally love it. 

#3 
Pure Entertainment. 
This doesn't need explanation - you guys know how to put on a show. Every year you know how to make us laugh, cringe, cry, cheer and jeer - all in the name of entertainment. Wherever it may be held, Eurovision keeps Australian's on the edge of their seats. 

#4
It Keeps us Cultured.
I like to think that watching Eurovision makes me cultured. I know that you vote for your neighbours (don't deny it) and watching the voting the other night,  I felt intelligent that I could "guess" who would receive the major votes from particular countries because of who their neighbours/allies were and who they needed to kiss-arse. Saying you watch Eurovision here is different from European countries. In Europe, you're just expected to watch. While in Australia it makes you look cultured, worldly, smart and aware. 

Congratulations Denmark - I loved the song. 
Even though I'll be on the other side of the world, I will be tuning in next year and I can't wait. 

The Fine Line of a Facebook Status.

This morning I was looking down my Facebook news feed. 

http://www.marylandwriter.net/2011_04_06_archive.html

{For those who don't have Facebook, it's basically the home page. On the news feed you can see what your friends are up to. It also shows status' of groups and pages you have 'liked'. You just scroll down the news feed to get your daily gossip hit.} 

I came across one status that 11 people had liked. It was full of grammar mistakes and errors.

I was dumbfounded by the simple spelling mistakes this person had achieved. 

Now I understand there's a difference between a couple of spelling mistakes, which let's face it, we all make. But this was ridiculous and all throughout their status. 

I had the urge to comment on their status - to put an asterisk {*} then the correct spelling next to it. 

But I had to fight the urge. I knew if I did comment I would look like a know-it-all and be bagged out by her and at least the 11 people who liked it. 

She's also Miss Popularity, if that supports my argument on why I didn't. 

Instead I fought like a sissy - made my own status about fighting the 'bad guy' {bad spelling and grammar} in a sort of self-accomplishment/super hero way. 

As the time ticked, no one had like it. The worst thing to happen on Facebook is for no one to 'like' your status. It sucks - and happens to me all the time - I must be horrible at framing things in a likeable way. 

This brings me to the fine line that is present within every status. 

You need to write something witty, to the point, grabs people's attention while also being entertaining. It's a hard thing to do. 

There are the status' that are always going to get likes: birthday messages, funny pictures, pictures of a pet and/or baby. 

Popular people can write whatever tripe they want and manage to pull 20 likes from their ass-licker friends. 

Depressing and Sulky Sue status' also get likes - even if they're only for pity or as a way to cheer the 'sad' and totally not 'attention seeking' person up. 

If your status goes for too long, people get bored and don't read all of it. However if you're talking about a passionate issue then you can keep people reading. Or likes, just because they want to look cultured. 

If you sound stupid, drunk, suicidal etc, people won't like them either. Who wants to be associated with someone like that?

Don't talk about anything too serious AKA asylum seekers - while you might get the likes of people who want to look cultured {like before} widely debatable issues like that can make people feel uncomfortable and feel like they will be judged on their opinion. So they'll stay clear. Though kudos to you for using social media to get issues like that out there. 

One thing that I will mention is posting a status of a Facebook page. 

For example: 

- It's called a status; not a diary. 

- From one to Lord Voldemort, how awkward are your hugs? 

- Not having a hot body because let's face it, food is better. 

These are funny quotes and they do great {'likes' wise} as status'.  

But too often I see someone who has done this with a page I have liked myself. I've seen the joke, you're not original and the people who have 'liked' your status thinks you are. 

This annoys me so much - so while you may get away with being original - there is the chance someone has already 'liked' that page and call you out for stealing their joke. 

For many, a Facebook status takes no time at all. 

If you're like me, I like to think about it, check for mistakes and reword it to the best of the status' ability. 

I believe there is a fine line between a successful status and a fail one. Now I just need to perfect it. 

* by the way, I just checked Facebook again, and my status has likes. Yay! 

I Went to A Hipster Bar. Just A Random Story

Something I have never mentioned is this - I don't like hipsters.

There's something about their twee, ray bans glasses and skinny jeans wearing, ironic ironing, obscure band loving personalities that I don't understand.
I don't want to get into the the revolution of the hipster, but I will say this. For a group of people who survive on the notion of being unidentifiable, it is very easy to pin-point one out. Or have they done that deliberately - to be ironic?
God, I don't know.

