Google Me Baby

Suggested soundtrack: Revolution - The Beatles


I just read a quote whilst reading a news story about how the teenagers of today (yes, this includes me) are addicted to the internet. The article talks in depth about the way people, mainly young people, feel the need to tell all about the way they live, almost to the point of living a life through the internet. I once met someone who said 'Google me baby', strange I know, but I took note of the persons name and later Google'd them. Lo and behold, I found many sites this person was on.

The quote from the article went something like this...

'Kids today. They have no sense of shame. They have no sense of privacy. They are show-offs, fame whores, pornographic little loons who post their diaries, their phone numbers, their stupid poetry—for God’s sake, their dirty photos!—online. They have virtual friends instead of real ones. They talk in illiterate instant messages. They are interested only in attention—and yet they have zero attention span, flitting like hummingbirds from one virtual stage to another.'

I can fully understand this statement. I do have friends who I only know on the internet and who I have never met, I write blogs, have an online diary, I almost constantly update my Twitter feed with whatever is on my mind. Thinking about it, I guess I do have no sense of privacy. I let people know what I feel and think, people who I have never met in my life. I would probably go as far as to say the things I discuss on the internet and 'reveal' about myself, I would not in reality. Not all from that quote is correct though. I do not seek fame, I do not post naked pictures of myself, I do not talk in illiterate instant messages (except maybe when I am having a day where I can't seem to write in English no matter how hard I try). I do actually have 'real friends', I do not however show-off.

There are people that do. I know of people that do all of what was said. With the click of a button I can access a profile of a friend who ticks practically all of the boxes. There are photos of the person practically nude, a number to reach that person on, an email address, a list of places they will be going soon, where they have been, where they live and who they live with, I can see who they are in a relationship with, how they feel, what they are doing and have done. I can fully understand why the person who said this thought what they thought.

It is strange really. If I think of something funny, if I am doing something, if I am listening to something... I feel the need to write it down, to let people know. If I read something I find interesting I will write about it (use this as an example) and if I am pissed of at something I will vent it out on the internet. It is, almost, as if I have no privacy. When I thought about it though, this to me is not a bad thing as such. I choose what I want to communicate, sometimes who I want to communicate to. I am not forced into telling people every small detail about my life, every single thing I think. I choose to reveal certain things though. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons.

When I write in blogs like this, I know straight away there are few people who will view what I have to say. Very few people. On Twitter I only have 72 followers, I have a locked account, I have a chance to check someone out before I let them read what I have to say. In another blog I have, there are but 10 people who I allow to read it. My point being, what I have to write is never written with the intention of everyone reading.

I know for a fact very few people do, and so why do I do it? Certainly not fame, and certainly not attention seeking. It's simply a way of getting things off my chest, clearing my mind or communicating a thought. Facebook is for my friends and family. People who I know and have met. It is simply a quick way of letting people know how I am getting on, finding out about what other people are doing and how other people are and a way to stay in touch. Before I had the internet, I would keep in touch through a text message, or arrange to meet someone through a text, Facebook to me is simply the new text message, a way of keeping up to date with people i may not be able to see. Is that wrong?

On the topic of meeting people on the internet and the mention in the quote of 'friends' on the internet, I understand how to many it can seem weird or wrong. The newspapers are often full of scare stories of people meeting up after talking on the internet, of people who have fell in love on the internet to then finally meet the person in reality and find they are not what was expected, later to be found dead. I can understand why some of the older generations or people in general who do not use the internet often, or at all, can come to the conclusion that every other person on the internet who you have never met is a pedophile, rapist or murderer. I can, when something is shown in the media and reported upon often, it is easy to believe by many.

The point is though, it's not true. Yes, there are people who may be like that, but the majority of people are just normal people, much like myself, much like anyone else. The good thing about the internet is being able to talk to people and discuss with people topics you could never discuss in reality, or be able to talk about things no-one you know in the real world like. Its a place to find someone who has something in common with you, often when you cannot where you live. This can be used for bad, like everything anything can be exploited, but most of the time its used for good.