I think I only hate them (hate is such a strong word though) because as a normal person - well kinda - I'm supposed to not like them. Isn't that how it goes?

So it was with a cautious mind (and a body full of alcohol) that I stumbled into a bar 1am on Friday Morning. This little bar in Canberra is notoriously known to be a hipster bar - the bar for the weirdos and outcasts. I wont mention it, even if it would be a good plug (not that anyone from Canberra actually reads this, mind you).

It wasn't my plan to stumble into the bar, by the way. My friends and I were off somewhere else when we arrived outside their pub door. Someone said, "hey let's go in here," and before I knew it I was handing my ID to the bouncer.

Oh, quick story about the bouncer - as you know I celebrated my 20th birthday last Monday, and looking at my ID card, the bouncer wished me a happy birthday. He then mentioned that his birthday was also in May (go figure!) and giving me a fist bump, he let me inside.

So as you could imagine I was feeling hyped-up when  I walked inside. Straight away I could smell it. My exact thoughts were:
It smells like hipster in here. 
OK, so I don't know what a hipster is supposed to smell like, nor one of their bars. I think I was so off my face that I was looking for an excuse to bag the bar out - even if the bouncer was the best May birthday Bouncer around.

My friends and I sat on one of their couches and in less than five minutes, a tan looking guy has sat on our table. Like, I mean, literally on the table.
I can't tell you much about our conversation. Not because I can't remember it, but because he was so drunk and his speech was so slurred, I don't think anyone could understand a full sentence he said. He called me beautiful (naw, modern love story. HA!) and I was confused about the person who I couldn't understand a word from.
He didn't look like a hipster. He didn't have the glasses, the beard or moustache, the Mr. Know It All demeanour, the flannel shirt and even though he wore jeans, they weren't the skinny type; not that I was looking.

While I was talking to Mr. Tan Man the Slurred, I realised two of my friends were joined by another.
Where in the hell did he come from? 
I had no idea how long he'd been there but some other dude had made himself comfy on the couch.
I noticed our table now had 5 drinks.
One was Mr. Tan's, one must of been for this random guy - and the other three? Well this other dude must have been feeling generous that night.

I turned my attention to this new guy; we are going to call him Tattoo man. He was covered in them! I also noticed they were all inspired by the female figure. Some of which were his exes apparently. And they all were voluptuous on top - just thought I'd give you a visual.
He was talking about the human brain - complete bullsh*t. While he went on trying to impress my friends with his know how attitude, I realised we had come across a more usual figure that would be seen in this bar. I wouldn't call him a hipster, per say, more like a deadbeat who likes to smoke acid in Sydney (another one of his stories).
He had a beard thing going on, a piercing on his right eyebrow, but  I can't remember what clothes he was wearing. But his face said it all - I had come across a native bar dweller.

I looked around the bar - it was full of hipster men. They all had the costumes (sorry I mean, clothes), the beards, the old man hats, the beers (though it was a bar), the conversations of know-it-all's (I mean intellectual people) and the smell - which is unidentifiable - Oh, my, god - is that irony right there?!

I also noticed for the first time the hipster women. Two of them were standing near the bar. If I hadn't been in a hipster bar I would have thought they were lesbians (but now I'm just being a b*tch). Jeans, casual tees and short, short hair (not that those are identifiers for a lesbian, but whatever).

There was also one on another couch opposite to us. She was sprawled on the couch like she owned the place. Long dark hair, kinda tanned (but that could've been the lighting) and wearing mismatched clothes. 
She kept a close eye on the guys that walked past, and when one sat next to her, she was attentive and keen. I think she was trying to pick up, but I don't know how their minds work. 

I realise, I haven't actually talked much about the bar. Sorry. 
The bar itself was small - but I liked that. 
It was cosy (and more importantly) warm and all the odd stuff they had on the wall was interesting and fun to look at - not that I remember what they were. 
The music they played (when  I recognised what they were) were 'old-school' and ones I haven't heard in a long time. 

The bar itself was a cute and great place to hang out. The people I think, less so; but I'm biased. 

This post was to say that I have officially been to a hipster bar. And I mingled with the people who dwell there. 