Theres a book called Blind Faith by Ben Elton which explores and predicts what could happen if we carry on the way we are. Its not done in a completally realistic way. It has many elements of humour, drama and crazy theories that seem ridiculous, but the underlying theme of the book explores the way we could be if we keep revealing everything about ourselves. One message the people in the story convey are "only perverts do things in private", and the law makes sure every little detail about every person is recorded and made possible to view, even to the point of giving birth. People obsessively blog, revealing everything they think and feel, people show their lives through webcams... sound familiar? Maybe we do not do it to the extent of the people in the book, and we are certainly nowhere near, nor do I think we ever will be to the way the people are in the book, but we already have bloggers (am I included in this?) who obsessively blog, and we have Vloggers who obsessively vlog.

A point made in the article I read was that the internet gives people an audience. Its true, if you are reading this now you are essentially an audience, if I read your tweets and your blogs, if I view your videos on YouTube, if I have access to your various sites on the internet... I am part of your audience. We are all now public figures in a sense.

In the same way we can follow what a celebrity does, we can follow what anyone who is on the internet does, permitting they let us. The internet is a chance to say anything you want, essentially and in some cases be who you want... people have control over what they want people to know, some people even adopt an alter-ego, a new identity, and they can live that out on the internet often without ever being caught, or some people share the fact they have alter ego's on sites like second life.

As I stated before, all of this CAN be used wrongly, is used wrongly by some people and like everything can be exploited, but it does give people a chance to escape. Something which stands out for me is the fact that people are in general more accepting of you on the internet, there isn't that first impression as such, that first view of the person where in your mind you judge or are judged. It still happens. Someone could see my picture and call me an emo, they could read this blog and say whatever they want, but they would not know me and know what I am like without first looking into what it is I am saying or what I communicate... when in real life often people judge far too quickly and write people off without giving them a chance.

One of the most interesting things the article brought up was the fact that your life can essentially be seen in years to come. Every tweet I post now I can see in years, and that will be a documentation of what I was doing on a certain day, at a certain time, these blogs could be viewed and I can see how I felt or thought about something, my Facebook page will have pictures of me as I am now. In the same way, anyone who has access to these sites I visit now and update on a regular basis will be able to do the same, potential employers could easily access this blog and see what I was like, new friends could do the same.

The truth is, we cannot really say how this will effect the people who do it now in the future. We may all relish the fact that we have documented our whole lives, we may love it that even when we go the things we have thought our whole lives will be alive still... or on the other hand there may come a time when many of us who go through the aging process will want to shut the curtain and leave all this behind.

Many older people I know simply don't understand or can't understand why we do what we do. In the same way I'm sure there were people who were alarmed and didn't understand when telephone calls took over sending letters. Its a change, a transition. Practically anyone a similar age to me, and many much older and younger have Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, Twitter and endless other accounts on endless other sites, and this is our change, a change overall. We have no way of knowing what will be next, or how this will effect us when we age.

The future generations may have something new that we don't understand... and this is my point, that quote is ignorant to the fact that with time and technology changing, people change, the way people live changes and in essence everything does change.

To quote the article once more, and to finish this blog:

'The real question is, as with any revolution, which side are you on?'

Oh, and blink your eyes silly now because those white lines will be there a while (you will see when you look away from this page), don't worry though, it wears off soon enough.

Head Like a Hole

Suggested Soundtrack: Head Like a Hole - Nine Inch Nails

I have just read what could possibly be one of the most cringe-worthy news stories I have read in a LONG time. For the faint hearted and males out there, read with caution.

A woman was performing a sexual favour upon a work mate in a car, this favour being of an oral nature. Yes, she was giving the work mate, her boss, a blow job. She by the way, was a 30 year old secretary, which means very little but adds a little more depth to the story.

So, the secretary is giving the boss some pleasure in a parked up car in a Singapore carpark. Without warning, the car they were in was hit by a reversing van. Now, i'm pretty sure it would not take a rocket scientist to work out what happens, but can you guess?



Yes dear friend, the impact of the collision caused the secretary to bite off the mans penis. Bad enough? Well, to make matters worse, they were being watched by a private detective who was sent by the womans husband to see if she was having an affair. Thankfully the detective called an ambulance after witnessing the event, and the secretary and boss were taken to hospital, the man now without a manhood and the woman holding parts of his penis in her hands.

I can look at this from a few points of view. Firstly, imagine if you had been the lovers. Although I don't know the full details of this story, I would like to imagine the conversation prior to this event took place on a lunch break in the office, and went a little something like this:

Secretary: Hey baby
Boss: Hey, fancy another trip in the shag wagon?
Secretary: Sure, i'll grab my coat.

This is unlikely to be the conversation that took place, but I would like to think of it in that way. Humour me.