Jealousy Monster has Arisen Once More. Oh Boy :/

So a few weeks ago (or thereabouts) I wrote a piece about being a jealous singleton; basically me being jealous over smug, happy couples, after which I may have gotten off my face in beer and tears. But anyway...

This post is about me being Jealous over authors. Not all authors, only a few really, ones that are younger, more unique, and more talented (I think anyway) than me. Also, did I mention these teen-talents are published too? Ergh. 
Let me begin...

Over the past few months I've really gotten into literary journals - mostly the ones that promote local talent. I've only recently have submitted something myself and is currently waiting for the 'no. This is a rejection' reply. 
Some of the work is really amazing, like Oh, My God - others go over my head and others aren't my style - but we all have our opinions. 

It was however, that I came across one piece that I wasn't a fan of. After looking up the author's bio at the back of the journal, I found she had a blog, and decided I'd check it out. 
On the blog I found other pieces of writing - much better than her one in the journal. I started to really like her work and thought she was talented - this hasn't changed.
However, I then discovered that this talented, little Pixie is only 16. She's only 16?! Mother F*cker!!!!!! 

I was furious. How could someone, who is so young, be writing that stuff, getting published and be really talented?
I then made the discovery - she has had her work printed in multiple journals - some more than once. She also is an artist and had different forms of writing, artwork and whatever else this little Pixie can produce out there into the public. 

roigbiongorbnrginienfoenfnwleofniobnfnengirbiorfwfmrrpwofmv. 

Sorry, the jealousy monster in the pit of my soul took over. I discovered this weeks ago, and still haven't gotten control of it. 
I mean....I don't even....blah. 

I can't help but compare everything I do with her. And I'm losing. 
I know I sound pathetic, and a tad ridiculous...OK seriously ridiculous, but I can't help it - it's in my nature. 

I know it's like comparing apples and oranges; we have our own unique style, you can't compare because you are different, blah, blah, blah.
But this chick is a f**king mango - and who doesn't like mangoes?! 

It probably doesn't help that I celebrated my 20th birthday the other day, and I'm coming to the realisation that...I'm getting old. Like, a bad old, not the good old when you're still a teenager and can't wait to be 'older'. I'm getting walking-stick older - not good. 

So, with a face of defeat - though it's been a battle between myself, so I can hardly complain - I decided to write about it in Thought Bubble. 
As I logged on, I had a check over the other blogs I follow. One is for writers - I know, predictable! 
I scrolled down to a post written about a book for children. 
It has won many awards - well a couple anyway,
the author of the blog seemed to enjoy it,
it's a proper, out in the shelves published book,
and the author is ten years old........

What?! 

Yes, that's right people (or should I say write ;) lol) the author is a ten year old!

All of a sudden, that 16 year old is looking like a comrade in arms right now. 

I don't know how the Jealousy Monster is going to take this news. 

So Many Assignments! Yet no Motivation

Hello Interwebs, 
How are you this chilly, yet sunny Autumn day? (unless you're overseas somewhere North, in that case, happy Spring?) 

Anyway, you'd be proud to know that I handed in my 2,500 word essay today :) 
Yay for Daydreamer! 
And I got some marks back from another unit - didn't fail anything; actually I did pretty well. 

So after a long day of editing, reading, writing, compiling bibliographies, I'm so tired. 
Though I can't rest - next week is a big week, which I have three things due :/ scared right now. None of them are finished by the way - in fact, there's one I haven't even started. 

Also, did I mention that I have a birthday next week? 
So on top of all that, I have a birthday to contend with. Though if it was anything like last years - which you can read here, I'll have nothing to worry about. By the way, I say there's fictional elements within the piece and I may have used my real name*. 

So it's with urgency I better start these assignments - but I just don't feel motivated. Even yesterday (a day before the essay was due) I was 'meh' to the whole thing. I guess that proves that it's late in the semester. Actually, I've only got a couple more weeks and I'm done. More time to blog - yay! 

ha, ha, I can hear you guys going 'nooooo' :P 

Sorry, for the boring post. I'm tired, and there ain't much going on in my life right now. But that doesn't stop me blogging. 
I promise next time will have something more interesting :) 

*something I never do by the way. Hm, I guess that proves I was really angry when I wrote it, and seriously need to change it. Actually I think I will.....