Next, lets look at it from the view of the detective. Its another day at work, just another day seeking those shots which will tell all about another cheating partner. You follow the woman you have been asked to follow out of the office and into a car with what looks like her boss, infact by now you know its her boss, they have been getting closer and closer. They park the car in a normal looking carpark, you park nearby. You take out your camera, set yourself up in a prime spot in a tree. Your watching, waiting for the money shot. You see the woman slowly positioning herself for what looks like a very close encounter with the man, and there it is, all happening before your very eyes (and lens). Suddenly, before you have a chance to do anything you see a van reversing, getting closer and closer to the parked car, until...

The next thing you know you hear a crash, the woman screams, the man screams. The woman lifts up her head... her mouth now covered in blood. You realise what has happened... is that... is that a penis in her mouth? A penis not attached to anything!? Woah.

You ring an ambulance, they go to the hospital.

Now... This has indeed been an eventful day. You certainly got evidence for your client that his wife was infact cheating on him, but what started as another normal day ended in a way you could never have expected.

You would certainly have something to tell your friends down at the pub anyway.

These sorts of stories always interest me. I know so far all I have commented on are stories and things including some sort of sexual content, but thats just because these stories fell into my lap (mind the pun) and interested me. I am in no way looking for these sorts of stories, for the record. The thing is though, you have to admit, that whole event was just bad luck. Either way, however bad it is, what with a man having no penis and the woman being embarassed beyond belief, it is a bit funny.

In a way, the man deserves not to have a cock, he was having an affair with a woman who i'm pretty sure he must have known was married, and in a way the woman deserves the trauma, she was cheating on her husband... but I don't know the full story, only the punchline. I can only speculate, fill in the gaps and make up the events leading to the climax.

One thing that interested me though was this. Alot of people I know have at some point cheated on someone, been unfaithful or had sexual encounters with someone whilst being in a relationship with someone else, what if this had happened to them? It could happen to anyone.

I feel like I should end this with some sort of lesson, like all of this was an elaborate story made up to warn those who cheat of the dangers they may face, the things that may happen... but i'll let you make of it what you will.

Bye!

x

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

Suggested soundtrack: Beautiful Loser by William Control.

If I mentioned S&M, would you understand? I'm sure you would. Sadomasochism, the act of roleplaying in which sadism (enjoying the infliction of pain or humiliation upon another person) and masochism (taking enjoyment from sadism) combine, often in a sexual act. BDSM incorporates this act, but it is also much more than this.


BDSM is made up of a few subdivisions: B&D (bondage and discipline), D&S (dominance and submission) and S&M (see above).

Why am I writing of this I hear you not ask? Well, tonight I was with a friend and stumbled upon a television programme which covered this subject (as well as a few more might I add). When it first came on I was faced with a close up shot of a woman naked, tied in chains and hanging from the ceiling on ropes. Before you think 'Eww, pervert!'... hear me out. My brain suddenly told me this was wrong, and thus the first thing I was ready to do was turn over... but something about this made me think, Why do people do this?

Thus I sat through it.

It was strangely quite an interesting programme, and however wrong it felt watching it, and with a friend might I add, it interested me. It was like being at the scene of a crime, or watching a car accident take place, you know you shouldn't really be viewing what is happening, but you cannot help but feel interested to see the outcome. All the way through we sat and watched as people did things we never thought possible, both almost open mouthed... but at the same time watching intently with interest.

At first, I was in shock at the images bombarding my eyes, the people who seemed from another planet, the acts taking place. Even the amount of full frontal nudity shocked me, there was... alot. I listened intently to the reasons people gave as to why they might put themselves through what seemed to me, as an outsider, a very painful experience. Some people mentioned that it was a chance to fulfill all the fantasies they ever had, or that they just felt differently about sex to most people and where is the harm in that.

After watching, I still dont really have a grasp or an idea on how it can be enjoyed, but there was one comment that has stuck with me. A man was being interviewed, he looked like anyone you might see anywhere, a typical guy. He said the following 'People who don't understand see it as something sick, twisted, perverted, but the thing is, we are just normal people who enjoy doing something different. We all know what will happen, we all enjoy what happens and we all understand each other'. Now, this may seem weird, as at first it did to me, but when I think about it I realise that although I don't understand why people do it, I have no reason to think badly of it. They are adults, who do what they want, although they hurt each other, they do not hurt anyone who does not want to be apart of it, they simply like something which is different to what most of us are aware of or comfortable with.

A word which was mentioned alot was 'art'. They said they saw beauty in it, in the perfection of the body and the mastering of the art. The programme showed some photo shoots with models tied up, hands and legs in ropes or chains, hanging from ceilings in positions you would need to see to believe. Personally, this to me was not beauty, I see nothing beautiful in consented torture, however pleasurable it may be to the person taking place... but here is what got me, while watching and thinking about it, and upon contemplation, I do believe the photographs taken, which were shown, were art. Art is relative, it is a personal thing and each person may judge something differently to another or see something in a different prospective. Art makes people think, challenges people, creates discussion... and the things I saw fall into that description. I may add that this is my take on art, the description I have for what art is, but again, someone else may have a different viewpoint. If I was to walk into a gallery and see on the walls photographs of women in this way, my initial reaction, I suspect, would be very similar to that of when I first tuned into the programme... to turn it off, ignore it and walk away. However, what would I learn from walking away?

In the same way, this programme, although not something to my tastes, has led me to reflect upon the fact that if I don't like something, it doesn't mean people who do are wrong. It is quite hard to explain, but I see it this way, to me as an outsider looking in the things I saw seemed wrong at first, almost disgusting, but by trying to understand and to look at it with an open mind, although I am no closer to understanding why people do it, I see it with a new prospective.

This viewpoint, of first looking at things and trying to understand before making judgement, is a viewpoint I take with everything. I could easily turn a blind eye to things which at first make me uncomfortable, but by looking I might gain an insight and learn something new, understand something better and be able to say I have at least looked into the rabbit hole before writing it off as something I should stay clear of. I'm the same with religion, cultures, people and activities, I try to seek some knowledge and insight and even if I do not fully understand some aspects, I can be at least more justified in making an opinion.

I will leave that subject for now.

In other news, have you seen the pictures and read about the boy who cries blood? This story is not only amazing, but like a thing of fiction, something you might read about in a sci-fi novel, but strangely it is happening in real life to a 15 year old boy in Tennesse. Amazing.



On a more random note, I also read today that soon the UK could be getting an import of 'baby shaped pears' from China. Yes, you read that right, pears... shapes like babies, and they REALLY do look like babies (well, jelly babies anyway). These weird but wonderful pears are predicted to cost in the region of £5 when they arrive, and I have to admit the possibility of eating one of these things excites me, even though I hate pears.

Bye for now

x

An Introduction of Sorts

Suggested Soundtrack: Lightspeed Champion - Everyone i know is listening to Crunk

Hey,

I decided to start a brand spanking shiny new blog. If you know me, you will know I already have a number of blogs, all of which serve different purposes, but this one I intend to use for random subjects I just feel like commenting on, or to talk about movies I have watched. Anything really.

Why I hear you not ask? Because, is the simple answer, the not so simple answer being because I want to, which is still simple in itself but more complicated and thus not as simple as the simple answer I gave first. A word of warning my dear, I ramble. I can go on about something which is really not worth going on about and I can go about that something for a while, all the while going in circles about that something not worth anything. Understand? Good.

And so it begins... A new blog is started by someone who cannot make his mind up about what a blog should be or who it should be for. I do not deny the fact that a blog can be about anything, but normally that anything is simply something personal, a trap that I myself have fallen into... and so this new life is born, ready to take on a whole new personality to any of its siblings I am also the father to.

I also plan on taking on a new kind of project on this blog, if I choose to commit to such a thing, which knowing me I will not, although i want to. This 'plan' which isn't actually a 'plan' but simply an idea which I think may be quite fun will also depend on the time i have to carry out such a 'plan'. Actually, it is more a task. Whatever it is, you will find out in due course.



In the meantime did you hear about the guy who found a frog in his Coca Cola? Sounds like a joke right? It isn't. TRUE my friend, very true. I know if I found a frog in my Coke I'd be one unhappy chappy. I remember once reading about this kid who found a finger in her Mars Bar, or maybe I just dreamed that... Hmm. Anyway, these kinds of stories always amaze me and creep me out in equal measures. I know next time I open a can of anything i'll be checking to see if anything unexpected is in there. You never know though do you?

You will find that after reading this your eyes play tricks on you, or rather you just see lines. Isn't that cool? Go on, close this down now and look elsewhere. Don't worry though, they will be back to normal very soon.

Bye!

x